floridahumanist / CC Did you know that in addition to being the award-winning director of Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, Oliver Stone is a decorated Army veteran? He’s earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Stone’s interest in the military and his compassion for animals is what prompted him to … Read more »
news.bbc / CC Not content with forcing just elephants, tigers, and other exotic animals to perform cheap tricks, Ringling’s mobile animal hell has added dogs to its list of prisoners. During a recent appearance on The Early Show, goons from Ringling’s new magic act, called “Zing Zang Zoom,” dragged along a few sad-looking pups … Read more »
It’s been almost a year in the making, but three lions and two tigers in Kansas will soon be on their way to new homes after PETA pressured local authorities to act. We were first alerted to the big cats’ plight back in May 2008, when a passerby informed us that the animals were being … Read more »
farm2.static / CC After finding out that Renninger’s Farmers and Flea Market in Mount Dora, Florida, was offering rides on a female African elephant named Nosey, we immediately contacted the manager and alerted him to the dangers that elephant rides pose to both elephants and the public. After listening to our concerns and hearing from … Read more »
livinggallery / CC Today, lawyers gave their closing arguments in the court case involving Ringling’s use of steel-barbed bullhooks and shackles on the elephants it forces to perform. Over the course of the six-week trial, the following evidence was presented: Elephants are chained for an average of more than 26 hours at a … Read more »
Considering that Tiger Woods’ life is essentially a media circus, we hope that the superstar golfer can relate to the plight of his namesakes in the circus. That’s why we’ve written a letter to Tiger asking him to tee up for one of our ever-popular naked tiger demos. We’re hoping that Mr. Woods will show … Read more »
Most kids love animals, but not all kids are aware of the horrors that elephants and other animals in circuses face, so PETA and Ellie Elephant decided to tell local kids what goes on behind the big top. Ellie was a huge hit with children and parents, handing out activity books to show kids why … Read more »
portland / CC Twelve children were treated by paramedics on Saturday when an elephant who was being forced to give rides at the Indiana State Fairgrounds bumped into the mobile staircase on which kids stood awaiting rides, knocking it down. The rides were being given between performances of the Murat Shrine Circus. Luckily, the kids … Read more »
As the highly anticipated trial concerning the abuse of elephants by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus rolls on, Kenneth Feld, the head of the company that owns the evil Ringling empire, has taken the stand. On Tuesday, the multimillionaire CEO spewed his slick half-truths about how Ringling’s elephants live (they live in cramped … Read more »
OK, it’s official—we’re wild about Wilmer. Feztastic on That 70s Show, unforgettable in Fast Food Nation, and smooth as hell as the dude in charge of doling out disses on MTV’s Yo Momma, Wilmer’s latest television role is his most heartfelt yet. He recently took the time to crack the whip on the circus industry … Read more »
webshots / CC You don’t have to answer that. But answer this: What do you get when you cross a lemur, a monkey, and an alligator named Bob? If you’re Arlin Valdez-Castillo—you get angry skin lesions and a humdinger of a lawsuit. According to court documents, in 2004, Ms. Valdez-Castillo, a housekeeper at a Hampton … Read more »
signonsandiego / CC Unless you’re a die-hard Britney Spears fan and regular visitor to her Web site, you heard it here first: The top-secret stage design plans for Britney’s upcoming “Circus” tour will include no live animals. That’s right, folks, in an “EXCLUSIVE: STAGE DESIGN ANNOUNCEMENT” (seriously, that’s what it’s called, all caps and everything), … Read more »
whatismatt / CC Blayne Doyle, a retired Florida police officer, had several harrowing experiences during his many years on the force. He was shot and stabbed and was involved in life-threatening automobile, motorcycle, and airplane accidents. But if you were to ask him which event stuck out as the most frightening, he would tell you … Read more »
freewebs / CC We were blown away when we read that Jess Origliasso, one-half of the gorgeous pop duo The Veronicas, feels the way she does about the nasty fur trade. Not only is Jess fur-free, but she certainly ain’t shy about lettin’ the world know it. She told Confidential, “Death for these animals is … Read more »
We approached Spirit Airlines about buying ad space for our G-rated and quite cute “Let Birds Keep Their Wings” ad, which promotes going vegetarian. After Spirit offered us some bogus reasons for rejecting the ad (too small a buy, it only accepts industry ads), we got to the bottom of it. Spirit admitted that it … Read more »