petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-03-26--PETA Will Buy Every Betta Fish From Petco in Exchange for a Sales Ban

As COVID-19 shutdowns continue to hurt retailers during this trying time , PETA is offering an olive branch to Petco with an offer to buy all the betta fish at its stores and end our betta fish campaign against the corporation .
We ’ re simply demanding that the company end the sale of these fish immediately and forever .
When betta fish are treated as inventory—mere things to be stocked , stacked , priced , and unloaded—they suffer .
Sure , they ’ re vibrant and colorful , but they ’ re also extremely complex animals .
At Petco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re confined to tiny plastic cups with scarcely a couple of inches of water inside , stacked on top of one another .
Scores of customers have complained of finding dead and sick bettas floating in filthy water on the chain ’ s store shelves .
A recent PETA Asia investigation uncovered what happens to betta fish before they end up at Petco stores and revealed shockingly unsanitary practices .
The eyewitness—who visited 10 breeding factories and packing operations , including two facilities that supply bettas to Petco—saw numerous dead bettas , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , many fish had died in breeding tanks and workers hadn ’ t bothered to remove the dead bodies .
Tens of thousands of fish were housed in small and often filthy bottles .
In such a minuscule volume of water , ammonia from the fish ’ s waste builds up , quickly contaminating it .
These breeding factories are a public health disaster waiting to happen .
No fish should be forced to live and die in a cramped bowl .
Betta fish are so intelligent that they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and learn tricks from them , such as swimming through a hoop or pushing a ball into a goal .
They ’ ve even adapted to breathe oxygen right from the air .
Like all living , feeling beings , they cherish their own lives and have no interest in being used as part of someone ’ s home decor .
Petco employees have admitted that the process of transporting bettas to stores is so stressful that the animals often get sick and even die shortly after their arrival .
These fish are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food and often barely enough water to cover their bodies—on journeys that can take days .
Betta fish sold in the U.S. typically come from breeding factories in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia .
When fish are transported abroad , the stressful trip can cause them to develop diseases and bacterial infections—which are becoming more antibiotic-resistant because of rampant drug use in the tropical fish trade .
These can then be transmitted to humans .
What You Can Do Even if Petco turns our offer down , you can still demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by clicking on the button below :

As COVID-19 shutdowns continue to hurt retailers during this trying time, PETA is offering an olive branch to Petco with an offer to buy all the betta fish at its stores and end our betta fish campaign against the corporation. We’re simply demanding that the company end the sale of these fish immediately and forever.
When betta fish are treated as inventory—mere things to be stocked, stacked, priced, and unloaded—they suffer.
Sure, they’re vibrant and colorful, but they’re also extremely complex animals. At Petco stores around the country, they’re confined to tiny plastic cups with scarcely a couple of inches of water inside, stacked on top of one another. Scores of customers have complained of finding dead and sick bettas floating in filthy water on the chain’s store shelves.
A recent PETA Asia investigation uncovered what happens to betta fish before they end up at Petco stores and revealed shockingly unsanitary practices. The eyewitness—who visited 10 breeding factories and packing operations, including two facilities that supply bettas to Petco—saw numerous dead bettas, many on the floor, likely having suffocated. In addition, many fish had died in breeding tanks and workers hadn’t bothered to remove the dead bodies. Tens of thousands of fish were housed in small and often filthy bottles. In such a minuscule volume of water, ammonia from the fish’s waste builds up, quickly contaminating it.
These breeding factories are a public health disaster waiting to happen.
Bigotry begins when categories such as race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or species are used to justify discrimination. Join the Movement
No fish should be forced to live and die in a cramped bowl.
Betta fish are so intelligent that they can recognize and bond with their human guardians and learn tricks from them, such as swimming through a hoop or pushing a ball into a goal. They’ve even adapted to breathe oxygen right from the air. Like all living, feeling beings, they cherish their own lives and have no interest in being used as part of someone’s home decor.
Petco employees have admitted that the process of transporting bettas to stores is so stressful that the animals often get sick and even die shortly after their arrival.
These fish are typically shipped in small plastic bags—with no food and often barely enough water to cover their bodies—on journeys that can take days. Betta fish sold in the U.S. typically come from breeding factories in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia. When fish are transported abroad, the stressful trip can cause them to develop diseases and bacterial infections—which are becoming more antibiotic-resistant because of rampant drug use in the tropical fish trade. These can then be transmitted to humans.
What You Can Do
Even if Petco turns our offer down, you can still demand that the company stop selling betta fish by clicking on the button below:


petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-03-26--Slaughterhouse Is Business As Usual After Worker Tests Positive for COVID-19

While the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unpredictable , one thing is certain : Unless they close down , slaughterhouses and other animal-killing operations—in which dangerous viruses and other animal-borne pathogens flourish—will continue to put everyone at enormous risk .
Among those most exposed to danger are slaughterhouse employees .
On Monday , a worker at Sanderson Farms ( one of the largest producers of chicken flesh in the U.S. ) in McComb , Mississippi , allegedly tested positive for COVID-19 , a disease that has reportedly been traced back to other animals who were closely confined , shipped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Farms plans to continue packaging up dead chickens ( chickens , who enjoy sunbathing as much as the next human does ) at its McComb slaughterhouse and distributing their flesh to supermarkets around the country .
Sanderson Farms isn ’ t the only animal-flesh processor with coronavirus woes .
The same day that a slaughterhouse worker in McComb tested positive for COVID-19 , Perdue Farms workers in Kathleen , Georgia , staged a walkout over their own growing concerns .
Granville and other Perdue workers said that they feel unsafe at the plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been exposed to coronavirus .
It ’ s no surprise , really , that slaughterhouses aren ’ t prioritizing their employees ’ ( or the public ’ s ) welfare , even during these distressing times .
The unsafe and unsanitary working conditions of these gruesome facilities are nothing new .
But in an industry in which “ sick leave is rare and even bathroom breaks are considered a perk , ” employees often feel that they ’ ve been left with no choice but to stick it out .
Filthy farms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health of workers and every human being on the planet by providing a breeding ground for diseases such as COVID-19 , SARS , bird flu , and swine flu .
A September 2019 Nature.com article by Cassandra Willyard even predicted this new coronavirus almost to a T : We can ’ t just blame wet markets and the wildlife trade in Asia , because one of the animals most commonly connected to viral outbreaks in humans is the chicken .
And the U.S. is home to farms ( such as Perdue ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cages as well as slaughterhouses ( like Sanderson ) where they ’ re killed on floors soaked with blood , urine , and other bodily fluids .
This is happening to chickens , who experience rapid eye movement ( REM ) sleep , which means that they dream , just as we humans do .
For everyone ’ s sakes , these dangerous operations should take the commonsense step of closing down—yes , even after the COVID-19 crisis subsides .
Even without the connection to coronavirus , animal flesh is one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could consume .
Eating meat has been conclusively linked to heart disease , cancer , obesity , and other health issues—and according to the United Nations , animal agriculture is responsible for nearly a fifth of human-induced greenhouse-gas emissions .
But each person who goes vegan won ’ t just help fight climate change—they ’ ll also save the lives of nearly 200 animals a year , animals who , just like us , don ’ t want to be killed .
Don ’ t wait for COVID-20—forget freezer meat and go vegan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food and Supplies Click on the links below to urge others to take the connection between meat and coronavirus seriously : Urge NYC Officials to Help Prevent the Next Pandemic Tell the WHO That Deadly Live-Animal Markets Must Close !
Stay up to date with PETA ’ s work during the current outbreak at PETA.org/COVID19 .

Update: January 29, 2021
At Trident Seafoods, one of Alaska’s largest fish slaughterhouses and a supplier to Long John Silver’s, nearly 20% of workers—135 of 700, with testing only partially finished—tested positive for COVID-19. The state epidemiologist said that the company has only tested about half of its workforce and predicted that the outbreak would go on “for a while”—but Trident officials announced a measly three-week closure. Two other fish slaughterhouses in the area, UniSea and Alyeska Seafoods, also shut down because of COVID-19 outbreaks.
Update: August 28, 2020
Local health officials reportedly ordered a Foster Farms slaughterhouse in Livingston, California, to shut down after eight workers died of COVID-19 and more than 350 other employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
CORONAVIRUS LATEST: California health officials are ordering a Foster Farms poultry plant closed after eight workers died of COVID-19 and at least 358 employees tested positive for the virus. https://t.co/KgVGdb4lI8 — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 28, 2020
NBC News reported that, as of the morning of August 28, the chicken slaughterhouse was still open and operational.
“Nobody can ignore the facts: It’s time to hit the reset button on Foster Farms’ Livingston plant,” State Attorney General Xavier Becerra reportedly said in a statement.
It’s time to hit the reset button on our way of eating and eliminate all meat, eggs, and dairy—Foster Farms and the slew of incidents below prove that anything less is playing with animals’ and humans’ lives. Health experts have been warning that the next pandemic is inevitable if we don’t change the way we treat animals. Foster Farms and every other slaughter company must take this advice into account and stay relevant by giving themselves and their product lines a vegan makeover, before it’s too late.
Don’t wait for slaughter companies to get it together—go vegan already.
Update: April 21, 2020
Ahmed and his wife, Neela, have dealt with the ramifications of Smithfield Foods’ questionable decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic at firsthand. Although both emigrated from Ethiopia, the two met at Smithfield’s Sioux Falls, South Dakota, slaughterhouse, where they both worked. Neela, who is now eight months pregnant, stopped working in December. Ahmed, feeling the pressure to continue working, was terrified that he would contract COVID-19 at work and infect his pregnant wife. His fears were realized when he began exhibiting symptoms and was later confirmed COVID-19 positive.
“Smithfield—they don’t care about employees,” said Neela. “They only care about their money.”
Ahmed is one of more than 600 people with confirmed Smithfield-related COVID-19 infections (which account for more than 50% of South Dakota’s cases) and is part of the “large immigrant population” a Smithfield spokesperson seemingly blamed for the company’s coronavirus catastrophe.
“Living circumstances in certain cultures are different than they are with your traditional American family,” she told BuzzFeed News, apparently blaming the multimillion-dollar company’s overworked, underpaid employees for its Sioux Falls slaughterhouse outbreak getting so out of hand.
As of a few days ago, the slaughterhouse had become the number one coronavirus hotspot in the U.S. And if you ask employees, their union representatives, or local officials, the tragedy that has befallen the company was indeed avoidable.
“There could have been more transparency by [Smithfield] on the measures they were taking. The message to the public didn’t match the actual plan,” said Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken.
Although there’s no undoing the damage that the pig-killing company has done, we do have a suggestion for Smithfield going forward: Reopen as a producer of healthy and 100% humane vegan pork.
We’re even offering to help cover the cost of retraining any of the company’s employees who don’t already have experience making its existing vegan meat products.
Update: April 10, 2020
Despite having a fever—one of the symptoms of COVID-19—55-year-old Annie Grant was told to return to work by her superiors at a Tyson slaughterhouse in Camilla, Georgia. “My mom said the guy at the plant said they had to work to feed America. But my mom was sick,” said Willie Martin, one of Grant’s sons. Although her sons begged her to stay home, Grant returned to work. Days later, after spending more than a week on a ventilator, she was dead.
Slaughterhouses don’t just claim the lives of chickens, cows, and sheep—they’re killing human workers, too.
Hundreds of slaughterhouse workers, if not more, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Despite the disturbing statistics, many animal-killing and -packing operations are conducting business as usual.
Slaughterhouses and other animal-killing operations—crammed with humans, live animals, and bloody flesh and bearing a disturbing resemblance to “wet markets”—should take the commonsense step of closing down (and remain closed even once the COVID-19 crisis subsides) before anyone else, human or animal, is killed.
Update: April 6, 2020
We said it weeks ago: As long as meat companies continue to endanger both humans and other animals, it’s a matter of when—not if—the next worker will become infected. Last week, that when became now. After 10 workers at a JBS meatpacking plant in Colorado tested positive for COVID-19, about 1,000 other employees—sick of being forced to work in crowded, filthy conditions (without safety gear) and denied sick pay to self-quarantine—walked off the job.
“People work pretty much elbow to elbow. There’s no 6-feet distancing there,” the employees’ union representative said of slaughterhouse working conditions.
Even before the coronavirus crisis, working on a kill floor was a dangerous, dirty, dead-end job. Slaughterhouses are sick, unsanitary places that typically show about as much concern for their employees as they do for the animals killed there. Staff are often obligated to keep up with dangerous slaughter speeds and stomach unethical, revolting practices. Many become mentally unwell, even suicidal, and workplace safety records indicate that U.S. slaughterhouse employees are three times more likely to sustain serious injury than the average American worker. All this, and now they have to worry about becoming infected with COVID-19 as well.
So, to give the slaughterhouse workers who walked off the job a chance to reinvent themselves, PETA has offered to cover the cost of job training for them in the pleasant, nonviolent field of flower arrangement.
We’re happy to help budding flower arrangers flee the meat industry for the sake of animals and their own mental health.
If you want to avoid influenza viruses and other pathogens, too, go vegan. The meat industry isn’t likely to change, but we can, simply by choosing what we put on our plates.
Originally published March 26, 2020:
While the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unpredictable, one thing is certain: Unless they close down, slaughterhouses and other animal-killing operations—in which dangerous viruses and other animal-borne pathogens flourish—will continue to put everyone at enormous risk. Among those most exposed to danger are slaughterhouse employees.
On Monday, a worker at Sanderson Farms (one of the largest producers of chicken flesh in the U.S.) in McComb, Mississippi, allegedly tested positive for COVID-19, a disease that has reportedly been traced back to other animals who were closely confined, shipped, killed, and eaten. Sanderson Farms plans to continue packaging up dead chickens (chickens, who enjoy sunbathing as much as the next human does) at its McComb slaughterhouse and distributing their flesh to supermarkets around the country.
Sanderson Farms isn’t the only animal-flesh processor with coronavirus woes. The same day that a slaughterhouse worker in McComb tested positive for COVID-19, Perdue Farms workers in Kathleen, Georgia, staged a walkout over their own growing concerns.
Granville and other Perdue workers said that they feel unsafe at the plant, working next to people who may have been exposed to coronavirus.
It’s no surprise, really, that slaughterhouses aren’t prioritizing their employees’ (or the public’s) welfare, even during these distressing times. The unsafe and unsanitary working conditions of these gruesome facilities are nothing new. But in an industry in which “sick leave is rare and even bathroom breaks are considered a perk ,” employees often feel that they’ve been left with no choice but to stick it out.
© Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
Filthy farms, slaughterhouses, and meat markets threaten the health of workers and every human being on the planet by providing a breeding ground for diseases such as COVID-19, SARS, bird flu, and swine flu. A September 2019 Nature.com article by Cassandra Willyard even predicted this new coronavirus almost to a T:
Modern farms are particularly vulnerable to devastation from influenza. … But there is an even greater fear: that these ever-changing viruses will give rise to the next human pandemic.
We can’t just blame wet markets and the wildlife trade in Asia, because one of the animals most commonly connected to viral outbreaks in humans is the chicken. And the U.S. is home to farms (such as Perdue) where chickens are crammed together in small cages as well as slaughterhouses (like Sanderson) where they’re killed on floors soaked with blood, urine, and other bodily fluids. This is happening to chickens, who experience rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which means that they dream, just as we humans do.
For everyone’s sakes, these dangerous operations should take the commonsense step of closing down—yes, even after the COVID-19 crisis subsides.
Even without the connection to coronavirus, animal flesh is one of the most cruelly obtained and unhealthy things you could consume. Eating meat has been conclusively linked to heart disease, cancer, obesity, and other health issues—and according to the United Nations, animal agriculture is responsible for nearly a fifth of human-induced greenhouse-gas emissions. But each person who goes vegan won’t just help fight climate change—they’ll also save the lives of nearly 200 animals a year, animals who, just like us, don’t want to be killed. Don’t wait for COVID-20—forget freezer meat and go vegan now:
Click on the link below to urge others to take the connection between meat and the coronavirus seriously:
Stay up to date with PETA’s work during the current outbreak at PETA.org/COVID19.


petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-03-30--New Video: PETA President Hosts Virtual Book Tour Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk had been on the road for several months talking with audiences about her new book , Animalkind—that is , until COVID-19 halted social gatherings for the foreseeable future .
But not even a pandemic can stop Ingrid .
Instead , she ’ s gone virtual to bring you her engaging and illuminating talk .
Check out her discussion of Animalkind : Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion , co-written with bestselling author Gene Stone : Self-isolating ?
This is the perfect time to curl up at home with the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a fascinating study of reasons why our fellow sentient beings deserve our respect—and moreover , it ’ s a collection of steps that every reader can take to put this new understanding into action .
Animals are much more intelligent , aware , empathetic , and creative than many humans give them credit for .
Did you know that squirrels bury nuts by the position of the stars and that pigeons navigate by low-frequency radio waves ?
Did you know that fish “ sing ” underwater or that elephants use their trunks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away , alerting them to danger ?
Ingrid and Stone ’ s gripping book contains unexpected facts that even the most seasoned animal rights folks may not know about yet .
You ’ ll come away with new knowledge about animals ’ lives and how they cherish them .
You ’ ll also be equipped with simple ways you can help dismantle speciesism .
Everyone should have a copy as part of their activism toolkit .
Click on the link below to order a copy of Animalkind .
Or listen to it on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes toward funding PETA ’ s groundbreaking work to end animal exploitation .
Note : PETA participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , an affiliate advertising program designed to provide websites with a means to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com .

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk had been on the road for several months talking with audiences about her new book, Animalkind—that is, until COVID-19 halted social gatherings for the foreseeable future.
But not even a pandemic can stop Ingrid. Instead, she’s gone virtual to bring you her engaging and illuminating talk. Check out her discussion of Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion, co-written with bestselling author Gene Stone:
Self-isolating? This is the perfect time to curl up at home with the best animal rights book of 2020.
Animalkind is a fascinating study of reasons why our fellow sentient beings deserve our respect—and moreover, it’s a collection of steps that every reader can take to put this new understanding into action.
Animals are much more intelligent, aware, empathetic, and creative than many humans give them credit for. Did you know that squirrels bury nuts by the position of the stars and that pigeons navigate by low-frequency radio waves? Did you know that fish “sing” underwater or that elephants use their trunks to send signals to other herds miles away, alerting them to danger?
Ingrid and Stone’s gripping book contains unexpected facts that even the most seasoned animal rights folks may not know about yet. You’ll come away with new knowledge about animals’ lives and how they cherish them. You’ll also be equipped with simple ways you can help dismantle speciesism. Everyone should have a copy as part of their activism toolkit.
Click on the link below to order a copy of Animalkind. Or listen to it on audiobook! A percentage of each purchase goes toward funding PETA’s groundbreaking work to end animal exploitation.
As an Amazon Associate, PETA earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy something after clicking the Amazon links on this page, a percentage of the qualifying purchase will be donated to PETA and help us protect more animals from exploitation.


petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-03-30--New Video: COVID-19 Won’t Stop PETA President’s ‘Animalkind’ World Tour


petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-03-31--Could a Chaotic Seattle-Area Primate Lab Become a COVID-19 Hotspot?

Humans aren ’ t the only ones at risk of catching COVID-19 .
Although the pathogen manifests differently in monkeys , they are still susceptible to contracting the novel coronavirus infection that ’ s gripping the country right now .
That ’ s why PETA is particularly concerned about monkeys who are used in experiments at the federally funded Washington National Primate Research Center ( WaNPRC ) in Seattle—ground zero for the coronavirus in the U.S .
These sensitive animals are usually kept locked in extremely tight quarters , which increases the chance of an outbreak .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they endure in unnatural laboratory settings compromise their immune systems .
It ’ s entirely possible for a human infected with COVID-19 to pass the virus on to one or more monkeys in a crowded primate laboratory setting .
From there , it could quickly spread among them .
If the monkeys do become infected with COVID-19 , any experiments conducted on them will be compromised .
Therefore , they should be retired to sanctuaries and left alone .
However , that ’ s unlikely to happen—and we may never know whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus .
On top of this , the facility has a long history of both horrific experiments on monkeys and animal welfare violations .
Months before COVID-19 even hit our nation , WaNPRC was in the midst of a financial and leadership crisis necessitating massive layoffs , hiring freezes , and drastic cost-cutting measures .
Rapid changes in leadership and oversight , like those seen recently at this primate center , are highly unusual and indicate apparent disorder .
PETA is concerned that WaNPRC no longer has the resources or expertise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primates it holds captive .
We ’ re demanding that WaNPRC immediately provide PETA—and the tax-paying public—with the following crucial information : • Documentation that no staff members have been exposed to or infected with the coronavirus • Documentation that no primates there have been exposed to or infected with the coronavirus • Documentation that simply limiting staff exposure to primates will protect the animals from exposure to the coronavirus We ’ re further asking that all current experiments on primates be suspended .
Primates Used in Experiments Are Suffering Every year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monkeys are imprisoned in laboratories , where most of them are abused and killed in invasive , painful , and terrifying experiments .
Even though it ’ s well known that monkeys are sensitive , intelligent beings , experimenters treat them as if they were disposable pieces of laboratory equipment .
In laboratories , these animals have barely enough room to sit , stand , lie down , or turn around .
Many go insane , rocking back and forth , pacing endlessly in the cages , and doing repetitive motions such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of self-mutilation , including tearing out their own hair and biting their own flesh .
You can help animals like these , imprisoned in a taxpayer-funded torture chamber : Take Action to Help Monkeys Now !

Humans aren’t the only ones at risk of catching COVID-19. Although the pathogen manifests differently in monkeys, they are still susceptible to contracting the novel coronavirus infection that’s gripping the country right now. That’s why PETA is particularly concerned about monkeys who are used in experiments at the federally funded Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) in Seattle—ground zero for the coronavirus in the U.S.
These sensitive animals are usually kept locked in extremely tight quarters, which increases the chance of an outbreak. In addition, the alternating terror and crushing boredom that they endure in unnatural laboratory settings compromise their immune systems. It’s entirely possible for a human infected with COVID-19 to pass the virus on to one or more monkeys in a crowded primate laboratory setting. From there, it could quickly spread among them.
If the monkeys do become infected with COVID-19, any experiments conducted on them will be compromised. Therefore, they should be retired to sanctuaries and left alone. However, that’s unlikely to happen—and we may never know whether the monkeys at WaNPRC have even been exposed to the virus.
On top of this, the facility has a long history of both horrific experiments on monkeys and animal welfare violations.
Months before COVID-19 even hit our nation, WaNPRC was in the midst of a financial and leadership crisis necessitating massive layoffs, hiring freezes, and drastic cost-cutting measures. Rapid changes in leadership and oversight, like those seen recently at this primate center, are highly unusual and indicate apparent disorder. PETA is concerned that WaNPRC no longer has the resources or expertise to protect the health and well-being of the primates it holds captive.
We’re demanding that WaNPRC immediately provide PETA—and the tax-paying public—with the following crucial information:
Documentation that no staff members have been exposed to or infected with the coronavirus
Documentation that no primates there have been exposed to or infected with the coronavirus
Documentation that simply limiting staff exposure to primates will protect the animals from exposure to the coronavirus
We’re further asking that all current experiments on primates be suspended.
Primates Used in Experiments Are Suffering
Every year in the U.S., more than 110,000 monkeys are imprisoned in laboratories, where most of them are abused and killed in invasive, painful, and terrifying experiments. Even though it’s well known that monkeys are sensitive, intelligent beings, experimenters treat them as if they were disposable pieces of laboratory equipment.
In laboratories, these animals have barely enough room to sit, stand, lie down, or turn around. Many go insane, rocking back and forth, pacing endlessly in the cages, and doing repetitive motions such as back-flipping. They even engage in acts of self-mutilation, including tearing out their own hair and biting their own flesh.
You can help these animals:


petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-03-31--Are You a Meat-Eater Itching to Get Clean? PETA’s Patches Are for You!

Do you still consume meat , eggs , or dairy ?
Or do you know a meat-eater who ’ s just itching to get clean ?
Then consider getting the PETA Shop ’ s latest new product : scratch ‘ n ’ sniff patches !
Whether you or your friend want to … • Avoid deadly animal-borne pathogens like the new coronavirus 😷 • All of the above 🙌 … PETA ’ s “ Go Vegan ” Patch Pack will deliver .
Our scientists have been hard at work developing the scratch ‘ n ’ sniff patches , inspired by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oxford scientist created earlier this year to help people kick their cravings for pig flesh .
Just stick on one ( or all ) of the putrid patches and give them a scratch for a pungent reminder that meat , eggs , and dairy stink—for animals , the planet , and your health .
You can almost hear the flies buzzing when you scratch this putrid patch .
The essence of a carcass decomposing in the hot sun will remind you that dead meat should be buried , not eaten , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , teach their young the ways of the world—don ’ t want to be killed for food .
This udderly rotten aroma will mootivate you to dump dairy and discover the joy of soy , almond , or oat milk instead .
Cows , like us , mourn the deaths of those they love .
They don ’ t deserve to be exploited or killed for milk—they deserve to be respected and left in peace .
Floundering about when it comes to going vegan ?
One whiff of this fetid fragrance and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shtick and let our finned friends off the hook .
Fish enjoy physical contact with other fish and often gently rub against one another—in the same way a cat weaves in and out of your legs .
You wouldn ’ t eat your cat , and fish deserve the same consideration .
Animals aren ’ t the only ones who die young for meat-eaters ’ killer cravings .
Humans do , too—of cancer , heart disease , diabetes , animal-borne diseases , and other diet-related ailments .
The smell of a freshly dug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make anyone nix the chicken nuggets and ditch the hot dogs .
Don ’ t go bacon your heart—or anyone else ’ s .
Leaving meat off your plate cuts your risk of suffering from heart disease by 32 % , and the acrid aroma of blood , iodine , and rubbing alcohol will inspire you to set down the steak knife and skip the scalpel .
When you barbecue cows , pigs , and chickens ( who love their family members and value their own lives , just as we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , kangaroos , jaguars , mountain lions , and other animals , too .
Eating meat causes climate change , which fuels wildfires .
This smoky , sobering scent will persuade you to stop grilling all animals .
Are you craving sushi ( mercury poisoning and parasites wrapped in seaweed and rice ) ?
Stick a Something Fishy patch on your arm !
Do you have an acquaintance who loves to whine , “ I just can ’ t live without bacon ” ?
Slip an Open-Heart Surgery patch into their next birthday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Death patch on your cubemate who refuses to stop eating dead-animal burgers for lunch at his desk—the unsubtle hint may just save his life .
Scratch ‘ n ’ Sniff Your Way to Eating Vegan These new patches take advantage of the strong connection between our sense of smell and our brain by developing negative associations in the mind with the rotten aromas of meat and dairy ( along with other stenches related to eating animal-derived foods ) .
Between the COVID-19 outbreak , the Amazon wildfires and the fires in Australia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , egg , and dairy industries ( which PETA investigations continue to expose ) , it ’ s never been more crucial for the world to go vegan .
And thanks to PETA ’ s “ Go Vegan ” Patch Pack as well as the countless flesh-free meat , vegan egg , and dairy-free cheese and milk products available today , it ’ s never been easier to go vegan , either .
So what are you waiting for ?
Get your hands on PETA ’ s scratch ‘ n ‘ sniff patches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habit today :

Do you still consume meat, eggs, or dairy? Or do you know a meat-eater who’s just itching to get clean? Then consider getting the PETA Shop’s latest new product: scratch ‘n’ sniff patches! Whether you or your friend want to …
… PETA’s “Go Vegan” Patch Pack will deliver. Our scientists have been hard at work developing the scratch ‘n’ sniff patches, inspired by the bacon-scented patches that a University of Oxford scientist created earlier this year to help people kick their cravings for pig flesh. Just stick on one (or all) of the putrid patches and give them a scratch for a pungent reminder that meat, eggs, and dairy stink—for animals, the planet, and your health.
The all-new “Go Vegan” Patch Pack includes six stenches:
Rotting Flesh
You can almost hear the flies buzzing when you scratch this putrid patch. The essence of a carcass decomposing in the hot sun will remind you that dead meat should be buried, not eaten, and that animals like hens—who, like human mothers, teach their young the ways of the world—don’t want to be killed for food.
© Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
Soured on Cream
This udderly rotten aroma will mootivate you to dump dairy and discover the joy of soy, almond, or oat milk instead. Cows, like us, mourn the deaths of those they love. They don’t deserve to be exploited or killed for milk—they deserve to be respected and left in peace.
Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
Something Fishy
Floundering about when it comes to going vegan? One whiff of this fetid fragrance and you’ll want to drop the fish shtick and let our finned friends off the hook. Fish enjoy physical contact with other fish and often gently rub against one another—in the same way a cat weaves in and out of your legs. You wouldn’t eat your cat, and fish deserve the same consideration.
Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
Early Death
Animals aren’t the only ones who die young for meat-eaters’ killer cravings. Humans do, too—of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, animal-borne diseases, and other diet-related ailments. The smell of a freshly dug grave and embalming fluid should be enough to make anyone nix the chicken nuggets and ditch the hot dogs.
Open-Heart Surgery
Don’t go bacon your heart—or anyone else’s. Leaving meat off your plate cuts your risk of suffering from heart disease by 32%, and the acrid aroma of blood, iodine, and rubbing alcohol will inspire you to set down the steak knife and skip the scalpel.
Charred Bodies
When you barbecue cows, pigs, and chickens (who love their family members and value their own lives, just as we do), you’re torching koalas, kangaroos, jaguars, mountain lions, and other animals, too. Eating meat causes climate change, which fuels wildfires. This smoky, sobering scent will persuade you to stop grilling all animals.
Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
Are you craving sushi (mercury poisoning and parasites wrapped in seaweed and rice)? Stick a Something Fishy patch on your arm! Do you have an acquaintance who loves to whine, “I just can’t live without bacon”? Slip an Open-Heart Surgery patch into their next birthday card. Hell, slap an Early Death patch on your cubemate who refuses to stop eating dead-animal burgers for lunch at his desk—the unsubtle hint may just save his life.
Scratch ‘n’ Sniff Your Way to Eating Vegan
These new patches take advantage of the strong connection between our sense of smell and our brain by developing negative associations in the mind with the rotten aromas of meat and dairy (along with other stenches related to eating animal-derived foods). Between the COVID-19 outbreak, the Amazon wildfires and the fires in Australia, and the cruelty associated with the meat, egg, and dairy industries (which PETA investigations continue to expose), it’s never been more crucial for the world to go vegan. And thanks to PETA’s “Go Vegan” Patch Pack as well as the countless flesh-free meat, vegan egg, and dairy-free cheese and milk products available today, it’s never been easier to go vegan, either.
So what are you waiting for?
Get your hands on PETA’s scratch ‘n‘ sniff patches and get to breaking your bad meat habit today:


petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-04-01--PETA Victory! Relief for Big Cats As Dade City’s Wild Things Reportedly Closes

Victory !
Dade City ’ s Wild Things ( DCWT ) , which has long been on PETA ’ s radar , is reported to have closed its doors after the last six tigers once held there were sent to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado .
This comes just days after PETA obtained a default judgment and permanent injunction in our Endangered Species Act ( ESA ) lawsuit against the sleazy Florida roadside zoo .
Relief for the long-suffering big cats comes after thousands of compassionate people like you joined PETA in calling on DCWT to provide them with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d been denied .
PETA ’ s lawsuit established that DCWT—which acquired tiger cubs from Joseph Maldonado-Passage ( aka “ Joe Exotic ” ) , the big-cat exhibitor profiled in the Netflix docuseries Tiger King : Murder , Mayhem and Madness—violated the ESA by prematurely separating tiger cubs from their mothers and using them in public encounters .
One of the cubs acquired from Maldonado-Passage , 2-month-old Nikita , was used as a breeding machine .
A PETA investigation revealed that her cubs were taken from her within days of their birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , months-old Luna—whom DCWT acquired from Maldonado-Passage when she was just a week old—howled and cried during a public encounter .
Footage also revealed that a DCWT trainer repeatedly hit her and pushed her into a pool .
“ The days of exploiting vulnerable tiger cubs and making a sleazy business out of fueling the captive-tiger overpopulation crisis are about over .
PETA is celebrating the new life that awaits these six survivors , who at last will be able to roam vast habitats , choose to swim if and when they want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time in their lives.
” PETA has rescued a total of 27 tigers once held at DCWT over the years , including 19 who were sent on a grueling 18-hour trip to Maldonado-Passage ’ s roadside zoo in Oklahoma in violation of two court orders .
We ’ re currently suing two other players in the tiger cub–petting industry , Jeff Lowe and Tim Stark of Wildlife in Need , and we ’ ve secured an injunction banning Stark from declawing big cats , separating cubs from their mothers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cubs and Other Wild Animals Suffer for Photo Ops You can help end the abuse of animals in the entertainment industry , which includes tearing families apart and forcing vulnerable baby wild animals into stressful direct contact with a steady stream of tourists .
Animals aren ’ t ours to imprison , gawk at , or touch , yet thousands of them are kept caged in barren , filthy enclosures at dilapidated venues .
Please , never visit roadside zoos , marine parks , or any other tourist attractions that encourage direct contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suffering .
Take Action for Animals in Roadside Zoos

Victory! Dade City’s Wild Things (DCWT), which has long been on PETA’s radar, is reported to have closed its doors after the last six tigers once held there were sent to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado. This comes just days after PETA obtained a default judgment and permanent injunction in our Endangered Species Act (ESA) lawsuit against the sleazy Florida roadside zoo. Relief for the long-suffering big cats comes after thousands of compassionate people like you joined PETA in calling on DCWT to provide them with the adequate care and privacy that they’d been denied.
UPDATE: Dade City’s Wild Things’ six remaining tigers, including one reportedly acquired from the roadside zoo once owned by #JoeExotic, are now on their journey to an accredited sanctuary! DCWT will NEVER again be able to push tiger cubs into pools. https://t.co/eUlVyeye66 — PETA (@peta) April 1, 2020
PETA’s lawsuit established that DCWT—which acquired tiger cubs from Joseph Maldonado-Passage (aka “Joe Exotic”), the big-cat exhibitor profiled in the Netflix docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness—violated the ESA by prematurely separating tiger cubs from their mothers and using them in public encounters. One of the cubs acquired from Maldonado-Passage, 2-month-old Nikita, was used as a breeding machine. A PETA investigation revealed that her cubs were taken from her within days of their birth. PETA also documented that another tiger, months-old Luna—whom DCWT acquired from Maldonado-Passage when she was just a week old—howled and cried during a public encounter. Footage also revealed that a DCWT trainer repeatedly hit her and pushed her into a pool.
“The days of exploiting vulnerable tiger cubs and making a sleazy business out of fueling the captive-tiger overpopulation crisis are about over. PETA is celebrating the new life that awaits these six survivors, who at last will be able to roam vast habitats, choose to swim if and when they want, and be free of abuse for the first time in their lives.” —Brittany Peet, PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement
PETA has rescued a total of 27 tigers once held at DCWT over the years, including 19 who were sent on a grueling 18-hour trip to Maldonado-Passage’s roadside zoo in Oklahoma in violation of two court orders. We’re currently suing two other players in the tiger cub–petting industry, Jeff Lowe and Tim Stark of Wildlife in Need, and we’ve secured an injunction banning Stark from declawing big cats, separating cubs from their mothers, and exhibiting them to the public.
Tiger Cubs and Other Wild Animals Suffer for Photo Ops
You can help end the abuse of animals in the entertainment industry, which includes tearing families apart and forcing vulnerable baby wild animals into stressful direct contact with a steady stream of tourists.
Animals aren’t ours to imprison, gawk at, or touch, yet thousands of them are kept caged in barren, filthy enclosures at dilapidated venues. Please, never visit roadside zoos, marine parks, or any other tourist attractions that encourage direct contact with animals or profit from their exploitation and suffering.


petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-04-02--Is this the NIH Pandemic Crisis Plan? Step 1: Scare Monkeys With Spiders

Murray claims that her experiments shed light on human neuropsychiatric disorders , but what is abundantly clear is that they @ @ @ @ @ fear .
Murray carves out a section of a monkey ’ s skull , injects @ @ @ @ @ suctions out portions of it or burns them , causing permanent and traumatic damage .
@ @ @ @ @ all alone in a small metal cage , which is held inside a larger box @ @ @ @ @ door at the front of the cage is suddenly raised , revealing something inherently scary @ @ @ @ @ spider .
Murray ’ s snakes and spiders are artificial but realistic-looking , and some @ @ @ @ @ .
Because monkeys , like all primates , innately fear snakes , some respond defensively—freezing @ @ @ @ @ .
Others shake their cage .
Some grimace or smack their lips—signs of submission in @ @ @ @ @ .
The monkeys endure this same torture repeatedly .
When Murray has finished with them @ @ @ @ @ or recycled into other experiments , to be further tormented .

PETA VIDEO EXCLUSIVE Government Experimenters Frighten Monkeys With Snakes Video Take Action Campaign Updates Scientific Critique Expert Statements Activist Center It’s a monkey fright night! PETA has obtained never-before-seen video footage of government experimenters terrifying brain-damaged monkeys with fake snakes and spiders as part of a decades-long project in which monkeys are abused and terrorized. It cost you, the taxpayers, $47 million.
Update: February 24, 2021
Records just obtained by PETA document that in 2019 alone, Elisabeth Murray used 132 monkeys in her neuropsychology experiments. While her cruel experiments cause extreme harm and trauma to all the animals used, the records specify that 72 monkeys were used in what are classified as “column D” experiments—ones that are known to cause pain. Murray subjects sensitive, vulnerable monkeys to surgeries that induce permanent brain damage, implants head posts directly into their skulls, keeps the animals hungry or thirsty to force them to cooperate in ridiculous tests, blows puffs of air into their eyes, and restrains them for extended periods of time. The monkeys are caged alone for years or even decades—and none of those in Murray’s laboratories has ever been retired to a sanctuary. Please join tens of thousands of our supporters by taking action for the monkeys below!
She saws open her victims’ skulls then injects toxins to burn brain cells, or suctions out parts of the brain. She sews them back up then places them in a small cage that probably reeks of the previous victim’s fear. She then deliberately provokes their worst fears, just to see how they’ll react. When she’s through with them, she kills them.
She’s Elisabeth Murray, and she calls herself a scientist. Her victims are monkeys. She gets millions of your tax dollars to keep repeating this horror.
PETA has obtained 43 hours of never-before-seen video footage from Murray’s twisted “emotional responsiveness” tests on dozens of monkeys in her laboratory at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. The videos were recorded between February 2016 and November 2017.
Elaborately Designed Fear Cages Murray claims that her experiments shed light on human neuropsychiatric disorders, but what is abundantly clear is that they are designed to elicit maximum fear. Murray carves out a section of a monkey’s skull then injects toxins into the brain or suctions out portions of it, causing permanent and traumatic damage. The monkeys are then put all alone in a small metal cage, which is contained inside a larger box painted black. A guillotine-like door at the front of the cage is suddenly raised, revealing something inherently frightening to monkeys—a snake or a spider. Murray’s snakes and spiders are artificial but realistic-looking, and some can move or even jump. Because monkeys, like all primates, innately fear snakes, some respond defensively—freezing or looking or turning away. Others shake their cage. Some grimace or smack their lips—signs of submission in the face of a threat. The monkeys endure this same torture repeatedly. When Murray has finished with them, they may be killed or recycled into other experiments, to be further tormented. For more detailed information about the horrors that monkeys in Murray’s laboratory endure, click here.
Blood money and lots of it, for nothing. Murray’s experiments have raked in tens of millions of taxpayer dollars—nearly $47 million since 1998. The footage obtained by PETA is from an NIH project called “Neural Substrates of Reward Processing and Emotion.” Murray has received $16.4 million for this project since 2007. NIH throws taxpayer money at Murray’s laboratory hand over fist. But not one treatment or cure for humans has come out of it in 30 years. Murray likely knows that her experiments are catastrophically flawed. In a 2007 paper, she and her colleagues acknowledged that, because the monkeys they used and eventually killed were purchased from breeding colonies, “we cannot rule out the possibility that environmental factors such as stress contributed to the genetic influence on cognition we report.”
Is this really the best we can do? Murray’s experiments are an affront to human decency and an embarrassment to science. But for decades, other researchers have been studying the roles of specific brain regions in emotional regulation and behavioral flexibility in humans, and that is producing reliable, applicable results. Research money needs to be redirected into human-relevant models and cutting-edge methods that hold promise for humans. Murray’s “research” has amounted to 30 years of monkey torture. (To see what SHE fears, go here.) This is not who we want to be as a species. This is not how we succeed. Take action now: Join PETA honorary director and Hollywood A-lister Anjelica Huston, who wrote a letter asking that the funding for these cruel experiments stop, and let NIH know that you won’t stand for this pointless cruelty. Please use the form below to demand that our government stop these experiments and immediately shut down this lab! “People are dying for lack of ventilators, effective treatments, and even hospital beds, and many Americans are now confronting difficult choices about the best way to use their shrinking resources. NIH is in a similar position. Studies that are pointless, wasteful, or extremely cruel should be ended now, and that means the emphasis should be placed on non-animal studies, because they offer real promise.” —Anjelica Huston


petapeoplefortheethicaltreatmentofanimals--2020-04-02--‘Tiger King’ Should Do More to Help Big Cats—PETA Speaks Out

Tiger King has become a huge Netflix hit over the past few weeks .
A mix of horrifying , mystifying and compelling , the seven-part documentary trails notorious wild cat owners in the US , with a special focus on Joe Exotic - a gun-toting , flamboyant , publicity-hungry zoo owner living in Oklahoma .
PETA US ’ director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement , Brittany Peet , who featured in Tiger King 's first and last episode , has an insider view of what really goes on at GW Exotic and Big Cat Rescue .
Here , she dispels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions why we are giving a man as morally bankrupt as Joe Exotic any airtime at all .
I first interviewed for Tiger King at a conference I was speaking at in California several years ago .
A colleague of mine introduced me to one of the directors , Eric Good , and I sat down for an interview with him that day to talk about a lot of different things .
From then , I talked to them more and more , but ultimately sat down for interviews four times over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been doing this work for 10 years , so I ’ ve known Joe Exotic since then .
For all of that time , he ’ s been public enemy number one in terms of captive animal abuse .
He has pumped out hundreds , likely thousands , of big cat cubs over the years and sold them indiscriminately to anyone with no regard of what they might do to them .
The first time that I met Joe , he told me that a lot of the places he sells cubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aged out of cub-petting .
He told me the same day that Doc Antle puts cubs in gas chambers and incinerates their bodies in his on-site crematorium .
He told me others hit the cubs over the head with a hammer and kill them that way .
He sent cubs to animal abuser ( who also features on the docu-series ) Tim Stark knowing that he subjected his cubs to painful declawing surgery , where their claws are removed so that they ’ re easier to interact with .
It ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big cat claws are attached to the joint .
It would be like amputating our fingers at the second joint .
Even when it ’ s done best , it causes long-term lameness and significant health problems .
At worst , it causes infection and death which is what happened with Tim .
Joe knew that , but he continued sending cubs to him because he didn ’ t care .
He cares about the $ 2,500 that he charged for those animals .
As outlandish and funny as he may seem , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how cruel Joe is and how little regard he has for the animals he has thrown to the wolves over the years .
One of the commonalities among these people , and I think it ’ s obvious when you watch the series , is that they ’ re all narcissists .
Joe especially will talk to anyone who will listen .
From the moment I met him , despite the fact he burnt a PETA effigy and promised to shoot anyone from PETA who came on-site – he even threatened me directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laughing and spilling his guts about these people who are supposed to be his allies .
This all happened in November 2017 , when things were heating up with Big Cat Rescue attempting to collect their judgement against him .
Joe was starting to feel cornered , and he saw PETA as a potential lifeline .
That ’ s one of the reasons that he talked so openly about others because he thought that PETA could help him get out of this .
We were at least able to rescue 39 tigers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw in the series out of GW and into reputable sanctuaries .
Tiger King does not accurately portray Big Cat Rescue .
I have worked with Howard and Carole for years… they ’ re very dedicated to ending neglect and abuse to wild cats in captivity in the US and they ’ re effective at what they do .
Big Cat Rescue does not breed , it does not buy or sell or allow any direct contact between big cats and humans .
That is a big distinction .
Another key difference is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-profit – she ’ s not trying to make money off the animals , whereas Jeff Lowe and the others are lining their pockets off the back of the animals .
They ’ re trying to squeeze as much money out of then as they can in that short three-month window when they ’ re cubs and before they ’ re killed .
Carole ’ s facility is also accredited by a body called Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries , which has the highest standards of any accrediting body for captive wildlife , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enrichment , appropriate diet and succession plans .
I have been there many times and I can say that Big Cat Rescue ’ s animal enclosures are made to look smaller than they are on the series .
As important as space is complexity and Big Cat Rescue has an excellent environmental enrichment programme .
What this means is that , not only are there natural elements in each of the enclosures such as dirt substrate , water features and shady structures , but every day the workers come up with different activities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behaviour that allow them to engage their brains and make them healthy , unlike what you see at roadside zoos where animals pace back and forth every day in these concrete floor cages .
There ’ s a huge gulf in care between what you see at GW Exotic and Big Cat Rescue .
Another point I ’ d like to put right is Tim Stark ’ s claim that the way to get certain wild cats off endangered species lists is to breed them in facilities like his .
The big problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the big cats that are being bred in such environments are what are known as generic tigers .
They are a mixed sub-species .
They are not the Bengal tigers you would find in India , or the Sumatra tigers , they ’ re hybrids of all of them .
These animals have no conservation value , they can ’ t be released into the wild – they simply wouldn ’ t survive .
It ’ s a misleading line that these abusers use to dupe well-meaning consumers into paying for encounters with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the perception of endangered species when they ’ re used in entertainment – when viewers see endangered species in places like roadside zoos , they are given the misimpression that the animals don ’ t need help in the wild .
Not only is Tim Stark not helping conservation efforts , he ’ s actually hurting them .
He ’ s also abusing and killing animals in the process .
If you want to help grow the number of animals on endangered species lists , then invest in projects that conserve their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiatives that prevent poaching and that help to solve the human tiger conflict issues .
Tiger King is certainly not the series PETA would have made , but it ’ s certainly captured the world ’ s attention and it started a great dialogue about tigers in roadside zoos and the recent phenomenon of using baby tigers and photo opps with the public .
People are starting to ask questions for what that means for the lives of the animals .
Our big worry is , just as we ’ re on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ docu-series like Tiger King could glamourise someone like Joe and drive people to do tiger cub encounters .
For the most part , while people may see Joe as a joke , they do also seem to be taking a serious message away from Tiger King – that these men are dangerous criminals abusing animals , and in some instances , grooming women too .
These people aren ’ t caricatures , they ’ re real people .
It ’ s important for all of us not just to see this as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action to get these animals away from these awful people .
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Tiger King has become a huge Netflix hit over the past few weeks. A mix of horrifying, mystifying and compelling, the seven-part documentary trails notorious wild cat owners in the US, with a special focus on Joe Exotic - a gun-toting, flamboyant, publicity-hungry zoo owner living in Oklahoma.
PETA US’ director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement, Brittany Peet, who featured in Tiger King's first and last episode, has an insider view of what really goes on at GW Exotic and Big Cat Rescue. Here, she dispels inaccuracies portrayed in the series, and questions why we are giving a man as morally bankrupt as Joe Exotic any airtime at all.
I first interviewed for Tiger King at a conference I was speaking at in California several years ago. A colleague of mine introduced me to one of the directors, Eric Good, and I sat down for an interview with him that day to talk about a lot of different things. From then, I talked to them more and more, but ultimately sat down for interviews four times over the course of the years.
I’ve been doing this work for 10 years, so I’ve known Joe Exotic since then. For all of that time, he’s been public enemy number one in terms of captive animal abuse. He has pumped out hundreds, likely thousands, of big cat cubs over the years and sold them indiscriminately to anyone with no regard of what they might do to them. The first time that I met Joe, he told me that a lot of the places he sells cubs to kill them after they’ve aged out of cub-petting. He told me the same day that Doc Antle puts cubs in gas chambers and incinerates their bodies in his on-site crematorium. He told me others hit the cubs over the head with a hammer and kill them that way.
He told me that Doc Antle puts cubs in gas chambers and incinerates their bodies
He sent cubs to animal abuser (who also features on the docu-series) Tim Stark knowing that he subjected his cubs to painful declawing surgery, where their claws are removed so that they’re easier to interact with. It’s not like pulling off a human fingernail, big cat claws are attached to the joint. It would be like amputating our fingers at the second joint. Even when it’s done best, it causes long-term lameness and significant health problems. At worst, it causes infection and death which is what happened with Tim. Joe knew that, but he continued sending cubs to him because he didn’t care. He cares about the $2,500 that he charged for those animals.
play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play
As outlandish and funny as he may seem, I know perhaps better than anyone, how cruel Joe is and how little regard he has for the animals he has thrown to the wolves over the years. One of the commonalities among these people, and I think it’s obvious when you watch the series, is that they’re all narcissists. Joe especially will talk to anyone who will listen. From the moment I met him, despite the fact he burnt a PETA effigy and promised to shoot anyone from PETA who came on-site – he even threatened me directly via his YouTube show – he was laughing and spilling his guts about these people who are supposed to be his allies.
This all happened in November 2017, when things were heating up with Big Cat Rescue attempting to collect their judgement against him. Joe was starting to feel cornered, and he saw PETA as a potential lifeline. That’s one of the reasons that he talked so openly about others because he thought that PETA could help him get out of this. We were at least able to rescue 39 tigers, two baboons and the chimpanzees that you saw in the series out of GW and into reputable sanctuaries.
Netflix
Tiger King does not accurately portray Big Cat Rescue. I have worked with Howard and Carole for years… they’re very dedicated to ending neglect and abuse to wild cats in captivity in the US and they’re effective at what they do. Big Cat Rescue does not breed, it does not buy or sell or allow any direct contact between big cats and humans. That is a big distinction. Another key difference is that Carole’s facility is a non-profit – she’s not trying to make money off the animals, whereas Jeff Lowe and the others are lining their pockets off the back of the animals. They’re trying to squeeze as much money out of them as they can in that short three-month window when they’re cubs and before they’re killed.
Tiger King does not accurately portray Big Cat Rescue
Carole’s facility is also accredited by a body called Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, which has the highest standards of any accrediting body for captive wildlife, mandating things like minimum enclosure size, enrichment, appropriate diet and succession plans. I have been there many times and I can say that Big Cat Rescue’s animal enclosures are made to look smaller than they are on the series. As important as space is complexity and Big Cat Rescue has an excellent environmental enrichment programme. What this means is that, not only are there natural elements in each of the enclosures such as dirt substrate, water features and shady structures, but every day the workers come up with different activities for the animals that encourage big cat behaviour that allow them to engage their brains and make them healthy, unlike what you see at roadside zoos where animals pace back and forth every day in these concrete floor cages. There’s a huge gulf in care between what you see at GW Exotic and Big Cat Rescue.
NETFLIX
Another point I’d like to put right is Tim Stark’s claim that the way to get certain wild cats off endangered species lists is to breed them in facilities like his. The big problem with that idea is that all of the big cats that are being bred in such environments are what are known as generic tigers. They are a mixed sub-species. They are not the Bengal tigers you would find in India, or the Sumatra tigers, they’re hybrids of all of them. These animals have no conservation value, they can’t be released into the wild – they simply wouldn’t survive. It’s a misleading line that these abusers use to dupe well-meaning consumers into paying for encounters with tiger cubs. He is also contributing to the perception of endangered species when they’re used in entertainment – when viewers see endangered species in places like roadside zoos, they are given the misimpression that the animals don’t need help in the wild. Not only is Tim Stark not helping conservation efforts, he’s actually hurting them. He’s also abusing and killing animals in the process.
These men are dangerous criminals abusing animals, and in some instances, grooming women too
Netflix
If you want to help grow the number of animals on endangered species lists, then invest in projects that conserve their habitats in the wild, for example initiatives that prevent poaching and that help to solve the human tiger conflict issues.
Tiger King is certainly not the series PETA would have made, but it’s certainly captured the world’s attention and it started a great dialogue about tigers in roadside zoos and the recent phenomenon of using baby tigers and photo opps with the public. People are starting to ask questions for what that means for the lives of the animals.
PETA’s Brittany Peet Courtesy
Our big worry is, just as we’re on the precipice of ending this industry, a docu-series like Tiger King could glamourise someone like Joe and drive people to do tiger cub encounters. For the most part, while people may see Joe as a joke, they do also seem to be taking a serious message away from Tiger King – that these men are dangerous criminals abusing animals, and in some instances, grooming women too. These people aren’t caricatures, they’re real people. It’s important for all of us not just to see this as a joke, but also a call to action to get these animals away from these awful people.
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