British socialite Tamara Ecclestone exudes high-class elegance—so it’s no surprise that she despises cruel foie gras. Following PETA U.K.’s recent victory in getting Selfridges to stop selling the “delicacy of despair,” Tamara—the gorgeous Sky Sports TV presenter and daughter of Formula One racing magnate Bernie Ecclestone—has taken it all off in the name of compassion.

To produce foie gras, workers force metal pipes down the throats of ducks and geese and pump up to 4 pounds of grain into their stomachs two or three times a day in order to cause their livers to become engorged. This overfeeding is excruciatingly painful and often causes the animals’ organs to rupture. Foie gras production is so cruel that it has been banned in 16 countries, including the U.K., but inexplicably, retailers and restaurants in England are still allowed to sell it. To help end the suffering of these animals, follow Tamara’s titillating lead and take our “No Foie Gras” pledge today.

Posted by Logan Scherer

justpressplay.today / CC

Confession: I’ve rewatched the final performance of “True Colors” from last week’s Glee episode on my DVR like it’s my job. And lucky for me, it is. My Gleekdom isn’t entirely work-related, but with so many compassionate actors on the show, I need to tune in. First, Lea Michele spoke up for horses by posing for an ad against horse-drawn carriages, and now comes this tasty tidbit from Jenna Ushkowitz about her Thanksgiving:

We make homemade stuffing—my mom is making Tofurky because I am a vegetarian and we just eat a lot! … I am trying to have a smaller carbon footprint.

Ushkowitz joins tons of other celebrities who enjoy cruelty-free meals and save lives every day of the year.

Posted by Logan Scherer

wallpaperbase / CC

My interest in CBS’s Amazing Race started to wane when PETA pal Mike White and his dad were bumped from the show.

Well, the announcement that scientists in Holland have created a sort of pork in a petri dish means a different kind of amazing race is on—one that can save tens of millions of animals every year. As you may recall, PETA announced earlier this year that we’ll pay $1 million to the first team of scientists who could create test-tube chicken flesh that looks and tastes like the “real deal” by June 30, 2012.

The Dutch scientists definitely have their work cut out for them if they’re to grab PETA’s reward money. The article says their “meat” is presently a gooey blob that “requires exercise, like human muscles, to turn it into a tougher steak-like consistency” and that they expect to have laboratory meat within five years. It doesn’t sound appetizing—yet—and five years is a little after our contest deadline, but we’re hopeful that they’ll work out the kinks and apply their findings to create in vitro chicken flesh for public consumption in time to win the prize.

Until then, my animal-defending compadres and I will keep serving up mouthwatering Gardein to entice meat-lovers to kick their cruel, unhealthy meat addictions.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Dog – for most of us this term brings to mind an outgoing being. That is what dogs surely are – worthy pets and friends that can learn and assume many duties with complete accomplishment. There are tasks that are associated with various breeds, and there are hundreds of breeds, so as you can see, [...]

Man allegedly sold animals for human consumption that contained illegal drug residues. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm191446.htm

BBC News – Giant otters, monk seals, walruses, spectacled bears, giant and red pandas and the odd-looking fossa are among the carnivores most in need of conserving. http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8383000/8383070.stm

Post-Thanksgiving bliss is a beautiful thing. You’re so full you can barely move, and you can look forward to leftovers and a month of nonstop holiday music on the radio. But the best part of the Thanksgiving aftermath? Fur-Free Friday—the most joyous, humane shopping day of the year. This year we hosted more than 50 demos in the U.S., Canada, and even Johannesburg, South Africa, to kick off the fur-free season.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, our breathtaking bunnies hopped their way into the hearts of delighted shoppers who happily took in the anti-fur message.

Meanwhile, a few cuddly friends (and PETA staffers) were in Norfolk, Virginia, urging passersby to love animals, not wear them.

This year, gear up for a warm, compassionate winter by pledging to make every day fur-free.

Posted by Logan Scherer

On last night’s Family Guy, the show tried (sort of) to make the point that dogs’ lives are not worthless (how risqué of them). But I’m not totally convinced that the animal rights message came across through the myriad of violent deaths of cartoon dogs.

Incidentally, I’ve been waiting, like, nine years for that oh-so-clever PETA/Peter joke. Especially since other notable animated shows tackled animal rights issues (and, yes, even PETA) years ago.

Family Guy’s been on notice ever since we found out that its writers are captive manatees. (We’re against that sort of thing, you know.) This episode has us thinking that Family Guy might want to fire the animal writers and hire people who can generate material that doesn’t make us roll our eyes.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

celeb9 / CC

Alarms went off at PETA when we learned that filming for Tom Cruise’s upcoming movie, Knight and Day, included the use of live animals to recreate Pamplona’s infamous and cruel Running of the Bulls. The Mirror reports that seven bulls used for the production in Spain escaped and injured two women.

We hope that Mr. Cruise will share our concerns when he learns how animals suffer in the annual Running of the Bulls. As human runners and spectators gouge the bulls with sticks and pull their tails, many bulls slip on the pavement and/or slam into buildings, breaking their horns and legs. In their desperate attempts to escape their tormenters, bulls sometimes gore and trample people. As if that weren’t enough cruelty, bulls later dragged into the bullrings are repeatedly stabbed and bled to weaken them by bullfighters who sever the animals’ spines while the animals are fully conscious.

Will Tom Cruise do as we’ve asked and use his influence and help bulls by encouraging producers to cut the scene from the film? I believe that PETA’s effort is definitely a Mission ImPossible. What do you think?

Updates will follow.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Many viewers who tuned in to Project Runway’s finale last week were surprised to see the always calm Tim Gunn lose his cool when the competing designers couldn’t get their act together (or their models lined up) for the big show.

I cheered Gunn on from my living room couch (this was a high point, IMO, of a rather boring season)—and I’m cheering again today after reading a letter that Mr. Gunn sent to organizers of the Miss Florida USA and Miss Wisconsin USA pageants upon learning that real furs were recently awarded as prizes.

In his letter, Mr. Gunn describes how “… animals live their lives in cramped, filthy conditions before they are killed by electrocution, neck-breaking, or gassing.” He further states, “I am sure many of your constituents would be horrified to learn that animals are even skinned alive … to produce fur coats, collars, and cuffs.” He also includes a link to the PETA video that he narrated.

After watching the video and learning that well-known fur-free designers, retailers, and VIPs—including first lady Michelle Obama and Eva Mendes—say no to fur, will pageant officials heed the wisdom offered by “the guru of good taste” and forgo furs in the future?

Other Viewing Options

Stay tuned …

Posted by Karin Bennett