Let's Celebrate!

Whether pressing for the prosecution of factory-farm employees who throw turkeys at the wall or exposing circus trainers who beat elephants, PETA does everything it can to make sure that no one gets away with animal abuse! While industry-changing victories for animals are many, it's sometimes the individual triumphs that best illustrate the power of our support.

When PETA supporters alerted PETA to a Facebook page indicating that a Petland employee had cruelly killed two rabbits at an Ohio Petland store, PETA made sure that this abuser faced charges and that Petland felt some heat.

Former Petland employee Elizabeth Carlisle posted a photo of herself on Facebook in which she was shown smiling and dangling two dead, soaking-wet rabbits by the scruff of the neck. She implied that she had drowned the rabbits while cursing and screaming at them to "hurry up and die" and quipped that her manager was "kind" enough to take the picture after the deed was done. The rabbits had reportedly fought with one another because of a lack of store supervision, and they sustained serious injuries as a result. The store's solution was to drown the injured animals. I think I will add her picture right here.

After seeing the photo, PETA pushed for criminal charges and asked Petland to investigate the incident, review company procedures for the treatment and euthanasia of sick and injured animals, and stop selling rabbits.

Soon after, Carlisle was convicted of two counts of cruelty to animals, and Petland officials permanently closed the Akron store!

I'm glad to see that Carlisle was held accountable for her actions, there's still more work to do. Judging from a video PETA uncovered during their recent investigation of pet-trade supplier U.S. Global Exotics, it is more important than ever to put a stop to animal sales by stores such as Petland.

Because of the loyal support that PETA receives, they're able to continue their mission to save animals from harm and work to ensure that people who abuse them never get away with it. PETA could not accomplish any of this vital work without our support.

bebe Stops Butchering Bunnies After more than a year of negotiations with PETA, popular women's clothing chain bebe sent out a news release announcing that it planned to go fur-free. The company's decision was good news for bebe, which was facing a peta2 boycott campaign, but it was even better news for rabbits, who often have their necks broken or their skulls smashed before workers string them up by their legs and cut their throats.

Jack Spade Cuts Out Dissection KitsPETA wrote to NYC menswear and accessory store Jack Spade after receiving numerous complaints about the company's sale of frog dissection kits. After receiving PETA's letter explaining the needlessness of killing frogs and other animals for dissections, the company had a change of heart. Clearing its shelves of the kits--which came with a vacuum-sealed, formaldehyde-treated frog, tools for dissection, and an instruction booklet on how to explore the animal's innards--the company also issued an apology, saying, "Jack Spade doesn''t support the unethical treatment of animals."

Gadzooks Goes Fur-FreeYouth fashion retailer Gadzooks underwent more than a name change when it merged with fellow retailer Forever 21. Now called Gadzooks 21, all 150 of the chain's stores in 36 states rid their racks of fur items in accordance with Forever 21's no-fur policy. Forever 21 took the fur-free pledge after peta2 launched a national boycott of the company in November 2004.

Forever 21 Ditches Fur Forever

Upon learning that Forever 21 was selling clothing made of fur, peta2 threatened a boycott and called on its supporters to take action against the popular clothing chain. The response from activists was so overwhelming that Forever 21 contacted PETA to begin negotiations. The company's senior vice president soon vowed that the company would remove all fur from its stores and never sell it again.

Marine World Surrenders Permit to Import Baby Elephants In March 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) rejected an application from Six Flags Marine World to import and put on display at the amusement park two endangered baby Asian elephants. When Six Flags Marine World requested that USFWS reconsider the denial of the permit, USFWS reversed its earlier decision and granted the permit to allow the baby elephants to be imported.

PETA, along with In Defense of Animals, Animal Protection Institute, The Elephant Alliance, The Elephant Sanctuary, and private citizens, filed a lawsuit to overturn the irresponsible decision. The lawsuit charged that the permit to import the elephants violated the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, both of which prohibit the importation of endangered animals for commercial purposes. Less than two weeks after the lawsuit was filed, in an unprecedented action, Six Flags Marine World voluntarily surrendered its permit.

The elephants will remain in their natural homelands with their families.

Florida Shopping Center Vows to Ban Animal Exhibitors PETA was notified that The Zoo had set up at Coralwood Shopping Center in Cape Coral, Florida. We immediately faxed a letter to officials of the company that manages the property, alerting them to the cruelty associated with this tawdry display and asking that they reconsider contracting with animal exhibitors in the future. We received a call back soon after, notifying us that in order to avoid the sort of negative attention that this exhibit has brought to the shopping center, they have vowed never to contract with this or any other animal exhibitor again.

PETA Helps Animals and Their Guardians After 9/11 After the two airplanes slammed into the World Trade Center, residents of nearby apartment buildings quickly fled, not realizing that it would be days before they were allowed to return. Others were at work and returned home to find their entry barred.

PETA received dozens of calls from New York City residents, desperate to retrieve animals who they feared were suffering from dehydration, hunger, smoke inhalation, or worse. Countless animals were orphaned in the attack, waiting behind closed apartment doors for loved ones who would never come home.

A special PETA rescue team in New York helped reunite animals with their guardians. We plastered the area with 'wanted' posters in order to gather information on animals whose guardians were missing. Rue McClanahan, who lives in New York City, made a special appeal to building superintendents to listen for sounds from animals behind locked apartment doors. "The dearly beloved animal family members of those who died must not become another part of the casualty toll," she said.

 McDonald's Stops Worst Abuse of Chickens and Other Farmed Animals In 1997, PETA called on McDonald's to make improvements for animals before they become Big Macs and McNuggets, holding news conferences and demonstrations around the country. After a 'Day of Action' in October generated dozens of protests around the country, McDonald's invited PETA into negotiations. Negotiations proved fruitless, so PETA launched a campaign against McDonald's in 1999 that lasted 11 months and included more than 400 demonstrations at McDonald's restaurants in more than 23 countries, as well as advertising and celebrity involvement. In September 2000, McDonald's agreed to make basic but important animal-welfare improvements, which are the only protection for chickens in factory farms because the Animal Welfare and Humane Slaughter acts do not cover birds.

For more information and a complete campaign chronology, please visit McCruelty.com.