Tell Congress to End Chimpanzee Experiments

Chimpanzees—humans' closest living genetic relatives—are extremely social, intelligent individuals who have rich mental and emotional lives. They have incredible memories, they share cultural traditions that are passed down through generations, they care deeply for their families and friends, and they grieve the loss of their loved ones when they pass away.

Sadly, more than 900 of these remarkable beings are imprisoned in U.S. laboratories, where they are forced to endure decades of invasive procedures as well as fear, loneliness, and pain. This hellish experience leaves lifelong emotional scars on chimpanzees, and many of them resort to self-mutilation or suffer from depression and other psychological disorders after experiencing the trauma of having their minds and bodies violated.

Despite international criticism, the U.S. remains the only nation in the industrialized world that continues to conduct invasive experiments on chimpanzees.

Many of these chimpanzees have been intentionally infected with diseases such as HIV and hepatitis—even though scientists agree that they are archaic and unreliable models for researching human illnesses. A landmark National Academy of Sciences report examining the scientific validity of experiments on chimpanzee has even concluded that "most current biomedical research use of chimpanzees is not necessary." In response, the National Institutes of Health has announced that it will suspend consideration of funding for any new experiments on chimpanzees. The agency has also stated that all currently funded experiments on chimpanzees will be reevaluated and that funding for many may be ended.

Further to these efforts, Congress has introduced the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act (H.R. 1513/S. 810), which would permanently end the use of chimpanzees—and all other great apes—in invasive experiments and retire more than 600 federally owned chimpanzees to sanctuaries where they could live in peace at last.

Please help protect chimpanzees and other great apes now by asking your congressional representatives to cosponsor and support the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act.

To learn how you can send a letter to your Senators and Resprestative, please visit PETA now.

A Dog Crate Is a Cage Is a Prison

What if, at your local pet-supply store, you could purchase a dog-training tool that would make your dog weaker, klutzier, and less intelligent? And what if this tool increased your dog's frustration and fearfulness about the world and made him or her less likely to bond with you? Would you buy it? Of course not! Yet, millions of these "tools" are sold every year to unsuspecting American dog lovers who want the absolute best for their dogs. The tool is a "crate," which is just a euphemism for a cage. In fact, dog crates are substantially smaller than the cages that are used to house dogs in laboratories.

Dogs Hate Crates: How Abusive Crate Training Hurts Dogs, Families & Society is a new book by Ray and Emma Lincoln in which they discuss in detail the detrimental effects of crating on dogs' well-being as well as on American society. They explain how the crating trend got started, what continues to fuel it, why it's so harmful, what can be done about it, and what the alternatives to crating are. The authors are experienced dog trainers and behavior specialists who found that they were spending much of their training time trying to undo hundreds of psychological and behavioral symptoms caused by crating. These specific symptoms and their connection to classic studies on the effects of isolation and excessive confinement are thoroughly analyzed. To read the full story Click Here. (Peta, August 2012)

Cruelty Behind Cheese: Cattle Burned for Maker of Cabot

In late 2011 and early 2012, PETA conducted an undercover investigation at Adirondack Farms, LLC, a dairy factory farm that takes 180,000 pounds of milk—intended for their calves—from approximately 1,800 cows every day in Clinton County, New York. Adirondack Farms sends that milk to Massachusetts-based Agri-Mark, Inc., the self-proclaimed "largest supplier of farm fresh milk in New England." Agri-Mark makes Cabot and McCadam cheeses and had $900 million in 2011 sales. During the course of the investigation, PETA's investigator found that workers routinely jabbed and struck cows with a pole and cane—on the face, udder, and hindquarters—when leading them into a room to be milked. When PETA's investigator brought these abuses to the attention of a farm manager, the manager admitted that the workers "get carried away with" striking cows. This same manager—who failed to stop the abuse—was caught on video by PETA's investigator electro-shocking a cow in the face repeatedly. A month after PETA notified Adirondack Farms' owners of the behavior of this manager and others responsible for the abuse and neglect and asked that they take appropriate disciplinary action—including termination—the manager was still on the job! PETA released additional footage of him jabbing a fully conscious downed cow, whom he called a "dumb bitch," in the ribs with a screwdriver and using a skid loader to drag her approximately 25 feet...Read More.

In 2011, PETA kills 713 Dogs

The numbers are in. In 2011, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) impounded 760 dogs. They killed 713 of them. Only 19 were adopted. An additional 36 of them were transferred to kill “shelters” where their fates and the fates of those animals they displaced are unknown. In 2011, they impounded 1,211 cats. 1,198 were put to death. A paltry 5 of them were adopted and another 8 were transferred to kill “shelters” where their fates and the fates of those animals they displaced are unknown. They also took in 58 other companion animals, including rabbits. 54 were put to death. Only 4 were adopted. All told, 2,029 companion animals were impounded. 1,965 were put to death. Only 28 were placed in homes.  To read more, please check out Nathan J Winograd's blog.