PETA Upset Over Dead Mice

The other day, I read that the government was going to drop dead mice from helicopters over Guam. It sounded crazy, but there was a good reason. Officials are using the mice to get rid of an estimated two million brown tree snakes. The snakes have overtaken the territory, causing damage to both the economy and environment. The snakes have almost depleted Guam’s native bird species. This lack of birds causes a frightening (at least to me) side effect – the island now has 40 times more spiders than surrounding islands. Needless to say, all the spiders and snakes have … Continue reading →

Rhinos and Elephants in Danger

As you might guess, it is illegal to kill elephants and rhinos in Africa. However, with ivory and horns in high demand, it hasn’t stopped poaching. Most of the world’s population of rhinos is found in Africa – about 25,000. Of that, the organization Save the Rhinos estimates that 21,000 are in South Africa. But, the rhinos are being killed in almost record numbers by poachers. This year, 633 rhinos have been killed. The elephants of Africa aren’t faring much better. There were mass killings in both Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Why are these animals being … Continue reading →

Who’s Terrorizing Dolphins?

As if the sea life in the Gulf Coast hasn’t already been traumatized enough with the BP oil spill, now someone is mutilating and killing dolphins. The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) in Gulfport, Alabama found a dolphin without a lower jaw. The week before that, a dolphin with gunshot wounds was discovered. Another dolphin turned up dead having been stabbed with a screwdriver. There was even a dolphin that had its tail cut off. All in all, six dolphins have been killed since the past few months. I’ve never understood how someone can kill an animal, especially one … Continue reading →

Animal Abuse on the Set of ‘The Hobbit?’

As I mentioned, we saw Lincoln this past weekend. One of the previews was for The Hobbit, the much anticipated Peter Jackson film which opens in a few weeks. But, the film isn’t without controversy. Several animal wranglers used on the film say that up to 27 animals died on the New Zealand ranch where they were being housed and trained due to poor living conditions. The wranglers also claim that many animals were hurt and had to be euthanized, including a horse named Rainbow that broke its back. Yet another horse reportedly died after falling over a bluff and … Continue reading →

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

The other day, I visited my best friend in the hospital. She had surgery for ruptured discs and although the operation went well, I still wanted to stop by and see her. We visited during my lunch hour then I left to go back to work. Once I got in the car, I realized I hadn’t washed my hands. I am probably not as fanatical about washing my hands as I probably should be, but for some reason, I always feel incredibly germy after leaving the hospital. I was afraid I’d stick my fingers in my mouth unconsciously, so I … Continue reading →

Lady Gaga vs. PETA – Round 2

Lady Gaga may be celebrity fur wearing public enemy #1 for PETA. Gaga didn’t make any vegetarian, vegan, or even PETA friends when she wore a meat dress to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Yes, the dress was made of raw meat – beef to be exact. It certainly stood out – something difficult to do at any MTV awards show since fashion seems to be a free-for-all. Even TIME gave her the top fashion statement of 2010. The “statement” Gaga was trying to make with her dress, designed by Franc Fernandez, was that people should fight for what … Continue reading →

Prince William Speaks Out Against Poaching

We all know how altruistic Princess Diana was. I remember how before her death, she campaigned for many charities including those for the homeless, sick, elderly, and children. She also toured land mines in Angola – pretty uncharacteristic for a princess if you ask me. Earlier this week, I blogged about Prince Charles and how he narrated a new documentary titled Harmony: A New Way of Looking At Our World, in which he talks about ways to stop climate change and find new ways to protect our environment. So, with two parents so involved in social issues, how could Prince … Continue reading →

Burger King Making Big Changes

Not long ago, I blogged about McDonalds being in trouble with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for raising hens in tightly confined cages. Now it looks like Burger King is going cage-free. The company announced that within the next five years, it will stop using eggs or pork from chicken and pigs kept in small cages. In case you are wondering the impact this might make on the fast food industry, know that there are 12,500 Burger King franchises in the U.S. The company laid out a new policy in which it is stated that it will … Continue reading →

Kim Kardashian Gets Pelted

Reality star Kim Kardashian and PETA have tangled in the past due to her love of real fur. So, when I read the other day that Kardashian had been pelted on the Red Carpet last Thursday with a bag of flour, I just assumed someone from PETA was behind it. (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.) PETA activists have been known to throw flour in the past, but this time PETA denied any connection to the woman. However, the organization did pipe up after Kardashian said she planned to press charges against her … Continue reading →

Donald Trump’s Sons Under Fire

Usually when you hear about a Trump in trouble, it’s Donald Sr. He does tend to open his mouth sometimes when he shouldn’t. But this week, it is Donald’s sons that have people talking and not in a good way. Two junior Trumps, Donald Jr. and Eric, went hunting on an African safari in Zimbabwe last year and just this past week, pictures of the safari showed up online on YouTube. The one photo I found most gruesome was Donald Jr. hold a severed elephant tail in one hand and a knife in the other. Other trophy photos, originally posted … Continue reading →