Lab-Grown Leather: Cool or Creepy?

Last month it was disclosed that PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel’s foundation would be funding Missouri-based startup Modern Meadow’s efforts to produce in vitro meat and leather.

From wax cloth to Naugahyde to pleather to leatherette, we’ve been making ersatz leather textiles for ages. Engineering actual tissue looks to be the next oddly logical step; real(ish) leather without harm to animals and less environmental impact during the tanning process.

Lady Gaga Adds Raccoon Tails To Her Wardrobe

Lady Gaga’s continued defiance of fans’ pleas to drop fur from her outfits took a turn for the ugly Sunday night in London; where the 26-year-old was photographed wearing a burka-style gown featuring five raccoon tails.

The pop singer, known for her eclectic fashion sense on and off the stage, has recently been embracing a Cruella de Vil transformation – with animal pelts now a growing part of her wardrobe. Earlier this month, she was spotted wearing an outfit that featured a fox fur scarf – with the former owner’s head still firmly attached.

PETA Calls For Probe Into Alleged Animal Abuse On Film Sets

Six months after HBO canceled its racetrack drama “Luck” in the wake of three horse deaths, questions continue be raised about whether there is adequate oversight of horses and animals used on movies and TV shows.

The latest dispute has pitted the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which is opposed to use of any live animals on film sets, against the American Humane Assn., a nonprofit group responsible for the “no animals were harmed” credits on films and TV shows. The group monitors more than 2,000 productions that use animal performers and is partly funded by the Screen Actors Guild.

Urge Officials To Stop Cruel Bull Festival In Spain

Despite worldwide condemnation of the killing of bulls for “entertainment,” the Toro de la Vega continues to take place every September in Tordesillas, Spain. During this “festival,” a lone bull is harassed and chased through the streets and into a field, where men on foot and horseback wield lances. The terrified and confused animal is tortured and repeatedly stabbed until he falls to the ground, crippled and dying. His testicles are often cut off while he is still alive. The person who ultimately kills the bull is awarded a ceremonial spear and a medal by the Tordesillas City Council.

Tradition is no excuse for cruelty. Please take a minute and email the regional Ministry of Culture and Tourism and urge officials to bring a permanent end to this cruel and sadistic “celebration.” 

Hong Kong Airline Bans The Transport Of Shark Fins

As word has spread of the moral and environmental horrors associated with the shark fin trade, governments throughout the world have begun enacting bans on the sale and possession of that cruel commodity - and now the world’s largest cargo airline is getting in on the act.

In a statement released today, Chinese air freight company Cathay Pacific announced that it would no longer permit the transport of shark products - despite being based in Hong Kong, where the demand for traditional shark fin soup continues to thrive.

Drunk Kills 70,000 Chickens In One Night, Police Say

Police say a Maryland man managed to kill 70,000 chickens in one drunken night, and now he’s facing charges for it. Joshua D. Shelton, 21, is accused of drinking so heavily at a Delmar farm that he couldn’t tell the difference between a light switch and the circuit breakers connected to three chicken houses.

Shelton allegedly cut the breakers on Friday night, and deprived the chickens of food, water and cooling fans. ”Without power, the chickens will begin to die within 15 minutes,” the report stated.

PETA To Recruit Whistleblowers At Ringling Bros. Clown Tryouts

PETA will hand the prospective Ringling applicants whistleblower-recruitment leaflets, in the hope that they will report instances of elephant beatings and other acts of animal abuse for which the circus is notorious. In return, PETA will pay whistleblowers $5,000 for evidence that leads to the conviction of a guilty party. Ringling trains, disciplines, and punishes elephants and other animals using electric prods, whips, chains, and bullhooks, weapons that resemble a fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook.

California Slaughterhouse Allowed To Reopen After Cow Cruelty Video

A slaughterhouse in California’s central agricultural heartland was allowed to reopen on Monday after agreeing to improve its handling of animals following a graphic video that showed cows being mistreated there, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

“The company has committed to a number of corrective actions including additional humane handling training for employees and safeguards to ensure that only ambulatory animals are processed,” an agency spokesman said in an email.

Take Action: Speak Out Against Walmart's Cruelty To Pigs

Recognizing their inherent cruelty, major food providers, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Chipotle, and major grocery retailers, including Safeway, Kroger, Kmart, Costco and Whole Foods, have all started demanding their suppliers do away with these cruel crates. But Walmart continue to support blatant animal abuse by selling pork from suppliers who confine pigs in tiny crates.

In fact, the pork sold at Walmart comes from factory farms where pregnant pigs spend nearly their entire lives locked in narrow, metal gestation crates—cages barely larger than their own bodies.

Please take 30 seconds and sign this petition to help put an end to this horrific practice!