Animal Welfare Courses, The Great Bear Show, Fur Imported Into Britain After Fur Farm Ban, Poachers, Sparky’s Killers Charged, Sharks Fins, Pioneer Days Festival, Chicken Slaughter Line Speeds Denied, Portia de Rossi, The Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund, Century 21 Department Store, Lisa Lange, Animal Laws in Mississippi, World Zoothanasia Day & Power Our Work for Animals!

The Great Bear Show at the Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

Portia de Rossi not only surprised her wife with an unexpected appearance on the show, she also gave her one of the most incredible birthday gifts Ellen has ever received. For more information on The Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund, visit EllenDeGeneresWildlifeFund.org.

Power Our Work for Animals. PETA's investigations are revealing cruelty in laboratories and crowded farm sheds—help keep animal rights in the spotlight.

The Women Who Run PETA: Lisa Lange. Next in our series on the Women Who Run PETA is Lisa Lange, senior vice president of communications. She has sparred with many men on TV and tells how "being surrounded by strong women … gave me confidence that there isn't anything we can't do."

©Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals

Rabbits, Foxes, and Others Are Killed so This Department Store Can Sell Fur Items. PETA and its supporters have told the Century 21 Department Store how animals suffer in the fur trade, yet it's chosen to do nothing.

Stop the Pioneer Day Festival of Cruelty. The city of Ridgeland in Wisconsin intends to hold the "Free Chicken Fly" and the "Pig Chase" at the town's 36th Annual Pioneer Day on Saturday, February 17. At 10:30 a.m. live chickens will begin to be tossed up into the air from the roof of the Drunk'n Monkey Bar and Hotel into the boisterous crowd below. At noon, the senselessly cruel "Pig Chase" will ensue. We can't let this event take place! TAKE ACTION

Sharks Need Their Fins! Ban the Bloody Trade! Shark populations are in a global decline. Roughly 100 million sharks are killed each year, with well over half of their fins used for shark fin soup. Shark fins are often obtained by a process called finning, in which the fin is cut off of a live shark, and the shark is then thrown back in the water - condemned to a horrific and painful death. We must act now to stop these senseless mutilations and deaths! TAKE ACTION

Victory! Bid to Increase Chicken Slaughter Line Speeds Denied! The USDA has officially declined the National Chicken Council's petition to increase slaughter line speeds that are already operating so fast that chickens often miss the blade that slits their throat and are mercilessly boiled alive in scalding tanks, but you helped stop them. READ MORE

We're Working Hard to Pass Better Laws for Animals in Mississippi. Doll Stanley, our Justice for Animals Campaign Director, is a vocal part of a new coalition comprised of Mississippi-based animal welfare leaders. The dedicated coalition is working with legislators and officials on a number of bills aimed at strengthening Mississippi’s animal protection laws. Making each individual act of intentional harm to dogs and cats a felony, increasing penalties for dog fighting, and including domestic animals in the Domestic Abuse Act are all positive changes on the horizon. READ MORE

February 9: World Zoothanasia Day for Animals Needlessly Killed by Zoos. In Defense of Animals and Dr. Marc Bekoff declared February 9 World Zoothanasia Day after Packy, a 54-year-old elephant was killed by the Oregon Zoo in 2017 despite one of Packy's keepers stating that he was active, engaged, and showing no signs of pain or discomfort from his incurable tuberculosis. We mark this day in honor of Packy, and for the many other animals who are needlessly killed by zoos each year. READ MORE

The UK government ordered the country's last fur farm to close its doors back in 2003, but fur is now being imported from overseas.

The unnecessary suffering of animals for fashion is deplorable. Investigations of fur farms have documented countless atrocities, such as animals with missing limbs and festering, untreated open wounds - including head injuries so severe that their brains are visible.

Brexit gives us an excellent opportunity to close our borders to the fur trade and lead the way as the world's first fur-free nation.

Alongside other animal rights groups, we're calling on the government not only to retain a UK import ban on cat, dog, and seal fur during Brexit negotiations but also to extend it to cover the fur of all animals. Please help by signing our petition: