Vegetarian News: Category Animal Action

Grey's Anatomy Stance on Stabbing Pigs

2008-11-10T04:36:00Z

Last Thursday night’s episode (screened in America) of the television hit Grey’s Anatomy featured a subplot in which live pigs were stabbed, and then interns and residents were told to treat the injured animals as part of a trauma training exercise. (Note: No real pigs were used in the filming of the episode.)

Nancy Heigl, PCRM supporter and the mother of actress Katherine Heigl, who plays Dr. Izzie Stevens on the show, contacted us when the story line was being developed because the actress was disturbed by the subplot. PCRM president Neal Barnard, M.D., and PCRM senior medical and research adviser John Pippin, M.D., F.A.C.C., both had extensive conversations with the producers of the show about the overwhelming trend in medical education to use simulators instead of animals in medical education.

This input from PCRM staff was invaluable in helping the writers modify the program and develop Dr. Stevens’ character. When the episode aired, viewers saw her refuse to participate in the training exercise and take a strong, informed, and vocal stand against the practice. As a result, millions of viewers were exposed to our position against the use of animals in medical education in one of the season’s highest rated television shows.

Our thanks go to Nancy and Katherine Heigl for involving PCRM and to the producers of Grey’s Anatomy for giving PCRM the opportunity to bring a dose of reality to this prime-time drama.

You can view the episode online at: http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/index?pn=index

While most advanced trauma life support courses around the country use human simulators, many continue to use live animals, including courses at Idaho State University (ISU). In fact, ISU uses lost and stray dogs obtained from the local animal shelter for these lethal procedures. Please help these animals by writing to the president of ISU. Click here for more information.

We would also like to hear what you thought of the episode by taking our very brief survey.

Best regards,

Hope Ferdowsian, M.D., M.P.H.
Director of Research Policy

Spanish parliament approves 'human rights' for apes

2008-08-11T03:07:00Z

Full story: Guardian, UK

Great apes should have the right to life and freedom, according to a resolution passed in the Spanish parliament, in what could become landmark legislation to enshrine human rights for chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans and bonobos. The environmental committee in the Spanish parliament has approved resolutions urging the country to comply with the Great Apes Project, founded in 1993, which argues that "non-human hominids" should enjoy the right to life, freedom and not to be tortured. The project was started by the philosophers Peter Singer and Paola Cavalieri, who argued that the ape is the closest genetic relative to humans - that it displays emotions such as love, fear, anxiety and jealousy - and should be protected by similar laws.

Guardian, UK - June 26, 2008

Human Rights Scandal in Austria

2008-07-07T05:54:00Z

Non-governmental organisations express concern about what may be a case of state repression of social activism.

On 21st May 2008 at 6 a.m., heavily armed police officers from an elite unit stormed 21 homes and the offices of a number of non-governmental organisations in Austria. Breaking their way in, the masked police surrounded frightened civilians in their beds at gun point. Ten people were arrested and have been held in custody without specific charge since that day. Despite the statement by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior that "The measures taken by the police (.) were in no way directed against animal welfare or animal welfare organisations", the removal of computers, documents and other assets has effectively crippled some of the organisations involved.

http://www.oipa.org/farms/news/austria.html

Send a message to the Austrian authorities to free the activist prisoners

Send a message to the Austrian prisoners

Sign the online petition

WSPA Campaign - Whales

2008-03-03T01:02:00Z

Make Your Voice Heard For Whales Today

As Japanese whalers continue their cruel and bloody hunt in the Southern Ocean, I write to you with this urgent request to help protect these incredible animals.

WSPA is calling on our supporters to add their name to a global petition which asks the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to shift its attention to whales - not whaling.

The IWC, which manages whale populations worldwide, could then devote its time to protecting whales and encouraging whale watching rather than focusing on allocating kill quotas to whaling nations.

Thousands of whales will be slaughtered this year alone, and many will endure slow and painful deaths. So please, make your voice heard for whales today.

You can find out more about the cruelty of whaling and sign the petition here.

On behalf of the animals, thank you.

WSPA Campaign - Animals Matter

2008-02-27T14:32:00Z

WSPA's Animals Matter Petition - spread the word about the plight of animals today, and sign the petition to make a difference

WSPA Campaign- End Live Export

2008-02-27T12:13:00Z

Stop The Journey of Cruelty

Raised on large, remote farms, Australian sheep enjoy space to roam and very little human contact.

But due to Australia's live export industry, millions of Australian sheep suffer a fate far worse than death every year. They are destined for a horrific journey to slaughter overseas - herded onto a packed truck and driven across the country, sometimes in scorching heat.

It's then onto a ship where conditions are much worse. They're terrified and will spend up to three weeks on the crowded ship. With around three sheep to one metre square, there is little room to move and an unfamiliar diet of pellets means many animals may not eat for the entire journey.

Stress, heat-exhaustion, injury and disease result in the death of around 1,000 sheep on each ship of 100,000. Those that survive the journey arrive in countries with no or unenforced animal welfare legislation where they are often transported, handled and slaughtered in the most barbaric way.

It's just cruel.

It's also completely unnecessary. Australia already exports chilled meat to many countries it sends live animals to. Replacing live export with a growth in the trade of chilled meat, humanely killed as close to the farm as possible, will benefit both animals and Australia.

Together we can stop this appalling journey of cruelty. You can take action

Vegetarians Do Not Eat Shellfish

2007-06-22T15:08:00Z

'Shellfish are invertebrates which are the most common creatures on the planet and yet, when it comes to welfare and compassion, they are at the bottom of the pile.'

Read more of this article at the Shellfish Network and check out their fact sheets (some content may disturb).