Court grounds PETA lawsuit over bird protections

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals made what a judge called "some strong arguments," but ultimately failed in a bid to force the Agriculture Department to start protecting the nation's birds.

In a 21-page decision, U.S. District Court James Boasberg dismissed a PETA complaint that had sought to compel the Agriculture Department to start enforcing Animal Welfare Act amendments adopted in 2002. At the same time, the judge offers some tough words aimed at USDA.

"With surprising regularity," Boasberg wrote, "the agency has repeatedly set, missed, and then rescheduled deadlines for the publication of proposed bird-specific regulations."

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PETA launches campaign against caging of birds

PUNE: Global animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, has launched a new ad campaign to spread awareness about not caging birds. The campaign, which is being used online and on social networking sites and is expected to bepopularised at college festivals, concerts and other youth-related events, is targeted at increasing awareness about the need to free birds from confinement and prevent their physical abuse.

"Birds are born to fly free. For them, flying is as natural and important as walking is to us. Stealing their freedom by capturing them and putting them in cages to spend their entire lives in a tiny prison is as unacceptable as it would be to lock a human being in one tiny room for life," said Benazir Suraiya, lead media and celebrity projects coordinator, PETA India.

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Don't cage birds, let them fly: Adah Sharma

IANS | Jun 12, 2013, 01.59 PM IST

Actress Adah Sharma has joined PETA's latest ad campaign to extend her support against cruelty and caging of birds and has urged the people to let the feathered creatures fly freely.

"Don't keep birds in cages. Don't keep any other animal or any wildlife, especially birds, in cages. They (birds) are wild animals and not domesticated animals like cats and dogs," Adah told reporters here Tuesday while shooting for PETA's ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) latest ad campaign.

The "1920" and "Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke" fame actress discourages people from caging birds.

"I don't encourage people who keep birds or any other animal in cages. It's a heinous crime and you should not do it," said the 24-year-old.

For the campaign's photo shoot, Adah dressed herself in white attire to look like a bird and locked herself in a cage.

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Bird strike by vehicle in Long Beach, Wash.: 92 dead, $5,500 reward - UPDATE

Every year, the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria reports dead birds intentionally hit by motorists on beaches of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Usually, one or two animals are killed. But last week, 92 shorebirds died in an apparent vehicle attack on Washington's Long Beach Peninsula.

The strike, one of the biggest ever according to the center, has raised a record reward.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an animal rights group headquartered in Virginia, offered $5,000 on Monday for information leading to prosecution. The group often puts up money to solve animal abuse cases around the country. But this is the first time it's intervened in a Northwest bird kill, said Stephanie Bell, associate director of PETA's cruelty investigations.

"We were horrified by the allegations," Bell said. "The alleged crime was vicious. Many of the animals had torn wings and died of their injuries."

The kill was reported by two beachcombers out for a mid-day stroll on Thursday along the Long Beach Peninsula. Near the Cranberry Beach entrance, they walked by a large flock of Dunlins, a small Sandpiper-like bird, gathered on the sand. All was fine. But when the pair returned 20 minutes later, carcasses littered the beach. Wide tire tracks were imprinted on the sand in a clear sign of a bird strike.

The couple, horrified, called the wildlife center, which, in turn, notified Washington state law enforcement. Two officers, one from Fish and Wildlife enforcement and another from the Pacific County Sheriff's Office, investigated late Thursday afternoon. They snapped pictures of the birds and examined carcasses.

It was clearly a crime scene, said Sgt. Dan Chadwick  of the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"The trauma to the birds was indicative of a vehicle strike," Chadwick said

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http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/01/bird_strike_by_vehicle_on_long.html

PETA offers reward for info on mass bird killing

LONG BEACH, WASH. — PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information on a mass bird killing that took place in Long Beach on Dec. 27.

The animal rights group said that 92 dunlins were found dead and many of them displayed traumatic injuries, such as torn wings. PETA said in a statement that it appears a vehicle plowed through a flock of the birds.

Dunlins are small wading birds that migrate to the area and are often seen in large flocks in synchronized flight. The birds can reach speeds of up to 110 mph, and are known for being monogamous partners and caring parents to their young. Dunlins are protected under Washington state law.

“This senseless attack on these gentle birds isn’t just vicious and cruel — it’s also against state and federal wildlife protection and anti-cruelty laws,” PETA vice president Daphna Nachminovitch said. “Long Beach residents have good cause to be concerned: According to law-enforcement agencies and leading mental-health professionals, perpetrators of violent acts against animals are often repeat offenders who pose a serious threat to all animals — including humans.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact PETA at 757-622-7382 or Sgt. Dan Chadwich with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife at 360-581-3337.

Read more at http://q13fox.com/2012/12/31/peta-offers-reward-for-info-on-mass-bird-killing/#t2lyhfokPIQe4Gvk.99 

PETA to Obama: Turkey pardon ceremony is for the birds

In what has become a Thanksgiving tradition, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals is asking for an end to a Thanksgiving tradition.

On Tuesday, PETA sent a letter to President Obama asking him to skip the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon, a tradition that dates back to Abraham Lincoln. The letter sent by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said the ceremony “makes light of the mass slaughter of some 46 million gentle, intelligent birds” and “portrays the United States president as being in some sort of business partnership with the turkey-killing industry.”

“We usually ask for other things, but this is the first time we have asked (the president) to give the ceremony a rest,’’ Newkirk told TODAY.com. “I think it’s just been building. The time has come. It’s hard to find anybody who supports the idea of factory farming, and there have been so many reports this year of the environmental effects of factory farming. To have a president who is supposed to be progressive standing there with an industry representative of factory farming knowing about these environmental issues, it’s not very green to welcome him to the White House and endorse factory farms.’’

Continued:  http://holidayblog.today.com/_news/2012/11/20/15312994-peta-to-obama-turkey-pardon-ceremony-is-for-the-birds?lite

Honey Boo Boo’s pet chicken is a risky bird; PETA wants new name for ‘Nuggets’

Who knew Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson could cause such a fuss by having a pet chicken? The youngster who is part of the TLC reality show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo treats her chicken kindly but the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is very upset with the reality show family. Apparently it isn't politically correct to name her animal Nuggets. On Thursday PETA released a letter sent to TLC contesting the name of the animal and the offensive tone of calling it something similar to a meal at McDonald’s.

“We hope that she will be loved and cared for as a permanent member of your family and that you will consider changing her name to ‘Not a Nugget’ after our youth outreach mascot in order to honor her as your friend and protect other chickens just like here,”writes Michelle Cho on behalf of PETA. The letter was posted online Friday with people trying really hard to read the entire message without rolling their eyes.

The serious tone of changing the name of the chicken has fans busting a gut over the matter of the Honey Boo Boo’s chicken. With pets going hungry after the Sandy storm, animals being slaughtered inhumanely and other important issues, it appears the name of a chicken is a priority on PETA’s agenda to raise awareness.

Of course Honey Boo Boo can call her chicken whatever she desires and PETA really shouldn't be meddling in her bird business. Hopefully the sassy star might decide to get a few more birds and keep the naming tradition going. Who wouldn't want to have a pet chicken named Nuggets with a pal called Patty?

http://www.examiner.com/article/honey-boo-boo-s-pet-chicken-is-a-risky-bird-peta-wants-new-name-for-nuggets

PETA wants charges against Aurora bird hoarder

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is pushing the city of Aurora to press charges against the man who hoarded 478 birds — 120 of them dead — in his townhouse, saying he needs court-mandated mental health treatment.
PETA sent a letter Wednesday to police Chief Greg Thomas, Mayor Tom Weisner and other city officials requesting criminal charges be filed against Dave Skeberdis, 57, whose large population of birds inside his trash-infested home was discovered Oct. 19.
“We are pushing for Skeberdis to be charged under Illinois state statute, the Humane Care for Animals Act,” said Kristin Simon, a senior cruelty caseworker with PETA’s cruelty investigations department. “It provides specific details for how animals are to be cared for with regard to food, water, shelter and humane living conditions.”

Simon said reports about the condition of Skeberdis’ townhouse, which had stairways covered with about three feet of garbage, bird feed and bird feces, indicate his animals were not living in humane conditions. She said the Humane Care for Animals Act also defines an animal hoarder as someone who possesses a large number of companion animals, keeps them in an overcrowded environment and is unable to properly care for them.


Continued: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20121031/news/710319540/