Where do animals from dissection come from?

Made by: Hannah Easley

Imagine being ripped away from your home, put in very small cages, and being killed for dissection. That's what happens when you used animals for dissection.
This happens to frogs, mice, rabbits, fetal pigs, cats, and more.
Let's look more into this.

Cats

  Cats are taken away from the streets, shelters, or even cats that could have been very loved by a family. 

Once they take them, they put them in a horribly small cage and are abused.

 PETA investigators documented cases in which animals were removed from gas chambers and injected with formaldehyde without first being checked for vital signs, a violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Formaldehyde is a severely irritating caustic substance that causes a painful death. Investigators’ video footage documents incidences in which cats and rats were struggling during injection and employees were spitting on them. 

 Rabbits

Reality for these rabbits used for dissection very painful, (like all of the poor animals used to dissection.)  One rabbit, still alive after being gassed, tried to crawl out of a wheelbarrow full of water and dead rabbits. Employees laughed as a coworker held the rabbit’s head underwater and pulled him out just as death seemed near, repeating the process again and again until, bored with the “game,” the employee held the animal’s head underwater long enough to drown him. Rabbits aren't toys.

   Frogs

Sadly, frogs are the most commonly dissected animals in classes below the university level, although other species, like cats, mice, rats, dogs, rabbits, fetal pigs, and fish, are also sometimes used. Frogs are also among the first species to succumb to environmental pollution and habitat destruction, and their deaths are often the first indicators of environmental problems because they’re so sensitive to their surroundings. 

All species of frogs are disappearing from the Earth at an alarming rate, with a devastating and not yet fully understood environmental impact. As a result, some frog populations have crashed, wiping out entire species. Populations of grass frogs and bullfrogs, the most common victims of high school dissection, are threatened by both mass collection and environmental hazards. Some are even performed on alive during dissection.

 Pigs

 Many students object to using fetal pigs because of their concern for the treatment of animals raised for human consumption. Almost all of the 97 million pigs slaughtered annually for human consumption in the United States are raised in crowded, confined conditions, where they are deprived of space, fresh air, and fresh forage for the duration of their shortened lives. 

Many also have their tails cut off and their teeth excised as piglets. The fetuses that end up in dissection trays are taken from pregnant sows at the slaughterhouse. Some biological supply houses breed animals such as mice,: obtain fetal pigs from slaughterhouses that cut them from their mothers' are killed: and trap or take other types of animals from a variety of locations.

 Mice

Mice, or other small animals used for dissection are nothing but dollar signs for breeders who kill them and sell their  corpses. Millions of animals are killed every year, in high schools alone, including the unknown number of animals used for college or middle school grades. Many mice, or rats are even embalmed. 

Alternatives to Dissection
Numerous studies have shown that students using humane alternatives learn as well, if not better, than students who dissect.

• Observation of animals in their natural habitat
• Anatomical models such as the “Great American Bullfrog” 
• Computer programs such as Visifrog and The Rat Stack
• CD-ROMS such as the Cat Dissection Library CD-ROM, Bio-Lab Invertebrate D-ROM, and the Biology Dissection CD-ROM
• Non-animal projects such as the Bio-Feedback Micro-lab
• Videotapes 
• Videodiscs 
• Charts
• Transparencies
• Slides 
• Books and manuals
• Online virtual dissection kits such as the Whole Frog Project.

The Expense
In the long run, dissection alternatives are less expensive than dissecting live animals. Unlike the former, alternatives such as CD ROMS can be used time and time again, therein permitting students to practice the techniques as many times as they need to truly learn the material. In addition, they are typically accompanied by a manual and do not require supplementary tools such as scalpels or dissections pans.

States that Have Dissection Choice Laws

States with informed student consent laws (K-12):

• California, 1988, Cal. Education Code Section 32255.1-32255.6
• Florida, 2003, Fla. Stat. ch. 233.0674 (2001) 1003.47
• Illinois, 2000, 105 ILCS 5/27-13.1
• New Jersey, 2005, 18A:35-4.24 and 18A:35-4.25
• New York, 1994, N.Y. Educ. Law Section 809
• Oregon, 2005, OR REV. STAT. § 337.300
• Pennsylvania, 1992, 24 P.S. § 15-1523
• Rhode Island, 1997, Gen.Laws 1956, § 16-22-20
• Vermont, 2008, 16 V.S.A. § 912
• Virginia, 2004, Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-200.01 (2004)

States with student choice policies:

• Maine, 1989 (State Dept. of Ed policy)
• Maryland, 1997 (majority of individual county policies)

States with legislation proposing student choice:

• Michigan, HB 4218
• Tennessee, HJR 1077

Read each state’s individual law.

Passing a Student Choice Policy
Ask your school to adopt a student dissection choice policy.

Ask your school district or state Department of Education to adopt a student dissection choice policy. More information

Read more: http://www.lcanimal.org/index.php/campaigns/other-issues/dissection

Maybe dissecting isn't that good after all.

People vote NO for Seaworld adding more tanks!

Posted October 9, 2015 by Kim Johnson

The California Coastal Commission just voted to approve SeaWorld’s “Blue World Project” –a plan to build more orca prisons at the San Diego park, but only under one condition: no more breeding and no transportation of new orcas into the park. This amendment could ultimately end captivity for orcas in California!

SeaWorld officials had admitted that they intended to breed even more orcas to fill the new tanks as part of their “Blue World Project”, but the commission’s ruling ensured that if SeaWorld goes through with their project, no more orcas will be condemned to a lonely existence of deprivation, and misery. PETA wants SeaWorld to stop building tanks and start emptying the ones they’ve got by sending the orcas to coastal sanctuaries (sea pens), where they’d finally have some semblance of a natural life.

SeaWorld San Diego 2010 | Martin Wippel | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

In nature, orcas choose their own mates. But at SeaWorld, orcas are forced to breed. Male orcas are trained to float on their backs, and their trainers masturbate them to collect their sperm. Females are artificially inseminated and forced to breed at a much younger age than they would in nature.

SeaWorld tried to defend its breeding program by saying, “Breeding is a natural, fundamental, and important part of an animal’s life.” But does this look natural to you? 

The commission received more than 120,000 e-mails and letters from concerned supporters of PETA and peta2, and hundreds of protesters turned out at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.

During the hearing, PETA representatives recounted incidences of calves being torn from their mothers, forced pregnancies, and premature deaths. One orca was force-fed Valium to curb his aggression—which was triggered by his confinement.

SeaWorld has been cited for violating the Animal Welfare Act and fined for failing to protect its employees properly. The park’s attendance and revenue are nosediving, and its shares are losing value.

Thanks to compassionate people like YOU who spoke out for orcas, SeaWorld and the California Coastal Commission know that we’re tired of seeing animals in captivity, and SeaWorld’s plan to build more orca prisons didn’t fool anyone! Keep the pressure on SeaWorld and urge them to retire all orcas!

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/seaworld-san-diego-no-breeding/#ixzz3oNAq2lF0

Download Peta2's Orca Wallpaper here!

5 Vegan Energy Drinks

The following article was written by Megan Bedard.

Luckily for vegans, some of the most popular energy boosters are naturally vegan—think coffee, tea, and orange juice.

But sometimes, whether you’re hitting the books or attending an awesome PETA demonstration, you need a little extra jolt. But navigating the ingredient lists on cans of liquid energy can be tricky (taurine, for example, comes from animals, but there is a synthetic version that many companies use).

Here are five energy drinks that you can count on being vegan. Prepare for take-off!

 

***

Have any other favorites? Let us know in the comments section below!

9 Vegan Pumpkin-Spice Treats You Need to Try-

Thomas’ Pumpkin Spice Bagels

F to the yeah! Mornings just got a million times better. Spread some vegan butter or cream cheese on these babies and take a trip to pumpkin heaven.

SoDelicious

It tastes like fall!

Jif’s Whipped Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Pie Spice Flavored Spread

Pumpkin Spice | Photo by: Mike Mozart | CC by 2.0

Someone hand me about 54,992 pretzels, because I’m about to go HAM on this beauty.

Food Should Taste Good Harvest Pumpkin Tortilla Chips

Food Should Taste Good

Who knew pumpkin tortilla chips were a thing? 

Cedar’s Pumpkin Spice Hommus

Pumpkin spice hummus?? | Photo by: Paul Roth | CC by-SA 2.0

Dear pumpkin haters: Your anger just makes us stronger.

Clif’s Spiced Pumpkin Pie Bar

Clif Bar: Spiced Pumpkin Pie

I’d climb a mountain for these … or drive to a grocery store.

Betty Crocker’s Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix

Pumpkin Spice Cookies Mix | Photo by: Mike Mozart | CC by 2.0

The mix is accidentally vegan, so all you have to do is use vegan butter and replace each egg with 1/4 cup of apple sauce. It couldn’t get easier!

Archer Farms’ Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Make your pumpkin spice latte at home with this pumpkinlicious coffee!

Califia Farms’ Pumpkin Spice Latte

Califia Farms

Califia Farms just released its real pumpkin PSL for the 2nd year in a row, re-establishing the cult classic as the only ready-to-drink vegan pumpkin spice latte in stores nationwide!

Pumpkin Pie Lärabar

Lärabar

You can even spice up (no pun intended) your trip to the gym with one of these delicious snack bars as a post-workout treat.

Dandies Pumpkin Flavored Marshmallows

Pumpkin spice vegan s’mores anyone? 

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/vegan-pumpkin-spice-foods/#ixzz3niXeWyzd

What are you waiting for? Let's get this vegan pumpkin-spice-everything party started!!

'Once Upon A Time Cast' Speaks Up For Animals!

Posted September 25, 2015 by Matt Kilbourne

The new season of Once Upon a Time debuts this Sunday, and we couldn’t be more excited! The series returns viewers to the quiet, made-up town of Storybrooke, whose residents are fairytale characters stuck in the real world, thanks to a powerful curse. An awesome show AND a cast that is SUPER-supportive of animal rights? Swoon! We’ve compiled a list of cast members who share our compassion for animals:

See what Jared Gilmore (aka “Henry Mills”) has to say about being a responsible companion to his animals.

Emilie de Ravin (aka “Belle”) is a true champion for animals, always standing up for them on Twitter. We ♥ her.

When Lana Parrilla isn’t busy playing the Evil Queen and Regina, she’s a voice for animals like her adorable pup, Lola.

Whether sharing her favorite vegan cheese or posing with her adopted canine, Asher, Kristin Bauer van Straten (aka “Maleficent”) is one of our favorite people on Twitter and Instagram. As a bonus, check out the rad “Say No to Ivory” tee that she designed!

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/once-upon-a-time-show/#ixzz3n3LEMOGT

Grab your favorite snack, and check out OUAT when it returns on Sunday, September 27. We can’t wait to see what twists and turns this season has in store!

While you’re waiting for the next episode of Once Upon a Time, check out these movies on Netflix.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/once-upon-a-time-show/#ixzz3n3JN2VOG

How This Selfie Might Change Everything

Posted September 24, 2015 by Kim Johnson

A few years ago in Indonesia, a photographer left his camera unattended. That was tempting for a curious crested black macaque named Naruto, who grabbed the camera and began taking photographs—some of the forest floor, some of other macaques, and several of himself, one of which resulted in the now-famous “monkey selfie.”

Acting as Naruto’s legal representative (aka “next friend”), PETA has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. federal court in San Francisco against the owner of the camera, photographer David J. Slater, and his company, Wildlife Personalities Ltd., both of which claim copyright ownership of the photos that Naruto took. Also named as a defendant is the San Francisco–based publishing company Blurb, Inc., which published a collection of Slater’s photographs, including two selfies taken by Naruto.

The lawsuit seeks to have Naruto declared the “author” and owner of his photograph. U.S. copyright law doesn’t prohibit an animal from owning a copyright, and since Naruto took the photo, he should own the copyright, as any human would.

If this lawsuit succeeds, it would be the first time that, instead of being considered a piece of property, a nonhuman animal is declared the owner of property (in this case, the copyright of the “monkey selfie”). It would also be the first time that a right is extended to a nonhuman animal beyond just the mere basic necessities of food, shelter, water, and veterinary care. It’s about time!

PETA is also asking the court to allow us to donate all the proceeds from sales of the “monkey selfie” for the benefit of Naruto and his community, without compensation to PETA.

Animals deserve to have appropriate rights of their own and should not be exploited by humans. 

We think Naruto should have the rights to his photo. What do you think? Share this story, and let us know in the comments! 

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/monkey-selfie-lawsuit/#ixzz3mlTIGYB6

10 Reasons to Not Eat Oysters, Mussels, and Clams

Posted September 21, 2015 by Lily Trahan

© DOLLARPHOTOCLUB/AMILLI

 Plenty of “vegetarians” still eat oysters, reasoning that it’s OK to do so because they believe that shellfish don’t feel pain. But is that really true? And more importantly, what right do we, as humans, have to interfere with the lives of others? Well, these fun facts may just help you see bivalves (mollusks such as oysters, scallops, clams, and mussels) in a whole new light:

1. Scallops’ eye-game is on point! They have eyes all over their bodies to help them see and escape from predators.

2. Similar to turtles, when oysters sense danger, they hide inside their shells, which snap tightly shut. Fear much?

3. Fight or flight: Like most animals, scallops flee when they’re threatened. They swim away from predators by flapping their shells.

4. They like to show off. Mussels have been known to flex their muscles and move around to find a better location. 

Mussels, Towan Beach, Newquay, Cornwall | Vicki Burton | CC BY-SA 2.0

5. We don’t know yet if they can feel pain, but if they do, an order of oysters by the dozen means a lot of suffering on one plate. Why risk it?

6. Dredging is a drag. Messin’ with oysters means messin’ with the ecosystem! Dredging oceans (dragging a device across the sea floor) to harvest oysters damages the reefs that provide other animals with habitats and disrupts the ecosystem.

7. Clams can live to be 35 years old, but most are harvested at just 2 years of age. So young …

Clam burrowing back into the sand | Ruth Hartnup | CC BY 2.0

8. Hurting oysters means possibly hurting turtles, too! Sea turtles can be injured or killed by the dredges and trawl nets (large fishing nets) that are used to harvest scallops.

9. Mussel farms are ocean litterbugs. They produce “marine litter” that includes broken shells, rope, floats, and other debris that are often ingested by marine animals.

Mussel farm, Primorsko, Bulgaria | Vasil Raev | CC BY 2.0

10. All we are saying is give seas a chance. As oysters, clams, and mussels suck in ocean water to feed on bacteria and phytoplankton, they also ingest pollutants and other harmful chemicals and send the clean, filtered water back into the sea. One oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day!

Just like any other animal, oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops play a crucial role in the ecosystem, and by eating them, we risk causing major damage to the environment. So how about we leave ‘em alone and avoid messing with Mother Nature, eh?

Love seafood? Check out all the meals you can make with Gardein Fishless Filets!

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/oyster-mussel-clam-scallop-facts/#ixzz3mVwqQRlu

How Circus Training and Abuse Killed These Baby Elephants

Posted September 22, 2015 by Kim Johnson

The first step in training baby elephants to perform is to destroy the bond between them and their mothers. To do this, Ringling Bros. trainers drag the babies away from their mothers. For up to 23 hours a day, the babies’ legs are tethered so that all they can do is stand in one spot on a concrete floor. They aren’t provided with any mental or physical stimulation, and they can’t lie down, stretch their legs, or even turn around.

After up to six long months of standing in their own waste, these once curious and energetic elephants lose all interest in fighting back. Their spirits are broken. Now, they’re under the control of the trainers, who begin forcing them to do confusing and painful tricks through the use of violence and fear. This type of “training” and abuse is what killed these elephants:

Riccardo

Riccardo’s life began inside Ringling’s misleadingly named breeding facility, the Center for Elephant Conservation. After Riccardo’s mother, Shirley, gave birth—while she was chained by three legs—she made several desperate attempts to reach out and care for her newborn, but instead of allowing mother and baby to bond, Ringling’s trainers pulled Riccardo away.

When Riccardo was only 8 months old, he fell off a pedestal and broke his hind legs. Ringling trainers originally claimed that he had fallen while he was playing, but it was later revealed in court that Riccardo actually fell while he was being trained to get on the pedestal. His trainer admitted that he was holding a bullhook and that a rope was tied around Riccardo’s trunk when the baby elephant toppled over. The damage to Riccardo’s legs could not be treated, and veterinarians euthanized him. 

Kenny

Kenny was just 3 years old when he died. In the wild, he would still be at his mother’s side, but in the circus, Kenny had to spend much of his time traveling around the country inside a cramped boxcar. One day in 1998, Kenny was reportedly very sick, but trainers still forced him to perform in two shows. 

According to the circus’s animal-care log, Kenny was “not eating or drinking.” He also was “bleeding from his rectum … had a hard time standing, was very shaky, walked very slowly,” and “passed a large amount of blood from his rectum.” Later that night, he died alone in his stall. 

Benjamin

Just a year after Kenny’s death, Benjamin died while he was traveling with Ringling. During a stop in Texas, he went swimming in a pond with another young elephant named Shirley (who would later give birth to Riccardo, mentioned above). When the elephants’ trainer commanded them to exit the pond, Shirley obeyed immediately, but being a young and curious elephant, Benjamin continued to splash and play in the water, ignoring the trainer’s commands.

The trainer then grabbed his bullhook and went into the water after Benjamin. Likely out of fear of the trainer and the bullhook, Benjamin moved away into deeper water and drowned. 

Bertha

In 2005, an 11-day-old elephant named Bertha reportedly died. The circus did not announce her birth or death.

What You Can Do

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has announced that it plans to phase out the use of elephants in its performances by 2018. While this is a great victory it is not enough. For the next three years, elephants with Ringling will still be chained, hit with bullhooks,and crammed into tiny boxcars. Many of the elephants suffer from painful arthritis or carry tuberculosis, and their retirement day needs to come now.

Three years is too long for a mother elephant separated from her calf, too long for a baby elephant beaten with bullhooks, and too long for an animal who would roam up to 30 miles a day in the wild but who is instead kept in shackles.

Never go to a circus that uses animals! Continue to speak up for animals abused by Ringling, and urge the circus to retire the elephants NOW.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/ringling-baby-elephant-training-deaths/#ixzz3mVvHRDhO

What's Wrong With UGGs?

Posted September 17, 2015 by Kim Johnson

UGGs aren’t just ugly—they are made from the skin of abused and terrified sheep.

In the wool and meat industries, before sheep are slaughtered for their skin or flesh, they’re forced to live miserable lives: Lambs’ ears are hole-punched, their tails are chopped off, and the males are castrated … 

… all usually without anesthetics or pain relief.

Sheep are typically crammed into crowded pens. It’s also considered “normal” in the Australian wool industry for approximately 3 million young lambs to die every spring.

Not only are wool and sheepskin products cruelly made, they’re also bad for the environment. In New Zealand, methane emissions from enteric fermentation (burping and passing gas), coming mostly from sheep, make up more than 90 percent of the nation’s greenhouse-gas emissions. Wool production also results in damaged land and polluted water.

Remember: Every purchase of UGG boots or other wool products supports extreme cruelty to animals. If you want to keep your feet warm and snuggly this fall, check out these cute cruelty-free boots instead:

Airwalk makes a great alternative that looks just like the real thing—minus the gross dead skin. They’re available at Payless ShoeSource.

Payless Shoesource

Target has tons of wool-free styles to keep your feet warm! 

Target

Reneeze makes cruelty-free boots in all colors of the rainbow! Get them at Stylight.com.

Reneeze

Fourever Funky has a few styles in cute leopard print (no leopards harmed!) 

Fourever Funky

And Iron Fist has a line of vegan “FUGG” boots.

Iron Fist

With all of these options, it’s no wonder everyone’s giving UGGs the boot! Show the world that you, too, can stay warm with compassion by stepping out in some vegan boots.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/uggs-cruelty/#ixzz3m2vNVF30