Sara Groves

Los Angeles – “Protect Animals. Enforce the law.” That’s the message PETA is sending to Mayor Karen Bass in a full-page appeal in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times, calling out her refusal to crack down on the many reports of animals being abused, neglected, bred, sold, and even killed on Skid Row—and pointing a finger at Governor Gavin Newsom for failing to intervene. On Monday, dozens of sidewalk decals bearing the same call-to-action will be strategically placed around Los Angeles, including City Hall and the mayor’s Getty House residence.

Rockland, Maine – Just outside the main entrance of the Maine Lobster Festival on Wednesday, a woman body-painted as a lobster will lie across a giant dish, next to a lemon wedge and butter, reading, “Try to Relate to Who’s on Your Plate.” The display will urge attendees to skip the carnage inside the festival—where around 16,000 lobsters will be steamed alive—and instead of taking a life for a fleeting taste, go vegan.

Spokane, Wash. – Today, PETA sent a letter to Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam, urging him to add cruelty-to-animals charges to the first-degree arson charge filed against Aaron Farinacci in connection with the devastating Old Trails Fire, which has so far scorched more than 3,600 acres—home to countless animals of many species including birds, raccoons, opossums, deer, bears, tree frogs, and insects—and contributed to the destruction of more than 700 human homes and structures.

Boston – Ahead of September’s National Rat Summit, PETA today sent a letter to Mayor Michelle Wu with a rat

Comanche, Okla. – Following the death of Drago, a Comanche K-9 who died after being left confined in an outdoor kennel in sweltering summer temperatures, PETA sent a letter today to Comanche Police Chief David Hornbeck, urging him to request an independent criminal investigation into Drago’s death and to help protect other dogs by ending the use of K-9s altogether. In the letter, PETA encourages the department to prevent future tragedies by replacing K-9s with state-of-the-art policing technology, such as tactical robots, drones, and portable mass spectrometers.

Norfolk, Va. – Inspired by her own experience refusing to dissect a fetal pig as a student years ago, PETA President Tracy Reiman is introducing the Kind Piglet™ —a life-like silicone model that replaces real animals in school dissection. It features color-coded organs and easy setup and cleanup, giving students a hands-on dissection experience without the cruelty, mess, or hazardous chemicals—including formaldehyde—that come with the use of real, preserved piglets. Educators can learn more and place orders here. Samples are available upon request.

Norfolk, Va. – In a move that will spare lost animals and their worried guardians additional hours of fear and uncertainty, local nonprofit the Reunite Tonight Project has teamed up with PETA to install Norfolk’s first-ever community microchip scan station outside PETA’s Sam Simon Center on Front Street. The publicly accessible station—made possible by a generous anonymous donor—gives good Samaritans a cost-free and simple way to help reunite lost animals with their families, 24/7.

Norfolk, Va. – Inspired by her own experience refusing to dissect a fetal pig as a student and later helping her son opt out of a classroom frog dissection, PETA President Tracy Reiman is introducing the Kind Piglet™ —a life-like silicone model that replaces real animals in school dissection. It gives kids a hands-on dissection experience—complete with color-coded organs and easy setup and cleanup—without the cruelty, mess, or hazardous chemicals that come with the use of real, preserved piglets. Parents and educators can learn more and place orders here. Samples are available upon request.

Snohomish County, Wash – A Compassionate Fire Department Award and a Compassionate Parks and Recreation Award are on their way from PETA to Snohomish County Fire District 4 and Snohomish County Parks & Recreation after crews teamed up on August 2 to rescue a crow who was tangled in fishing line and dangling roughly 50 feet above a campsite at Flowing Lake Park.

O’Fallon, Mo. – PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction on cruelty-to-animals charges of the person(s) responsible for abandoning four guinea pigs—three of whom died—in two plastic exercise balls on Old Highway N. near Hawk Ridge Trail.