It seems that actress Jennifer Lawrence channeled her bad-ass, animal-spearing Hunger Games character Katniss Everdeen during a recent interview with Rolling Stone. In their latest issue—the 21-year-old graces the cover—she discusses her short history of on-screen animal cruelty, like when she ripped out a squirrels innards in Winter's Bone. When discussing that scene, she told the magazine: "I should say it wasn't real, for PETA. But screw PETA." But maybe she just meant Peeta? more ›

While Planned Parenthood doesn't want any of Tucker Max's fratire money, there's one organization that doesn't mind associating itself with the self-proclaimed "asshole" and "dickhead" and one that shares a history of publicity stunts: The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA's president Ingrid Newkirk has written a letter to Max (cc'ing Ryan Holiday, of course!) saying they'd use Max's $500,000 to get a "brand-new mobile spay-and-neuter truck"—plus they'd name it "Fix Your Bitches! The Tucker Max No-Cost to Low-Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic." more ›

Walking Scared Straight ad Courtney Stodden has cut an ad for PETA urging her, um, fans, and everyone else to stop eating meat. Yes, but has she convinced her husband Doug Hutchinson to put down the beef? more ›

If Alec Baldwin fell out of favor with you after his in-flight tantrum, then he might just win you back with this. The actor has teamed up with PETA in a new campaign against the Ringling Bros. Circus. In the below four-minute video, he narrates the life of a circus elephant from birth, to being "broken," to getting bullhooked by trainers. The video shows footage of the elephants being tortured by circus employees—footage that is even more disturbing than PETA's original video documenting the abuse, which we published in 2009. more ›

Animal rights activists are revolted by a series of trophy photos that have emerged showing Eric and Donald Trump Jr. posing with a dead elephant, kudu, civet cat and waterbuck while on a big game safari in Zimbabwe last year. In one photo, Donald Jr. proudly holds a dead elephant tail in one hand and a knife in the other. In another, the brothers are seen standing beside a 12'8" crocodile hanging from a noose off a tree. Activists obtained the photos and created this video montage of the Trumps' big hunt: more ›

More terrifying news today comes courtesy of Science, which is apparently closing in on perfecting lab-grown, in-vitro meat. Don't call it "imitation" meat—this stuff is legitimately animal flesh, but it was never part of a living animal. Have we learned nothing from the Japanese poop burger? more ›

Feld Entertainment, the company that runs Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, has just been slapped with a $270,000 fine for allegations that they violated federal animal welfare laws—this is the largest fine ever doled out under the Animal Welfare Act. Naturally, PETA, who released video of Ringling elephants being abused back in 2009, is celebrating the news. A spokesperson there said, "The government has taken a first step, and now it must confiscate the elephants. What remains to be done is for the public to be made aware of this history of abuse so that people will know to keep their children away from the circus.” more ›

You'd think with PETA at the helm of "Hug A Vegetarian Day," it'd be a little bit edgier. "Give a Vegetarian a Sensual Rubdown Day," or something. C'mon PETA, you are launching a porn site—let's drop the G-rated act. Anyway, "Hug A Vegetarian Day" is TODAY, and the animals rights organization declares it is "for hugging the people who love animals the most: vegetarians and vegans!" Carnivores, you can go hug a shark. more ›

PETA has dipped their toes in the porn business before, getting Sasha Grey to strip down for kittens and puppies or whatever. And now the animal rights organization wants to launch a porn website (www.PETA.xxx) to promote veganism... which sounds like maybe you'd be seeing a bunch of cute guys and gals enjoying a naked tickle fight in a pool of tofu cubes, right? Think again! PETA plans to mix pornography with graphic footage of animal suffering. more ›

The Fall TV season has barely gotten going and already we're starting to hear about shows in development for next year. One in particular that caught our eye is a potential ABC nighttime soap called Bazirkus about life at a Ringling Bros.-like circus. And after PBS' awesome circus miniseries Circus, we're so ready for this. But is PETA? more ›

Mr. Manhattanhenge himself, also known as The "Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive," and more professionally known as Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, has teamed up with PETA for a “kindness is a virtue” campaign, which suggests we all show a little compassion. Unsurprisingly it's one of the more complex PETA campaigns we've seen! He explains it here, in a 7+ minute video, where he says life forms from other planets might just look at us as primitive if they see us "gnashing on each other's ribs for food." more ›

This year's Sexiest Vegetarians have been declared by PETA, with both "celebrity" and "vegetarian next door" winners. The big names this year are Russell Brand and Kristen Wiig, who are taking over the spots from last year's winners: Bob Harper (The Biggest Loser trainer) and Olivia Wilde. more ›

When life your children hand you shedded snakeskin, give yourself a snakeskin manicure! That's what happened to 40-year-old nail technician Terri Silacci who "was dying to figure out a way to match her nails with the tote." And a new manicure craze was born, according to the NY Post. She told the paper, "It wasn’t until my kids brought [the shedded skin of a 4-foot python] home that I thought, ‘That’s it. I’m going to do it with real snakeskin.'" more ›

Bruce Friedrich, Vice President of PETA, has challenged collegiate debate teams at some of the country's most prestigious universities to defend the practice of eating animals. If he hasn't always won outright (they've only taken a post-debate vote "twice, and the vegetarian side received more votes both times" he says via email) his goal is to speak to students who "are open to making, and empowered to make, decisions that might have been more difficult earlier." Tomorrow night, he'll be clashing with NYU's Debate Team, an opportunity that was denied by a certain, drug-addled "Ivy." more ›

After they heard that the latest translation of the New International Version of the Bible will now use gender-inclusive language such as "he or she" instead of just "he", PETA saw an opportunity to change one other thing. The organization has petitioned the Committee on Bible Translation to suggest that its next translation remove "speciesist" language, by referring to animals as "he or she" instead of "it." “When the Bible moves toward inclusively in one area...it wasn’t much of a stretch to suggest they move toward inclusively in this area. Language matters. Calling an animal 'it' denies them something. They are beloved by God. They glorify God," Bruce Friedrich, PETA's vice president for policy, told CNN. more ›

After some anticipation, Mike Tyson's pigeon racing show finally premiered on Animal Planet this week. The former boxing champion's six-part series, "Taking on Tyson," has brought new attention to pigeon racing: the News takes a look at some old school "pigeon junkies" who keep birds on rooftops in Bed-Stuy. "People don't realize pigeons are just like dogs and cats. They think they're the same as the birds pooping all over their property," said Anthony Martire, who breeds and races homing pigeons. But not everyone is thrilled with the sport. more ›

Pro-vegetarian author, reality TV contestant and PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich was scheduled to duke it out tonight with Columbia's Parliamentary Debate team over the question "Is Eating Meat Ethical?" Peta2, PETA's youth division has held these debates at colleges all over the country, from the University of Texas (wonder how that went?) to Harvard and Princeton. However, PETA tells us that that Columbia abruptly cancelled the event without explanation. Dunh dunh DUNH! more ›

Queens-born rapper Waka Flocka Flame just stripped down for PETA (allegedly wearing almost nothing but gold chains). There's some video from the shoot below. Waka says after getting educated on the subject, he found PETA was the perfect group to pair up with, noting that he's also anti-fur—he declared, "It's nasty. We don't do that! Ink not mink!" He also says, "Animals should be treated the same as you would a kid. Would you want someone just to walk up and skin your kid? Hell, no!" more ›

Fashion Week is nearly here, and PETA is totally prepared to combat any designer that dare bring fur into the tents. Longtime PETA target Donna Karan will allegedly be under an aural assault from the group this Saturday, near her Midtown offices. The Observer reports that "a source within PETA that the group has a permit from the city that allows it to 'blast Karan's offices with the sound of screaming rabbits'... and carry signs that say Donna Karan: Bunny Butcher." PETA says the noise will not exceed 75 decibels at 10 feet away, which is about the same level as a lawnmower. more ›

While the Parks Department's Phil Abramson told us on Wednesday he was "not familiar with any regulations about killing rats" in city parks, NYC the Blog has heard from PETA, and they seem more in the know. To recap: a video emerged recently of a dog hunting rats for sport in Washington Square Park, killing nearly 15 in one night. But is that legal, even if the city does have a rat problem? more ›

Glee star Lea Michele is the latest to face to grace PETA's campaign to end carriage horses in NYC. The poster she appears in sports plenty of the tween-friendly hot pink color, and urges: “Help put horse-drawn carriages out to pasture." In bold lettering it declares: "horses don’t belong in NYC traffic.” The ad will be seen on bus kiosks around the city, thanks to a donation from Manhattan Mini-Storage. more ›

The City Council recently introduced a new measure that would bar dog owners from tethering their pets outside for longer than three hours. It's a measure that was previously proposed by Councilman Peter Vallone almost four years ago, but has been shot down time and again because of logistical concerns. So who will come to the aid of our bitches? Who else: Joan Rivers. more ›

PETA has a new commercial out, in which they ask: If you buy a dog, what will you do with the shelter dog you kill? Apparently the answer is that you'll carry it around in a body bag and have a grand ol' Weekend at Bernie's time with it. Which may or may not be what PETA does with its own animals. more ›

Looks like the NYPD has found a friend in PETA. According to City Room, mice that make their way to the Police Headquarters in Lower Manhattan used to meet their maker after stepping into a glue trap, but when PETA got wind of this, they proposed alternatives: neck-snapping traps, that they say are more humane since the critter doesn't have to struggle towards a drawn-out death. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was all for it, and now NYC's Finest have been given a Compassion Award by the animal rights organization. Now, about their mounted unit... more ›

Earlier today PETA sent some dwarves to Times Square in an effort to call out McDonald's on their cruel slaughter practices. The organization told us, "a troupe of little people in chicken suits" flocked to the fast food joint in a stretch Mini Cooper. The dancers, from Centerfold Strips (which specializes in midget and dwarf strippers!) performed a choreographed routine, and declared: "I Am Not a Nugget!" That is all. more ›