this isn't quite a victory yet, but ingrid newkirk announced last month that PETA will give a 1 million dollar award to the first person who can market in vitro chicken to the public by 2012. This research has been going on for over 10 years now, and ingrid newkirk says she has been trying to get interest in  in vitro meats  for along time. This process of growing meat in a lab using  a few cells from a animal is fantastic. They have already been able to grow the meat. They are now trying to figure out how to grow it thick enough to make steaks and roasts, chicken breasts etc. They are able to make in vitro meats for things that are ground. Such as sausage, hamburger, chicken nuggets, hot dogs. They have not gotten where they are able to grow enough to meet the public demand for meat yet. Nasa has also been able to grow fish for the space program.

I am very excited about this research. Once this meat is marketed, it will free billions of animals from being raised for food. It is so remarkable to be able to grow meat in a lab and never have to use a live, living animals for food again. It has fantastic benefits also for the health of meat, and the inviroment issues.

New Harvest is a the US non profit group working on this research, also Norway is making headway in this research. I would encourage anyone who is truely interested in getting animals set free from being used for food to support this organization and its research. this is the link to ingrid newkirks interview on TIME 10 questions. Her statement about the reward for the in vitro meat is at the end of the interveiw.

http://www.time.com/time/10questions

This is the link to New Harvest if you interested in what they doing and in learning more about in vitro meat.

http://www.new-harvest.org/default.php

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Dear julieann,

PETA has had a cooperative relationship with Liz Claiborne Inc. for many years. Through our work together, the company has made—and continues to make—many great strides to reduce the suffering of animals who are used and abused in the clothing industry.

We would like to share an exciting development that has resulted from our discussions with Liz Claiborne Inc.: Juicy Couture—a high-end clothing company owned by Liz Claiborne Inc.—has now adopted a permanent fur-free policy. While Juicy Couture is still selling some fur items that were stocked before this policy was adopted, it has assured us that no new fur items will be procured and that as soon as the current stock of items has gone, the company will be completely fur-free.

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Since 2000, PETA has been using high-profile campaigns and negotiating behind the scenes to reduce the suffering of animals who are raised and killed for the fast-food and grocery industries. In 2001, when PETA halted its “Murder King” campaign (after Burger King adopted some animal welfare standards), Burger King agreed to continue discussions with PETA about ways to further reduce the horrific abuse of animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses.

Although Burger King’s new standards will send shock waves throughout the factory-farming and fast-food industries and will help reduce some of the worst forms of abuse to farmed animals, the best way for compassionate consumers to help chickens, pigs, and other animals is to go vegetarian.

“We hope that people will order the BK Veggie Burger when they go into Burger King,” says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich, “but the company’s new plan helps reduce some of the worst factory-farming and slaughterhouse abuses and will send shock waves through the meat and egg industries.”

Burger King’s announcement marks the latest chapter in PETA’s efforts to change the ways farmed animals are raised and slaughtered. The Humane Society of the United States has also been talking with Burger King. According to its new plan, Burger King will do the following:

• Immediately begin purchasing 10 percent of its pig flesh from suppliers that do not use cruel gestation crates—metal enclosures that confine mother pigs and are so restrictive that the animals cannot even stretch a limb or take a step—and double that amount by the end of 2007.
• Immediately begin purchasing 2 percent of its eggs from hens who are not confined to tiny wire “battery cages” and more than double that amount by the end of 2007.
• Issue a statement to its egg suppliers saying that it will give purchasing preference to those that do not use battery cages.
• Issue a statement to its chicken-flesh suppliers stating that it will give purchasing preference to those that use or switch to “controlled-atmosphere killing” (CAK)—which is by far the least cruel method of chicken slaughter available.

Learn more about PETA’s history with Burger King.

Help Factory-Farmed Animals!
Although Burger King has stepped up to the plate with regard to animal welfare, other fast-food chains have not. For more than four years, PETA’s “Kentucky Fried Cruelty” campaign has urged KFC to adopt standards to eliminate the worst abuses of the more than 850 million chickens killed for its buckets each year. Dozens of celebrities, scholars, and other notables—including Pamela Anderson, Sir Paul McCartney, Pink, The Rev. Al Sharpton, and Fall Out Boy—have spoken out against KFC’s cruelty. You can join them by visiting KentuckyFriedCruelty.com to sign the petition, download videos, and more.

By DOUG GROSS : Associated Press Writer
Mar 23, 2007 : 3:03 pm ET

ATLANTA -- A county judge ordered the state Friday to enforce a law preventing animal shelters from using gas chambers to euthanize cats and dogs.

Plaintiffs' lawyer Walter Bush argued at a hearing Friday in Atlanta for a temporary restraining order to keep the Georgia Department of Agriculture from renewing licenses for shelters that use gas chambers illegally.

Fulton County Superior Judge Cynthia Wright's injunction includes exceptions outlined in Georgia law. They apply in counties with fewer than 25,000 people and in cases where an animal poses an extreme danger. Also exempted are counties that were already using a gas chamber when the law was passed in 1990.

The plaintiffs are former state Rep. Chesley Morton, who sponsored the Humane Euthanasia Act, and a former Humane Society employee. The act calls for injection with sodium pentobarbital -- a sedative that causes rapid loss of consciousness followed by death -- to be used in the vast majority of cases when dogs and cats need to be euthanized.

Bush argued that the Agriculture Department has never enforced the law.

Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin testified that he believes the law is unclear and that local governments should be able to decide their policies.

After the ruling, Bush and several supporters hugged and some shed tears.

"It's a good day for Georgia animals," said Leana Stormont, an attorney with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals who assisted in the case.

Irvin's agency regulates roughly 3,300 facilities, including pet stores, that house animals and about 400 animal shelters.

A department spokesman said the agency had not decided whether to appeal.

http://www.heraldsun.com/nationworld/14-832344.cfm

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http://www.furisdead.com/feat-tommyhilfiger.asp

Following months of discussions with PETA, Tommy Hilfiger joins Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, and others in banning fur from his collections. "Starting immediately, the company will cease development of any product containing fur, and any fur garment already in production will be phased out of sales channels by the delivery of the spring 2008 collection," Tommy Hilfiger Corp. announced in a statement. Fred Gehring, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Corp., told fashion trade publication Women's Wear Daily that to "guarantee our products live up to the integrity we promise our customers, we have decided to switch to a faux fur policy entirely."

On European and American fur farms, animals spend their entire lives confined to tiny, filthy cages, where they suffer physical and psychological distress before they are killed by poisoning, gassing, anal electrocution, or neck-breaking. China—where not a single law protects animals on fur farms—is now the world's leading producer of fur, producing more than all other countries combined. Cats and dogs on fur farms in China are often crammed into wire cages, slammed on the ground, and skinned alive for their fur, which is often deliberately mislabeled as fur from other species. Tommy's anti-fur policy will spare countless animals from becoming fashion victims.

Stella McCartney, Marc Bouwer, Betsey Johnson, Vivienne Westwood, Comme des Garçons, Limited Brands, J.Crew, Ann Taylor, and Jones Apparel Group are among the numerous other designers and fashion companies that have fur-free policies. What's more, following two meetings with PETA, Italian fashion leader Prada featured no real fur in its autumn/winter collection for the first time in years. This marks a complete turnaround from last year's collection, which was heavy on fox and other pelts.

• Stand up for animals on fur farms by refusing to wear any fur. Sign PETA's fur-free pledge today!
• Join PETA in speaking out for raccoons, foxes, coyotes, minks, and other animals killed for their fur.
• If you know someone who still wears fur, urge him or her to watch this video.

Barb - A BIG from all

Wudos to you for keeping the hope alive!!

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How awesome to hear about some victories for a change!  Hooray!

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HR503 was passed through the US House of Representatives with no amendments

A victory for the horses

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) is opting to permanently bench leather balls in favor of better-performing, cruelty-free synthetic basketballs, like those already in use by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Women’s National Basketball Association, beginning with its 2006/2007 season!

Although basketball may be a game to us, it’s no fun for cows whose skins are used to make basketballs. Overseas, where much of the leather used in the U.S. is produced, cows are marched to slaughter for days without food or water, causing many to collapse en route; crowded onto transport trucks, where they frequently break bones, suffocate, or gouge each other with their horns; and often dismembered and skinned while they are still alive. In this country, pigs and cattle are often inadequately stunned so that they are still conscious when their hooves are severed.

The process of tanning leather is also tremendously destructive to the environment, releasing scores of dangerous chemicals into our water supply. Tannery workers and people who live near tanneries are stricken with life-threatening diseases at rates that are many times the national average.

On January 9, 2006, PETA sent the NCAA information on the horrors of the leather industry, including the fact that it takes the skin of an entire cow to make just four basketballs. The switch to synthetic balls was announced on June 28, 2006.

It’s easy to moo-ve away from leather. In fact, Spalding Sports carries synthetic basketballs as well as volleyballs, softballs, soccerballs, and footballs. Visit CowsAreCool.com for more information.

Jimbo's Naturally, a 3-store chain in California, adopts a cage-free egg policy (Aug. 25, 2005)

As long as farm animals continue to suffer in the meat, egg, and dairy industries, our work is not finished. We have gained—and continue to press for—tangible improvements in their lives. Below are some of the victories we've secured for farm animals in recent months.

Long before PETA officially announces a campaign, we are busy negotiating behind the scenes to convince companies that are abusing animals that it’s in their best interest not to have the peta2 Street Team unleashed on them. Often this means that we are able to score a win for animals before ever having to produce a single leaflet or hold any demonstrations. Earlier this month, we were able to do just that...

After learning that Welch’s was funding outrageous experiments on dogs, monkeys, rabbits, and rats [cutting open dogs’ chests, forcing monkeys to inhale noxious secondhand smoke, and poisoning rats with toxic chemicals - just to name a few] in order to make health claims about its products, we immediately wrote the company demanding that it stop torturing animals just to sell juice. Shortly thereafter, Welch’s promised that it would no longer fund or conduct any animal tests.

Three other juice companies are still funding vivisection, though - please click here to take action!

Ralph Lauren Drops Fur After Watching Chinese Fur-Farm Exposé 

Ralph Lauren, long recognized as a leader in fashion, is now also a leader in compassion since he announced a precedent-setting decision to stop using fur in any of his apparel or home collections for purely ethical reasons.

The Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation had apparently been considering eliminating fur from its lines for some time, but its decision was accelerated after Ralph Lauren, the chair and chief executive officer, himself witnessed the hideous abuses endured by animals on Chinese fur farms.

Lauren viewed grisly undercover video footage of fur farms in China, which produces more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in the United States, and after a series of meetings with PETA in February and March 2006, his company committed to pulling all fur from its shelves.

On fur farms in China, animals are confined to tiny wire cages through all weather extremes. Before they are skinned, workers bludgeon them with metal rods and slam them against the ground, breaking their bones but not always killing them. Many animals are skinned while they are still alive and conscious.

After the meetings, the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation sent PETA a signed statement of assurance acknowledging its intent to pull all advertising for fur, cancel all pending orders for fur products, and, beginning with its holiday 2006 collections, no longer sell any fur products. Twelve hundred of its brand-new fall 2006 fur-trimmed coats will be donated to charities in developing nations.

Ralph Lauren’s compassionate, progressive decision sends a powerful message to the clothing industry: that torturing and killing rabbits, raccoons, foxes, and other animals for fashion won’t be tolerated.

Please write to Ralph Lauren and thank him for his compassion:

Mr. Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren
650 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10022

CustomerAssistance@polo.com (e-mail)

Here is where we can post all the victories we hear about!