Animal rights News

No 'human rights' for chimpanzees

New York - A U.S court has ruled that a chimpanzee is not entitled to the same rights as people and does not have be freed from captivity.

Bardot's call to end 'greatest collective sacrifice of animals'

Paris - Former film star turned animal rights activist, France’s Brigitte Bardot, issued a call this week for the President of Nepal to ban what she termed was “the greatest collective sacrifice of animals in the world”.

New Mexico man kills dog with screwdriver for food

Albuquerque - A 46 year-old New Mexico man has been arrested for what authorities can only describe as a bizarre and heinous case of animal cruelty.

Morrissey teams up with PETA to promote animal welfare

"Someday," a new video created by PETA and animated by Anna Saunders, is scheduled to be featured on rock icon Morrissey's nationwide tour.

Study: Evidence for the sentience of rats

Lab rats have been instrumental in many scientific discoveries. However new evidence suggests that lab rats are sentient.

Baywatch actress Alexandra Paul talks acting and animal rights Special

Actress Alexandra Paul, best known for playing Lt. Stephanie Holden on "Baywatch," took some time from her schedule to chat about her recent endeavors, animal rights and upcoming plans.

Op-Ed: 'Opossum drops' in North Carolina now have government blessing

Brasstown - It has been said that a person can tell where they would have stood on the issue of slavery had they been alive at the time, by looking at their stance on animal rights. North Carolina has shown the world that tradition outweighs human decency.

Viral story about dog in need has happy ending Special

Sanford - A story about a puppy and his human companion who was willing to spend his entire disability check on vet care is still circulating like wildfire on the web. The heartwarming story reached a happy ending when Dolly’s Foundation stepped in.

Animal rights groups offer over $23,000 reward in NY cat killings Special

Yonkers - PETA, ASPCA and several other animal rights organizations are offering a reward of more than $23,000 to find the person who killed 25 cats and hung their bodies from a tree in a Yonkers Neighborhood.

Animal rights rally calls for changes to laws Special

Edmonton - Hundreds of animal lovers gathered at the Alberta Legislature on April 27 to call for changes to Canada's anti-cruelty laws.

Op-Ed: Why I can't support an NFL so far removed from societal decency

In the wake of Michael Vick's appointment to the New York Jets, the support for Vick — and those deemed worse than Vick — places the NFL outside the perimeter of societal decency and common respect.

Anti-Vick voices grow, as petition to ban Jets QB gains footing

The decision by the New York Jets to sign Michael Vick is being met with resistance, as Vick's animal cruelty past is coming back to the surface.

'Kick Out Vick' advocacy campaign protests Jets on Vick

New York - With the announcement over the weekend that Michael Vick has been signed to the New York Jets, a social media advocacy campaign was launched in an effort to remove Vick from the Jets roster.

Op-Ed: An open letter to Woody Johnson on signing Michael Vick

New York - An open letter addressed to Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets, on having signed Michael Vick to the quarterback position.

Animal rights activists up the stakes, becoming more violent

There has been a dramatic shift in the tactics used by animal-rights activists over the past decade, with individual researchers and the businesses supplying them being targeted instead of their universities.

Global march against the canned hunting of lions Special

Edmonton - March 15 was designated a global day of action against the canned hunting of lions in South Africa. Marches took place in several cities around the world.

Campaign to end bestiality in Denmark gains momentum

Copenhagen - The nation that recently banned ritual preparation of meat is facing an international campaign to end the legality of sexual contact with animals inside its borders.

Biotech company 'breached animal welfare rules'

Santa Cruz Biotechnology, one of the biggest suppliers of antibodies for laboratory research, is accused of repeatedly violating the Animal Welfare Act according to the USDA.

Wildlife activists outraged at TIME’s cover story this month Special

The cover of this month’s issue of TIME depicts a young female deer below the headline “America’s Pest Problem.” The wildlife activist community is in an uproar over the article many see as factually inaccurate and something more fit for an op-ed

Op-Ed: Animal rights and awareness about worldwide cruelty

Animal cruelty happens every minute, all around the world. Animals do not have legal rights like humans do, so it is up to concerned individuals to raise awareness about it.

Op-Ed: Marineland's odd response to abuse allegations and fuzzy math

Niagara Falls - Recently Digital Journal published an article about two visitors to Marineland who had vowed never to return over the treatment of its animals. Marineland's rebuttal was not only strange, it was downright wacky.

Italian animal research lab trashed

An animal research facility at the University of Milan’s pharmacology department has been raided by animal rights activists and the animals were released. Scientists claim that five years' of research has been lost.

Op-Ed: Horse slaughter plant in New Mexico causes uproar

Roswell - Valley Meat Company in Roswell, New Mexico is set to open a horse slaughter plant on April 29, subject to approval by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The first horse slaughterhouse to open in the US since 2007 is not without controversy.

Europe introduces complete ban on sale of animal tested cosmetics

On Monday, a full ban on the testing of cosmetic products on animals came into force in the European Union. The complete ban was welcomed by animal rights groups but some in the cosmetics industry remain unconvinced.

PETA urges Starcraft fans, 'Zerglings have feelings too'

Irvine - As the long awaited next instalment of the video game Starcraft II entitled “Heart of the Swarm” was officially launched worldwide at 12 midnight last night, animal rights campaigning group PETA took a novel approach to publicising their cause.