PETA AU Global 2020 Issue 2

Where yo

HELP PETA STOP THE GLOBAL Betta Fish Biz An Undercover Investigation

heart at?

Billie Eilish: Only

‘Bad Guys’ Wear Mink Eyelashes

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flowing water that they need in order to be healthy. The investigators saw bettas floating on their sides as they struggled to swim and others whose eyes were so damaged that they protruded from their sockets. In light of these horrific findings, PETA has called on Petco’s CEO to end sales of fish, but so far, the company hasn’t budged. Pet Stores Rack Up Violations Bettas aren’t the only victims of Petco’s greed. PETA obtained records revealing that 12 Petco stores in Colorado racked up more than 80 animal welfare violations, including for withholding veterinary treatment from a thin leopard gecko for nine days as well as from a ferret with a painful prolapsed rectum and a suspected upper respiratory infection. Both animals died. Reptiles were kept in enclosures that were up to 20°F (11°C) too cold, and an “excessive amount” of dead fish and a “large amount of feces” were found in two stores, among other violations. A worker told the eyewitness that a tranquilizer is added to the water to keep the starving fish from eating their own tails. Obviously, many die before reaching their intended destination. and photos with your friends, family, and anyone you know who shops at Petco or other stores that sell live animals. While there, you can also let Petco hear from you by joining the nearly 217,000 people who’ve signed PETA’s action alert urging the company to stop selling bettas (as its competitor Walmart already has, following a decade-long PETA campaign and pressure from tens of thousands of PETA supporters). Together, we can end the cycle of suffering for these complex, sensitive animals. Take Action Now Please never buy any “pets.” And visit PETA.org/Bettas to share PETA Asia’s video

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Swirling Betta: ©iStock.com/picstyle99 • Man in Betta Tee: ©iStock.com/yanjf • Page Tear: ©iStock.com/yasinguneysu • Butterfly Badge: ©iStock.com/Petchjira

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Pop phenom Billie Eilish gave a shout out to PETA’s campaign when she told her 40 million Instagram followers that people who wear mink fur eyelashes and slippers “disgust” her, asking, “Where yo heart at?” In 2016, PETA gave her its “Best Voice for Animals” Libby Award.

Beware! Purveyors of mink fur used for false eyelashes slap nice-sounding labels on their products

such as “ethically sourced,” “free-range,” and “cruelty-free.” But those designations serve only one purpose: to deceive consumers. PETA is making sure everyone knows that minks exploited for such items are kept in cramped wire cages and denied the opportunity to swim, burrow, or do anything else that would be natural and meaningful to them. They’re also killed by electrocution, bludgeoning, or gassing, or their necks are broken, and their skin is torn from their bodies – often while they’re still conscious. PETA’s efforts are paying off: Consumers are appalled and demanding vegan options. Faux mink is all the rage. PETA is urging the few companies that still sell mink eyelashes to switch to humane alternatives and put an end to the cruel trend.

PETA supporters are keeping up the pressure on Petco until it stops profiting from the misery of betta fish. Make a bold statement for bettas with this tee, available at PETA.org/Store .

A t first glance, the photo appears to show a man standing on a massive grated floor. But take a closer look. You’ll see that he’s actually standing on top of a vast array of bottles – thousands of them. Inside each one is a vulnerable living being: a tiny betta fish.

waterless trays for extended periods. According to one worker, those whose tails were considered imperfect would be “discarded.” Others were packed into bags not much larger than their own bodies. The fish were shipped without food to more than 20 countries around the world for sale in stores, including Petco in the US. A worker told the eyewitness that a tranquilizer is added to the water to keep the starving fish from eating their own tails. Obviously, many die before reaching their intended destination. More Misery in Store Conditions are no better for those who survive long enough to make it to stores. A previous PETA exposé of more than 100 Petco locations across the US revealed dead and dying bettas floating in cramped, waste contaminated cups containing just a tiny fraction of the minimum 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) of clean, filtered,

Billie Eilish: ©Debbie Hickey/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images • Mink Lashes: ©iStock.com/solidcolours • Mink: ©Jo-Anne McArthur/#MakeFurHistory

This is Thailand’s betta fish export industry. PETA Asia’s exposé shows how hideously cruel it is.

Left to Die, Gasping for Air Dead bettas were found at every one of the 10 facilities visited by PETA Asia’s investigator. Some had been dropped on the floor, where they appeared to have suffocated to death, and their bodies were being eaten by ants. Others were found rotting in tanks amid live bettas.

Take Action Now Visit PETA.org/MinkEyelashes for a list of cruelty-free companies – including Urban Decay, Manic Panic, and e.l.f. –

that sell only vegan false eyelashes.

Workers roughly sorted live fish for shipment, leaving them writhing and gasping for air on

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TIPPING THE SCALES

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