Here’s What We Did for Animals in 2014

It’s been another groundbreaking year for animals. Our campaigns have made headlines, opened the world’s eyes to cruelty, convinced thousands of people to adopt a more compassionate lifestyle and achieved concrete changes to policy and law that will help countless animals! Here are some of our highlights from 2014:

1. Sunder is rescued!

After years of determined campaigning that was supported by people all over the world, abused young elephant Sunder was finally rescued from his captors. Loneliness and beatings in a temple have been replaced with freedom and friendship with other elephants in a lush forest sanctuary. Other animals PETA helped to rescue this year include Benjy the gay bull and turkey couple Leona and Brian.

2. Angora is banished from the high street.

Following PETA Asia’s shocking investigation in 2013, this year, company after company – including Lacoste, Monsoon and House of Fraser – promised never to use angora again. PETA supporters played a major role in making this happen, as thousands of people wrote to brands such as French Connection and Boohoo in order to persuade them to do the right thing for bunnies.

3. A World Vegan Day to remember.

In one of our boldest demos yet, intrepid activists stripped off and lay almost naked in Trafalgar Square on November 1 as part of a shocking “blood”-spattered scene that represented the 255 animals who are killed for food every minute in the UK. As well as making passers-by stop in their tracks, the event also made headlines all around the world.

4. Hard-hitting videos shine a light on cruelty.

In 2014, PETA affiliates around the world continued to go the extra mile to stop industries from getting away with cruelty behind closed doors. In June, PETA US’ investigation into Taiwanese pigeon racing uncovered illegal gambling and millions of bird deaths, and investigations into the international wool trade highlighted the extreme violence that takes place in shearing sheds. PETA Asia’s exposé of how dogs are bludgeoned and killed for leather is still making waves, while our exposé of the “Origin Assured” label lifted the lid on the fur industry’s callous cruelty.

5. Compassionate celebrities speak out for animals.

A multitude of notable personalities – including athletes such as Tim Howard, Phil Neville, Nathan Cleverly and Tim Shieff; musicians such as Morrissey, RZA and Paloma Faith; TV stars such as Lucy Watson, Louise Roe and Alan Carr; actor Peter Dinklage; renowned biologist Jane Goodall and many more – added their voices to our campaigns this year, helping to spread a message of compassion far and wide.

6. China Southern Airlines stops shipping primates to labs; pressure mounts for Air France to do the same.

After China Southern Airlines responded to campaigns by PETA and our international affiliates and vowed to stop transporting monkeys to their deaths in painful and frightening experiments, all eyes turned to Air France – which is now the only major airline supporting the cruel vivisection industry in this way.

7. US military takes huge step towards ending its war on animals.

In a groundbreaking victory, the US military agreed to replace its use of animals in six different areas of medical training with effective, modern human-patient simulators. This step forward will save animals from being cut up and having hard plastic tubes repeatedly forced down their throats, among other invasive and often deadly procedures. We’re still campaigning for the UK and a handful of other EU countries to stop shooting live pigs in inhumane drills.

8. New Indian laws ban foie gras, cosmetics testing on animals, jallikattu and bullfights.In a truly exceptional year for animals on the subcontinent, PETA India helped to usher in animal-friendly legislation, such as a ban on testing cosmetics and household products on animals, cruel ‘traditions’ that harm animals and importing unethical foie gras. These laws will save literally millions of lives.
9. Victory on chemical tests in Europe.
   In a landmark decision that could save millions of animals from suffering and death in laboratory experiments, the European Ombudsman upheld PETA’s complaint that animals were being poisoned and killed in chemical tests that could have been avoided.
10. Farm animals step out from the shadows in innovative street art project.
    
    In September, we teamed up with renowned street artist Dan Witz to bring a thought-provoking message to the capital. More than a dozen haunting installations showed images of farm animals peering out from London’s walls and buildings.
11. Foie gras gets the cold shoulder.

Restaurants and retailers continued to drop foie gras in droves after hearing from PETA and our supporters about the revolting cruelty of force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers swell to up to 10 times their normal size. London’s Institut Francais, Somerset House, The Walbrook, and Malmaison and Hotel du Vin, the Port Eliot Festival and Fortnum & Mason’s new branch in Dubai are among the businesses that vowed to stay foie gras–free in 2014. 12. Animal-free fashion makes a splash. Whether it was our cheeky pro-vegetarian video with fashion legend Vivienne Westwood; exciting collaborations with brands such as Black Score, Monkee Genes, Wilby and Esprit; or our Vegan Fashion Awards, which highlighted the very best ethical items on offer, this was a truly stylish year for compassionate fashionistas. 13, The World Trade Organisation upholds the ban on seal fur. The Canadian government’s attempt to force the products of its cruel and despised commercial seal slaughter onto the unwilling EU public was stopped once and for all when the World Trade Organisation rejected the government’s appeal earlier this year – a decision that brings us closer to the day when no baby seals are clubbed to death for their skins on Canada’s ice floes. 14. Spanish resistance to bullfighting grows. Activists from all over the world joined compassionate Spaniards in Pamplona this summer for PETA’s annual protest against the appalling Running of the Bulls, while last month, we received the welcome news that Sant Joan in Mallorca has become the 100^th town in Spain to ban the archaic pastime, thanks to grassroots campaigns by citizens.  15. The vegan movement progresses in leaps and bounds!

From the skyrocketing number of people Googling “vegan” to the House of Parliament’s decision to introduce a vegan meal scheme, it was obvious in 2014 that plant-based eating has become mainstream. That’s excellent news for animals, because every vegan saves the lives of many animals every year! 16. SeaWorld tanks. A bad year for marine prison SeaWorld equals a good year for whales and cetaceans. After talking to PETA earlier this year, STA Travel severed all ties with the abusement park, and falling ticket sales at the marine park and the company’s plummeting share prices not only resulted in the CEO’s resignation but also confirmed that public opinion is turning conclusively against the cruel practice of keeping intelligent orcas in tiny tanks for entertainment. ***** None of these achievements would have been possible without your support – so thank you for being there with us every step of the way. We hope you’re as excited as we are for another epic year of helping animals! If you want to be at the frontline of our work – and the first to know when animals are in need of help – join our Action Team today!