DERNIERES VICTOIRES DE PETA

Dear Katia,

It's a new year, and PETA's Emergency Response Team is hard at work, thanks to the support of members like you.

These cows were in danger of starving to death when the owners of a defunct dairy farm went bankrupt and simply abandoned them to die. PETA intervened, and after working with law enforcement and a sanctuary owner, we helped get the 88 surviving cows to safety. They will now live out their days in peace, never to be harmed for milk or meat. The cows' original owners have been charged with cruelty to animals.

The beautiful owl below had become hopelessly entangled in a bramble patch in Washington state. Although it took hours of planning and execution, much determination, and a delicate touch, a PETA caseworker successfully coordinated and assisted with the rescue of this magnificent, frightened bird and made sure that the owl's injury was treated.

Speaking of owls, we found another suffering one living in what looked like a scene from a horror movie. She was one of dozens of animals trapped inside the home of a Florida wildlife "rehabilitator." PETA was contacted by a whistleblower who volunteered at the place and who had become gravely concerned about the shocking conditions in which the animals were being kept.

The animals depicted in footage taken by the whistleblower included the owl mentioned above who was stranded in a bathtub and surrounded by her own waste; a live juvenile squirrel wrapped inside a plastic bag and stashed behind several boxes; turtles kept for days inside boxes that didn't appear to have been opened, with no sign that they had been provided with food or water; an otter confined to a tiny pen made of cinder blocks and chain-link fencing with only a filthy kiddie pool for water; and numerous baby squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons badly dehydrated and dying—or dead—left inside or on top of boxes with no obvious heat source.

After PETA pushed for action by state and federal wildlife officials, 23 charges were filed against the perpetrator for animal neglect, improper animal housing, and unsanitary conditions. The State Attorney's Office also charged her with one count of maintaining wildlife in unsanitary conditions.

Following a plea bargain, the woman ended the pretense of rehabilitating animals, and the survivors were removed from her home for release back into the wild or for transfer to other facilities actually equipped to meet their needs.

Having received a report from a concerned neighbor, a PETA fieldworker came to the aid of this dog, who was so entangled when we found her that she couldn't move more than a few inches.

After we convinced the owner to let us take the dog, a veterinary exam revealed that she was at least 15 pounds underweight, likely a result of being starved. We are happy to report that it took only a few weeks of TLC for her to reach a healthy weight. We have sworn out cruelty charges against the person responsible for her miserable condition.

Imagine how all these life-or-death scenarios would have turned out if PETA had not intervened. Thank you so much for being there for PETA so that PETA can be there for animals in need.

Sincerely,