PETA wants LSU, Southern to free mascots

The Associated Press/WWL tv ^ | 10:48 AM CST on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 | Associated Press

[chemicalman]

PETA wants LSU, Southern to free mascots

10:48 AM CST on Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Associated Press

Baton Rouge -- An animal rights group is asking LSU and Southern University to release their mascots. That, in light of a recent tiger attack on a famous animal trainer in Las Vegas.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently sent letters to the schools, asking that LSU turn over Mike the Tiger and SU turn over its resident jaguar, Lacumba, to an approved wildlife sanctuary.

PETA's senior analyst on animals in entertainment, Amy Rhodes, says keeping live mascots is cruel because the animals are denied a spacious habitat, natural lifestyle and companionship with their own kind -- all just for the amusement of humans.

But both schools say their animals are treated very well.

Southern's chancellor, Ed Jackson, says Lacumba is a part of the SU family. He says the animal is not used for entertainment and probably gets better medical attention that he would anywhere else.

LSU spokesman Gene Sands says people are never put at risk by Mike Five. He says people don't go in and out of his cage like animal trainers Siegried and Roy. Roy Horn was mauled by one his tigers and seriously injured during their stage act October 4th in Las Vegas.

And, the school says Mike supporters are trying to raise $2.5 million to give the animal a more spacious home that would include a waterfall and a lot more grass.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[Enterprise]

"PETA wants LSU, Southern to free mascots"

Why doesn't some nice officer have these people committed for a 72 hour observation? Sheesh!

[Vigilantcitizen]

Hey PETA, what about the Auburn war eagle and UGA the 10th or whatever, the mascot of my beloved bulldogs?

Perfect

Example

of Total

A$$holes

[Rush_Coulter]

PETA are insane.

[B Knotts]

I wonder when PETA will ask the DNC to free James Carville.

[nygoose]

These animals are gainfully employed, get one square a day and are not on public assistance. Most importantly, thousands of students love them. What's not to like?

[Dog Gone]

Letters like this are why wastebaskets were invented.

[Armed Civilian]

Aren't they already busy?

Pamela Anderson Wants to Meet KFC Heads.
AP ^ | 10/27/03 | Armed Civilian


Posted on 10/28/2003 1:20 AM EST by Armed Civilian


NEW YORK (AP) - Pamela Anderson wants to meet with the chief executive officer of Kentucky Fried Chicken's parent company to discuss what she calls "reasonable, positive changes for KFC's chickens."

The former star of "Baywatch" and "V.I.P." faxed a letter Monday to David Novak of Yum! Brands Inc., asking to talk about animal-welfare guidelines that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is recommending.

Anderson, a spokeswoman for the animal-rights group, called for a boycott of the fast-food chain a few weeks ago. NAACP President Kweisi Mfume and Paul McCartney also have joined the PETA-led criticism of the company.

"I must admit from the outset that I can't understand why a company that claims to care about animal welfare would continue to allow chickens to be bred and drugged to be so top-heavy that they can barely walk, to be gathered in a manner that breaks their wings and beaks, and to be scalded to death or drowned in feather-removal tanks," she wrote in the letter, which PETA released.

KFC spokeswoman Bonnie Warschauer said Monday that executives with Yum! Brands hadn't seen the letter, and she declined comment on Anderson's request

[Enterprise]

Hard to answer the question. I like the "animals" and I don't want them to go away. I just want PETA to go away. At least for 72 hours at a time, wrapped snugly in the latest fashionable white coats.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

I'm sort of with PETA on this one (but not much else).

Wild animals belong in the wild or in a zoo, not on a campus.

[DannyTN]

"Wild animals belong in the wild or in a zoo, not on a campus."

Some of those animals grow up to be senators.

[cajungirl]

Hahahhahahahhahahha,,,LSU letting Mike the tiger go??? Hahahhahahhaha,,,when hell freezes over!! This is absolutely hysterical,,what in heck would Mike do with his freedom, he is the laziest damn tiger you ever saw, he sits around all day, the students have projects to make his life better, he is iin tiger heaven right now.

[rogue yam]

Hey cj -

I grew up in Big B.R. and did not know until just now that Southern even had a real jaguar. And its name is "Lacumba?" That is just too great!


- ry

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Yeah, as soon as I posted that, I knew I was opening myself up for a frat joke.