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Articles by Nina Jackel
Horse-drawn carriages in cities aren't charming. They're cruel. | Opinion
It happened in an instant. On June 17, 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan was thrown from a runaway carriage near Tavern on the Green in New York City. The horse had reportedly become spooked, possibly by a freak electrical current that the city has failed to address. The horse bolted, broke loose from the driver and then slammed into another carriage. Mahajan was critically injured and rushed to a hospital, where he died. The family is suing the city for $105 million.
Horse-drawn carriages in cities aren't charming. They're cruel. | Opinion Original
Aug. 22, 2026, 5:05 a.m. ET It happened in an instant. On June 17, 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan was thrown from a runaway carriage near Tavern on the Green in New York City. The horse had reportedly become spooked, possibly by a freak electrical current that the city has failed to address. The horse bolted, broke loose from the driver and then slammed into another carriage. Mahajan was critically injured and rushed to a hospital, where he died. The family is suing the city for $105 million.
How fake animal rescue videos have become a new frontier for animal abuse
Mark Auliya has no problem with snakes attacking other animals. Carnivores need to eat, after all. But last month, staring at a YouTube video in his home office in Bonn, Germany, the reptile expert threw his glasses down in disgust. “This is something really nasty,” he said. On Auliya’s screen, a Burmese python, a constrictor that normally kills birds and small mammals, was locked onto a gibbon. The panicked primate was fighting for its life as the snake, coiled around its torso, began squeezing.
YouTube Animal Abuse Support Has to Stop
Photo by Chaz McGregor on Unsplash The scene is shocking: a tiny puppy wriggling desperately against the coiled grip of a python’s deadly squeeze, as fellow puppies look on in terror. In a cinematic ending, a man arrives just in time to “save” the squealing puppy from the snake’s crushing grasp.
It’s time for YouTube to stop promoting animal abuse
A snake about to attack kittens in a staged animal "rescue." Credit: Lady Freethinker/YouTube Screenshot The scene is shocking: a tiny puppy wriggling desperately against the coiled grip of a python’s deadly squeeze, as fellow puppies look on in terror. In a cinematic ending, a man arrives just in time to “save” the squealing puppy from the snake’s crushing grasp.
A good way to be kinder to elephants is to stop riding them
Wildlife & Biodiversity When animal tourism resumes in Bali after COVID-19, there is an opportunity to do better by the lives of animals Tourists ride an elephant in Bali prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the mahout prods it with a bullhook. Photo: Lady Freethinker Elephants are chained to small dirt circles, covered in faeces and are only allowed a brief moment of reprieve from their tethers to unwillingly carry around tourists on their backs.
Elephant Park: Selfie with a Giant, a Lifetime of Misery
Elephants are chained to small dirt circles covered in feces and are only allowed a brief moment of reprieve from their tethers to unwillingly carry around tourists on their backs. While this may sound like some sort of elephant prison, it is actually what a normal day at the Mason Elephant Park and Lodge at Bali looked like just before the park shut down because of the pandemic.
A good way to be kinder to elephants is to stop riding them
Image Credit: Lady Freethinker This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Elephants are chained to small dirt circles covered in feces and are only allowed a brief moment of reprieve from their tethers to unwillingly carry around tourists on their backs.
World’s Most Expensive Coffee Requires Animal Cruelty…
…and Could Lead to the Next Pandemic his may seem hard to swallow, but the world’s most expensive coffee is made out of poop. Kopi luwak comes from coffee beans digested and excreted by the Asian palm civet, also called the civet cat or luwak, and sells for about $600 a pound. If you wouldn’t drink “cat poop coffee” if your life depended on it—well, it just might.
The World’s Most Expensive Coffee Requires Animal Cruelty — and Could Lead to the Next Pandemic - Citizen Truth
Bustling civet cat attractions are breeding grounds for disaster. This may seem hard to swallow, but the world’s most expensive coffee is made out of poop. Kopi luwak comes from coffee beans digested and excreted by the Asian palm civet, also called the civet cat or luwak, and sells for about $600 a pound. If you wouldn’t drink “cat poop coffee” if your life depended on it — well, it just might.
Research Finds World's Most Expensive Coffee Kopi Luwak Linked to Transmitting SARS Virus to Humans
People around the world are paying exorbitant prices — and perhaps risking their lives — for the world’s most expensive and cruel drink: cat poop coffee. While it may sound like a silly gimmick, the kopi luwak industry is a very serious business, with a single pound of coffee selling for up to $600.
Humanity Is Getting Increasingly Serious About Enforcing Animal Rights Protections All Over the Planet
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Citizen Truth.) People are growing less tolerant to violence against animals, and lawmakers are responding. But more needs to be done. The scene was heart-crushing: 21 dogs, many sick, wounded and infected, on heavy chains or trapped in filthy kennels with no food or water — just bowls coated in thick, green slime.
SIGN: STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF AMERICA’S WILD HORSES
Sign This Petition 6623 Signatures Collected Go back to the petition Read the petition Sign This Petition Leave a Comment (Optional) Display My Name and Comment Petition Target: Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen America’s iconic wild horses are in grave danger of being sold off to meat slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada — where torture and painful death await.
Shut Down Killing Contest that Rewards Trophy Hunting of Cats
In a shockingly callous display of cruelty, a New Zealand resident has started a hunting contest that rewards participants for killing cats. This sick individual has even created a video of dead cats being measured for points.
Stop Terrible Bill that Will Destroy Protections for Animals
Imagine if dog meat bans were overturned in states like New York and Georgia. If California's ban on cruel foie gras could were suddenly void. If hens were forced to live in filthy, disease-ridden battery cages in states where such confinement is now outlawed. And if puppy mills that sell sick, abused dogs became unstoppable. This nightmarish scenario could be reality if we allow a terrible measure from Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) to pass.
VICTORY! Nosey the Elephant will Never Be Forced to Perform Again
Decades of abuse have come to a permanent end for Nosey the elephant today after a 14-year-long battle by animal activists across the nation to free her from the cruel hands of owners Hugo and Francizka Liebel. For years leading up to the court-ordered seizure of Nosey on November 8, she suffered unimaginable, inhumane treatment as she was hauled all over America to entertain humans for profit. Now, a judge has ruled that she will not be returned to her former owners.
Petition: Justice for Lady, Dog Frozen to Death Locked in Cage in the Woods
Lady, a beautiful brown pit bull mix, never stood a chance against the frigid temperatures in Marion, Indiana, where someone locked her in a cage and abandoned her in the woods by the river. By the time Lady was found, she had frozen to death. “As soon as I lifted the blanket, what I saw broke my heart; I started crying," said Michael Edwards, who discovered the cage containing Lady's body, a blanket and a bowl of food. "I set the blanket back down and had to walk away for a minute," he said.
Sign the Petition to Tell Amazon: No More Cruel Steel-Jaw Animal Traps
A tiny kitten in Covina, California suffered an excruciating death after getting stuck in a rusty steel-jaw leghold trap in someone’s backyard. When authorities finally arrived, the helpless kitten was in immense pain from a fractured right leg, and was underweight and malnourished from being unable to reach food. Sadly, the kitten was euthanized to end the suffering. This tragic story is all too common.
Petition - Justice for 3-Month-Old Puppy with Ears Brutally Cut Off
Rocky, a helpless puppy just 3 months old, was found maimed and distraught, with both ears cut off to the scalp. The poor dog was discovered when a resident heard him crying in their yard, and went out to see where the pained sounds were coming from. Rocky was tortured by a deranged individual who is still walking free, a threat to both humans and animals. It is imperative that law enforcement make it a top priority to find this innocent puppy's attacker.
VIDEO: Trash Man Rescues the Tiniest Kitten Trapped in Garbage Truck
Mark G. was on the job in Media, Pennsylvania, emptying trash bins into his truck when he noticed something quite unusual — movement coming from inside one of the bags. The kind trash worker opened the bag, and found a tiny calico kitten trapped inside. Mark immediately called animal control, and the lucky kitty was soon taken in by Providence Animal Center.
Petition - Stop the Slaughter of America's Wild Horses
The situation is dire for tens of thousands of America's iconic wild horses and burros, who are in danger of soon being culled -- or sold off to meat slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada, where torture and painful death await. For nearly 3 decades, wild horses and burros have been protected by a ban on the slaughter of healthy animals or any sale that results in their harm.
Petition - Justice for Dog Sadistically Frozen to Death in Block of Ice
The owner of an innocent 1-year-old dog decided he no longer wanted her. So he heartlessly poured cold water all over her body, outdoors in below-32-degree-temperature in Siberia, until she slowly and painfully froze into a solid block of ice. In the excruciating moments before her death, the dog remained conscious and terrified, desperately waving one paw in a final plea for help. But it was too late.
SIGN: Justice for Dog Victims of 'Obscenely Vicious' Dogfighting Ring
Dozens of pit bulls were found in heavy chains, hungry and suffering in the "chambers of horror" of a ruthless dogfighting ring in Long Island, NY. The dogs were scarred from bite wounds, and suffered severe injuries including broken bones after being forced to rip each other to shreds for profit. The dogs had no access to food and water when authorities found them; none appeared to have received any veterinary care. Two of the dogs were in such bad shape, they had to be immediately euthanized.
Sign: Shut Down Cruel Restaurants Caught Selling Dog Meat in India
In a gruesome case in Aurangabad, India, a slew of severed dog heads and mutilated dog carcasses have been discovered in the city, according to a report in the Times of India. Local restaurants are suspected of slaughtering stray dogs and selling their flesh in biryani (a rice dish) as a source of cheap meat. It is illegal to consume dog meat in India, and kidnapping dogs from the street and brutally killing them must not be tolerated.
VIDEO: Mama Fox Watches Closely as Rescuers Save Her Baby from Drain Pipe
Rescuers from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) received a call about a fox cub stuck down a drain pipe — and when they arrived on the scene, they could hear the cub’s cries, but could not see the cub because the animal was trapped so far down. The team sent a camera down the pipe, and as they were devising their rescue plan, they noticed they were not alone — the cub’s mother was watching. “We were amazed that the vixen turned up whilst we were trying to find the cub,â€?
Sign: Stop Poacher Who Poisoned 100 Elephants from Ever Killing Again
Poacher Tony Maphosa has allegedly killed 100 elephants in cold blood by poisoning them with cyanide, then hacking off their tusks. Not only is poisoning a cruel and cowardly way to kill these majestic, intelligent animals, but it is indiscriminate -- baby elephants, too young to even have tusks yet, often die after eating the cyanide. Maphosa, from Zimbabwe, has finally been caught after spending 4 years on the run for his crimes.
Sign: Justice for Glamour, the 'Miracle Dog' Shot, Beaten and Left for Dead
Shot multiple times and badly beaten, Glamour was found abandoned in a parking lot in East St. Louis, Missouri. The sweet dog had bullet wounds in her neck and knees that were filled with maggots, as well as multiple broken bones. Glamour suffered from a ruptured eyeball, a broken jaw, a broken left knee, broken ribs, a fractured left forearm, and a deep neck injury. She was beaten so brutally that some of her bones had shattered completely.
Sign: Circus World, Stop Abusing Elephants for Your Show
Baby elephants stolen from their families, tied to the ground with ropes, beaten with bullhooks and even burned with blowtorches. This is the fate of circus elephants like those exploited by Circus World in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It’s time to stop the torture. Circus World elephants are from Carson & Barnes, a company notorious for animal abuse that has received numerous USDA citations for everything from mishandling elephants to failing to provide veterinary care to endangering the public.
Sign: Let Texas Laboratory Dogs be Adopted, Not Killed
Research dogs spend life confined to a tiny metal cage, taken out only for brutal experiments in which they may be sliced open, force-fed toxic chemicals, burned, mutilated and tortured. When the experiment ends, the dogs are typically killed. Texas bill HB 2490/SB 1930 would save many of these innocent lives by requiring Texas research facilities to make all healthy dogs available to rescue groups and shelters for adoption after the experiment is over.
Sign: Pass the Humane Cosmetics Act to Stop Cruel Animal Testing
The Humane Cosmetics Act -- which would ban animal cosmetic testing in the U.S. -- has been re-introduced in the House. It’s time to pass this bill and save countless animals from being used in tortuous and unnecessary experiments. Animals used in cosmetic testing are subjected to excruciatingly painful procedures. And when the testing is over, they are typically killed by decapitation, neck-breaking, or asphyxiation.
Not just China, it’s legal to sell dog and cat meat in most American states
When images of the annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China hit the internet in 2013, there was no closing the Pandora’s box. Shock, anger and outrage at the brutality inflicted on what most Westerners view as humans’ best friends spurred millions around the world to sign petitions, write letters and share widely on social media in desperate attempts to do something about the horror. The photos were haunting.
Selling Dog and Cat Meat Is Still Legal in Most of U.S.—but a Federal Ban Could Soon Be in Place
Selling Dog and Cat Meat Is Still Legal in Most of U.S.—but a Federal Ban Could Soon Be in Place When images of the annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China hit the internet in 2013, there was no closing the Pandora’s box. Shock, anger and outrage at the brutality inflicted on what most Westerners view as humans’ best friends spurred millions around the world to sign petitions, write letters and share widely on social media in desperate attempts to do something about the horror.
Dog and Cat Meat Is Still Legal in Most of U.S., but Congress May Finally Ban It
Dog and Cat Meat Is Still Legal in Most of U.S., but Congress May Finally Ban It When images of the annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China hit the Internet in 2013, there was no closing the Pandora’s box. Shock, anger, and sheer outrage at the brutality inflicted on what most Westerners view as humans’ best friend spurred millions around the world to sign petitions, write letters and share widely on social media in desperate attempts to do something about the horror.
Neglected Dog Found Frozen to Death on New Jersey Sidewalk
Attention pet owners: please keep your dogs, cats and other companion animals indoors when the weather turns cold. The tragic photo above depicts a dog left outside in freezing temperatures in Seaville, New Jersey. The dog froze to death before being discovered by police and reported to Shore Animal Control, who posted the image on their Facebook page along with an urgent message telling human caretakers to keep their animals inside and warm in cold weather.
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