Stuff to Blog About and More: From Ingrid- ASPCA President

Dear Friend,

I recently sent you an urgent appeal to help the 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs tortured and killed for their fur in China. Since then, thousands of PETA members like you have voiced their outrage at the treatment of animals in this year's Olympic host country.

Unfortunately, the Chinese fur industry continues its unrepentant slaughter of dogs and cats, whose skins are often deliberately mislabeled as "Asian Jackal" or "rabbit" when sold overseas. While the attention of the world is on the Olympic Games, we want to spotlight this cruel practice and invoke worldwide pressure against the Chinese fur industry.

Now more than ever, we need your help to make sure as many people as possible know about the suffering that goes into the production of every fur garment.

Please take a moment to help us in our work to stop the suffering of animals caught in the fur trade in China and around the world by taking the following three critical actions:

1) Forward the shocking undercover video to as many friends as you can before the Games end on August 24. Our goal is to expose the horror of the Chinese fur industry to 1 million viewers before the closing ceremonies.

2) Sign the fur-free pledge, and join the thousands of compassionate people around the world who have pledged never to purchase or wear animal skin. If you've already signed the pledge, please ask your family members, friends, and coworkers to do the same.

3) Make an urgent online donation right now. Your gift today can help us do even more in the coming weeks to end the torture and killing of dogs, cats, and other animals for their skin in China and around the world.

By taking these three actions today, you will be drawing attention beyond the lights of glittering Olympic stadiums to the hell in which many cats and dogs in China languish and die. By taking these actions, you will be doing all that you can to help end the suffering of these animals.

For all animals—including those confined and killed for their fur—thank you.

Kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President

P.S. While many of the world's best human athletes compete, millions of individual dogs and cats—some still wearing collars from their former families—are facing a painful and petrifying death at the hands of the Chinese fur industry. We need your support now to help us call attention to this horror and work toward shutting down the fur industry for good.

FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.