Dear Jean,
With help from kind supporters like you, PETA is breaking new ground in our campaigns persuading consumers and retailers to shun products steeped in animal suffering.
A disturbing PETA exposé earlier this year blew the lid off monkey labor in Thailand's coconut industry, and it's been sending shockwaves throughout the grocery industry ever since. At every farm and training facility visited by PETA Asia investigators, captive monkeys were kept tightly chained or caged when they weren't being forced to climb trees and pick coconuts or perform circus-style tricks for tourists. Many animals exhibited repetitive behavior from the lack of mental stimulation, loneliness, and frustration that pervades their lives every day. An investigator learned that if monkeys try to defend themselves, their canine teeth may be pulled.
Consumers from around the world were shocked and quickly joined our call for change. Soon, leading retailers worldwide began to remove products of monkey labor from their shelves and turn their backs on the coconut brands cited in the exposé. Just a few weeks ago, we secured another massive win for animals when grocery giant Costco announced that it'll stop purchasing coconut milk from Chaokoh until it stops using monkeys as coconut-picking machines! This terrific victory comes after discussions with PETA, e-mails from tens of thousands of our supporters, a letter from PETA friend Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go's (who lives in Thailand), and our delivery of fresh, humanely picked coconuts to Costco's CEO in hopes of cracking open some progress. After the news of this latest PETA victory made headlines around the world, even The Late Show with Stephen Colbert touted Costco's compassionate move! In another resounding win, New York–based chain Wegmans was quick to follow suit, making its own commitment to cut ties with Chaokoh.
PETA has also been "lobbing" coconuts and letters at other companies—including Albertsons, Kroger, and Publix—telling them it's time to reconsider their relationship with Chaokoh. And every day, more and more concerned shoppers are signing our online petitions or contacting companies to help us keep the pressure on.
Whether we're rallying thousands of people to take action online or working behind the scenes in the boardroom, PETA knows how to bring about prompt and lasting change for abused animals. So it's no surprise that less than 48 hours after our supporters started contacting the owner of Florida-based Mr. Kicco Coffee & Wine and asking him to stop selling kopi luwak, he promptly removed the vile product from his online listings, threw out his remaining supply, and swore never to sell it again. The company was apparently duped into thinking its kopi luwak beans were obtained from the feces of civet cats roaming freely in Indonesian forests—when in reality, it would be nearly impossible to produce this disgusting coffee without imprisoning shy civet cats, feeding them an unnatural diet, and denying them any chance at life outside a cramped cage.
Thank you for helping us campaign against such cruelty to civet cats, monkeys, and other animals and slash the demand for products made through exploitation and torment.
Very truly yours,
Ingrid E. Newkirk
President
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