Popsquire

Celebrities, including Halle Berry, Kim Basinger, Alicia Silverstone, and Lily Tomlin are not satisfied with housing conditions for elephants at the LA Zoo.  Maybe the solution is to join Britney’s Circus!

Technorati Tags: alicia silverston, animal cruelty, Britney Spears, circus, elephants, halle berry, kim basinger, lily tomlin, los angeles zoo, pop culture law

Let’s give Hayden Panettiere something to be thankful for this holiday season!

Given her commitment to fighting commercial whaling, Hayden might buy Popsquire (and you!) a whole jar of cranberry sauce if we continue watching Whale Wars, Fridays at 9pm on Animal Planet.

Whale Wars follows a radical environmental group made up of self-proclaimed eco-pirates whose mission is to stop Japanese fishing vessels from killing whales in Antarctica.  Watch below for a clip of Friday’s episode, courtesy of Animal Planet.

Technorati Tags: animal planet, animal rights, commercial whaling, dolphins, eco-pirates, hayden panettiere, pop culture law, whale wars

Michael Vick is guilty.  Duh.

The former NFL star quarterback/animal abuser pleaded guilty today to promoting dog fighting and not guilty to animal cruelty in Virginia.  As part of a plea bargain, the second charge was dropped, and Vick was given a three-year suspended sentence.

Vick already is serving a 23-month federal jail sentence, but now is eligible to finish it out in a halfway house.  His sentence ends July 20, 2009, after which he will serve three years of probation.

Let’s hope he’s learned his lesson, because Popsquire and Pam Anderson will be watching his every move!

Technorati Tags: animal cruelty, celebrities and law, dogfighting, federal jail, guilty plea, halfway house, michael vick, plea bargain, pop culture law, suspended sentence

Popsquire has a hunch that Hayden Panettiere will be watching Animal Planet’s Whale Wars tonight at 10pm, and so should you!  Whale Wars follows a radical environmental group made up of self-proclaimed eco-pirates who fight for marine conservation. Their mission is to confront and stop Japanese fishing vessels from killing whales in Antarctica.

Technorati Tags: animal planet, commercial whaling, hayden panettiere, japanese whaling in antarctica, pop culture law, whale killing, whale wars

Popsquire smells a divorce for yet another tv couple!

Tonight’s premiere of Animal Planet’s “Living With A Wolfman” starts a 10-part series about a married couple living with wolves.  Seriously.  Shaun Ellis, infamous for his unprecedented experiences embedded in a wolf pack, is dragging his wife Shaun into the wild with him! Tune in tonight at 10:30.

Technorati Tags: animal planet, discovery channel, helen ellis, life with a wolfman, pop culture law, shaun ellis

Following up on last October’s arrest warrant for protesting Japanese dolphin hunting, Hayden Panettiere now hopes to get one million signatures for her petition to stop commercial whaling and to enforce the global whaling moratorium.  Popsquire will be signing.  Will you?

Technorati Tags: animal rights, celebrities and law, commercial whaling, hayden panettiere, pop culture law, social vibe, whaling

Popsquire rarely subscribes to Schadenfreude, except when it applies to Michael Vick!

The desire to watch Vick’s fall is only one reason to watch Animal Witness: The Michael Vick Case, airing on Animal Planet Sunday night at 10pm. In an intense, heart wrenching hour, the show not only details the investigative trail to exposing Vick’s criminal behavior, but it also explores the rehabilitation of the abused pit bulls. Featuring the volunteers who rescued and rehabilitated the dogs recovered from Vick’s home, Animal Witness shows us that these dogs received so much love that many now live as pets and even work as therapy dogs.

Below is a picture of Popsquire’s personal therapy dog, Rudy The Puggle. We both will be watching on Sunday night. You should, too!

Technorati Tags: animal abuse, animal planet, animal witness: the michael vick case, discovery network, grace suriel, michael vick, pit bulls, pop culture law

Michael Vick is a _____!

Popsquire invites you to fill in the blank however you’d like to describe the convicted animal abuser.  Vick, who currently is serving a 23-month jail sentence, also continues to entertain us with details of his demise.  He filed for bankruptcy last month, and details about his debt are now available.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Vick has assets valuing more than $10 million, but he also has $19 million in liabilities.  Most amusing is the fact that Vick currently makes 12 cents an hour for prison work.  Popsquire, of course, wouldn’t pay him a dime!

Technorati Tags: animal abuse, animal planet, animal witness, atlanta journal constitution, bankruptcy, canine, dogs, michael vick, pitt bulls, pop culture law

The infamous Pets of Bel Air is now offering dog adoption! Since the Humane Society accused the store of buying from puppy mills in December and a class action lawsuit followed, the store has been bombarded by protesters and media attention.

Is this an attempt to restore karma? Kinda like when Philip Morris sponsors anti-smoking ads…

PS: The dogs for sale are on display inside the air conditioned store, while the rescue dogs sit outside on the sidewalk.

Technorati Tags: anti-smoking, Britney Spears, dogs, Janice Dickinson, paris hilton, pets of bel air, philip morris, pop culture law, puppy mills

According to People, Lindsay Lohan is facing a lawsuit for allegedly stealing a fur coat. Popsquire previously (and purposely) ignored this so-called “case of the missing mink,” but now that there’s a lawsuit, there is no choice. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Masha Markova claims that she attended a private party at a New York club with Lindsay on Jan. 26.
2. Masha then put down her $11,000 blond mink coat with other jackets at the party and thought it was gone for good after she couldn’t find it at the end of the night.
3. Next, while flipping through a magazine, she saw Lindsay allegedly sporting the same coat and directed her lawyer to contact Lindsay’s reps.
4. Two days later, the coat, smelling of cigarettes and booze, arrived at her apartment with a tear in the lining.

Aside from the obvious crime (theft) and tort (trespass to chattel), what are these girls doing with fur in 2008?!? To find out how to make a tax-deductible fur donation to PETA, call 1-888-FUR-AWAY or visit PETA’s anti-fur Web site FurIsDead.com.

In case you need a reminder about why wearing fur is bad, watch this video:

Technorati Tags: animal abuse, fur coat, law, lindsay lohan, masha markova, mink, peta, pop culture, theft, trespass to chattel

US Weekly’s captured Jon Mayer taking Jennifer Aniston’s dog, Norman, for a walk. Because Popsquire likes to reward good behavior, let’s congratulate John for putting Norman on a leash. In comparison to Rihanna in this Perez post, John is both keeping Norman safe and obeying leash laws.

Remember…in Los Angeles, leash law violators may be fined anywhere from $25 to $65 for walking dogs without a leash.

Join Popsquire in doing the Safety Dance!

Technorati Tags: dog, jennifer aniston, john mayer, law, leash, norman, pop culture

Because you are a faithful Popsquire follower, you have memorized the tv schedule and know that Lisa Ling will be on Oprah today to discuss puppy mills. Given that celebs constantly are photographed buying and traveling with dogs, animal rights represent a clear collision between pop culture and law.

Popsquire is bracing for sad, terrible images that may be unwatchable. As you know, however, Popsquire believes that information is good and research is even better! So, here’s a quick primer on legal issues pertaining to puppy mills.

1. The term “puppy mill” is not a legal term, nor are puppy mills necessarily illegal.
2. Definitions of animal cruelty differ from state to state. In fact, in most states, so long as dogs are given food, water, and shelter, there may be not be any evidence of illegal activity.
3. A federal law, the Animal Welfare Act, outlines specific minimum standards of care for dogs, cats, and some other kinds of animals bred for commercial resale.
4. Only commercial facilities that breed animals for resale, e.g., to pet stores, are required to be licensed and inspected by the USDA (Dept. of Agriculture).
5. As a result, breeders that sell directly to the public are not necessarily required to adhere to the Animal Welfare Act.

Do you think there should be additional laws? Or are there “more important” things to worry about? Talk to me!

Technorati Tags: animal cruelty, animal welfare act, dogs, law, lisa ling, oprah winfrey, pop culture, puppy mills

Whether it’s divorce, animal rights, or land mines, Heather Mills (McCartney) constantly provides us with a pop culture/law collision.  This devastating video about animal rights and the fur trade is no exception.

Technorati Tags: heather mills mccartney pop culture popsquire fur anima

According to Chinese astrology, people born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people’s confidence. 

Clearly, this was not the Year of the Dog.  Unfortunately, pop culture and law collided right on top of man’s best friend in 2007.  I give you two prime examples:

1. Michael Vic…On December 10, he was sentenced to 23 months in prison for running a cruel and inhumane dog fighting ring and lying about it.  The Atlanta Falcons quarterback could have been sentenced up to five years.
2. Pets of Bel Air…This celebrity pet store, which recently was accused of re-selling dogs from puppy mills, now has been sued in a class action lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court.  Just like Popsquire predicted in this post, the lawsuit alleges claims for fraud and unfair business practices.  Click here to see the lawsuit.  And, click aqui for the video that exposed the pet’s store’s practices.

Popsquire urges everyone to treat animals nicely, especially dogs.  Please. 

Technorati Tags: animal cruelty, dogs, false advertising, fraud, law, lawsuit, michael vick, pets of bel air, pop culture, popsquire, russell wetanson, unfair business practices

According to TMZ, a Humane Society investigation concluded that Pets of Bel Air buys its celebrity-bound, overpriced pooches from puppy mills.

Purchasing puppies from mills is not necessarily illegal, however, Pets of Bel Air may be vulnerable to claims of unfair business practices and fraud because it advertised on its website that its puppies did not come from such places.

Customers may be barking for refunds or reimbursement of medical expenses related to unhealthy dogs!

Technorati Tags: attorney, celebrity dogs, dogs, human society, law, legal, pets of bel air, pop culture, puppy mill, russell wetanson