Tell Citigroup to Drop Cruel Elephant Ad

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Source: PETA E-News: Thursday, August 14, 2008

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Tell Citigroup to Drop Cruel Elephant Ad

 

After PETA learned about the Citigroup commercial " Safari, " which features a

trained elephant, we immediately contacted the company to request that it pull

the commercial and pledge never to use exotic animals in advertisements again.

After months of negotiations, Citigroup has denied both requests.

 

Contrary to what animal trainers would have people believe, elephants used by

the entertainment industry are trained through domination, fear, and punishment.

Trainers embed bullhooks-long, heavy rods that resemble fireplace pokers with

steel points and hooks at one end-into the most sensitive parts of elephants'

bodies to force elephants to perform. The agony that these magnificent animals

must endure every day is a sharp contrast to what they would experience in

nature. Elephants are highly social animals who live in matriarchal herds,

protect one another, share mothering responsibilities for the herd's babies, and

travel many miles every day. In the wild, baby elephants stay with their mothers

for many years: Males stay with their mothers for up to 15 years and females for

their entire lives. In the entertainment industry, elephants are beaten into

submission and chained or caged.

 

Please take a moment to contact Vikram Pandit, CEO of Citigroup, and Valerie

Smith, vice president of Citigroup's Environmental Affairs. Request that

Citigroup stop circulating its " Safari " commercial immediately and never use

exotic animals in its advertisements again.

 

Feel free to copy and paste the sample letter below or write your own.

 

CONTACT:

Vikram Pandit

CEO of Citigroup

vikram.pandit @ citigroup.com

 

Valerie Smith

Vice President of Citigroup's Environmental Affairs

val.smith @ citi.com

 

399 Park Ave.

New York, NY 10043

212-559-1000

212-793-3946 (fax)

 

SAMPLE LETTER:

-------------------------

 

vikram.pandit <vikram.pandit%40citigroup.com> ,

val.smith <val.smith%40citi.com>

 

Please cancel elephant advertisement

 

Dear Mr. Pandit and Ms. Smith:

 

Please add my voice to those who oppose Citigroup's use of animals in its

advertisements.

 

Elephants used for entertainment are forced to perform through fear and

domination. They suffer severe psychological disorders in addition to their

physical torment, and they are deprived of everything that is natural and

important to them. There is no excuse for that kind of abuse, especially when

alternatives to using live animals-such as animatronics, animation, and CGI-are

readily available.

 

Please remove your " Safari " commercial from rotation immediately and pledge

never to use exotic animals in your advertising campaigns again. Until I hear

from PETA that you've done this, I will be telling everyone I know about your

disregard for animals' suffering.

 

Sincerely,