FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Animal rights activists have sued the federal government because of the living conditions for a bear at a Cumberland County roadside zoo. The Fayetteville Observer reported two local residents, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, are suing the U.S. Agriculture Department.

By Julie Watson  SAN DIEGO  An effort to free whales from SeaWorld by claiming they were enslaved made a splash in the news but flopped in court Wednesday.

A federal judge in San Diego dismissed an unprecedented lawsuit seeking to grant constitutional protection against slavery to a group of orcas that perform at SeaWorld parks, saying the 13th amendment applies only to humans.

By Julie Watson SAN DIEGO A federal judge for the first time in U.S. history heard arguments Monday in a case that could determine whether animals enjoy the same constitutional protection against slavery as human beings.

By David Crary and Julie Watson  SAN DIEGO  A federal court is being asked to grant constitutional rights to five killer whales who perform at marine parks — an unprecedented and perhaps quixotic legal action that is nonetheless likely to stoke an ongoing, intense debate at America's law schools over expansion of animal rights.

SUFFOLK An employee of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was charged Tuesday with crossing an established police line at the site of an overturned hog truck. Kent Stein, 25, of Norfolk, was issued a summons on the charge of crossing established police lines, perimeters or barricades, said Debbie George, city spokeswoman.

NORFOLK

PETA wants to get into porn to make people more aware of animal abuse.

The Norfolk-based animal-rights group has applied to launch a website under the soon-to-be-available ".xxx" domain, which will feature pornographic sites, Lindsay Rajt, the organization's associate director of campaigns, said Monday.

NORFOLK

Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals today ended its attempt to put up a billboard in an Ohio city that would play on the local case of a woman convicted of killing her baby in a microwave oven.

NORFOLK

Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim will help cut the ribbon on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ new mobile spay and neuter clinic.

NORFOLK Not one to miss an opportunity for publicity, the animal rights group PETA announced today it will send locally based Navy SEALs boxes of vegan chocolates embossed with the head of Osama bin Laden in the wake of the terrorist leader's death.

By Michael Sluss
RICHMOND
Gov. Bob McDonnell announced an initiative last week that would allow for sponsorships at Virginia's highway rest areas to help offset the cost of operating the facilities.