LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/28/07 -- Last Chance for Animals (LCA), one of the nation's leading animal rights organizations with over 100,000 members, today strongly criticized CBS for staging the killing of a chicken for entertainment. CBS set up the brutal killing for the September 26 episode of its television show "Kid Nation." LCA also questioned the website YouTube's policy allowing the posting of this video and others promoting animal cruelty.

The chicken-killing scene lasted over one minute, with one child saying, "I can't believe we're about to do this," and others covering their eyes. Some kids appeared to cry, while others clearly enjoyed the blood spectacle.

CBS explained on its website: "The Kids come closer to the realities of the food pyramid when they realize they'll have to kill town livestock if they want protein in their food." LCA challenges both the wisdom of this message and its scientific validity: "CBS made a determined effort to argue, both on the television show and on its website, that killing animals is necessary to get protein to eat," stated LCA President Chris DeRose. "Virtually every scientific study says that's false. Millions of vegetarians and vegans get plenty of protein from non-animal sources, and overall they're healthier than meat-eaters."

DeRose continued: "The more pressing issue is whether the killing of animals can ever be staged purely for entertainment, as it was on Kid Nation. We find that entirely unacceptable. And YouTube has magnified the problem by allowing the video to be posted on its website. As with CBS, YouTube is using animal suffering for entertainment and profit."

Last Chance for Animals (LCA), a national animal rights organization based in Los Angeles, California, has been working to stop animal cruelty for more than two decades. Founded and led by animal expert, author, and actor Chris DeRose, LCA fights for the rights of animals by conducting investigations that expose animal cruelty. For more information, visit www.LCAnimal.org.

To interview Chris DeRose at LCA, please contact Eileen Koch @ Eileen Koch & Company Public Relations at 310-441-1000 or email Eileen @ Eileen@Eileenkoch.com. For LCA campaign information, contact campaigns@LCAnimal.org or 310-271-6096 x27

Media Contact:
Eileen Koch
Eileen Koch & Company Public Relations
310-441-1000
Eileen@Eileenkoch.com