PETA snaps at Jackson?s treatment of animals
Mood:  on fire
Topic: Main News
By Jeannette Walls
MSNBC
Updated: 2:46 a.m. ET Jan. 17, 2006

Michael Jackson may have been cleared on those child molestation charges — but now he’s facing allegations of animal cruelty.

The “Thriller” singer has come under attack by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which is saying that self-proclaimed animal lover Jackson — who lately has been living in Bahrain — has left the animals at his Neverland Ranch in California in a state of “squalor.” The group has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate.

“Photos [of Neverland] make it clear that the animals are being held in what can only be described as cruel conditions,” Lisa Wathne, spokeswoman for PETA, told the London Mirror. “They’re abysmal, little more than holding cells. Jackson must close this place and relocate the animals to an accredited zoo or sanctuary.”

A spokesman for Jackson declined to comment.