Former Hollywood Madame Heidi Fleiss Partners With PETA

She went from running the most successful prostitution ring to running a laundromat in the Nevada desert called Dirty Laundry. For many people, the name Heidi Fleiss is synonomous with sex and money. But these days something else is ruffling the feathers of the former Hollywood Madame. She's joined us this morning to talk about it -- her involvement with PETA.

Something people may not know about Fleiss is her adoration for birds. Fleiss will speak on PETA's behalf at PetSmart's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, June 17, at 10am at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park. Fleiss, who owns dozens of exotic birds, will be urging the company to stop selling birds. She learned firsthand that birds' needs can't be met in captivity.

Fleiss never cages her birds and allows them to fly free in part of her home, which she turned into a huge aviary. But as she points out, most people who buy birds from PetSmart have no idea how to care for these complex animals and keep them caged their entire lives; many birds are unable even to stretch their wings, let alone fly.

Fleiss will ask the company to begin phasing out the sale of all birds in light of they suffer in captivity as well as PetSmart's abysmal record of neglect and abuse by its stores and animal suppliers. Their investigation and reports from concerned customers have shown that PetSmart routinely sells sick and suffering birds—examples include mite-infested parakeets, a cockatoo who was screaming and bobbing neurotically from stress, and a Jardin's parrot who was very ill and living in a dirty cage with filthy water.

For more on PETA, visit www.peta.org. For more on Fliess, visit www.heidifleiss.com.