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[quote:961f8]Since December 2000, The Humane Society of the United States has received literally thousands of complaints about a "Bonsai Kitten" web site—subsequently determined to be a hoax—that describes how to stuff kittens into glass containers to warp their bodies into the shape of the container. The site's creator describes and illustrates in detail the method for abusing these animals. Most of the illustrations, which appear to have been altered with photo-editing software, depict live kittens being jammed into glass containers.

The HSUS investigated these complaints and found that the site was a joke created by a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), who had registered it at his school under a false name. Encouraged by all the negative attention, the student cited his right to free speech in an attempt to keep the site online, but M.I.T. sided with the animal protection organizations and citizens who complained, and removed the site on December 22, 2000.

The following month, the site resurfaced on a new host, WEB2010.com. We contacted this company to voice our concerns, and the company removed the site on January 17, 2001.

While we were grateful to these hosts for removing the site, history tells us that creators of offensive web sites often seek out new hosts until they find one that has either no User's Agreement or allows all content, no matter how offensive, permitted under the First Amendment. The creator of the Bonsai Kitten site followed this pattern, and the site is currently hosted by a new company that refuses to remove it.[/quote:961f8]