Update 2: 

Well, the results are in, and the friends of felines have carried the day: The new Monopoly token will be a cat—inspired by a real-life rescued kitty (see below)—to replace the older iron token.

Thank you to all you Monopoly fans who cast your votes in recognition of the fact that no one wins when people breed and buy animals. Remember: The best way to show more than a token interest in helping homeless cats is always to adopt them from shelters or rescues and make sure they're spayed or neutered. 

Update:

Following PETA's appeal to replace the current purebred "Scottie dog" token in Monopoly with one representing a rescued mutt (see original post below), Hasbro Gaming Senior Vice President and Global Brand Leader Eric Nyman responded in a letter to PETA, saying:

You can vote for the new cat token here. 

Originally posted on January 16th:

Monopoly players can be fanatical about their token of choice—I always have to play as the dog. Now, Hasbro is shaking things up with plans to retire one of the traditional Monopoly tokens, with the decision based on online voting. It looks like the little pooch will make the cut, so PETA is urging the company to make another change that could save real dogs by altering the token's look and referring to it as a "rescued mutt" instead of a purebred "Scottie dog."

Breeding Hurts—and Kills

How would this switch help dogs? Including a dog who is clearly a mixed breed would remind players that these canines are just as lovable, loyal, and deserving as any purebred and that every time someone chooses to buy a dog from a pet store or breeder, a homeless animal loses his or her chance at finding a home. For millions of dogs in shelters, there is no "Get out of jail free" card. Approximately half of the 6 to 8 million animals who enter shelters every year are euthanized, largely for lack of a good home.

Purebred dogs are also more likely to suffer from debilitating conditions and painful congenital disorders. Scotties, for example, are often affected by a hereditary disorder called "Scotty cramp," which can significantly impair their ability to run or even walk normally. Because they are not bred to produce specific physical traits, mixed-breed dogs have a lower risk for respiratory problems, bone disease, hemophilia, cataracts, hip dysplasia, and other disorders.

What You Can Do

 Please never buy any animal from a breeder or pet store. Instead, give a shelter mutt a "Chance"—you'll gain a wonderful companion while also helping to alleviate animal overpopulation, which causes so much misery.

At the same time as vegan star running back Arian Foster and the Texans are making my hometown proud on the field (Bayou City, represent!), PETA has announced its 2012 list of the Top Five Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadiums.

Football is played with a ball called a "pigskin" (often erroneously), but folks who are fans of both team sports and animals will find a growing variety of cruelty-free foods to enjoy on game day at arenas throughout the NFL. So even if your team is stuck in the basement this year, you can still score a victory for animals way up in the cheap seats by hitting up the concession stand for some vegan goodies!

© Levy Restaurants

Check out the Top Five Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadiums:

1. Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Eagles

As the Eagles battle for the top spot in the always-tough NFC East, Philly fans can take pride in the fact that Lincoln Financial Field tops PETA's list of vegetarian-friendly stadiums for the third year in a row, thanks to its awesome array of meat-free options, which include a mock-steak sandwich, a "chicken-steak" sandwich, a seitan brisket, and veggie burgers and dogs.

2. Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots

Pats fans have more mouthwatering vegetarian options than Tom Brady has offensive weapons. Gillette Stadium moved up from number four on PETA's list of vegetarian-friendly stadiums, thanks to its black-bean burger, grilled portobello mushroom burger, and grilled veggie flatbread wrap. Meanwhile, fans continue to devour the stadium's standby favorites—veggie dogs and veggie burgers.

3. O.co Coliseum, Oakland Raiders

Rookie head coach Dennis Allen may be experiencing some growing pains in Oakland, but Raider Nation has cause for celebration: O.co Coliseum made PETA's list of vegetarian-friendly stadiums for the fifth year in a row. With a veggie dog, black-bean burger, and veggie burrito leading the charge, fans of the Silver and Black can turn their health around by enjoying delicious, protein-packed vegetarian meals.

4. Georgia Dome, Atlanta Falcons

Matty Ice is playing like an MVP, but the MVP of the Georgia Dome's concession stands may be the mock-meat Sloppy Jane, made with peppers, onions, molasses, and brown-sugar barbecue sauce. Also available and fresh off the burner (no Michael Turner pun intended) are veggie dogs and veggie burgers, possibly the best duo since Roddy White and Julio Jones. You don't have to pose in a PETA ad as Tony Gonzalez did to enjoy these options.

5. Ford Field, Detroit Lions

The Lions may be dropping in the standings, but Ford Field has climbed in our rankings of the best meat-free fare. Outstanding dishes such as vegan sloppy Joes, hearty veggie burgers, hummus with vegetables, and fruit cups with chili lime salt dominate the concession stands here the same way that Megatron dominates on the field.

Scoring honorable mentions are the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium, the St. Louis Rams' Edward Jones Dome, the San Francisco 49ers' Candlestick Park, and the New York Jets' and New York Giants' MetLife Stadium.

With so many healthy and animal-friendly foods available almost everywhere you go, there's never been a better time to go vegan than right now!

OK, so the weekend's almost here, but if you need a little something to get you through the workday, jump on over to Facebook to check out our new game, Shivering Kittens.

Don't let the sad-sounding name throw you. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to rescue the chilly kitties from a frigid fate—and invite your friends to join in. As a bonus, they'll learn a bit about how to help protect cats here in the real world. Gameplay is simplicity itself (think Tetris with a twist), and the grateful felines will even give you a thankful "meow" when you help them out of their predicament. Who knows? Trying to beat my high score of 134 saved kittens could even inspire you to spend the rest of your weekend—or your life—being a champion for animals!

Written by Jeff Mackey

If you prefer Atari to Wii or have dreams of getting your name on the Galaga Top Ten High Score Table, We'd like to introduce you to what could easily become your new addiction: Escape From the Slaughterhouse.

Created by Mikael Romlin, this game is for the "old skool" gamer in all of us. It has a Crystal Castles feel, but instead of collecting gems and trying to escape Berthilda the Witch, you are searching for cages in each level in order to set your friends free and trying to escape from the slaughterhouse. You'll encounter butchers along the way (whom you can defeat by jumping on their heads), and you have to be careful not to fall into the meat grinders.

I'm going to give you a heads-up and say that this game isn't easy (even our resident gaming expert, Joel Bartlett, only made it to the first boss), but the rewards are worth it. Freedom for all? Yes, please!

And for those of you looking for some gaming on the go, check out Mikael's Hunt the Hunter. It's a cell-phone game in which you take shots at fox hunters before they can shoot vulnerable foxes.

After you've played the game, how about giving Mikael a little love in the comments below for his retro games?

Written by Shawna Flavell

It's "tofu buck" and "seitan bird" season over at Adult Swim thanks to the new online game Tofu Hunter.

Thanks to the creative minds over at This Is Pop, who also created our Breasts Not Animal Tests game, now's your chance to bag a nine-point block of tofu. Keep an eye out for the trophy buck (he'll score you bonus points), and avoid hitting any does (unless you're looking to end your game early).

As the name suggests, the game is a tongue-in-cheek takeoff on revolting hunting-simulator video games such as Deer Hunter, and it might not be for the faint of heart: Its disclaimer notes, "This game contains graphic depictions of violence against tofu." But if the thought of blasting animated blocks of soy curd disturbs you, just remember: Tofu never screams.

Written by Jeff Mackey

My mom, my sister, and I always used to play "spot the celebrity" in airports. Not real celebrities, necessarily—just people who look like the rich and famous. So, for me, it's only fitting that PETA's new public service announcement—which we had hoped to run in New York City airports during fashion week but was rejected by the CNN Airport Network—is full of real celebrities to spot:

Just in case you need some help, we'll give you a few hints:

1. This person has been called PETA's "weapon of mass distraction" by her pal, PETA V.P. Dan Mathews.
2. This person's "Ink, Not Mink" ad showed us all that he has "Your Name" tattooed on his butt.
3. This musician was one of the first celebrities to get involved with PETA, with her 1987 hit record Don't Kill the Animals.
4. This celebrated writer and comedian firmly established her niche when she recorded a vegetarian testimonial about being Jewish, lesbian, and vegan.
5. This comedian just went viral as a "fried" Ronald McDonald.

So, can you spot all the celebrities?

Written by Amanda Schinke