Written by Michelle Kretzer
Lea Michele is always helping animals win, and now it's Lea who's scooping up a trophy. At VH1's Do Something Awards, lovely Lea accepted the Do Something Award in the "TV Star: Female" category for her work with PETA and used her acceptance speech to remind the audience not to ride in cruel horse-drawn carriages.
Over on NBC, America's Got Talent judge Howard Stern used his critique of a performer with a cockatoo to speak up for birds used for food. "I recently stopped eating turkey and chicken and all birds and now I know why," he said. "They seem to have some sort of intelligence and I don't want to wreck their lives, so I'm not eating them anymore. I'm not, like, a bird vampire."
The singer who recorded the jingle for Marineland is now raising her voice against the notorious animal abuser. After eight former trainers publicly revealed that the park forced animals to swim in water so filthy that it blinded them and caused pieces of their skin to fall off, Suzie McNeil is trying to have her voice removed from Marineland's commercials and is encouraging people not to go to the park.
Lady Gaga found herself the target of massive backlash from fans, animal advocates, and fellow celebrities when she reneged on her vow not to wear fur and draped herself in the skins of foxes and rabbits. Russell Simmons wrote Lady Gaga a letter asking her to reconsider her support of the fur industry:
Lady Gaga, you are a great artist who has used your celebrity to fight for equality and fairness, so I know you are a compassionate loving human being who would not publicly defend others for their unconscious behavior. LET'S NOT SET OFF A CHAIN REACTION WHERE ARTISTS ACT AS SUPPORT FOR A SOCIETY'S UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOR. Let's instead do what artists have done throughout history and be on the side of love and compassion, because that is our natural state.
Olivia Munn, who starred in an anti-fur ad for PETA, tweeted, "When u see FUR, an animal was TORTURED for it. Watch this video & tell me if you think it's 'art'." As Olivia's fur-farm exposé makes clear, there is nothing artistic about skinning animals alive.
A host of other celebrities used their tweets to be sweet to animals:
To keep up with what your favorite celebrities are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.
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This mayor could lick your mayor any day of the week.
Art imitates life when art students join together to campaign to free the Philippines' only captive elephant.
Alright, North Americans, it's time for us to step up. Our birds are ingesting plastic waste at rates that are among the highest in the world.
f_trudeau|cc by 2.0
Well, well, look who's advocating a plant-based diet now: Bill Gates! (We did not add him to our payroll, we swear.)
No surprise, it's happened again. Another frustrated captive killer whale attacked a trainer.
And now for a bit of trivia. Who said it? "I had a lot of quirks as a child. One was that I didn't like to eat meat; didn't like to chew it, didn't like the taste or smell of it, and just wasn't having any of it."
NEW ACTION ALERTS
Every year, horses are killed during the Calgary Stampede. Urge Alberta Premier Alison Redford to help get at least the most deadly event—the chuckwagon races—canceled.
Tell Sarasota County, Florida, officials that letting feral pigs be mauled by dogs and stabbed is cruel, and ask them to use humane methods if they insist on killing hogs.
Thank you for saving dogs from being poisoned in San Pedro! After hearing from you, the mayor of San Pedro, Belize, agreed to cancel the city's plan to poison homeless dogs and will now let the local animal shelter take them in instead.
NEW FEATURES
Monkeys aren't laboratory equipment, and they aren't luggage either. Tell United Airlines to stop transporting monkeys to their deaths in laboratories.
Things got rockin' at our "Summer Is No Vacation for Animals on Fur Farms" demonstration in Portland, Maine, when Gavin Rossdale and his son Kingston stopped by:
Gavin thanked the demonstrators for being there and mentioned that he and his fur-free wife, Gwen Stefani, are teaching their children to be kind to animals.
Chad Ochocinco (whose sizzling PETA anti-fur ad might be part of the reason why he's considered "the ultimate catch") tied the knot last weekend with fiancée Evelyn Lozada. So PETA sent the happy couple—what else?—an elegant faux-fur throw from Donna Salyers' Fabulous-Furs.
Fur foe Lea Michele is being recognized for her animal activism. She earned a 2012 Do Something Award nomination for her work with PETA to shut down New York City's cruel horse-drawn carriage industry. Be sure to cast your vote here!
PETA pals are snagging nominations right and left this week. Eva Mendes, Penélope Cruz, Benicio Del Toro, Roselyn Sanchez, Martin Sheen, and Constance Marie are all nominated for 2012 National Council of La Raza ALMA Awards.
And vegetarian wrestler Austin Aries just claimed the title of TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
When 11-time Olympic medal winner Natalie Coughlin heads to London, she'll have some new reading material for the plane. PETA sent the swimmer vegan cookbooks and a vegetarian/vegan starter kit to help her maintain her nearly 100 percent vegetarian diet on the road.
NFL star Arian Foster is hopping on the vegan-athlete bandwagon. His inspiring tweets were some of the best in the Twitterverse this week:
Dominic Monaghan also took to Twitter to defend animals this week, calling the show Swamp People, which glorifies the killing of alligators, "death entertainment" that "continues to demonize reptiles as monsters and animals that are okay to torture and kill." He then vowed, "I'm gonna stop them."
Bob Barker is ready to put a stop to the Calgary Stampede. Everyone's favorite game show host said of the cruel 10-day rodeo festival, in which three horses have already died this year, "I would like very much to see them celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede by saying that is enough animal cruelty. Let's wind it up and close it down."
To keep up with what the stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.
When the Olsen twins—the "Trollsens," as PETA calls them—trotted out a fur backpack, there wasn't a chance that Running Russell Simmons star and animal advocate extraordinaire Simone Reyes was going to let it pass without a comment. She blasted the Trollsens on her blog, saying that they are "unfortunately using their vanity and the pursuit of making a blessed buck at the expense of innocent sentient beings." Russell Simmons jumped in to help, tweeting Simone's blog.
The Trollsens could take a cue from Banana Republic, which is launching a line inspired by the costumes in the upcoming film Anna Karenina that will be designed with elegant velvet, lace, and faux fur.
You won't catch Constance Marie wearing animals or gawking at them in the rodeo ring. She tweeted, "Please boycott rodeos! #Video shows #Reno rodeo horses being shocked to perform: bit.ly/LLoUot #CrueltyIsNotEntertainment."
Horror movie king Eli Roth knows that what's really horrific is when animals are abused for entertainment. He tweeted in defense of elephants: "Elephants need you! Urge the Atlanta City Council to pass a total bullhook ban! bit.ly/LFIivF #NeverBeSilent."
Photo: Robert Sebree Grooming: Cheri Keating/The Wall Group Animatronic Snake: Greg Nicotero/ KNB EFX Group
Vegan pitcher Pat Neshek knows that people provide the best entertainment: The talented Norfolk Tides player just snagged Pitcher of the Week honors.
If you plan to spend part of the weekend knocking around the house, did you know that you can help animals every time you take out the trash?
Been jamming to some One Direction? Guess what really makes you beautiful.
Soccer moms aren't the only ones who can regale you with stories of their children's first words. Goats recall the sound of their kids' bleats even after they've been separated for a long time.
I can't top this headline, so I won't try: "Single Parent Beaver Dad Gives a Dam."
After a truck hauling 600 turkeys for Circle S farm overturned, workers left turkeys to suffer for hours and allegedly abused others. Help us put pressure on Circle S to develop a humane accident-response plan.
Officials with Florida's Suwannee River Water Management District are considering allowing bowhunting on district lands. Urge the board not to allow bowhunting, which often causes deer to die slowly and painfully when they are shot but not killed.
Thank you for helping to free birds trapped at an Illinois mall! After hearing from all of you, officials freed the birds, veterinarians treated those with injuries, and the mall is making its roof safe for birds.
mikebaird|cc by 2.0
Twitter cofounders Biz Stone and Evan Williams are putting their money where their beaks are, backing Beyond Meat, a company that produces cruelty-free faux meats. Now, every time cruel meat-peddling companies such as McDonald's use Twitter, they'll actually be helping to support the vegan cause!
Photo: Frank W. Ockenfels 3 For Solo Artist: Hair by David Gardner Makeup by Spencer Barnes
Tricia Helfer is tweeting to help end the Canadian seal slaughter and wearing her PETA pride on her sleeve chest:
After rescuing a dog himself, Josh Duhamel is a proud rescue advocate: "Pet adoption changed my life when we were looking to find a companion for our 7-year-old dachshund, Zoe. Soon after adopting Meatloaf, I learned that these pets are just grateful for the love you have to give them."
Yvonne Strahovski will be taking her animal rights advocacy to a killer new venue, as she will be appearing on season seven of Dexter, and Waka Flocka Flame's new album, Triple F Life, which debuted this week, is decidedly free of one "f" ("fur") and full of another ("fun").
There's one thing that both Team Twilight and Team Hunger Games can agree on: Everyone should be on Team Tilly.
Are rats smarter than your search engine? The answer may make you want to Google the "Hidden Lives of Rats."
New Jersey is serious about protecting animals in vehicles. Drivers who let their Benjis ride without a seatbelt could find themselves shelling out a few Benjis.
Blood, flesh, veins, muscles, tendons, cow secretions, hen periods, and bee vomit? Bon appétit!
Sarasota County, Fla., officials postponed their decision on feral hog hunting—in which dogs are allowed to chase and maul feral hogs—in order to consider other wildlife control options. Send the county your thanks and ask it to choose humane methods.
Urban Decay is letting its values decay—urge the company to halt its new animal tests and remain cruelty-free.
The Hollywood baby boom is still going, but now it seems that everyone has found something new to go gaga over: cruelty-free food.
The original Focker, Ben Stiller, and his wife, Christine Taylor, are now vegan and are helping their kids embrace cruelty-free eating, too. "It really has changed our energy level," says Taylor. "Sometimes you don't realize it until someone says it to you, like, 'Your skin looks amazing.'"
Christie Brinkley already knew that. Still stunning at 58, she credits what she eats with giving her supermodel good looks—she's been vegetarian since age 13.
Fellow model and Sexiest Vegetarian alum Lauren Bush Lauren doesn't mince words when talking about her feelings on factory farms. When asked who her mortal enemy was, she responded, "Factory farms, because I am a vegetarian and the thought of innocent animals being raised in poor conditions and then systematically slaughtered is just horrifying to me."
Brad Pitt had some strong words to say about animal slaughter, too. "Ever seen them butcher a cow for hamburger?" he asked reporters at the Cannes Film Festival. "It's incredibly brutal and violent. We live in a very violent world." And Billy Bob Thornton, separated from Brad by only one degree of Kevin Bacon, told Craig Ferguson that he is now mostly vegan. When the stars weren't going vegan this week, they were tweeting for animal rights:
To keep up with what your favorite celebs are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.
Rihanna got busted by the fashion police for wearing a dress made of crocodile. Kelly Osbourne rocked for crocs by proclaiming that she's not down with people wearing crocodile skins.
Over on one of our other favorite shows, Ellen, Carrie Underwood dished about how her hubby, hockey player Mike Fisher, is getting cozy with vegan cuisine. And since Ellen DeGeneres gave Underwood Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by her chef, Roberto Martin, we're betting things will really be heating up in the couple's kitchen.
Ellen, Portia de Rossi, and Roberto also veganized the Rachael Ray Show. While Roberto and Portia cooked, Ellen quipped that cheese is so heavy that if you skip it, "there is more room for cocktails!"
In the Philippines for a performance, outspoken vegetarian Morrissey (a few chords from Meat Is Murder, anyone?), urged President Benigno Aquino III to send Manila Zoo's lone elephant, Mali, who has spent the last 35 years imprisoned, to a sanctuary that PETA has secured for her in the U.S.
Captivating actor Marion Cotillard is also against holding animals captive. On the orca training scenes that appear in her upcoming film, Rust and Bone, she said, "I've always had a repulsion going in a place where animals are in captivity."
Of course, celebrities were also tweeting for animals this week, including Jonah Hill and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino:
Just two months after telling Ellen DeGeneres, "I want to be a vegan," Meredith Vieira has done it. After seeing her Ellen appearance, PETA rushed Meredith a copy of Sir Paul McCartney's slaughterhouse exposé Glass Walls, a vegetarian/vegan starter kit, and Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook to help her along. On The Chew, she told chef Mario Batali about why she made the switch: "I've done a lot of stories on the way food is, you know, processed in this country—animals—and it's very disturbing."
CNBC's Jim Cramer isn't just mad about money—now he's gone mad for vegetarian cuisine. In the wake of the "pink slime" debacle, Cramer announced on Squawk on the Street that he is going vegetarian, just like his doctor and his daughter.
There will soon be less to see of Seattle Seahawk Deuce Lutui. He went vegan to lose weight and improve his performance in the coming season.
Sexiest Vegetarian alum Leona Lewis finds the song formerly called "Theraflu" by the tool currently called "Kanye West" "awful." She tweeted, "Heard that awful Kanye W song talking about minx dragging on the floor. What an awful thing to be proud of! I take all my love for him back!" She then tweeted a picture of an adorable mink and the words "Lil minx <3."
Leona's celeb pals joined her in sticking up for animals on Twitter this week:
After learning about Walter, a severely abused dog who was starved and then thrown out of the window of a moving car, Ashley Judd is picking up the tab for his medical expenses, visiting him every day, and updating her Twitter followers on his condition. "This never should have happened to Walter, and through his story, we can make sure that it never happens to another animal again," she said.
Rock legend Morrissey wants to help make sure that no more sheep are mutilated in a cruel process called "mulesing." While touring in Japan, Moz reached out to Tokyo-based international clothier Uniqlo and asked the company to stop sourcing wool from Australian farmers who still mules sheep.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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