Ne-Yo is making it a happy New Year for animals: The rapper has resolved to go vegan in 2013. When Ne-Yo first tweeted his New Year's resolution, he deemed it a discipline test. But after he learned about the cruelty of the meat and dairy industries, he said that there was "much more meaning to it." PETA sent him vegan dining expert chef Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook: Delicious Vegan Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat, a vegetarian/vegan starter kit, and fellow music legend Paul McCartney's meat industry exposé, "Glass Walls." 

Ne-Yo has been keeping his Twitter followers up to date on his progress and has received an outpouring of support, as have animals:

Maybe Ne-Yo will give Anderson Cooper the inspiration that he needs to help him make the switch. When Anderson invited vegan Alan Cumming onto his show, the pair noshed on meat-free chicken wings and Anderson talked about his vegan aspirations.

PETA friend Kelly Osbourne says it was her boyfriend, vegan chef Matthew Mosshart, who helped her drop pounds and feel better. "That's because he cooks for me! He's a vegan chef so he makes sure I eat healthily," she says. "I'm happy with how I look now."

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are happy with how their family looks now, with the addition of their new rescued dog, Ren. They took the pup in as foster parents, but it took the couple only a few days to make it official. PETA sent Ren a homecoming present of treats and toys.

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter. 

Anderson Cooper recently welcomed Daniel to his show, a 5-year-old dog who survived being gassed at an Alabama animal control facility.

Reportedly, Daniel was crammed into a gas chamber in Florence, Alabama, with four other dogs. Carbon-monoxide gas was pumped into the chamber for a "standard 17 minute cycle." When workers opened the chamber door to remove dead animals, they found Daniel standing among the dead dogs, alive.

Death is not quick for dogs and cats who are gassed. Locked in dark boxes and slowly suffocated, the dogs commonly scream and the cats go berserk, trying to claw their way out. Many go into convulsions as they struggle for air and try to escape. Daniel must have witnessed a horrifying scene inside the gas chamber, and he is living proof that this crude method doesn't always work. Some animals must be gassed repeatedly; others have been found stumbling around in landfills after being mistaken for dead and dumped there.

It is not the fault of animal shelters that animals must be put to death, but if the most we can offer homeless animals is an exit from this world, then we owe it to them to ensure that it is painless, peaceful, and dignified. If your local animal shelter or pound is putting animals down with any method other than an intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital (the most humane method), urge the shelter management to switch (see PETA's tips for helpful information). You may have the law on your side if you live in one of the 18 states that have outlawed some forms of gassing. If not, write letters to your legislators demanding a law against these torture chambers.