squidoo / CC

With 2010 fast approaching, the holiday shopping season is at its peak, and the business of year-end listmaking is well underway. We couldn't resist the urge to take inventory of '09, so we're counting down our five favorite animal-friendly ads of the year—from CGI hamsters to Claymation squirrels. The companies on our list offer further proof that promoting compassion toward animals is as easy as saying "yes" to educating people about our furry friends and saying "no" to the abuse of animals in the entertainment industry—animals who are denied food as a means of forcing them to perform on cue and who are often beaten when they don't do as commanded. Here are 2009's finest GOODY-winning marketing masterpieces:

5. AT&T: "LG Xenon Mobile Phone." When a lucky woman gets to use her cell-phone to transform the real world, the first change she makes is to swap a barbecue restaurant with a vegetarian paradise—delicious, cellular, cruelty-free brilliance.
4. Ask.com: "Mutts Are Better." In this thoughtful commercial, a man asks his wife whether purebreds or mutts are better, and she proudly answers mutts, of course! Here's another no-brainer: Is Ask.com awesome?
3. Mutual of Omaha: "Aha Moment." We still get goosebumps every time we see this mother beam over her 6-year-old son's decision to donate money to homeless animals instead of asking for birthday gifts.
2. Diamond Foods, Emerald Nuts: "The Nut Snob." Claymation squirrels with French accents—um, more, s'il vous plaît!
1. Kia Motors: "A New Way to Roll." This year, Kia taught us that vehicular envy isn't unique to the human species. Four wheels are always better than one—even if you're a CGI hamster.

Written by Logan Scherer

You'll have to wait until the big unveiling tomorrow to find out which celebrity took it all off in our latest "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ad, but here's a clue: She can out-sass, out-bake, and now out-strip any of her real co-stars, and frankly, the only thing we have to say to her is "Bravo."

Post your guesses in the comments section, and keep your eyes peeled for this reveal.

Written by Logan Scherer

justgrits / CC

Have you heard the story about How the Grinch Stole Christmas From AT&T Employees? Sadly, it's true. AT&T recently announced that it will lay off 12,000 workers—roughly 4 percent of its workforce—as we move into 2009. Yikes, that's rough.

So, to make the holidays a little brighter for these employees and their families, PETA staff members decided to pitch in and spread a little cheer. We (the PETA employees) have decided to donate our annual holiday bonus—a delicious, mouth-watering, lick-your-plate-when-you're-done, cruelty-free Tofurky roast—to help these former employees maintain a sense of normalcy through a wonderful holiday with their families.

There are 283 Tofurky roasts up for grabs, and any laid-off AT&T employee who is reading this blog can e-mail us here to claim one (deadline for this offer is December 30, 2008). We've also sent this letter to the CEO of AT&T Inc. asking him to notify all laid-off employees of our offer. So, ya better get clickin' before they're gone!

In these troubling times, everyone knows that it's important to think of those less fortunate than ourselves—including turkeys. What most people don't know is that turkeys love to have their feathers stroked—but only time most turkeys experience any human touch is when somebody painfully plucks their feathers. They also enjoy flute music, but that's a story for another day.

The Grinch may still be mean, but holiday memories and meals can be jolly.

Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky