Written by Michelle Kretzer
Realtor to the stars and Million Dollar Listing celebrity Chad Rogers has a million-dollar idea: Encourage people to adopt their animal companions from animal shelters and donate to PETA's doghouse program. In an exclusive interview, Chad—joined, of course, by his canine family member, Starla—talks with PETA about doing both:
Chad spends his days brokering some of the biggest real-estate deals in Hollywood, but at the end of the day, his dog, Starla, takes center stage in his life. He encourages people to adopt animals rather than buying them because every dog deserves a loving home. "There's thousands and thousands of pets all over the world that need homes," Chad says, "so why not go to a shelter and get a dog? I mean, that's the best thing that you could possibly do for another dog's life."
Starla is a star in her own right, capturing the title of America's Cutest Canine in a national contest. Chad and Starla took the prize money and invested in real estate—for dogs. They donated the entire prize to PETA's "Angels for Animals" program, which provides cold and lonely "backyard dogs" with sturdy, custom-built doghouses.
Will you be an "angel" for a cold "outdoor dog" this winter? If so, tell Chad and Starla about it on Twitter.
Written by PETA
Relationships on MTV's The Hills are unpredictable, to say the least. So, after having been on the show for five seasons, Audrina Patridge threw on a pair of angel wings and took her dog, Speedy Gonzalez, to pose in PETA's latest Angels for Animals ad. After all, a dog's love is absolute. They're never so fickle that they'd turn their back on you anytime some new guy walks into the room.
The ad was unveiled on a billboard in West Hollywood today, and Audrina was there to let people know that they should always adopt and never buy—because for every dog or cat bought from a breeder or pet shop, a shelter animal full of unconditional love will die.
Check out the event below and then enter to win autographed copies of seasons three and four of The Hills on DVD.
Written by Shawna Flavell
As a huge fan of Bones, I was giddy to learn that Emily Deschanel is an environmentalist who puts her money where her mouth is—literally—by eating a vegan diet.
We couldn't think of a better person to feature smack-dab in the middle of "Meat's Not Green" Week than Emily and, luckily, she was able to take time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.
Here Emily is in her own words:
Do you have any animal companions? I don't have any animal companions right now. My amazing dog Snookie passed away a year ago. She was 17 years old. I miss her. She was super sweet and smart. I'm not ready for another animal in my life right now, especially because I wouldn't have the time to take proper care of them (we work 16- to 17-hour days). I look forward to the day I can bring another animal into my home. They enrich our lives so much! Of course, I would adopt!
What made you decide to go vegan? In high school, a teacher screened the documentary "Diet for a New America" based on the book of the same name. It exposes the dirty business of factory farms: the cruelty that the animals experience, the dangers of a meat-based diet to your health, and the devastating environmental impact. I decided to go vegetarian on the spot with the intention to go completely vegan when I was ready. It took me two years. I've never looked back.
What are some of your favorite vegetarian foods? I love anything Dave Anderson makes at Madeleine Bistro in Los Angeles, and I love the food at Candle 79 in New York City. I'm obsessed with cookies from Sun Flour Bakery.
I don't really cook for myself right now since my schedule is insane. I look forward to the day I can pick up my Veganomicon cookbook and go to town!! I also indulge in raw chocolate on a daily basis.
If you could make people wake up to one issue involving animals or one particular form of cruelty to animals, what would it be and what would you wish for? In my experience, the issue that is avoided the most is [raising] animals for food, specifically factory farms. Nothing makes me more upset than when someone says they don't want to know about the horrors going on. Ten billion animals every year in North America have to live and die in horrible ways; the least we can do is hear about it. I have hope, though. More and more people are going veg and vegan. Look at the popularity of Skinny Bitch and PETA as an organization and how they have changed people's minds about animals and food. It is so much better than it was almost 16 years ago when I made the switch to being vegan.
*****
Looking for a little more Deschanel? Check out her vegetarian testimonial and then click here to learn more about meat's impact on the environment.
Digging through tax records, deciphering difficult directions, and struggling with simple math totally sucks. What doesn't suck? The tax refund that results from this headache. Whether your tax refund is already in the bank or somewhere in the mail, here are some cool and cruelty-free things to do with that extra coin:
Written by Amy Elizabeth
PS If you didn't get a tax refund, don't worry—hugs (and copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit") are still free …
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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