Written by Michelle Kretzer
It might have looked to passersby like we were having a sleepover at the Bob Barker Building, PETA's Los Angeles office. Throngs of teens and kids came in toting blankets as well as bags full of leashes, collars, toys, and towels to donate to homeless animals at shelters run by L.A. Animal Services. But this wasn't your average blanket drive.
Some of the most compassionate young stars in Hollywood came out to support peta2 (PETA's youth division) and PETA Kids, the joint hosts of the event. Renee Olstead, Christian Serratos, Fivel Stewart, Haley Pullos, Pia Toscano, Miranda Mayo, Bret Lockett of the New York Jets, and Randall of "Honey Badger Don't Care" fame collected donations, took pictures with fans, and helped kids make buttons to take home and catnip toys for the shelters' cats. At the end of the day, we had collected more than 19 boxes full of donations and mountains of goodwill for animals.
Renee Olstead, who had the initial idea for the shelter drive, serenades the crowd with "At Last" by Etta James.
Christian Serratos helps sort donated items.
Haley Pullos greets rescued PETA pup Tyson.
Kids make catnip toys for the cats and buttons for themselves.
Bret Lockett tries out his Dancing With the Stars moves with PETA's Michelle Cho.
The kids had a blast with Randall.
Renee celebrates a successful day.
Last night in Tinseltown, celebrities crowded onto the red carpet while photographers' flashbulbs went off like fireworks. But it wasn't the premiere of a new movie. It was the grand opening of the Bob Barker Building, PETA's new West Coast headquarters, located in L.A.'s Echo Park.
The famed game show host and animal defender extraordinaire was on hand to toast his namesake building, an expansion that will allow PETA's Communications Department to be in the midst of the many celebrities who help promote our work. peta2 is also setting up shop in the all-vegan, dog-friendly space to carry out its teen and college outreach from the entertainment and culture capital of the world. And the Marketing and International Grassroots Campaigns departments will organize PETA's international actions for animal protection from within the 82-year-old structure, now freshly renovated to be eco-friendly.
At the star-studded grand opening were Christian Serratos, Stephanie Pratt, Moby, Kate del Castillo, Sasha Grey, Renee Olstead, Fivel Stewart, Diane Warren, and the stars of Doin' It for Love. Guests enjoyed vegan food from Echo Park's own Mohawk Bend, Elf Café, and Sage Organic Vegan Bistro on the rooftop of the Bob Barker Building, which offers a picturesque view of the Hollywood sign from one side and the twinkling lights of downtown L.A. from the other.
The man of the hour, Bob Barker, told reporters, "I support a long list of organizations, but I support PETA because I think that internationally it is probably the most productive of all animal-oriented organizations. And it doesn't just try to help animals—it really produces. I think you get more for your dollar invested in PETA than you do [with] most any other organization."
Marco Antonio Regil, who hosted The Price Is Right in Mexico for many years, followed in Bob Barker's animal-friendly footsteps. Regil is vegan and, like Barker, closed his show with an animal rights message.
The Rock and Roll of Fame's Class of 2012 has been announced, and animal-friendly stars will be boogieing in. The Red Hot Chili Peppers earned a spot, but we're wondering if this honor could top the Sexiest Vegetarian of 2008 title that Anthony Kiedis snagged. We'll call it a wash. Guns N' Roses was gunning for a spot and rose to the occasion too. We hope the awards ceremony will be fur-free, since Duff McKagan will be in attendance.
What Morrissey said about having his handsome mug on the new PETA postage really rocks: "I am delighted beyond words to be a PETA postage stamp. The rise and rise of PETA is the rise of common sense in modern society. Join the aims of PETA and join a better world."
Other celebs are rocking the Twitterverse with their awesome animal-friendly tweets:
We love what Eliza Dushku said about Forks Over Knives, the documentary that is changing the way Americans eat. Maybe Emily Blunt watched it? She was spotted at the California vegan restaurant Café Gratitude.
We've been watching adorable Fivel Stewart sporting our "Adopt, Don't Buy" tee on the YouTube channel that she shares with brother, Booboo. Guess respect for animals runs in the family.
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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