Meet Feel Ideal. Practically every day that weather permits, he can be found outside his local McDonald's in Honolulu handing out leaflets explaining how chickens killed for the fast-food giant suffer and how the company—as one of the biggest sellers of chicken meat—could reduce this abuse by requiring its suppliers to switch to a more humane slaughter method. 

It wouldn't be a proper protest without a poster, and Feel Ideal gave his a uniquely Hawaiian twist. Yes, it's the world's first McCruelty body board!

There's an important lesson to be learned from Mr. Ideal: You don't have to wait for a large organized demonstration to speak out against McCruelty (or any other kind of cruelty). You can make a huge statement all by yourself. And when you do, you're not really alone—PETA's got your back. Join the PETA Action Team to work together toward a kinder world for everyone. 

With one move, two grocery store chains may have spared thousands of pigs from a good deal of suffering. Foodland Super Market and Times Supermarkets on Oahu have announced that they will no longer sell meat from pigs who were shipped live to Hawaii from the mainland. In addition to the pain of having their throats cut and being scalded during slaughter, pigs who are transported across the ocean alive spend days aboard ships in cramped, filthy conditions and stifling temperatures. Many become sick and die during the arduous voyage.

The grocers' decision could spell the end for Oahu's only slaughterhouse certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and could end all live transport to Oahu. Slaughtering pigs shipped from the mainland is the bulk of business for Hawaii Livestock Cooperative's slaughterhouse. The facility has been struggling financially for a decade and surviving only with help from the government. The president of the slaughterhouse cooperative, Calvin Wong, said he isn't sure that it can sustain the latest loss of business, calling it "another nail in the coffin."

Want to add another nail to that coffin? Stop eating pigs.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Have radishes made you ravishing? Parsnips made you pretty? Green beans made you gorgeous? You might be PETA's 2011 Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door. And if you are, you and a guest will take your sexy selves on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii.

You have until noon EDT on April 7, 2011, to visit the contest page and upload your picture. At noon EDT on April 11, 2011, the polls will open and people can vote for the male and female who they think most put the va-va-va-voom in "vegetarian."  

2010 Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door Contest Winners Marie and Loyal

 
The competition is always fierce, and we definitely need help choosing the winners. So if you aren't entering, please, for the love of kittens, cast your votes for the Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door when the polls open in two weeks. And while you're at it, order your free copy of PETA's vegetarian/vegan starter kit. Who knows? You might be inspired to enter the contest next year.

And they say people don't get to know their neighbors anymore.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Joe Mabel / CC by 2.0

The term "football hero" has become a standard part of the American lexicon, but many players prove to be anything but heroic. (I'm glaring at you, Michael Vick.) So we're delighted to see some football players in Hawaii doing right by animals.

The lights at Vidinha Stadium on Kauai can cause fledgling Newell's shearwaters to become disoriented, and in the past, they have caused the deaths of around 30 of the threatened seabirds—who breed only in Hawaii—each year. Now, to protect the birds, football games during fledgling season will be played on Saturday afternoons instead of Friday nights.

Many thanks to the Kauai Interscholastic Federation for stepping up for seabirds. No matter who prevails on the field, anyone who gives wildlife a helping hand is a champ in our book!

Written by Jeff Mackey

It's no secret that the airline industry has been struggling to make ends meet—even the perennially profitable Hawaiian Airlines has hit some market turbulence lately. So PETA has reached out to Hawaiian with a win-win proposition: Make Hawaiian Airlines the official airline of sea kittens.

It's a silly suggestion, but it could work for fish and fliers.

Hawaii is known for its "aloha spirit." What better way to extend love, compassion, and mercy than by standing with these smart, fascinating, and most misunderstood animals? If Hawaiian accepts our offer, the airline would be working to help change the public's perception of fish by giving these vastly underappreciated animals a new name and a new image that reflects their interesting personalities and remarkable intelligence. And PETA would promote Hawaiian to our friends (that would be you guys) as the airline of choice for sea kitten–friendly travelers.

In the meantime, if you want to wrap something (including yourself) in a pro–sea kitten message, check this out.

Written by Jeff Mackey

The Hawaiian word "aloha" means:

1. A. peace
2. B. mercy
3. C. love
4. D. affection
5. E. hello
6. F. all of the above

Kent Backman / CC by 3.0 Unported

If you answered "F," you're correct—and this week the Aloha State welcomed a new law that embodies peace, mercy, love, and affection for seals. Now anyone who intentionally harasses, harms, or kills a Hawaiian monk seal—or any endangered or threatened Hawaiian species—can be charged with a class C felony and face a fine of up to $50,000 and five years in prison.

So, in Hawaii the sight of a seal waddling up the beach draws volunteers to make sure that beachgoers leave the animal in peace. In Canada, the sight of seals lying on ice floes draws hunters to bash their heads in. I'm pretty sure that this is a no-brainer, but I still have to ask: Which destination would you rather visit?

Written by Karin Bennett