movies.msn / CC

Sam Neill, star of that "oldie but goodie," er …

(pause)

… Shoot, what was that one?

… Oh, yeah, Jurassic Park! Anyway, Sam Neill's fossilizing career now has him plugging the consumption of artery-clogging meat from abused cows, pigs, and other animals in commercials for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

In the ads, MLA has Mr. Neill suggesting that eating meat will make a person smarter (hardly) and more energetic (not so). And as if that weren't offensive enough, Sam's co-star in the two spots is an orangutan named Dennis.

Jason Baker, director of PETA Asia-Pacific, wasted no time—or words—in his letter to Mr. Neill:

"Seeing you pimp for an industry that is linked to the main killers of human beings as well as of animals is, well, sad."

Jason continues:

"Some of the most accomplished and brilliant thinkers in history were vegetarian—including Einstein, Leonardo de Vinci, Plato, Pythagoras, Mahatma Gandhi and Isaac Newton. Studies published in the British Medical Journal have shown that people with a higher IQ are more likely to go vegetarian—yes, it really is the smart choice."

It's a no-brainer. A vegetarian diet is better for your brain, animals, and environment. Hopefully, Mr. Neill will realize this and get out of the meat-promoting business before his career reaches full-blown extinction.

Written by Karin Bennett

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on this Win It Wednesday. The winner of the Bella Dog Bed is Jeanette Rampersad. Congratulations!

Years ago, I used to bring my dog, Lulu, to work with me at the PETA office. Lulu was content to snore the afternoons away, burrowed deep in a box of recycled paper. She was comfy in her eco-friendly dog bed, but I thought it was a bit undignified. She was, after all, sleeping in a waste bin.

dogtime / CC

If Lulu were around today, I'm sure she'd be ecstatic to learn that today's canine siestas can be comfortable and eco-chic, thanks to the Bella Dog Bed, which is made from recycled plastic soft drink bottles. The folks at Modern Eco Homes, an online emporium that sources all its eco-friendly products from the Internet's most innovative green merchants, were able to contribute one Bella Dog Bed for us to give away. And if you want it, you got it—if you leave a comment with the most appropriate caption for the photo below:

flickr / CC

The contest ends on July 29, 2009, and we'll choose one comment as the winner on July 31, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!

Written by Karin Bennett

baseballevolution / CC

Last night, I was glued to the television for the Home Run Derby. I had to be there to support my boy, Prince Fielder, who was competing against some heavy hitters—including 2006 derby champ Ryan Howard. The competition was definitely fierce, but my man did not disappoint. He nailed 17 home runs in the first two rounds and then blasted six off in the championship … all to be crowned 2009 Home Run Derby Champion!

Not that I had any doubt in Prince. After all, this vegetarian is the youngest player in history to hit 50 homers in a season.

Prince's ability to knock the socks off the crowd while knocking ball after ball out of the park got us thinking about the power of tofu and the rest of the derby participants. It's no secret that they could benefit if they followed in Prince's footsteps and made the switch to a vegetarian diet. Not only would they likely see an improvement in their health, they might see an improvement in their game, too—as Prince Fielder is home run–hitting proof. So, in the hopes of "beefing" up the competition for next year's derby, we are sending a copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" to each of this year's sluggers. Hopefully, they'll learn that by dropping the ballpark franks and picking up veggie dogs, they'll be hitting a grand slam for baseball fans and animals.

Written by Shawna Flavell