Jerry wasn't the outgoing, center-of-attention type. Even as a young calf, he seemed to possess the peaceful, quiet air of a wise old man, content to spend warm afternoons gazing out across the landscape with his best friend by his side.

Jerry enjoys a quiet afternoon with his friend Patrick. 
Courtesy of the Cow Sanctuary

But Jerry's early life was anything but serene. Rescued during a PETA investigation of a filthy dairy factory farm that supplied Land O'Lakes, Jerry was crippled, infested with lice and ringworm, and nearly blind from pink eye. He and another calf were taken in by the Cow Sanctuary, and with considerable love and medical care, they healed.

Instead of being killed for veal, as is the fate of most male calves in the dairy industry, Jerry spent his life as every animal should—exploring his surroundings, enjoying the company of friends (especially his pig friend, Patrick), and reveling in treats and love from his guardians.

Last week, with his health declining, Jerry was euthanized. He left this world as quietly as he lived in it, but the steer with the gentle spirit left a permanent mark on the hearts of those who loved him.

Farewell, sweet Jerry.

Picking the top 10 PETA Files blog posts of the past year was harder than figuring out the plot of Inception, but we've narrowed it down to these posts, which cover everything from Lady Gaga's meat dress to our "Pope Condom" campaign:

1. PETA's investigation of international animal dealer U.S. Global Exotics leads to the record-setting rescue of more than 26,000 animals.
2. A PETA investigation at a Pennsylvania dairy farm reveals the filthy, miserable origins of Land O'Lakes butter.
3. Worldwide outrage erupts after a girl is caught on video hurling puppies to their deaths. 
4. Leaked photos from a company that supplies animal-restraint devices to laboratories show horrifically mutilated monkeys. 
5. Lady Gaga's meat dress induces a collective gag. 
6. A laboratory investigated by PETA closes, and more than 200 animals are rescued. 
7. An orca at SeaWorld dies at roughly half most orcas' expected life span. 
8. Thousands of chickens are spared from being ground up alive. 
9. PETA's use of the pope's image on a spay/neuter leaflet touches off controversy.
10. NASA calls off its ghastly primate radiation experiments after hearing from more than 100,000 PETA members.

Which blog post got you the most fired up this year?

Written by Jennifer O'Connor

Today, Mercy for Animals (MFA) released a new undercover investigation into New York's largest dairy factory farm, Willet Dairy. The footage that the group's investigator captured is strikingly similar to what we uncovered less than six months ago at a Land O'Lakes dairy farm and provides even more evidence that animals who are exploited for their milk suffer through sickening amounts of cruelty and neglect.

After watching this video, animal welfare experts and veterinarians have denounced the treatment of cows revealed in MFA's investigation, which include the following:

• Cows were living in extremely crowded sheds on manure-coated concrete floors and suffered from bloody open wounds, swollen joints, prolapsed uteruses, and pus-filled infections.
• "Downed" cows languished for weeks before dying or being killed.
• Workers beat, kicked, and electric-shocked cows and calves.
• A worker restrained calves by shoving his fingers into the babies' eyes as their horns were burned off. These same calves also suffered through painful tail-docking. Both mutilations are done without any anesthetic.
• Workers dragged newborn calves by their legs away from their distressed mothers.

The truth about milk can be hard to swallow, but people owe it to themselves—and animals—to see what really goes on in the dairy industry. Tonight, ABC World News and Nightline will air footage from the MFA investigation as well as our Land O'Lakes investigation. Help us expose the dairy industry's "fairy tale" for what it really is—an unhappily-ever-after existence for cows and calves, from the moment they're born until they are slaughtered—by telling as many people as you can via e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter to tune in to what is sure to be a heart-wrenching exposé.

Written by Karin Bennett

urinaryincontinencesolutions / CC

Ladies—if KFC's cruelty to chickens hasn't convinced you to (as the company suggests) "UnThink the Wing," this wing-induced woe for women might wipe away any cravings for the Colonel's unhealthy offerings.

ScienceDaily.com reports that researchers have found a link between the consumption of E. coli-contaminated chicken flesh, which is available in abundance at supermarkets and restaurants such as KFC, and urinary tract infections (UTI).

For anyone who has ever suffered from an awful UTI, KFC's Web site currently features a chilling reminder of the burning pain (be sure to turn up your computer's volume before visiting the site): Flames light up the screen while a woman sings screeches, "Fire … Fire … Fire."

Could it be that a woman who has to go feels that way because she already went to KFC?

Written by Karin Bennett

Today, PETA unveiled footage from our five-month undercover investigation of a filthy factory dairy farm in Pennsylvania that supplies milk to St. Paul–based Land O'Lakes, the largest seller of branded butter in the U.S.

Our investigator documented abuse and neglect of cows and calves at the facility, including that cows who were in terrible pain and resisted standing were electro-shocked and jabbed with the blade of a pocket knife in an effort to force them to move and that sick and injured cows were left to languish—often so weak that they couldn't even get out of their own waste—for days and even weeks without veterinary care. In one case, workers were told to wrap an elastic band around a cow's gangrenous, infected teat in order to "amputate" it. The cow's condition deteriorated for 11 days before she finally died.

It is a violation of Pennsylvania law to neglect animals, deprive sick and injured animals of veterinary care, and deny animals clean and sanitary shelter. Charges against the farm's owners have been approved and filed by a local magisterial district judge. The factory farmers are innocent until proven guilty, of course, but they would face up to 90 days in jail and $750 in fines if convicted.

We have also called on Land O'Lakes to buy milk only from farms that meet our 12-point animal welfare plan, which would prevent much of the suffering we documented at this farm.

For those of you who can't stomach the thought of eating butter after watching that video, take a minute to tell Land O'Lakes to implement our 12-point animal welfare plan. Then check out one of the many vegan butter alternatives that are widely available. My personal favorite is Earth Balance margarine. It's 100 percent vegan and free of trans fat (and pus), and it tastes even better than butter. Best of all, it's also 100 percent free of cruelty to cows and calves.

Written by Alisa Mullins