sharkinfo / CC

San Juan Capistrano has its swallows and Austin has its bats, but who knew that Singer Island, Florida, has its sharks? Lifeguards have reported seeing a thousand sharks this week off just one beach during the sharks' annual migration south. (Check out this video footage that some surfers shot of a spinner shark leaping and twirling out of the water just a few yards away. Da-yum!)

The enormous number of sharks has forced the beaches to close—but they've also drawn a swarm of gawkers and media cameras. And you have to know that wherever gawkers and media cameras can be found, PETA can't be far away. Yup, we've hired a plane to fly up and down the oceanfront tomorrow bearing the message, "Sharks aren't the only dangerous predators. Go vegetarian."

Every year, more than 50 million sharks and billions of other sea animals are killed and eaten by human beings—in contrast, fewer than a dozen people worldwide were killed by sharks last year. Many species of sharks and other fish have been decimated by overfishing—it's estimated that 29 percent of fish species have "collapsed," or declined by 90 percent over the past 50 years.

That's why we're making the case that the world's most dangerous predators aren't in the water at all—they're lined up at the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet.

Written by Alisa Mullins

Because it's the only way he can get out of the mud! Fortunately, this South Carolina dog and two dozen others are now high and dry—literally—thanks to the intervention of a concerned citizen, a plucky animal control officer, and PETA.

The dog's owner—the word "guardian" wouldn't fit the bill here!—kept 15 dogs in mud-filled pens and another 15 on top of each other inside his mobile home (seen in the background of this photo). We think he fits the description of a hoarder—a person who compulsively collects animals in the same way that someone might collect newspapers or stuffed toys. Most hoarders claim to be "saving" animals from euthanasia at animal shelters—some even call themselves "rescue groups" or "no-kill shelters" and have catchy, appealing names for their hellholes. All hoarders have a compulsion to collect (and usually neglect) animals and a total inability to recognize the horrific misery and often slow death that they are imposing on the animals.

This man claimed to be trying to create a new "designer" breed, but there's no indication that he ever planned to sell any of the dogs, and he didn't have a breeding license. Nor did he provide the dogs with anything close to adequate protection from the elements, as you can see in the photos below.

Catch this: South Carolina authorities claim that the only law this man was breaking was in failing to provide the dogs with clean water, which is a misdemeanor. South Carolina's cruelty laws are so vague that the broken pallets, rags, tarps, and pieces of plywood that were the dogs' only "shelter" were deemed to not be in violation.

After a delicate round of negotiations, PETA's Cruelty Investigations Division was able to coordinate a meeting between the man and an animal control officer (who had previously been barred from the property by the man—under threat of being shot). At the meeting, the man agreed to relinquish most of the dogs.

If you’re moved by this story please take a moment to help with other cruelty cases by participating in PETA’s Action Alerts.

Written by Alisa Mullins

Veggie Love—our ad that we tried to air during the upcoming Super Bowl but that was rejected by NBC—has sparked mega-interest in the sex appeal of bok choy and broccoli! From CNN and Fox News to the Huffington Post—and Whoopi Goldberg acting out the ad on The View—everyone's in the mood … for steaming-hot vegetables.

Some sillies have labeled the video as NSFW and NSFTSB because of the sexual theme and scantily clad women, but others have rightly pointed out that PETA is not alone in such advertising.

Does anyone remember the Carl's Jr. commercial in which a woman rides a mechanical bull while chowing down on a greasy beef burger? I guess a bump and grind with a mechanical animal is somehow less suggestive than playfully licking a pumpkin?

Part of the debate surrounding the ad has been about the beautiful actresses who lent their talents for it. Our behind-the-scenes video gives you an insiders' look at the set of "Veggie Love," and Cassie (the hot tub girl) talks about her lives and loves. Amanda goes into the whole group thing, but that's another story …

Written by Amy Cook

digitalmediaonlineinc / CC

Many of us have trouble envisioning a world without iPods, iPhones, and other iAwesome ways to connect with each other and listen to tunes, but Apple has really outdone itself this time. The new iPhoto face-recognition software that comes in the new iLife package for Mac computers is designed to make tagging photos in your library much quicker. You tell it who a person is, and it automatically goes and finds other pictures of that person and tags them with his or her name. Pretty incredible as is, right? But here's the coolest part—it also works for cats!

Now, you and I know that every cat is a unique and special individual, but who knew that the folks at Apple were cat people, too? We're so pleased at Apple's acknowledgment that cats are members of the family that we're sending Apple a certificate of recognition today.

You can show your love for Apple, too, by posting a comment below.

Written by Christine Doré