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With 2010 fast approaching, the holiday shopping season is at its peak, and the business of year-end listmaking is well underway. We couldn't resist the urge to take inventory of '09, so we're counting down our five favorite animal-friendly ads of the year—from CGI hamsters to Claymation squirrels. The companies on our list offer further proof that promoting compassion toward animals is as easy as saying "yes" to educating people about our furry friends and saying "no" to the abuse of animals in the entertainment industry—animals who are denied food as a means of forcing them to perform on cue and who are often beaten when they don't do as commanded. Here are 2009's finest GOODY-winning marketing masterpieces:

5. AT&T: "LG Xenon Mobile Phone." When a lucky woman gets to use her cell-phone to transform the real world, the first change she makes is to swap a barbecue restaurant with a vegetarian paradise—delicious, cellular, cruelty-free brilliance.
4. Ask.com: "Mutts Are Better." In this thoughtful commercial, a man asks his wife whether purebreds or mutts are better, and she proudly answers mutts, of course! Here's another no-brainer: Is Ask.com awesome?
3. Mutual of Omaha: "Aha Moment." We still get goosebumps every time we see this mother beam over her 6-year-old son's decision to donate money to homeless animals instead of asking for birthday gifts.
2. Diamond Foods, Emerald Nuts: "The Nut Snob." Claymation squirrels with French accents—um, more, s'il vous plaît!
1. Kia Motors: "A New Way to Roll." This year, Kia taught us that vehicular envy isn't unique to the human species. Four wheels are always better than one—even if you're a CGI hamster.

Written by Logan Scherer

You'll have to wait until the big unveiling tomorrow to find out which celebrity took it all off in our latest "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ad, but here's a clue: She can out-sass, out-bake, and now out-strip any of her real co-stars, and frankly, the only thing we have to say to her is "Bravo."

Post your guesses in the comments section, and keep your eyes peeled for this reveal.

Written by Logan Scherer

It was a long, traumatic tumble down into darkness for four ducklings who recently fell into a 12-foot storm drain at a Florida apartment complex. Hungry and helpless, the ducklings were stranded at the bottom of the drain for at least six hours and faced certain death by drowning.

A compassionate passerby discovered these trapped ducklings and immediately called PETA. We contacted two heroic members of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF), and they, along with the local fire department, acted quickly to rescue the ducklings and reunite them with their worried mother, who hovered nearby.

PETA is currently trying to work with the property manager to retrofit these storm drains so that no more animals face this terrible fate.

If you spot an injured, orphaned, or trapped wild animal, please call your local wildlife rehabilitation center and animal control immediately. If that doesn't work, call the fire department. And if necessary, get local media outlets involved! Remember, never to attempt to take care of rescued wildlife yourself—always seek help from a trained professional. And if you ever become aware of a situation that poses obvious danger to wildlife—like an open storm drain in a pond where ducks reside—speak up and ensure that safeguards are implemented. The best way to protect wildlife from life-threatening emergencies is to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Written by Logan Scherer