Chaka Khan says all she wants to do is keep eating vegan—because she no longer needs medication for type 2 diabetes. And as a bonus, the singer with the big voice is now quite a bit smaller—to the tune of 60 pounds!

Bethenny Frankel's little daughter Bryn probably doesn't even weigh 60 pounds yet, but she's already setting herself up for a lifetime of good health. Bethenny says the 2-year-old chooses not to eat meat but loves her veggies.

Vegan dynamo Ellen DeGeneres never lets an opportunity to speak up for animals pass her by—and she's making sure Adam Levine doesn't either. Adam was chatting with Ellen on her show about his new habit of holding up a piece of paper with a charitable message written on it when the shutterbugs are snapping his picture. So Ellen gave him the perfect ready-made sign: "Please rescue animals."

Steve-O says his dogs rescued him. He credits the love of his two rescued dogs with helping him kick drugs and alcohol. So he's helping dogs by urging other guardians to be kind to their pups and never force them to wear shock collars. "It's horribly painful," he says. "You have to be pretty cruel to put that on a dog."

Miley Cyrus is a gal on a mission to end animal homelessness and is making it a family affair. Miley and her family went straight to a rescue organization to adopt a dog, and she tweeted PETA her excitement over the new pup and the rescued pig PETA sponsored for her birthday. 

Add Liam Gallagher to the list of outspoken animal-friendly celebrities. His clothing line, Pretty Green, is an oasis for animals who are typically killed for their fur—Liam proudly uses only faux.

To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter. 

When PETA's Community Animal Project (CAP) fieldworkers first met the sickly Lab mix they had received a call about, her condition broke their hearts. She was covered with fleas and ticks, was malnourished from too many days of going hungry, and was limping because of an injured back leg. Her owner had skipped town, pausing just long enough to tell his neighbor that he was leaving his dog behind and that the neighbor could "have her."

Instead, the neighbor phoned PETA for help. It wasn't CAP's first encounter with the dog's owner. He had let her have a litter of puppies and had called PETA asking us to find homes for them all. Fieldworkers had taken the puppies to the Virginia Beach SPCA for adoption, and now they were meeting the pups' mother. Despite all that she had been through, the sweet dog nuzzled her head under their hands and happily wagged her tail, grateful to be getting a bit of affection.

Back at PETA's Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters, a veterinarian determined that the dog was suffering from heartworm disease and that she had been shot in the leg months ago but was never treated for the injury. She would require heartworm treatment and extensive surgery on her leg. Fortunately, the dog with the dark past and the bright eyes had already captured a PETA Foundation staffer's heart. Robin had just lost one of her dogs, and something about this little girl's soulful eyes spoke to her. Within a few hours of the pup's arrival at PETA, she had a new home.

She also had a new name—Maggie—and four new canine siblings with whom she instantly bonded. Robin got her in to see her vet right away, and after hearing Maggie's story, he decided to help Robin out with the expensive treatments that Maggie would require. A bone graft, two rods, two screws, and a cast later, Maggie was on the mend.

With heartworm treatment and good food, she gained 20 pounds, and Robin reports that she can practically see herself in Maggie's shiny coat. Now she is a joyous, bouncy girl who loves to swim, go to the dog park, and "review" her guardians' DVDs (she gave Harry Potter two paws down—but it tasted delicious!). After likely getting no affection her entire life, Maggie soaks it up now, and she will gladly play from sunup to sundown.

Maggie's life, like her bowl, was once empty. Now her cup runneth over. 

When a woman contacted PETA with information about trucks jammed full of birds routinely driving through her area, she added that two chickens had fallen off a truck that morning. She had taken them home with her, where she gave them food, water, and bedding.

One of the injured birds had died, and the other was unable to stand. PETA's Cruelty Investigations Division urged the woman to take the surviving bird to a nearby veterinarian right away. The doctor found that the chicken was suffering from two broken legs and was so profoundly overweight (like many chickens raised for meat) that even if he were able to heal her legs, she would never be able to bear weight on them or have a decent quality of life. He recommended that the anguished hen be euthanized right away—a far gentler end than she would have faced in the pandemonium at the slaughterhouse.

What You Can Do

If you see any animal in trouble, please don't turn away—provide help, even if the kindest option is a humane release from suffering. You can also save lives by going vegan: Every penny spent on meat, milk, or eggs funds the institutionalized torture of countless animals like these two chickens.

Some folks have wondered what the dog and cat (and occasionally lizard and rat and seagull and chicken) rooms at PETA headquarters look like. Well, they don't usually look like this …

 
"Who? Me?"

… but this one did just a few hours after the little dog seen here, Precious—a dachshund mix—arrived for a pajama party. Everything seemed quiet after she had been taken for a long, long walk, but by 5:30 a.m., the couch was down to the wooden frame. Who'd have guessed that such a little dog could wreak so much havoc?

Dogs often tear things up when they feel bored, frustrated, or anxious. If your home contains a canine demolition crew, make sure their need for stimulation and attention is being met. Provide plenty of playtime, tummy rubs, and walks (a reputable dog walker can help when you can't get home yourself), and please don't crate them—after all, they're dogs, not cargo.

Sometimes, though, you have to cut your losses—literally: The sofa had to be chopped in half with a chain saw and thrown out. While Precious was being spayed in one of PETA's mobile clinics, staffers were at the Hope House thrift shop picking up a comfy new (or, rather, gently used) couch. And, hey, at least she had fun!

Want to help animals in need—and, perhaps, replace a shredded sofa or two? Join PETA.

It's a boy for Tommy Lee and his girlfriend, singer and dancer Sofia Toufa. On National Puppy Day, the pair rescued their new pup, Bowie, from a shelter.

Mia anelli

Of course, Tommy rescued his new best friend rather than buying him. What else would we expect from a guy who chooses ink over mink, blasts SeaWorld, and famously gave a homeless man $100 with the caveat, "Just don't buy KFC"? 

Congratulations to the proud puppy "parents"!

Last Labor Day weekend, Buddy and Copper were among the dogs sitting in barren, filthy cages at animal testing hellhole Professional Laboratory and Research Services, Inc. (PLRS). But this Labor Day weekend, the two friends are rolling in the grass, playing with other dogs, and being loved and petted at Kindness Ranch.

Courtesy Emile Hallez Williams

Kindness Ranch helps animals rescued from laboratories to heal from the torture that they've endured and finds them permanent homes. When recent visitor and PETA pal Dan Hanley met Buddy and Copper, he was inspired to write about them on his website, calling them "complete loves." Even after everything humans have put them through, these two dogs still have lots of love to give.

A PETA undercover investigation of PLRS found that dogs there spent years in cages, being force-fed experimental compounds and infested with worms. Besides the torment of the experiments themselves, laboratory workers screamed and cursed at the dogs, used pressure hoses to spray them with water and harsh chemicals, and dragged them when they would not walk. After PETA released the evidence from the investigation, PLRS shut its doors and surrendered Buddy, Copper, and nearly 250 other animals. Almost a year later, Buddy and Copper are learning to trust. Hanley said that Buddy wiggled right onto his lap, anxious for the love that he was denied for so long. Copper is a bit more reserved, and sudden movements and loud noises frighten him. He slowly makes his way toward new people, still scared but also longing for a kind word or gentle touch. After life in a cage, both dogs love to go for walks and feel soft grass beneath their paws.

By next Labor Day, Buddy's and Copper's lives will probably have changed again. By that time, they will both have homes and families to call their own.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

PETA's headquarters is hundreds of miles away from central Illinois, but that didn't stop PETA's Emergency Rescue Team (ERT) from coordinating the rescue of a mother dog and her nine newborn puppies, who were huddling in a barrel in the backyard of an abandoned house in a rural town without an animal shelter. A concerned woman alerted PETA to the situation, and ERT's staffers worked with the city's small police department to quickly get the dogs out of there and into a rescue group, where they are now safe, sound, and awaiting adoption.

Check out these tips on what to do if you spot animal abuse. Remember, cruelty to animals is a crime! Please, if you know of an animal in trouble, report it to your local police department and animal control immediately. Follow up with them to make sure that action is taken! Rally your friends, liaise with rescue groups, go to the media, and never, ever give up!

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

PETA has given a Compassionate Action Award to three Ohio schoolteachers and a local firefighter for rescuing a dog who was trapped in the middle of an icy river.

Shelli Smith and Christy Lawrence spotted the dog, who was stranded on the frozen Maumee River, and stopped to help. After getting advice from fellow teacher and animal advocate Lynn Henderman, the pair called for help. Washington Township firefighter Mel Russell ventured out onto the ice in a hovercraft and eventually managed to pull the frightened animal to safety. The happy mutt will be put up for adoption if he is not claimed.

Rescues can take many different forms, from speaking up to paying up. Please, never walk past or drive by an animal in trouble. Review these tips so you'll be ready to spring into action!

Written by Jennifer O'Connor

I'm one of the few folks who saw TRON in the theater during its original 1982 release. Of course, after it came out on video, the film acquired a fervent following. In fact, it has become so popular that it has now inspired a brand-new sequel, TRON: Legacy, which opens on Friday. As if I wasn't already psyched enough to see it, I've learned that when the main character, Sam, is reunited with his dad after 20 years, Sam says that he has a dog to whom he is devoted and who "is a rescue." It's a smart way of showing that Sam's a great guy. Kudos to the filmmakers for making the point that people who care about animals always adopt and never buy.

Written by Jeff Mackey

Many television viewers got goose bumps—and were a little teary-eyed—when Mario Sepulveda, the second rescued Chilean miner, jubilantly roused the crowd into cheering along with him: "Chi! Chi! Chi! Le! Le! Le!" But he touched our hearts with the three little words that he spoke to his wife upon emerging from the underground dungeon: "Como está la perra? (How's the dog?)"

Vacationers who leave their beloved animals behind at home know that the pining can be intense—for both humans and mystified animals ("Where did they go?" "Are they ever coming back?")—long before day six rolls around. Imagine how much Mr. Sepulveda and his friend missed each other after being apart for more than 69 days.  

To celebrate Mr. Sepulveda's joyous reunion with his dog, PETA is sending him a gift basket full of dog treats and toys.

Written by Karin Bennett