It's a girl for Emma Roberts and Evan Peters! After the couple adopted a beautiful dog named Audrey Hepburn, PETA sent the trio a basket filled with toys, treats, and our "Always Root for the Underdog" tees.

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In other celeb news, Alicia Silverstone wants to see animal abusers pay. So when she learned that no charges have been filed against the operators of Global Captive Breeders, LLC, even though authorities seized more than 18,000 rats and 600 reptiles from deplorable conditions in the facility, she swung into action—joining PETA pal Jenna Dewan Tatum—and urging fans through her website and Twitter accounts to add their names to PETA's petition calling on the Riverside County, California, district attorney to file felony cruelty charges against the people who left animals to suffer without food, water, or veterinary care; allowed their cages to flood; and slammed them against hard surfaces in attempts to kill them. And considering Alicia's staunch animal advocacy, this likely won't be the last that the D.A. hears from her.

Many other celebs joined Alicia this week and spread animal-friendly messages throughout the Twitterverse:

Elsewhere in Hollywood:

• Lea Michele will be writing her first book, Brunette Ambition, about how she went from "normal Bronx-born schoolgirl" to a star of one of the highest-rated shows on television. As Lea walks fans through her life, we're sure that her animal advocacy will play a starring role in her narrative.
• Ricky Gervais didn't mince words when GQ asked him about his work to end animal suffering: "When everyone asked, 'What ambition have you got?' I could never think of one. That's the only thing I could think of, that I'd want my life to be: just my house, but I open the back doors and it's like a f****** Disney cartoon. I want f****** muskrats and beavers and horses and three-legged wolves and blind bears. I wouldn't want for anything else. My life now, with every endangered or hurt animal saved."
• As Arrested Development prepares its return, its stars have been giving interviews left and right. And Portia de Rossi has been taking the opportunity to talk up all the benefits of vegan eating, such as weight loss, improved health, and, of course, showing respect for animals. "I really love animals and I don't want to be a part of harming them in any way," she told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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

When one of Ricky Gervais' young fans tweeted the star with the message "my parents agreed if you retweet this they will buy my sister a dog & let you name it," Ricky agreed but with one important stipulation. "A rescue dog tho," he mandated. We would expect nothing less from the man who is a constant voice for homeless animals, urging people to adopt, never buy, and bashing greedy breeders and puppy mills. And like many compassionate celebrities, Ricky consistently uses his Twitter account to reach millions of people with animal-friendly messages.

We can always count on Ricky to get an animal rights point across while he's making people laugh. And Jon Stewart did, too, with The Daily Show's humorous coverage of Iran's launching a monkey into space: "Iran, you think the CIA is tough? You just got PETA on your ass, and those guys don't f**k around." We'd love to hear Jon's take on Funny or Die's spot-on spoof of Dodge Ram's pandering "God Made a Farmer" Super Bowl ad, "God Made a Factory Farmer." 

And Waka Flocka Flame's hilarious Instagram photo had us laughing at how ridiculous people look in fur:

Happily, Beyoncé went fur-free at the Super Bowl, but she draped herself in python skin, iguana skin, and leather instead. PETA is urging the singer to take a cue from other beautiful, talented performers such as Carrie Underwood, who puts on a dynamic show in cruelty-free fashions. 

And it was the epitome of a dynamic cruelty-free show when Vaute Couture designer Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart presented the first completely vegan runway show at New York Fashion Week. Celebrities are flocking to the line, which is named after "haute couture" but spelled with a "v" for vegan.

New York isn't the only city celebrating cruelty-free fashion. Across the pond, our affiliate PETA U.K. presented the first-ever Vegan Fashion Awards, with celeb judges Sadie Frost and Meg Mathews honoring animal-friendly fashion from top designers and retailers such as Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Topshop. 

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

Wrongdoers, watch out—wearing animals' skins and fur is a total (and literal) rip-off, but PETA, as always, is on the case! October has been declared Crime Prevention Month by the National Crime Prevention Council, and we're glad to do our part here at The PETA Files—after all, it's the least any animal advocate could do for a group whose symbol is a dog.

What happens to animals who are killed for their skins may not be illegal in many places (yet), but it's a flagrant violation of their rights. Confined to cages, caught in steel-jaw traps, subjected to cruel abuses, nailed to trees, suffocated, electrocuted, gassed, poisoned, bludgeoned, hanged, and often skinned alive—together, it's a crime against common decency.

PETA (and Pals) on Patrol

So PETA's walking the beat and throwing the book at offenders. The fabulous PETA "fashion police"—gotta love a cop in pleather!—hit the city streets to hand out tickets for leathery larceny and felony fur-flaunting. They've even braved that most hostile of precincts, New York Fashion Week, where they issued a citation to the cruelest of all fur hags, Vogue's Anna Wintour, proving that they never miss the meaner misdemeanors.

Some of PETA's famous friends are taking on crime-busting duties, too. Pink and Ricky Gervais use their voices to call out the skin trade for what it really is—theft—in PETA's attention-getting "Stolen for Fashion" video, while Tim Gunn reminds everyone that these aren't victimless crimes. Then there's the animals' own wonder woman, Pamela Anderson, who gets the message across that "cruelty doesn't fly" (with a little help from Steve-O, Andy Dick, and Carol Leifer) as only she can:

What You Can Do

Keep on the straight and narrow—sign PETA's pledge that you'll shed everyone's skin but your own!

Forks Over Knives continues to change the way that America eats. Kristen Bell and fiancé Dax Shepard have both gone vegan after seeing it.

Another awesome Kristin—Kristin Chenoweth—is throwing her support behind her Glee costar Lea Michele's campaign to get horse-drawn carriages out of New York City. Chenoweth tweeted her disgust at seeing the miserable horses and is asking the New York City Council to ban the carriages.

Anjelica Huston is taking a stand against horse-drawn carriages while working in New York. The Smash star criticized the cruel carriage industry on Piers Morgan Tonight, and guest host Rosie O'Donnell agreed, "It does seem absurdly cruel." Anjelica continued speaking out for animals, deeming it "unconscionable" to orphan baby apes and force them to act.

And as always, Ricky Gervais continues to keep Twitter abuzz for animals, this week posting, "you can't justify torturing an animal for a shampoo."

Photo: Robert Sebree; Makeup: Chantal Moore for The Cloutier Agency

Steve-O agrees that animals don't belong in laboratories. He wrote to U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California to ask her to support the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, which would ban the use of chimpanzees in experiments.

Fellow vegan and tattoo aficionado Travis Barker is raising health-conscious, animal-friendly kids who share their dad's penchant for vegan eating.

Nikki Reed and husband Paul McDonald welcomed a new "kid" into their family—a beautiful rescued dog.

To keep up on all the latest celebrity animal news, follow @PETA on Twitter.

While out for a run, teen bride Courtney Stodden proves there's no wrong way to show off your vegetarian pride.

NASCAR driver Andy Lally keeps his motor running with healthy vegan foods.

When Denise Richards tweeted to PETA asking for vegan cookbook recommendations, we not only told her about some but also sent 'em to her, and she tweeted her thanks.

Liam Hemsworth might be in puppy love—he got a rescued dog from girlfriend Miley Cyrus for his birthday. She asked her Twitter followers always to adopt, never buy, joining the roster of celebrity sweet tweeters:

Maybe James Franco was inspired by Rise of the Planet of the Apes to join Kevin Nealon and a host of other celebrities in support of the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, which aims to get great apes out of laboratories.

One of the great apes' staunchest supporters, Dr. Jane Goodall, is featured on Beliefnet.com's picks for the Top 10 Animal Rights Activists. Click here to see the full list, which includes heavy hitters such as Bob Barker, Ric O'Barry, and Russell Simmons.

Another heavy hitter, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk is making headlines for not mincing words. Asked what she thought about Real Housewives of New York star Cindy Barshop's real-fur merkins, she responded, "It's outright sleazy, and it's downright cruel to kill an animal to decorate your privates." We'll leave you with that.

It's officially award season, the time of year when our televisions are dominated by red carpets, elegant gowns, and hilarious Ricky Gervais zingers—and oh, yeah, awards are given out too. If animals had submitted the Golden Globes ballots, the roster of winners might have looked pretty similar to Sunday's lineup:

Friend of fowl Kate Winslet grabbed a Best Actress statue for her work in the miniseries Mildred Pierce, and vegetarian Peter Dinklage snagged a Best Supporting Actor prize for Game of Thrones.

In another television category, one of my favorite comedies, Modern Family, with young star and peta2 supporter Sarah Hyland, claimed top honors.

Over on the big screen, The Artist, which includes the beloved animal advocate James Cromwell in its highly talented—albeit silent—cast, cleaned up with wins for Best Actor, Best Picture, and Best Original Score.

Congrats to all the winners, and thanks for helping animals win too!

We all know about "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but what about "The 12 Days of Rickmas"? Ricky Gervais is doing his own take on the classic carol on Twitter. On the first day of Rickmas, you should give your true love your signature on a petition to ban the tiger-skin trade. On the second day of Rickmas, you can give your true love whatever you like, just so long as it isn't anything furry—dead or alive.

What will Ricky recommend next? A ban on foie gras? A donation to an animal rights group? The suspense is like … waiting for Christmas. 

What was the grooviest thing about having hippie parents? Growing up listening to Donovan. Seriously, my mother almost named me "Jennifer Juniper." Instead she went for something more mainstream—Skylark.

And I'm sure he hears it all the time, but I'm not exaggerating when I say that I'm Donovan's biggest fan. Star-struck? Yes, consider me struck. What's even more striking is that this folk/pop legend lent his anti–seal slaughter anthem "Celia of the Seals" to this heart-wrenching new video:

Here's what the "Sunshine Superman" had to say about his song and putting an end to the war on baby seals:

Celia of the Seals, we know just how you feel. So for the love of Donovan, help us get the word out by showing this video to everyone you know!

Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth

While we here in the States are focused on recently discovered godly gluten, the folks at PETA Germany have offered the Catholic Church the "Veggie-Shroud" to fill the void when the Shroud of Turin is retired on Sunday.

Debate abounds over the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, but there's no mystery surrounding the powerful message put forth by the clearly defined slaughtered pig depicted in the "Veggie-Shroud": Animals who end up on a dinner plate "died for the diet sins of mankind."

While we wait to find out whether the Catholic Church will agree to display the "Veggie Shroud," won't you urge everyone you know to find savory salvation from the universal cruelty and unholy unhealthiness of flesh-based diets? Catholics, atheists, Muslims, and people of all faiths and views are coming together to say, "Praise Seitan!"

Written by Karin Bennett

Victory Update: Following a year of vigorous campaigning, PETA has learned that government officials have grounded plans for a cruel and ineffective radiation experiment on monkeys. Learn more about this victory for monkeys.

Who wouldn't, right? Earlier this month, we asked our Twitter followers to let everyone know what they'd rather do than torment animals in NASA's cruel radiation experiments.

If you haven't heard, NASA plans to spend $1.75 million of our tax dollars to fund an experiment that entails irradiating squirrel monkeys, socially isolating them in barren cages, and then watching what happens to their minds and bodies. Effects of the radiation exposure may include blindness, brain tumors, and cancer. This is why we pay taxes?

Check out these creative Tweets from the tweeps who are exposing NASA's monkey-torment plan:

And if you haven't yet, let NASA know how you feel. It's not too late, tweeple!

Written by Paula Moore