Written by Michelle Kretzer
How tweet it is: Ricky Martin announced to fans over Twitter that he's gone vegetarian! To help the singer get his bon-bon in top form, PETA sent him a vegetarian/vegan starter kit, copies of "Glass Walls" in both English and Spanish, and a cookbook of vegan recipes for Latin food lovers, Viva Vegan.
A little birdie also told us that many other celebrities were tweeting for animals this week as well:
Maybe Ricky will start his twin sons out on the healthy veggie path, too? Emily Deschanel is doing just that with her little one, Henry: She told Mother Nature Network, "We are raising Henry vegetarian; he will be mostly vegan and always have a choice in the matter, but we will educate him about why we make the choices we do with our food."
And vegan racecar driver Leilani Münter is putting her cause célèbre on the fast track. After the success of her Cove–themed racecar last season, this year Leilani is aiming to burn rubber in a vegan-themed car that will expose 80 million NASCAR fans to the benefits of plant-based foods.
After we're done cheering for Leilani, we'll be switching the channel over to this season of Dancing With the Stars to root for our buds Andy Dick and Kellie Pickler.
And when the cameras were pointed at Russell Simmons during New York Fashion Week, they may have gotten more than they bargained for. One of animals' greatest defenders, Simmons took the opportunity to express his feelings about fur:
I did see something that hurt my heart and it has nothing to do with Max [Azria] only, it has to do with the whole industry: the use of so much fur. And my first instinct was it must be fake—because it hurt my heart. … I just wish that all the designers would reconsider because there's such great Italian fake fur, there's such great Japanese fake fur, so much beautiful fake fur.
To keep up with what Russell and all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.
It's fitting that Rosa Parks' birthday, February 4, has been designated the Day of Courage. Parks is, of course, famous for her work to end segregation and racism, beginning with her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger and continuing with her leadership during the bus boycotts that followed. But Parks soon broadened her base to include others who needed to be freed from the yoke of oppression: animals. She was a vegetarian for more than 40 years.
In fact, many civil rights leaders, past and present, have maintained that as long as one form of prejudice exists, no form of prejudice can be completely eradicated, and thus, civil rights and animal rights are inextricably linked:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that it is right."
codepinkhq | cc by 2.0
Alice Walker: "If I'm eating food I know was a creature in a cage, it brings up memories of segregation and the stories from my ancestors, of being in captivity and denied their personalities, their true beings. Animals were not made for us, or our use. They have their own use, which is just being who they are."
Mangostar | cc by 2.0
Cesar Chavez: "Kindness and compassion towards all living beings is a mark of a civilized society. Racism, economic deprival, dog fighting and cock fighting, bullfighting and rodeos are all cut from the same defective fabric: violence. Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well ourselves."
© StarMaxInc.com
The Rev. Al Sharpton: "So I say if KFC wants to take [African-Americans'] money, and use it to pay for sloppy practices that hurt animals, I say we send them a message that this is not going to happen. I'm calling on people to boycott KFC until they adopt animal welfare systems recommended by PETA."
Russell Simmons: "The more I opened myself up to the idea of the full scope of exactly what non-violence translates to, the less interested I became in consuming the energy associated with the flesh of an animal that only knew suffering in his/her life and pain and terror in its death. "
Rosa Parks did not just refuse to give up her seat on the bus. She refused to give up her humanity. She refused to accept oppression as "how things are." In honor of her, please encourage your friends and family to do away with the last of their personal prejudices by sharing the quotation above that speaks to you the most on your social-networking sites.
Fashionistas around the globe were in for a treat when Tim Gunn released his third book, Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. Animals were in for a treat, too, when Tim devoted nearly half his chapter "Coats and Jackets" to explaining "why fur belongs in the dustbin of history." He discussed how, during his tenure at Liz Claiborne, Inc., he agreed to meet with PETA Vice President Dan Mathews to discuss the possibility of the 46 Liz brands, which include Juicy Couture and Kate Spade, going fur-free. "[O]ver time," Tim remembered, "I became convinced that fur was unnecessary and even immoral." Liz Claiborne is completely fur-free, thanks to Tim, as is Project Runway. And if Tim has his way, the rest of the fashion industry won't be far behind.
While Tim strutted his animal-friendly stuff during the opening number at the Emmys, Carrie Ann Inaba was using the occasion to speak up for animals, too, tweeting at her Dancing With the Stars fans, "And even though it's a big day for all of us in Hollywood, let's not forget the animals… Help animals in need!!" She then posted a link to a video about why everyone should adopt, never buy.
Elsewhere on Twitter, Wisconsin native Kristin Bauer was appalled by the University of Wisconsin–Madison's cruel cat laboratories, Kat Graham had a colorful way to describe being vegan, and Sam Simon cracked us up:
Candace Parker wasn't at the Emmys, but she still scooped up an award. The fur foe snagged the Player of the Month Award for the WNBA's Western Conference, and we're sure that animals would agree that it couldn't have gone to a nicer person.
Maybe Candace felt as "damn good" about her honor as Dax Shepherd said his vegan diet makes him feel.
The Boss must be feeling pretty good, too. Bruce Springsteen just turned 63, and he is still rocking, thanks to his primarily vegetarian diet and his passion for exercise.
Vegan Russell Simmons is always doing something rocking for animals. After an African safari in which he got to see animals in the wild, he spoke out against circuses and zoos, writing on his Global Grind website: "These magnificent animals I encountered on the safari aren't riding on bicycles or jumping through rings of fire like kids see them do at the horribly cruel circuses where they are routinely beaten and neglected. These great beasts were tending to their young, running free and just being left alone to live their lives."
Carrie Underwood might not have the same musical tastes as Russell, but the two are singing the same tune when it comes to animal rights. The country songbird posted a picture of a chipmunk she took to her veterinarian after her dog tried to eat the little animal. Dale, as she called the chipmunk, was fine and was happily released back into nature.
Model Joanna Krupa was a model of compassion when she rescued a lost dog she spotted during a hike. After a long chase, she was able to catch the dog, read his tags, and call his thankful guardians.
Al Roker made another dog grateful recently when he adopted a 10-week-old puppy named Pepper from an animal shelter. PETA helped the Roker family welcome their newest member with some fun toys and treats.
To keep up with what your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.
Our fur protest at New York Fashion Week got legs when Kimora Lee Simmons stopped by. Russell Simmons' Global Grind website tweeted a lovely picture of the demonstration with a shout-out to Kimora and PETA. The fashion designer last showed off her heavenly gams for us in an ad asking people to "be an angel for dogs."
Elsewhere on Twitter, Rosie O'Donnell made us all jealous with a picture of her delicious vegan lunch.
While gearing up for his fashion week runway show, cruelty-free designer John Bartlett told one reporter, "I go crazy when I see people talking about how much they love their dog but they still wear fur—much of the fur that's coming from China is from cats and dogs."
John will fall head-over-leather-free-heels for Nicole Richie's new clothing line: It will use faux fur and fake leather.
People in New York for fashion week are no doubt seeing horses being forced to pull carriages around the city's hot, congested streets. But the horses have a new advocate: Randall, of "that crazy honey badger" video fame, has a new viral video just for the horses.
The Boss's daughter is speaking up for horses, too. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is reportedly a big Bruce Springsteen fan, so Jessica Springsteen is calling on Christie to sign a bill that would ban horse slaughter in the state.
Want some tea and pastries with your alt rock? Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan is opening a tea shop in Chicago that will offer "vegan pastries from all spheres ."
To keep up with what your favorite celebs are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.
What better way to spend your birthday than being with the people you love, eating great food, and doing something good for animals! That's exactly how Carey Hart celebrated—with wife Pink and a vegan meal at San Francisco eatery Prospect.
Beantown is a great place to be vegan, too, as Tobey Maguire confirmed while munching on nondairy sweets at vegan ice cream shop FoMu.
Vegetarian Colbie Caillat is getting bubbly over cruelty-free skincare. The singer is the new face of Lily.B, an all-natural product line.
And beauty Pamela Anderson networked for animals on Twitter this week (as she does every week) asking her followers to help end the cruelty of the Calgary Stampede.
Bucking ropes are used to enrage animals in rodeos. The rope is tightly cinched around the animals’ abdomens, which causes them to buck vigorously to try to rid themselves of the torment.Ashley Bayles|cc by 2.0
A host of other celebs joined Pam in staying atwitter for animals:
Mariah Carey is rumored to be considering joining American Idol and bringing the show a much-needed breath of fur-free air. Years ago, when one of Mariah's fans, who clearly had more money than taste, sent her a pair of fur coats, she promptly donated the offending skins to PETA.
Fur is running out of places to hide, as Russell Simmons banned it from his news and lifestyle website, GlobalGrind.
To keep up with what all your favorite stars are doing for animals, follow @PETA on Twitter.
Written by Jeff Mackey
In the wake of New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's anti-obesity proposal to ban the sale of large sugary drinks in the Big Apple, hip-hop mogul, philanthropist, and New Yorker Russell Simmons has written to the city's health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley, on PETA's behalf, asking that the ban be extended to include fattening—and cholesterol-laden—cow's milk.
adria.richards|cc by 2.0
As a vegan, Russell knows about the health benefits of plant-centered nutrition. He explained to Dr. Farley how kids who drink large amounts of milk are more likely to become overweight. Plus, unlike soda, punch, or lemonade, dairy products are loaded with dangerous artery-clogging cholesterol, raising the health risks even higher.
Be your own health commissioner—for your waistline and your heart, ban dairy products in favor of delicious milk, cheese, and ice cream made from soy, almonds, rice, coconuts, and other healthy and humane plant sources. PETA's Vegan Shopping Guide can help you get started!
With all due respect to the Piano Man, I don't really agree that the sinners have more fun than the saints. Most North Dakotans don't either—their state boasts the second-highest percentage of Christians in the nation.
When PETA saw that statistic, we had an epiphany (if you'll pardon the pun) and decided that we should erect this billboard in North Dakota:
Photo: Sarah McColgan/www.sarahmccolgan.com|Hair: Maisha Oliver|Makeup: Marina Gravani for Artists by Timothy Priano
Angela Simmons isn't just paying lip service to the cause. Rev Run's daughter and the cofounder of Pastry shoes is a devout Christian who practices "thou shalt not kill" every time she sits down to eat. She credits the Bible and her uncle, vegan hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, with inspiring her cruelty-free diet.
One glance at Angela's figure might make a person think, "Have mercy!"—and that's exactly how she does it. By following Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful …," Angela keeps her vegetarian bod lean and also saves animals from abuse on factory farms and the horror of slaughterhouses.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to place our billboard in North Dakota, but you have to admit that it's pretty divine, huh?
Anyone can have a heavenly body and be angelic to animals simply by not eating meat. Of course, darling, only the meat-eaters die young. Well, they're certainly more likely to.
Of course, PETA loves cheering for Team Peeta, but Josh Hutcherson has really stepped up his game for animals. The Hunger Games hottie adopted a pit bull puppy from a California animal shelter, and now the dog's broken femur and broken heart are both on the mend.
Hollywood may be experiencing a second baby boom this year. Marie Osmond adopted a new dog, and Miranda Lambert tweeted that it was "being discussed" whether or not she and hubby Blake Shelton would keep a stray dog she had just rescued.
There were plenty of other discussions about animal issues going on elsewhere in the Twitterverse:
In her post for Global Grind, Simone Reyes wrote in depth about PETA's dairy farm investigation and made a great case for why milk is bad for our bodies and for animals.
Simone's boss, Russell Simmons, dissed milk, too, when he wrote to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo explaining why milk shouldn't be the official state beverage.
Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz noshed on cruelty-free vegan ice cream on Bones, and Gwen Stefani grabbed a healthy vegan lunch with her son Zuma.
Beloved actor Michael Clarke Duncan from The Green Mile is keeping his mile-high frame in shape with a green vegetarian diet. The star of the new show The Finder is also a huge animal lover!
Our pal Russell Simmons tweeted about the letter that we sent to his pal Dr. Dre regarding his ear atrocities, while Ashley Judd was busy asking her Twitter followers not to patronize circuses:
The Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act has a new ally—Harry's Law. A recent episode tackled the issue of whether apes could be defined as persons under the law, with Kathy Bates' character arguing, "Apes are a lot less inhuman than we would like to think....There's a qualitative shift happening in the way we view the animal world, especially when it comes to apes."
Carrie Underwood always views the animal world as deserving protection. When she spotted an injured dog on the highway, she pulled over, bundled up the dog, and gently loaded her into the car. After the animal received emergency veterinary care, Underwood took the dog to her house to recover and cried when she had to say goodbye after finding the pup an adoptive home.
Underwood was PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian of 2005, and plenty of other sexy stars have turned heads to change hearts. Check out the Mirror's ranking of PETA and our affiliates' top naked celebrity ads.
Written by PETA
In honor of Father's Day, here are some fathers who are friends to the furry, feathered, and finned. We had way too many great dads like Kevin Nealon, Bryan Adams, Woody Harrelson, Iggy Pop, and Chad Ochocinco to choose from, so here are just a few of the fellas who make us glad for awesome dads:
Written by Michelle Sherrow
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
Follow PETA on Twitter!