Did you know that in Ukraine, a dog or cat found wandering the streets can be shot on sight or poisoned and left to suffer? Their bodies are tossed into a cremation truck and burned, and some are reportedly burned while alive. It is estimated that in the city of Kiev alone, 20,000 dogs have already been killed in these cruel ways.

Ukrainian authorities are trying to "cleanse" the country of homeless animals before it hosts the European Football Championship in 2012. At a preliminary match between Germany and Ukraine in Kiev last weekend, members of PETA Germany and the Kiev Society for the Protection of Animals protested, calling on Ukrainian authorities to stop the cruel killings and asking the Union of European Football Associations to get involved.

Many German soccer (known as "football" in other parts of the world) players have now joined PETA Germany in publicly criticizing Ukrainian authorities for the torture of these dogs and demanding that the city use humane methods to manage the homeless animal crisis. The only solution to animal overpopulation is a spay-and-neuter initiative, but in the meantime, the city's unwanted animals at least deserve a peaceful, painless end to their lives.

Please contact the Ukrainian Embassy and politely urge officials to stop these cruel killings immediately. Click here for the e-mail address for your state, or if your state is not listed, you can call 202-333-0606.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Despite emergency veterinary care, an owl who was used as the mascot of Colombian football team Junior de Barranquilla died after Luis Moreno, a member of a visiting team, viciously kicked the bird after the dazed owl—who had already been hit by a ball—wandered out onto the field. Outraged fans watched in horror and disbelief and showered Moreno with cries of "Murderer!" He was escorted from the stadium by guards.

Animals used as team mascots are always the "losers." Housed in cramped, barren cages and denied everything that is natural and important to them, animal mascots often meet very grim ends. A ram used by the University of North Carolina was gutted—his throat was cut and his shoulder was cut off—and at Texas Tech, three horse mascots were killed over a 10-year period.

PETA has appealed to Louisiana State University to stop hauling out a tiger in front of tens of thousands of screaming football fans and asked Baylor University to stop ripping bear cubs from their mothers to become "Baylor bears." You can help by urging schools that are still putting animals at risk to retire their mascots for good.

Written by Jennifer O'Connor

nickarebi/cc by 2.0

Vegan soccer club chair Dale Vince has given red meat the red card, saying that it will no longer be served at the Forest Green Rovers Football Club stadium in Gloucestershire, England.

Vince, who runs green electricity company Ecotricity, first stopped serving red meat to players in order to improve their health and performance. He extended the policy to the whole stadium to make the football club more environmentally friendly. Vince says that the stadium's chefs have added delicious new options to the menu and that he doesn't think the red meat will be missed. With offerings such as yummy veggie burgers on the menu, we don't think so either.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on this Win It Wednesday. The winners of the vegan soccer balls are Keren Genet, Rev. Meg Schramm, and Hannah Claire Jarvis. Congratulations!

The World Cup has just started, and you can already spot the true fans. Dedicated soccer (or, if you prefer, "football") enthusiasts all over the world are breaking out their jerseys and dusting off their giant foam fingers.

Before you start practicing your Ronaldinho moves, don't forget to make sure that your ball is cruelty-free. Many sports balls are made of leather, despite the cruelty and human health risks involved in producing it. Hasn't anyone at FIFA ever been to CowsAreCool.com?

For this week's "Win It" Wednesday, we're giving away leather-free soccer balls from Fair Trade Sports so that cows can keep their skins and you can kick butt on the field.

How do you win? Tell us about your favorite animal-friendly athlete in a comment below. The three most fan-crazed comments will win.

The contest ends on July 1, 2009, and we'll choose one comment as the winner on July 3, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Written by Lianne Turner