This whale of a tale is true: Dolphin activist Hayden Panettiere traveled to the White House to thank President Obama for asking Iceland to ban hunting whales and exporting their meat. Fellow ocean-animal advocates Richard Branson and basketball legend Yao Ming are calling for a ban on shark-fin soup in China, where 95 percent of the cruel fare is served.

Yao Ming isn't the only athlete taking action for animals. After being vegetarian for four years, Toronto Maple Leaf Mike Zigomanis has gone vegan as part of his effort to become healthier, stronger, and a better player.

Congratulations to glowing vegan mom Emily Deschanel, who gave birth last week to her first child, son Henry Hornsby. A rockin' congrats also goes out to the inimitable Joan Jett for her well-deserved Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination. She loves rock and roll … as well as chickens, cows, seals, pigs, elephants, and rabbits.

Another award we couldn't help but crack a smile about—furry Kim Kardashian was voted the most annoying celebrity. Maybe kind sis Khloe can teach her how to be more popular.

Speaking of popular­­—Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Maher, and other celebs helped make PETA's White House spay-and-neuter petition one of the first to reach 5,000 signatures and go to the president for review by tweeting about the dog and cat homelessness crisis. You can join Ellen, Bill, and many others in sending a strong message about the importance of spaying and neutering by signing the petition too.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Soon, Greyhound might be driving home the message about the importance of spaying and neutering. PETA is asking Greyhound Lines, Inc., to temporarily switch its well-known moniker to "Spayhound" and/or to "fix" at least one of its buses with this dog-friendly message:

Click image for larger version

 
One Greyhound bus takes an average of 19 cars off the road. Pretty impressive. But just one spay surgery can prevent 67,000 puppies  from being born—the number of puppies whom a female dog and her generations of offspring can produce in just six years. Really impressive.

We've requested a meeting with Grey … er … Spayhound's CEO, and maybe someday soon, you'll be able to hop a ride to Fixburg, Mississippi, or Spaykane, Washington. Meanwhile, whether you have a greyhound or a guess-the-hound, please make sure they get their fix.  

 
Written by Michelle Sherrow

PETA staffer Misty Collins and her dog, Bindi, are competing in the Bissell MVP (Most Valuable Pet) photo contest, and if Bindi wins, Misty gets to donate $10,000 to the animal charity of her choice. She would like to see the prize go to PETA, and if you would too, all you have to do is vote for Bindi.  
 

 
Misty considers Bindi "most valuable" no matter what, but Bindi didn't always have it so easy. On Christmas Day five years ago, a homeless person rang Misty's doorbell with the then 5-week-old puppy wrapped in a trash bag. The woman told Misty that she could have the dog if she bought her a pack of cigarettes. Misty immediately took in the puppy and got her veterinary care and a "snip" at PETA's spay-and-neuter clinic.                                                              

Help Bindi go from trash to cash and help PETA snip many more dogs and cats by voting for Bindi. You can vote once a day through April 5, 2011.

Written by Michelle Sherrow