Tongues are already wagging over Joanna Krupa's latest PETA ad, but not everyone is showering this angel for animals with love and support. More specifically, the Catholic League had some not-so-nice things to say. Always on her toes, the Dancing With the Stars alum was swift to come to the defense of her newest ad by releasing the following statement about why she chose to pose for us:

Written by Shawna Flavell

Or, rather, holy smokin'…

If Joanna Krupa's previously released ad about animal adoptions somehow escaped anyone's attention, today the supermodel and Dancing With the Stars alum joined PETA for a protest outside a Los Angeles pet store to reveal the racier version of her compassionate message.

Joanna is taking action against pet shops and puppy mills that cash in by selling animals. Not only did she pose for several sultry ads with a bevy of rescued dogs and participate in the protest today, she also did a behind-the-scenes interview for us and discussed the ad yesterday during an appearance on Lopez Tonight, where George Lopez called her new ad "the hottest photo in the history of animal cruelty prevention."

Joanna aims to urge all future companion animal guardians to adopt animals from shelters, where millions of animals wait for their forever homes. She says, "[T]hey're in these little tiny cages, and all they're doing is breeding their whole life. It makes me so angry that our government doesn't do anything about it. So I am!" No matter if a person is determined to get a puppy or bent on a purebred (or even a purebred puppy!), there's no excuse to buy a puppy or a kitten from a pet store or breeder. Ever. Period.

Written by Karin Bennett

utne / CC

Scotland is a land of mysteries. Does Nessie exist? Do bagpipe players really go "commando" under their kilts? And are the forces of "cosmic justice" at work, protecting the country's harassed, maimed, and hunted animals? That last one was recently answered: Sometimes.

Today's installment of "Payback Is Hell" was made possible by hunters, a dog, and a gun. The Mirror reports that two Scottish hunters who were shooting geese were themselves left bloodied and injured after their dog stepped on an unattended shotgun. Unable to duck for cover, each man was shot in his leg; one also took a hit in his hand.

The lesson here is no mystery. Always choose to be kind, not cruel, to animals.

Written by Karin Bennett

Elizabeth Carlisle—the former Petland employee who drowned two rabbits in the backroom of a store in Akron, Ohio, and then posted a now-infamous photo of the animals on Facebook—recently pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty to animals.

Carlisle's case caused a media storm and drew attention to the epidemic of animal abuse at pet stores across the country. Time after time, undercover investigations have revealed that Carlisle's shocking behavior is par for the course at places where animals are bred and sold. Although the Akron store has been closed, Petland continues to sell animals at its stores across the country, meaning that many more animals just like Carlisle's victims are at risk. Take action now and urge Petland to stop selling rabbits forever.

Written by Logan Scherer

When we think of our nation's capital, freedom and justice immediately come to mind. But there's nothing just about the fur industry, in which millions of animals are skinned alive each year. That's why, as a boost to PETA's "Make D.C. Fur-Free" campaign, we're launching a "Fur-Free and Fabulous" ad blitz from the streets to the subway, starting with a van wrapped in this alluring ad:

Elegant, dazzling, and vogue, these stars are sure to stop traffic with their compassionate fashion. We're turning roads into runways to showcase the impeccable, cruelty-free style sensibilities of chic celebrities from Carrie Underwood to Michelle Obama and from Tyra Banks to Oprah Winfrey. And the commuting runway won't be just above ground—we're also going subterranean with our new ad, spreading the anti-fur message throughout the Metro. Fashion show on the subway? Yes. We. Can.

Want to cast your vote for cruelty-free fashion? Take our pledge to make D.C. fur-free, and if you know people who insist on draping themselves in the skins of dead animals, consider stuffing their stockings with this video narrated by the fabulous Tim Gunn.

Written by Logan Scherer

British socialite Tamara Ecclestone exudes high-class elegance—so it's no surprise that she despises cruel foie gras. Following PETA U.K.'s recent victory in getting Selfridges to stop selling the "delicacy of despair," Tamara—the gorgeous Sky Sports TV presenter and daughter of Formula One racing magnate Bernie Ecclestone—has taken it all off in the name of compassion.

To produce foie gras, workers force metal pipes down the throats of ducks and geese and pump up to 4 pounds of grain into their stomachs two or three times a day in order to cause their livers to become engorged. This overfeeding is excruciatingly painful and often causes the animals' organs to rupture. Foie gras production is so cruel that it has been banned in 16 countries, including the U.K., but inexplicably, retailers and restaurants in England are still allowed to sell it. To help end the suffering of these animals, follow Tamara's titillating lead and take our "No Foie Gras" pledge today.

Written by Logan Scherer

justpressplay.today / CC

Confession: I've rewatched the final performance of "True Colors" from last week's Glee episode on my DVR like it's my job. And lucky for me, it is. My Gleekdom isn't entirely work-related, but with so many compassionate actors on the show, I need to tune in. First, Lea Michele spoke up for horses by posing for an ad against horse-drawn carriages, and now comes this tasty tidbit from Jenna Ushkowitz about her Thanksgiving:

Ushkowitz joins tons of other celebrities who enjoy cruelty-free meals and save lives every day of the year.

Written by Logan Scherer

wallpaperbase / CC

My interest in CBS's Amazing Race started to wane when PETA pal Mike White and his dad were bumped from the show.

Well, the announcement that scientists in Holland have created a sort of pork in a petri dish means a different kind of amazing race is on—one that can save tens of millions of animals every year. As you may recall, PETA announced earlier this year that we'll pay $1 million to the first team of scientists who could create test-tube chicken flesh that looks and tastes like the "real deal" by June 30, 2012.

The Dutch scientists definitely have their work cut out for them if they're to grab PETA's reward money. The article says their "meat" is presently a gooey blob that "requires exercise, like human muscles, to turn it into a tougher steak-like consistency" and that they expect to have laboratory meat within five years. It doesn't sound appetizing—yet—and five years is a little after our contest deadline, but we're hopeful that they'll work out the kinks and apply their findings to create in vitro chicken flesh for public consumption in time to win the prize.

Until then, my animal-defending compadres and I will keep serving up mouthwatering Gardein to entice meat-lovers to kick their cruel, unhealthy meat addictions.

Written by Karin Bennett

Post-Thanksgiving bliss is a beautiful thing. You're so full you can barely move, and you can look forward to leftovers and a month of nonstop holiday music on the radio. But the best part of the Thanksgiving aftermath? Fur-Free Friday—the most joyous, humane shopping day of the year. This year we hosted more than 50 demos in the U.S., Canada, and even Johannesburg, South Africa, to kick off the fur-free season.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, our breathtaking bunnies hopped their way into the hearts of delighted shoppers who happily took in the anti-fur message.

Meanwhile, a few cuddly friends (and PETA staffers) were in Norfolk, Virginia, urging passersby to love animals, not wear them.

This year, gear up for a warm, compassionate winter by pledging to make every day fur-free.

Written by Logan Scherer

On last night's Family Guy, the show tried (sort of) to make the point that dogs' lives are not worthless (how risqué of them). But I'm not totally convinced that the animal rights message came across through the myriad of violent deaths of cartoon dogs.

Incidentally, I've been waiting, like, nine years for that oh-so-clever PETA/Peter joke. Especially since other notable animated shows tackled animal rights issues (and, yes, even PETA) years ago.

Family Guy's been on notice ever since we found out that its writers are captive manatees. (We're against that sort of thing, you know.) This episode has us thinking that Family Guy might want to fire the animal writers and hire people who can generate material that doesn't make us roll our eyes.

Written by Amanda Schinke