canada / CC

So Rony Salman, this oh-so-classy Canadian burglar, is in jail right now for, well, robbery and has recently learned the true meaning of "an eye for an eye," or in this case I guess it'd be an ear for an ear …

Along with his spotty burglary past, he's also previously pleaded guilty to three counts of cruelty to animals (willfully causing pain to an animal, causing unnecessary pain to a dog by not seeking veterinary attention, and failure to provide care for—and willful neglect of—a domestic animal.). One of the animals who unfortunately ended up in this man's care was a smiley, sweet-looking pup named A.K. Well, in spring of 2007, Rony cut off A.K.'s ears. (Luckily, the dog has since been adopted by a new, and hopefully much kinder, family.)

Now, that's just hideous, and it really gets under my skin when I hear about stories like this, but there's a bit of a twist to this story. While Rony was in jail, another inmate chewed off part of Rony's ear.

I know, right?! Coincidence? Hmm …

University of Toronto criminology teacher Scott Wortley said, "There's a code of honour among criminals, and they rank people who prey on children, who prey on women, who prey on the defenseless—and maybe a dog, I don't know—as worse."

Well, I certainly agree with that! But unfortunately, the AKC doesn't. Sadly, ear-cropping and tail-docking are extremely common among certain breeds of animals. When you see dogs that have stubs for tails and short, pointy ears … they ain't born that way. Breeders, the AKC, and all those crazy dog-show folks purposely cut off the tails and ears of animals all the time—purely for vanity—and nobody says a dang thing about it.

Maybe they should spend some time up in this Canadian jail with a certain inmate … I would imagine they'd change their minds pretty quickly.

Written by Christine Doré

Yes, the Kristen Johnston, and yes, she is starkers on that plastic horse.

Two-time Emmy Award–winning actor Kristen Johnston, whom you will remember as the hysterical Sally on Third Rock From the Sun, stripped down for PETA's new ad targeting the cruelty of the horse-drawn carriage trade. In this gorgeous tribute to Lady Godiva—another fearless activist—Kristen urges us not to "get taken for a ride," because horse-drawn carriages are cruel, not romantic. Check it out:

Yours truly was lucky enough to attend the launch of Kristen's ad—because it was in New York, natch, where a bill is being proposed that would ban horse-drawn carriages! Kristen's beautiful ad is displayed on more than 100 taxi tops all over the city, so we decided to show them off in the most natural place—in Central Park, just across the street from where the carriage drivers wait to pick up passengers.

Kristen was very gracious about posing for the press, even hopping up on the hood of one of the taxis. She's a very classy lady, and was kind enough to take pictures with a few fans as well. One older lady was so excited when she saw Kristen that she went right up to shake her hand, and just beamed from ear to ear when she had her picture taken with the actress.

Kristen is just as funny in person as she is on screen, and it was a treat to work with her. She's also passionate about helping get the carriage horses out of their traces and off the streets—as are many people when they learn about the way the horses are abused. So once you're done staring at the ad, read more facts about carriage horses. And if you're a New York City resident, please contact your city council representative and urge him or her to support Councilmember Dan Garodnick's bill to replace the city's horse-drawn carriages with eco-friendly electric models of classic 1920s cars! How glam, right?

Written by Amanda Schinke

The moose-hunting, fur-wearing, pro-aerial-wolf-gunning governor is in the news again. On Thursday, Sarah Palin visited a turkey farm in Wasilla for the traditional pre-Thanksgiving turkey "pardoning." Now, most people probably don't think about exactly how the turkeys raised for Thanksgiving dinner every year meet their maker. But not to worry. Sarah has that under control. In this video, while responding to a reporter who asks about her post-election plans, Palin talks about how she wants to "promote a local business" and do something that won't "invite criticism." While turkeys are being slaughtered. Behind her. ON CAMERA.

Was that one of those "gotcha" questions, Sarah? Because it seems to me that showing the bloody reality of slaughter is just about the worst thing you could do to promote this business. Some people just won't want to eat turkey after watching—especially when this happened the day after PETA released new undercover video from the world's leading poultry-breeding facility. In that video, workers stomp on turkeys' heads, punch them, and bang their heads against metal scaffolding.

This is a country of people who love animals—in fact, numerous polls show that the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that farmed animals deserve protection from abuse. The more that people are confronted with the ways that animals who are raised for food suffer—from the moment they're born until the moment they're killed—the more that people will start thinking about giving vegetarian meals a try. And then the factory farming industry will need a bigger bailout than the "Big Three."

Written by Dan Shannon

P.S.—Sarah Palin should take a cue from our own "President Bush," whose turkey-pardoning this year really was a "mission accomplished."

We have a bit of a history with Donna Karan. This might surprise you (OK, so it won't), but we don't like it when people tell us they're going to stop using fur and then go back on their word. That's why we like to visit Donna—at her apartment, at her fashion shows, and even on her runways. Eventually, we figure, she'll stick to her multiple promises to stop using fur—especially if consumers boycott her designs.

And that, my friends, is why you might see our posters around Donna's office and apartment in Manhattan. The posters show a woman's foot pressing on a rabbit's neck beside the tagline "Where Does Donna Karan Stand on Fur?" You can check out photos below—we hope they'll convince even more people to boycott Donna Karan, bunny butcher, until she sticks to her promise and dumps the fur once and for all.

Photos: Swing Media

Written by Amanda Schinke