When graffiti king Banksy's "coyote" took on Colonel Sanders, we interpreted the work to be pro-chicken. But there's no question that artist Wayne Coyne, lead singer for The Flaming Lips, is speaking out against cruelty to birds with his new work. He assured fans that the blood used in the creation of a new poster was his own, stating, "We thought it would be silly to use some chicken blood or something like that. They don't need to sacrifice their vital fluids any more than I need to, so I thought, 'Well, let's just do it. We'll be the experiment.'"

The Flaming Lips have previously signed PETA's petition calling on KFC to eliminate some of the worst abuses endured by birds killed for its buckets. We like it when people speak up for chickens. Do you?

Written by Karin Bennett

Sculptures, paintings, and photography can move hearts and minds. I think the following images by Nicholas Wickstrom, which explore the link between animal liberation and human liberation, tie in seamlessly with PETA's Animal Liberation Project:

Thoughts?

Written by Karin Bennett

I'm willing to bet my last Marry Me bar that there isn't a person on the planet who would call PETA India's new "Lettuce Lady" ad featuring actor Lara Dutta anything less than exquisite:

We know that a vegan diet benefits animals, the environment, and human health. And one of the easiest ways to eat a balanced diet is to think in Technicolor—just about every color of the rainbow appears at your local produce stand. Have you ever considered that you never see green at the meat counter, just blood red and marbled-fat white?

Here's another bet I'd be willing to make: While most people could admire this image for hours, show them these photos, and they'll quickly turn away shuddering. That sort of gut reaction must mean something.

Written by Karin Bennett

Mamma Mia! It's official: Suave film star Pierce Brosnan is a man of many talents—and much compassion for animals.

The actor's whimsical portrait of his own adopted animal companions, Shilo the dog and Coco the kitty, is gracing California's new spay-and-neuter license plate. Proceeds from sales of the special plate will help fund efforts to educate the public about the need to spay and neuter companion animals and will help provide free or low-cost surgeries throughout the state.

Whether all dogs get to have their day (and all cats theirs as well) depends on every caring person to educate others about the companion animal overpopulation crisis and its cure, both in California and beyond.

Via Ecorazzi

Written by Karin Bennett

The suffering that is being caused by the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is heartbreaking, and this brand-new PETA T-shirt speaks volumes about the crisis.

The most valuable thing about this touching, tell-it-like-it-is T-shirt and related merch is that the proceeds will go toward PETA's work to save wildlife from all sorts of horrors. So, for the love of Kevin Costner and wildlife in peril, buy a T-shirt and give BP a piece of your mind at the same time.

Written by Amy Skylark Elizabeth

Kudos to Kevin Costner. Haunted by images of the animals who were covered in oil after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, Kevin has been funding a team of scientists for the past 15 years to develop a device that can help clean up oil spills by separating oil from ocean water. BP tested six of these machines last month in the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently the company was impressed by the machines' nearly 100 percent success rate at separating oil from water, because it has just ordered 32 more. Our hats are off to Kevin for his compassion and generosity. We hope that his machines will save many animals by preventing more oil from reaching the shore.

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

dailymail / CC

British artist Damien Hirst—known for his series of "art" installations featuring dead (and yes, sometimes dissected) animals preserved in formaldehyde—has reportedly hung up his canning supplies in favor of a paintbrush.

Apparently Hirst has spent the last three years painting in a shed behind his house. He says he had to relearn to paint for the first time since he was an art student, and the paintings were, at first, "embarrassing," and he "didn't want anyone to come in."

It looks like reconnecting with art in its pure form, instead of focusing on shock art that exploits animals and treats their bodies as amusements, has made Damien rethink the direction his career has taken. You've got to wonder why the man wasn't as embarrassed by his past work …

Here's hoping that Damien will stick to this new oeuvre.

Written by Amanda Schinke

Bristol-based graffiti artist Banksy's latest exhibit, "Banksy v Bristol Museum," is a guerilla-style installation at Bristol's City Museum and Art Gallery and features several … well … creative replacements for many of the museum's artifacts.

When the lion gets revenge.

It's great to see Banksy continue to explore the theme of human/animal interactions, which he also hit upon in his "Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill" exhibit in New York's Greenwich Village last fall and which I was fortunate to have the opportunity to check out in person. If you live in the U.K. or are planning to visit soon, you should definitely check out what Banksy calls his "vision of the future."

Written by Amanda Schinke