Courtesy of USDA

Hey, Soul Sister! PETA has sent an urgent letter to the rock band Train urging the group to cancel their performance at KFC's franchisee convention in San Antonio—or else face the music from PETA supporters—because of KFC's refusal to stop its suppliers' cruelty to chickens.

Many of the top names in music have taken a strong public stand against KFC, including Sir Paul McCartney, Pink, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Chrissie Hynde. Let's hope that Train gets on board, too, but if they take KFC's dirty money, they must carry the company's baggage—and PETA will protest their show.

How You Can Help Chickens

Even those of us who are not quite famous can tell KFC to take cruelty to chickens off the menu. Sign Pink's petition demanding that KFC require its suppliers to stop abusing birds (and don't eat at its restaurants until it agrees).

Where can you see Bryan Adams rubbing elbows with Leo Tolstoy and Russell Simmons hanging with Leonardo da Vinci? Only on PETA's limited-edition postage sheet from Stamps.com—the sheet honors some of the most influential and recognizable vegetarians throughout history.

Bob Barker and Pamela Anderson—two of the celebrities whose faces will soon be crisscrossing the U.S. on envelopes—unveiled the new postage this morning at the Hollywood Post Office.

Addressing the swarm of clamoring reporters, Pam said, "I'm just happy to be here and happy to be associated with PETA. … [M]y mom is very proud of this." And the inimitable Bob Barker joked, "I was happy to do it when they told me I didn't have to die in order to [be on a stamp]!"

The postage sheets are available at PETA's online store, just in time to grace your holiday cards with a reminder to loved ones to think before they eat.

TMZ founder Harvey Levin is the breaking celebrity news—he's newly vegetarian and no longer wears leather. It's likely that Levin's love of animals caused him to make the switch. He's "deeply into animal rescue" and says that the last time he cried was when his beloved dog, Floyd, passed away.

All aboard! Ozzy Osbourne is riding the vegan train after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives. When Russell Brand watched it, the reigning Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity opted to become the Sexiest Vegan.

You wouldn't expect anything less than healthy and delicious when Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi partner with Chrissie Hynde for a new vegan restaurant, and that's just what you'll get with vegan celeb chef Tal Ronnen preparing the menus. He's a busy guy—he's also bringing his vegan flair to LYFE Kitchen restaurant as co-executive chef, alongside Oprah's former chef, Art Smith.  

Vegetarian singer Kate Bush wanted to let her fans know in advance of her forthcoming album, 50 Words for Snow, that she wears 50 kinds of faux in the snowy photo shoot because she's sure her fans "feel the same way as I do about wearing real fur."

Fellow musician Helen Marnie of Ladytron made no bones (or pelts) about the group's refusal to wear fur in an interview with Rolling Stone. "[F]ur—be it rabbit, fox, mink, whatever—is totally out of the question," she says.

To see what else celebs have been saying about PETA, check out our Twitter feed.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

PETA wishes a very happy 60th birthday to rock legend Chrissie Hynde, who, when she isn't using her beautiful voice to sing platinum hits, uses it to stop cruelty to animals. From opening her vegan restaurant, VegiTerranean, to having her hit song "I'll Stand by You" featured in a heartbreaking public service announcement, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has spent decades advocating for animals. Chrissie's actions for animals are too numerous to list, but here are our six favorites:  

1. Chrissie was arrested in New York when she, along with PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk, "deconstructed" leather clothes, taking them apart to show the hides that were stolen from animals, in the flagship Gap Inc. store in Times Square to protest the company's policy of buying leather from India, where cows are tortured on the way to and during slaughter. The Gap subsequently stopped buying Indian leather.  
2. Chrissie was so disgusted that McDonald's suppliers scald birds to death for McNuggets that she appeared on a McCruelty billboard with the phrase "I'm Hatin' It" and led protests at McDonald's restaurants in Salt Lake City and Philadelphia.
3. During a Pretenders tour stop in Australia, Chrissie used the opportunity to unveil a new PETA ad at the Sydney Opera House showing the bloodied backside of a mulesed sheep.
4. While protesting horse-drawn carriages in New York City, Chrissie told reporters, "I got hitched to Jim Kerr in a horse-drawn carriage in New York. The marriage didn't last and I hope the carriages meet the same fate."
5. When The Pretenders' summer tour organizer made the mistake of scheduling a concert at the Minnesota Zoo, which routinely sells animals from its petting zoo to be slaughtered, Chrissie told the zoo to call off the killing. The zoo retaliated by canceling the show. But the singer didn't care—no brass in her pocket is worth animals' suffering.
6. Chrissie has even made plans to keep helping animals after she passes away. Included in her will is the directive that PETA should make an ad with her image and the caption "Dead Meat Should Be Buried, Not Eaten. Take It From Chrissie Hynde."

We know that animals would agree with us, Chrissie—you rock!

Written by Michelle Sherrow

A horse pulling a carriage in New York City collapsed to the ground twice yet was right back waiting at the curb before her driver was challenged by the woman who had been riding in the carriage at the time and who caught most of the horrifying incident on her cell phone. See the woman's emotional confrontation with the driver here (warning: graphic language):

PETA pals Chrissie Hynde, Pink, Lea Michele, and Pamela Anderson have all called for these cruel and dangerous rides to be eliminated. New York City Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito has introduced a bill (Intro. 86) that would phase out the industry and replace it with electric-powered antique cars or "green" horseless carriages. Carriage drivers would be given first dibs.

Please never patronize these cruel rides, and e-mail City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to let her know that you support Intro 86.

Written by Jennifer O'Connor

Steve-O flips pizza with Nanci Alexander at her restaurant, Sublime, in south Florida.

 
In honor of Culinarians Day, we've whipped up a list of some of our favorite vegan celebrity chefs, chefs who cook for celebrities, and cruelty-free restaurants where you might just catch celebrities chowing down. Tasty! Check it out:

• Tal Ronnen: A graduate of New York City's Natural Gourmet Institute, Ronnen was Oprah's chef when she embarked on Kathy Freston's 21-day vegan cleanse. His classic French technique is highlighted in his book, The Conscious Cook, which is a must for anyone who wants to impress dinner guests with gourmet fare such as succulent "chicken" scaloppini.
• VegiTerranean: There's no pretending that Chrissie Hynde's rockin' restaurant in Akron, Ohio, won't blow you away with robust vegan dishes such as Chick'n Fried Portobello Steak or Mango BBQ Pizza.
• Alicia Silverstone: We'd be clueless not to mention the sultry star who penned The Kind Diet. Alicia also stars in one of PETA's sexiest public service announcements ever.
• Sublime: Nanci Alexander has been serving up brick-oven pizzas and European fare such as Penne Puttanesca and Quiche Lorraine to the likes of Pamela Anderson, Ami James, and Steve-O. Can't get to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, restaurant? Pick up a copy of The Sublime Restaurant Cookbook, and you'll be impressing your friends with sophisticated Mushroom Ceviche and luscious Coconut Cake in no time.
• Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin: Coming out of the modeling industry, the authors of the Skinny Bitch series, which has been endorsed by Victoria Beckham and other celebrities, have taken the country by storm. If you haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon, don't fret—you can find the latest installment of the series in the PETA Catalog.

One lucky reader can win the Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. For a chance to win, just leave a comment telling us who your favorite vegan celebrity is.*

 
Written by Colleen Twombly-Borst

Chrissie Hynde is telling Lady Antebellum "I'll stand by you" to support less cruel slaughter methods for KFC's chickens. The Grammy-winning country group is set to perform at the KFC annual meeting in San Diego, and Chrissie isn't pretending—she thinks it's a great opportunity to remind the chain that chickens don't have to be scalded to death in defeathering tanks. 

In a letter to Lady Antebellum, Chrissie writes, "KFC has refused to heed its own advisory panel's recommendations to eliminate its most cruel and archaic slaughter practices, so my friends at PETA and I are hoping that you will use your unique position to appeal to the company. With your influential public platform, KFC might not so easily turn a deaf ear to you."

Lady Antebellum swept the Grammys—maybe they can initiate some sweeping changes for chickens too.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

How would you celebrate your 58th birthday? If you're the indefatigable Chrissie Hynde, you would start a new band (JP, Chrissie & the Fairground Boys), put out a new album (Fidelity!), and develop a new eco-friendly clothing line (Fairground Luck).

Coming from Chrissie, the clothing line will of course feature T-shirts, skinny jeans, pleather jackets, handbags, and boots with a rocker-chick vibe and will be 100 percent vegan.

"Like most women, I love fashion and clothes," Hynde told Women's Wear Daily. "Everybody will be able to find everything they love in a nonleather version. Fashion should be fun."

No word on when Fairground Luck clothing will be appearing in a shopping mall near you, but Fidelity! hits online stores today, and we have a couple of copies available for some lucky PETA Files readers. Post a comment below telling us why you think Chrissie is the coolest, rockingest, sassiest animal defender ever to pick up a guitar, and the two comments that make us want to run out and protest with Chrissie will win the CDs.

The contest ends on August 27, 2010, and we'll select the winners on August 30, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!

Written by Alisa Mullins

It's so hot in the city, you'd think I'd be making another batch of lemonade—but I've got a hankering for some Internet Soup. It's been a while since the last batch, so dig in!

• Scientists know that pigs prefer a life like Arnold Ziffel's—full of Green Acres and some "luxuries" …
• … but this pug is partial to that other 60s hit, Batman.
• This video by Frank Strick has it all: A catchy song, an important question, and a big dash of cute—i.e., kid hugs turkey.
• Fisher nets baby black bear—but never fear! Mama to the rescue!
• We've said it before, but it bears repeating: Meat is never "green."
• Sure, beefcakes might make women swoon for a moment, but broccoli wins love for a lifetime.
• We know that Polly wants to fly. I'm guessing that Pauley wants to run.
• "Hummus: The Rap" has inspired me to finish my own masterpiece, Guacamole, A Concerto.
• Professor Turtle weighs in on how to be a hero.

Oof! I don't know about you, but I'm full after all that soup—and guac. This Special K needs a siesta. Until next time …

Written by Karin Bennett

No one—and I mean no one—rocks like Chrissie Hynde. Whether she's fronting the Pretenders or backing a PETA campaign, the vegan Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is never in the "Middle of the Road." In fact, she's always willing to go the extra mile (or "2000 Miles") to help animals.

Case in point? After helping us re-launch our McCruelty campaign last year—urging McDonald's to require its U.S. suppliers to upgrade to less cruel slaughter standards—Chrissie took time off from promoting her upcoming album in New York this week to kick off our new "i'm hatin' it" national ad blitz with an appearance in Philadelphia. And to make sure that people got the message, she not only unveiled her attention-grabbing billboard, she also passed out some of our thought-provoking Unhappy Meals to the fine folks of Philly!

Check out these pictures:

Written by Jeff Mackey