Anderson Cooper recently welcomed Daniel to his show, a 5-year-old dog who survived being gassed at an Alabama animal control facility.

Reportedly, Daniel was crammed into a gas chamber in Florence, Alabama, with four other dogs. Carbon-monoxide gas was pumped into the chamber for a "standard 17 minute cycle." When workers opened the chamber door to remove dead animals, they found Daniel standing among the dead dogs, alive.

Death is not quick for dogs and cats who are gassed. Locked in dark boxes and slowly suffocated, the dogs commonly scream and the cats go berserk, trying to claw their way out. Many go into convulsions as they struggle for air and try to escape. Daniel must have witnessed a horrifying scene inside the gas chamber, and he is living proof that this crude method doesn't always work. Some animals must be gassed repeatedly; others have been found stumbling around in landfills after being mistaken for dead and dumped there.

It is not the fault of animal shelters that animals must be put to death, but if the most we can offer homeless animals is an exit from this world, then we owe it to them to ensure that it is painless, peaceful, and dignified. If your local animal shelter or pound is putting animals down with any method other than an intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital (the most humane method), urge the shelter management to switch (see PETA's tips for helpful information). You may have the law on your side if you live in one of the 18 states that have outlawed some forms of gassing. If not, write letters to your legislators demanding a law against these torture chambers.

Don't let your dog or cat appear on 16 Weeks and Pregnant. Spay and neuter.  

Last December, a little white dog got his Christmas wish when he was adopted from an animal shelter by a loving family that named him, appropriately, Santa Paws. But this year, Christmas nearly took a tragic turn for the plucky pup.

One day when Santa Paws was in his yard, he was attacked by another dog and suffered a deep puncture wound to his neck. The wound became infected and required surgery, but the distraught family knew there was no way that they could afford to pay the entire bill.

In desperation, they posted a plea on Craigslist begging for help with Santa Paws' vet bills. A quick-thinking PETA member alerted our Community Animal Project (CAP), which helps animals in the area surrounding our Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters. CAP helped pay for Santa Paws' surgery, and he got back home for the holidays.

The grateful family posted another Craigslist message—this one thanking PETA for a "holiday miracle."

This holiday season, don't forget the many ways in which you can be a miracle for an animal in need.

After receiving a ton of endearing, funny, interesting, odd, and clever submissions for our contest asking how you would like to rename "mutts" with a moniker that celebrates rescued dogs' uniqueness and diversity, we've narrowed the list to four terms, and the pollsters are ready to start tallying the votes.

The winning name will be made into a bumper sticker reading, "I ♥ my ____," that will be sold at PETA's CafePress store. But the smarty who submitted the winning term will snag a free sticker, along with a gift basket brimming with goodies for their pedigree-free pup.

Stay tuned to see which name will claim the fame!

Poll closes December 12th and winner will be notified by December 15th.

This poor mother dog was so emaciated that she barely had the strength to nurse her six puppies. She was confined to a bare wooden box located behind a pizza parlor and was weighted down with a heavy chain.

After a member of Hoovers Hause All Dog Rescue spotted one of the pups wandering near the busy street beside the restaurant, she soon discovered the mother dog and called the sheriff's department. But catch this: Law enforcement gave the owner two to three weeks to put weight on the mother dog. Hoovers Hause All Dog Rescue had a better idea—the group posted pictures of the dogs on Facebook and asked people to get the sheriff's department to act now.

When a PETA supporter alerted us to the situation, we asked the poster to try to persuade the owner to give the dogs over to her. Bingo! All the dogs were whisked off to a veterinarian (likely the first time the mother dog had ever received medical care). The rescue group paid for the mother dog's heartworm treatment and agreed to care for her and her puppies while screening potential adopters.

The owner had told police that the mother dog was so thin because she had been poisoned, but with simple helpings of good food, this lucky rescued girl has already gained 8 pounds. PETA is now urging officials to pursue cruelty charges.

If you see anything on social-networking sites that suggests an animal could be in danger, please contact authorities—and, if they are unresponsive, call PETA.

Sure, scientists in Dallas may have come up with an invisibility cloak, but octopuses and squid beat them to the punch. Masters of disguise, among the tricks up their tentacle sleeves is this one: They manipulate sacs of black pigment on their skin to either shroud them in darkness to match the water or reveal their transparent flesh so that light shines through, making others think that they aren't there.

Millipedes are covert operators too. Certain species toss moss or other plants over their backs while they travel.

A biological anthropologist is confirming what many cat people already know—cats grieve over the loss of a loved one much like humans do. And much like humans, letting animals see (and, in a cat's case, smell) the body of their deceased loved one can help give them "closure" and come to terms with the loss.

ravi khemka | cc by 2.0

Why do the leg- (or wing-) work when you can ride? In Stockholm, Sweden, a flock of pigeons has begun taking the subway for its daily trips to a crowded shopping center where the animals like to forage for food. Pigeons have been doing the same thing on the London Underground for years!

This dog takes care of business. After a southwest Ohio couple adopted a dog from an animal shelter, it took only six hours for him to return the favor. The aptly named Hercules chased a burglar from the couple's basement, biting him on the ankle for good measure.

Speaking of canine good deeds—Titan, a beloved dog from Lawrenceville, Georgia, became the first canine recipient of the Neighbor of the Year Award after he got help for his guardian when she suffered from a brain aneurysm and fell, fracturing her skull.

Petfinder reports that 63 percent of people buy holiday gifts for their dogs. Then there are the birthday presents, valentines … the list goes on and on. While the rope toys and Nylabones give dogs mental stimulation and exercise, our pups get much more of both from the time that they spend with us. Here are five gifts that your dog will love every day of the year:

• Real walks, not "drag-alongs": Pay attention to when the dog wants to stop and sniff rather than worrying about how fast you are burning calories. Outings to the dog park, where they can safely run off leash, are always appreciated too.
• The opportunity to bark: People talk all day long, yet dogs are often shushed if they bark even once.
• Frequent and prompt bathroom breaks: Don't get up in the morning and brush your teeth and comb your hair while your dog is waiting to go outside.
• Veterinary checkups: Schedule an annual visit, including a dental exam to check for any painful dental problems. A fresh, clean bowl of water daily helps keep mouths healthy too.
• Time: Don't be a blur, dashing in, changing clothes, and dashing back out again, leaving your dog to stare at the wall. Get the ball out and throw it, brush his or her coat, or just hang out and have some quality time together.

Written by Ingrid E. Newkirk

A round of applause, please. A new AP-Petside poll reveals that more than half of companion-animal guardians adopted their animals, with one-third of people taking in strays off the streets and another third adopting animals from shelters, rather than buying them from breeders or pet stores, which contribute to the animal homelessness crisis.

Looks like the word has gotten out about the irresistible allure of saving a life, thanks in part to the help of stars like Twilight cutie Booboo Stewart, who stars in a new ad for PETA with his rescued dog, Pookie.

Photo: Shawn Bannon • Grooming: Kirin Bhatty • Wood: © iStockphoto.com/Robert Churchill

As Seth Clearwater, Stewart made audiences cheer when he saved Edward and Bella by taking out vampire baddie Riley Biers, but now people will be cheering about the lives he's saving off-screen.

Whether you're Team Edward or Team Jacob, you can help animals by taking PETA's pledge to end animal homelessness today.

© Anthony Aneese Totah Jr | Dreamstime.com

The last time that John and Julia Von Achen saw their beloved dog, J, alive, they were boarding a flight from Moscow to New York. When the Von Achens disembarked, they discovered that their dog had apparently frozen to death in the cargo hold during the 11-hour flight.

"He's part of our family. I'm heartbroken, devastated, destroyed," said John Von Achen Jr. "They killed our dog." Freezing aside (which can happen when temperature controls fail and external temperature at altitude can be -50 or worse), animals are in grave danger in plane cargo holds, but boxers, bulldogs, and pugs like J are at an especially high risk since their short muzzles make breathing difficult under any even slightly stressful or abnormal circumstances. Putting an animal in a cargo hold is often a death sentence, as they can turn into freezers in the air and, during delays on scorching summer days, into ovens on the ground, causing death from heat prostration. It happens all the time.

"It seems the airlines are not equipped and they're not really set up to handle pets, but they take the money anyway," Van Achen said, adding, "I'll never fly with a pet again."

J was far from the first dog to perish in a cargo hold, and he won't be the last. If you are planning to travel with your animals over the Thanksgiving holiday or at any time, please keep their feet safely on the ground and travel by car or, if they are small enough, fly them in the cabin with you.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Did you know that in Ukraine, a dog or cat found wandering the streets can be shot on sight or poisoned and left to suffer? Their bodies are tossed into a cremation truck and burned, and some are reportedly burned while alive. It is estimated that in the city of Kiev alone, 20,000 dogs have already been killed in these cruel ways.

Ukrainian authorities are trying to "cleanse" the country of homeless animals before it hosts the European Football Championship in 2012. At a preliminary match between Germany and Ukraine in Kiev last weekend, members of PETA Germany and the Kiev Society for the Protection of Animals protested, calling on Ukrainian authorities to stop the cruel killings and asking the Union of European Football Associations to get involved.

Many German soccer (known as "football" in other parts of the world) players have now joined PETA Germany in publicly criticizing Ukrainian authorities for the torture of these dogs and demanding that the city use humane methods to manage the homeless animal crisis. The only solution to animal overpopulation is a spay-and-neuter initiative, but in the meantime, the city's unwanted animals at least deserve a peaceful, painless end to their lives.

Please contact the Ukrainian Embassy and politely urge officials to stop these cruel killings immediately. Click here for the e-mail address for your state, or if your state is not listed, you can call 202-333-0606.

Written by Michelle Sherrow