When a woman driving along a muddy rural Virginia road stopped at an intersection, she spotted a soggy, disintegrating cardboard box sitting on the shoulder. Curious, she got out to investigate. Imagine her surprise when she opened the box and saw nine pairs of eyes staring back at her.

She called animal control officers to report the abandoned kittens but was told that they "don't handle cats," an appalling but not uncommon policy among rural animal control agencies (and also among a growing number of "no-kill" facilities). 

She then called PETA to alert us to the kittens' plight, and one of our stellar volunteers immediately rushed to the scene an hour and a half away. Miraculously, the kittens had not escaped from the box and been hit by a car.

The kittens are now safely ensconced at PETA's Sam Simon Center in Norfolk, Virginia, and stealing hearts right and left. They are about 6 weeks old and, despite everything that they've been through, are friendly and playful and appear to be in good health. They are mostly brown and gray tabbies and are all 100 percent adorable.

Live on or near the East Coast and want to adopt one (or two)? Drop us a line at Adopt@peta.org. The $75 adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery, vaccines, testing for feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus, and microchipping.

What You Can Do

If you ever see a box or bag on the side of the road, stop! You never know what—or who—may be inside. And of course, stop to help any strays you see running alongside the road as well. Keep a rescue kit—including a cardboard carrier, leash, towel, and treats—in your car for just such an emergency.

And always, always, always spay and neuter your animal companions, and urge everyone you know to do the same. Cat homelessness is at crisis levels, so it is vital that all cats be spayed and neutered, even kittens (females can come into heat at just 4 months old) and cats who never go outside (they can slip out accidentally). If a friend can't afford the surgery or has no car, offer to help with the cost and transportation. Cats need you—don't let them down!

Customers were horrified when they discovered two songbirds stuck to a glue trap at a Walmart store in Indiana. One customer rushed the birds to a wildlife rehabilitator, while another contacted PETA. We alerted law enforcement and Walmart, and Walmart acknowledged that it has a policy against using glue traps for bird control but claimed that the traps had been set for rodents. Glue traps are (obviously) indiscriminate and ensnare any animals who are unfortunate enough to wander across their path, so Walmart removed the traps that had been set in that store.

Many "non-target" animals—including birds, squirrels, gerbils, hamsters, and even kittens—suffer immensely and die in glue traps every year. One tiny kitten in Boston nearly starved to death when she became ensnared in a glue trap. PETA has asked Walmart to stop using these traps in all its stores.

If you know of any local businesses, schools, or property management companies that are using glue traps, urge them remove the traps immediately and contact PETA if they won't.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

You unplug my game, you die. That appears to have been the mentality of a 21-year-old man in Staunton, Virginia, who, according to reports, has been accused of killing his girlfriend's kitten by hurling the tiny animal against a wall after the kitten disconnected the video game he was playing. This allegedly happened while his girlfriend's children watched.

People who hurt animals are bullies and cowards, because they vent their rage, insecurity, and idiocy on the smallest and most defenseless beings available. What's more, numerous studies show that animal abusers often turn their violence against human victims.

Please write a polite letter to Commonwealth Attorney Douglas L. Guynn asking him to vigorously prosecute the case:

The Honorable Raymond C. Robertson
Staunton Commonwealth Attorney’s Office
21 N. New St.
Staunton, VA 24402
540-332-3976

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

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

Tourists are flocking to Kiryat Yam, Israel, in hopes of spotting a mermaid who has reportedly been seen frolicking during sunset swims, and the Town Council is offering a $1 million reward for anyone who can provide a photograph that proves Ariel's kin are kicking back on local beaches.

If it's a photo of a mermaid they want, we'd be happy to oblige. We're offering to run our stunning "Make a Splash—Go Vegetarian" ad, which makes the case that, like mermaids, fish sea kittens, lobsters, crabs, and other animals of the sea deserve to be treated with compassion and respect.

If you would shun a plate of poached mermaid, why not let Nemo and his buddies off the hook too?

Written by Alisa Mullins