justgrits / CC

Have you heard the story about How the Grinch Stole Christmas From AT&T Employees? Sadly, it's true. AT&T recently announced that it will lay off 12,000 workers—roughly 4 percent of its workforce—as we move into 2009. Yikes, that's rough.

So, to make the holidays a little brighter for these employees and their families, PETA staff members decided to pitch in and spread a little cheer. We (the PETA employees) have decided to donate our annual holiday bonus—a delicious, mouth-watering, lick-your-plate-when-you're-done, cruelty-free Tofurky roast—to help these former employees maintain a sense of normalcy through a wonderful holiday with their families.

There are 283 Tofurky roasts up for grabs, and any laid-off AT&T employee who is reading this blog can e-mail us here to claim one (deadline for this offer is December 30, 2008). We've also sent this letter to the CEO of AT&T Inc. asking him to notify all laid-off employees of our offer. So, ya better get clickin' before they're gone!

In these troubling times, everyone knows that it's important to think of those less fortunate than ourselves—including turkeys. What most people don't know is that turkeys love to have their feathers stroked—but only time most turkeys experience any human touch is when somebody painfully plucks their feathers. They also enjoy flute music, but that's a story for another day.

The Grinch may still be mean, but holiday memories and meals can be jolly.

Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky

I'm just as psyched about the holidays as anyone else. Free stuff, snow days (oh, right, we don't get those), e-cards— what's not to love? Well, I'll tell you. In certain cities across America, animals are being exposed to all sorts of danger for the sake of live Nativity scenes. Camels, sheep, and donkeys are casually put out in a pen in harsh weather and left unattended outside churches and in Christmas shows, where they are sometimes stolen, injured by passing dogs, or harassed by the public. They are often transported to and from the exhibits in cold, uncomfortable and scary conditions, and they can even spread salmonella and E. coli.

This is super scary, but there have even been cases of sexual abuse, injury in transport, and other cases of neglect and cruelty to animals used in Nativity scenes, which is why we have a better idea.

Instead of using live animals this Christmas, we suggest a lovely fiberglass display like the ones at Christmas Night Inc. These displays are cruelty-free, and they can be shoved into the back of a shed and reused year after year. Fake displays—with ultra-cute Baby Jesus statues—are much less expensive than "renting" real animals, so the money saved could go to a good cause (like vegetarian food for the hungry, perhaps?).

If you know of a live Nativity scene in or planned for your area, take action now, please! The following are a few things you can do to help:

• Contact the pastor of the church to voice your concerns and ask for a last minute change of plan. Talking with church administrators may encourage them to consider a more humane alternative in the future.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper asking people to consider the cruelty involved in Nativity scene displays and to stay away from them.
• Contact your local humane society or animal control agency if you spot signs of neglect, abuse, or vulnerability. You can find their number in the blue pages of your phone book.

So this holiday season, consider peace on Earth and good will toward humans and animals.

Written by Lianne Turner

While it's widely accepted that most people don't want an eight-second ride, we now have an excellent, bull-free alternative for those of you who, for whatever reason, do: Urban Rodeo!

The concept is like that of a regular rodeo. Mount an unwilling participant and hold on for dear life, marking your success by how long you can stay latched on to the bucking, bewildered beast. The only difference between this and other rodeos is the ropes, spurs, and other cruelty involved, such as internal injuries and extensive bruising. Oh, and I seriously doubt participants in the "Urban Rodeo" are shipped off to slaughter once they've outlived their usefulness. However, similar to a regular rodeo, participants are encouraged to "leg it" immediately after being tossed from the animal in order to avoid injury.

Got any other clever ideas that could serve as an alternative to a performing animal act or rodeo? Let me know—who knows, I might give your idea a shot and see how it works out!

Written by Sean Conner