Written by Michelle Kretzer
As half of one of the world's cutest on- and off-screen couples, we figured that Lea Michele would have some great ideas for how to spend Valentine's Day. We were right. Lea doesn't want expensive jewelry or a massive bouquet of flowers. Her idea of a lovely evening is laid-back and simple.
"My idea of the perfect romantic Valentine's Day is staying at home, cooking a yummy dinner, and watching a really scary movie," she told us.
Sounds like the real-life Rachel loves simply snuggling up under a blanket with her beloved. But Lea made it clear where we'll never catch her canoodling: in a horse-drawn carriage.
"The one thing I find the least romantic is taking a horse and carriage ride," she said. "I can't express enough how unhappy these horses are and how much pain and suffering they go through each day. Please do not ride [in horse-drawn carriages]. Take a beautiful walk together with your loved ones instead of bringing more pain to these beautiful animals."
Yeah, there are few things less romantic than watching horses breathe exhaust fumes and dodge traffic. Watching your loved one breathe in yummy aromas coming from the oven and dodge a playfully lobbed strawberry, however …
Written by PETA
PDAs are usually just TMI, but when it comes to PDVAs (public displays of vegan affection), we say, "Keep 'em coming!" This scorching cruelty-free couple titillated onlookers in Nashville:
And over in the mile-high city, all the action was on the ground when this toothsome twosome bedded each other in public:
It's not even Valentine's Day yet, but we've already got enough love to go around. Happy (early) V-Day!
Written by Logan Scherer
We've already got crustacean cheer up in here—now it's time to send it to the Kiwis. The Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and SAFE have shut down Catcha Cray game machines in three pubs in New Zealand's largest city! The organizations also plan to take legal action to get the machines banned in all the bars in Auckland and its surrounding area.
Like Lobster Zone machines in American bars and restaurants, the Catcha Cray allows patrons use a metal claw to try to catch crayfish in a crowded tank. "These machines may 'catch' them 30 times before they're finally dragged out of the machine—that's causing them considerable stress," says Mandy Carter, a campaign officer for SAFE. She adds, "Public support has been overwhelming, and we have been extremely heartened by the comments of support and encouragement being sent by many New Zealanders." Americans, too, are collectively outraged to learn about this abuse disguised as a "game," and thanks to the outcry, Lobster Zone games have been pulled from establishments across the U.S.
Help us continue to stop the cruelty by urging another lobster-tormenting Illinois bar to abandon the violent machines.
With Valentine's Day less than a month away, it's about time you started shopping to impress that special someone in your life. Lucky for you, PETA's got all the goods you'll ever need to show your love for your sweetheart, yourself (hey, there's nothing wrong with buying yourself a little something on V-Day), and animals.
And we've got a gift for you! Enter the promotion code VDAY over at PETAcatalog.org, and you'll get $5 off a $40 purchase. The code is valid until February 14. Happy shopping!
Comic Ricky Gervais roots for the bulls. Actor Marissa Lewis dreams of a world free of cages and chains. Well, one of my many "perfect world wishes" is that every day could be Valentine's Day. Not only could I indulge daily in delectable vegan chocolates like those from Harbor Candy, which happen to be this week's "Win It" Wednesday prizes …
… I also believe that people might become more loving and kinder to everyone around them, including their companion animals. All dogs would be allowed to stop and sniff on leisurely strolls instead of being yelled at and yanked along on hasty morning marches. Cats could enjoy their naps on newspapers, along with some gentle scratches from their human caretakers, instead of being shooed away. I'm confident that my wish would benefit not just my own addiction to chocolate but also the lives of countless otherwise beleaguered and bored companion animals.
So tell us, what's your "perfect world wish" for animals? If you can't narrow it down to one, enter as often as you'd like. Make us snort with laughter or choke back tears and you might win one of two boxes of Harbor Candy chocolates. We've got a deluxe box of chocolates for the grand-prize winner and a sampler box for the runner-up. If you win, feel free to share them with your sweetheart, but if you keep 'em for yourself, we won't tell.
The contest ends on February 3, 2010, and we'll pick the winners on February 5, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!
Written by Karin Bennett
Last week, we told you about poor Tripp—the elderly golden retriever who had lived through 16 long years of neglect. Because of the outpouring of condolences for him, we've set up a memorial page in his honor through our newly revamped True Friends Web site.
You can find Tripp's memorial page here. I hope you'll drop by and share some words of support for Misty Collins and the other PETA field workers whose hearts break every day over neglected and abused animals like Tripp (and Rikus, Music, Zoo, Hugo, and Blackie, just to name a few).
If you've recently lost someone close to you—a friend, family member, or animal companion—please consider creating a True Friends memorial page of your own to help share your memories with others. You can also create a page for a celebrity (as a supporter did for longtime PETA friend Bea Arthur) or an animal whose story you've heard about in the news—like Tweet, the giraffe who died on the set of The Zookeeper.
After you've visited PETA's new True Friends Memorials site, post a comment below to let us know what you think.
Written by Alisa Mullins
Ami James, the star of the hit TLC reality show Miami Ink, is also the new face of our anti-fur campaign, showing off his 40 colorful tattoos in a new “Ink, Not Mink” ad for PETA. He’s unveiling the ad at his Miami club—the Love Hate Lounge—this evening, and will be renaming the venue “Love Animals, Hate Fur” for the night. Needless to say, we’re really excited about Ami’s involvement with this campaign. You can see Ami’s new ad and tattoo design here, but in the meantime here’s a PETA Files exclusive video interview with Ami James that took place at the ad shoot:
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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