The PETA Files

Written by Jeff Mackey

Posted 09-05-2012, 4:00 PM

Football season is about to, well, kick off. It's fitting that in a sports league with so many teams named after animals—the Bears, the Eagles, the Dolphins, the Lions, etc.—there are plenty of players who show compassion for our furry, feathered, and finned friends. Here are 11 current and former NFL pros whom the animals are glad to have on their team:

Sedrick Ellis (New Orleans Saints)

New Orleans Saints player Sedrick Ellis lives up to his team's name in his PETA ad encouraging folks in the Big Easy and elsewhere to make plans to take care of animal companions before emergencies happen.

©Photo: Josh Williams Photography. Grooming: Brandie Hopstein

Arian Foster (Houston Texans)

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster makes my hometown proud with his outstanding skills on the field and makes animal advocates cheer for his embrace of healthy and humane vegan foods.

Foster image: AJ Guel Photography| cc by 2.0

Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears)

Playing in the Windy City, linebacker Lance Briggs knows what cold weather can feel like, which is why dogs don't belong outside in the wintertime, as his PETA ad explains.

©Photo: Jimmy Fishbein www.jimmyfishbein.com

Glenn Dorsey (Kansas City Chiefs)

Also speaking up for cold dogs is Glenn Dorsey, who posed for a PETA ad with his dog Bugsy, of whom he said, "Bugs don't care if we win or lose, he's still gonna love me."

©Photo: Matthew Collins, Makeup: Melissa Blayton

Aaron Curry (Oakland Raiders)

Aaron Curry posed with his rescued dog Laila for a peta2 "Be Your Dog's Biggest Defender" ad urging people not to chain their dogs.

Willis McGahee (Denver Broncos)

When he played for the Baltimore Ravens, Willis McGahee, now on the Denver Broncos, bucked the cruelty of fur by baring his tats—and much more—for a red-hot PETA "Ink, Not Mink" ad.

Terrell Suggs (Baltimore Ravens)

Another Ravens player happy to show his skin to save animals' hides, Terrell Suggs is one of the toughest linebackers in the NFL, but he considers the production of fur "cruel and evil" and will never cross the line by wearing it.

Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons)

Tony Gonzalez, a six-time Pro Bowl veteran, also stripped down for PETA, alongside his wife, October, to declare, "We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur!"

Ricky Williams (retired)

Ricky Williams, a vegetarian, hosted PETA's faux–chicken-wing taste test, crowning Gardein's vegan buffalo wings the winner.

Michael Strahan (retired)

Former NFL star Michael Strahan has a new job as co-host of "Live With Kelly and Michael," but PETA helped keep him occupied making a public service announcement for "backyard dogs."

Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, who are both lactose intolerant, teamed up with dairy-free brand So Delicious for a promotion benefiting the couple's charitable foundation—and anything that encourages nondairy living also helps cows used for milk.

Brees photo: Ian Ransley Design | cc by 2.0

Even if you have no hope of making it to the Super Bowl, you can still be a champion for animals—learn how.

Things You Might Have Missed (9-1-12)

Written by Michelle Kretzer

Posted 09-01-2012, 9:00 AM

PETA News on Tumblr

Don't miss a thing: Follow PETA on Tumblr.

A teddy bear and a dog shoot an ad for PETA … New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and his dog Max ask everyone to make a plan for caring for their animals during natural disasters.

Once again, an accident on a factory farm has claimed thousands of animal lives. A drunken man shut off the power to three buildings that were packed with chickens, killing all 70,000 birds inside. You can help them: Go vegan!

How to solve the worldwide water shortage brought on by the exploding population? Scientists agree: Ditch water-wasting meat.

Raising animals for food also wastes a substantial amount of land, energy, and crops. If we're going to throw away as much as 40 percent of the food we buy, shouldn't we at least buy plant-based foods, which don't waste natural resources?

Yet another thing vegetarian and vegan diets have been proved to help limit: postmenopausal weight gain.

Disgraced John Galliano has been stripped of the Legion d'Honneur medal that France awarded him for his haute couture work, though the work itself was disgraceful as well since it included the skins of countless animals who were killed for their fur.

New Features

Tired of Ringling trainers' beating animals? Help stop it by organizing a demonstration when Ringling comes to your town.

The perfect way to end the week: Check out the video of Ben the Bear, who, after years of effort by PETA, is finally free of his barren cage at a dirty roadside zoo. Ben will now spend his days exploring the beautiful and spacious wildlife sanctuary that is his new home, splashing in a pool for the first time in his life. Just try not to get misty-eyed.

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