The following is a guest post by Amy from the VegCooking blog:

wannaveg / CC

With swine flu now in at least 22 countries and the World Health Organization announcing that you may be able to get sick from eating pork from infected animals, pigs appear to be on people's minds 24/7. Here are some facts about pigs that you might not catch on the nightly news:

1. Pigs snuggle close to one another and prefer to sleep nose to nose. They dream, much as humans do. In their natural surroundings, pigs spend hours playing, sunbathing, and exploring. People who run animal sanctuaries for farmed animals often report that pigs, like humans, enjoy listening to music, playing with soccer balls, and getting massages.
2. Pigs communicate constantly with one another; more than 20 vocalizations have been identified that pigs use in different situations, from wooing mates to saying, "I'm hungry!"
3. Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers' voices and to recognize their own names. Mother pigs sing to their young while nursing.
4. According to Professor Donald Broom of the Cambridge University Veterinary School, "[Pigs] have the cognitive ability to be quite sophisticated. Even more so than dogs and certainly [more so than human] 3-year-olds."
5. Pigs appear to have a good sense of direction and have found their way home over great distances. Adult pigs can run at speeds of up to 11 miles an hour.
6. Professor Stanley Curtis of Penn State University has found that pigs can play joystick-controlled video games and are "capable of abstract representation." Dr. Curtis believes that "there is much more going on in terms of thinking and observing by these pigs than we would ever have guessed."
7. Pigs do not "eat like pigs" or "pig out." They prefer to eat slowly and savor their food.
8. Suzanne Held, who studies the cognitive abilities of farmed animals at the University of Bristol's Centre of Behavioural Biology, says that pigs are "really good at remembering where food is located, because in their natural environment food is patchily distributed and it pays to revisit profitable food patches."
9. Pigs are clean animals. If given sufficient space, they will be careful not to soil the area where they sleep or eat. Pigs don't "sweat like pigs"; they are actually unable to sweat. They like to bathe in water or mud to keep cool, and they actually prefer water to mud. One woman developed a shower for her pigs, and they learned to turn it on and off by themselves.
10. In his book The Whole Hog, biologist and Johannesburg Zoo director Lyall Watson writes, "I know of no other animals [who] are more consistently curious, more willing to explore new experiences, more ready to meet the world with open mouthed enthusiasm. Pigs, I have discovered, are incurable optimists and get a big kick out of just being."

These are just a few of the many reasons not to eat pigs. Click here to learn more about pigs.

Written by Heather Moore

OK. So I'll admit that I'm a sucker for a good list. Grocery lists, "to do" lists, Christmas lists (wait, that was last week)—you name it. Lists are a fantastic source of information (see our favorite lists), as demonstrated by this bit of list gold I found while browsing Time Magazine's "Top 10 Fashion Faux Pas" list: Vogue editor Anna Wintour is number one. Ha!

While she may not have made it into Time for the same reasons that she tops our unfashionable lists, Anna has long been on our radar for her furry ways, and frankly, we're not surprised that she topped Time's list as well. I mean, we've told her time and time again that fur comes from tortured animals who are often skinned alive, but the woman is as cold as her name implies. Check out our ad featuring the faux pas queen herself:

Written by Lianne Turner

photobucket / CC

G'day, mates! I'm stoked to tell you that the blokes in Victoria, Australia, have given the flick to cruel mousetraps. It's a rip snorter of a decision, and our hats are off to ya. Onya, Aussies!

Translation: Hello! Great news: The government in Victoria, Australia, just passed its new and improved Prevention of Cruelty to Animals regulations and (drum roll, please) glue traps are now highly regulated and can only be used by commercial pest-control operators and only after they get approval from Victoria's agriculture minister. This is a landmark victory for animals and will significantly cut down on the number of glue traps used in Victoria. Yay!

It seems the whole world is realizing that glue traps are cruel and unnecessary (it's about time!). Animals who become trapped in the sticky adhesive substance suffer for days before succumbing to starvation, dehydration, suffocation, and shock. The torturous conditions drive animals to rip off patches of skin and fur while struggling to escape, and many even attempt to chew off their own limbs. Safeway, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, the Dollar Tree, and now the whole state of Victoria have banned the cruel traps. So come on, Lowe's! Won't you please stop selling them already?

You know what's even more amazing about Victoria's new regulations? The passing of the updated resolutions not only strictly regulates glue traps but also does the following:

• Bans the use of twisted bits on horses
• Bans the transportation of dogs and livestock in the boot of a car
• Restricts the use of some electric-shock devices on animals

You can check out the full version of the regulations here.

Anyone up for a victory barbie?

Written by Liz Graffeo

There's nothing I'd rather do than write PETA's blog while everyone else is dancing and drinking Mojitos … Wait, I mean shoveling their cars out of a snowdrift or still stranded at an airport! Around this time last year, I mentioned once or twice how much I love "Top 10" lists. Well, while some things change, like Paris Hilton's furry ways—my love of lists, however, remains. And it seems I'm not the only one at PETA …

And so, I give you the "Top 10 PETA Top 10 Lists," as agreed upon by consensus by me.

10. PETA's Top 10 Patriotic Ads
Because I was going to put our "Sexiest Vegetarian Soldiers" on this list until I realized that we only announced five winners (one for each branch).

9. Top 10 Best Meals in Norfolk, Virginia
Because I wrote the list. And I like to eat.

8. Top 10 'Ditch Exotic Skin' Campaigns
Because the cold-blooded exotic skins industry is just as bad as the fur industry.

7. Top 10 Animal-Friendly Superheroes
Because I'm a nerd. That's right!

6. Top 10 Impotence Ads
Because how many organizations or companies could compile a list of their top impotence ads?

5. Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Prisons
Because in some places prisoners get so obese they have to let them go. No joke.

4. Top 10 Most Karmic Moments for Animal Abusers in 2008
Because you get what's coming to you.

3. Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Ballparks
Because it's a classic! Come on, Norfolk Tides—let's get you back on the Minor League List next year!

2. Top 10 Most Over-Bred Dogs
Because it is shocking and absolutely awful how much breedism is out there. I cringe every time I hear someone ask what type of breed an animal is.

1. Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Tuna or Salmon
Because people kill so many fish for food each year. But ya know we also have lists for pigs, turkeys, cows, and chickens.

What's noticeably missing from this list? Along with um … PETA's Top 10 Products to Stock Your Desk With and 28 years' worth of other top 10 lists, you might also notice the absence of peta2's popular annual Top 10 Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges. Well after my alma mater lost in the final round to someone else's, I'm still demanding a recount!

And lastly, if that's not enough for you, I suggest you check out our Top 10 Reasons to Go Vegetarian in 2009.

Written by Joel Bartlett

crimerant / CC

In the three years since Paris Hilton had a bouquet of flours (millet and plain baking) tossed at her—sorry, on her—by an animal rights activist, she's come a long way. But, like some others who have graced PETA's annual "Worst Dressed" list, Paris has gotten the message about the cruelty of the fur industry and now proudly proclaims her fur-free stance. For real! Even her mom is on board with the compassionate clothing thing:

Bravo, Paris!

Based on these results, Lindsay Lohan's mom can expect a fabulous faux to show up on LiLo's wish list in the near future.

h/t ecorazzi and eonline

Written by Joel Bartlett

Ever notice how bad begets bad? Well, in the world of animal abuse, folks often have a way of getting themselves hurt and even killed when trying to do the same to other animals. Besides the obvious "eat meat and die" connection, we at The PETA Files have seen quite a few instances of folks more creatively or elaborately harming or endangering themselves over the years—including large-scale property destruction and truly ironic animal attacks.

With that in mind, I bring you our Top 10 "Payback Is Hell" moments of 2008:

10. While striking his dog with a gun to make him release a bone, a man managed to shoot himself. Granted, I don't think there's any safe place to point a gun, but letting the "business end" face you as you swing it like a club? Wow. Maybe he'll think twice about hitting his dog next time—if he, ya know, survived.

9. What happens when you anger a 10-foot python who's been stuck in a cage for a long time? An intern at a Venezuelan zoo found out when he decided to play with the snake during his night shift. Turns out that snakes are fond of strangling and swallowing their prey (someone really should put that on Wikipedia).

8. Some people shoo wasps away with their hands. Others think it's fair play to go after them with lighted torches. One monk learned that when you play with fire, you (and your entire temple) might get burned (to the ground).

7. While tracking a deer whom he had shot and was in the process of killing, a hunter apparently misjudged a cliff's edge and fell off.

6. A New Jersey man tried to kill insects in his apartment with bug spray, but the propellant chemicals in the spray seemed to have some unforeseen consequences. He succeeded in killing many bugs, but probably not so much because of the poison as because of the explosion, which destroyed 80 percent of his apartment.

5. Though the purpose of "sea kitten hunting" is to dig a hook painfully into another being's skin, one guy seems to have misread the how-to manual and managed to drive the hook into his own hand.

4. Have you ever seen bears who were forced to perform in captivity and felt sorry for how helpless they look? Well, it turns out gigantic land mammals with sharp, sharp teeth aren't always that helpless—as demonstrated by the fatal attack that a bear at Predators in Action wild animal training center made against a trainer.

3. Why don't we allow children to drive? Because it's dangerous. Why do we allow children to kill animals with loaded firearms? Good question. Though some folks argue that children can be trusted with firearms if trained properly, I don't think that helps the two men who were allegedly shot by one eight-year-old boy who had reportedly been taught how to use a deadly weapon to hunt animals.

2. After being jailed on burglary charges, a man was attacked by another inmate who chewed off a part of his ear (ewww!). What are the odds that something so disgusting and awful would happen to someone? To top it off, what are the odds that it would happen to a man who had previously been charged with cutting off a dog's ears?!

1. Proving that using a .44 Magnum to kill mice is not a good idea, a trailer park resident managed to shoot herself and a bystander while trying to fire at a rodent who was simply trying to share her space. Is anyone else stunned that two accidental injuries occurred? PETA's humane mousetrap, on the other hand, has never hurt a living soul.

I guess it just goes to show that what goes around may actually come around, so please make wise decisions when interacting with animals—you might have to answer for your actions.

Do you have your own "payback is hell" story, in which someone's misdeeds to an animal don't go unpunished? If so, comment below; we'd all love to hear it!

Written by Sean Conner

wikimedia / CC

Did Sarah Palin's recent interview in front of a turkey-slaughter operation almost cause you to lose your lunch? If so, you're not alone. Even conservative pundit Joe Scarborough says he may well skip the bird this year. With Thanksgiving upon us, here without further ado are PETA's top 10 reasons to pardon a turkey this holiday season:

10. If you wouldn't eat your cat, you shouldn't eat a turkey.
As poultry scientist Tom Savage says, "I've always viewed turkeys as smart animals with personality and character, and keen awareness of their surroundings. The 'dumb' tag simply doesn't fit." They're as interesting and have personalities every bit as developed as those of any dog or cat.

When they're not forced to live on filthy factory farms, turkeys spend their days caring for their young, building nests, foraging for food, taking dust baths, preening themselves, and roosting high in trees. These social, playful birds relish having their feathers stroked and like to chirp, cluck, and gobble along to their favorite tunes.

9. Factory farms deny turkeys everything that is natural and important to them.
Ben Franklin called turkeys "true American originals." He had tremendous respect for their resourcefulness, agility, and beauty. In nature, turkeys can fly 55 miles an hour, run 25 miles an hour, and live up to four years. Yet turkeys raised for food are killed when they are only 5 or 6 months old. During their short lives, they will be denied even the simplest pleasures, such as running, building nests, and raising their young.

8. Turkey consumption might kill you.
Turkey flesh is brimming with fat and cholesterol. Just one homemade patty of ground, cooked turkey meat contains a whopping 244 mg of cholesterol, and half of its calories come from fat. Turkey flesh is also frequently tainted with salmonella, campylobacter bacteria, and other contaminants. And a vegan meal won't leave you sprawled on the couch, belt buckle undone, barely able to move.

7. You may stave off bird flu apocalypse.
Current factory-farm conditions are breeding grounds for disease. Turkeys are drugged and bred to grow so quickly that many become crippled and die from dehydration. Cooking meat should kill the bird flu virus, but it can be left behind on cutting boards and utensils and spread through something else you're eating.

6. Don't support their crack habit.
Dosing turkeys with antibiotics to stimulate their growth and to keep them alive in filthy, disease-ridden conditions that would otherwise kill them poses even more risks for people who eat them. Leading health organizations—including the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, and the American Public Health Association—have warned that the factory farming industry is possibly creating long-term risks to human health through the spread of antibiotic-resistant supergerms. That's why the use of drugs to promote growth in animals used for food has been banned for many years in Europe.

5. There are healthy, humane alternatives.
Everyone can give thanks for animal-friendly holiday meals such as Tofurky, Celebration Roast, and Garden Protein's new Veggie Turkey Breast With Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffing. PETA's scrumptious holiday recipes will please every palate and make it easier to give up the giblets.

4. Eating birds supports cruelty to animals.
When the time comes for slaughter, turkeys are thrown into transport trucks. At the slaughterhouse, they are hung upside-down and their heads are dragged through an electrified "stunning tank," which immobilizes them but does not kill them. Many birds dodge the tank and are still conscious when their throats are cut. If the knife fails to properly cut the birds' throats, the birds are scalded to death in the defeathering tanks.

3. Turkey consumption is bad for the environment.
Turkeys and other animals raised for food produce 130 times as much excrement as the entire human population—all without the benefit of waste-treatment systems. There are no federal guidelines to regulate how factory farms treat, store, and dispose of the trillions of pounds of concentrated, untreated animal excrement that they produce each year.

2. Turkey farming contributes to human starvation.
Turkeys have to be fed grains, soy, oats, and corn that could otherwise be fed to human beings. Only a fraction of the calories fed to a turkey are turned into meat calories. While there is ample and justified moral indignation about the diversion of 100 million tons of grain for biofuels, more than seven times as much (760 million tons) is fed to farmed animals so that people can eat meat. Is the diversion of crops to our cars a moral issue? Yes, but it's about one-eighth the issue that meat-eating is.

And the number one reason to give the birds a break:

1. Factory-farmed turkeys have nothing to be thankful for.
On factory farms, turkeys live for months in sheds where they are packed so tightly that flapping a wing or stretching a leg is nearly impossible. They stand mired in waste; urine and ammonia fumes burn their eyes and lungs. To keep the birds from killing one another in these crowded conditions, parts of the turkeys' toes and beaks are cut off, as are the males' snoods (the flap of skin under the chin). All this is done without any pain relievers.

A PETA investigator recently went undercover at a massive turkey-breeding facility in West Virginia and documented workers stomping on turkeys, punching them, beating them with pipes and boards, and twisting their necks repeatedly. One worker even bragged about shoving a broomstick down a turkey's throat because the bird had pecked at him. Our previous investigations show that such gratuitous abuse is the norm on turkey farms.

Check out VegCooking.com for tasty alternatives that will allow the turkeys to give thanks this Holiday season along with you and your family.

Happy eating!

Written by Bruce Friedrich

As more and more people kick their meat addiction, we thought we'd rate the top five vegetarian-friendly rehab centers. More and more celebrities every day are going to rehab—to the point where it's almost become trendy. Hopefully they'll take a note from our blog and check out our list below:

5. The Meadows (Arizona): All about fresh, organic root veggies, tofu, veggie burgers, and vegetarian casseroles, this desert oasis has helped the likes of Kate Moss, Eric Benet, Mike Tyson, Elle McPherson, Tara Palmer-Tompkinson, Paul Gascoigne, Ron Wood, Kerry Katona, Michael Barrymore, and Whitney Houston.

4. Hazelden (Minnesota): Hazelden offers Gardenburgers, veggie chili, veggie riblets, vegetable egg rolls, and sautéed vegetable sandwiches. Calvin Klein and Aaron Sorkin are two of the famous faces who have stayed at this ultra-famous facility.

3. Passages (California): Daily vegetarian and vegan soups and salads, vegetables, fresh fruit, squeezed juice, hummus, tabouleh, pasta primavera, vegetarian lasagne, wild mushroom pasta, vegetarian tacos and burritos, and veggie burgers are just a few of the menu must-haves at Passages, which has catered to Mel Gibson, among other stars.

2. Cottonwood de Tucson (Arizona): Baked rigatoni with spinach, wasabi mashed potatoes with snap peas, veggie pizza, veggie fried rice with spring rolls, portobello mushrooms stuffed with polenta, vegetable tostadas, green corn tostadas, and a daily salad bar are just some of the many vegetarian options that this favorite facility for rockers in recovery have offered to residents like Ron Wood, Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell, and Robbie Williams.

1 .Caron Foundation (Pennsylvania): Offering five-star eating for stars including Liza Minnelli, Steven Tyler, and Miss USA Tara Conner, the Carol Foundation is a vegan's paradise. Daily vegetarian options include vegetable pot pies, black-bean patties with pineapple chutney, veggie dogs with vegetarian chili, veggie pita sandwiches, roasted vegetables and tofu bakes, seven-vegetable orzo stew, Jamaican delight over rice (a sweet and sour combo of roasted peppers and tropical fruit), ratatouille and tofu, spinach mushroom pies, veggie arroz rojo with sun-dried tomatoes, tofu tetrazzini, vegetarian paella, three-bean stir-fries, Caesar salad with portobello mushrooms, broccoli-tofu turnovers, vegetarian tacos, tofu stir-fries, vegetarian barbecue, vegetable fajitas, and tofu with peppers, peanuts, and mushrooms. There's also a HUGE salad bar, and soy milk, rice milk, and soy cheese are available upon request.

Written by Amy Elizabeth