You Did It! Contest/Prrs & Grrrs

Entries to our "You Did It!" contest poured in, and your actions are simply amazing! Here are our favorites:

Eddie Lama and Eddie Rizzo of Flushing, New York, have helped dozens of stray cats and dogs. Last winter, the men organized a straw giveaway and dog-food raffle, supplying free bedding for dogs forced to live outside. They each win a pair of vegan shoes from No Bull Footwear, a company that sells only nonleather shoes! (Check out No Bull on 301-652-3181; www.pangeaveg.com; or in the U.K., tel./fax 01273 302979; www.veganstore.co.uk.)

People watching a Christmas parade got a vegetarian message, thanks to Jane Cartmill and San Diego Animal Advocates. The parade required floats to use the theme “Bells and Lights on Holiday Nights,” so they strung bell peppers around their float. People dressed as cows and pigs held signs like “Peace on Earth Begins With Your Plate.”

When Jean Newcomb of Greenbelt, Maryland, met friends at a local restaurant, she found a frightened baby elephant surrounded by a noisy crowd outside. She was told that the elephant was trained for such exhibitions and “didn’t mind at all.” Jean called animal control, which insisted that the elephant be removed and provided with water and food. Jean watched the elephant stretch and bellow in relief. “It was the best dinner I ever missed,” says Jean.

Los Angeles-based jewelry designers Cynthia and Cathleen Kennedy introduced “A Charming Cause,” a collection of charm bracelets engraved with phrases like “Support Animal Rights.” Proceeds will benefit PETA and other charities.

When I learned that an exterminator had put out glue traps to catch a mouse in our office, I disposed of them and replaced them with a humane trap,” says Bryan Wilson of Winter Park, Florida. After five days, the mouse was caught, and Bryan relocated him. “It showed me how we can reach people by setting a compassionate example,” says Bryan.

Thanks to Gabriel Lacktman and Molly Davis, motorists at this busy intersection near the University of Florida see this huge mural of animals and the message, “Friends, Not Food.”

While biking across the U.S., Lara Frank and Mark Heimann heard a tiny cry on a country road in Kansas. Under prickly sagebrush, they found a tiny kitten covered with abrasions. He had probably been thrown from a car. Lara and Mark rushed him to a vet, then ensconced him safely in Mark’s handlebar bag, where he rode the 1,500 miles to their Princeton, New Jersey, home, which he now shares with three other cats.

Dorothy Tovar of San Juan, Puerto Rico, coordinates a week of humane education at her children’s school each year. This year, the students donated a truckload of food and other supplies to animal rescue groups.

Chantal Cloutier, founder of Hollywood’s premiere makeup artist agency, is the secret behind glamorous stars like Kim Basinger, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Nicole Kidman. Chantal educates her artists about cosmetics not tested on animals and performs free cruelty-free beauty makeovers for women in homeless shelters.

Purrs to big-screen star Cameron Diaz, who acted alongside an assortment of animals, including a chimpanzee, in Being John Malkovich, for telling Vanity Fair magazine, “I won't do movies with animals anymore. I'm an actor by choice. A dog is not an actor by choice.” She added that animals don't “get a lot of choices on their own.” Send thank-yous to Cameron c/o Brad Cafarelli, Bragman, Nyman, Cafarelli, 9171 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 300, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Grrrs to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for their Freedom Food labeling scheme which okays meats produced under factory farm conditions. Please let the RSPCA know that this is not OK! Write: Mr Mike Sharpe, General Manager, Freedom Food, RSPCA, Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HG, U.K.

Purrs to singer and long-time vegetarian Morrissey for reintroducing his classic Smiths song “Meat Is Murder” into his live sets and urging his audiences to go veg at recent shows. Morrissey also canceled a gig in Germany after learning that it was to take place in a converted slaughterhouse. Send thank-yous to: Morrissey, c/o Marsha Vlasic, 307 Seventh Ave., Ste. 807, New York, NY 10001.

Purrs to the Israeli minister of education for banning dissection from all public schools, while stressing that students should be taught compassion for animals. Send thank-yous to: Yossi Sarid, Minister of Education, 34 Shivtey Yisrael St., Jerusalem, Israel; sar@education.gov.il.

Grrrs to domestic doyenne Martha Stewart for promoting pet stores and fad pets. “Pet expert” Marc Morrone—along with his chinchillas and other exotic animals—is a regular on Martha’s TV show, and her Web site plugs breeders associations. Please remind Martha that as long as millions of homeless animals die in shelters every year, promoting pet shops isn’t a “good thing.” Write Martha c/o Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, 20 W. 43rd St., 25th Fl., New York, NY 10036.

Purrs to Air Force One director Wolfgang Petersen for not giving real fish a starring role in his new film, The Perfect Storm. In scenes showing fish being caught and killed, Petersen used latex look-alikes. Thank-yous go to Wolfgang c/o Perfect Storm Productions, Warner Bros., 4000 Warner Blvd., Bldg. 9, Rm. 14, Burbank, CA 91522.