Ryan Tedder Doesn't 'Apologize' for Teaching the ABCs--Animal Birth Control--in New peta2 Campaign 

For Immediate Release:
November 2, 2009

Contact:
Amanda Schinke 757-622-7382

Los Angeles -- Ryan Tedder has one of the most downloaded voices of the decade, and now he's using that voice to target the cat and dog overpopulation crisis for peta2—the world's largest youth animal rights organization. The Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, and OneRepublic frontman took a break from his busy tour schedule to star in a 30-second TV Public Service Announcement (PSA) in which he urges folks to make sure that their cats and dogs are spayed or neutered and asks people to refuse to buy animals from pet stores and breeders.

"I was shocked to find out that 6 to 8 million dogs and cats are dumped at crowded animal shelters each year, and half of them must be euthanized because there aren't enough good homes," says Tedder in the PSA. He continues, "Get your dog or cat fixed and pledge today that as long as even one animal is homeless, you'll never buy from a breeder or a pet store."

OneRepublic is currently on tour with Rob Thomas, and the band's sophomore album, Waking Up, hits stores on November 17. Their mega-smash hit "Apologize"--from their debut album, Dreaming Out Loud--is the best-selling single of the decade and has the most legal downloads in U.S. history. It has been downloaded more than 4.3 million times in the U.S. alone.

Tedder also shot an exclusive interview with peta2 in which he expanded on PSA's theme of the importance of spaying and neutering. "[T]he first thing that any of our fans can do is, when they're considering buying a pet, the first place they should go would be an animal shelter," he said. He also offered his thoughts on fur as "fashion." "When you have ample substitutes, like the jacket I'm wearing now or anything else, it's inhumane, it's ridiculous, especially once you've seen the animals--that's what changes everything," he said.

To view the PSA and interview, please visit peta2.com or click here.