Columbia City Girl Crowned PETA's 2013 Cutest Vegan Kid

Healthy, Happy 5-Year-Old Wins a Shot at Stardom in Her Own PETA Kids Ad

For Immediate Release:
February 28, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Columbia City, Ind. -- The Leughmyers have always known that their daughter Ciera was the cutest kid around, and now, so does everyone else. That's because Ciera has been chosen as the female winner of PETA's 2013 Cutest Vegan Kids contest. Ciera beat out more than 120 other kids aged 12 and younger in the inaugural year that the competition was limited to vegans, thanks to the fast-growing number of kids who don't eat meat or unhealthy and cruelly obtained eggs and dairy products. Ciera has won a prize pack and the opportunity to appear in her very own PETA Kids ad.

"Ciera's radiance is no accident—it's the result of her healthy diet and her love and kindness toward others, no matter their species," says PETA Youth Marketing Manager Emily Rodriguez. "All our entrants were already winners because they save animals' lives and prevent their suffering every time that they sit down to eat."

Ciera is very proud of her compassion for animals, which extends beyond the dinner table. Even at her tender age, she's a seasoned activist, having handed out leaflets and discussed animal rights with other children as well as adults. Her philosophy is very simple: Animals are her friends, and she doesn't eat her friends. She never argues or complains about not being able to have certain types of candy and other foods that her peers are eating because she knows that if something contains animal products, it means that an animal suffered. Ciera's "brothers" and "sisters" include two dogs, two cats, 10 rats, four mice, and one fish—all of whom were rescued.

Winners were selected based on several factors, including vote count. For more information, please visit PETAKids.com.