Of course I don't mean that these sexy vegetarians contribute to the mind-blowing amount of greenhouse-gas emissions caused by the meat industry. Au contraire! The winners of our Sexiest Vegetarian Alive contest turned up the heat with their sleek physiques and radiant good looks. PETA’s affiliates also recently announced the winners of their international Sexiest Vegetarian contests.

And the winners are:

PETA U.S.

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Kellie Pickler shares more with the world than her stunning voice. When she went vegetarian, she was quick to share her decision with close friend and past PETA champ Carrie Underwood.

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Mamma mia! How handsome is Milo Ventimiglia? There's really no question, judging by all the winning votes that the star of television's Heroes raked in.

PETA Asia-Pacific: Australia

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Voters went gaga for gorgeous Geelong-born Portia De Rossi, who went vegan with her wife, comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres. Portia says, "It feels like such a compassionate choice. We are such animal lovers, why stop short of cows and chickens? It didn't make any sense."

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Hunky Australian Idol host Andrew G. racked up the most votes for the gentlemen. He says of his decision to go vegan, "The cleaner I kept my diet, the more obvious benefits I felt."

PETA Asia-Pacific: Asia

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Voters crowned beautiful Taiwanese actor and singer Barbie Hsu Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian Woman of 2009. Barbie says, "Lives are equal, eating meat is like eating corpses to me, and it makes me feel sick and sad."

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And Bollywood superstar and heartthrob Shahid Kapoor has won the title of Asia's Sexiest Male Vegetarian. Word is, he convinced leading lady Kareena Kapoor to go vegetarian while they were dating.

PETA Germany

The writing was on the wall early in the competition: The lovely tattooed television host Lina van de Mars won top spot for the women.

Rap star Thomas D. of the hip-hop band Die Fantastischen Vier wrapped up his win for Sexiest Male Vegetarian.

Now put your palms together, not just for these winners but for all the vegetarian hotties who were in the running for this year's title.

Posted by Karin Bennett

If you've already subscribed to Playboy Philippines, be prepared for the June issue to rock your world. It features more than 15 pages of scorching-hot animal rights material, including a spread about the cover girl—avid PETA Asia-Pacific supporter and Miss Eurasia Mia Gray—and an anti-fur spread. It also includes a feature called "Confessions of a PETA Girl" about the women of PETA Asia-Pacific as well as an article about going vegan.

Holy hotness! If you can't afford the international shipping for a subscription to the magazine, no worries. We have some images from the launch party that are sure to tide you over (at least until the end of this blog entry).

PETA Asia-Pacific's "Angel for Animals" dished up more than just vegan food—she also brought a touch of spiciness to each table she visited.

Sexy starlet Alicia Mayer never fails to show her support for animal rights in the steamiest ways possible.

Members of the PETA Asia-Pacific staff schmooze with Playboy bunnies and playmates.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

The swine flu epidemic has hit Asia—and so has PETA Asia-Pacific's intrepid team of biohazard-suited protesters. They gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila to point out the fact that factory farms are breeding grounds for deadly diseases such as swine flu and avian flu.

Thanks for the guard detail, boys! We'll take it from here.

[Heavy breathing] "Luke, I am your father. Stop eating meat, Luke."

Want to help prevent another swine flu outbreak? Click here to send a message to your Congressional representatives. Oh, and don't forget to go vegetarian.

Posted by Lianne Turner

OK, well, that's pretty much all that these four lovelies from PETA Asia-Pacific were wearing outside the Manila Zoo, but they certainly drew the crowd's attention to their campaign to improve conditions for animals at the cramped, decrepit zoo.

The animals got a little time off from the gawkers, who instead turned their attention to the bikini-wearing beauties—and the issue of cruelty to captive animals.

She may be smiling for the cameras, but this gal knows that there's no happiness for animals at the Manila Zoo.

Thanks go out to these ladies and the rest of the team at PETA Asia-Pacific for their efforts to get the Manila Zoo to shape up its act.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Australian vocalist Missy Higgins is no newcomer to PETA. A few years back, she graciously appeared in one of our most adorable pro-vegetarian ads ever. Now she is lending her star power to an equally adorable new PETA anti-fur ad.

Joining the ranks of Charlize Theron and Friday Night Lights actor Aimee Teegarden, the award-winning singer/songwriter took time out of her busy schedule to speak up for animals who are killed for their fur by appearing in our ad alongside the almost unbearably cute Izzy. Feast your eyes on this:

With a heart as beautiful as her voice, Missy wants to remind everyone that the fur industry is hell on Earth for animals. In the wild, animals trapped in steel-jaw traps can suffer in pain for days, often gnawing at their own limbs in an attempt to break free. On fur farms, animals spend their lives in cramped, dirty cages, frantically pacing and circling endlessly before workers snap their necks or kill them with poison gas or electrocution.

Compassionate animal guardians can't imagine seeing their four-legged friends endure such suffering, and they can't imagine that anyone could get paid to inflict such suffering on other animals, either.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Phew! We have so many great protest pictures to share that we decided to hit you with them all at once. Brace yourselves:

Animal defenders of all ages turned out for our protest against the (ab)use of animals in trauma training exercises at Fort Bragg …

… including baby McCartney (named after you-know-who).

Our gaggle of PETA chicks caused quite a stir in Youngstown, Ohio, where they told the "naked truth" to passersby outside a KFC. Even the manager of the KFC was sympathetic, telling them that his son had just gone vegetarian.

Mickey and Minnie are up to their old tricks, this time at a Lowe's in Houston, Texas. A construction-induced traffic jam proved to be a mouse's best friend, providing a captive audience who eagerly snapped up all our leaflets.

It was an embarrassment of riches for Houston, which was also blessed with one of our much-coveted veggie hotdog giveaways featuring PETA's Lettuce Ladies.

Deputy Dog, I presume?

More babies! This mother and munchkin who were passing by just happened to be wearing coordinating PETA T-shirts. What are the odds?

And finally, we travel to South Korea, where PETA Asia-Pacific stole all the thunder from Seoul Fashion Week.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

You may have noticed that PETA has been working hard to give our finned friends a PR boost. Well, it seems that some sea kittens in South Korea may have heard about our campaign and decided to do their own makeover. According to an article in the U.K.'s Telegraph, two female carp in a small pond in Chongju have adapted to look like humans! Check out their distinctive noses, eyes, and lips:

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We already knew that sea kittens have complex social systems, communicate with each other using low-frequency sounds, and use tools just like humans do, but now they even look like us! Cannibalism is generally frowned upon, so do you think this might persuade people to finally stop eating sea kittens, once and for all?

P.S. If this story has inspired you to give up fish for good, try out this recipe for grilled tofu with blackened seasoning. Looks just like grilled fish, tastes a million times better, and I promise it never resembled Mr. Limpet.

Posted by Liz Graffeo

Yesterday, PETA held a press conference in Vancouver to announce our ramped-up campaign against the Canadian seal slaughter. We'll be running the campaign up to and through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which will be held in the city. Our goal is to switch some of the focus from Canada's Games to Canada's shame—the annual massacre of hundreds of thousands of baby seals. To illustrate the worldwide outrage over Canada's despicable seal slaughter, our international affiliates also held protests in Australia and France yesterday.

PETA's official press conference in Canada

PETA Asia-Pacific's demo in Australia

PETA France's demo in Paris

PETA Germany's demo in Berlin

Posted by Alisa Mullins

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Not only is Jess fur-free, but she certainly ain't shy about lettin' the world know it. She told Confidential, "Death for these animals is a horror story—the most common method used for killing foxes is electrocution. I can't speak for Lisa [her twin and bandmate], but I admire the approach to the eye-catching photo shoots PETA [does] to get the important message out there." Wow! Well-worded, and thanks for the shout-out!

She's so bold with her animal rights message that she's even worn a faux fur jacket that reads "F*** Fur." In-your-face sass like this makes her fans set down their soy mochas, snap their necks, and say "Daaaaaang!" at how fly this girl is.

Posted by Missy Lane

In honor of the Year of the Ox, PETA Asia-Pacific's "Go Veg!" cow hit the streets to encourage shoppers to "make it a good year for cows." Welcomed with open arms (and kids jumping on his back), the cow traveled from Taipei to Hong Kong to Manila. He also made a quick pit stop at the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong to welcome Barack Obama into office. Check out photos from some of their recent demos below:

Ringing in the New Year in front of Taipei City Hall, the cow handed out free soy milk to let people know that cows on dairy farms are forcibly impregnated and have their babies torn away from them within days of birth.

In Manila and Hong Kong, he encouraged shoppers to give healthy, humane vegetarian meals a try. On today's factory farms, cows are routinely branded, dehorned and castrated without anesthesia. No cow deserves that kind of abuse, especially in a year dedicated to them. Don't ya think?

Of course, the always-scandalous PETA Asia-Pacific couldn't protest the meat industry without a throwing in a little sex appeal. No blow-up dolls were involved this time, but Sydney's lunchtime crowds got some serious eye candy. Wearing little more than painted-on words mimicking a butcher's diagram, a pair of activists held signs reminding passersby that "all animals have the same parts."

The Year of the Ox sounds a little bit like a year-long birthday party for cows to me, and I can't think of a better gift than to refuse to eat them.

Posted by Liz Graffeo

We were blown away (sorry) by the Kentucky Fried Cruelty demonstration that PETA Asia-Pacific held earlier today. Maybe it's a cultural difference, but in that part of the world, people apparently go into giggling fits over the very idea of blow-up dolls. Go figure!

Anyway, the clever folks at PETA Asia-Pacific, with the help of a posse of, um, inflatable activists, just held a truly "out-there" demonstration in the Patpong red-light district of Bangkok. The scene drew crowds of onlookers, and the live activists gave local residents a mouthful with regard to KFC's cruel treatment of chickens.

While we were a bit amazed by the photos of the demonstration ourselves, we know it will convince some curious people to check out KentuckyFriedCruelty.com. There they can learn about how chickens raised to fill KFC's buckets are drugged and bred to grow much larger than normal, have their throats cut while they are still conscious, and are often scalded alive in defeathering tanks.

Considering the shocking treatment of chickens, I understand why PETA Asia-Pacific would hold a demonstration that nobody could ignore. But maybe that's just me. What do you think? Was this demo a little too much or exactly the kind of attention-getting tactic that chickens need? Post a comment below with your thoughts.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Australian wool farmers are very fond of the myth that the mulesing mutilation (cutting the rump flesh off completely conscious lambs) is the most effective way to prevent flystrike, but we know it's only done because it's cheaper than more humane methods of controlling the affliction. These photos, recently taken on a paddock in Victoria, show several sheep suffering from absolute misery, severe neglect and flystrike, despite the fact that some had been mulesed! Yeah. Those farmers sure do care.

Many sheep found on this paddock had such severe cases of flystrike or were so starved or otherwise neglected that they required emergency treatment provided by caring civilians. Some were suffering so badly that they had to be euthanized immediately. Fortunately, an Australian animal rights activist has called for an intervention by the local authorities and has submitted this formal complaint (So far there's been no response yet.)

Australian farmers get away with cutting lambs open and leaving them to be eaten alive by maggots under the pretext of keeping them healthy. Does that sound wrong to anyone else? Please help stop this cruelty by boycotting Australian wool and informing the farmers that mulesing is wrong.

Posted by Lianne Turner

So we all knew that KFC has some trashy practices, but did you know just how disgusting they can be? Recently, a delivery person recorded a KFC employee in Hong Kong picking fried chicken out of a trash can, putting it on a tray, and serving it to customers. While this might be shocking to those who still turn a blind eye to the company's hideous ways, I'm definitely not surprised. KFC has proven to be fairly heartless in the past, and we know they aren't big on that whole "ethics" thing. So, should it be such a big deal that employees don't mind serving deep-fried flesh from a trash can?

The delivery person who brought this to our attention says that trash-diving is a regular practice at this particular location. According to this source, the employees stop cooking and throw everything away before the restaurant closes. When anyone else orders, they serve them literal junk food. Oh yeah, and the manager approves of it because it saves money! Gross.

Know what else KFC seems to think is perfectly acceptable? Check out our undercover investigations to find out for yourself. I certainly know The Roost wouldn't take this laying down!

Posted by Lianne Turner

The wonder crusaders over at PETA Asia-Pacific have been crossing country borders nonstop for the sake of animals. Their efforts as of late have reached crowds of people in China and Australia, and even more individuals are tuning in via news circuits and the Internet. We say, rock it, PETA A-P! Of course, we fancy our readers to be in the know about everything animal rights—so we've compiled a few photos of our affiliate's latest efforts below. Enjoy!

PETA Asia-Pacific's naked holiday chicks assembled outside a KFC in Adelaide, Australia, where they encouraged bystanders to have a cruelty-free holiday. The brave ladies wore nothing but a banner that read, "Make It a Merry Chickmas: Boycott KFC!" The back of the banner read, "Turn Your Back on KFC Cruelty."

In Hong Kong, locals were greeted by sexy angels outside the Giorgio Armani flagship store. The wretched designer buys his rabbit fur from China—which is now the world's largest fur exporter. PETA Asia-Pacific's investigation of rabbit fur farms in China revealed that the fur industry there is one in which cruel practices—such as shooting animals in the head with electrical stun guns—are rampant.

The Asia-Pacific crew held another Armani demonstration, this time in Sydney, Australia. Activists held oversized posters of the designer sporting an extra-long Pinocchio-esque nose because he went back on his earlier promise to remove fur from his collections permanently. I guess when you're already an animal abuser, lying doesn't bother your conscience that much.

Now, don't those pics just make you want to get out there and do something? Well, get to it!

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

I honestly can't tell who's more stunning in PETA Europe's new anti-fur ad—Topsy, or Natalie Imbruglia! I mean, sure, Natalie's gorgeous, but Topsy has such fluffy ears ….

Really, though, "Torn" artist Natalie Imbruglia really shines in her new ad, which points out that even a "little fur trim" is the product of an industry that skins animals alive.

"There is no kind way to rip the skin off animals' backs. In the wild, animals are caught in snares and steel-jaw traps that slam down on their limbs—they often cut down to the bone and mutilate animals' legs and paws," Natalie says—and that kind of torture is a part of every piece of fur we see. Natalie continues, "Anyone who wears any fur shares the blame for the torture and gruesome deaths of millions of animals each year."

This isn't the first time Natalie has spoken out against fur, by the way. In 2005, she told Cosmopolitan just how she felt about fur when she shared her opinion of furry Jennifer Lopez. Oh, Natalie, you took the words right out of our mouths!

So when you go shopping for that new winter coat, don't forget to make sure that all the trim is totally faux—and you can check out PETA's Shopping Guide to Compassionate Clothing for some great cruelty-free resources. Topsy will thank you for it!

Posted by Amanda Schinke

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Part of the first experiment called for students to pump the chemical strychnine into the stomachs of approximately 150 mice through surgically-attached stomach tubes. That's right, strychnine—and then the students were required to observe and record the animals' convulsions. The second experiment required the students to inject pentylenetetrazol, a convulsion-causing chemical, into approximately 135 mice. The students then had to inject acetic acid into the animals, which caused their bodies to contort painfully.

Now, both experiments have been canceled—and nearly 300 mice will be spared these terrible procedures every semester. The university will still conduct experiments on animals—including one cruel blood-pressure manipulation experiment in which students slice open animals' windpipes and blood vessels—but the university has also agreed to dramatically reduce the number of rats who are used in that experiment—to just one.

These victories come after PETA successfully convinced National Taiwan University College of Medicine to end similar experiments on animals earlier this year.

This is a great start for National Yang-Ming University and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, where school officials are beginning to realize that animal experimentation is not just unnecessary—it's inaccurate and completely inhumane.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Those zany kids at PETA Asia-Pacific are never content to rest on their … um, laurels—and thank goodness for that! Not satisfied to raise awareness about animals in China, Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the Philippines (among other countries), they're now moving into new territory: Mongolia.

In a new pro-vegetarian ad proclaiming, "Turn Over a New Leaf, Try Vegetarianism," Mongolian singer-songwriter Nominjin wears a spectacular full-length gown made of fresh lettuce leaves. This will be the first PETA Asia-Pacific ad to appear in Mongolia.

"Kicking the meat habit is one of the most rewarding actions I've ever taken in my life," Nominjin said. "The best thing that anyone can do for animals, the Earth, and their own health is to go vegetarian."

You can't just grab a lettuce-leaf dress at the nearest department store, of course. It involves a trip to the market—and then a whole lot of work to assemble, as you can see in these pictures from the shoot:

BTW, that's PETA Asia-Pacific Director Jason Baker stringing together the peppers—proving that there's nothing he won't do to help animals!

Posted by: Jeff Mackey

Not to be outdone by PETA India, the folks over at PETA Asia-Pacific have certainly been busy lately—in the last week, they've had three tremendously successful demos!

First up, we have three activists in Seoul, Korea, who lay outside a fur store in "bloody" fur coats, caught in a steel-jaw trap. Calling attention to the cruel methods used to trap wild animals for fur, their message read: "Animals Suffer in Traps. This Is Fur."

A few days later in China, two of PETA Asia-Pacific's sexy Lettuce Ladies asked passersby in Guangzhou to "Turn Over a New Leaf—Go Vegetarian." As you can see from the pics below, they got a lot of attention! Not bad for the first PETA Asia-Pacific demo in China in five years, don't you think?

Most recently, Santa spread the joy of soy in Manila and Hong Kong, courtesy of PETA Asia-Pacific. In light of the much-reported melamine-tainted–milk scandal, which has killed at least four babies and sickened 53,000 others, jolly old Saint Nick is working with PETA Asia-Pacific to inform milk-drinkers that cow's milk is also loaded with cholesterol, fat, and other contaminants, including cow's blood and pus, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Over time, these can be just as dangerous as melamine.

Kudos to our friends at PETA Asia-Pacific for the string of amazing demos. We can't wait to see what they'll do next!

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Smokin'-hot Filipina model Alicia Mayer is teaming up with PETA Asia-Pacific once again. This time, the FHM cover girl stars in not one but two super-sexy new ads.

Posing in plastic wrap, Alicia says, "No one wants to be treated like a piece of meat." The stunning actor knows that the easiest way to end cruelty to animals is to go vegetarian.

Alicia pulls off Saran Wrap better than Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes.

In her second ad, Alicia holds a limp banana next to a tagline that not-so-subtly points out the connection between meat-eating and impotence. Alicia will likely make many men think twice about their meat addictions!

No one wants a limp banana!

Alicia Mayer has got what it takes: a killer body and compassion for animals. Want to follow Alicia's lead? Pledge to go veg for 30 days!

Multitalented Aya Sugimoto is no stranger to nudity—the erotic novelist has doffed her duds in movies and as a model—but today she went naked for PETA Asia-Pacific and for animals abused for the fur industry.

Holding a sign reading, "Fur? I'd Rather Go Naked," gorgeous Aya posed before dozens of photographers and television cameras in one of the first Japanese campaigns by PETA Asia-Pacific.

If only the sign were smaller…

PETA Asia-Pacific chose Aya Sugimoto for their anti-fur campaign because of her passion for animal rights (she's created her own faux-fur fashion brand). "I want people to realize that they can be stylish and posh enough without using real fur," Aya said. Great choice, PETA Asia-Pacific!

Has Aya gotten your attention? Go here to learn more about what happens to animals killed for their fur, then get on board and pledge to go fur-free.

P.S. For any UFC fans out there—PETA's favorite vegan fighter, Mac Danzig, is battling Clay Guida tonight (September 17) at Ultimate Fight Night 14 in Omaha, Nebraska. It'll be live on Spike TV. For those of you new to UFC, Mac is an awesome fighter and was the winner of Ultimate Fighter 6.

Go, Mac! Everyone here at PETA is rooting for you!

Posted by Carrie Ann Harris

A few weeks ago, we exposed the horrific conditions that our PETA Asia-Pacific affiliate found at the Sanchong animal shelter, including untreated sick and injured animals and a building structure in such bad shape that it could not protect animals from the natural elements. We asked for your help in urging Sanchong to make vast improvements for the animals—and as always, you rose to the occasion!

PETA Asia-Pacific has just met with the mayor of Sanchong and has inspected changes made at the recommendation of the local government. A new floor has been installed, preventing floodwaters from seeping in and keeping the dogs from drowning. The puppies housed at the shelter have been moved to a more suitable area, and the dogs now have individual pens in order to prevent fighting. If workers don't forget and bunch them up again, this is good news. Water bowls have been installed (although it's in such a way that they can't be cleaned and must now be moved) and a new roof (that is too low and also must be moved) has been erected to keep out rain.

While this shelter has a long way to go to be acceptable, we are pleased with the efforts made by the government. PETA Asia-Pacific will stay on top of the situation, and we will continue to update you.

Thank you to everyone who has written in and contacted the city of Sanchong about this. Below are a few photos depicting the improvements that have now been made for these homeless animals.

The mayor with PETA Asia-Pacific director Jason Baker

New floors at the Sanchong shelter

New floors for the puppy area

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Severely injured dog in Sanchong shelter

Conditions at the shelter are so bad that redoing the concrete floor and putting up a tarp to help keep out torrential rain isn't going to do it. So long as the same lazy louts are still in charge—people who stand around joking while dogs convulse at their feet—we'd like the place to be closed down and the money to be used to move strays straight from the street into veterinary care. Please tell Sanchong to use the shelter for something else, to reassign the callous workers, and to send dogs straight to the vet for treatment or euthanasia if they are pain.

PETA Asia-Pacific's Coco and local volunteers held a great demo (see below).

With the opening ceremonies of the 29th Olympiad just days away, our friends at PETA Asia-Pacific decided to get into the spirit of the games by awarding gold, silver, and bronze honors to Beijing's top vegetarian restaurants.

I know what you're thinking: vegetarian restaurants in China?!? Yes, my friends, it's true, but we really shouldn't be so surprised. After all, the Chinese gave the world tofu, that wonderful high-protein, versatile ingredient that can be used in everything from chocolate mousse pie to faux-ricotta lasagne (if you're still wrestling with tofu, check out our guide to vegetarian cooking).

And now with a drum roll, here are the top vegetarian restaurants in Beijing, as determined by PETA Asia-Pacific:

Gold: Taking the gold is Godly Vegetarian Restaurant. Beijing's oldest Buddhist vegetarian restaurant specializes in Chinese traditional classics, including KingKong HuoFang (stewed mock pork), sweet and sour mock ribs and fish, mock meatballs, mock duck, and much more.

Silver: Pure Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant—run by Tibetan monks—netted the silver. Voted "Best Vegetarian Fare" in the 2007 Beijing Reader Restaurant Awards, this restaurant serves up creatively named dishes such as "hot tears fill the eyes glazed noodles" and "countenance of mercy, words of love stir-fry." Yummy food with a side of zen.

Bronze: Coming in with the bronze is Still Thoughts, a relaxing and intimate oasis of vegetarian calm amidst a bustling alley in the heart of the city. Favorites include the spicy mock-pork intestines dry pot (testament to the fact that for any cruel and weird thing that humans would consider eating, human ingenuity can create a cruelty-free option!), shredded veggie-duck pancakes, and the faux-chicken hot pot.

And on a kinda-sorta related note, here are gold, silver, and bronze naked ladies! They are drawing attention to cruel practices on Chinese fur farms just in time for the Olympic Games:

View behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot here.

Amanda Beard, the incredibly gorgeous U.S. swimmer, has posed naked for a brand-new anti-fur ad, just as the Olympics are about to kick-off in Beijing.

The Olympic gold medalist unveiled the stunning "Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin" ad just hours after Beijing officials stopped her from holding a news conference, reportedly for "safety" reasons. Hmm, what’s so dangerous about a naked lady?! So the swimmer simply moved her location and revealed the stunning ad to a swarm of reporters and TV cameras elsewhere.

Given that Beijing is hosting the Summer Olympic Games this year and the horrific conditions that have been documented on Chinese fur farms, now is a great time to remind folks that animals grow fur to protect themselves from the elements, not to cover 100-lb. fashionistas from paparazzi camera flashes.

The ad shows that she's comfortable in her own skin and doesn't need to steal anyone else's. During the shoot Amanda sat down with us and explained: "I'd much rather go naked than ever put a dead animal on my body." Well said, Amanda!

You can get on board by signing our pledge to go fur-free pledge.

Photos from Amanda's unveiling in Beijing:

Photo Credit: Patrick Alleyn

This was one of the dogs PETA Asia-Pacific found in horrible conditions.

Although PETA Asia-Pacific has documented poor protection from the elements and a gross lack of veterinary care—including for dogs immobilized because of illness and left to die amid their own waste—the situation has gone from bad to worse. As a typhoon swept through the area, workers released 30 dogs (perhaps to avoid having to dispose of their bodies afterward) rather than simply moving them to higher ground for protection. The "shelter" sits in a flood plain where there is nothing for the dogs to eat and no way for them to escape their pens and avoid drowning.

Please help us make a difference in Taiwan by sending an e-mail urging ShanChong city officials to shape up and take their responsibility to care for these animals seriously.

Posted by Sean Conner

Remember that advertisement for the U.S. Army that said that folks in the Army do more before 6 a.m. than most people do all day? I was reminded of that when I reviewed some of the successes scored by the phenomenal PETA Asia-Pacific team. Check out what these superheroes for animals accomplished during a recent three-week span:

1. When PETA Asia-Pacific learned that Tanzania was going to ship elephants and giraffes to the Manila Zoo, a tiny, decrepit, and outdated facility that has nothing to offer animals except a life of deprivation, misery, and loneliness, they fired off a letter to Tanzania President Jakaya Mrisho Kitwete, pointing out that "[a]ll confined animals suffer from profound boredom—some so severely that it can lead to self-mutilation and self-destructive behavior." The president of the East African nation responded with compassion, halting the deal and saving many animals in the process.




2. Photo Credit: Gaspar Rodriguez

   When Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a war on hunger and inequity—while also saying that she would lead by example—PETA Asia-Pacific called on the president to adopt and advocate a vegetarian diet. The letter sent by PETA Asia-Pacific explained that animals raised for food consume nearly 1 billion metric tons of food edible by humans every year—enough to feed about half the world's population. President Arroyo took the time to respond to the letter, resulting in tremendous media coverage.



3. In protest of the grueling "death ship" journeys—in which sheep and cattle are forced to endure extremely crowded, disease-ridden ships with little access to food or water through all weather extremes—dozens of men and women from PETA Asia-Pacific and Animal Liberation NSW stripped naked and sprawled on the ground in a "die-in" on Sydney's Pitt Street Mall. The protesters lay on the cold pavement (it's wintertime in Australia—remember that hemisphere thing?) for 20 minutes under signs that read, "Animals Suffer and Die in Live Export." Check out the activists in action!



4. And leaving the most sizzling for last: Kobe Kaige (don't pretend you don't know that name!)—who has graced the pages of dozens of magazines, from Playboy and FHM to Stroke MX and Maxim, and who currently reigns as Penthouse's "Pet of the Year"—recently teamed up with PETA Asia-Pacific to draw some media and public attention to the cruelty of fur. Kobe—who posed fully nude amid a snowy set holding a sign that read, "Give Fur the Cold Shoulder"—helped save animals' skins by showing some of her own.

Posted by Grace Friedan

Our good friends over at PETA Asia-Pacific got some unexpected attention during a protest outside a KFC restaurant in Sydney, Australia, when the police showed up offering the protesters blankets and a free ride to the station.

The three ladies—who had crammed their bodies into a wire cage to protest the cruel methods KFC uses to raise and slaughter the billions of birds that fill its buckets each year—were wrapping up the peaceful demonstration when the swoop occurred (swoop, geddit?) and arrested the activists for ... indecent exposure. Of course, there had been no indecent anything, and the ladies were later released. An apology is in order.

The demonstration was a magnificent follow-up to Pamela Anderson's Australian rendezvous last week, when the actor hand-delivered a letter to the managing director of KFC Australia's parent company telling him exactly what she thinks of KFC suppliers' scalding birds to death.

All our Australian supporters are pushing for KFC restaurants to adopt the same animal welfare standards now applied to chickens killed for KFCs in Canada. The PETA Asia-Pacific crew reached even more blokes and sheilas! Well done!

Check out photos from the demonstration below!

scopefeatures.com.au

scopefeatures.com.au

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Pamela Anderson Visits a KFC in Australia

The walking fantasy with a heart of gold is in Australia for the filming of the reality show Big Brother. Earlier today, Pam hand-delivered a copy of her letter to Albert Baladi, managing director of KFC's parent company in Australia, to speechless-but-drooling staff at a local KFC. She also gave the manager a copy of her explicit video—no, not that video…the other startling exposé (narrated by Pam), which reveals that KFC suppliers scald chickens to death in defeathering tanks and use other outdated and cruel gathering and slaughter methods.

In her letter, Pam writes:

I've been in Australia filming Big Brother, in which my housemates and I are confined and sealed off from the outside world, much like the chickens who are crammed inside barns for KFC. Fortunately, I won't be stomped to death, have my legs broken or be scalded to death in a tank of hot water—yet, as PETA's undercover videos have revealed, the chickens raised for KFC's restaurants in Australia often suffer these abuses.

Pam urges Baladi to adopt the same animal welfare standards now applied to chickens killed for KFCs in Canada, which are a result of PETA's campaign and will substantially improve the living and dying conditions of chickens.

And a little eye candy for your day: pictures of Pam in action!

The Scene In Gold Coast

Posted by Grace Friedan

reuters / CC

The little pig, named Zhu Jianqiang or "Strong Pig," was trapped under rubble and emaciated after only eating charcoal and drinking rain water to survive!

In light of the tragic Midwest floods—in which pigs swam for days to get to safety, only to be shot to death, which is just one horror story among so many—the rescue of Strong Pig from the rubble of such a devastating natural disaster is a beautiful glimmer of hope, right? I told you this was heartwarming. These pigs—who were supposed to be slaughtered in two parts of the world where pork is a staple food—desperately struggled for their lives right along with humans, and it leave no doubt as to pigs' commonality with us.

While knowing that this little guy has a safe place to lay his head from now on is reason enough to love this story, I've got to admit to the little kick that I get out of thinking about the folks who view these intelligent beings as no more than "food" getting a glimpse into the human-like quality of their dinner.

Posted by Missy Lane

Let's say that you're South Korean. Let's also say that you're vegetarian. Now, what do you do if you basically sympathize with the sentiments of the tens of thousands of South Koreans who have taken to the streets in recent months to protest the importation of American beef, but you know that concerns over mad cow don't quite capture the whole story? Well, if your name is Kyung-Dam Park, you slip into a fuzzy cow costume, stand outside the South Korean embassy in Manila, and hold a sign that reads, "It's Mad to Eat Meat. Go Vegetarian."

This is what Kyung-Dam Park had to say: "With all the disease directly linked to eating animals, you really have to be mad to eat any meat these days. Going vegetarian is the best thing you can do for your health and animals."

Park's point? While South Koreans' fears about mad cow (the disease that ravages the brain and turns it into Swiss cheese) are well founded, there are lots of other reasons for South Koreans (and everyone else) to keep all meat (from the U.S. or anywhere else) off their plates.

Posted by Grace Friedan

news / CC

As you might know, I once helped open a KFC restaurant in Gungahlin, ACT. However, if I knew then what I know now about KFC, I never would have taken part. I was shocked to learn ... that KFC has refused to demand that its suppliers eliminate the worst abuses suffered by the more than 850 million chickens raised and killed for its restaurants every year.

As the head of KFC in Australia, you have the power [to] improve the way that chickens are treated, and I hope you will take action to do so. Take it from me: No "chick" wants to be treated like a piece of meat.

Imogen goes on to discuss problems that were documented during an undercover investigation into a KFC supplier in Australia. The undercover investigator found chickens who were suffering from broken limbs and failing organs because of the animals' unnatural growth rates. The investigator also documented living birds forced to live amongst dead bodies in a long, barren shed.

KFC isn't the only animal issue close to this beauty's heart: She's also done some fantastic anti-fur ads and compelling (not to mention hot) ads that shine the light on cruelty to elephants and bulls. Check 'em out here! Animals—and everyone who had to pick their jaws up off the floor after checking out this ad—thank you, Imogen!

Posted by Sean Conner

Two members of PETA Asia Pacific hijacked a fur seminar at Hong Kong Fashion Week today to ensure that attendees got the animals’ side of the story as well. Here’s what PETA Asia Pacific’s Rebecca Chui had to say about it:

“We want the Fashion Week attendees to know that fur means cruelty to animals. They suffer terrible pain from the time they are caught. Some of them are skinned alive. Some are killed by poisoning, gassing or anal or vaginal electrocution. We are in the 21st century and there is fur substitute now. There's no excuse to kill any more animals.”

Asked for comment on this statement, the Hong Kong Fur Federation called it “extremely regrettable”—by which I can only assume they meant “bad for business.” Which, well, fair enough. I can’t imagine that they would have chosen these images themselves to represent their nasty little promotional event in the international media:

Australian supermodel Imogen Bailey has helped us with numerous campaigns over the years, speaking out on issues as diverse as the fur industry, rodeos, and elephants in captivity. And she’s just launched a whole new website devoted to educating people about animal rights and giving animal-lovers a forum to discuss the issues. So I wanted to give it a quick shout out: You can check out Imogen Bailey’s ImForAnimals here. But before you go, have a look at this stunning ad she made to let people know about the cruelty behind rodeos. You’re a star, Imogen.

Powerlineblog/Creative Commons

Apparently, after receiving a letter this week from PETA Asia Pacific’s Jason Baker, which explained (in gory detail) exactly how fur coats are made, Miss Universe, aka Riyo Mori, has agreed to stop wearing the stuff. We’re still waiting for confirmation from her that she’s gotten the message loud and clear, but this news sounds really promising.

Now, if the woman officially recognized as the hottest chick in the entire universe can do her stuff without draping herself in dead animals, you’d think a cheap fur-hag like Beyonce could figure out that you can have a killer look without actually killing anything. You’d think.

Anyway, just thought I’d share that piece of good news from The Philippines. I’ll let you know once we get confirmation from Miss U that she really has given up fur for good.