If only I owned a car, I could steer clear of crowded subway platforms and, more importantly, rationalize spending so much time watching videos at CompareTheMeerkat.com, part of a genius ad campaign by U.K. auto insurance company BGL Group. I'm not alone in my adoration: The ads have garnered tons of fans since debuting in January, and PETA U.K. has just awarded BGL and the ads' creator, VCCP, the GOODY Award for Best Ad of 2009.

Rather than exploiting animals or risking harm to them, the hilarious ad campaign uses computer-generated imagery to portray Aleksandr Orlov, a debonair meerkat who has grown increasingly frustrated that people looking for BGL's Web site, CompareTheMarket.com, keep landing on his site, CompareTheMeerkat.com, by mistake.

PETA U.K. applauds BGL's ad campaign because it uses creative alternatives to live animals, who often suffer from confusion and fear and are put at risk of injury when they are exploited on film sets. Animals used by the entertainment industry are often subjected to rigorous and abusive handling and training methods—including electric shocks—to force them to perform tricks that are confusing and often frightening to them.

On the flip side (and coming soon): the naming of the recipient(s) of the BADDY Awards, which are given to companies that feature ads that disrespect or risk harm to animals. Which company would you nominate for a BADDY?

Posted by Karin Bennett

Ladies and gentlemen, it's show time. We have a new video to add to our list of hard hitters—our "To Animals, It's Not Entertainment" video, which takes you behind the razzle-dazzle of the entertainment industry to let you witness the routine abuses that animals suffer in circuses and on film sets—abuses such as frequent beatings and solitary confinement in cages that are too small to allow the prisoners to turn around or take a single step in any direction.

Other Viewing Options

After you've checked that out, take a minute to tune in to "Meet Your Meat" and learn about the mechanized madness that animals endure before they are killed and ground up for hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets; "Testing … One, Two, Three," which shows the ways that cruel and dangerous animal experiments hurt animals and people; and "Whose Skin Are You In?" which exposes the cruelty involved in the leather, wool, fur, and exotic-skins industries.

These videos pack punches. After you've watched them all, leave a comment letting us know which one inspired you to take action.

Posted by Karin Bennett

OK, ever since we mentioned our proposal to take over a SeaWorld and turn it into a virtual-reality marine-mammal theme park, some people have been a bit, well, skeptical.

Obviously, these folks aren't familiar with PETA and our unique blend of determination and outside-the-box thinking. Long story short: Never say "never" to PETA people (and that includes our wonderful members and supporters).

Robotic dinosaurs from “Walking With Dinosaurs”
vertpaleo / CC

Anyone who doubts that we are serious—and, really, we're a little hurt, Sea World PR man—might want to check out a new animal-friendly show touring the U.S. called "Walking With Dinosaurs." It features enormous "live" dinosaurs roaring and stomping around the arena, chasing each other, foraging, and protecting their young. Imagine a life-size T. rex towering over you. Using animatronics, lighting, and sound effects, the show is thrilling family-packed audiences.

Unlike the animals currently trapped at SeaWorld, these robotic Barneys voluntarily put on an amazing 90-minute show. Machines don't get bored and anxious between performances or miss their "natural" environment, but marine mammals—who would naturally swim hundreds of miles per day, eat a diverse diet, and form complex relationships—spend their lives swimming in listless, lonely circles.

If they can already do all that with fake dinosaurs, then our SeaWorld overhaul should be a piece of cake (or maybe a cupcake), right? Like one of those aquarium screensavers—and if you're jonesing for an aquarium, that's the way to go—taken to the extreme. It's win-win: The animals are free to do their thing, and you don't go home smelling like chlorine.

Posted by Jeff Mackey