Who needs a spa treatment when you can rejuvenate your soul by nuzzling 800-pound piggies at an animal sanctuary?

Well, a group of us kids from PETA and the PETA Foundation were lucky enough to do just that over the weekend. An hour north of D.C. lies a spectacular oasis called Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary. It consists of 400 acres devoted entirely to the rehabilitation of abused and/or neglected animals. This past Sunday, Poplar Spring hosted its annual Open House and Fundraiser. I don't think anyone could turn down yummy vegan nosh and cuddle time with the cuties pictured below, do you?

This is Bobby and yours truly. Before coming to the sanctuary, he and his friend Harry had lived their entire lives in cages and were used in insulin experiments. When they arrived at Poplar Spring, both of them were white as snow because they had never seen a single ray of sunshine. The first thing they did when they arrived at Poplar? They dove into a mud pool and stared up in amazement at the trees and stars. What a lucky guy, and such a looker too!

I'm telling you, folks, I highly recommend finding your nearest animal sanctuary and visiting. Or better yet, volunteer! With Thanksgiving coming up, most farm sanctuaries have special Thanksgiving celebrations that honor their turkeys. If my picture doesn't convince you, maybe these will.

Posted by Missy Lane

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Just last week, Neal Wanless, a 23-year-old rancher from Todd County, South Dakota—the seventh poorest county in the country—claimed a whopping $232.1 million Powerball prize in one of the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.

Now that he's roped himself some serious coin, we're asking him to spare a little change (career change, that is). We wrote to Neal asking him to put his family's 320-acre ranch out to pasture and retire the remaining cattle, sheep, and horses to a sanctuary. We're really hoping that Neal's generosity is as big as his oversized check, cuz ranched animals get a seriously raw deal that can include neglect, mutilation, genetic manipulation, and drug regimens that cause chronic pain and crippling.

So Neal, here's our appeal: Kick up your heels, go for bust in Branson, do Dollywood, buy a closet full of those two-toned Garth Brooks shirts—whatever—enjoy life—you deserve it. Just don't forget about all those animals back at your ranch. They deserve to enjoy the rest of their lives too.

Posted by Amy Elizabeth