Road trips remind me of a better decade, when poodle skirts and pompadours were in fashion. So when I'm on the open road, Elvis croons from my stereo and the iconic Sonic drive-thru diner is a must on the list of pit stops.

cravingstogo / CC

And now I have another reason to cruise on up to Sonic besides its seriously addictive limeade. The company just agreed to begin purchasing eggs and to double the amount of meat it purchases from suppliers that use less cruel production methods. Under its new animal welfare policy, Sonic will take the following actions:

• The company will urge its chicken suppliers to convert to "controlled-atmosphere killing" (CAK)—the less cruel method of bird slaughter—or will favor suppliers that convert to CAK systems.
• It will begin phasing in the purchase of "cage-free" eggs from suppliers that don't cram their hens into cages, and it plans to increase the percentage of "cage-free" eggs annually.
• Sonic will double its purchase of "crate-free" pig meat from suppliers that don't confine pregnant sows to cruel gestation crates that restrict nearly all movement.

With the new policy, Sonic adds its voice to those calling for less cruel slaughter methods that will prevent thousands of chickens from suffering broken bones and dying in scalding-hot defeathering tanks—and it will mean more humane living conditions for sows. The company has set an example that we hope other chains will follow. Of course, our offers to meet with execs from McDonald's and KFC still stand.

Posted by Karin Bennett

When rock deity Chrissie Hynde says "I'll Stand By You," she really means it.

When we told Hynde that we were resurrecting our McCruelty campaign, she pulled out all the stops, starting by unveiling her new "i'm hatin' it" ad in Salt Lake City, where throngs of people were thrilled to see the powerful image. But the folks at Cleveland Outdoor Advertising weren't so thrilled when we submitted the Ohio native's ad to them as a billboard. According to PETA's advertising agent, Cleveland Outdoor Advertising "didn't feel comfortable" with the ad.

Well, often the truth isn't comfortable, and in this case it's painful—scalding, actually. The chickens who are killed by McDonald's suppliers are dumped onto conveyer belts, shackled upside down, and then run through an electrically charged "stun bath" before their throats are cut and they are immersed in defeathering tanks full of scalding-hot water—often while they are still conscious and able to feel pain. Join Chrissie Hynde in urging McDonald's to make it suppliers adopt controlled-atmosphere killing, a less cruel method of slaughter. It would cost the corporation nothing to ask its suppliers to make the switch, which would spare millions of chickens from enduring extreme suffering.

Posted by Logan Scherer

Last year's McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago was chock-full of behemoth balloon characters and live entertainment (was that the cast of Jersey Boys I saw serenading their way down State Street?), but something was missing …

Wait, I know! Where was the killer clown? Considering that McDonald's refuses to adopt controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—the less cruel slaughter method that would spare birds from having their throats cut while they're still conscious and from being scalded alive—no parade sponsored by the fast-food fiend would be complete without a bloodstained float full of terrified birds being butchered by "Raging Ronnie," the grand marshal of gore. That's why we recently submitted a request to sponsor the following float in this year's parade:

This float idea? I'm totally lovin' it. No word yet on what the parade organizers think. While we're waiting for an answer, tell us about an animal rights–themed float that you would like to see in a major parade …

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

Today is Anti-McCruelty Day, and we're calling on you to call out the clown!

Here's the 4-1-1: Call 1-630-623-3000 and tell rotten Ronald to get cracking on adopting controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)—a less cruel method of slaughter that McDonald's European suppliers already use. After all, it's a 9-1-1 situation for billions of chickens who are battered, bruised, and chucked into scalding-hot water before being turned into McNuggets.

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

This weekend, an attempt by Ronald McDonald to con San Francisco youngsters into eating more greasy, artery-clogging burgers and McNuggets was interrupted by an anonymous "chicken," who apparently was not going to take McDonald's abuse of chickens lying down.

Here comes the wind-up …

Note the artful splatter of the vegan cream.

Mr. Chicken makes his getaway in his trusty "old school" Vans.

Here's hoping Ronald got the message that he needs to start treating chickens with a little more respect. Switching to CAK would be a good start.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

The Pretenders' world tour landed in Salt Lake City on Sunday—and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chrissie Hynde was happy to use the occasion to launch her PETA campaign urging McDonald's to require its suppliers to upgrade to less cruel slaughter methods. In addition to using her stage as a platform to advocate a McDonald's boycott and tossing campaign T-shirts to her audience, Chrissie unveiled her brand-new "i'm hatin' it" ad at a Salt Lake City McDonald's today. Check out some of the action below, and then head to KSL-TV to see how it played on the news:

That spectacular artwork you see there is soon to be on billboards across the country—starting with Chrissie's hometown of Akron, Ohio. Lucky Akron! First it gets its own vegan restaurant, now this awesome billboard …

Posted by Amanda Schinke

This New Yorker usually steers clear of Midtown, thanks to the crowds, the horse-drawn carriages, and Macy's.

But I'm willing to ride the jam-packed Q to Times Square because I'm excited to see PETA's eye-popping McCruelty posters, which features an illustrated eye of a chicken who's been scalded to death and have been plastered all over Midtown. These posters are a follow-up to last week's Chi-town light show and are meant to pressure McDonald's to implement new slaughterhouse technology that would eliminate the worst abuses of chickens killed for McNuggets.

If you're like me, you're wondering where our eye-catching ad will show up next. Maybe on a huge banner draped over the St. Louis Arch? Share your suggestions in the comments section below.

Posted by Karin Bennett

sfgate / CC

Last month, our scalded "chickens" appeared at a Chicago-area McDonald's to draw attention to the many chickens who are boiled to death in scalding-hot water by McDonald's suppliers. Since the company still refuses to implement controlled-atmosphere killing to ease some of the suffering of millions of chickens killed every year to become McNuggets, we've enlisted the help of hilariousman Andy Dick to try scaring McDonald's execs straight.

Tomorrow, Andy will swap the scissors he wielded in a peta2 anti-dissection poster for a bloody knife and appear as a terrifying "Ronald McDonald" at our McCruelty demo at 600 N. Clark St. in Chicago.

In anticipation of his performance, Andy said that "if kids knew how chickens were mutilated for McNuggets, they'd burst into tears every time Ronald McDonald showed his face—and that may well happen when they see what this clown has to say about it."

I confess that I've always considered clowns to be scary—certainly McDonald's execs will agree after Andy Dick's performance at Thursday's demonstration.

Photos to come!

Posted by Karin Bennett

PETA is poised to take the mic on Wednesday to speak in behalf of chickens at McDonald's shareholder meeting in Oakbrook, Illinois. We're all set to grill CEO Jim Skinner and plan on asking him to change the way that his restaurants' suppliers slaughter birds by switching to controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK), a less cruel slaughter method.

For years, we've tried to convince McDonald's to require its suppliers to use CAK, which would eliminate some of the worst abuses suffered by the millions of chickens who are turned into McNuggets every year. But despite our efforts, the company still refuses to implement CAK.

After the meeting at 12 noon, we'll lead a protest at a nearby McDonald's restaurant, during which two PETA members will soak in "bloody" water to draw attention to the fact that many chickens at slaughterhouses that supply McDonald's are boiled alive in scalding-hot water.

If you live in the Chicago area, feel free to join the festivities!

Posted by Karin Bennett

Our McCruelty campaign has been raging on for about a month now, with no word from McDonald's about improving welfare standards for the animals killed for its restaurants. But since when has a little resistance stopped us? That said, we think it's the perfect time to kick the campaign up a notch, don't you agree?

Our latest efforts have us thinking big—as in billboard big. Check it out:

We plan to place the eye-opening billboard in select cities across the country. We're certain it will have motorists seeing red once they learn that the biggest seller of chicken meat in the country refuses to compel its suppliers to switch to a better slaughter method.

Contrary to what Ronald would like consumers to believe, it's not all Happy Meals and hamburger patches under the golden arches. Far from it.

Please take action now by urging McDonald's to support only suppliers that use controlled-atmosphere killing.

I know if I were a parent, I certainly wouldn't allow my child to visit the home of a scary giant-shoe–wearing clown with blood on his hands. But that's just me.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky