wildaboutbritain.co / CC

Your calls and e-mails truly make a difference. Case in point: Snails who were the designated "janitors" of Brookstone's plastic boxes of filth, aka "Frog-O-Sheres," have been retired. We've just received word from an insider at Brookstone that snails will no longer be included in any Frog-O-Sphere shipments. Because of your hard work, countless snails will be spared life in the tiny, toxic tanks.

(Let's pause briefly for your pat on the back/cartwheel/victory lap around the office.)

OK. That's good work, and this victory is a step in the right direction for Brookstone, but we still need your help to free the frogs from these miserable, inadequate tanks. The company recently appointed a new CEO, Ronald Boire, so your voice is more important than ever. Please send a short, polite letter to him and ask that the company stop selling all live animals. Even if you've written to Brookstone before, write again to the new top dog.

Won't you help frogs live "hoppily ever after"? (My apologies, folks. I couldn't resist that one.)

Posted by Karin Bennett

This week's "Win It" Wednesday prize is ThinkGeek.com's fantastic (and fake) "Jellyfish Mood Lamp," a mesmerizing, humane alternative to Brookstone's tiny torture chambers for frogs and snails, aka Frog-O-Spheres.

cnbc / CC

We've got one to give away. In the comment section below, copy your polite but firm letter to Brookstone explaining why you won't be visiting its stores until it clears its shelves of Frog-O-Spheres. The writer who submits the most compelling defense of frogs and snails will nab the prize.

The contest ends on September 30, 2009, and we'll choose one comment as the winner on October 2, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.

Good luck!

Posted by Karin Bennett

Anyone out there know of a gadget that makes rotten retailers stop selling live frogs and snails in tiny prisons? Anyone?

Didn't think so. That's why we're calling on you to drop whatever you're doing right now and tell gadget magnate Brookstone to stop selling Frog-O-Spheres ASAP!

Despite complaint after complaint, Brookstone—a company that apparently has a heart of stone—is continuing to "package" frogs and snails together in pitiful plastic prisons and sell them to customers who don't have a clue about how to take care of these extremely delicate animals.

A distraught Brookstone employee has sent us undercover photos and horrifying details confirming that frogs and snails are sold with little regard for who will care for them:

"Most parents will exclaim right in front of me that they are not going to help the child to care for these living creatures. Then when I offer to sell them the additional food they will tell me flat out that the frogs won't live that long. It kills me that these frogs that can live to be 15 years old [won't] even last 1 year as a pet in a controlled [environment]."

The whistleblower went on to describe how animals are forced to languish and suffer on Brookstone's shelves without any veterinary care:

"We did have a frog that had a growth on its bottom. We eventually transferred that aquarium to the stock room and the frog died. No vet was called …. There is absolutely no policy or [veterinary] contact in my store for sick frogs. … [W]hen they do die we are told to "flush" them. … The snails die even more frequently. We have a bag full of over 15 snails that have died in the last month."

But, hey, no worries—if Kermit dies before his 30-day warranty is up, Brookstone will replace him for free! So long as you have your receipt, just flush and replace.

Let Brookstone know that these frogs aren't just a drop in the bucket. Please take action now!

Posted by Amy Elizabeth