glaucus / CC

In a perfect world, lobsters and crabs would be able to do their deep sea thing without being preyed upon by humans hell-bent on turning sea life into seafood. Unfortunately, we live in a woefully imperfect world in which crustaceans are routinely boiled alive or cut open while they are still conscious. That's why we're hoping that the Crustastun will catch on.

A less cruel method of slaughter, the Crustastun uses a low-voltage current to instantly render crustaceans unconscious and to kill them within five to 10 seconds. I don't think that I need to tell you what a huge improvement this is over the three minutes of pure agony that lobsters suffer though when they are cooked alive!

Thrown into scalding-hot water, lobsters and crabs will fight so hard against a clearly painful death that their claws often break off in their struggle to escape. Lobsters are unique and fascinating animals who are not that different from humans. Like us, they carry their young for nine months and have a long childhood. Using complicated signals to explore their surroundings, they establish social relationships, take long-distance seasonal vacations, and can live to be more than 100 years old. Also like us, they experience fear and pain.

According to invertebrate zoologist and crustacean expert Dr. Jaren G. Horsley, lobsters have a "sophisticated nervous system" and feel "a great deal of pain" when cut or cooked alive. And because lobsters do not enter a state of shock when they are injured, a lobster feels every moment of his or her slow, painful death. Dr. Nedim C. Buyukmihci, a professor of veterinary surgery, states that it "would be inappropriate to do something to lobsters that you would not consider doing to conscious dogs, cats, or humans."

Which brings me back to the Crustastun. Knowing that this method will spare our crustacean comrades untold agony, we recently reached out to Tucson's Child & Family Resources concerning its upcoming annual lobster dinner fundraiser. Last year, another organization reached out to the event's organizers and tried to get them to dump the lobsters from their menu. The organizers refused, but this year we convinced them to allow to us to provide them with a Crustastun to use. The inventors of the Crustastun will be on hand to train the staff in how to use the device, which is easy to operate and guarantees the lobster a quick and painless death. And while we don't condone this event and we hope that the organization's future fundraisers will not include harming animals, we're glad that we can at least help reduce the suffering of these lobsters.

After all, it's about making a positive difference in an imperfect world …

Posted by Amy Elizabeth

Yesterday, PETA's "Soy Cream" Ladies were willing to brave the 107-degree Arizona high-noon heat in order to bring delicious—and cruelty-free—frozen desserts to the citizens of Tucson. Not a single person who ventured past these lovely ladies was able to resist a free Tofutti Cutie or a sexy smile. The PETA gals gave away 200 of the frozen treats and even more leaflets explaining why dairy-free is always the way to go.

I can't tell you how much I love these retro-inspired "Soy Cream" Lady outfits! Where can I get one?

"Which do I love more—my skateboard or Tofutti Cuties?" Don't worry, friend. You can have both!

Speaking of cuties—cow's milk is the number-one source of allergies in children, so Tofutti Cuties are not only delicious but much healthier than dairy products.

And remember: If it's iced coffee weather, it's absolutely Tofutti Cutie weather.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

A couple in Tucson was caught by Arizona authorities this week with close to 800 dogs (mostly Chihuahuas) and 80 parrots in filthy conditions inside their trailer. CBS News quoted workers on the case as suggesting that the owners were “breeders with good intentions,” which is rather like calling someone a well-meaning child abuser. According to the news reports, more than a dozen dogs were found stuffed inside a single crate in some cases. Some dogs had reportedly been found missing paws from fighting with cage mates.

The story has received national media attention (including an interview with PETA VP Lisa Lange on Nancy Grace last night), and we’re hoping that, as horrible as it is, it helps to dispel myths about breeders being people who care about animals. It seems pretty clear that these folks were running a puppy mill for profit, and PETA is calling on authorities to take this case extremely seriously, including vigorously prosecuting the couple and, should they be convicted, pursuing a provision in their sentencing to ensure that they never be allowed to have even one animal again.