Photo © Bryan and Carla Wilson
Adam and Eve speak out for chickens in their first-ever protest in behalf of animals.

You didn't think we meant the couple from the Garden of Eden, did you? Naw. Another young pair, who just happen to be named Adam and Eve, joined other caring individuals in Orlando to school residents about McCruelty McDonald's. The fast-food giant refuses to improve conditions for millions of chickens, many of whom suffer broken bones or die in vats of scalding-hot water—while they are still conscious—on their way to becoming McNuggets.

Photo © Bryan and Carla Wilson
One passerby had picked up a copy of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" earlier in the day. The double-whammy of print and protest made an impact—he mentioned his eagerness to explore vegetarianism.

Photo © Bryan and Carla Wilson
This band rocks, don't you think? Find out how you can get in on the action.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Chick-fil-A founder and lifelong Southern Baptist S. Truett Cathy wrote the book Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People, but at the Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, PETA's "Jesus" and a "Chicken" were there to inspire people to eat no chicken—or any other animal.

PETA immersed convention attendees in our pro-vegetarian message, which is based on biblical teachings of love and compassion. "Jesus" carried a sign reading, "For Christ's Sake, Go Vegetarian," while the "chicken" reminded people that "Jesus loves me too." They also offered conventiongoers free copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" as well as leaflets relating vegetarian living to Christian teachings.

On a related note, our Sexiest Male Vegetarian of 2009, Monty, grew up eating meat in a Southern Baptist household—until he saw the light and announced to his family that he refused to eat abused animals.

I'm a believer—that many conference attendees will alter their diets to be more compassionate by going vegetarian.

Posted by Karin Bennett

aact / CC

Thanks to global pandemonium revolving around swine flu, almost everything has ground to a halt in Mexico; schools in New York, California, and Texas have closed; Europeans are being urged to postpone travel to the U.S. and Mexico, and sore throat sufferers everywhere are dialing their doctors to ask, "Is it really just my allergies … or have I got swine flu?"

You know who's to blame? Yup, filthy factory farms. A headline in Vera Cruz's La Marcha points the finger at gi-normous pig-breeding farms operated by a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the world's largest hog producer. Local residents reportedly believe that feces from the pig farms has contaminated the water and the air, spreading the virus to people. Another article in the Huffington Post quotes La Jornada newspaper, which points the finger at a factory farm in La Gloria, saying, "Clouds of flies emanate from the lagoons where Granjas Carroll discharges the fecal waste from its hog barns …." Yup, knew all that.

Because human consumption of meat is the sole reason that these factory farms exist, PETA has fired off a letter to Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard urging him to encourage residents to go vegetarian, noting that such an action could help prevent future outbreaks. We're also shipping emergency Spanish-language copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" in case residents need helpful tips when making the shift.

If you live in the U.S., encourage members of Congress to stop the spread of these diseases by ending factory farming.

Posted by Karin Bennett

After hearing stories from around the country about firefighters and police officers who are so overweight that they are having difficulty fulfilling their job responsibilities, PETA's concerned Lettuce Ladies decided to take action. The Lettuce Ladies paid a visit to the country's largest all-volunteer fire department on Friday—armed with delicious Tofurky® sandwiches and emergency copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit" to hand out.

Yowza! If this doesn't make you crave a salad, nothing will!

The très sexy Lettuce Ladies let the fine gentlemen of the Ossining, New York, Fire Department know that a vegetarian diet is the best way to stay healthy and fit so that they can save more than just the lives of animals! As you can see, the guys loved having the ladies there … and they loved the sandwiches too!

Posted by Carrie Ann Harris