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The following post is a guest post by PETA celebrity marketing coordinator Lauren Gordon.

You can catch Kelly Carlson on TV’s hot dramas Nip/Tuck and Melrose Place—and now she can also be found in your pocket! Kelly is the latest face to grace the cover of PETA’s cruelty-free shopping guide and encourages consumers to buy only products that have not been smeared in rabbits’ eyes, injected into mice, or force-fed to guinea pigs.

Each year, millions of animals are forced to undergo excruciatingly painful testing to evaluate consumer products. These tests are barbaric and unreliable. Plus, there are effective alternatives that don’t involve hurting animals. Buying products from only cruelty-free companies saves the lives of animals while sending a strong message to government and companies that animal testing is wrong and unnecessary.

Stash PETA’s cruelty-free shopping guide in your pocket or toss it into your purse before heading to the store. With so many great companies inside, being beautiful is a snap!

Order a free copy of the pocket-sized 2010 Shopping Guide for Caring Consumers here. For more information, please visit CaringConsumer.com.

Wishbones have always been pretty bizarre. I mean, how exactly are your heartfelt wishes all supposed to come true by splitting a greasy bone that you pulled out of the dead animal lying on your table? And, after all, wouldn’t the turkey have wished not to be eaten?

Well, the folks over at Lucky Break Wishbone seem to realize that there are a lot of vegan wishes out there waiting to come true. Thus, they have created a wishbone that is most definitely vegan-friendly—the wishbones are completely synthetic.

So, now there is a cruelty-free option for all of you who still want to take part in this tradition. Just think—by using these wishbones, you can make all sorts of wishes about better treatment for animals.

You could even stick one in the middle of your Tofurky (just make sure no one tries to eat it!). Both the packaging and the wishbones themselves are recyclable and made in the USA.

Enter to Win!
We’re giving three “lucky” people the chance to win a pack of 10 of the wishbones. To win, post a comment below with a wish that you have for animals! (Don’t worry―the whole saying it out loud thing doesn’t really apply, since you are typing it.)

This contest ends on November 13, 2009, and the winners will be chosen and notified the same day. You should also be sure to read the contest terms and conditions and PETA’s privacy policy before you comment—you’re acknowledging that you have read and agreed to both by leaving a comment.

This contest has now ended.

peta2Flickr / cc

While there’s an obvious flaw in this competition, since Isaiah is disqualified from entry (nepotism, schmepotism), you should still check out PETA Kids’ Cutest Vegetarian Kid Contest and vote for your favorite tyke.

In addition to being pretty freakin’ cute, these kids have all gotten an early start on animal advocacy, from sharing vegan food with their friends to saving cicadas to sponsoring rescued animals at local sanctuaries. Read all about them at PETAKids.com and vote, then consider following in their considerable footsteps by taking a night off from SYTYCD and organizing a demonstration, joining PETA’s Action Team, or drafting a couple of letters to animal abusers.

K9 Magazine / cc

According to a recent poll conducted by the Associated Press and Petside.com, the majority of animal guardians said they wouldn’t hesitate to perform CPR on their cats or dogs to save their animals’ lives. But the same poll found that most people overlook an equally important way to protect their beloved companions: having an emergency evacuation plan that includes their animals.

Our animal companions are helpless against hurricanes, floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. Who could forget the images of terrified and dehydrated dogs and cats stranded on rooftops, clinging to trees, and frantically treading water after Hurricane Katrina? Please don’t let your animals end up like this. Make an emergency plan for your animals now, using the following tips:

• Never leave animals behind in an evacuation. You may not be able to return home for weeks, leaving animals stranded without food or water.

•Check with hotels, relatives, and friends to see if you and your animals can stay there until the emergency is over. Many hotels waive “no animals allowed” policies during emergencies.

•Make sure animals are current on vaccinations and are wearing collars with identification tags. Pack leashes, bowls, towels, blankets, litter pans, litter, and at least a week’s supply of food and medications.

•If you have no choice but to leave your companions behind, leave them indoors, with access to upper floors and at least 10 days’ worth of dry food and water. Fill sinks and multiple containers with water. Place signs in windows and on the front door indicating how many and what kind of animals are inside—rescue teams may be able to save them.

TVs, couches, and even homes are replaceable, but best friends aren’t. Please, plan ahead. Visit our page on protecting animals in emergencies for more tips. And to be an even more prepared animal guardian, check with your local Red Cross chapter about companion animal first aid and CPR classes!

Order a free copy today!

Jealous, hungry, inspired. That’s what I felt the instant I started paging through PETA’s new Kids’ Guide to Helping Animals, the free magazine from PETA that will help kids channel their passion for animals into easy everyday actions.

Jealous—because as an animal-loving kid with no idea how to put that to good use, I spent a lot of time crying at Old Yeller and missed out on tons of opportunities to make a real difference (and yes, in case you have any doubts, kids can make a difference). Designed for the not-quite-tween, the Kids’ Guide has tips and tricks for all aspects and phases of a kid’s school and social life. From what to do if your school is planning a field trip to the zoo to cruelty-free shopping tips.

Hungry—because of the luscious photos of vegan snack goodness (and because it’s close to lunchtime).

Inspired—to provide my son with as many opportunities as possible to make choices that will help cultivate his innate sense of compassion. Sure, he can’t read yet, but it’s never too early to start talking about helping animals!

The following post was originally published by Karen on KP’s Dog Blog, October 29, 2007.

I’m not really that into Halloween. Although I enjoyed it as a child, these days trying to facilitate the interface between my six resident dogs and a steady stream of unknown, excited, costumed children is just plain difficult. I could make all my dogs stay behind closed doors in a bedroom, but that just doesn’t seem fair to them, so I usually end up placing a big basket of Peanut Chews on my porch with a sign that says, “Help yourself!” and making myself scarce during trick-or-treat hours.

By the way, if you have dogs, please be extra vigilant that they don’t get their paws on any Halloween candy, especially chocolate. Candy in general is full of sugar (horrible for the immune system, joints, teeth, etc.), but chocolate in particular contains a substance called theobromine, which can be fatal to dogs if they ingest enough of it. (This applies to cocoa mulch as well, so gardeners and dog people, beware.) Other food substances poisonous to dogs include raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, mushrooms, alcohol, coffee, uncooked yeast dough, onions, and onion powder. Garlic and avocado are debatable—there is some evidence that they can be toxic to some dogs, so it might be best to avoid those too. Xylitol, which has become a common additive in foods and toothpaste, is also quite toxic.

If you suspect that your dog has eaten something poisonous, please call the ASPCA’s animal poison hotline at 1-888-426-4435. (Why not post this number next to your phone, just in case?) It’s open 24 hours a day, every day, but you will be charged $60 on your credit card in exchange for advice on how to proceed. Obviously, this service is worth every penny—you’re dealing with the life or death of your beloved canine companion!

Do have a safe and happy Halloween!

Wow. USA Today recently ran an awesome article exposing pet stores for what they are: corrupt, cold-hearted, unregulated, predatory businesses that sell sick animals from despicable puppy mills and unscrupulous breeders (as if there’s any other kind of breeder!).

And the author knows what she’s talking about—she’s a vet. She’s seen her fair share of pet store “widgets” with severe congenital defects and other ailments.

In other words, if you have the time, patience, money, and space necessary to care for an animal, high-tail it away from the pet store and head to a reputable animal shelter. Have your new pal spayed or neutered immediately if he or she hasn’t already been sterilized, and do everything you can to be the best guardian you can be.

When you’ve mastered that, go out and help other animals in your community too.

Oh, and while you’re checking out the USA Today article, consider posting a comment telling the author how much she ROCKS!

Halloween is just around the corner, and if you are still struggling with what you want to go as this year, we have the perfect idea.

Thinking of going as a clown? Well, why not be one of the most terrifying clowns of all time—“Evil Ronald McDonald”? With our ideas, you can show this evil clown’s true colors and teach partygoers a little something about McCruelty too.

For the Makeup
Around Halloween, there seems to be costume makeup everywhere. Cruelty-free brands
like wet n wild’s Fantasy Makers line are available at most drugstores and discount stores, but if you are feeling ambitious, you can also easily make your own with a few simple ingredients.

To make your own:

2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. solid vegetable shortening
Food coloring drops (don’t use too much because it can stain your face)
More cornstarch or baby powder

• Mix all the ingredients together, except the extra cornstarch or baby powder, using whichever colors you want.
• Apply the makeup to your face as desired.
• Pat your face with a dab of the extra cornstarch or baby powder to set it.

To make different colors, just divide the mixture into smaller portions and color each as you wish. You can also double this recipe to make a large batch.

For the “Evil Ronald” look, you would need to make a red color for the lips and nose and then a creepy grayish shade for the face. You can get this effect by mixing a small amount of black food dye (available at cake-decorating shops) with just the plain white base or you can also experiment with blue. If you can’t find the black food dye, maybe go the “Evil Ronald Zombie” route and mix together some green with a dash of red and blue.

For the Blood
You can make up a batch of fake blood for your Halloween costume simply by mixing some red food dye into a bottle of corn syrup. This “blood” will be extremely thick and goopy. For a thinner style and a splattering effect, just take about a half cup of the fake blood and add it to a spray bottle with just enough water to make it slightly watery (like the consistency of thin hand soap) and then spray where you need it.

For the Outfit
Try one of PETA’s McCruelty tees or a “blood”-stained yellow tee with some “blood”-stained yellow pants (scrubs work well) and accessorize with some creepy clown shoes, goofy socks, and a gnarled-up red clown wig from your local Halloween shop. And of course, what “Evil Ronald” would be complete without a “bloody” fake cleaver or knife as a prop?

Need inspiration? Just check out the costume job on Andy Dick in this video.

Please send us pictures if you make this costume. Happy haunting!

Jeremy Burgin / cc

Along with all the lovely things that our canine companions give us—including unconditional love, laughter, friendship, doggie kisses, joy, comfort, and an exercise partner who never bails out at the last minute—our dogs also give us a lot of, well, crap. You know what I’m talking about, dog guardians … the stuff you scoop up in plastic bags when you take Woofie for a walk.

Cleaning up after our pals is a tiny price to pay for their friendship. But what to do with all this “doo”? Sure, you can toss it out with the trash, but then it’s just going to sit in a landfill—and that’s not so nice for our beautiful planet.

There may be a better way. According to a recent post on The New York Times’ Green Inc. blog, a dog park in Ithaca, New York, is going green with the brown stuff. Patrons pick up after their pups with special corn-based bags and place the waste in bins near the park’s entrances. Once a week, a composting company takes the dog waste to a facility, where it’s piled with yard and wood waste in the hope of turning it into usable compost. Pretty cool! Let’s hope this trend catches on across the country.

Do you have a “green” way to deal with your dogs’ “doo”? Tell us in the comments!

The following post is a guest post by PETA Partnership Marketing Program Manager, Jill Ettinger.

As the saying goes, cleanliness is next to “veganness,” and here at PETA, when it comes to getting clean, we love the vegan scrubs, soaps, lotions, and potions from LUSH. After all, LUSH has been on PETA’s cruelty-free list for as long as we can remember. Recently, LUSH announced that all its soaps (in addition to always being cruelty-free) are now available with a new base that is free of palm oil.

According to LUSH’s press release, in an effort to help end rainforest destruction as a result of palm oil production, LUSH is writing to the top 300 companies that use palm oil and asking them to reformulate their products to no longer include it. If any of these companies decide to wash their hands of palm oil, LUSH will supply their headquarters with a year’s supply of soap!

Enter to Win a Pack of LUSH Palm-Free Soaps!
LUSH is so stoked about its new line of palm-free soaps that it’s letting us give some away too. To enter to win a five-pack of awesome soaps, fill out the form below by November 2, and we will notify the lucky winner by November 10. Good luck!

This contest has ended.