Newlyweds Portia De Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres have become vegans, because they both love animals so much. Former Arrested Development star De Rossi reveals she and her wife went meat and dairy-free late last year- and De Generes’ healthy diet choice is already paying off for her. The actress explains, “We just made that shift in our lives. The benefit of it is weight loss. For her more than me. Her body responded to it very well. It is amazing. “We are just both very happy. It feels like such a compassionate choice. We are such animal lovers, why stop short of cows and chickens? It didn’t make any sense.” And De Rossi admits she and her wife have been working towards becoming vegans since their very first date. She adds, “When Ellen and I first got together I was wearing fur and Ellen was wearing very expensive Italian calfskin leather. She was giving me a hard time about wearing the fur and I said, ‘Why is a fox any more important than a cow?’ “We took that idea and went all the way with it. We are doing what we can.”

The hilarious comedian loves her vegan lifestyle so much; she wants everyone to know it, and she’s dedicated a page of her Web site to promoting her cruelty-free existence. She writes the following:

I personally chose to go vegan because I educated myself on factory farming and cruelty to animals, and I suddenly realized that what was on my plate were living things, with feelings. And I just couldn’t disconnect myself from it any longer. I read books like Diet for a New America and saw documentaries like Earthlings and Meet Your Meat, and it became an easy choice for me.

If you choose to educate yourself, it’ll be an easy choice for you, too. Click here to take a look at a variety of reasons for living a vegan life.

This is wonderful because her powers of persuasion are undeniably charming, and what better person to convince people to make the compassionate, healthy, and environmentally conscious decision to go vegan.

Because school celebrated “caring is sharing” since January, the students had been very busy. To promote the collection for the animal shelter, the children made posters and hung them all over the school.

Since “times are tough,” the students still “dug deep and found something to share,” LeClair said. Unfortunately, she has not collected as much dog and cat food as she has in the past but plans to make up the difference. LeClair also collected for engraved bricks. The new Cornelius Animal Shelter, which is still under construction, is holding a “Buy A Brick Campaign” to pave the pet adoption patio. LeClair bought a brick in memory of Charlie, her Yorkshire terrier who died this year.

Officer Russell said that because shelter landscaping will be saved until the end of construction, there is plenty of time to buy a brick to honor your pets. For more details, visit www.corneliusanimalshelter.com. He said he hoped to be in the shelter by the end of July. He confirmed that the shelter works entirely via donations and that the animals will “appreciate this so much.” He offered a “huge thank you to everyone who donated. It shows true humanity…kids take part in their own community.”

Before Officer Russell left, the Cornelius Elementary kids all pitched in and carried the food and supplies out to his van– another example of how these students are always looking for ways to help out. If you would like to donate food or supplies to help the animals in the animal shelter, Officer Russell says to leave donations by the front door of the police department.

I’m sure many were filled with deep regret and sadness after hearing about the passing of Paul Harvey, a man who was not only America’s most listened-to radio personality, but a man who for decades used his voice to speak up against the injustices suffered by animals.

Mr. Harvey used his popular radio show to call attention to cruelty to animals on numerous occasions, earning him a PETA Humanitarian Award and much admiration.  Mr. Harvey often told his listeners of the cruelty, redundancy, and worthlessness of animal experiments and spoke out forcefully in support of animal rights activists.  Fearlessly opinionated, he criticized the Boy Scouts and the military for killing animals in survival exercises and educated the public about the cruelty of circuses.

A major thing he did for animals was denounce the National Institutes of Health for funding a researcher who gave baboons hallucinogenic drugs and shocked them until they went into convulsions, resulting in brain damage.  His determination to open his listeners’ eyes to the gut-wrenching facts about testing on animals changed millions of minds and saved countless animals’ lives.

While Mr. Harvey’s powerful voice is now silent, his legacy still lives on, and the people he touched will continue to spread his message of compassion for animals.

Dozens of cats and dogs in Naples will soon be out of metal cages, and instead spending their time in zen-like suites with their own lanais.

The Humane Society Naples will be breaking ground Thursday on a $3.6 million renovation project. Every dollar was raised thanks to private donations.  Right now, the Humane Society Naples houses about 80-100 cats, and 30-40 dogs. Most of the animals, especially the dogs, are isolated in single-spaces with chain-link gates.  But Michael Simonik, Executive Director for the Humane Society Naples, says new research shows that keeping animals in isolation can actually be detrimental when it comes to their socialization.

Included in the renovation plans are no more metal cages, but rather, the Humane Society Naples will be building several relaxing, large rooms where animals will room together to increase their socialization, and make them calmer when people come to see them.  Simonik says three to four dogs will share a room, and six to eight cats will share a room.  He says the large rooms for cats and dogs will even have lanais.  The dogs will be able to go back and forth from inside the building to a small enclosed area outside.

For people looking for a future family member, the renovations also mean a more zen-like experience to get up close and personal with an animal.  A separate room is also going to be built with couches and chairs, and even a TV with “Animal Planet” playing non-stop, so people can relax and play with a potential pet before adoption to get a taste of what the animal might be like in their own home.

Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony kicks off at 5:30 pm at the Humane Society Naples at 370 Airport-Pulling Road North, next to the Naples Airport.  Everyone and their pets are invited to the free event.  Simonik says all renovations should be complete by next January.  In the meantime, regular animal adoption will continue on site.

The Interior Department under Bush had announced plans to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species list in much of the northern Rocky Mountains.  As soon as he was sworn in on Tuesday however, Obama’s order to suspend the plan took effect.  Had the wolves been removed from the list, they would have been exposed to harm and slaughter.  By taking this action, he has saved many wolves; it’s estimated that as many as two-thirds of of the gray wolf population would have been affected by the plan-  1,000 out of only 1,500 wolves would have been in danger.  Obama has definitely led a good start, and the future for animals is looking much brighter.

It’s winter which means uninvited guests in the house, seeking warmth and shelter, such as bugs and mice.  Before you go out and buy another glue trap or traditional snap trap, however, you should really think about making a more compassionate choice by buying a humane trap.  There are many (inexpensive) varieties currently available; the one shown above is available from the PETA catalog for only $11.  With most humane traps, the mice are caught alive and unharmed and can then be released outdoors.

“Kill” traps cause a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering for mice.  The purpose of snap traps for example is to instantly kill the mouse after it sets it off trying to reach the bait.  They sometimes fail to do this however, and go off on the mouse’s tail or leg, causing it great stress and suffering before it eventually dies of starvation, dehydration, etc.  Glue traps are one of cruelest pest-control devices on the market today.  Animals who get stuck to them suffer for days before they finally die of starvation, self-mutilation, dehydration, and shock.  Patches of skin, feathers, or fur are torn from their bodies as they struggle to escape the adhesive.  Many animals resort to chewing off their own limbs in a desperate attempt to free themselves from the traps, and others get their noses, mouths, or beaks stuck in the glue and suffocate.  Other animals routinely fall prey to these cruel devices too, such as birds, squirrels, and even companion animals. 

With a humane trap, the mice are guaranteed to not be harmed.  They are effective, safe, and can be reused over and over again, unlike some kill traps.  And with most varieties, the trap is composed of swinging door that can be simply pushed open to release the mouse (and there’s no need to touch it.)

Good news for animals!  For more than a year, commissioners of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, have been in debates over improvements to their animal control ordinance.  However, last Tuesday the bill was approved by a 4-0 vote.  The county now bans cat and dog sales at pet stores and goes one step further to give farm animals better living conditions.

According to the bill, pet stores will no longer be allowed to sell cats or dogs, and breeders who try to make a profit off kittens and puppies won’t have it so easy either.

The new bill cuts the license fee in half for a spayed or neutered animal companion and bans the chaining of backyard dogs.  The legislation also states that animals on farms must be given food, water, veterinary care, and shelter.

This is certainly great news for animals of New Mexico, and it also shows that things are being done to improve the lives of animals.  Fortunately, little by little, animals are getting the rights they deserve.

Today marks the opening of the San Francisco SPCA‘s 22nd Annual Holiday Windows at the Macy’s in Union Square.  Last year the event contributed to the adoption of 277 animals and $34,000 in donations for the SF/SPCA.  The 2007 Holiday Windows was one of the best the SPCA has ever had and marked the 40,000th adoption since the event began 21 years ago.

The theme of this years window design comes from the famous letter written by eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon to the editor of the New York Sun, and Francis Pharcellus Church’s reply, which was printed in the paper on September 21, 1897.

SF/SPCA representatives are available during the event (November 21, 2008 through January 1, 2009 during Macy’s store hours) to answer questions.  Every animal is medically and behaviorally screened, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered and comes with a 30-day gift of pet health insurance, a free advice DVD, leash and collar (for dogs), discounts on most SF/SPCA training classes, and a goodie bag filled with other gifts and treats.

Each day, as many as 20 animals are on display and about half are adopted. SF/SPCA staff and volunteers carefully monitor the animals and rotate them frequently. Any animal that appears stressed or unhappy is immediately taken out of the window and all of the animals that are not adopted are shuttled back to the shelter at night in order to rest.

Volunteers are still needed so if you’re currently living in the San Francisco area and want to make a difference, you can click here for more details and to sign up for a two-hour shift.  Or you can call Norma Wood Metcalf, volunteer services manager, at (415) 522-3543.