The following is a cross post from PETA Asia-Pacific's blog, The Hot and Sour Scoop.

Mention China and animals in the same sentence and visions of foxes and raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for fur often come to mind. But in what many hope signals the beginning of a turnaround, China's State Forestry Administration (SFA) has placed a landmark ban on animal shows in zoos and circuses throughout the country. This major milestone is why the SFA has been named the 2010 recipient of PETA Asia's Advancement in Animal Welfare Award.

The SFA's latest move means that the cruelest shows—ones that feature live feeding, tigers forced to jump through burning hoops, and motorbike-riding bears—will disappear. In fact, in order to give itself time to weed out the worst zoos and circuses, the SFA has imposed a moratorium until the end of the year on domesticating or breeding wild animals for these shows.

Moreover, all forest departments must review and reform their local regulations, management, and facilities regarding animal entertainment venues. New regulations are also expected to cover confining and breeding animals in zoos and circuses.

SFA's progressive action will do a lot to help animals in China, and you can do your part too. Don't patronize shows that feature live animals for entertainment—take a stand by signing our pledge against imprisoned animal "entertainers" today!

Posted by Agnes Tam

The following is a cross post from the PETA Prime website.

The following is a guest blog by Anna Ware, one of PETA's stellar volunteer activists. In June, Ware pulled together a great protest against Carson & Barnes Circus that she not only organized and participated in but also paid for! When PETA's youth arm, peta2, sailed into Atlanta along with the Vans Warped Tour, Ware again rose to the occasion and rounded up a group of volunteers to help staff peta2's information table and get the animal rights message out to thousands of attendees. We thought that what Ware did for animals and young people was truly inspiring, and so we asked her to share her experience with Prime readers:

My most powerful experience at the Vans Warped Tour came as we were walking into the arena with our PETA T-shirts on and two teenage girls ran up to us, screaming, "Where is the peta2 booth? We have been looking for peta2!" You would have thought we had on Justin Bieber T-shirts and were working his booth.

I had ordered thousands of silicone bracelets that say "Elephants Never Forget" as well as tons of "I'm an Ele-Friend" temporary tattoos. The kids loved 'em! We were so touched by the kids who were proud to be spending "their own money" to buy PETA T-shirts and other merchandise.

I cannot think of any other reason in the world to stand in 95-degree heat with 10,000 teenagers and music loud enough to make me turn into my mother ("Turn that down!") except to get the word out to these amazing kids about the ways that they can help animals. I am extremely impressed that peta2 has collected more than 100,000 e-mail addresses and signatures on its "Elephants Never Forget" anti-circus petition at the Vans Warped Tour this summer.

I was so lucky to have the help of a wonderful group of people who readily agreed to spend a weekday at an outdoor festival in the sweltering Atlanta heat. Thanks to Pam Host, Julie Robertson, Sarita Raturi, Elaine Phillips, Jane Berry, and Tiffany Cantrell! Especially Julie—rockin' the elephant costume in that heat is not for the faint of heart. Afterwards, we sat back and enjoyed some southern sweet tea while reflecting on our accomplishments. We are truly helping to create a kinder generation!

We know that chimpanzees have keen intelligence and advanced cognitive skills, so it's no surprise that scientists observing wild chimpanzees in Guinea watched them deliberately set off snare traps designed to catch and kill them (and any other passing animal)—while avoiding harming themselves. The researchers believe that this lifesaving skill has been passed down from one generation to the next.

Just like us, non-human animals of all species want to live in freedom, avoid pain, and seek out comfort. Like us, more than anything, they want to live.

But life skills and ingenuity can't save animals who are deliberately bred for laboratory experiments. Please help us stop a plan to breed monkeys for vivisection in Puerto Rico.

Posted by Jennifer O'Connor

It's official: Vegans are taking over the world. Just ask Facebook CEO and vegan Mark Zuckerberg, who tops Vanity Fair's annual list of the 100 most influential people. Number two on the list—Apple's Steve Jobs—is a vegan as well! And tweet this: Twitter cofounder Biz Stone (number 10) is also living la vida vegan.

Considering that going vegan is the best thing that you can do for the environment, animals, and your own health, we think that all vegans are tops. Tell us, who tops your list of famous vegans?

Posted by Amy Skylark Elizabeth

You think "coon on a log" is bad? Allow me to introduce you to the delightful sport of "fox penning," in which dogs are set loose on a fox or coyote confined to a pen and allowed to tear the animal to shreds.

The good news is that this despicable pastime is now banned in Florida, thanks to the efforts of PETA members and other concerned citizens, including several youngsters who were among 80 people who testified on the issue at a Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting.

"I am an athlete, a swimmer, and a basketball player," stated one 10-year-old girl. "If fox penning is a sport, I would be ashamed to call myself an athlete."

Meeting attendee Susan Hargreaves reports that the "[c]ommissioners were captivated by the children's eloquence and courage as they advocated on behalf of the foxes and coyotes who are chased by packs of dogs with no hope of escape and a certain, bloody death."

The commissioners voted to permanently prohibit fox penning earlier this week.

I hope this inspires everyone to speak up for animals. If a 10-year-old can do it, so can those of us who are all growed up! You can get started by contacting the wildlife departments in states where fox penning is still legal.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

Pottok / CC by 3.0

Earlier this week, we asked you to urge the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to terminate harness racer Christopher Lefebvre's license to race in the state because of his deplorable track record—he has a criminal conviction for cruelty to animals in Maine, among other charges. Thanks to all of you who responded to our action alert, the board has now done just that!

Like their cousins who are used in thoroughbred racing, many horses who are used in harness racing are treated as if they were equipment, and most "losers" are sent to slaughter.

Thanks to everyone who took action, and hats off to the CHRB for doing the right thing!

Posted by Jennifer O'Connor

That's right: Robert St. John is giving up meat, eggs, and dairy products. He stopped eating meat for a month last year in September—but, he admits, he still consumed lots of cheese, milk, and cholesterol bombs (eggs to you). But this year he's one-upped himself by vowing to be vegan—at least through this month. Perhaps his decision was in response to a little playful nudging from PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. Maybe he ruminated over the many reasons why a vegan diet is best for every living being and the Earth. Or maybe he just wanted to drop some weight. (As Newkirk said, "You might as well staple all that cheese to your stomach and thighs and use a brush to coat your arteries with it.")

He's a brave man, given his really bad, bad, bad dietary addictions, but I bet that St. John will find that vegan living is a piece of mouthwatering salmonella-free cake.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Remember the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter (NUVAS)? You know, the only animal shelter in Utah that still betrays dogs and cats by selling them to the University of Utah for invasive, painful, and deadly experiments? PETA recently obtained photos of nearly 50 dogs whom NUVAS had sold for experiments, and here are two of them:

These sweet dogs, who were probably once someone's companions, may have ended up like other dogs who were recently purchased from NUVAS: killed and dissected after having holes cut into their necks and chests and pacemakers implanted in their hearts in order to induce an irregular heartbeat.

How many more animals like Chance and Scout will NUVAS betray? Perhaps none—if we all share these dogs' photos online and call for an end to NUVAS' shameful practice of selling animals for experiments—and get our Facebook friends and Twitter tweeps to do the same.

Posted by Lindsay Pollard-Post

Shortly after PETA's German affiliate received information from a Bosnian whistleblower who claimed to have identified the girl caught on video hurling puppies into a river, Bosnian police reportedly also identified the girl, whose actions had prompted an international outcry. In the video (which was allegedly shot by the girl's brother), she can be seen cheerfully chucking the whimpering puppies to an almost certain death.

Earlier this week, PETA offered a $2,000 reward—and film director Michael Bay offered a $50,000 reward—for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this heinous act.

If convicted, the puppy abuser would face a fine of $6,400 under a newly adopted Bosnian animal-protection law.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

Six police officers facing two PETA girls armed with a … paper sign? This photo screams "caption contest," so that's exactly what we are doing with it. The person who leaves the caption that best complements the photo will win a poster of Pamela Anderson's newest PETA ad.

The contest ends on September 7, 2010, and we'll announce the winning comment in a blog post on September 10, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!

Late last week, our on-call caseworker was paged by a whistleblower who reported that a "coon-on-a-log" event was scheduled to take place at a campground in Louisiana, the next day. Believe it or not, "coon on a log" is an old Southern "sport"—you've read about others in history books, but we won't discuss those here—during which participants chain a raccoon to a small (about 2-foot-long) log and toss the log and animal in the middle of a lake. The participants then sic dogs on the raccoon, and the dog who can knock the raccoon off the log first "wins." Some sources say that the first dog to rip the raccoon apart wins. Obviously, both the raccoon and the dogs are put in great danger.

Our caseworker immediately reached a lieutenant in the law-enforcement division of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (DWF) and provided him with all the information that he needed, including the exact location where the raccoons were being caged prior to the event. The DWF sent officers to the site to investigate, and the officers found that the event coordinators didn't have the permits required to keep raccoons in captivity. DWF officials immediately seized all the raccoons and issued citations, so the event—which we strongly believe would have violated state anti-cruelty statutes—never even got off the ground!

If an animal is in imminent danger, you should know that we are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Please, pick up the phone!

Posted by Jennifer O'Connor

Director and producer Michael Bay is famous for blowing things up in Transformers and Armageddon as well as for remaking horror movies including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but when it comes to violence against animals, Michael yells, "Cut!"

Michael pledged $50,000 on his website for the arrest and "successful prosecution" of the person who threw puppies into a river and the person who recorded the footage, which was posted online. Let's hope that Michael's reward—along with PETA's—brings everyone who was involved in this horrifying act to justice. People who are cruel to animals often commit acts of violence against their fellow humans as well, so it's crucial that we report known or suspected cruelty to animals to police and animal control officials immediately.

Posted by Lindsay Pollard-Post

Crustaceans can't moonwalk, and they don't dance the cha-cha, so when we received complaints from horrified diners about "dancing" prawns at Sacramento's Nishiki Sushi, we knew it was something that we needed to look into. Turns out that the restaurant was peeling the skin off live prawns and encouraging patrons to squeeze acidic lemon juice all over the conscious animals' exposed flesh, causing them to writhe in pain (or "dance") before they were eaten alive.

We reached out to Nishiki Sushi and let it know that while prawns may not be able to scream, they feel pain just as any animal does. The owners responded by swiftly 86ing the "dancing prawns" from Nishiki Sushi's menu!

That's something that makes us kick up our vegan heels. Now to get other restaurants to take a stand for crustaceans and remove their Lobster Zone machines.

Posted by Karin Bennett

If you fashion junkies out there can't wait until the debut of Chrissie Hynde's new clothing line, you can get your fix on September 10, when the Kardashian family unveils its new K-Dash line at QVC's Fashion's Night Out event. The line, designed by Tommy Hilfiger's sister Ginny, will feature faux fur and pleather, as modeled by Kim Kardashian on People.com.

Of course, the paucity of pelts in the K-Dash line should come as no surprise after Khloe wore, ahem, no clothing line at all in this sexy ad for PETA:

We've sent a thank you to the K-ladies and to QVC (which has a no-fur policy). Need a reminder of why faux is the only way to go? This ought to do it.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

Did you know that the average person uses 500 plastic bags every year? Yeah, me either, but Andy Keller knows. The founder of reusable-tote company ChicoBag is currently touring the country dressed as his alter ego, the Bag Monster, in order to educate people about the enormous number of plastic bags that we thoughtlessly consume—and discard—every day.

A man/monster who puts his money where his mouth is, Keller has provided PETA with stash of his popular Sling rePETe bags to give away to 10 lucky PETA Files readers.

Not only are plastic bags monstrously ugly, they can also be deadly to wildlife, including birds who become entangled in them and sea animals who ingest them after mistaking them for jellyfish or other food sources. (You can read about BBC wildlife documentary filmmaker Rebecca Hosking's campaign to ban plastic bags in the current issue of Animal Times).

Post a comment below telling us how you're battling the plastic plague. The commenters that most inspire us to reduce, reuse, and recycle will be toting home their tofu in a stylish Sling bag. The contest ends on September 15, 2010, and we'll select the winners on September 17, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.

Remember, don't feed the Bag Monster.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

It's happened again. After forking over a couple hundred dollars for tickets to a Ringling Bros. Circus performance in Everett, Washington, a lovely family had a change of heart after talking to PETA demonstrators outside the arena. Rather than watching trainers whip tigers and smack elephants with bullhooks, the entire family decided that it was worth it to sacrifice the money! (The venue refused to give them a refund.) Gotta love 'em.

If the circus is coming to your town, remember that leafleting can and does change minds. Contact us and we'll help you convince people never to buy tickets!

Posted by Jennifer O'Connor

There has never been a shortage of animal rights supporters on ABC's hit show Dancing With the Stars, and season 11 will be no exception. Vegetarian singer Michael Bolton is as easy on animals as he is on the ears, and funny lady Margaret Cho told the audience at PETA's Millennium Gala in Hollywood, "[Fur] is really ridiculous. It's outrageous. We're not living in igloos. We don't need to trade pelts anymore." As for what The Hills' Audrina Patridge thinks about buying animals from pet shops, we'll let her tell you herself:

Which animal-friendly hoofer will get your vote?

Posted by Alisa Mullins

Approximately 50,000 minks got a taste of freedom after someone apparently broke into two fur farms in Greece last weekend and released the animals from their hideous, cramped, filthy little cages. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for freeing the minks, but you only need to watch a few seconds of this undercover footage, which was shot on a mink farm in Sweden, to understand why minks are best left in the wild.

Horror revealed on Swedish fur farms from Djurrättsalliansen on Vimeo.

We can all emancipate minks and other animals who are imprisoned, trapped, electrocuted, gassed, stomped on, and skinned alive for their fur. All we have to do is pledge never to buy or wear even a tuft of real fur and urge everyone we know to do the same.

Posted by Lindsay Pollard-Post

Darn my dyslexia! Make that: A vegetarian is going to appear on NBC's The Apprentice. Brainy Brandy Kuentzel went from corporate law to cupcakes—and now the vegetarian animal rights supporter is ready to vie for the top spot next to Donald Trump.

Will The Donald comb over Brandy's animal-friendly views in the boardroom? Will Brandy convince him to tell his own Trump Steaks, "You're fired"? Answers are coming soon: The new season starts September 16.

Posted by Karin Bennett

Like Claude Rains in Casablanca, federal inspectors were shocked—shocked!—to find that the egg farms implicated in the recent salmonella outbreak (which led to a still-spreading recall) were filthy and shoddily maintained. In fact, a recent investigation by the Food and Drug Administration turned up barns that were infested with flies, maggots, and scurrying rodents as well as piles of droppings 4 to 8 feet high in the manure pits below the battery cages.

Surprised? We weren't. Over the past decade, a series of undercover investigations by our friends at Mercy for Animals have inevitably found cruel and unhealthy conditions on egg farms around the country—including one that was owned by the same man who operates the nasty farms that are responsible for the current disaster.

Fortunately, it's easy to crack the egg habit; just scramble over to VegCooking.com for tips and recipes.

Posted by Jeff Mackey