Millions of Chicagoans are getting some real food for thought with the launch of over 600 new Mercy For Animals pro-vegetarian ads on the Chicago Transit Authority’s bus and subway systems. The ads reveal images of abused cows, pigs and chickens confined to tiny cages on factory farms, and asks riders, "How much cruelty can you swallow?"

The ads read, "Before being turned into burgers, hot dogs, and nuggets, farm animals suffer painful mutilations, extreme confinement, cruel handling, and violent deaths."

The campaign runs for two months – with the ads being viewed over 35 million times.

Click here to view an inspiring video about the campaign launch, including interviews with CTA riders about the ads.

Shop at TheVegetarianSite.com this August and Support MFA!

Through the end of August, TheVegetarianSite.com, an all-vegan online store, is generously donating 10 percent of all sales to Mercy For Animals!

Choose from a wide variety of animal-friendly items including leather-free footwear & accessories, cruelty-free personal care products, discounted books, videos, groceries, and an assortment of gift baskets!

Visit TheVegetarianSite.com.

Cast Your Vote for MFA and ChooseVeg.com in the 2008 Veggie Awards

Have a favorite brand of soymilk? How about a must-have vegan donut? And your most-adored veggie celebrity?

No need to keep your opinion silent - VegNews Magazine wants to hear your favorites in everything veg. It's time to cast your vote for the 2008 Veggie Awards, the world's largest survey of veg people, products and places.

All ballots will be entered into a Grand Prize drawing, with a chance to win a New York City Urban Getaway, an Urban Girl Goodie Bag, Vegan Cookie Smorgasbord, and more. Polls close on August 31 at midnight.

Don't pass up this opportunity to show your support for MFA's important work. Consider voting for Mercy For Animals under "favorite non-profit" and our popular pro-vegetarian website ChooseVeg.com in the "favorite veg website" category.

Click here to cast your vote.

Event Review: Celebrating Compassion & Diversity - MFA Marches in Pride Parades

Marching behind an MFA logo banner that declared, "No one is free when others are oppressed," over one hundred activists from across Ohio and Chicago celebrated compassion and diversity by marching in pride parades in Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Chicago in recent months. Activists in some cities donned colored t-shirts and formed a human rainbow.

MFA members distributed over 12,000 Why Vegetarian? booklets at the events to enthusiastically supportive crowds. Our educational exhibits at the succeeding pride festivals featured literature, photos, and video footage exposing animal cruelty on factory farms and promoting a healthy and humane vegetarian diet.

Click here to see an upbeat video and photo review of the Chicago event.

Click here to learn more about adopting a vegetarian diet.

Top 10 Vegan Health Tips

Between the risk of E. Coli, Mad Cow disease, and Salmonella, and the artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterols found in meat, dairy, and egg products it's no wonder a growing number of doctors are prescribing a vegan diet.

And while the typical vegan diet is much healthier than a typical meat-based diet, most vegetarians and vegans could improve their health even more by following a few simple tips.

ChooseVeg.com has just released a list of the "Top 10 Vegan Health Tips." The helpful list includes easy to digest suggestions and resources.

Topping the list at #1 is Include a source of B12 in your diet, #2 Consume More Omega 3's, Less Omega 6's, and #3 Eat your greens!

Click here for the full list.

Featured Business: Ethical Planet in Evanston, IL

Ethical Planet is your healthy living general store! Located at 1110 W. Davis St. in Evanston, Ethical Planet has everything from cruelty-free cosmetics, to snacks and ready-to-eat meals, T-shirts, and shoes—and everything is vegan and ecologically sound. A unique store dedicated to doing their part to make this truly an ethical planet.

Ethical Planet is in the style of an old-fashioned general store with a healthy, ecological, and vegan twist. Product choices have been rigorously researched to ensure they have the least impact on and harm to the body, mind, soul and planet.

Founded by Fran Horvath, a vegan since 1992, Ethical Planet's purpose is to provide people with easy vegan choices in regard to what they eat, what they wear, what they clean with and how they choose to live a little more softly on this great planet of ours.

Click here to enjoy a new video profile on Ethical Planet.