Healthy, Happy 6-Year-Old Wins a Shot at Stardom in His Own PETA Kids Ad
For Immediate Release:
March 4, 2013
Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382
Fairfield, Iowa -- The Andersons have always known that their 6-year-old son, Vaughn,was one cute little dude, and now, so does everyone else. That's because he has been chosen as the male winner of PETA Kids 2013 Cutest Vegan Kids contest. Vaughn beat out more than 120 other kids 12 and younger in the inaugural year that the competition was limited to vegans, thanks to the fast-growing number of kids who don't eat meat or unhealthy and cruelly obtained eggs and dairy products. He has won a prize pack and the opportunity to appear in his very own PETAKids.com ad.
"Vaughn's radiance is no accident—it's the result of his healthy diet and his love and compassion for others, no matter their species," says PETA Youth Marketing Manager Emily Rodriguez. "All our entrants were already winners because they spare the suffering and lives of animals every time they sit down to eat."
Vaughn went vegan at 5, all on his own, after being raised as a vegetarian from birth. And after witnessing a group of people at the zoo taunt monkeys into throwing themselves repeatedly against the glass barrier of their small enclosure, he took it to the next level and is now an outspoken animal rights activist. He also no longer wants any part of zoos: "I wish there weren't any zoos," he says. "Animals should be in nature."
Vaughn's commitment to a vegan lifestyle has inspired his 4-year-old sister to stop eating eggs and dairy products, too. Moreover, by sharing his values and the book That's Why We Don't Eat Animals with others, no fewer than five adults in his life have gone either vegan or vegetarian. Vaughn's favorite food is black-bean and spinach enchiladas with Daiya nondairy cheese and vegan sour cream, and his favorite activities are climbing trees, drawing, and riding his bike.
Two winners (one boy and one girl) were selected based on several factors, including vote count. For more information, please visit PETAKids.com.
