Compassionate 5-Year-Old Says He Won't Eat His 'Friends'
For Immediate Release:
November 8, 2011
Contact:
Adam Miller 202-483-7382
Scottsdale, Ariz. — PETA's annual contests saluting the radiance and appeal of vegetarians—sexiest celebrity vegetarian, sexiest vegetarian next door, and cutest vegetarian alive—have grown in popularity every year since their inception. And the contest designed especially for young kids is no exception. After hundreds of kids' photos and bios sent in from across the country were carefully sorted through, 2-year-old Owen Laszloffy of Scottsdale was selected as one of the five male finalists in PETA's fifth annual Cutest Vegetarian Kid contest. Now, visitors to PETAKids.com can cast their vote for Owen or any of the other finalists, and PETA will choose two winners—one boy and one girl.
"More and more Americans are going vegetarian every day, and young people—in Owen's case, very young—are leading the charge," says PETA Assistant Manager Emily Nash. "It's no wonder: Vegetarians are slimmer, trimmer, and healthier, on average, than meat-eaters are, so they're bound to be a lot cuter too!"
Owen's mother is vegetarian and is raising him that way. When Owen was 3 years old, he noticed that his father still ate meat. After both parents explained their respective food choices, Owen decided to stick with his healthy and humane vegetarian diet. And his compassion for animals goes beyond the dinner table. For his fifth birthday party, he donated the $42 he'd received to a local animal shelter. When asked why he's vegetarian, Owen makes his answer short and sweet: "Animals are my friends, and I don't eat my friends."
The winners will be determined by the passion demonstrated in their submitted responses, the number of votes received from the public, the enthusiasm demonstrated by the entrants in living and promoting a vegetarian lifestyle, and PETA's assessment of the cuteness of the photo. The winners, both a boy and a girl, will be announced on November 17. They will also be announced to their hometown media, and both will receive a special prize pack filled with PETA goodies as well as the opportunity to appear in their very own PETA Kids ad.
For more information and to vote, please visit PETAKids.com.
