Meet the Cutest Vegetarians Alive!

Being vegetarian has never been easier, and with so many famous veg guys and gals, like Phantom Planet singer Alexander Greenwald, Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy, Johnnie Whitney of the Blood Brothers, pro surfer Anastasia Ashley, and actors Natalie Portman and Thora Birch, it's easy to see why refusing to eat meat has become synonymous with being cute. The first annual peta2 “Cutest Vegetarian Alive” contest is a tribute to all the young vegetarians and vegans out there who use their cute smiles, twinkling eyes, and to-die-for hair to raise awareness about animal rights.

After receiving more than 1,500 nominations in round one of the contest, we narrowed the entries down to 20 finalists and left it up to you to determine who should be crowned cutest. With more than 10,000 votes cast, it was a close race. And the winners are …

Breezy Marie Rondilone
Age 16
Riverside, California
3,274 Votes

Don’t let her age fool you; although she is only in 10th grade, Breezy has already recorded a CD, convinced her family members to consider vegetarianism, and rescued a number of animals, including her hamster pal, Petey; her three canine companions, Zoey, ChenBob, and Baby; and her feline friends, Rafki and Princess. She is fortunate to have a supportive mother who buys vegan chicken (Breezy’s favorite) and always double-checks that the soap and makeup she buys are cruelty-free. After watching one of PETA’s videos two years ago, Breezy says she went meat-free because she “thought the treatment was horrible and didn’t want to have anything to do with contributing to it.” From gathering signatures on KFC petitions to refusing to dissect a fetal pig in biology class, it’s plain to see what made thousands of people vote for Breezy!

Matthew Lush
Age 17
Shirley, New York
3,287 Votes

Matt’s compassion and dedication is truly inspiring. From pitching in on PETA’s “Kentucky Fried Cruelty” Campaign to educating thousands of people online with videos and information, he uses every opportunity to speak up for the billions of animals killed for food each year. Matt graduated a year ahead of his class, and he hopes to work for PETA in the future. A vegetarian for years, Matt says he loves Boca burgers and sesame tofu. Earlier in life, Matt mocked his friends for not eating meat but now says, “If you’re a vegetarian, don’t let people do that to you and do nothing about it; show them what really goes on.”

All of us at peta2 send a big “thank you” to everyone who entered the contest as well as to everyone who voted. Though Breezy and Matt may have earned the most votes, all of you who show your compassion for animals by not eating them are winners in our book. Give yourselves a pat on the back.

Want to show your stuff on peta2? Head over to peta2.textamerica.com and send us pictures of you wearing your favorite animal rights Tee, of you and your rescued animals boycotting Iams, and of anything else you’re doing to help animals in your area.