PETA, the radical animal's rights association, found a match made in heaven with equally outrageous actor Mickey Rourke. PETA's new ABC (Animal Birth Control) campaign shows a somewhat "softer" side of the infamous organization and radical actor. Good timing too, as Mickey's new movie The Wrestler just hit theaters last month. Mickey went from throwing punches on the big screen to throwing punches on animal rights abuses. Hot on the heels of winning a Best Actor Golden Globe, we're happy to see he's already using his renewed fame for good.

Mickey and his beloved Chihuahua named Jaws are the face of PETA's new campaign, encouraging people to neuter their pets. The video advertisement is very much in the PETA tradition and uses chilling statistics and tear jerking images of animals in cages to make its point—NEUTER YOUR DOG! It explains why neutering is imperative to solving some of the animal rights abuses and outlines how to go about the process. Mickey admits he too used to buy his pets from stores and breeders. He didn't know the statistics: that six to eight million dogs and cats are put to sleep every day by overcrowded shelters that can't accommodate the influx of abandoned, abused, and unwanted animals. He is ready to spread the word.

Despite their sometimes aggressive tactics, PETA's ABC campaign is bringing important animal abuse issues to the table. From animal shelters killing unwanted pets, to the abusive breeding industry, the campaign is about more than just neutering your pet. Mickey's own pup, Jaws, is a product of irresponsible breeding and neglect. He told PETA in an interview how long it took for Jaws to trust him and let him pet him because he was so abused and frightened. Breeding dogs and cats is not only denying animals in pounds a home, it is also an inhumane practice in and of itself. Yet the norm is to buy your furry friend from a breeder. If more people adopted pets in shelters instead of buying animals from breeders, this troubling problem would be put to rest. 

Nevertheless, it has a positive message: you can do something about this! Follow Mickey's example by adopting a furry friend from a shelter, properly neutering him or her, and spreading the ABCs.