I've been carrying this secret around all long weekend, and I can't bear it anymore. Read on to find out who won the animal-friendly rucksack from the good people at Bare Backpacks. You never know ... it could be you!!

As per usual with any contest on Unleashed - there were many, many, many excellent entries. One of them rhymed, some of them were highly amusing (this was my favourite), and most all of them were original and really inspiring.

To win, all you had to do was tell me what you'd be doing at your school/uni/TAFE/juvenile detention centre in 2013 to make it a kinder place for animals. Simple really. The hard part was choosing the winner!

In the end it came down to two entries - one by Mary6 and one by april-san.

Mary's entry was:
"I am going to ask my principal to change the uniform code sheet to say leather or fake leather black school shoes so that my fellow students know they can wear a cruelty free uniform without needing to ask permission."
That was so good it made me wish I could go back to school and not eat so many crayons do the same thing! Unfortunately though Mary - your entry was just too long! Entries had to be 30 words or less. Ooh, harsh, I know :(

BUT!! That IS good news for April who has scored a fully vegan (and fully sick, bro) Bare rucksack with her entry:
"With my uni's Vegetarian Society I'm going to produce and distribute a 'Veg Campus Guide', detailing every vegetarian and vegan option at every vendor on campus to facilitate ethical choices."

Put simply - April is going to make a list of veg food at her uni. Not only will that help students at her uni make kinder choices between lectures; it's something that even YOU could do wherever you're studying this year!

If you missed out this time round - don't sweat it. You can still go in the draw to win free Unleashed stickers. 50 lucky winners are drawn each month - you gotta like those odds!

I hate to be the one bringing this up ... but in just a few short weeks, school holidays are going to be over :( That's a bitter pill to swallow, but our latest giveaway will make the end of the holidays just that little bit easier. Find out what's up for grabs and how to enter!

Whether you're at school, uni or TAFE - you're going to need a bag to carry around all your gear. There's the important stuff like your lunch; the 'kinda important' stuff like your colouring pencils; and even the 'unimportant' stuff, like your Maths file. But don't sweat it, because the crew at Bare Backpacks have got your back in 2013, with their line of animal-friendly backpacks. Oh and p.s. They're sweatshop-free too ;)

In their own words, Bare Backpacks make great backpacks for great people. They're making some seriously good-looking packs from their base in Oregon, USA - and there are no animal products in the making of. They're also generous souls, and have sent us one of their Lido rucksacks to give away to a lucky Unleashed member!

To get the school year started right by winning this pack...

...all you have to do is tell us one way you can make a difference for animals at your school/uni/TAFE in 2013! Get some ideas here and some inspiration from our previous Activist Challenge winners here ... THEN GET YOUR ENTRY IN! Post your idea in the comments below.

Good luck!!

Fine print: your entry must be 30 words or less, and entries close on Friday 25th January.

p.s. "Like" Bare Backpacks on facebook and check out their whole collection there ;)

Well, the votes have been cast in the Unleashed office and the winners of the Keep shoes have been decided! Find out who it was and how to enter our new comp!

To be declared the winner of this comp, you had to post a comment telling everyone what you would keep doing in 2013 to help animals. The responses we got were super creative and definitely got me thinking about what more I could be doing in the year ahead. It certainly wasn't easy to pick two winners ... but eventually the decision was made.

So congratulations (and new shoes!) go to:

Roobz who will be spreading the message of kindness:

And Elefriend101 who probably gets more done in one morning then I do in an entire week!

Thanks to all who entered and especially to the good peeps at Keep. Check 'em out on Facebook if you're ever after good-looking animal-friendly shoes!

If you didn't win this time around, don't stress, because we have a new comp starting already. Now I don't like to make promises I can't keep ... but I'm pretty confident that the prize up for grabs WILL actually make you the coolest kid at school/uni/TAFE/juvenile detention. Find out what it is!

There comes a time in everyone's life when they need a pair of really, unbelievably good shoes. For you - that time is now. We're giving away the best shoes I think I've seen this year. Take a look for yourself then find out how you can win a pair.

Hit the pictures to see the new 2012 collections you can choose from if (when!) you win.

Introducing Keep - the very generous people behind these cool animal-friendly shoes. Launched in 2006 and based in LA, according to them, "Keep is a shoe company, an amalgam of interests, a way of being, a force, a language, a family and many other things." And most importantly, everything they make is completely cruelty-free (and looks unreal).

I could go on for ages about Keep, but I'll limit myself to just these 3 points:
1. They've done a shoe collab with Bon Iver to support an animal sanctuary. That's awesome on many different levels.
2. Their Facebook page is actually interesting, so make sure you go check it out.
3. They're giving away two pairs of sneakers to Unleashed members - one for guys, one for girls. (Adam and Eve would have totally loved this comp.)

To win...

...all you have to do is tell me what you'll be doing in 2013 to keep helping animals. It might be to attend a rally against live exports; to lend that animal rights book you have to one of your friends; or to make that next step in ditching dairy or eggs from your meals. There's a 1000 ways you can help animals in 2013 - you just have to choose one!

Fine print: your entry must be 30 words or less; there'll be one guy and one girl winner; you can only enter once; in case you win and were thinking of getting me a Xmas pressie, I like the Shaheens.

This promotion ends December 23rd which isn't far away - so get your entries in NOW! Good luck!

Oh, and here's something to watch while you're thinking.

There are two hats in the closet. One says to the other, "You can stay here, I'm going on a head." *ba-dum-tshh* OK, so maybe that's not the best joke you've heard today. But the winning entries in our malc&andi giveaway are the best tips you'll hear! Take a look. (No more hat jokes, I promise).

malc&andi are a forward thinking fashion label that believes fashion should be fun and adventurous, but also as good for your soul as it is for your body. That's why they donate 5% of all their sales to animal charities. It's also why they very kindly agreed to give away two styling new snapbacks to Unleashed members.

All you had to do to win one was give a tip on how people can help animals beat the heat this summer. There were some outstanding entries - including one that rhymed, one about snakes, and a few about guinea pigs and chickens! The one thing they all had in common though, was how good they were. Judge for yourself here.

But just like a tandem-bike race - there can be only two winners. And here they are:

Congrats horsepowerrrr and *Steph*!

If you didn't win this time around, don't stress. The next Unleashed giveaway starts in a couple of days ... and it's a BIG one. Check back soon to find out more ;)

Spring has definitely sprung, and summer is just around the corner. Mr. Sun is spending more time in the sky, so what better opportunity to give away some cool new malc&andi hats! Read on to find out how you can win in our latest competition!

There's a lot to like about summer. Inflatable pool parties, taking the dog to the beach, even backyard cricket against your bro or sis (I always used to thrash my brother. Hah - take that, James!!) The thing you'll like best about this coming summer though will be one of these exclusive malc&andi snapbacks. Mmm, snapbacks - so hot right now!

These Wild Caps feature fun and quirky animal designs and are for those who are prepared to make a statement. Check out the pics then take a look at the full range.

I've seen some cool hats in my time, but these would have to be right up there. Plus, did you know that malc&andi donate money from every sale they make to animal charities?? That's gotta be worth a "like" on their Facebook page, hint hint ;)

If you wanna get one of these hats in time for summer, here's how you can win. Just tell us:

What's one tip you can give to help animals beat the heat this summer??

(e.g. "My tip to help animals beat the heat this summer would be to never, ever leave dogs in the car!!" If you need any more help, you can steal find ideas here.)

Easy as that! Post your tip in the comments below, and keep it less than 30 words. You can only enter once, and can only give one tip! The two best entries will each score the hat of their choice. Winners will be chosen on the 16/11/12, so get your thinking caps on!

There was a massive response to our Herbivore Clothing competition which has just wrapped up. All you had to do for your chance to win a sweet new Herbivore shirt was tell us which celebrity you'd want to hang out with for the day, and why.

Choices ranged from dancers to talk-show hosts through to German Nobel Prize winning physicists (oooh, I wonder which one?)

BUT - unlike sports carnival day when you're a little kid and everyone is given a sticker just for having a go - there can be only one winner! And in this case it is sammstein!

Sammstein said she could imagine chilling with: "Adalita from Magic Dirt. Why? HAVE YOU SEEN THAT WOMAN IN CONCERT?!!! She roars!! And she is an animal activist, I mean, what more could you want from a rock chick!"

Good call, sammstein. I'm sure you and Adalita would have a great time (especially you, 'cos you'll be rocking a new shirt!)

Remember though, you don't have to be an uber-famous celebrity to be a superstar for animals. There's so many ways you can get involved and make a difference for those who need your help the most. Why not make a start right now?

p.s. Unleashed's next comp is mere days away - so keep your eyes skinned and check back regularly for it.

If you're looking for something to do on your school holidays, want to help animals AND win prizes ... then you'll probably want to know more about this competition being run through all of October!

To make the public more aware of the hard duck life, SA organisation POND (Protect Our Native Ducks) is running a poster competition. They're inviting students to create a poster that asks the public to take better care of Australia's native ducks. There are different age categories and prizes in each one. Get the comp details by clicking on the image.

POND brings together a range of people who all have one thing in common - a love for animals (well, ducks if you want to be really specific!) I didn't realise this until the info was jammed right under my nose, but ducks really have a LOT to worry about! Take a look at this...

1) Hunters. As someone once said, "The perils of duck hunting are great - especially for the duck." Ducks can still be shot at for fun in SA and some other states (boooo!), but it is banned in WA, NSW and Qld (yaaaay!) Ducks may be killed outright, have their necks broken by hunters after being injured, or if they get away injured, they can suffer a slow and painful death.

2) Old fishing gear. Ducks can easily become tangled up in discarded fishing line, which makes life very difficult for them. They've also been found with old fishing hooks in their bills - which makes my nose hurt just thinking about it!

3) Busy roads. Some roads are dangerous just for people to cross, let alone a mother duck with all her ducklings in tow! It's hard to believe, but some drivers don't bother slowing down when they see duck families on the road :( If anything should happen to the mum, it's not just her that suffers; her babies become orphans and will struggle to take care of themselves. The clip below is the most intense thing I've ever seen - and it has a happy ending. Phew!

With all these dangers stacked up against them, it's no wonder Daffy Duck is always in such a foul mood. Or should I say, "fowl" mood? (And that ... is why my comedy career never took off).

As they say, "you've got to be in it to win it"! Entries close Friday November 2nd, so you better get quacking! (LOL - see what I did there?)

It's Father's Day this weekend, so what better time to rank some of the animal kingdom's best dads. These doting dads prove it's not just human fathers who deserve a pair of socks and a card on Father's Day.

In fourth place for the best dad award is the barking frog. This froggy father will sit beside his offspring while they are still in their egg sacs, keeping them moist until birth. These guys would be higher on the list ... if they weren't wetting the eggs with their own urine. Still, it's the thought that counts, right?? Bonus picture included of an oreophryne frog dad who hugs all his little ones at night to keep them moist and protect them from insects. What a guy!

Third place goes to the marmoset (a little monkey from South America). These dutiful dads take over the baby-sitting soon after birth, grooming and licking their infants. Later the dads will feed their young 'uns as well as piggyback them all over the place. This probably continues until the young marmosets get their driver's license and a car (I didn't pay much attention in science class).

Second place is claimed by the very deserving male emperor penguin. The Antarctic is so cold that if penguin eggs were to just touch the ground the embryo inside would most likely never be born. So what does dad do? He holds the eggs on the top of his feet covered by his belly ... for two months ... without eating! If you look up "dedication" in the dictionary, there'll probably be a picture of an emperor penguin looking straight back at you.

But at the top of this list of animal dads, winning the title of "Father of the Year 2012" is the seahorse. Seahorses are always going to be pretty hard to beat, seeing as how they are the ones who actually give birth! Yep, I've checked my research and it's true. On average, a seahorse will give birth to 100-200 "fries". That's a dad who takes his job pretty seriously.

So there you go. There are some pretty exceptional dads in the human world too, but it's worth remembering this Father's Day that animals also care for their young and want them to grow up and be healthy.

What is it about your dad that makes him so great? Tell us in 30 words or less and you could win an Unleashed stubby holder to give to him as a pressie. Entries close Friday 31st August.

WINNER ANNOUNCED: An Unleashed drinks cooler is on its way to Samanthadavey (and her dad) for making everyone at UL feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

Unleashed Dictionary, p. 218 ...

herbivore [pronounced hur-buh-vohr]: An animal that feeds chiefly on plants. Examples include elephants, gorillas, horses and me.

Herbivore Clothing Company: a store that sells awesome cruelty-free stuff with a pro-animal message. Examples include t-shirts, jumpers, wallets, and books.

Why am I telling you this? Well, because The Herbivore Clothing Company has teamed up with Unleashed for an excellent giveaway. You've got the chance to snag one of their many very cool t-shirts. Designed for herbivores and other animal lovers, their tees not only look good - they also carry a message that's worth showing off.

I'm not saying that repping one of these tops will make you famous. But it will put you in the same category as Missy Higgins and Jona Weinhofen - people who are ready to speak up for animals. Other compassionate celebs include P!nk, Ben Stiller and Natalie Portman. C'mon Hollywood - just put 'em all in a movie together, already!

Winning the shirt of your choice from Herbivore Clothing is easy as 1-2-3, too. In 30 words or less, tell us which compassionate celebrity you'd wanna hang out with for a day and why. The best, most creative, most interesting response will win! So get your thinking caps on, and drop your idea into the comments. Good luck! (Comp closes 28th September)

After you get your entry in, why not head over to herbivoreclothing.com and start deciding which shirt you want when (if!) you win? WARNING: be prepared to lose an hour of your day checking out all the other cool gear they have.

There was a MASSIVE response to the vegan sneaker giveaway we ran through June, with some excellent entries. Unfortunately we can't give everyone a pair of shoes, but thanks to the lovely peeps at vegansneaker.com, there were two pairs to give away.

Supporters were asked to submit their fave animal/activism quote, and the best ones would win the shoes AND have their entry turned into a cover for the Unleashed fb page. So, without further adieu, here are the winning quotes and the special edition covers! Instructions on how to make them your own fb covers are below the images

Quote submitted by Unjay

Quote submitted by Natty76

Download instructions:

1. Right click on the image above and save it to your computer (remember where you save it!)
2. Go to your Facebook profile, hover your mouse over your cover image and click "Change Cover".
3. Select "Upload photo..." and choose the image that you just saved (you shouldn't need to resize if you've copied from us).
4. Finally, tag your friends so they can see that you're 'kicking ass' on your Facebook profile!
5. Oh yeah, one last thing. Drop www.unleashed.org.au into the image description so your friends know where to find heaps more info!

(p.s. You can also pin the image to a board if you're on pinterest. But you don't need instructions on how to do that!)

Thanks again to vegansneaker.com for the prizes. Be sure to check 'em out if you're in the market for some cruelty-free sneakers ;)

Being kind to animals isn't a new invention. It's not like ipads or robots. When you speak up for animals, you're walking in the shoes of many amazing and inspiring people. Now, we've teamed up with VeganSneaker.com to give you a chance to step out in cruelty-free style like some of the greats, with these sweet Etiko kicks.

We've got two pairs of sneakers to give away to two lucky Unleashed members!

It may seem obvious, but I'll say it anyway, VeganSneaker.com specialise in selling vegan sneakers from Aussie company Etiko. Etiko's slogan is "Wear No Evil". This means no kids sweating in factories, no ripped off workers without toilet breaks, and no animal products in their shoes!

Some of the greatest minds the world has ever seen have stood up for animals. Albert Einstein for starters. When the German genius wasn't blowing minds with his theory of rela-la-tivi-li-ty (I can't even pronounce it) he was telling the world, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet".

And what about Gandhi, who said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated". FYI, I bet Gandhi would have loved a pair of Etikos on his famous Salt March. Just sayin'.

There've been pollies, athletes and musos - all who have walked the walk when it comes to treating animals with respect. Jose Gonzalez, Missy Higgins and Jona Weinhofen just to name a few.

To get your hands on (and feet into) these vegan sneakers we want you to talk the talk. All you have to do is share your favourite quote about animals/activism in the comments. It can be inspiring, thoughtful, funny, anything! (If you don't know any quotes, then google is your friend.)

But wait! There's more! The two winners will also have their entries turned into hot new facebook covers, to help get the idea out there that everyone can treat animals with respect. So stop reading, and start writing! Entries into the comments by June 30th! Good luck!

So the entries are in, the leaflets are out and the deadline has closed. But the question remains which State reigned supreme in the State Street Team Challenge?

With many superb efforts, picking a winning state was no easy feat! The creativity of lisa66's Halloween leafleting, gave VIC an extra boost. Matt.Y's regular leafleting at the Salamanca Markets gave TAS an edge. And the fact Naughty Angel got Cotton On, Diva and Jay Jays to stock leaflets bumped up NSW's ranking.

But the winning state was ... (drum roll please) ...

WA!

Rav3n's shopping centre outreach, Mikey's city leafleting, and Lea's efforts on trains, all added up to a convincing case that when it comes to leafleting WA can walk the walk!

But the entry that sealed the deal was Julezz's creativity and persistence. Not only did this gal recruit a whole crew of friends to assist her with leafleting, she also produced posters for the occasion. And then, before the dust had settled on her first effort, she was already planning a vegan bbq fundraiser. The thought of being able to grab a vegan sausage sanga outside a shopping center was just too good to resist. And for her stellar efforts, Julezz, is the winner of the oh-so-sought-after Unleashed Prize Pack.

Congrats to Julezz, to WA, and to everyone who entered. Thousands of leaflets were distributed across Australia exposing the cruelty of factory farming. The State Challenge may be over, but the animals still need us. If you'd like to hit the streets and speak up for animals, remember you can always order leaflets though the Unleashed store. Or if you've got some super plans stewing, drop us a line direct and let us know what you're scheming and we might be able to hook with some leaflets free of charge.