Folks walking and driving through downtown Shreveport this afternoon got quite a sight -- a mostly-naked woman on a plate, covered in bar-be-cue sauce, complete with a side salad.

The display at the corner of Texas and Marshall Streets was part of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' demonstration ahead of World Vegetarian Day, which is tomorrow. The message this year is 'Try to Relate to Who's on Your Plate."

Campaign Specialist Matt Bruce told me PETA is trying to help people make the connection with the animals on their plates. He said these animals were once thinking, feeling individuals with personalities who don't want to die.

"Pigs, for instance, are more intelligent than dogs and they love to cuddle," Bruce said. "Mother hens communicate with their chicks before they've even hatched from the egg, and cows grieve with family members and friends pass away. So we're asking people to extend their circle of compassion to include animals and leave them off their plates."

According to a PETA news release, in addition to damaging the environment and human health, eating animal-derived foods causes suffering on a massive scale. In today's industrialized meat and dairy industries, chickens' and turkeys' throats are cut while they're still conscious, piglets' tails and testicles are cut off without being given any painkillers, and calves are torn away from their mothers within 48 hours of birth.

Bruce said the duo has gone from city to city to spread the message that going vegan can benefit our health and the environment and end cruelty to animals. This was the last stop on their tour.

The display definitely turned some heads. Take a look at the photos:

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