PETA’s 2009 Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door contest (see photo of the female winner here)

Why is he in jail? Did the Cali State penitentiary system go veg? Please, PETA, let the caged vegan sing. We thought only free-range vegetarians were eligible for this prestigious honor…  all that said, nice package! (and you got to give us credit for bypassing the requisite sausage jokes — if this mention doesn’t count as one ; )

Hollywood, Calif. — After more than 205,000 votes were tallied, 33-year-old Hollywood resident Monty Marsh beat out 15 other finalists to be crowned the male winner of PETA’s 2009 Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door contest. Monty edged out hundreds of other entrants from across the U.S. to become a finalist in the online contest. Now, he and a friend are bound for beautiful Maui, where they will spend seven nights courtesy of the PETA Member Advantage Program.

Monty went vegetarian five years ago after seeing the devastating effects that diseases linked to the consumption of meat (including heart disease and diabetes, which hit African-Americans especially hard) were having on members of his extended family. But after learning about the cruelty involved in factory farming and the environmental destruction caused by the meat industry, he went vegan.

Monty owns a visual-arts firm and works as a filmmaker and photographer. He recently photographed highlights from Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Monty shares his home with Zeus, a small rescued dog whom he spotted wandering along Hollywood Boulevard. An avid traveler and former high school state sprinting champion, Monty is going to need every bit of the extra energy that he gets from his healthy vegan diet: He’ll soon retrace the steps of the first man to reach the North Pole!

“Monty is living proof that going vegan is a great way to protect your health, boost your energy level, and ramp up your sex appeal,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “After all, what’s sexier than someone who exudes passion and compassion?”

PETA + Sexiest Vegetarians Bare All + Amber and Monty Are Named Sexiest Vegetarians Next Door for 2009!