Joaquin Phoenix works to help dogs

Joaquin Phoenix is just so damn cute. And talented. And so intense. In fact, we find him cutest when he is being intense and talented at the same time. And we don't care what the purists say--we think his singing was right on target in Walk the Line, and we can't wait to see him We Own the Night next year!

But we're not here to talk about Joaquin's talent but his commitment to animals. He has teamed up with PETA and written to every top California politician, asking them to support a new bill to make it illegal to attach chains to dogs.

Turns out that chaining a dog isn't merely bad for dogs but for humans, too! The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention has found that chained dogs are nearly three times more likely to attack people than dogs who are not kept chained.

According to PETA, "In 2002, chained dogs killed more children between the ages of 1 and 9 than did falls from playground equipment or trees and fireworks accidents combined, and they killed as many kids as did gun accidents."

You can read more about Joaquin's campaign to ban dog chaining on SFGate.com.