MANILA, Philippines - It’s not John, Paul, George and Ringo crossing Abbey Road on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) birthday card to Paul McCartney — it’s a fish, pig, chicken and cow carrying signs that spell out “Happy Birthday, Paul! Thank You for Loving Us, Not Eating Us” in honor of the celebrated vegetarian’s 70 th birthday. Paul went vegetarian more than 40 years ago out of compassion for animals after realizing while fishing that a fish’s life is, as the former Beatle explained it, “ is as important to him as mine is to me,” Paul says. “I would never go back. I enjoy being vegetarian. It’s a thrill, and I can walk past a field of animals with a clear conscience.” He teamed up with PETA to narrate the group’s video exposé of the meat industry, “Glass Walls,” and his widely successful Meat Free Monday initiative points out the environmental benefits of vegetarian meals. Explains Paul, “If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That’s the single most important thing you could do. It’s staggering when you think about it. Vegetarianism takes care of so many things in one shot: ecology, famine, cruelty.”