COEUR d'ALENE - Kenna Smoot has a deep affection for all animals, large and small.

The 29-year-old keeps a photo of cows in a field on her laptop home screen. It reads, "When we love animals, we love ourselves, for we are all one."

"It's just something that has always stuck with me," she said. "I live my life by it."

The Coeur d'Alene native and mother of three has taken that passion and intertwined it with her natural beauty to become a finalist in the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' "Sexiest Vegan Next Door 2014" contest.

Smoot said she became interested in the contest after speaking with a PETA representative about the recent "Ag-gag" bill that was signed into law in March.

Hundreds of "sexy vegans" entered the national competition, but only 10 males and 10 females have been announced as finalists. Votes, enthusiasm and attractiveness will all be considered before one male and one female are chosen as the winners. All votes must be in by May 2, with results to follow. Winners receive an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii, courtesy of HumaneTrip.com.

Smoot said she will most likely find out if she won by May 3, but the contest is about much more than outward appearance.

"For me, it's really about promoting the vegan lifestyle because I'm really passionate about it," she said. "It's a platform to promote the vegan lifestyle and to raise awareness about it, especially in Idaho, where it's, like, hunting and fishing central."

Smoot has been vegan for 9 years and was vegetarian a year before that.

"When I researched the dairy and egg industry I found the same issues that go on at factory farms, baby chicks and veal calves are being treated like their garbage and to the dairy and egg industry they are. I knew I couldn't support that." 

 A life-changing event happened when she was sitting at a stoplight in traffic. A semi-truck full of cows pulled up next to her.

"I looked over because I felt like someone was looking at me," she said. She said she locked eyes with a beautiful brown-and -white cow who seemed to be pleading for help. She realized that she couldn't help that particular cow, but she made a choice to help others.

"I'm never going to eat meat again," she said.

As well as having an impressive portfolio modeling for Swedish beauty campaigns and Axe commercials, Smoot is an active online blogger and works to aid people with leading a vegan lifestyle. Her blog, "Meat Meets Vegan," addresses health issues and includes popular dishes that she tailors to vegan diets.

"I started my blog because I wanted to show people that you don't have to give up your favorite meals to go cruelty free," she said.

She also discusses some of the accomplishments of her hero, animal activist Bob Barker. She attended the 2007 Daytime Emmys when he won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

"He's always been someone that I thought was really cool. And he's an animal lover, and one of the few celebrities who gives money to causes that he actually believes in," she said. "I think that's really admirable."

Smoot and her husband Nick are raising their boys (ages 1, 3 and 8) vegan and they have a King Charles Spaniel mix named Rebel Alley they adopted from a shelter. She said raising her family vegan is really a lot easier than it may seem, and her oldest hates non-vegan food.

"When you raise your kids without desensitizing them to eating animals, I have found that they really don't have any interest in eating animals and it seems weird to them that people do eat animals," she said.

Kenna said anyone interested in becoming a vegan can visit www.peta.org or visit her blog, where she is happy to provide tips and assistance.

"Being vegan is easier than ever, I have five grocery stores within two miles of my house that have faux meats, faux cheeses and tons of vegan options. It's becoming more mainstream," she said. 

To vote for Kenna, visit features.peta.org/sexiest-vegan-next-door-2014/Finalists.aspx.