The Most Extensive Investigation Showing Animals Feel
6 years. 13 states. 34 slaughterhouses. Animal Equality is releasing the most extensive investigation completed by an organization documenting the emotional and physical suffering of cows, pigs, and sheep in slaughterhouses across Mexico. The images collected by our investigators show animals’ capacity to experience pain, stress, and anguish.
What We Found: The footage Animal Equality investigators obtained inside the slaughterhouses shows the widespread abuse and suffering animals experience. This cruelty is the horrific reality for animals in slaughterhouses – not just in Mexico, but around the world.
Our investigators found:
- Employees mishandling animals with electrical devices, hitting, kicking, and yelling;
- Animals showing signs of distress, such as flight behavior and vocalization;
- Animals left in unsafe spaces where there are sharp objects, humidity, rats, cockroaches, and other animals;
- Cows and pigs conscious at the time of slaughter due to ineffective stunning methods.
Animal Equality has investigated over 817 facilities in thirteen countries, documenting the systemic abuse of animals in factory farms. We’ve heard the animals’ screams. We’ve seen their eyes fill with fear. We’ve watched them fight for their lives. There’s no denying these animals feel just like humans. If we want to end animal cruelty the best thing we can do for animals is leave them off our plates.
Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality
What We’re Doing: As with every investigation, we intend to show how animals feel and have desires of their own. Currently, there is a law initiative in Mexico promoted by Animal Equality, which seeks to constitutionally recognize animals with complex nervous systems as sentient beings whose welfare must be protected.
We’ve seen how Animal Equality’s investigations can evoke change for farmed animals. For example, in the state of Hidalgo, Congress unanimously approved the initiative to reform the Law for the Protection and Dignified Treatment of Animals and the Criminal Code – making cruelty to farmed animals punishable as a crime. We’ll keep fighting just the same to pass the latest initiative in Mexico.
How You Can Help: The most important action we can all take to help animals raised and killed for food is keeping them off our plate and choosing plan-based options. You can find lots of information and hundreds of recipes at loveveg.
By sharing our investigations, you can help us expose the truth about the industry, create public awareness, and convince policymakers to change the laws to protect animals born into a cycle of abuse and suffering. You can also help by signing our petition to End Factory Farming here in the United States, where animals are treated with the same cruelty.
