Sharon Núñez & Dulce Ramírez Interview at Animal Equality’s 2022 LA Donor Event

so as I said during my presentation
um there was an attempt by I'm
originally from Spain the wife being in
the US for the last almost 10 years
eight nine years
um and then in 2011 there was an attempt
by the Spanish uh AG industry because of
Investigations
to put me away and to put away another
11 people who were doing investigations
in Spain
and that's all we were doing we were
doing investigations and showing cruelty
so I was arrested in Madrid and I was
driven up to the north of Spain and I
was in a in a Cell for five days at dark
cell I'll never forget and uh the guards
would come in in the morning and it
would be like be okay whatever yeah not
no I'm not okay but you know whatever
and they would say to me well you know
we're getting these calls from people uh
who who are like they're just like get
them out of there and I was like who are
these people and that's where a dual set
comes in I am that person
I'm in with my team of course I we are
really yeah this is the way with me yes
the first time I hear about Sharon Nunez
and Jose it was with that moment when
they they leave the preparation and for
us like a team we see we can be us you
know if we don't do it something we can
be us I know that another activity so we
need to act like a movement and show
solidarity and it's is the way we start
contact for Facebook and I think only
three foreign
how how do we do this and I said well
let's let's do animal equality together
let's start in guadalup animal Mexico
animal poly Mexico and that's how that's
how it started and we've been obviously
the history activists and more than that
almost sisters over the last 10 years
and obviously this chance meeting you
know is is important to you both
personally I mean I know you've grown
together over the years but for animal
equality it was a transformational
moment to have this connection because
look at all the great work Mexico is a
chief and Latin America in general all
because you got arrested US
please anyone can be arrested
now I yeah I think it's for me I'm not
going to share that the the meaningful
when you find people you align in the
mission you connect that you have a
share the same fighting yeah
you can be ignored that like Australia
for example she's here and we we have
this connection a strong connection and
be a part of something more big that
movement and we need to show solidarity
we need to show we need to show empathy
we need to show strong an animal
equality give us they have opportunity
you know in my team in Mexico but for
animals in Mexico we start with circus
you know we ban circles in Mexico and
after that we decide to go to farm
animals so this is this completely
transformation so I feel grateful and I
have this privilege to be here and work
for animals so thank you so much for
your support I love you all of you you
know
well and it just shows that the
connection that we all make in this
movement
um makes a difference for animals in
ways that we don't realize probably now
but eventually can change the entire
country's Constitution so
um and there's still photos but we're
going to add some there but I didn't
find them on time there's still photos
of a dual say protesting
to get me out of prison and uh they're
somewhere in our flicker yeah and that's
really interesting to see yeah because I
remember there was the first time we we
coordinate different groups in different
cities because we go to the Empire
Embassy in Spain she's going to know so
what only Guadalajara was Mexico City
with Monterey we have different groups
activate together to stop regression
stop repression we are activists we are
here and we don't go any any place to
free these activities yeah and here we
are something you said you know it could
be anybody it's going to be shared it
could be any one of us and I know who
I'm going to call if I get arrested now
um you talked a lot about the amazing
work that we've achieved in 2022
um is there anything that happened this
year that you're really proud of I mean
obviously all of our achievements you
know are are instrumental in changing
their lives of animals but maybe a
tactic something that happened this year
that you were just really
impressed with stuck with you yeah I
think
um so I feel that animal equality has
we've been doing investigation since our
foundation and
investigations are really the
the the tool to achieve uh changing
Minds changing Hearts changing
institutions and changing companies
um and I think 2022 has been for us the
year not only when we've stepped into
the institutions but where we've like in
the institutions and I'll give some
examples like we are working with the
Indian government to get recommendations
and directives related to improving uh
the welfare of of
dairy cows
in Italy just last week we were at the
Italian parliament our director there
speaking about ending the cages for
Europe we're in contact with the Spanish
government to get male chicks banned our
director in the UK again just last week
was at the British Parliament talking
about a report that we've done related
to enforcement of animal cruelty laws in
the country and those that can speak
more about Mexico but again our
Brazilian and director will be in the
Brazilian Senate in a few weeks talking
about the self-regulation bill and uh
talking about the need for us to uh for
the need for the industry to not
regulate itself and next week we have a
we have a protest in front of Congress
here to ask for an end of this of
Slaughter of courses so I really think
it's been the year for us where we've
really set foot a strong foot in
institutions and that's where I think
that legislative work is is fundamental
yeah and Monday we are in the Congress
of Mexico City after we travel tomorrow
we come back to Mexico and we are in in
the Congress in Mexico City to to pass
the Constitutional reform so yeah I
think it's for me is the way we be more
strong and assertive way to use
investigations if you have about I dream
I talk about the Hidalgo initiative we
start with only one is a lot of houses
in Hidalgo and we use this as a lot of
houses for Lopez program institutional
welfare chapter on only one
investigation if you I feel more strong
in our teams more strategic thinking
youth investigation in their in their in
the best way we can do and we can see
them great results and I I think it's I
I learned a lot this year about that so
yeah yeah and also a shout out to Katya
was here with her love veg programs
we're going to be spending more uh
putting more effort into our love veg
there's our plant-based program
internationally and as I mentioned in my
Katya is like last week she was teaching
chefs in Mexico to make plant-based
cheats
[Applause]
and it's certainly amazing I think you
made an important point about
the power of Investigation of a single
investigation the just the cascading
effect that it's had on the work that
you're doing there and you know I know a
lot of people talk about the problem is
so big what will I be able to impact I'm
just one person what can I do and
each of you has contributed in some
capacity to our our work your your
generous support of our work and a lot
of that funding goes right into an
investigation like the single
investigation that has changed so much
in Mexico so if you actually want a
connection between you and changing
animals lives just look at the
investigation that you funded you made
it happen you made the work
happen and we're so grateful to have
that because without these important
investigations nothing gets done and the
powerful and you can in the last you see
a video for two minutes I take months
sometimes to to go there I'm recording
that they take a lot of or logistic uh
they risk and schedule and find the best
way I mean it's one video for two
minutes is really powerful but behind
that is a lot of a lot of work a
completely team a strong team we have a
great team of Investigation but it's
yeah you are part of that
poor so yeah and there are quite a bit
of challenges when you create an
investigation I mean just having the
people in the field training them I mean
speak to a little bit about how
difficult it is to actually get these
investigations off the ground it's very
it's very it's complicated and I think
that there's nothing for me some of the
heroes of our movement are those
investigators those undercover
investigators who spend weeks and months
just filming horrific footage to make
sure that it gets out and that it's used
in the most effective way possible and
that's our commitment to them and to
animals but the the training then the
the spending hours in these facilities
when you're an animal activist filming
and then going back to the your hostile
room and writing down everything and
speaking you know with the director of
Investigations and documenting
everything and it's it's it's
challenging the industry as we know is
being pushing back in the US for example
with agac laws trying to make undercover
investigations illegal and this is not
something that is only happening in the
U.S and talked about my case in in Spain
but it happened in Austria and it's
beginning to start in other countries
there was an article that was uh came
out a few days ago it was an article by
a pork industry magazine and they only
had one point to make about the animal
rights movement and it was related to
undercover investigations they know how
much undercover investigations damage
their reputation and change with
companies and legislators and people
want to do so it's it's very challenging
but it's the work that needs to be done
you know and I think the thing about
that ultimately is that it is changing
in people's minds it is you've talked
about how the investigations when you're
showing them to legislators in Mexico
how they are
shocked equally shocked and you're able
to use those
relationships to pass new legislation
I love against honeymoon so the
investigation really really there are
powerful and yeah we see them
we are I mean in the same time is
exciting for coming to next year and be
prepared for for doing more
investigation but at the same time we
need to face different challenge more
challenge because we need this stop the
industry is not lose money when we ask
these changes and when this happen they
start
talking about us more and more and we
need to be prepared to
great lawyers
but yeah it's it's happening yeah and
you know the changes that we saw you
mentioned in Italy the the Banning of
the male chick killing that was based on
investigations so obviously the work
we're talking about in Mexico based on
investigations that's what we're the
biggest challenge we have right now is
getting investigations in the U.S yes
and getting funding and making sure that
we are able to get people in the field
behind the scenes because as we've seen
the more investigations we do in a
country the more hearts and minds are
changed and so if we can get more
investigations happening in the U.S
we're going to to make a big difference
I feel in this country yeah absolutely
and I was joking
investigation that we did that was
absolutely brutal and the work and I
don't know if our friends were in
advancing well for uh for animals are
here but thanks to them we've worked and
we were able to we're seeking
prosecution against Foster Farms so
um the the it's it's Limitless I think
what we can achieve investigations in
the U.S are more challenging uh for sure
we're challenging everywhere they're
more challenging in the US and that is
why we must continue doing them and
getting the support in order to be able
to carry them out
you know we talk about impact uh you
know this year alone I think we've
already impacted over 160 million
animals which is a tremendous number
but it's a hard number to Fathom yeah in
their individual stories of of animals
that I know that you've come across and
they'll say you've come across that have
shaped your worldview and changed the
destiny of our organization and he
talked about Gracie and that
relationship but talk a little bit about
some individual animals that have made a
difference in your life and the work
that we do so Gracie is the first one
that comes to mind and that is why I
wanted everyone to take a photo of her
I'll never remember the day I got the
call that she died and I was happy and
you're happy because you know that that
animal had the life she deserved and her
again talking about potential her her
full we think of potential times as like
humans have potential animals have
potential to have the potential to be
happy they have the potential to love
their family have the potential to love
what's what's more important than that
and I was happy because I felt that she
had had a full life full of you know
other animals and people who've taken
care of her and I wanted everyone to
have that photo and bring it home I have
one and when I work I have her photo on
my desk because she reminds me of the
world that we want to build and it was
also transformational for me because it
was the first open rescue I was part of
the first open rescue to be carried out
in in Europe and it meant so much right
it really is that future that we want
for animals in action
I am more dark person I
when for me it's the animals
we
they leave behind when you do
investigation you don't take with you
that animals and for me I think it's the
most powerful I mean important for me
reminder all the time I have for me this
is
you can see that baby cow Jose and I
take this picture I mean I take this
picture but with Jose doing
investigation in 2018 in Mexico in the
first investigation in milk industry
and we almost have foreign
hours waiting for burn and so excited I
mean we are so tired so painful but only
cares about this baby and my promise for
them was
I showed this picture of the world all
the world you could see that you face
and your screaming and your pain and
that was my promise so this is the way I
think in the history for individuals one
individual in fact like millions of
animals but yeah for me
when we
that picture is I know you know that
picture
this is my bro we promise that a baby
showed the world that that picture and I
think is
yeah I mean as you see any one of these
photos is the story of a life that was
impacted through the suffering that they
experienced and we were able to document
and
give that moment in time
extended life and for me
all the always designing always is the
animal this is the the core of the our
decision the the reason we are here is
animals yeah yeah it's yeah I am a
facilitator for something but the
animals is the most important for us so
this is the way we take decision and we
we choose the the fighting and we win
there's those that filming I'm just
looking to make sure that that picture
comes out it's really a Tuesday and uh
is it it's very I am lonely you know
picture yeah this is a picture
it's a moment captured in time forever
um
well finally I just wanted to talk a
little bit about what's on Verizon I
mean I I spoke at the onset about how
every year animal equality raises the
bar
what are you excited for for 2023 what
do we have
we have a lot and I really want to
stress this idea of 2022 was
groundbreaking we achieved things that
were
in like impacted millions of animals
like Banning male chick healing in Italy
getting the first chapter of the law
passed in Hidalgo that recognizes farmed
animals getting 50 companies to commit
to Animal Welfare policies
um and um you know stopping putting a
stop thanks to one of our investigations
to that self-regulation bill in Brazil
where basically slaughterhouses were
saying don't worry we'll take care of
regulating ourselves and making sure
that animals are treated correctly
um we're riding on that success like
2023 is the year what we can achieve so
much for Animals we can change the
Constitution we can bat in Mexico we can
ban cages like it's there it's it's at
our we can reach it and what we need is
commitment we have that commitment like
a Dulce and I and Ali and everyone at
animal equality we wake up every morning
with that mission in our minds and we
need all of the support that we can get
so if anyone like if you have a
connection you can make a donation if
you can become an animal protector like
just do it because I'm telling you 2023
will go down in the history books for
everything that we can achieve for
Animals globally so I ask you to please
support us and uh what are you excited
about see you again
[Laughter]
yeah because I am I am
coming I mean the next year is my first
trip to Brazil and very excited to go to
Brazil and work with the amazing team
and help more we we are start contact
with other countries Latin America
countries Colombia Peru and we we
Empower these activities animal equality
can be part of this and help them and
Empower these local activists and do
great things for animals like a
community like a strong movement for me
it's a yes
and we're stronger than ever Dulce and I
every morning we start the mornings with
our with our things because we're
stronger we're stronger than Everest
people as an organization as an activist
and that's what that's what we are
activists