Interview with Susie Coston, National Shelter Director
-Staff writer

In Part 2 of our look at foie gras production, we talk with National Shelter Director Susie Coston about the animals rescued from the industry.

How have rescued foie gras ducks found their way to Farm Sanctuary?    
The majority have been dropped off in boxes or cages with notes stating that they are from a foie gras facility. We’ve also taken in many female ducks rescued from duck-meat operations or found in trash cans outside of foie gras facilities after they survived gassing. Only males are used in foie gras production, and, currently in the United States, the females are raised for meat. Years ago, producers most often gassed female ducklings and discarded their bodies in trash bags.

What are the telltale signs that a duck has come from the foie gras industry?
All of the foie gras ducks we’ve taken in have very pale bills because of the way they’re housed. Typically, ducks in foie gras production facilities are confined in cramped pens or cages inside dark sheds with no access to the outdoors, fresh air, or natural light. But after a few months at the shelter, where they are free to spend time in the sunshine, their bills regain their natural, vibrant pink or red color.

Monet and Matisse shortly after rescue.

Foie gras ducks, especially those who have already been force-fed, are also the most frightened ducks we take in. Obviously, this is a response to being manhandled and having a tube repeatedly shoved down their throats. These ducks have never experienced kindness in human hands. Newly rescued ducks from foie gras facilities usually flee to the corner of their pens at the mere sight of a human.

The duo Harper and Kohl, who were left at the shelter in boxes, are an example of what we typically see in ducks rescued from the foie gras industry. Harper was missing an eye, and Kohl had multiple fractures on both legs that prevented him from standing upright. They had sores on their bills, wounds on their faces and bodies, and broken feathers. The force-feeding had induced hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver syndrome), and both ducks were experiencing respiratory distress because their abnormally large livers were putting pressure on the surrounding organs, which in turn were pressing on their lungs. Kohl and Harper were terrified of humans when they arrived, and, although they grew comfortable at the shelter, they never overcame their fear of human contact.

Kohl healthy and splashing at our New York Shelter.

What is the rehabilitation process?
Each group has been different. We have taken in babies who simply required basic care like any other rescued ducklings. In fact, we recently welcomed four ducklings, Ellen, Carrie, Emily, and Kristen, who were rescued from the foie gras industry when they were only days old. Fortunately, these sweet ducklings avoided the horrific abuse that occurs in production facilities. So the main concern with them is to provide adequate nutrition while managing their weight since obesity is common in this breed used for meat production and pâté.

Adjusting to life outside of production is slow and difficult for the ducks who have been subjected to force-feeding. They don’t want to eat and usually have trouble doing it on their own in the beginning. We had to hand-feed Harper and Kohl for the first few weeks. And rescued foie gras ducks commonly require treatment for sores, abrasions, broken bones, and other wounds. Harper and Kohl underwent months of treatment before they were fully healed and able to live like normal ducks.

Many of these ducks require special care as they get older, too. The foie gras industry uses Moulards (also called mule ducks), a sterile hybrid of Pekin and Muscovy breeds. Female Moulards are prone to reproductive tract cancers. And because they are bred to be large and heavy, both males and females tend to experience arthritis as they age.

Besides improved health, what changes do you see in rescued foie gras ducks as they are rehabilitated?
They come to life! Ducks in foie gras production are very sick animals that live in constant fear. Over the course of force-feeding, they feel progressively worse and have increased trouble walking, breathing, and even standing up. They are not afforded the basic comfort of a body free from pain and safe from violence, let alone the freedom to enjoy any of the activities that fulfill their natural instincts. Once rescued ducks begin feeling better and settle in at the shelter, you see just how happy these birds can be.

When we took in Monet and Matisse, another pair left at our door, they were very quiet and subdued. Whenever a human entered the room they would cower in the corner. Then one day, Monet stood up tall and flapped his wings! It was the first sign of happiness from either of them. Since then, they’ve become much more confident, and their spirits have really lifted. Together, they are a strong pair. Now, they even approach people who enter their barn. Monet and Matisse are also stunning, with beautiful feathers that no longer show any signs of the cruelty they endured.

Monet at our Melrose Small Animal Hospital where he was finally given the space to spread his wings.

Being with their family and friends is very important to ducks because they form lifelong bonds. Our ducks sleep close together every night and communicate with each other constantly. Best friends Harper and Kohl were never more than a few feet apart from each other during their entire lives at the shelter, and Monet and Matisse are also inseparable.
Moreover, ducks are clean animals who need to bathe, but they are denied this natural behavior in production facilities, leaving the birds to suffer as they are covered in old feed and fecal matter. One of the first things these ducks do when they arrive at the shelter is to take a bath in their water bowls, eagerly dipping their heads in and splashing water everywhere. When they are well enough to go outside, we immediately take them to the water to enjoy a swim for the very first time. It’s amazing to watch rescued ducks get out on the pond or a pool because their joy is so obvious. Even Kohl, whose legs were permanently deformed due to the fractures he suffered before his rescue, swam like a maniac. Our rescued ducks really enjoy sunbathing, eating grass, and filter-feeding in the mud. They just love being ducks!

Monet and Matisse regained their health at our New York Shelter.

By Gene

We often refer to animal protection work as a “movement,” and I believe that idea of movement is fitting as we reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. Movement suggests that we are defined by our actions, by what we are doing — like protecting farm animals from harm and promoting compassionate vegan living. We made tremendous strides toward creating a more just and compassionate world for farm animals in 2013 thanks to our committed and compassionate supporters, advocates, and friends — and I believe the momentum will just keep building.

Making Headlines
Nearly every week over the past year, articles about animal welfare or plant-based diets could be found in major, national publications, including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, TIME magazine, and many more. Just this month, Rolling Stone ran a damning exposé entitled, “Animal Cruelty is the Price We Pay for Cheap Beef.” Last month, our Celebration for the Turkeys event was featured on Good Morning America, showing a compassionate holiday tradition to a national audience. Bruce Friedrich, Farm Sanctuary’s Senior Director for Advocacy, made headlines on several fronts, including a lively discussion about the ethical and environmental implications of lab-grown meat and the impact on factory farm animals on MSNBC’s program “All in with Chris Hayes.”

This media coverage represents an increasing interest in farm animal issues and growing concerns about where our food comes from. More and more people are questioning whether we should be eating animals. I recently participated in an Intelligence Squared U.S. debate, arguing for the motion, “Don’t Eat Anything With a Face.” I am happy to say that my partner, Neal Barnard, M.D., and I were declared winners of the debate.

Bringing attention to the benefits of a plant-based diet this year was a slew of prominent figures in entertainment and politics, among them newly minted vegan Al Gore and power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who have publicized their goal to try a vegan lifestyle for 22 days. Casey Affleck and Ryan Gosling lent their voices to our cause by speaking out against the use of intense confinement systems for farm animals and reaching millions with a message of compassion.

Farm Sanctuary’s work made headlines in 2013, too. We were named “Nonprofit of the Year” by VegNews editors and voted “Favorite Farmed Animal Sanctuary” by VegNews readers for the sixth consecutive year and “Favorite Nonprofit Animal Organization” for the first time.

Art Imitates Life
Books, poetry, painting, and films increasingly are challenging cruelty and inspiring change. The 2013 documentary Blackfish exposed abuse at Sea World, provoking a public outcry and prompting several musical acts to cancel shows there. The film has raised awareness about the tragedy associated with holding animals in captivity and denying them their basic needs. Filmmaker Liz Marshall released The Ghosts in Our Machine, a documentary examining the complicated relationships humans have with other animals and the ethical challenges we face when we exploit them. The film features Jo-Anne McArthur, photojournalist and longtime friend of Farm Sanctuary whose book on the same subject, We Animals, came out this month, as well as Farm Sanctuary National Shelter Director Susie Coston and some of the rescued animals at our New York Shelter.

In the popular genre of animated movies, we celebrated the release of Free Birds, a major motion picture about getting turkeys off the Thanksgiving menu. 

Serious Business
Ambitious entrepreneurs and innovative technological developments brought positive movement to the food industry in 2013. Companies like Beyond Meat and Hampton Creek Foods have been among the ventures creating game-changing alternatives to meat and eggs. These companies are flourishing and enjoying recognition in business communities and mainstream media — including Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg, NPR, and The Huffington Post — for making plant-based meat and egg substitutes widely appealing and accessible.

Changing Hearts and Minds
Traveling around the country this year, I participated in many galvanizing festivals, conferences, and celebrations filled with energy and enthusiasm. People who care about animals are coming together to inspire and empower one another.

The interest and enthusiasm I witnessed at these events reaches far beyond those who identify themselves as vegans or activists. Opposition to factory farming and changing attitudes about eating animals are quickly becoming mainstream. Schools across the United States are offering more vegan foods, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, which recently instituted “Meatless Mondays” in its cafeterias.

Scientific studies on animal sentience continued to make advances in 2013. This body of research typically has studied species such as apes, elephants, and dolphins and is now expanding to include farm animals, who have not been as well understood. Farm Sanctuary is participating in this important work. We launched our Someone, Not Something project to share unique insights about farm animal emotions and intelligence with the public. The more we help others learn about animals who are exploited for food, the harder it will be for society to condone that exploitation.

Pushing Forward
In 2013, we were part of a coalition that successfully defended bans in California prohibiting the sale of foie gras and the use of cruel confinement systems against agribusiness challenges. Our success at passing laws to protect farm animals in recent years has prompted defensive maneuvering by agribusiness. Seeking to keep cruelty out of the public eye, industry forces campaigned for “ag-gag” laws to criminalize the documentation of cruelty at factory farms. This year, “ag-gag” bills were introduced in 11 states across the nation. Happily, all 11 were defeated.

With increasing awareness about the abuses animals experience in the food industry and with growing availability of plant-based options, there is much reason for hope. Our movement is growing and gained strong momentum over the past year, and I’m very optimistic about 2014.

Together, we are making a difference. With your ongoing support, we’ll continue building on this momentum to create a more compassionate world for all.

By Kerrie Wooten*

Feeling the Love
At our most recent Celebration for the Turkeys in Orland, California, I was on the lookout for a certain guest who has been coming to our events for the past several years. At an earlier Farm Sanctuary event this summer, she told me that she had been photographing her daughter with Valentino every time they visited so she could look back and see her daughter growing up with her cherished friend. But Valentino, Farm Sanctuary’s oldest steer, was now living with the special-needs herd, which wasn’t part of our scheduled Celebration “shelter time,” where guests visit with the animals. So I said I’d make sure that she and her daughter got their photograph with Valentino again this visit. She was so grateful she hugged me.

Later that day, I led the mother-daughter duo and some more of Valentino’s biggest fans down to the lower pasture where he was standing, peacefully chewing his cud and drooling. At almost 20 years old, he didn’t have a lot of his teeth left — thus the drool that sometimes hung from his mouth in long strands that swayed in the breeze. This was just part of his charm. Valentino carried out his days without a care in the world. Our party arrived at his pasture and showered attention on him, making this day extra special for all of them.

A Shelter Veteran
Valentino came to our Northern California Shelter long before any of the current caregivers did. It was Valentine’s Day, 1994, the year after the shelter opened. He was only two weeks old, tiny, sick, and very weak. He had suffered damage to tendons in his front legs, which made walking painful for him. Physical therapy was important for Valentino’s recovery, and caregivers worked with him as many as five times a day, gently walking him through the nearby pasture.

Diane Miller, the new farm manager at the time, recalls how her puppy Sunshine became involved in Valentino’s healing, “helping out” during his therapy walks by pulling on his lead rope to encourage him along. “They played lots of this tug-o-war,” says Diane. “Although they were both growing like weeds that spring, Valentino began winning these games more often as he grew stronger and heavier, and as his legs healed.” Diane, Sunshine, and Valentino became best buddies, beginning each day with breakfast together and ending many evenings snuggling together in Valentino’s stall.

A good Samaritan rescued Valentino — he was one of thousands of calves each year who are found down, injured, weak, and left for dead. Holsteins are common in the dairy industry, where producers keep cows lactating by subjecting them to a relentless cycle of impregnation, gestation, and birth. Female offspring often replace their mothers in the herd, but the male calves are considered useless. They are taken from their mothers immediately and typically auctioned off for cheap beef or veal, killed, or abandoned. Valentino’s first weeks of life must have been miserable, but we made sure that his next nearly twenty years were wonderful.

Susie Moo and Valentino

I got to know Valentino in his middle and old age, when he was a gentle giant. A few years ago, when he started to show stiffness in his hind legs, we moved him to live with the special-needs herd. Arthritis and hip degeneration are common in elderly Holsteins, because they have been bred to grow so large that it puts a strain on their joints. Valentino lived with arthritis for years, but, with treatment, we were able to help him remain active. He still had fun with his buddies and had no trouble moving fast when he saw food coming. Sometimes when he got excited, he seemed like a goofy, young steer again.

Looking through old photos of Valentino, I see him with many different members of the herd. He was everybody’s friend. In later years, he became particularly fond of spending time with his friend Joni, who is a mother figure in the special-needs herd. He was never more content than when Joni was grooming him. Life was sweet for Valentino, right up to the end.

Time to Say Goodbye
On the evening we discovered Valentino on the ground our hearts fell. The position he was in indicated an injury to his back legs and possibly to his spine. Due to his extreme old age and the fragility caused by arthritis, his leg had broken at the joint and probably caused him to fall, causing further injury. We called our vet immediately. He gave us the diagnosis that we already knew deep down — that the broken leg, compounded by his advanced age, the weakness of his other legs, and his hip degeneration, meant that his condition was irreparable. Shelter staff gathered around as the vet euthanized Valentino. He  slipped away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.

Valentino’s Memory
“No other single animal has done more to teach me the intrinsic beauty and value of each individual life, particularly those lives who are cast off as ‘byproducts,’” says Diane. “Valentino triumphed over this bleak introduction to the world and grew into a legendary giant, in stature as well as pure heart, grace and love. Not a bad, rough, or mean bone had he…. as attested by the thousands of hearts he stole over his long years at the sanctuary.”
The special needs herd has been subdued in the days following Valentino’s passing, and the pasture feels empty without him. This benign, loving steer was a friend to many, and he truly epitomized the spirit of sanctuary. Valentino was a beloved part of this shelter for two decades. And he always will be.

View more photos of Valentino here:

*Kerrie Wooten is Animal Care Manager at Farm Sanctuary’s Northern California Shelter. Kerrie has been a caregiver for Valentino and all of our other residents since 2006.

Last time, we sat down with Liz Marshall, director of The Ghosts in Our Machine to hear about her incredible film that examines the complicated, and often cruel, relationship humans have with non-human animals. Now, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the film with Farm Sanctuary’s National Shelter Director Susie Coston and President and Co-founder Gene Baur.

The Ghosts in Our Machine is about to enjoy its theatrical release in the United States, starting in New York, November 8–14, at the Village East Cinema. On Saturday, November 9, we’ll team up with the film for a Movie & Vegan Dinner night to benefit Farm Sanctuary. Following the evening screening, dinner will be held at Candle 79 and Candle Café West. Click here for more information.

Los Angeles area screenings are scheduled for November 15–21, at Laemmle Theatre, Music Hall 3, in Beverly Hills. For more information and show locations, visit the film’s website.

1. Do you think the timing of this film is significant? Is the public ready for a film like this?

Susie Coston: The timing is very significant. Issues of animal rights, veganism, and animal welfare are becoming mainstream, but we aren’t at the tipping point yet. This film really illuminates these subjects in a way that is very palpable for mainstream audiences.

Gene Baur: Exactly. This film will play a role in furthering the public’s opposition to the unconscionable and unnecessary abuse of billions of innocent creatures every year. The public is showing growing concerns about factory farming and other institutionalized abuses, and cruelty-free foods and products are increasingly available. Vegan businesses are rising up to meet the demand for compassionate alternatives, and that’s an exciting development.

2. What moments in the film most struck a chord for you?

SC: I loved seeing the rescue of Fanny and Sonny because they are such a huge part of our lives at the New York Shelter, but what I found most incredible in the film is the range of exploitation portrayed — animals used in research facilities, in the fur trade, for entertainment, and, of course, animals used for food, who are exploited in staggering numbers.

GB: I was especially moved by the scenes with Jo-Anne writing somberly in the Farm Sanctuary Bed & Breakfast cabin, recalling the various painful events she has witnessed and documented. It’s difficult to witness cruelty and violence knowing that you are unable to stop it immediately. You reflect, you regroup, and, armed with evidence, you set out refreshed to create change.

Sonny shortly after he was rescued.

Susie, would you give us a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes process of filming and photographing the Farm Sanctuary animals portrayed in the movie?

SC: They don’t allow cameras or even cell phones at the stockyard, so you don’t see what took place inside. Sonny was down, meaning he couldn’t walk or stand. I spent hours in the stockyard during this rescue and witnessed many abuses — I saw so much pain and fear. The first time I saw Fanny, she looked directly at me as she fell in the auction ring. These are the things that the industry doesn’t want you to see.

Viewers may note the use of the word “it” in the film by the vets. When Sonny was being examined, they referred to him as “it,” which gives the viewer an indication about how these animals are viewed as commodities. “It” allows someone to mentally disconnect and view an animal as a thing rather than as a complex being who is intelligent and emotional and who forms relationships with other animals and people. And they do! Fanny was so sick that first day, but as soon as she heard our voices when we arrived at the vets’ to see her, she mooed. It was like a “thank you,” as if she knew we were all connected now.

Fanny remembered Liz, too. On the last day of filming she licked Liz over and over, which is not a very “Fanny” thing to do. She’s still very shy, but she really connected with Liz and Jo. Both of them got big smooches to prove it. Spending all those hours with Liz and her incredible team — everyone was so wonderful — was such an amazing time. And, Jo-Anne has been an important part of my life and life at Farm Sanctuary for many years. It was just such an honor to be a part of this project.

Filmmaker Liz Marshall with Fanny.

3. How does Liz’s and Jo-Anne’s work harmonize with Farm Sanctuary’s efforts to introduce the public to individual animals as sentient beings?

SC: I think it’s spot on. It’s hard to relate to masses of animals exploited for food who number in the billions, but when you highlight any one of those animals, as Liz and Jo-Anne have done, you start to see who each animal is. Sonny was just one of about 300 calves sold that day. Fanny was one of about 200 “spent” dairy cows sold. And that is just one day of one year. The work that Liz and Jo-Anne have done with this film brings that point into public view.

GB: Liz and Jo-Anne get close to the animals and see them as unique individuals with personalities, just like we do at Farm Sanctuary. They also document how humans interact with other animals, in both positive and negative ways, and encourage people to consider what is ethically acceptable.

Jo-Anne with Fanny.

4. What are your hopes for this film?

SC: I hope millions of people see this film and make the connection between the individual animals featured and the many things we do every day that perpetuate widespread cruelty. The film is not overly graphic so it is likely to reach more people than it would otherwise. The film has a good balance. Just when you are ready to have a meltdown, you get to see the good again. You see the rescued animals at Farm Sanctuary who are loved and thriving. The film sheds light on the beauty and joy that is so evident in rescued farm animals, which most people never get to see. The film also shows how animals should be treated.

GB: My hope is that, after seeing this film, people will think about the “ghosts” who are living, suffering, and dying in our midst to satisfy human whims. And, I hope this new awareness will prompt people to adjust their behaviors to prevent these atrocities. Animals used for food production are abused in staggering numbers and in ways most people would not condone. I am very grateful that The Ghosts in Our Machine addresses this topic. We humans make choices every day about our food, our clothes, our entertainment … often without much thought. Yet these choices have a profound impact on other animals, even when the consequences are hidden from our view. These choices and consequences define whether we have compassionate or abusive relationships with other animals.

The Ghosts in Our Machine is a film about a complex social dilemma. As described on the film’s website, humans have cleverly categorized non-human animals into three domains: domesticated pets, wildlife, and the ones we don’t like to think about — the “ghosts in our machine.” During production in 2012, our national shelter director, Susie Coston, sat down with director Liz Marshall to talk about the film. The Ghosts in Our Machine will soon enjoy its theatrical release in the United States, starting in New York, November 8–14, at the Village East Cinema and in the Los Angeles area, November 15–21, at Laemmle Theatre, Music Hall 3, in Beverly Hills. For more information and show locations, visit the film’s website.

This post was originally published on March 12, 2012.

By Susie

Photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur with her pal, Sonny.

I often meet artists who are passionate about animal causes, and I love introducing them to the animals who call Farm Sanctuary home. Over the last year or so, we’ve been especially fortunate to get to know filmmaker Liz Marshall, and I want to share her upcoming project, The Ghosts in Our Machine, with you. Ghosts, as we often call it, is a documentary that follows the work of photographer and animal advocate Jo-Anne (Jo) McArthur, and it features some Farm Sanctuary residents. Here’s what Liz had to say when I asked about her work and Jo’s:

Susie: What is The Ghosts in Our Machine?

Liz: Well, with the exception of our cats and dogs and a few wild and stray species within our day-to-day living environments, we primarily encounter animals as food, clothing, research, and entertainment.

We don’t fully realize how and where our lives intersect with animals, and that makes these animals “ghosts” in our modern world. The Ghosts in Our Machine is a feature-length film that illuminates the lives of these “ghosts” — individual animals, hidden from our view, living within or rescued from the consumer-driven machine.

Through the heart and photographic lens of animal rights protagonist Jo-Anne McArthur, we become intimately familiar with a small cast of animal characters. These individuals represent just a few of the countless animals we too often unknowingly affect in devastating ways. We hear from a spectrum of voices about the cognitive and emotional complexity of animals and about globalized animal industries — scientists, doctors, and industry representatives also contribute to the story.

Filming at our New York Shelter.

Susie: How did you and Jo decide to work together on this project?

Liz: Working with Jo is a natural fit since we are both longtime documentarians committed to social justice. Jo’s photographic body of work, We Animals, initially inspired me, and then I quickly realized it would make an interesting story to feature Jo-Anne as the main human subject of a film.

I approached Jo in early 2009 about the possibility of collaborating on a feature documentary, but it wasn’t until later in 2010 that things fell into place. In this project, Jo’s lens is an intimate, honest portal into the lives of these “ghosts,” and she is at a critical juncture in her own activist–photographer career. While Jo’s work is celebrated within the worldwide animal rights community, it’s a treasure not known to a wider audience.The animals’ stories involve struggle, and Jo’s does too.

Part of the story follows Jo as she works with her photo agency in New York City to pitch her work to mainstream publications. Her work is happening at a time when issues pertaining to animal rights are in the public eye — there is a groundswell of consumer interest in health and compassion. But, while we’re seeing these issues gain a foothold in popular culture, the animal rights movement, itself, is often misunderstood and marginalized. People still do not want to “see” how their consumer behavior affects billions of animals. The film reflects this wave of consciousness and conflict and is also part of it.

Filmmaker Liz Marshall with Fanny.

Susie: How did your connection with Farm Sanctuary come about?

Liz: We (Ghosts Media) are so excited about our growing relationship with Farm Sanctuary. My introduction to the sanctuary was a very magical, unforgettable visit in 2004. It naturally inspired one of the stories featured in the film: the rescue and rehabilitation of Sonny.

This story highlights the realities of the dairy and veal industries and the very special work that Farm Sanctuary does. Jo is a close friend of Farm Sanctuary — as she says in the film, “It is my home away from home.” It’s thanks to Jo that we’ve had such access to the sanctuaries and the animals.

National Shelter Director Susie Coston with Sonny shortly after his rescue.

Susie: What do people most need to know about farm animals and our food system?

Liz: I love Bruce Friedrich’s [Farm Sanctuary Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives] ongoing Facebook messaging — he posts an image of a farm animal and says “Someone, not Something.” This about sums it up for me. The animals we use for food, research, clothing, and entertainment are individuals who possess emotions and intelligence; they are not inanimate objects. Like many social movements, animal rights can feel like an upward battle, but it is helping to expand compassion in our world. Slowly but surely, these “ghosts” will become known in the consciences of many, many consumers.

Watch the trailer below or visit theghostsinourmachine.com:

By Gene

“I became a vegetarian immediately, and two years later, I became vegan.”
– Emily Deschanel

“[I decided] to raise as much awareness as possible.”
– Taryn Southern

“I wrote to Congress. I became a member of Farm Sanctuary.”
– Evan Ferrante

These are some of the responses we got when we asked our celebrity supporters, “When you learned about the cruelty endured by animals on factory farms, what did you do?”

Now we’re asking you. Launched on September 23 and running through October 2 (World Day for Farmed Animals), Farm Sanctuary’s What Did You Do? campaign will educate and empower people across the country, so that, collectively, we can answer, “We changed the world.”

For this campaign, Farm Sanctuary has created a resource, forum, and launching pad for action. On wdyd.farmsanctuary.org, we provide the facts about factory farming and eating animals. We also share powerful animal stories and videos from our celebrity supporters, and we introduce some of the amazing pigs, turkeys, cows, and chickens we’ve rescued from the factory farming industry. Additionally, site visitors will find some awesome vegan recipes and tips on compassionate living — and of course some important ways to take action for farm animals.

Now we’re calling on farm animal advocates everywhere to get involved. We want to know: What did you do? And what will you do now?

One of the most important and effective things you can do is spread the word. So use Facebook, Twitter, and email to share the campaign with your friends and family.
You can also team up to make a difference. Through our Crowdrise site, we’re raising funds with our star-powered teams: Team Oink, Team Cluck, Team Gobble, and Team Moo. Leading them are Russell Simmons, Emily Deschanel, John Salley, Fred Willard, Ashlan Gorse, Leona Lewis, Matisyahu, Mayim Bialik, and many more. Participants can join one of these teams or start their own. Thanks to our wonderful sponsors and celebrity partners, donors will also be able to compete in prize challenges (for instance, a chance to win a “JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS Greatest Hits” CD, signed with a thank you note by Joan herself).

To kick off the campaign, a group of generous donors we’re calling our “Animal Angels” has issued a challenge: For each of the four animal teams that reaches $25,000 in donations (or, for a combined total of $100,000 among all four teams), our angels will double the total. This challenge presents an opportunity to generate tremendous resources for our education, advocacy, and rescue work. Just $18 could buy a month’s worth of pain medication for a rescued turkey; $30 could provide a month’s worth of food for a pig. Imagine the impact of $200,000!

Also kick-starting the project are Fred Willard, Russell Simmons, Shannon Elizabeth and Ashlan Gorse, who pitched us their ideas for a farm animal awareness PSA. Now it’s your turn. We’re asking participants across the country to send us their videos about what they did when they learned about animal cruelty. Details here: http://bit.ly/1fysPv3.

Stay tuned for updates and challenges throughout the campaign by checking in on Twitter, Facebook, and wdyd.farmsanctuary.org — and remember to share!

“We are the ones of whom it will be fairly asked, ‘What did you do when you learned the truth about eating animals?‘” — Jonathan Saffron Foer, Eating Animals

By Susie

At almost 6:00 a.m. on September 5, I stood on the tarmac of Elmira Corning Regional Airport with 17 Farm Sanctuary staff members and volunteers waiting for a cargo plane to land. 1,150 rescued hens who had just traveled nearly 3,000 miles were inside. As soon as the plane safely landed, we sprang into action.

We had been preparing for this moment since mid-August, when Animal Place, a rescue organization in Grass Valley, California, contacted us. They were set to save 3,000 hens scheduled to be gassed to death at an egg factory. All chickens used in industrial egg production are gassed or slaughtered once their productivity declines, typically at about two years old. These particular birds had been kept in battery cages, the most common egg production method in the United States and the system for confining more than 250 million hens each year. Their cages were housed in giant sheds and stacked several rows high. Inside, the hens were crowded together so tightly that they couldn’t even stretch a wing. They were forced to stand and lie on wire floors without relief. Feces from the hens above fell upon them constantly. The air they breathed was thick with dust and ammonia. Every day was a torment. Now, though, relief was finally in sight for these few hens.

An anonymous donor, who paid for the birds to be flown from the west coast to the east coast, made this transport possible. Chickens who have been used for egg production are very fragile, so we were anxious about them making such a long trip. Considering the loading of the birds into crates, the trip to the airport from their original location, the flight time, and then the unloading and driving to our Watkins Glen Sanctuary, the birds spent well over 16 hours in transit. They were exhausted and in need of fresh food and water. Because they traveled in a cargo plane, the hens could not be viewed during the flight, and we were concerned as we waited to see them. As soon as we could reach them, we were delighted to learn that all had survived the trip, and we carefully removed each crate from the plane and loaded the hens into trailers and our transport van.

To Sanctuary
We rushed the birds to our New York Shelter, where we had converted a building into a barn for the main flock and made space in our Rescue and Rehabilitation Barn for any hens who needed special care. We had lots of fresh, cold water and plenty of food waiting for the hens, and many drank and ate as soon as we released them into the barns. Others, who were weak from the transport and clearly more dehydrated, were given fluids to help them recover from the flight. As the hens settled in, we got to work checking each individual bird to identify who would require special care.

The evidence of the hens’ ordeal in industrial production was everywhere: lice infestations, respiratory ailments, prolapses from laying so many large eggs, impacted oviducts, peritoneal fluids, pus filled cysts, bumble foot infections, and mangled toes, which probably occurred when their extremely long nails became caught in the cage wire. It is so painful to think of these chickens, not only miserably crowded and frustrated, but also suffering for weeks or months with these painful, untreated ailments as parasites crawled all over their bodies. Sadly, these health problems are common in chickens at industrial egg farms, where individual attention is unheard of. One-hundred-and-fifty birds were identified with health issues requiring special treatment that would prohibit them from traveling to other sanctuaries right away.

On the road again
We spent a very long first day performing examinations, treating injuries, dusting for lice, and trimming extremely overgrown nails. At 4:30 the next morning, a team from Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary in Ohio arrived to pick up 240 hens who were healthy enough for travel. The day before, we had marked the birds to identify them easily in the sea of white feathers so they could be loaded into travel crates with minimal stress. Next, a team from Michigan sanctuary SASHA Farm came to pick up 100 of the girls, who were also marked to ensure the correct birds went to the correct shelters. Once these transports were off, the health checks, medical treatments, and trimmings continued for the remaining birds.

On day 3, Mike Stura (who rescued our friend Michael) arrived to pick up 400 hens who were headed to upstate New York’s Catskill Animal Sanctuary and Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Then, it was time for more examinations and health care. By this time, we caretakers were stiff, sore, and exhausted, but, I can tell you: there is nothing more rewarding to us than seeing how happy these hens are to be safe and comfortable at last.

We worked to prepare more hens to make the trip to new homes at the Humane Society of Greater Rochester’s Lollypop Farm, Virginia sanctuary United Poultry Concerns, Vermont sanctuary VINE, and Coming Home Sanctuary of Ithaca, New York, as well as to adoptive homes in several states. About 200 hens who need additional vet care and treatment will remain here with us.

Throughout all of the transport and health care and through every loading and unloading involved in this massive rescue, Farm Sanctuary staff members and volunteers have worked with amazing diligence, efficiency, and care. In addition to those who worked directly with the chickens, our remaining staff members continued the work of caring for more than 500 other individual animals living at our shelter. They kept normal operations running smoothly, providing the same level of expert care they always do. I am so thankful for our wonderful team. I am also grateful for the award-winning photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur who was with us every step of the rescue to capture the hens’ amazing journey.

Just this week, the state vet came out to perform blood tests on those birds traveling to Virginia. Our health-care team drew blood on 50 of the hens who were banded with official state leg bands for legal entry into that state. These birds will be going to United Poultry Concerns, before the end of September, we hope. Twenty more hens were re-tested as well and will be heading to VINE Sanctuary in Vermont today.

A hopeful future
We continue to pay close attention to the hens here as they are rehabilitated. It is incredible to see their personalities emerge now that they feel safe and well enough to relax. I’m getting to know more and more of these wonderful characters as I work with them every day. Each of these hens is a unique individual. Each one has survived so much and still has so much living left to do. It’s almost inconceivable that any one of their lives could be thoughtlessly extinguished.

Yet millions of chickens were killed the very day that these girls made it to sanctuary, and millions more continue to be added to a system filled with suffering. For every bird who was saved as part of this rescue, another is born to take her place in production. Our job now is to ensure that people learn about how wonderful each individual bird is so that they are inspired to change their eating habits. And when that happens, hens who lay eggs will truly be free.

Our rescued hens are ambassadors now, and I have so much hope for the lives they will live and the people they will inspire here at Farm Sanctuary and at all the other sanctuaries, shelters, and homes that have welcomed them.

By Bruce

Every now and then a movie comes along that has the power to fundamentally change the worldview of its audience. Speciesism: The Movie, a documentary directed by Mark Devries, is that kind of film. It premieres in key cities next month.

The word “speciesism,” which has been popularized by Princeton bioethicist Peter Singer, refers to the assumption that a vast gulf exists between the value of human interests and the value of the interests of all other animals.

Speciesism is, of course, a fundamental principle of human life, as humans view most other animals not as individuals, but as sources of food, clothing, and entertainment — or as targets. Similar to those who have grown up unaware of overt racist or sexist beliefs in their worldview, speciesism is so thoroughly assimilated in most of us that it is invisible and unquestioned.

Yet, in order to view other animals as biologically and cognitively unsophisticated, we have to ignore the scientific fact that other animals possess the same five physiological senses that we do, as well as the capacity for a wide range of emotions. In her introduction to The Inner World of Farm Animals (author Amy Hatkoff), Dr. Jane Goodall writes that “farm animals feel pleasure and sadness, excitement and resentment, depression, fear, and pain. They are far more aware and intelligent than we ever imagined … they are individuals in their own right.”

And Dr. Temple Grandin, in Animals in Translation, writes that “When it comes to the basics of life … [other] animals feel the same way we do.” She explains that both humans and other animals share the same core emotions of “rage, prey, chase, drive, fear, and curiosity/interest/anticipation,” and the “four basic social emotions: sexual attraction and lust, separation distress, social attachment, and the happy emotions of play and roughhousing.”

Although prominent philosophers, legal scholars, and scientists have criticized speciesist assumptions for many years, these questions have never before been the centerpiece of a film. Not only does Speciesism: The Movie ask these paradigm-challenging questions, it does so while taking viewers on an adventure that is tremendously entertaining and often laugh-out-loud funny. Devries’ interview with a Nazi reminded me of the hoods scene in Django Unchained.

Along the way, Devries meets and questions a remarkably broad range of people, including Peter Singer (who The New Yorker named “the most influential philosopher alive”), Richard Dawkins (the most influential evolutionary biologist of the past century), Temple Grandin (designer of the animal-handling systems used by more than half of the slaughterhouses in the United States), factory farmers, anti-factory farm advocates, various other folks (including me!) on both sides of the issue, as well as people on the street.

For those unfamiliar with speciesism, there may be no more enjoyable introduction to this fascinating subject than Speciesism: The Movie. For those already familiar with the speciesism and searching for a way to introduce friends and family to the subject, Speciesism: The Movie may be a perfect overture.

By Samantha

Summer is more than half way over, but Farm Sanctuary visitor season is in full swing. At all three of our shelters, visitors can interact with rescued cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, and turkeys on guided tours. Tour guides are an excellent source of up-to-date information on animal intelligence and personality, as well as factory farming. They develop close relationships with the animals living at the sanctuaries, learning everything from their unique rescue stories and health needs, to their favorite places to be scratched. Every tour provides visitors with a special glimpse into the lives of Farm Sanctuary residents. Here, three of our fabulous tour guides give us the scoop on the extraordinary experience of introducing people to farm animals.

Which of the animals at your location are most eager to greet tour visitors?

Wendy (New York Shelter): So many! To name just a few: Our new calf, Michael, is very curious about guests. Cash, the sheep, will lean against your legs until you pet him. Daisy, the turkey, happily sits alongside visitors who stroke her feathers. And Patrick, the goat, absolutely loves attention.

Wendy with the turkeys.

Kelly (Southern California Shelter): Prince the goat — he was featured on our website when he was a baby and a lot of people have come to the shelter to meet him. He’s pretty spoiled and thinks that every guest is here just to see him.

Becky (Northern California Shelter): Our sheep and turkeys seem to be the most excited to meet visitors. I think this surprises most people!

Becky with Ms. Foreman.

What else about a Farm Sanctuary tour takes visitors by surprise?

Becky: Most visitors are surprised by the pigs — that they are so friendly, clean and large. People either don’t know what to expect or carry some misconceptions about farm animals — you know, that pigs smell and are dirty or that turkeys won’t let you touch them. The moment a person really connects with a pig and gives one a belly rub, you can see the surprise and delight light up their face.

Wendy: Many visitors to our New York shelter are familiar with the issues surrounding factory farming and want to make more compassionate food choices. They often choose cage-free eggs, organic milk, and other supposedly “humane” alternatives intending to help animals. Unfortunately, this type of labeling is a marketing ploy, not a guarantee of humane treatment. We talk about and show the truth behind labels during the tour. Time and again, I’ve seen the dismay on visitors’ faces when they meet debeaked hens who have come from “free-range” farms. Visitors are taken aback to see that these hens suffered the same abuses as the birds in battery cages do.

Kelly: Most visitors are shocked to learn that the veal industry is a byproduct of the dairy industry. I’ve seen a lot of people who might already have eliminated meat products become vegan on the spot after meeting a calf and hearing this information.

Have you seen a visit to Farm Sanctuary change someone’s mind about animals and food?

Kelly with Li Mu Bai

Kelly: Definitely! Especially when it comes to our birds. Visitors will comment on how amazing it was simply to hold a chicken or pet a turkey under her wings and how the interaction changed their view of who these animals are and what it means to eat them.

Wendy: Every visit changes someone’s mind. I’ve seen visitors moved to tears by animal rescue stories. I’ve seen skeptics who start the tour making jokes about loving bacon and end it with their arms around a pig while declaring they’ll never eat bacon again. Even if they just go home and think a little deeper about where food comes from or try out a vegetarian recipe, we’ve helped them take a step towards more compassion for farm animals.

Is there a tour experience that you’ll never forget?

Becky: In the spring of 2012, I was taking a couple and their young son to meet the special-needs cattle. A group of young calves who were new to the herd (Sonny, Tweed, Milbank, Arnold, Orlando, and Conrad) started walking toward us. The closer the calves got, the more timid they were acting, and I couldn’t figure out why. Then I realized that this was the first human child they had ever met, and they didn’t know what to make of him! Conrad started sniffing the little boy, then licking him, and the boy just started laughing and laughing. Pretty soon the other calves who were brave enough came closer and started licking the young boy too. To see the calves in their discovery process, and to see this magnificent openness between the boy and the calves, was really beautiful.

Wendy: I had the chance to take author Peter Lovenheim out to spend time with Samuel, the steer who was the subject of his book, Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf. In his book, Peter describes purchasing two calves with the intent of watching them move through the meat industry from birth until slaughter to document the process (the other cow, Samantha, also lived at Farm Sanctuary but passed away a few years ago). He begins the experiment thinking he will have them slaughtered when the time comes, but as he gets to know the animals as individuals and learns more about the industry, he struggles with what to do. Eventually, he decides to bring them to the sanctuary rather than to slaughter. Getting to know Samuel changed Peter’s entire outlook on animals, which is what we’re trying to do at Farm Sanctuary every day. Seeing Peter’s response when he greeted Samuel – as a friend – was unforgettable .

What have you learned from being a Farm Sanctuary tour guide?

Wendy: You can read a million pamphlets and websites and still turn a blind eye to how animals are being treated. But, when you have the chance to really connect with another living being face-to-face, it’s hard to ignore that meat, milk, and eggs mean suffering for billions of real animals.

Visitor meets Cash.

Becky: At Farm Sanctuary, we get visitors from all walks of life. They have a variety of experiences when it comes to animals and food, and we understand and accept that. Farm Sanctuary emphasizes this acceptance on our tours, and I can’t even count the number of times visitors have commented on how much they appreciated our kindness and willingness to meeting them where they are.

Kelly: I’ve learned that anyone can make positive changes for farm animals and lead others to do the same. On one tour, a 14 year-old boy was so moved after meeting the chickens and discovering that birds have feelings too and want to live just as much as any other animal, that he told me he was never going to eat chicken again. And he was going to tell everyone he knew not to eat chicken either! We can all make these changes for farm animals.

For sanctuary tour times, please follow the links below.
New York Shelter (Watkins Glen)
Northern California Shelter (Orland)
Southern California (Los Angeles area)
For more information on tours, area activities, and overnight stays in our on-site cabins (New York only), check out our visitor program page.