In 2024, we worked together to achieve incredible victories and milestones, from an unprecedented number of hens now living outside cages, to trailblazing bans on octopus farming. Throughout this year’s annual report, you’ll see something emerging—a force greater than the sum of its parts.
A force that starts with you.
We’re making concrete changes, right now, for millions of animals’ lives. Moving hens to cage-free leads to a 50-60% reduction in suffering—that means in the US, shifting 30% of the egg laying flock to cage-free has reduced net suffering by 15%. But at THL, our actions and impact are extremely pragmatic. We get things done."
Alex Suchy
Vice President of Global Programs
United for impact
By building alliances and empowering activists, we create a unified, global effort to ensure there is no place where factory farms can profit from animal abuse.
The Open Wing Alliance (OWA) unites member organizations from around the world with one common goal: ending the abuse of chickens worldwide.
The Animal Policy Alliance (APA) organizes, unites, and empowers local and state-level animal advocacy groups with legislative policy agendas that include animals raised for food.
OWA: A global movement protecting chickens
Members of the OWA are weaving together something unprecedented: a global movement protecting millions of chickens from abuse.
In Africa, an OWA member group—Rwanda Animal Welfare Organization—partnered with agribusiness Abusol to ensure that a full 10% of Rwanda’s chickens will never know the confines of a cage.
In Europe, our 2024 European Chicken Commitment progress report revealed a powerful transformation unfolding across the continent, with 380 companies promising to stand against the worst forms of suffering for chickens raised for meat.
In Asia, the OWA successfully campaigned against Kewpie—one of Asia’s flagship brands, and Japan’s biggest mayonnaise company.
Read MoreAPA: Coast to Coast Collaboration
The victories of 2024 reveal something powerful emerging. Across the country, APA members are proving that local action leads to systemic change.
In California, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Social Compassion in Legislation acted decisively, making California the second state to ban octopus farming.
In Missouri, with support and funding from the APA, the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation secured strict limits on slaughterhouse “sludge waste” and helped close one of the state’s largest slaughterhouses.
At the federal level, the APA supported Chili’s on Wheels in requiring the USDA to update its nutritional guidelines in support of plant-based meals and non-dairy milk in schools nationwide.
Transparency is a crucial lever for system-wide change
Throughout 2024, THL and the OWA demonstrated how reports—followed up by relentless campaigns—create pressure for reform, turning industry commitments into measurable progress for animals.
In 2024 alone, this approach helped spare millions of animals from suffering, with millions more to follow as companies make good on their promises.
Research doesn't just inform strategy. It drives real-world change.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of animal welfare advocacy, staying at the cutting edge isn't just an advantage—it's a necessity.
THL’s in-house expertise allows us to respond swiftly to emerging challenges, adapt our strategies based on real-time data, and maintain our position as a trusted authority in conversations with industry leaders.
Your generous donations are dismantling factory farming around the world and giving millions of animals a better life. Thank you.
At the heart of our mission is you.
A special moment of gratitude for our Mended Heart Society members, our Legacy Society members, and The Heart Beat. Without you, none of this work would be possible.
Legacy giving is a powerful way to ensure that the causes we care about continue to thrive and create lasting change, even after we’re gone. A friend told me about how easy it is to name THL as an account beneficiary. As a big believer in THL’s work and as someone who has benefited from THL’s work immensely, I thought this would be a good way to contribute, more long term.
Rebecca Rogers
Legacy Society Member
Grew to 94 organizations across 75 countries
Granted more than $2M to 38 groups in 30 countries
Secured 141 new corporate cage-free commitments and 13 commitments to end the worst abuses of chickens raised for meat
Grew to 24 organizations across 16 states and Washington, DC
Granted $100,000 to 6 groups in 4 states and Washington, DC
28% Global Programs
36% Education & Mobilization
18% OWA & APA Grants
18% US Public Policy & Corporate Engagement
1M
hens impacted by 7 companies’ new commitments to end cages in their supply chains
107
companies reported their progress to fulfill their cage-free commitments
89%
of corporate cage-free commitments with deadlines of 2023 or earlier have already been fulfilled—a powerful indicator of success as over 1,000 commitments come due in 2025
40%
of the egg-laying hens in the US lived outside a cage—a major first-time milestone in 2024
Together, we're ending some of the cruelest practices on factory farms—dismantling them piece by piece. Read More