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©️ The Humane League / EIN: 04-3817491

Unless otherwise noted all imagery of factory farms on this site is representative of typical conditions.

THL

THL

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Campaigns

So You Made a Cage-Free Commitment. Now What?

A number of national food conglomerates made a commitment to source only cage-free eggs in their supply chains. But the question remains: will they be transparent about their progress?

Mar 13, 2023
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Lifestyle

What is lab-grown meat, and how is cultured meat made?

Billions of cows, chickens, and pigs are killed each year to feed an unsustainable demand for meat that’s eating away at the planet. But innovations in science and technology could bring this needless killing to an end. Lab-grown meat is here.

Sep 15, 2022
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Videos

Ventilation Shutdown Plus Explainer

Ventilation Shutdown Plus (VSD+) is a method used by farmers to control the spread of avian influenza. The suffering can last for hours before the birds finally die.

Aug 16, 2022
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US Campaigns

Victory! Rite Aid to go cage-free by the end of this year

Six years ago, Rite Aid committed to cage-free sourcing by 2025. But in its latest sustainability report, it accelerated its timeline to 100% cage-free at all locations by the end of this year—a direct result of animal advocates’ efforts around the world.

Aug 03, 2022
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Food Systems

What is ventilation shutdown plus, and is it humane?

Ventilation shutdown plus (VSD+) is an incredibly inhumane method of killing lots of animals at once by shutting off air supply and driving up temperatures, leading to organ failure and suffocation. And it has to stop.

Jul 17, 2023
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Food Systems

What is the AVMA?

As the largest organization representing the veterinary profession, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has an obligation to empower vets and prevent animal suffering. But on some issues, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Jul 17, 2023
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Chickens

How many chicken breeds are there and how are they raised?

Chickens are highly intelligent, social animals and each has a unique personality, just like a human being. While our broken food system treats chickens as a consumable product, these incredibly diverse creatures have numerous breeds, markings, and traits.

Mar 29, 2022
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Lifestyle

Plant-Based Chicken: What Is It?

With a rise in plant-based meats on the market, it’s easier than ever to leave animals off your plate. Wondering about the benefits of plant-based chicken? Here’s what you need to know to make a compassionate choice.

Dec 28, 2021
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Animals

Turkey factory farming: How are turkeys farmed and why?

Like broiler chickens, factory-farmed turkeys are bred to grow unnaturally large. Today’s turkeys are so heavy that they could never take to the air, even if they were given the opportunity. It’s time to end the abuse of turkeys.

Nov 23, 2021
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Cows

Veal: What Animal Does it Come From and Why is it Cruel?

Veal is notorious for its cruelty. All veal comes from a baby cow who was separated from their mom at birth and forced to endure horrific abuse.

Oct 05, 2021
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Animals

What Is the Fishing Industry and Why Is It Bad? Facts and Statistics

Our vital ocean ecosystems face an existential threat: the commercial fishing industry. Around the world, commercial fishing is decimating fish populations, threatening countless other marine species, and destroying crucial habitats.

Sep 28, 2021
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Pigs

What Are Gestation Crates for Pigs and Why Are They Bad?

The meat industry repeatedly impregnates female pigs so it can raise and kill their newborn piglets. These female pigs will spend their entire pregnancies trapped in a “gestation crate”—a metal cage that is so tight, a pig can’t even turn around.

Oct 14, 2022
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Animals

Everything You Need to Know About Animal Slaughter

While death is an inevitable part of all animals’ lives, slaughter doesn’t need to be—especially at the nauseating scale that intensive industrial agriculture demands.

Jun 15, 2021
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Environment

What Is Animal Agriculture & How Does It Affect Global Warming?

Understanding where our food comes from is important, especially if you want to learn how to vote with your dollar and choose products that cause the least amount of harm.

Jun 01, 2021
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Chickens

What Really Happens on a Chicken Farm?

The vast majority of chickens in the US are forced to live in intensive factory farms where they face truly appalling conditions.

May 25, 2021
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Animals

Animal Cruelty: What It Is and How to Report It

While companion animals often endure cruelty on a daily basis, cruelty is rampant in the industries that use animals for food, entertainment, experimentation, fur, and more.

May 18, 2021
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Chickens

Factory Chickens: What Is Life Like for Chickens in Factory Farms?

Throughout their lives, broiler chickens and layer hens are subject to endless suffering.

May 11, 2021
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Chickens

How Long Do Chickens Live, and What Do Chickens Usually Die From?

The majority of chickens don't get to live out their full, natural lifespans. Instead, the factory farm industry cuts their lives short.

Aug 05, 2022
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Food Systems

What Is Intensive Agriculture & Why Is It Bad?

Over the last century, the once pastoral farmlands of America have undergone a tremendous transformation, and not for the better.

Apr 27, 2021
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US Campaigns

Why Is Costco Chicken So Cheap?

Behind the low cost of this cheap meat, is a big cost—the painful suffering of smart, cuddly, and curious chickens.

Apr 20, 2021
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Chickens

The Average Chicken Weighs a Lot More Than They Used To

Because of human intervention, there are some breeds of chickens whose weight has drastically changed over a short amount of time.

Apr 01, 2021
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Lifestyle

How are chicken nuggets made & why are they bad for you?

The process of making chicken nuggets is gruesome, to say the least. With so many plant-based nuggets on grocery store shelves, opting for a more ethical nugget is easier than ever.

Aug 05, 2022
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Lifestyle

Is Meat Consumption in the US Increasing or Declining?

It's hard to predict the future of the meat industry, but we do know one thing: Curbing or eliminating your meat consumption makes the world a better place.

Mar 23, 2021
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Chickens

Chicken Antibiotics: Why Are Antibiotics Given to Chickens?

The use of antibiotics on chicken farms not only encourages chickens to grow unnaturally large, unnaturally fast—it also poses a grave threat to human health, in the form of growing antibiotic resistance.

Jul 15, 2022
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Animals

Factory Fish Farming: What It Is and Why It's Cruel to Fish

Factory fish farms confine high densities of fish within small containers or nets for their entire lives—something that's particularly unnatural for species like salmon, which would otherwise migrate thousands of miles.

Mar 09, 2021
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Cows

Cow Farms Are Far Less Idyllic Than You Might Think

Feedlots and dairy barns represent some of the most challenging living conditions endured by animals today. Here's why you should help cows, and how you can do it.

Dec 12, 2022
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Animals

Why Lambs' Tails Are Cut Off, and How We Know It Hurts

The removal of their tails is one of many abuses that young sheep endure. No matter the method, tail-docking has been shown to cause pain in lambs.

Feb 25, 2021
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Cows

Factory-Farmed Cows: What Happens to Cattle on Factory Farms?

Cows on factory farms spend most of their lives standing or lying down in filthy pens that are so crowded, it can be difficult for them to walk any distance.

Feb 23, 2021
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Animals

Turkey Factory Farming: How and Why Turkeys Are Farmed

Factory-farmed turkeys, like broiler chickens, have been bred to grow too large, too fast.

Nov 02, 2022
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Lifestyle

Cow Milk Alternatives, and Why You Should Stop Drinking Milk

Exploring the ever-expanding realm of dairy alternatives is a great way to reduce the suffering of cows on factory farms, and to shrink your carbon footprint.

Aug 05, 2022
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How Animal Welfare Organizations Help Animals

Without animal welfare organizations, animals languishing on farms, in laboratories, and within natural habitats would have no protection from the worst abuses inflicted on them by humans.

Feb 09, 2021
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Lifestyle

Milking Cows: Is Cow's Milk Good or Bad for You?

Human beings don't need to drink the milk of other species to survive, and cow’s milk is no exception. Studies have linked dairy consumption to allergies, skin conditions, and even cancers.

Feb 04, 2021
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Food Systems

What an Animal Charity Does, and How to Donate

In addition to advocating for welfare improvements, animal charities encourage the public to think critically about how their lifestyle choices impact animals.

Feb 02, 2021
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Chickens

Why Poultry Farming Is So Problematic

Poultry farming comes at a great cost to both humans and animals. Billions of chickens, ducks, and turkeys are mistreated on factory farms each year.

Jan 28, 2021
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Lifestyle

Are eggs good for you? Are eggs healthy? The truth about eggs

Though eggs are high in protein and rich in omega-3 acids, they've also been linked to a higher risk of cancer, diabetes, and other diseases.

Nov 02, 2022
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Food Systems

The Animal Welfare Act: What It Does and Who It Protects

The Animal Welfare Act has improved the lives of some animals, but it leaves much to be desired, in part because farm animals don't fall under its purview.

Jan 21, 2021
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Chickens

Factory-Farmed Chickens: The Cruelty of Chicken Farms

Some of the worst aspects of chicken farming, such as live-shackle slaughter and forced molting, are being challenged by consumers and companies alike.

Jan 19, 2021
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Cows

Dairy Cows: How Long Do Dairy Cattle Live? Do They Suffer?

While the natural lifespan of a cow is 15-20 years, the dairy industry rarely allows cows to live past age five. They're sent to slaughter soon after their production levels drop.

Aug 08, 2022
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Food Systems

What Are Animal Welfare Institutions and Why Are They Important?

Animal welfare organizations are committed to seeing the lives of animals improved. Although this movement has achieved great victories over the years, there remains much to be done.

Jan 07, 2021
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Chickens

What Are Broiler Chickens and How Long Do They Live?

Broiler chickens are chickens raised for meat. On factory farms, they’re usually slaughtered when they’re just 6-7 weeks old.

Mar 21, 2025
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Chickens

The Different Breeds of Chicken and How They're Raised

There is an incredible diversity of breeds, each with varying plumage and dispositions.

Dec 22, 2020
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Animals

Animal Rights: Definition, Issues, and Examples

Animal rights advocates believe that non-human animals should be free to live as they wish, without being used, exploited, or otherwise interfered with by humans.

Feb 24, 2025
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Animal facts

Undercover Investigators Documented The World’s Most Comprehensive Look into Egg Farms. It’s Devastating.

Scientific evidence suggests that fish feel pain. Their complex nervous systems and behaviors challenge long-held beliefs that fish can be treated with no regard for their welfare.

Jul 05, 2022
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Chickens

How Meat Chickens Are Raised, Treated, and Killed

Broiler chickens on factory farms are treated more like inanimate objects than living beings. Their brutal conditions also pose grave risks to human health and worker safety.

Dec 08, 2020
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Food Systems

Factory farm to table: the truth behind cheap meat, eggs, and dairy

Explore the cruelty that exists behind closed doors and impacts us all.

Aug 03, 2020
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Global Campaigns

The Open Wing Alliance: Fourth Annual Global Summit to End Cages

The coalition’s first ever virtual training and networking event gathered participants from 55 countries.

Jul 01, 2020
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Lifestyle

Plant-Based Diet: What it is, Benefits, and What You Can Eat

How you can incorporate a more compassionate diet into your life.

May 01, 2020
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Fish Welfare

What Is a Pescatarian?

Why a pescetarian diet isn't as good for you (or the planet) as you might think.

Nov 17, 2022