10M+
chickens are now free to spread their wings each year beyond the confines of battery cages, thanks to our cage-free wins
Our Mission
We exist to end the abuse of animals raised for food. But we can’t do it without you.
19 Years of Activism
What began as a tiny grassroots organization in 2005—protesting foie gras on bitterly cold nights at local restaurants in Philadelphia—has since grown into an effective and global nonprofit organization. Yet, one thing has stayed the same.
We are, and always have been,
We started by focusing on institutional change—holding companies accountable
In partnership with activists across the northeast, we ran dozens of campaigns, from Baltimore to Boston, winning cage-free commitments at every turn.
Over the years—restaurant by restaurant, campus by campus—we've worked our way up to tackling companies across the entire food industry. Today, we're taking on the biggest corporations in the country.
We’ve taken on the world’s largest food companies—and won
We've persuaded companies to end the worst abuses of innocent animals who suffer from painful overgrowth, crippling injuries, and frightening deaths.
General Mills. PepsiCo. Grupo Bimbo. Starbucks. Subway. Burger King. Chipotle. Pret A Manger. KFC. Pizza Hut. Taco Bell. Whole Foods. Some of the world's biggest corporations have all enacted welfare policies to protect animals thanks to the tireless activism and campaigning of this community.
38.7%
OF HENS IN THE US ARE NOW CAGE-FREE—DOUBLE THAT OF JUST FIVE YEARS AGO.
A Global Movement
Because the abuse of animals raised for food is a global crisis
Real social change happens in collaboration with others. After all, this is a movement that’s bigger than ourselves.
That’s why we share resources and train other nonprofit organizations, all while cultivating a welcoming, collaborative, and changemaking community.
In 2016, we founded the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a global coalition of organizations united in a common goal: to end the abuse of chickens worldwide.
This is just the beginning. Every day, we work to uplift our movement. To grow our impact. And, through the actions of our partners, to end the abuse of animals raised for food.
90+
partners collaborating across six continents—all members of the Open Wing Alliance
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2,200+
corporate animal welfare commitments earned to date
$8.2M+
in grants distributed to International Open Wing Alliance partner groups
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Campaigning for Animals
We influence the world's biggest companies to do better for animals through campaigns that galvanize the public to demand change.
END THE CRUEL CONFINEMENT OF HENS
TAKE ACTIONWe're calling on major US food companies—from restaurants to supermarkets to suppliers—to put a stop to their worst abuses against egg-laying hens. Ending the battery cage means ending the acute suffering of millions of birds. It's time to ban these cages, once and for all.
Creating change
Changemakers are coming together and raising their voices for animals.
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Our work is grounded in our values
They are our guiding force and inform our culture, and our approach, to ending the abuse of animals raised for food.
Effective
We strategically focus our energy, resources and talent toward impactful actions that will reduce, and ultimately end, the abuse of animals raised for food.
Collaborative
We are a league of team players who lift each other up, share our knowledge, resources, and passion with others, and find strength in building an impactful and positive movement for all.
Relentless
We are an indomitable force—with an unwavering commitment to our mission and endless determination to succeed.
Inclusive
We welcome, respect, and empower others, appreciating the value that every individual brings to our organization and our movement.
Innovative
We constantly seek opportunities to improve, creating forward-thinking strategies and solutions to grow as a team and a movement.
Nimble
We quickly and efficiently embrace whatever change is needed to be most effective in achieving our mission.
Extraordinarily Effective
WE CAN FIX IT
"When I'm supporting an organization financially, the most important thing to me is that they are extraordinarily effective. And my understanding is that you guys are—that's the word on the street."
Learn more about our impact
OUR HISTORY
Almost two decades ago, a small group of dedicated animal activists gathered on the streets of Philadelphia to speak up for birds suffering in the foie gras industry. Their message laid the foundation for all of our work for the years to come: Animals deserve better than the constant abuse and neglect they face in our food system. And, person by person, protest by protest—our message got louder.
We’ve gone from targeting small local restaurants that serve foie gras to taking on some of the biggest names in the food industry. Our simple message of compassion for animals has turned into a powerful movement. A movement to transform our food system for the better. A movement to reimagine our relationship with animals. A movement to build a kinder, more just future—for animals, for humans, and for the planet.
2005 Our founding
Grassroots activists in Philadelphia and Baltimore joined forces to become “The Humane League of Philadelphia and Baltimore,” staging bold protests outside restaurants and urging local establishments to remove foie gras from their menus. The Humane League also joined forces with other animal rights groups to support campaigns to end animal testing in the United States and abroad.
2005-2010 Changing tactics
Building on efforts from organizations like Compassion Over Killing and The Humane Society of the United States, The Humane League decided to shift gears to reach more people with humane education and farm animal welfare campaigns. We began leafleting at college campuses and concerts, delivering humane education presentations in schools, and campaigning for university dining halls to eliminate battery-cage eggs from their menus.
2010-2014 Expanding our reach
In 2010, with support from a generous donor, we set up our third office in Boston. Because of the abundance of college campuses (and college students) in the city, Boston was the ideal place to expand our advocacy and outreach efforts.
During this period, we grew from our grassroots origins into a more professional organization by hiring our first full-time employees. Our first staff retreat took place at a board member’s house with just seven people (including staff, volunteers, and board members). To put that into perspective, our retreats now bring in 100+ folks from all around the world!
By 2014, dedicated staff members and activists brought The Humane League’s efforts to cities across the country: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta, Miami, and DC. Our widespread reach allowed us to take on our first national campaigns for animal welfare—and win!
We protested, leafletted, and got active online to persuade big retailers to ditch cruel cages. And, thanks to the tireless efforts of our small but mighty group of staff and volunteers, we secured new animal welfare policies from national brands like IKEA and foodservice provider Centerplate. This was a breakthrough in our history, but just a small taste of the progress we would make in the years to come...
2015-2018 Going global
After seeing massive success with our national campaigns, we decided to take on the world—literally! We launched campaigns against restaurants and retailers with an international presence, challenging them to adopt global commitments to end the worst forms of animal cruelty.
These were our biggest campaigns yet, and they had the potential to impact millions of animals across multiple continents. Our most historic victories came from the foodservice sector, where we convinced big players like Aramark and Compass Group (companies that serve food in schools, cafeterias, venues, and stadiums) to spare tens of millions of chickens from abuse.
With our new global approach, we brought on our first full-time international staff in México. Our leaders also met with animal rights groups in Europe and beyond, sharing resources on how to conduct effective campaigns to end cages and promote animal welfare.
These opportunities for collaboration made us realize how much stronger our movement can be when we work together. After all, we all share the same goal: to build a better future for animals. That’s why, with support from donors and expert staff, we initiated the Open Wing Alliance (OWA)—a global coalition of organizations with the shared goal to end the abuse of chickens worldwide. Together, we share trainings, resources, and funding, and coordinate global campaigns to end the cruel cage confinement of hens. Today, the OWA includes 90+ member organizations from 67 countries, and has secured over 3,000 commitments from major companies to improve the lives of hens around the world.
2019-2022 A new face and a new mission
Over the years, The Humane League developed a reputation for our effectiveness within the animal rights movement. But, our public face didn’t match our reputation. In fact, while out on a walk in Brussels, two staff members spotted our former logo (a little green pig) in the window of a shop—leading to the realization that our logo was actually clipart.Our world-class in-house communications team developed a new mission statement: “We exist to end the abuse of animals raised for food.” In 2019, we unveiled our fresh face to the world, featuring a new logo and icon: the mended heart that you see on this very page. It represents how, alongside our community of Changemakers, we’re fixing our broken food system, piece by piece, and spreading compassion for animals.
We were finally equipped to enter a new era—an era where powerful corporations knew that we meant business, and that we wouldn’t accept their excuses for animal cruelty. Since we started this work, hundreds of companies have committed to ending the worst forms of animal abuse for chickens and egg-laying hens. These big names include Starbucks, Dunkin', Walmart, Costco, and Yum! Brands (the global fast food brand that owns KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut).
We’ve also gone beyond corporate commitments to influence policy in the US. In 2022, we filed as an intervening party in Prop 12 in front of the Supreme Court, defending the California legislation that would outlaw the worst forms of confinement for pigs, calves, and egg-laying hens. And, through our Animal Policy Alliance (APA), we’re partnering with regional, state, and city animal welfare groups to help them champion local legislation to protect animals.
2023- Just getting started
No matter what the future may bring, we’ll still be here, working relentlessly until no animal has to suffer through abuse and neglect in our broken food system. Thank you for being on this journey with us!
Join the movement
to end the abuse of animals raised for food
It's time to rise up. To disrupt. To inspire. To create change. To be the change. To advocate for those who can't. To end the apathy and turn to empathy. For animals who suffer abuse every day on factory farms. We persist. We win. We take a stand.
