NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. - Abuse, neglect and unsanitary conditions are just a few of the terms used to describe the scene at a roadside zoo in Natural Bridge.

The Humane Society of the United States says it conducted an undercover investigation at Natural Bridge Zoo, which displays exotic animals - primates, bears and tigers. Wayne Pacelle, the society's president and chief executive, said the investigation revealed what he calls an "alarming number" of animal-welfare violations.

"Animals living in filth, animals denied adequate nutrition, animals who were manhandled, animals who were abused and harmed," Pacelle said. "This is all at odds with the normal standards of the professional zoological community."

Pacelle said the investigation included videotaping and took place from May through October, and some animals died during that time as a result of alleged neglect and lack of veterinary care. The zoo breeds tiger cubs and takes them away from their mothers when they are far too young for public interaction, he said. The zoo charges for "photo ops" with the cubs, and Pacelle said investigators even saw toddlers being allowed to interact with them.

"We believe it's inherently dangerous for the public to interact with these animals," he said. "It undermines the welfare of the animals and public safety, and does nothing to advance principles of conservation of endangered species."

The society filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prohibit public contact with big cats, primates and bears. Pacelle said this roadside zoo is one of 84 around the nation and is not to be confused with zoos that are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The Humane Society of the United States has filed complaints with local, state and federal authorities, Pacelle said, and would like to see the zoo's exhibitor license revoked. Calls for comments from Natural Bridge Zoo have gone unanswered for this story.


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By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.
Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration

For the last few years, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have taken part in Veganuary, a challenge to give veganism a try for the month of January. What began as a small campaign in the UK in 2014 has since grown into a global movement drawing attention to the intersection of diet, ethics and environmental sustainability. With more than 1.8 million participants in January 2024 (meaning those who sought resources from the Veganuary organization) — and many more unofficially signed up — Veganuary’s potential impact is not insignificant.

Sandra Hungate, director of Veganuary U.S., tells Sentient that for every million people who go vegan for 31 days, around “the equivalent of 1.2 million flights from London to Paris” in emissions are saved. Longer term, one study found replacing even half of the meat and milk consumed with vegan alternatives would curb food and land use emissions by 31 percent in 30 years.

As an organization, Veganuary has also developed into a non-profit, working throughout the year with individuals and businesses “to move to a plant-based diet as a way of protecting the environment, preventing animal suffering and improving the health of millions of people,” according to its website. The group offers resources, recipes and tips, and raises awareness about animal agriculture, sustainability and the impact of our food choices on the planet. It also works with companies and institutions to implement Veganuary on a greater scale.

Still, some critics of Veganuary argue that it focuses too much on short- rather than long-term commitments to sustainable dietary change and lifestyle choices, and that the organization is too focused on corporate partnerships. For example, Jake Conroy, also known as The Cranky Vegan, stated in a 2023 video that Veganuary is more focused on reducetarianism than veganism, and also questions the organization’s methods of measuring success. In a more recent post on Instagram, Dr. Leila Dehghan called out the Veganuary organization for working with militaries and reinforcing Eurocentric capitalism.

“Veganuary is far from promoting Eurocentric food norms,” Nital Jethalal, co-chair of the Veganuary Canada Coalition, tells Sentient. “It actually challenges the dominance of Western meat-heavy diets, and promotes alternatives that are rooted in non-European food systems.”

While it remains difficult to pin down exact numbers on Veganuary participants, the impact — both for animals and the environment — is potentially significant. Let’s take a closer look.

Why Is Veganuary in January?

After the indulgences of the holiday season, January is often considered a time to start fresh, embrace healthier habits, make New Year’s resolutions and re-center the body and mind. January is also considered a time for new beginnings and doing good for the world around us, making it a fitting time to take on a diet with both health and environmental benefits, as well as less animal suffering. As a 31-day challenge, Veganuary hopes to be part of the New Year’s resolution season while also quelling any overwhelm participants may have about committing to going vegan long-term. By offering the option to simply give it a go for the month. there is hope it will stick or at least make people more adept at incorporating plant-based eating into their diets.

What Does Being Vegan for January Mean?

The Vegan Society defines veganism as “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practicable — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” It adds that, by extension, veganism also “promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”

As a month-long challenge, total veganism would mean opting out of consuming any products of animal origin — including meat, dairy, eggs and honey — throughout January. For some Veganuary participants, this may also mean using only cruelty-free home and beauty products, not purchasing clothing or other items made with animal-based textiles, such as leather, wool, down, fur or silk, and not visiting animal-exploiting businesses such as zoos, marine parks and circuses, among others.

What Is the Impact of Veganuary?

In 2020, University of Oxford environmental researcher Joseph Poore estimated that thanks to the 350,000 people who participated in Veganuary that year, global carbon emissions were cut by about 45,000 tons. This is equivalent to removing nearly 8,600 cars from the road for a year. At the individual level, going vegan for one month can save approximately 33,000 gallons of water, 1,200 pounds of grain, 900 square feet of forest, 600 pounds of CO2 and 30 animal lives. Multiply that by the number of unofficial Veganuary participants, which Hungate puts at 25 million for 2024, and you have a significant impact. Huntgate says 2024 participation was measured through “several You Gov services in nine of our core countries, and that established a percentage of people who reported trying vegan during Veganuary in 2024.”

How Many People Stay Vegan After January?

Veganuary reports growth each year, and the organization releases data most years, based on participant surveys from those who signed up through the site. According to that data for 2024, the organization reports that 81 percent of participants who took the survey, “maintained a dramatic reduction in their animal product consumption” six months on, with 27 percent reporting that they continued to eat a fully vegan diet, and 37 percent “eating at least 75 percent less meat and other animal products than pre-Veganuary.”

Nearly all participants who reported not maintaining a vegan diet after the challenge nevertheless “said they’re likely to try a vegan diet again in the future,” according to the group.

The movement is also growing globally, with more countries joining as official partners each year. This year, Canada signed on as an official Veganuary partner, along with Malaysia and Peru.

Jethalal tells Sentient that the new membership is an indication the movement is expanding. “Veganuary started in the UK in 2014,” he says, “and it grew to 17 countries last year.” There are three new countries this year too, including Canada. “So, good sign.”

Being a member country, explains Jethalal, means “working towards Veganuary’s strategic objectives, which are increasing participation through their 31-day pledge, corporate outreach from large multinationals to small retailers, offering support to increase production of animal-free items,” as well as raising awareness with the help of celebrities, influencers and mainstream media.

Jethalal adds that Canada is particularly well positioned for Veganuary interest after the federal government published its updated Food Guide in 2019, encouraging Canadians to eat more plant proteins.

Jethalal also disagrees that Veganuary is too focused on reduction rather than elimination of animal consumption. “As a campaign, Veganuary has been shown to lower barriers to entry to plant-based eating and makes it approachable for a broad audience,” he says, with a “goal to inspire lasting change.”

How To Take Part in Veganuary

While officially signing up for the challenge on the Veganuary website isn’t required, doing so allows participants to partake of a variety of resources for free, including a “celebrity cookbook, meal plans, nutrition guides, recipes and lots more,” according to the website. But for those wanting to go at it on their own, there is also an abundance of online information available for how to veganize your favorite meals, how to swap out animal products for plant-based ones and how to get enough essential nutrients throughout the month, and beyond.

The Bottom Line

The growing popularity of Veganuary highlights the tension between the entrenched culture of animal agriculture and the growing urgency of addressing climate change, public health crises and animal welfare. The month-long challenge is considered a user-friendly way to introduce veganism to those who may not otherwise try to drop all animal products from their diet in the long-term. While the exact success of the challenge is difficult to measure, the Veganuary organization has had some notable wins (including helping the author of this story go vegan).


Jessica Scott-Reid wrote this article for Sentient.


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By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.
Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Nebraska News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration

Livestock auctions exist all across North America. They serve as a stop between the farms where animals are born, and the farms where they will be "fattened" or "finished;" the stop between life and death, where animals are sold to be slaughtered. In these fast-paced spaces, animals are pushed through like products - prodded, chased, tossed and dragged - by people paid to get the job done, quickly.

Between late 2022 and early 2024, footage was gathered from over a dozen of these auctions, from across 10 U.S. states by Pete Paxton (Sentient has agreed to use an alias), an undercover investigator with the group Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development, or SEED.

For a recent story for Vox Media, I was tasked with watching this footage, which shows terrified, confused and exhausted animals being handled harshly, or outright abused. Some animals are shown with injuries, while others have already died at auction.

The footage also shows workers with seemingly no regard for the animals' suffering. Some lash out at the animals in frustration, while others laugh at animals in pain.

"Hundreds or even thousands of animals are sold at auctions within hours," Paxton writes on SEED's website, "and workers must keep up the pace to move scared, exhausted, sick and injured animals in and out of pens. Workers experience dehydration, hunger and exhaustion as a result, which often leads to impatience and subsequent abuse."

Writing the Vox story was difficult. The 20-minute compilation of secretly filmed clips initially took me a week to get through; I could only watch for a few minutes at a time before the discomfort became unbearable. But then, over time, something interesting happened: watching the footage became easier for me. And Paxton understands, firsthand, why.

Desensitization and Animal Abuse

Working on the story over a few months, I had to go back to the footage over and over again. As I did, the images and sounds that had once made me gasp and cover my eyes became less horrific. Over time, they even became bearable. I had become desensitized to the animals' pain and fear, a phenomenon common among those who work in animal farming spaces like auctions.

Dr. Philip Tedeschi, a clinical professor at the University of Denver, and an expert in the human-animal connection, explains that for people working in animal farming spaces, empathy can become incompatible with the job, "inefficient" and "inconvenient."

"One of the things we know about studying empathy is that the presence of empathy can be an inhibitor to engaging in the behavior itself," he explains. "If you're required to engage in forcing animals through a meat processing plant, or expected to stick to a very strict timeline," like at auctions or on an assembly line, "you can't afford to be gentle or kind or humane. Then one of the things that's inefficient or incompatible is to have empathy for those individual animals." Emotionally distancing from animals can aid these workers in getting through the work day.

Paxton admits that the work he does as an undercover investigator is "pretty fucking difficult."

"I've had ex-military and ex-law enforcement reach out to me, and they're like, 'I don't know how you do that, because, man, I would lose my shit.'" But Paxton knows he's there to complete an important task, and that allows him to compartmentalize his feelings. "I tell investigators when I train them, 'It's way easier than you think to get used to the abuse, because when you see it there's two things going on in your head: one is, 'Oh, shit, an animal is being abused,' and then the other thing in your head is, 'I have to document that and not get caught.'"

For Paxton, overriding his concerns about the animal abuse he witnesses is an important part of his job as an investigator. For the people who work at animal auctions, Paxton believes desensitization operates much the same way. Abuse of animals at auctions becomes normalized, Paxton reports, as workers are pressured by management to move animals in and out - fast.

The harsh environment forces workers - ranging from inexperienced teens to long-time workers - to handle animals roughly to keep up with the demanding work. They also learn abusive behaviors from each other.

The Mental Health Impact of Working in Animal Agriculture

As part of his investigation, Paxton kept video footage and written records of certain people he met while working at the auctions. On SEED's website, he describes some of these workers as "good people" who "do bad things."

For example, in one small rural town, Paxton met 17-year-old "Audrey." Exhausted and under pressure, she mimicked abusive actions she witnessed from co-workers, reflecting learned behaviors. "As the workday dragged on, her frustrations led her to drag baby lambs and goats by their legs in fits of anger, mirroring the abusive actions she saw around her," Paxton writes. He also recalls "Stewart," a hardworking 20-year-old, dragging goats and jabbing calves with his keys, seeing cruelty as necessary for the job, "a means to an end."

Similar working conditions have also been documented in slaughterhouses, where both workers and animals are known to suffer. Slaughterhouse workers have for decades been documented engaging in extreme cruelty beyond basic animal handling.

For example, a 2018 investigation by Animal Aid uncovered UK slaughterhouse workers beating cows with pipes, while encouraging others to join in. In 2022, Animal Equality documented workers in Brazil kicking, beating and dragging cows by ropes, and twisting their tails to force movement.

Research has shown that the slaughterhouse environment, and the nature of slaughterhouse work itself, can and does have notable psychological impacts on workers. For example, slaughterhouse workers are four times more likely to be clinically depressed than the general public, according to a 2015 study. Higher rates of anxiety, psychosis and serious psychological distress are also found among those working in slaughterhouses, compared to the population at large.

As Dr. Kendra Coulter, now coordinator of Huron University's Animal Ethics and Sustainability Leadership program, told Sentient in 2020: in slaughterhouses, both workers and animals are commodified, "animals literally so." But both are ultimately seen as disposable.

Cultural Impact on Animal Treatment

Upbringing and culture can also play a key role in one's ability to turn off empathy for farm animals. As Tedeschi explained to Sentient on the topic of rodeos, if a person is brought up since childhood to believe that something is "culturally defined as a deserving activity," it becomes normalized.

We see this in rodeo activities geared specifically toward children, such as "pig scrambles" and "mutton busting," where children will ride sheep or other animals, "or engage in wrestling an animal or controlling them in some form," Tedeschi says, "And then getting a lot of attention for that. This is early shaping of those behaviors." Organizations like 4H and Future Farmers of America similarly serve to socialize children to emotionally distance themselves from the animals they are tasked to care for, before selling them to be slaughtered.

Paxton notes that the people he met while working at livestock auctions come from this same wider community. "They're the same people," he says. "They fucking love rodeos." This also includes the police and inspectors on site. "If you're a cop and you're in a rural area, you probably have cows, you've probably kicked them," he says. "Your parents have kicked them, and you're not going to bring charges against a fucking kid or elderly person who does the same thing."

"It's cowboy culture," Renee King-Sonnen, a former cattle rancher turned animal sanctuary operator, told Vox. Cowboy culture involves the normalization of inhumane treatment of animals at auctions, she adds. The drive to belong to that culture is what drives that shared behavior.

"People that are part of this community or this culture feel a solidarity with each other," explains Dr. Rebekah Humphreys, a senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Wales, and an expert in animal ethics. In the case of spaces where animals are farmed, slaughtered, tested on, etc., "the mistreatment of animals," she says, is "reinscribed and perpetuated through cultures. And then anyone that is outside of that norm is criticized as being overly sentimental or anthropomorphic."

Paxton believes that most people working at auctions don't believe they're doing anything wrong when they mistreat animals. "For many of them, it is the right thing, pulling a screaming goat by the ear," he says. "This animal just needs to move, [and] everyone's always done it that way. Does that make me an asshole?" he asks, putting himself in the position of the workers. "Or wouldn't I really be an asshole if I said, 'Everyone stop the entire auction?' If I had to assuage this animal's feelings and recognize this animal as an individual?"

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, both Tedeschi and Humphreys agree that the commodification of farm animals as property, legally and morally, allows places like animal auctions to exist, and for farm animals to be othered so severely. "The industrialization and commodification of [farm animals] has turned them into objects to the extent that we are really quite distanced from them," says Humphreys.

And that distance, Tedeschi believes, prohibits humans from thinking of these animals with more ethical consideration. "We're not likely to see people do a deeper kind of moral investigation into how we interact with other animals, as long as we view them as having the same legal position as the toaster on our counter."

For people like Paxton and me, who exist outside that cowboy culture but are tasked with investigating it, the ability to compartmentalize - to distance ourselves from the natural empathy we feel for animals, in order to get the job done - also reveals just how easily desensitization can happen.

This is in part what allows Paxton to see those who abuse animals at auctions as otherwise good people. "I'm not really scared of these people," he says. "I didn't find them to be violent or terrifying people. They're fucking nice people," he says. As long as you're not a cow.


Jessica Scott-Reid wrote this article for Sentient.


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Animal rights organizers are regrouping after mixed results at the ballot box in November.

A measure targeting factory farms passed in Berkeley but failed in Sonoma County. Measure J, to ban concentrated animal-feeding operations, only got 15% of the vote and Ordinance 309 to ban slaughterhouses failed in Denver.

Cassie King, an organizer with the Coalition to End Factory Farming, helped raise $280,000 to promote the ban in Sonoma County, even as opponents raised $2.2 million.

"We learned that money and the ability to lie during political campaigns is a very powerful combination of factors to be up against," King asserted. "I was shocked by the amount of misinformation that came out from the No on J campaign, just statistics that had no basis in reality."

Measure DD in Berkeley passed but is mostly symbolic since the only existing concentrated animal feeding operation, a horse racing operation called Golden Gate Fields, closed last June.

King stressed win or lose, the measures went a long way toward raising public awareness of the pollution and animal welfare issues at large factory farms.

"It's a test case, and whether it wins or loses, it's generating tens of thousands of conversations in the county and many more beyond," King contended. "And making the end of factory farming visible for a lot of people who haven't realized that it's something we can achieve in our lifetimes."

The "No on J" campaign and opponents of the Denver slaughterhouse ordinance argued the bans would have hurt jobs and tax revenue.

This story is based on original reporting by Seth Millstein for Sentient.


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