Animal Outlook, formerly known as Compassion Over Killing (COK), is a nonprofit animal advocacy organization based in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, headed since May 2021 by Executive Director Cheryl Leahy, who succeeded
Erica Meier. Formed in 1995, as a high school club, their primary campaigns are to advocate against
factory farming
Intensive animal farming or industrial livestock production, also known by its opponents as factory farming and macro-farms, is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to animal husbandry designed to maximize production, while ...
and promote
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
eating. While the group welcomes those who are interested in
animal welfare
Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...
who
eat meat, it encourages a transition to a
plant-based diet
A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of plant-based foods. Plant-based diets encompass a wide range of dietary patterns that contain low amounts of animal products and high amounts of plant products such as vegetables, fru ...
.
Activities and campaigns
Animal Outlook's activities and campaigns include:
* Organizing and hosting of DC VegFest.
* Organizing and promotion of VegWeek.
* Distribution of pro-veg materials.
* Outreach and campaigns advocating for restaurants and companies to include
vegan food
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
.
* Creation and distribution of pro-vegetarian commercials on television.
* Writing letters and op-eds to local newspapers.
As of 2016, Animal Outlook has completed its eighth annual VegWeek. VegWeek is an international campaign in which people make a pledge to eat a plant-based diet for one week. In 2016, more than 5,400 people took the 7-Day VegPledge. Participants of VegWeek campaigns have included federal, state, and local representatives, athletes and celebrities, and community members.
Campaign successes
* The organization has since launched successful campaigns urging
Morningstar Farms, Boca, and
LightLife to use fewer eggs in their products.
* Animal Outlook launched a campaign for
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts LLC, also known as Dunkin' and by the initials DD, is an American multinational coffee and doughnut company, as well as a quick service restaurant. It was founded by Bill Rosenberg (1916–2002) in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 195 ...
to stock
soy milk
Soy milk (simplified Chinese: 豆浆; traditional Chinese: 豆漿) also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a sta ...
in its shops,
which the company did in certain regions. At the 2009 Taking Action for Animals conference hosted by the
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is an American nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal-related cruelties of national scope. It uses strategies that are beyond the abilities of local organizations. ...
, Erica Meier introduced Animal Outlook's follow-up campaign to urge Dunkin' Donuts to remove animal products from its donuts.
* A successful campaign, in which Animal Outlook supporters sent messages asking for vegan options at WeLoveSubway.com, helped lead to menu items including a black bean patty and the Malibu Garden sandwich, being added by
Subway—the world's largest restaurant chain. More than 1,000 Subway locations now offer these options.
*
Tim Horton's—Canada's largest coffee chain, with more than 4,500 locations—added soy milk at participating locations, following a campaign by Animal Outlook.
* Animal Outlook teamed up with journalist and TV personality
Jane Velez-Mitchell
Jane Velez-Mitchell is a television and social media journalist and author, with specialities in vegan lifestyles, animal rights, addiction and social justice.
Early life and career
Born to a Puerto Rican mother and an Irish American father, Ve ...
to launch a petition asking
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
to add vegan food options to its menu, in light of the positive steps the coffee chain has already taken by offering
soy
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...
and coconut milks. In response to the many messages received, Starbucks has told Animal Outlook, "We are in the testing stages for several new products that would qualify as vegan... we have our vegan customers in the forefront of our minds and can't wait to present some new food options to accommodate the vegan diet and our loyal customers that have requested these options."
Undercover investigations
Animal Outlook has conducted multiple undercover investigations into conditions facing animals raised for food in the U.S.
Egg farms
The group conducted an investigation into the living conditions at Maryland henhouses, documenting corpses found in group cages and rescuing some of the hens found in the worst conditions.
One of the farms documented, owned by
ISE America, housed more than 800,000 hens.
Following a tip about substandard conditions at the farm, Animal Outlook requested permission to visit the farm before proceeding with an undercover investigation.
The spokesperson for the owner of the farm in question said that the conditions found at the farm were "normal industry practices".
While one of the farms asserted that the video footage was not taken at its farm, Animal Outlook had filmed its GPS location as well as mail addressed to the farm in question.
In early 2006, an Animal Outlook investigation inside a Pennsylvania egg farm led to criminal charges of 35 counts of animal cruelty against the owner and manager of the farm, the first case of its kind.
Although, charges were pressed by a local animal control officer after viewing a video provided by Animal Outlook, the owner and manager of the farm were eventually acquitted in 2007.
Central Valley Meat
Animal Outlook's undercover video exposing animal abuse at Central Valley Meat Co. (CVM) prompted the USDA to shut down the California slaughterhouse in 2012 and suspend federal purchases from the facility, a major supplier to the USDA's National School Lunch Program. California-based fast food chain,
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is an American regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations primarily in California and the Southwest. It was founded in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948 by Harry (1913–1976) and Esther Snyder (1920–2006). The cha ...
immediately severed ties with its former supplier CVM upon the release of Animal Outlook's investigation findings, followed by national chains
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
and
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation (doing business as Costco Wholesale and also known simply as Costco) is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores (warehouse club). As of 2022, Costco i ...
. In February 2014, the facility was again shut down by the USDA for unsanitary conditions.
Quanah Cattle Company
In 2013, an Animal Outlook activist was arrested (although charges were eventually dropped) in Colorado for filming alleged cattle abuse at the Quanah Cattle Company and failing to report the abuse "in a timely manner". Animal Outlook Executive Director Erica Meier stated that this is a "shoot-the-messenger strategy aimed at detracting attention away from the crimes of those who actually abused animals."
Pilgrim's Pride chicken factory farm
In 2014, an Animal Outlook investigation exposed chickens being buried alive at a North Carolina factory farm supplying Pilgrim's Corp. (formerly Pilgrim's Pride), the second largest chicken producer in the world and a supplier for
Chick-Fil-A
Chick-fil-A ( , a Word play, play on the American English pronunciation of "wikt:filet#Pronunciation, filet") is an American fast food restaurant chain which is the country's largest which specializes in chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Coll ...
,
Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
,
Wendy's
Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was the ...
and
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
. CNN broke the shocking story.
Foster Farms turkey hatchery
In early 2015, an Animal Outlook investigator documented horrific treatment of baby birds - including mutilations, gassing and being ground up alive - inside a Foster Farms hatchery in Fresno, California.
Mountaire Farms
At a North Carolina chicken slaughterhouse owned by
Mountaire Farms, Inc., the seventh largest chicken producer in the U.S, Animal Outlook exposed birds being violently thrown and punched, their feathers being ripped out, and sick or injured birds left in piles to die slowly.
Quality Pork Processors (Hormel)
In 2015, an Animal Outlook investigator uncovered conditions in a Minnesota facility that kills and processes animals for Hormel. This plant is one of the largest pig slaughterhouses in the U.S., and one of five plants enrolled in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Based Inspection Models Project (HIMP), a pilot USDA program that allows for faster processing of animals with reduced government inspection.
The ''Washington Post'' broke the story of the investigation, writing, "Months worth of footage have raised serious concerns about the conditions at one of the largest pork processors in the U.S., and started a government investigation."
In 2013, an Audit Report issued by the USDA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) underscored concerns that HIMP may pose food safety risks.
Legal advocacy
Animal Outlook's innovative Legal Advocacy Program has been working since 2004 to use the legal system to oppose the system injustices of factory farming. Using existing criminal law and civil litigation, the Program focuses on fighting large-scale animal cruelty on
factory farms
Intensive animal farming or industrial livestock production, also known by its opponents as factory farming and macro-farms, is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to animal husbandry designed to maximize production, while ...
and works to protect consumers from manipulation and unfair practices by the animal agriculture industry. Because farmed animals are given almost no protection under the law, this challenging work is vitally important.
The Legal Advocacy Program seeks enforcement of existing criminal laws against owners and employees of the facilities for the harming of animals, and develops legal analysis in order to bring landmark lawsuits and other legal actions. The Program also conducts outreach and education, providing attorneys, legal students, and the public with information about farmed animals and the law.
* In 2005, egg producers dropped an "Animal Care Certified" label from their products after Animal Outlook filed a complaint with the
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction ov ...
for
false advertising
False advertising is defined as the act of publishing, transmitting, or otherwise publicly circulating an advertisement containing a false claim, or statement, made intentionally (or recklessly) to promote the sale of property, goods, or servic ...
on the part of the egg companies.
Animal Outlook said that the egg label implied that the care of the animals had met a certain standard of animal conditions, which the egg producers had not; the National Advertising Review Board agreed that the label was deceptive.
The FTC complaint was dropped when the egg industry agreed to exchange the label in favor of one stating, "United Egg Producers Certified".
* In 2011, dairy consumers, including members of Animal Outlook, filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of consumers alleging that several dairy companies and trade groups—including
Land O'Lakes
Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an American member-owned agricultural cooperative based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Arden Hills, Minnesota, United States, focusing on the dairy industry. The cooperative has 1,959 direct producer-members, 751 m ...
, the National Milk Producers Federation, and
Dairy Farmers of America
Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) is a national milk marketing cooperative in the United States. DFA markets members' raw milk and sells milk and derivative products (dairy products, food components, ingredients and shelf-stable dairy products) ...
—joined as Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) in order to engage in a price fixing scheme that inflated the price of milk. This resulted, according to the complaint, in over $9.5 billion in illegally obtained profits and could impact the price of milk for years.
* Animal Outlook joined organizations
Animal Legal Defense Fund
The Animal Legal Defense Fund is an animal law advocacy organization. Its stated mission is to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. It accomplishes this by filing high-impact lawsuits to protect an ...
,
Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is an American animal protection organization, founded in 1986 as an advocate for farmed animals. It was America's first shelter for farmed animals. It promotes laws and policies that support animal welfare, animal protection, a ...
and
Animal Protection and Rescue League
The Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) is an American grassroots animal rights organization, founded in 2003, based in California, California's San Diego County, California, San Diego and Orange County, California, Orange Counties.
APRL ...
, and individuals, in filing a lawsuit against the USDA for allowing the sale of
foie gras
Foie gras (, ; ) is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage (force feeding).
Foie gras is a popular and well-known delicacy ...
, a diseased poultry product. The agency is required through the
Poultry Products Inspection Act
The Poultry Products Inspection Act of 1957 ( P.L. 85–172, as amended) requires the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to inspect all domesticated birds when slaughtered and processed into products ...
to condemn diseased poultry as adulterated. The force-feeding of ducks and geese to produce foie gras results in a condition known as hepatic lipidosis or "
fatty liver disease
Fatty liver disease (FLD), also known as hepatic steatosis, is a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver. Often there are no or few symptoms. Occasionally there may be tiredness or pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. Complicat ...
", in which the birds' livers swell up to ten times their normal size.
See also
*
List of animal rights groups
This list of animal rights groups consists of groups in the animal rights movement. Such animal rights groups work towards their ideals, which include the viewpoint that animals should have equivalent rights to humans, such as not being "used" i ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://animaloutlook.org/
National Campaign to Promote Going Vegetarian for a Week or More
1995 establishments in the United States
501(c)(3) organizations
Animal welfare organizations based in the United States
Anti-vivisection organizations
Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.