My friend Wayne came to visit me in jail. He told me that 5 animal rescuers in the UK were just found guilty of burglary for saving 18 suffering beagle puppies from MBR Acres, an animal testing and breeding facility that performs horrific experiments on dogs. They now face up to 10 years in prison.

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During their trial, they were not allowed to talk about the conditions of the puppies. In fact, when their attorney tried during closing arguments, the judge paused proceedings and sent out the jury. The trial verdict was almost sealed, meaning the judge was going to prohibit the defendants from telling anyone what had happened.

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These dogs deserved to have their stories properly shared in court, but once again, those in power acted to keep the suffering of animals hidden. In my own trial, and later, at my sentencing hearing, Perdue, my prosecutors, and to some extent, even the judge, worked to erase years of pain and fear experienced by many millions of birds. I was not allowed to talk about the conditions on the factory farms that send the chickens to Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. 
I was not allowed to show any photos or videos from those farms, either. The jury did not get to learn about a report from Sonoma County Animal Services referring to the owner of one of those factories, as a suspect for criminal animal cruelty. I was also gagged from speaking in any detail about documents from the slaughterhouse that showed birds were dying in transportation, arriving with infections and bruises, and even being boiled alive, during the slaughter process, due to negligence. At my sentencing hearing my prosecutor, Matthew Hobson, tried to deny that the agony these birds experienced was even real. Despite our eight years of photo and video evidence. 
And, of course, there's the fact that while I write to you from a jail cell, punished for my investigation and rescue, Perdue continues to freely line its pockets by criminally abusing sentient and vulnerable beings.

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Courtrooms are not the only places that work to erase the suffering of animals, however. If you pay attention, you’ll start to notice how their pain is constantly dismissed and even mocked. The grocery store, perhaps, is the most obvious instance of this. The deceased bodies of tortured creatures are often decorated with lies and silly cartoons. Take Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry, for example. They primarily sell under the brand names Rosie the Organic Chicken and Rocky the Free Range Chicken. They try to hide that they're actually just Perdue, hoping consumers will imagine a small, local farming operation.

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The labels on the packaging promise these birds a life they’ve never had. In our many years investigating, we've never seen even one of Petaluma Poultry’s chickens be allowed to roam outside.

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The company's photos are similarly disturbing. The cartoon Rosie wears high heels, a pearl necklace, and a glamorous sunhat. Rocky dons boots and sunglasses. Of course, Rocky and Rosie have no need for sunglasses or a sunhat because they’ll spend every moment in a dim, crowded, filthy shed, just hoping to survive the unsurvivable conditions until they’re 6 weeks old, at which point, their throats will be slit. If they're particularly unlucky, they may boiled alive in the company’s scalding tank during the slaughter process. That pearl necklace won't spare Rosie from this pain, but it may spare the consumers guilt as it detracts from the reality of these birds’ lives.


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From the time we're young, we're taught to imagine animals used for agriculture as happy. We read kids books with classic, big red barns, fields of freedom, and smiling cows. The farmer has named all his animals, of course, and tends to their every need. And because its a children’s book, we just skip the slaughter part. Don't worry, kids, Missy lived out her days in peace, with her farmer best friend. All went well. 
The reality is, the big red barn, and these open fields, and largely of the past. 99% of animal products sold in the United States, now come from factory farms. None of these animals have names. If they fall ill, they're rarely noticed among the crowds and thousands of others. 
If they are noticed, individualized care is even more unlikely. They may be left to rot, or they may be killed, typically through cheap and easy means like the snapping of a neck. Sometimes they have their heads and bodies slammed into concrete until they die. 

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These are disturbing things to write about so bluntly, but in a world that strives to normalize animal exploitation, while disguising the reality of it, it is essential that we speak these truths. We must make it clear that the agony these animals are forced to endure, whether at MBR Acres, Perdue, or any other facilities owned by companies that prioritize profits over animals is real. It is real and animals are living in it right now.

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Their need for aid is urgent. But do not forget these dogs, tortured with toxic gas, or the chicken stuffed into scalding hot water while they scream and flail.  Share their stories, make sure their voices are heard, not erased.

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Through the brick walls of my cell, I send my love to these animals, and to Nathan McGovern, Hannah Hunt, Lewis Elliot, Ben Newman, and Eben Lazarus as they prepare to be sentenced for their act of rescue in the UK. I promise you that we will not forget your sacrifice, and we will speak up, loudly and boldly, for all the dogs left behind. And as I've said throughout my own case; no prosecution, conviction, or sentence, will ever stop a movement driven by compassion and care.