Some of the most important actions in animal rights history have been rescues or other mass actions (e.g. occupations) on the frontlines of animal abuse. Our open rescues have been seen by millions, and garnered media attention in the largest publications in the world. If you are interested in organizing an open rescue or mass action, contact us at openrescue@dxe.io.

Information

We share everything we've learned. Reach out to us if you're interested in our open rescue manual or our video archive.

Press and campaigns

Our international network and press team mobilize public attention to the stories of animals rescued from abuse.

Training

We organize speakers and trainings for open rescue.  Look out for a talk or training in a city near you.
 

Contact

See something we can help you with? Get in touch with us - we're here to support you. 

SUPERBUGS AT SMITHFIELD

August 4, 2019

Despite facing felony charges for investigating Smithfield pig farms in multiple states, activists returned to a Smithfield farm in North Carolina to document the rampant disease and death present on site. Activists rescued a baby piglet named Lauri who was rushed to receive emergency medical care and was found to have an antibiotic resistant infection. This investigation revealed the rampant drug use in pig farms causing antibiotic resistant infections which could wipe out all of humanity. This investigation was featured in The New York Times.

Daylight Rescue at Reichardt Duck Farm

June 3rd, 2019

As part of the 2019 Animal Liberation Conference, over 600 activists took part in a daylight rescue of 32 ducks at Reichardt Duck Farm near Petaluma, California. Despite providing extensive evidence of animal cruelty at this farm to authorities in the county, the government took no action to help the ducks. Faced with no alternative, the activists entered the farm to disable the slaughter line and chain themselves to the entrance. In addition to saving 32 lives, 79 activists were arrested and the slaughterhouse was shut down for the day.

Mercadona Exposed

June 23rd, 2019

Activists in Spain entered a massive egg farm supplying Mercadona, the largest grocery story chain in Spain. The activists were able to save 39 chickens who were living in extreme confinement and received positive press attention highlighting the inhumane reality of "cage free" eggs.

Slaughterhouse Occupation in Mexico City

April 27th, 2019

For the first time in Mexico City, dozens of activists converged to shut down a busy chicken slaughterhouse. In addition to shutting down their operations for most of the day, the activists were able to save the lives of six chickens.

open rescue day 2019

March 5, 2019

For the third annual open rescue day, activists rescued nine animals across three different countries. DxE activists rescued a hen in France and a bunny in the USA. Open Rescue Day is celebrated every March 5th in commemoration of the first open rescue conducted on March 5th, 1993 by Animal Liberation Victoria in Australia.

CHIPOTLE EXPOSED

December 6, 2018

DxE organizer Rachel Ziegler, who previously worked as a Chipotle manager, was able to track down one of Chipotle’s chicken farms, despite the secrecy that surrounds their suppliers. She led a team to investigate the facility and found rampant crowding, disease and death. She saved Willow from certain death and the exposé has been seen by over a million people on social media.

Miracle At Foster Farms

November 21, 2018

When DxE investigators found Sally at a Foster Farms turkey farm, she had an oversized crop full of the wood shavings she had been forced to eat to survive. Sally was one of the smallest birds among the thousands at this farm and she couldn’t reach food -- but now she’s getting all the food she wants. That's because DxE investigators rushed her to the vet for an emergency surgery that removed the wood shavings from her crop, and brought her to a new home with a family of humans, dogs, pigs and bunnies who all love her.

Toronto Pig Rescue

November 8, 2018

DxE Activists in Toronto, Canada returned to Adare Pork to document the horrific animal cruelty, including mother pigs with prolapses where their organs fall out of their bodies and baby pigs starving to death in piles of feces. Despite recent charges and a police raid at one activist's home, investigators once again rescued a suffering piglet and brought their findings to the public.

costco’s graveyard

October 8th, 2018

Drone footage of a Costco farm revealed over 20,000 hutches designed to imprison baby cows and separate them from their mothers. When activists walked onto the farm to see up close, they found a mass grave of dead cows alongside thousands of suffering calves. They saved Nick from this life of misery.

amazon mass rescue

September 29th, 2018

Fifty-eight activists were arrested on multiple felonies while attempting to give medical care, food and water to suffering birds at an “organic”, “free-range” Amazon chicken farm in broad daylight. The activists were able to rescue one hen named Rose. Rose was found unable to move with ammonia burns on her body from laying in her own waste but is now safe and recovering at a sanctuary.

French Open Rescue

August 3rd, 2018

Daring French rescue shows Open Rescue is the new normal.

mass open rescue

May 29th, 2018

As part of the Animal Liberation Conference, nearly 500 activists participated in a mass open rescue where 37 chickens were removed from a Whole Foods' egg farm. Forty activists were subsequently arrested in an act of civil disobedience. You can watch the entire livestream on Facebook. 

julie's law

May 17th, 2018

Julie was born at Ridglan Farms - a breeding facility for dogs used in research. She was blind and confined all alone in a small, metal cage. When investigators found her, she was spinning frantically in circles, a condition commonly seen in animals who have been deprived of stimulation. Julie, along with two other dogs, was rescued from the facility. Activists are now working to pass Julie's Law - a law which would ban experimentation on dogs and, eventually, all animals.

end ag gag

May 8th, 2018

Activists investigated a Smithfield pig farm in North Carolina, a state which has one of the most repressive "ag gag" laws in the country. Despite promises to phase out gestation crates by 2018, activists found the majority of mother pigs in crates and rescued a baby piglet named Rosie. 

TRADER JOE'S WASTELAND

March 15th, 2018

Activists discovered piles and piles of feces at a Trader Joe's egg farm. Many birds were trapped in their waste, forced to eat their own excrement to survive. 

open rescue day 2018

March 5th, 2018

Thirteen activists from three different continents and four organizations united to save the lives of 15 animals to observe International Open Rescue Day. DxE Phoenix contributed to this collaboration by releasing two fishes - a first for DxE.

LIVESTREAMED RESCUE

February 10th, 2018

Activists live-streamed the rescue of Rain, a baby goat, from a "humane" goat meat farm. The next morning, Facebook removed the livestream for promoting violence; after multiple complaints were made, it was restored a few days later. 

the humane myth

February 8th, 2018

Lenny was rescued from one of the most "humane" farms in the country. In this expose, DxE investigators show that there is nothing humane about raising animals for slaughter.

noel's miracle

December 21st, 2017

Noel was rescued from an Ontario pig farm by activists from DxE Toronto. On the night Noel was found, activists saw mother pigs suffering from horrific prolapses and buckets and wheelbarrows full of dead babies. In this investigation, DxE showed the truth behind "holiday ham".

ROCKET'S RESCUE

December 12, 2017

22 Activists with DxE Melbourne walked into a slaughterhouse in broad daylight and stood between the animals and the blade. They openly saved seven chickens, including Rocket, who was seriously injured. Rocket had to have his leg amputated but is awaiting a prosthetic and doing well.

trapped in the machine

December 12, 2017

Bailey was trapped in the machinery of a Costco cage-free egg farm. She was going to die a slow, painful death until activists from DxE Colorado arrived on the scene. They untangled Bailey and rushed her out of the farm to receive medical care. She now lives safe, happy and free at a sanctuary.

Abby's miracle

November 20, 2017

When Abby was found, she was struggling to walk or reach food and water. Her neck was injured and deformed and she was slowly dying. Abby was held captive at Norbest Turkey Farms in Utah, where they claimed to have "humane" practices, yet thousands of birds were sick with tumors and sores, had their beaks and toes cut off, and were getting torn to pieces from stress-induced cannibalism. Abby, like all the other birds, was set to be someone's Thanksgiving dinner. But Abby was rescued. 

saving roselynn

November 7, 2017

A team of women investigated Zonneveld Dairy Farm, a member of the Land O'Lakes cooperative, located near Fresno, CA. The investigation revealed row upon row of small, wooden hutches, each housing a single baby cow. The calves were provided with no bedding, no enrichment, no space to move, and no love from their mothers. Many were sick and some had already died. Activists rescued Roselynn, one of the calves who was covered in diarrhea and maggots. She made a full recovery and is now living at a sanctuary. 

SLAUGHTERHOUSE SIT-IN

October 22, 2017

Over 200 activists entered Saba Live Poultry slaughterhouse in Oakland as part of the DxE California Convergence. They bore witness to the suffering of the animals inside and pleaded with management to release all the animals. Police arrived and shut the slaughterhouse down with 22 activists inside who refused to leave, but not before the activists were able to openly rescue a lamb, a quail and a rabbit. The activists who remained inside were eventually arrested. 

long shadow farms daylight rescue

September 17th, 2017

Bear, along with two other chickens, was rescued from Long Shadow Farms in broad daylight by activists from Denver Baby Animal Save and Direct Action Everywhere Colorado. Long Shadow Farms is what many would consider a "humane" farm. Activists rescued him to save his life and show the public that there is nothing humane about slaughter. Bear values his own life. Because he was rescued, he now gets to live safe, happy and free.

free range fraud

September 13, 2017

Sophie was rescued from Pitman Family Farms that sells "free range" chicken to Whole Foods under the name Mary's Chicken. While this farm claimed to allow all hens plenty of room to roam and graze, the investigation revealed thousands of hens crammed shoulder to shoulder inside barns and found that they were never let outdoors. 

toronto rabbit rescue

August 30, 2017

DxE Toronto activists investigated a rabbit farm in Ontario and found hundreds of rabbits languishing in filthy conditions. Many of the rabbits lay dead on the ground including one mother; her babies were shivering alone nearby. The activists rescued the babies and brought them to safety. 

saving charlotte

August 20, 2017

Activists with DxE Phoenix investigated a pig farm in Arizona where they uncovered filthy conditions. All of the pigs on the farm were terrified of humans due to the abuse they faced and the ground was littered with the bones of their siblings. Activists rescued a piglet and named her Charlotte. They brought her to the vet and to sanctuary where she now lives happy, safe and free. This is the first open rescue by DxE in Arizona.

costco's bloody secret

July 5, 2017

Lily and her sister were rescued from the largest pig farm in the USA - Smithfield's Circle Four Farms in Utah that supplies Costco, among other companies. The investigation, covered in the New York Times, revealed extreme confinement and abuse, including piglets forced to nurse from their mothers' bloody nipples. 

daylight open rescue

May 30, 2017

Six hens were rescued in the first daylight open rescue in DxE's history, which took place at the 2017 DxE Forum. Over 200 activists stood outside a slaughterhouse in the heart of San Francisco holding white flowers while a handful went inside and started rescuing hens. DxE co-founder Wayne Hsiung was arrested for refusing to leave the slaughterhouse. The rescued hens were named "Hope" in six different languages. 

SPROUTS STARVES HENS

April 17, 2017

DxE Colorado activists investigated a Sprouts Farmers Market cage-free "humane" egg farm. They found dozes of dead bodies and hundreds of hens starving to death. One hen, Annie, was surviving only by eating feces off the floor. Activists rescued her and she now lives safely in a sanctuary. 

Open Rescue Day 2017

March 4, 2017

Activists from Australia, Germany, Sweden, and United States took part in the world's first coordinated open rescue - released on the inaugural day of the original open rescue conducted by Animal Liberation Victoria in Australia.

Crushed at Safeway

February 9, 2017

Safeway announced it was going cage-free and humane last year but what we found shocked us beyond our worst nightmares. 

EGG FARM 360

January 19, 2017

DxE was accompanied by virtual reality filmmakers in the first open rescue of 2017. Now the world can see for themselves what "humane" egg farming looks like. 

Taken at 17 Days

December 13, 2016

In our first ever fully independent Open Rescue outside of California, DxE activists rescue a piglet named Madison.

President's Turkey

November 18, 2016

DxE's Open Rescue Investigators enter Jaindl Farms, famed supplier to the White House, and finds disfigured faces and rotting bodies.

cannibalism at costco

October 20, 2016

Ella was being eaten alive at a cage-free Costco egg farm. Until the DxE Open Rescue Team arrived.

Saving Miley

July 7, 2016

Baywatch actor Alexandra Paul and Last Chance for Animals (LCA) founder Chris DeRose join DxE's Open Rescue Network in exposing the sickening conditions at Hormel's Farmer John.

Yulin is Everywhere

June 21, 2016

A team of DxE Open Rescue activists, led by co-founder Wayne Hsiung, infiltrated the slaughterhouses of Yulin. Their mission: document the horrors of the infamous Yulin Dog Meat Festival, bring dogs to safety and tell their stories.

Emma's Story

February 25, 2016

A six-month long investigation by DxE activists unraveled widespread violations of animal cruelty law, including California's Proposition 2, by "humane certified" JS West - a major egg supplier to Trader Joe's and Safeway.

A Deadly Feast

November 24, 2015

An investigation into a "humane" turkey farm reveals shocking cruelty, a sham turkey farm, and a multibillion dollar fraud. The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, among others, shared the story of Sarah's rescue. 

 Truth Matters

January 8, 2015

DxE activists find shocking mistreatment of egg-laying hens in a "Certified Humane" supplier, and attempt to rescue a little hen named Mei Hua from the brink of death - triggering international media coverage, including by the New York Times.