Animals

When We Restore Forests, We Also Preserve Bird Habitats
The Most Misunderstood Shark: How Sand Tigers Defy Fear and Threats
The Extreme Cruelty of Putting Mother Pigs in ‘Gestation Crates’
Humans Share More With Animals Than We Often Recognize
How 19th-Century DIY Dyeing and the Global Ostrich Plume Trade Shaped Fashion and Conservation
The Myth of the “Feral” Cat: Understanding the Hidden Trauma of America’s Homeless Cats
How Zoos Can Contribute to Disease Transmission Between Humans and Animals
Outdoor Cats Are Fueling a Global Eco-Crisis, Pushing Birds and Other Species to Extinction
Monkeys Infected With Transmissible Diseases Are Trucked Across U.S.—Where’s the Transportation Department?
Next-Gen Fur Is Revolutionizing the Fashion World
Ventilation Shutdown Is One of the Cruelest Ways to Kill Animals
The Lab Mouse Paradox: Why Science Still Depends on Animals Who Don’t Represent Us
One Problem With Edibles: Dogs Sometimes Eat Them
If You Believe in Social Justice, You Believe in Veganism
How the Psychology of Oppression Perpetuates Harm to Animals and the Environment
How Lab-Grown Meat Could Bring an End to Needless Animal Cruelty
Chickens Lack the Most Basic Legal Protection: The Right to Humane Slaughter
Chickens Are Smarter Than You Think
Captive Elephants: The Harsh Reality
Would Dogs Be Better Off Without Us?
Trapped in a Tank: The Hidden Cruelty of the Tropical Fish Trade
The Gilded Age of Animal Advocacy: A Transformative Era for America’s Moral Compass
The Forgotten 10 Billion Lives: A Tale of Suffering, Survival, and the Fight to See Farmed Animals
The Art of Building a Human-Hawk Relationship
Hummingbirds Are in Rapid Decline
How the United States Is Failing Elephants—and What You Can Do
How a Holistic Approach to Animal Care Can Awaken Human Consciousness
How Horse-Drawn Carriages Shaped Cities—And Why Animal Welfare Is Phasing Them Out
U.S. Government Support for the Dairy Industry and Its Impacts
How a Worker Cooperative Is Mitigating the Stray Animal Crisis in Texas
How to Decode Humane Food Labels at the Supermarket
Guide to Factory-Farmed Chickens: Animal Cruelty on a Massive Scale
Cruelty-Free Fashion: Growing Leather Without Animals
Why Chickens Deserve Our Respect
A Lesson of Coronavirus: Hunting Wildlife Can Be Deadly
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Guide to Animals in Science and Research

Reynard Loki, Earth Food Life Project

The Observatory’s Guide to Animals in Science and Research examines the role of nonhuman animals in scientific experimentation and biomedical development. It explores the ethical, regulatory, and scientific debates surrounding animal testing, including concerns about welfare, transparency, and the limits of animal models in predicting human outcomes. The guide highlights practices involving primates and laboratory animals, as well as growing calls for reform, improved oversight, and the development of alternative research methods. By connecting policy, science, and ethics, it offers a clearer understanding of how animals are used in research—and what a more humane and effective system might look like.
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Guide to Factory-Farmed Animals

Reynard Loki, Earth Food Life Project

The Guide to Factory-Farmed Animals examines the conditions, systems, and consequences of industrial animal agriculture. It explores how billions of chickens, pigs, and cows are raised in confined environments, often with minimal legal protection and significant welfare concerns. The guide connects animal suffering to broader impacts on human health, labor conditions, and the environment, including pollution and disease risk. It also addresses how cultural narratives and industry practices shape public perception of meat and dairy. By bringing together reporting, analysis, and ethical inquiry, this guide offers a clear, grounded understanding of factory farming and the forces sustaining it.
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Claudio Campagna
Claudio Campagna is a senior marine conservation consultant for the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Sophie A.H. Osborn
Sophie A. H. Osborn is an award-winning environmental author and wildlife biologist whose work has focused on bird conservation across the Americas.
Jairus James
Jairus James is an environmental and animal rights advocate.
Tia Schwab
Tia Schwab is a former news fellow for Stone Pier Press, a San Francisco-based environmental publishing company with a food focus. She is a graduate of Stanford University, where she studied human biology with a concentration in food systems and public health. Tia was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and she is passionate about using storytelling to create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system.
Tanya Griffin Houppermans
Tanya Griffin Houppermans is an underwater photographer and videographer, shark naturalist, and conservationist.
Valeria Falabella
Valeria Falabella is a director at the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Melanie Joy
Melanie Joy, PhD, is a psychologist, international speaker, and social justice advocate. She is the award-winning author of seven books.
Brittany Michelson
Brittany Michelson is an animal rights activist, writer and former teacher.
Damon Orion
Damon Orion is a writer, journalist, musician, artist, and teacher in Santa Cruz, California. His work has appeared in Revolver, Guitar World, Spirituality + Health, Classic Rock, and other publications. Read more of his work at DamonOrion.com.
Debra Merskin
Debra Merskin, PhD, is a professor of media studies in the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon and is a co-founder of Animals and Media.
Delcianna Winders
Delcianna Winders is an associate professor of law and the director of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law and Graduate School.
Ashley Berke
Ashley Berke is co-executive director at Fair Start Movement.
Carter Dillard
Carter Dillard is the policy adviser for the Fair Start Movement.
Alex Crisp
Alex Crisp is the host of the Future of Foods Interviews podcast.
Marc Bekoff
Marc Bekoff is an ethologist, behavioral ecologist, compassionate conservationist, and author. He is professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Earth Food Life Project
Sy Montgomery
Sy Montgomery is a naturalist, documentary scriptwriter, and author of 31 books of nonfiction for adults and children. She is the recipient of lifetime achievement awards from the Humane Society and the New England Booksellers Association.
Michael Windsor
Michael Windsor is the senior director of corporate engagement at The Humane League.
Eva J. Charalambides
Eva J. Charalambides is a photographer and vegan advocate.
Monica Murphy
Monica Murphy is a veterinarian and a writer.
Andrew deCoriolis
Andrew deCoriolis is the executive director of Farm Forward where he advocates for safe, healthy, and humane animal farming.
Marilyn Kroplick
Marilyn Kroplick is the president and executive director of <u>In Defense of Animals</u>.
Emilia Leese
Emilia A. Leese is an author, re-wilder, podcast host, public speaker, and magazine editor.
Elaine Siu
Elaine Siu is an author, activist, and innovator devoted to shifting the world away from animal agriculture.
Ginger Fedak
Ginger Fedak is a lifelong animal welfare advocate and horse professional, having spent decades teaching about and advocating for domestic and wild horses.
Anita Krajnc
Anita Krajnc is executive director of the Animal Save Movement and global coordinator of the Plant Based Treaty initiative.
Julieta Campagna
Julieta Campagna monitors coastal protected areas for the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Courtney Scott
Courtney Scott is the Elephant Consultant for In Defense of Animals (IDA), and the founder of Free the Oregon Zoo Elephants (FOZE)
Nital Jethalal
Nital Jethalal is a policy analyst and economist.  He currently serves as strategist and policy advisor for the Plant Based Treaty and also oversees economics and policy research for Plant Based Data. Nital is also the president of  VegTO and a director at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank.
Beatrix Homler
Beatrix Homler is an animal and human rights activist.
Jennifer Barckley
Jennifer Barckley is the vice president of communications at The Humane League.
Alicia Graef
Alicia Graef is a guardian and dog meat campaigner at In Defense of Animals. A lifelong animal lover and freelance writer with a Bachelor’s degree in animal and veterinary science, Alicia has covered issues relating to animals for more than a decade.
Leslie Crawford
Leslie Crawford is the author of ''Sprig the Rescue Pig'' and ''Gwen the Rescue Hen'', both published by Stone Pier Press.
Derek Gow
Derek Gow is a farmer, nature conservationist, and author.
Daniel Klem Jr.
Daniel Klem Jr. is the Sarkis Acopian Professor of Ornithology and Conservation Biology and director of the Acopian Center for Ornithology at Muhlenberg College.
Peter Christie
Peter Christie is a science journalist and author who writes frequently about conservation.
Lucy Goodchild van Hilten
Lucy Goodchild van Hilten is a writing fellow at }}, a project of the Independent Media Institute. She has served as assistant editor of Microbiology Today and senior marketing communications manager for Life Sciences at Elsevier. She holds an MSc degree in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology from Imperial College London.
Mikhala Kaseweter
Mikhala Kaseweter, MSc, advances right relationships with nonhuman animals through her work at the Better Food Foundation.
Carrie P. Freeman
Carrie P. Freeman, PhD, is a professor of communication at Georgia State University and is a co-founder of Animals and Media.
Reynard Loki
Reynard Loki is a co-founder of the Observatory, where he is the environment and animal rights editor.
Jeff Feinman
Jeff Feinman is a veterinarian and molecular biologist.
Karen Davis
Karen Davis, PhD, (1944–2023) was the president and founder of United Poultry Concerns. She was an award-winning animal rights activist and the author of numerous books.
Cameron Edwards
Cameron Edwards runs <u>Still Water Microsanctuary</u>, a small-scale rescue for birds and tropical fishes.
Laura Lee Cascada
Laura Lee Cascada is the founder of the Aquaculture Accountability Project.
Vicky Bond
Vicky Bond is a veterinary surgeon, animal welfare scientist, and the former president of The Humane League.
Jessica Pierce
Jessica Pierce is a bioethicist and author of numerous books.
Laurel Sutherlin
Laurel Sutherlin is the senior communications strategist for Rainforest Action Network. He is a lifelong environmental and human rights campaigner as well as a naturalist and outdoor educator with a passion for birds and wild places. Follow him on Twitter @laurelsutherlin.
Lisa Jones-Engel
Lisa Jones-Engel is a primatologist.
Kevin Fitzgerald
Kevin Fitzgerald is a veterinarian, author, educator, comedian, and television personality.
LeesaMaree Bleicher
LeesaMaree Bleicher advocates using trauma-informed therapeutic approaches.
Isabella La Rocca González
Isabella La Rocca González is an artist, writer, and activist.
Emma Rae Lierley
Emma Rae Lierley is a senior communications manager at Rainforest Action Network. A lifelong writer and environmentalist, she works to harness the power of storytelling for social change.
Nina Jackel
Nina Jackel is the founder of Lady Freethinker, a nonprofit media organization dedicated to exposing and stopping the suffering of animals, humans, and the planet. Find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Laurie Wills
Laurie Wills is the lead grassroots campaign coordinator at the Humane League UK.
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