We are a part of the Yes on Measure J coalition, a groundbreaking ballot initiative slated for the November ballot that would phase out the largest factory farms in Sonoma County and prevent new ones from being built. In Defense of Animals stands against the use, exploitation, and killing of animals - not just on factory farms. We do not support small animal farms either.

We urge you to get out and vote against all forms of animal exploitation. Standard practices in animal farming - whether small, local, “organic,” or massive factory - include forcibly impregnating, confining, using, and mutilating defenseless animals. All the animals are then sent to slaughterhouses for profit, or killed on the farm, at just a fraction of their natural lifespans.

Most people think that cramming hundreds or thousands of animals into tight spaces with no sunlight is abhorrent; we assert that breeding animals into existence to exploit and slaughter them is equally wrong. Just as we would never subject our animal companions to the nightmare of a slaughterhouse, from “meat”, dairy, and egg “farms,” we should not impose such cruelty onto any other sentient beings. Animals are not ours to use as resources; they deserve to live their lives free from oppression and harm by humans.

Farmed animals are individuals with feelings and intelligence just like the dogs and cats who live in our homes. They are capable of friendship and joy, with each animal having their own likes and dislikes, and they feel fear and mourn their stolen babies. Most importantly - they feel pain and suffer horrors in animal farming and slaughterhouses that we would never inflict on anyone, much less the most innocent and vulnerable among us. 

The top nutrition organizations worldwide have concluded that a well-planned, plant-based vegan diet is healthy for all stages of life. Therefore, we do not need to eat the flesh and secretions of animals to survive and thrive. 

We encourage animal advocates to call for an end to all animal farming, not just factory farms. We can do that by raising awareness about the unnecessary, cruel atrocity that is animal “agriculture.” We must call out the power holders of our food system in Congress and the gross favoritism driving subsidies for animal agribusiness and demand that they subsidize and provide incentives for farmers to shift to plant-based agriculture. 

Speak up against all exploitation and violence toward animals. Stand for peace, justice, and compassion. By living vegan and taking action, together we can end all animal farming and create a slaughter-free, plant-based food system!

There’s More You Can Do:

Sign up for Measure J volunteer opportunities here. We urge everyone to vote this November 5. 

If you haven’t already, please tell Congress to end cruelty and corruption in the Farm Bill by making the calls and signing our alert.

Learn more about the dairy industry.

Get our Free Vegan Starter Guide.

Thanks for everything you do for animals!