Today, I’m thinking about the inspiring mothers and caregivers in my life—and I’m feeling extra thankful for their strength, kindness, and love. It’s true what they say: that a mother’s love is a powerful force. And that goes for non-human animals, too!
There are so many miraculous ways that animals mother their young. A hen gently coos to her chicks (even before they’ve hatched!) so they can recognize her voice when they come into the world. A mother cow, when approached by an unfamiliar vehicle, will bravely move toward the oncoming threat to protect her baby calf. Mother pigs have even been known to sing little lullabies to their piglets while they nurse!
If this isn’t love, then what is?
Just like human mothers, animal moms hold a fierce, profound love for their babies. But factory farms deny the existence of this love. In fact, they deny that animals can feel anything at all. Treated as mere breeding machines, an animal mother is forced to give birth over and over—and endure a heart-wrenching separation from her baby, every single time. And you only have to look into an animal mother’s eyes to know how painful it is.
That's why I’m so grateful that you’re here. Your compassion is changing the lives of mothers and babies all over the world. Day by day, we’re moving closer to a world where no mother pig, cow, or hen is separated from her babies by the bars of a cage. And it starts with our bold new goal:
Together, we can spare 6.7 million mother hens from cruel cages.
This year, we’re going all-in on holding corporations accountable—demanding that egg-laying hens be spared from the worst forms of suffering in our food system today. That means that by next Mother’s Day (if we can successfully pull this off!), we’ll have protected 6.7 million mother hens from extreme confinement.
I can’t think of a better way to honor this day.
Wishing you a wonderful Mother’s Day—
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Kalista Barter
Vice President, Development |
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