Hi there,

Some days, when my work feels abstract, I glance up at the two pieces of artwork that hang above my desk—a chicken and a cow. They remind me why I do this work. They remind me of the days when it all becomes worth it.

And May 11, the day the Supreme Court upheld the world’s strongest animal welfare law, was a day I’ll never forget.

I’m Hannah, Senior Policy Counsel at The Humane League. I wanted to write to you today to talk about our movement’s recent victory in the halls of the Supreme Court—and to emphasize just how much it means for animals.

The Proposition 12 victory ensures that eggs, pork, and veal sold in California come from hens, sows, and calves who have enough space to turn around.

Prop 12 opens doors. It forges new pathways. It expands the horizons of our movement, creating new legislative opportunities that we’ve simply never had.

Protections for animals—protections that once felt impossible—aren’t just possible now. They’re probable.

For some context, I’ve been working for years to drive policy change for animals on factory farms, and I was grateful to play a role in the Prop 12 defense against the pig industry’s assault. Historically, our efforts have been frustratingly limited, because we could only focus on the most progressive or “animal-friendly” regions. We knew the circuit level courts there would have our back. But if we had tried passing a law in a less progressive circuit, and it ruled against us, that could have triggered a Supreme Court case to settle the difference between the conflicting circuits. And if the Supreme Court had then ruled against us, it could have undone all sales bans across the entire country—and severely harmed future efforts to pass animal protection laws.

That was the case until Proposition 12 was upheld.

Now, Supreme Court precedent is on our side. And the impact of that truly cannot be understated. The highest court in the land has spoken, and their decision is the rule across all twelve federal court circuits in the country—making it clear that voters and legislators can create policies to protect animals through animal product sales bans.

Now, our movement has momentum like never before.

You may already know about our new Animal Policy Alliance, a coalition of groups we support who are fighting for animals across the United States. As these animal heroes build momentum across the country—empowering each other to drive community-based legislation for animals—this win couldn’t have come at a better time. It clears the way for advocates to dream big about creating meaningful change for farmed animals.

Soon, we could see laws banning fur farming. Octopus farming. Rabbit farming. We could see sales bans across entire cities and states, bans that help to root out the cruelest farming practices. Just last week, the Supreme Court dismissed the poultry industry’s challenge to a law banning the sale of foie gras in California—marking yet another incredible milestone for animals.

The sky’s the limit. And ending animal cruelty is the goal. There’s no excuse for delay anymore; the American public overwhelmingly supports laws in favor of animals, and legislators must support them as well. But it doesn’t happen without your support. Will you sustain this ongoing fight?

MAKE A GIFT [donate.thehumaneleague.org/protect-animals]

To sum it up—even though progress might feel like it moves at a glacial pace, May 11 reminded me of what we’re working toward. This win was decades in the making, thanks to countless advocates, legislators, and volunteers who poured their hearts into making it happen. And it proves just how much change we can accomplish together over the years. Donations of any size will fuel even more progress for animals in the years to come—will you consider making a gift today?

I hope you’re taking the time to savor this sweet, sweet moment in our movement’s history. I hope, too, that in the difficult moments this victory can remind us what we’re capable of.

A multi-billion-dollar industry fought us, and we won. Over. And over. And over. Compassion won. Our collective action won. And most importantly, the animals won.

For them,

Hannah Truxell
Senior Policy Counsel



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We exist to end the abuse of animals raised for food. But we can’t do it without you. The Humane League is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization ranked "Best In America" by the Independent Charities of America and ranked one of the world's four most effective animal protection organizations by Animal Charity Evaluators. Our federal EIN number is 04-3817491.

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