Dear John,

As COVID-19 spreads around the world, many routine activities have stopped. But slaughter lines still run, and animals remain trapped behind bars or in confinement tanks. 

That's why Mercy For Animals continues to expose the truth behind factory farms and inspire people to choose compassion.

Last week we released a powerful investigation narrated by True Blood actress Kristin Bauer that reveals how fish are farmed in the United States. 

The industrialization of these facilities and the complete disregard for life will shock everyone. 

Each tank contains thousands of fish living a cramped existence in filthy water. These conditions result in high stress and fatality rates for these animals. 

Others, like catfish, will live in ponds for two years—if they survive that long. Up to 40 percent of these intelligent animals die never even reaching a slaughterhouse. How? For many, it's the diseases that spread from fish to fish in close confinement.

During this investigation, our cameras captured live catfish sliced in half so that their tails could be used for "taste tests." The severed front halves—which contained the animals' brains and much of their spinal cords—remained conscious and able to feel pain throughout this abuse. When it was over, they were thrown back into the pond. 

The fish writhed on the ground minute after minute, flapping their fins and gills as though trying to swim away.

We know that the filthy environment and unnatural conditions at factory farms cause so much stress for fish and other farmed animals. They are also breeding grounds for diseases and antibiotic resistance. 

This cannot continue. Fish are sentient animals who feel pain just like pigs, cows, and dogs do. 

We must work together to build a plant-based food system.  

Your support right now is critical. 

When you donate today, you will be supporting our investigations and all our programs and operations working to build a more compassionate world for all.