First they ignore you. 
Then they ridicule you. 
Then they fight you. 
Then you win.

This old adage is one that campaigners know all too well. Because when the people defending cruelty and injustice escalate their fight—that’s when you know you’re making an impact.

If the fact that the factory farming industry is escalating its fight to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is any indication, our impact as a movement has never been greater.

You read that right. In a few short weeks, the pig industry will state its case to the Supreme Court, hoping that SCOTUS will overturn a Californian law that is widely held as the strongest animal welfare law in the world: Proposition 12.

You might have heard me mention Prop 12. It’s a law that The Humane League fought hard for—and is now defending. Within California, Prop 12 prohibits the sale of products from the cruelest factory farming systems of all: those that confine mother pigs, egg-laying hens, and baby calves in tiny metal cages.

The day caring Californians overwhelmingly voted in favor of Prop 12 was a watershed moment. Never before was it so clear that an informed community would not tolerate extreme cruelty. As Prop 12 was enshrined into law, it reflected the shift we’re seeing from leading corporations that are responding positively to our campaigns to eradicate these cruel cages from their supply chains.

But not everyone was happy about this progress.

Rather than embrace the path towards a more compassionate future, the pig industry is fighting tooth and nail to maintain its legal right to keep pigs in cages. This industry has already tried to overturn Prop 12 in numerous courts. Alongside our allied organizations, The Humane League has defended Prop 12 at every level—and we’ve won, at every level. Unsatisfied with defeat, the pig industry is now taking its case to the highest court in the land in hopes that the Supreme Court will rule in its favor. I assure you, we are defending Prop 12 there, too.

A great deal of uncertainty lies ahead of us. Nobody can predict how the Supreme Court will rule. But what is certain is that cruel industries will stop at nothing to maintain their ability to confine, harm, and abuse animals. We see it continually in our corporate campaigns. Now we’re seeing it at the Supreme Court.

We can’t let this new threat to animals take us backwards.

As our legal team continues to defend Prop 12 in the courts, we must maintain pressure on the corporate interests that draw their profits from this cruel industry. We can’t let this power-move intimidate us or stop us from waging our unique blend of bold and fierce advocacy on behalf of animals.

That’s where you come in. This year, as World Farm Animals Day approaches, we’re coming together—donors, activists, and campaigners—to show this industry that kindness will prevail. We need to raise funds to pressure corporations to end these abusive practices—regardless of what happens at the Supreme Court. I know we can do this, but it will take all of us.

You’ve already shown that cruelty has no place in our food system. You’ve defied corporate bullies and helped secure critical wins that have spared animals from some of the worst abuse imaginable. If you have the means, I can promise you that your gift today will sustain this fight, and defend animals where they need us most.

A world where animals are no longer abused for profit is possible. Thank you for helping us get there.

P.S. In asking the Supreme Court to overturn Prop 12, the pig industry is dismissing the interests of animals—and everyone who cares about them. This World Farm Animals Day, will you join us to fight back against corporations that profit from animal abuse?