UNCHAINEDTV'S Truth Files with Jane Velez-Mitchell
What if I told you there's a way to be healthier, save money, save animals, save the planet and be happier? If you like how that sounds, give us a listen. The UnchainedTV "Truth Files with Jane Velez-Mitchell" podcast offers you a new way of living. Our host, TV journalist and New York Times bestselling author Jane Velez-Mitchell, helps you turn on the lightbulb and jump to the next phase of human evolution. There's a peaceful, joyous, sustainable, healthy, fun way of living right under our noses. The secret is simple: don’t look for it out there, practice it in your daily choices. You might say, the solution to so many of the world's problems is right on your plate. Visit: https://watch.unchainedtv.com/browse for more info.
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What Happens If Whales Disappear From Our Oceans?
08/10/2026
What Happens If Whales Disappear From Our Oceans?
Protect our oceans before one of their most important species disappears. What happens if whales disappear from our oceans—and why should every person on the planet care? In this powerful conversation, Captain Paul Watson joins Jane Velez-Mitchell to expose the ongoing fight against whaling in Iceland and explain why protecting whales is essential to the health of our oceans and our future. “If phytoplankton disappears from the ocean, we die.” – Captain Paul Watson What You’ll Discover Captain Paul Watson takes us inside the dramatic confrontation in Iceland involving the Bandero, the Icelandic Coast Guard and the fight to stop whales from being killed. He explains how decades of anti-whaling activism have helped transform attitudes toward commercial whaling and reveals why whales play such an extraordinary role in maintaining ocean ecosystems. Watson also discusses climate change, marine wildlife, factory farming, fishing gear and plastic pollution—and why he believes going vegan can help protect our oceans. “The whales are the farmers of the ocean.” – Captain Paul Watson Join the Adventure Discover why the fight to save whales is ultimately a fight to protect our oceans and ourselves. Hear Captain Paul Watson’s extraordinary stories of direct action, learn about his philosophy of “aggressive non-violence,” and find out how ordinary people can speak up for whales and marine wildlife. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant-based, cruelty-free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm 🔴 Reddit / 📺 Rumble / TRANSCRIPT: captain paul watson speaks! (720p) (0:18) At least at the door of the bridge. (0:19) You know, you know, you know. (0:20) John, John, John, let's go. (0:21) John, now, at the door of the bridge. (0:24) Okay. (0:24) You'll be alright in a bit. (0:42) Put the phones down! (0:45) Put the phones down! (0:47) Hands up! (0:49) Put the phones down! (0:51) Hands up! (0:54) Thank you! (0:56) Captain! (0:58) Uh... (1:00) Uh... (1:28) few days ago, tell us what exactly went on. Put that extraordinary footage into context for us. (1:36) Well, we decided we were going to, you know, have to focus attention on Iceland's continued (1:41) illegal whaling operations. So I sent the Bandera to Icelandic waters and the object was to confront (1:48) one of the whaling vessels that came out. The problem right from the beginning was is that (1:52) Iceland put their entire coast guard on alert to stop us. And so they were providing our positions (1:59) to the whaling ships all the time. That made it unable, we could not close in on them to confront (2:04) them. So finally I decided, okay, let's go right into the 12 mile limit and go straight towards (2:10) the whale processing plant and we'll head off the whaling ships that way. And that worked. (2:13) As we went in, we saw the Havlar 9, one of the whaling vessels. As soon as it saw us, it turned (2:19) and returned to port fleeing and calling the Coast Guard for support. And the Coast Guard were (2:26) well prepared for this. They had one ship, two aircraft, one helicopter, a so-called special (2:31) forces boarding unit. In fact, it couldn't have gone better if I had have scripted it myself, (2:37) because as the director of the Coast Guard, he said this was a real James Bond operation. So they (2:43) had a lot of fun with it. But, you know, all of this was provided by the Coast Guard and helped (2:49) us to focus attention on Christian Lawson's whaling operation. Nobody got hurt. We didn't (2:55) actually break any laws. So everybody overreacted and we got our message across. And Iceland is (3:03) right now debating whether they're going to join the European Union. And if they do, (3:07) they won't be allowed to kill whales. So we wanted to put a lot of attention (3:10) on this whaling operation in Europe, especially. So you have 21 crew members. They were (3:18) captured essentially by the special forces unit that boarded their ship in such dramatic fashion (3:26) and they were kept on the ship for several days. And then what happened and what is their status (3:34) right now, Captain Watson? Well, Iceland made a lot of mistakes. They detained the crew. (3:39) There were no charges. They brought them into Reykjavik and confined them to the ship for four (3:44) days. They seized cameras, phones, laptops without warrants. They then took people to interrogation (3:53) without allowing us to have lawyers present. All of this certainly helped us our case quite a bit. (4:00) And then after four days, the decision was made to release everybody and allow them to have access (4:07) to Reykjavik or walk about town if they wanted to. And then a few days later, the order says deport (4:13) everybody. So then they deported everybody except for our chief engineer and one of our officers (4:18) to watch the ship. So there are no charges, but they were deported. We were trying to figure (4:23) out exactly on what justification was that deportation if there was actually no criminal (4:28) charges. And we haven't been able to get an answer on that. So the bottom line, though, for the 21, (4:35) that except for one individual, they've all been deported out of Iceland. So they're no longer (4:41) in Iceland, just to clarify. They're no longer in Iceland. Our chief engineer and one of our officers (4:48) elected to stay. And we convinced the Icelandic government that they needed to be there to take (4:53) care of the ship. Otherwise, you know, the ship was at the mercy of the Icelandic authorities. (4:59) I want to show this QR code to those watching because so many people are outraged by this. (5:05) You can take your phone, put it on the QR code. I did it last night and sent letters to something (5:13) like 17 officials in Iceland. For those watching, why is that outreach to Iceland officials so (5:23) important? The interesting thing in Iceland is about half the population is opposed to whaling, (5:28) half are for it. And there's a big division politically. So there's one political party (5:32) that's opposed to whaling, another political party which is supporting it. And so we're right (5:37) in the middle of that. And certainly we're contributing to that controversy. In addition (5:42) to our ship's crew, we also have a crew that's been on the ground for over a month and a half (5:46) and are still there. And that's our land crew from the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in the UK. (5:52) And what they've been doing and they've been doing it for the last few years is they document every (5:57) single whale that is brought into the whaling station to cite them for violations. And we've (6:02) collected numerous violations, including one whale that was struck four times with a harpoon taking (6:07) over an hour to die. That's a violation of Icelandic law. We also have pollution evidence (6:14) from that plant. We presented that to the Icelandic government. But there was no enforcement, (6:18) no charges. So the problem is, is that Kristian Lofsson is the wealthiest man and one of the (6:23) wealthiest men in Iceland, has enormous influence with the government and on the island. And he's (6:30) the one behind the killing of whales. He's 80 years old. He doesn't kill whales for money. (6:34) There's no money made by this whaling operation. It costs Lofsson between one and two million (6:40) dollars a year just to do it. There's no market for it to sell this whale meat. It's just put (6:44) into warehouses and kept. And the reason he does it, he likes to do it. It's a hobby, pretty much. (6:50) It's a very expensive hobby, but it's what he wants to do. And he's not going to have anybody (6:55) tell him what they can and cannot do. So this is really Kristian Lofsson exercising his authority, (7:01) his influence in Iceland. And a lot of Icelanders are very upset with this. (7:08) Well, I have to say, we invite him on Unchained TV anytime. We would love to dialogue with him. (7:14) We'd love to set up a debate between him and Captain Paul Watson. I have to say, (7:19) it doesn't make any sense to me. There's no justification for killing these whales. (7:26) People aren't eating whale meat. Correct me if I'm wrong. We no longer need or could even use whale (7:35) products for fuel or the alternative to gas. So you're saying that it's simply a hobby by one (7:45) rich individual, all this carnage? And the only market they had was Japan, (7:50) but Japan refuses to buy the whale meat from Iceland now because they say they don't need it. (7:55) There is a couple of restaurants in Reykjavik that sell whale meat, but one whale could provide all (8:00) of that. And strangely enough, the only customers that really go to this restaurant to buy whale (8:05) meat or to have a whale dinner are Americans and Europeans. The Icelanders don't actually do it. (8:11) So it's really part of the tourist trade, but that's one whale. That's all it takes. (8:15) They've also come up with this bizarre idea to make whale testicle beer. (8:19) They market this beer that's made out of, that includes the testicles of the fin whales. (8:24) It makes no sense to me why they do this. This guy's a rather strange individual. (8:29) He didn't do himself any favors when they brought in one big male whale. And on camera, (8:35) our crew caught them, this one employee grabbing this penis of this whale, which is bigger than (8:41) himself and like sort of playing with it. Well, the rest of the crew sang the Icelandic national (8:47) anthem and laughed and that's all on camera. So a lot of Icelanders are pretty upset about that too. (8:54) Wow. It's so sad and so sick. And it just breaks my heart that humanity treats other sentient (9:01) beings this way, especially when we're in the midst of the sixth mass extinction and we should(9:06) be preserving every wild animal. And this battle is happening to whales. It's also happening right (9:13) here in my own backyard. We have a whole community trying to save the last coastal wetlands here in (9:19) Los Angeles from bulldozing. Why do you think, despite all the dire warnings, despite the (9:26) evidence that climate change is upon us with fires raging in the United States, Canada and Europe, (9:32) that people are not connecting the dots, even at their own peril, that when the wildlife goes (9:40) on land and on sea, we go? People just are in denial on this. I've written two books on climate (9:47) change, first in 2015 and one two years ago. And in those books, I actually predicted the fires (9:52) in Los Angeles and Spain and France and said it's going to get worse. And it is going to get worse. (9:58) But people don't want to hear it. And politicians won't solve the problem because it's too(10:02) controversial. They're only interested in the next election. They're not really interested in what's (10:07) going to happen 10, 15, 20 years from now. I thought it was rather strange the other day when (10:12) Donald Trump was on there. He says, I don't understand that these are the hottest last (10:17) four years I've ever heard of. Where are all these fires coming from? He's asking the question (10:23) and he refuses to listen to the answer. Now, you are known, renowned, famous for your bravery, (10:33) which was documented on the hit TV series Whale Wars. And your crew, it's contagious because your (10:40) is very, very courageous as well. You in 2024 were arrested in Greenland and they wanted to (10:50) extradite you to Japan. Tell us what happened there because we have some images of protests (11:00) that were happening globally around the world. And by the way, people are watching from Belgium, (11:04) Costa Rica, France, all over the world as we converse and talk today. But tell us what happened (11:12) that sparked these protests and how it ended up. Well, we were on our way to Japan through (11:17) the Northwest Passage, but we had to stop and refuel in Nook in Greenland. And we had just (11:23) come in and about a half hour after arriving, this special force team of Danish police officers (11:29) came on board looking very serious. And one of them came right up to me, grabbed me by the shirt, (11:35) pulled me off the chair and didn't. I said, am I under arrest? He says, come with me and whatever. (11:41) Interestingly enough, those police officers were flown the night before in from Copenhagen just to (11:45) do this. And this was all on a Japanese Interpol warrant to have me arrested and extradited. (11:51) And so that actually was a great opportunity. I went to the prison for the next five months and (11:57) used that as a way of focusing attention on Japan's continued illegal whaling operation. (12:03) And we went every month. I had to appear in court and they didn't know what to do with me. And (12:07) finally, after five months, I was released. But that was thanks to the fact that a million people (12:12) signed a petition. There were protests all over the world. Most of the cities in Paris, actually, (12:18) or in France, hung banners asking for my freedom. And I got support from President Macron, (12:24) Prime Minister of France, the President of Brazil and also from Pope Francis. And this (12:30) really spooked the Danes. And the decision by the court was to extradite me. But the next day, (12:35) the attorney general for Denmark made the political decision to release me. And then (12:41) within six months, Interpol dismissed the red notice on the grounds that it was politically (12:47) motivated. So Japan lost that. But they're still trying to get me. So last November, (12:51) when I attended the climate change conference in Brazil, I arrived. And two days later, (12:57) or I mean, yeah, just two days later, I got a call from the Brazilian federal police saying (13:02) that Japan had asked for my arrest and extradition. And I said, well, what are you going to do about (13:07) it? And the officer said, well, they said they submitted their request in English. And we told (13:12) them, you know, it has to be submitted in Portuguese. So I had to resubmit it. And in the (13:18) of Brazil to remain in Brazil with the assurance that I would not be extradited.(13:25) So we're getting so many comments. Patty Shanker, who's a big fan of yours, says, (13:31) what can people like us do to help now? I may be able to help with that because (13:36) Captain Watson's foundation has a whole very sophisticated system where if you just scan (13:44) that QR code right there, it opens you up to sending a series of letters to something like (13:49) 17 officials in Iceland, including the very top government officials. So I'm speaking long enough (13:57) to give you the opportunity to whip out your cell phone. And you can take a snapshot of it. Or you (14:03) can just put your phone on and scan it and start writing those letters right now. Everybody (14:10) watching, take a moment to either take a photograph of this to do it later or do it right now. I did (14:17) it last night. It took me 30 seconds. And I sent emails to 17 top officials in Iceland. And this is (14:25) so important because the government's resources are not being used to stop climate change, to stop (14:35) habitat destruction, to stop wildlife extinction, to stop the persecution of these whales that are (14:44) so threatened. The resources of the government are being used to persecute Captain Paul Watson's crew (14:52) on the Bandero. So it is such extraordinary footage. I want to take an opportunity to (14:59) watch it again, because it is something out of a movie. (16:15) Truly bizarre. Some of the comments we're getting, Patty, arresting the wrong people. (16:22) Dionne, this is literally insane. The footage cannot be real, but unfortunately it is. (16:28) Ruta, Captain Paul Watson is a hero. We've got somebody else saying there's only one reason for (16:34) killing any life form, stupidity, brainwashing, which results in sadism. Humans are frugivores. (16:40) Our natural food is fruit, the Ahimsa diet. Everyone send those emails. We will put up(16:47) the QR code again. But just giving a sense of, Maria says, I sent all of those emails last week. (16:58) What else can we do? What else can be done beyond sending those emails via the QR code, Captain (17:05) Watson? You know, I would have had my crew resist boarding, but it worked better out this way,(17:11) because they really had nothing that they could charge us with. But they're still holding the(17:16) Bandero, but without any reason for holding the Bandero. I said, I'm not going to pay any fines. (17:22) I'm not going to pay for berthage costs, port costs or anything. And they said, well, if you (17:25) don't pay, you don't get your ship back. And I said, well, then we'll go to court and see how (17:28) long that lasts. But the ship is now in downtown Reykjavik with a big banner on the side saying, (17:34) stop whaling. And the actual Reykjavik camera that goes out to the general public is focused (17:39) right on the ship. So it's great, great advertising. But yeah, keep putting pressure (17:45) on the government in Iceland and making it clear to also members of the European Parliament that (17:51) if Iceland wants to join the European Union, they have to stop whaling. And it automatically, (17:58) they will have to stop anyway. So the negotiations are going on right now between Iceland and the (18:03) European Union about joining. And of course, the whalers want to not join, but I think the general (18:09) consensus in Iceland is to join. The Icelanders have found that there is much more money to be (18:14) made from the whale watching industry, which is very, very big in Iceland. And it's probably (18:19) the only whale watching place in the world where as people are going out to watch whales, (18:23) they see ships coming back with dead whales strapped to the side. And that's really offending a lot of (18:29) people. But the thing that we can never forget here is that Iceland, specifically Christian (18:35) Lawson, is killing endangered fin whales in violation of the International Whaling Commission's (18:40) global moratorium on whaling. What he's doing is illegal. And the United States and other countries (18:47) have an obligation under the International Whaling Commission rules to impose sanctions (18:52) on any country that doesn't abide by IWC regulations, but they refuse to do it because (18:57) of trade considerations. Trade considerations always take precedence over the enforcement of (19:03) international conservation law. When people ask, why do I do what I do? Why don't my crew do this? (19:08) The answer is very simple, because the governments of the world are not doing their job. They're not (19:12) upholding their responsibility....
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What Is Costco Hiding About Organic Chicken?
08/04/2026
What Is Costco Hiding About Organic Chicken?
A new Mercy For Animals investigation raises serious questions about conditions at a farm supplying chickens to Costco and explores whether consumer expectations for organic animal welfare are being met. This episode of Truth Files with Jane Velez Mitchell examines the undercover investigation, the responses from the companies involved, and what advocates say needs to change. "A new investigation revealed the sickening reality of so-called organic chicken." Host Jane Velez-Mitchell speaks with Mercy For Animals about footage gathered during an undercover investigation at a North Carolina farm supplying Costco's chicken supply chain. The discussion explores allegations of animal suffering, the meaning of organic standards, and why advocates are calling for stronger oversight and independent auditing. The episode also discusses Costco's response directing inquiries to its supplier and the broader debate over retailer responsibility. Additional reporting on the investigation has been covered by Vox, providing further public context for the discussion. "Costco promised reform after our 2021 investigation." Join the Conversation What should companies do to ensure animal welfare throughout their supply chains? Listen, share this episode, and learn more about the issues discussed. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer, and New York Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world's premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers more than 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle programs, and news features. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE: 📘 Facebook: janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack: 📸 Instagram: @unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter/X: @jvm TRANSCRIPT: Shocking New Mercy for Animals Investigation into Costco Chicken Supplier (0:03) Live from the Unchained TV headquarters in Los Angeles, California, this is Truth Files with Jane Velez Mitchell. (0:11) A new investigation revealed the sickening reality of so-called organic chicken. (0:18) Our investigators spent weeks working at an organic chicken farm that supplies Costco and filming the horrors they witnessed. (0:30) Baby chicks who were ill, injured, or just not growing fast enough were dropped into buckets along with those who had died, (0:40) and then dumped into compost piles, even though some were clearly still alive and chirping. (0:48) So disturbing, really heartbreaking images. (0:52) And by the way, this investigation is the subject of a major article in Vox entitled, (1:00) Costco's Organic Chicken Isn't What It Seems. (1:03) A disturbing new investigation reveals how easy it is for farms to subvert organic rules and hide animal cruelty. (1:10) And now we're very excited to have on the president of Mercy for Animals, Arash Yomtobi. (1:15) Arash, thanks for joining us. Put these disturbing images into context for us. (1:21) Tell us about your undercover investigation.(1:24) Well, thanks so much for having me, Jane. (1:26) You know, Jane, in the 25-year history as an organization, (1:33) Mercy for Animals has conducted 150 investigations that expose the truth and shed light onto the practices of factory farming. (1:41) Now, I can't say that I've watched all of them, but I've seen many of them, (1:48) both in terms of what we've done as well as many other investigations. (1:51) And the footage and documentation from this latest investigation from a farm in North Carolina (2:00) raising chickens for Costco is really unfathomable and disturbing. (2:04) From blatant animal cruelty to biosecurity and health-related issues being broken to USDA organic standards not being upheld, (2:14) even though these chickens were sold as organic. (2:17) But the biggest takeaway for those watching today is that this isn't just about one farm. (2:24) In fact, this is the second time in five years that Mercy for Animals has exposed horrific cruelty connected to Costco's chicken supply chain. (2:34) Costco promised reform after our 2021 investigation. (2:38) We went back and animals are still suffering. (2:41) These are not isolated incidents. (2:44) They reflect broader systemic problems within factory farming. (2:49) Well, we're going to get to Costco's comment and Pilgrim's Pride comment in just a moment. (2:55) But first, let's play part two of the video of your undercover investigation. (3:00) Once they grew bigger, those who were sick or hurt got beaten with a pipe. (3:14) Thrown into piles filled with the dead. (3:18) And then dumped into the compost piles. (3:21) Here, those still moving and making noise are beaten with a rake. (3:34) Wow. (3:35) Your undercover investigator said he documented more than 70 incidents of improper euthanasia, which sounds very clinical, (3:43) with the farm manager regularly euthanizing sick and injured chickens by bludgeoning them with PVC pipes and rakes. (3:50) In one instance, he crushed a bird with a bucket and another slamming a chicken against a wall. (3:55) I mean, this is so disturbing. (4:00) It's almost hard to process. (4:04) The speed in which they've been bred to grow, to be top heavy, to meet the demands for chicken breasts. (4:10) Many chickens were seen struggling to walk, many with broken bones.(4:15) And they endure chronic pain throughout their short lives. (4:20) So, we are going to talk now about what Costco has said. (4:26) And by the way, you have a petition at CostcoExposed.com that you're urging people to sign. (4:33) So, let's talk a little bit about what Costco has said. (4:37) We reached out to Costco, we had Unchained TV, and we invite them or anyone connected to the story on at any time, any companies. (4:45) But essentially what they said, and here's just a screen grab of the email, Costco Media Inquiry. (4:52) Good afternoon, Jane. Thank you for reaching out to Costco and completing the media inquiry form. (4:56) Please contact Pilgrims with a website with your inquiry. (5:01) We appreciate your interest in Costco Wholesale. (5:03) Please do not attribute my name to the information in this email. (5:06) Kind regards, and the person who sent this. (5:09) And Pilgrims, we also reached out to them. (5:13) They issued a long statement. (5:14) Here are some of the highlights. (5:15) Pilgrims is deeply disturbed by the content depicted in the video footage collected at a farm operated by one of our independent contract growers. (5:22) The treatment shown is unacceptable, violates our animal welfare standards, and does not reflect the values of our company. (5:29) Animal welfare is a core responsibility at Pilgrims. (5:31) We require all growers and their employees to undergo comprehensive animal welfare training,(5:36) and adhere to strict standards designed to protect the health and well-being of the animals in their care. (5:40) In this case, a grower and certain farm employees failed to uphold those standards and ignored the training and expectations provided by Pilgrims. (5:47) Upon becoming aware of this conduct, we immediately terminated our relationship with the grower. (5:51) We're also conducting a comprehensive review of our animal welfare training and compliance programs, (5:55) and initiating additional third-party audits across our grower network beginning this week. (6:01) Your response to the Costco statement, which simply directs us to Pilgrims and Pilgrims.(6:10) Yeah, dropping one farm or supplier is crisis management. (6:15) It's not animal protection, and it's not accountability to consumers. (6:19) While Pilgrims' pride cutting ties with one supplier addresses a single incident, (6:24) it doesn't fix the fundamental problem. (6:28) And while actions taken at a single supplier may address one situation, (6:33) they don't resolve the broader issues that can exist throughout the entire supply chain. (6:38) Let me put this into context for you, Jane. (6:41) This one farm is estimated to raise up to 520,000 chickens each year, (6:46) but Costco's influence extends far beyond a single supplier. (6:51) Costco's vertically integrated supplier, Lincoln Premium Poultry, (6:56) raises around 100 million birds per year and represents 40% of Costco's supply chain. (7:03) So without proper independent auditing and transparency, (7:07) if Costco or Pilgrims simply cut ties with this one farm, (7:13) the problem can just move to the next farm and the farm after that. (7:17) And frankly, our investigation from 2021 just reinforces that. (7:24) What matters is whether Costco adopts enforceable standards (7:27) that follow every chicken in its supply chain, no matter where that animal is raised. (7:35) Consumers don't buy chicken based on the name of an individual farm. (7:39) They buy it from Costco because they trust Costco. (7:44) And in fact, Costco charges and makes most of its profits from an annual membership fee, (7:49) which I'm a paying member of.(7:51) People pay that membership for the trust and consistency that Costco prides itself on. (7:57) That's why Costco cannot outsource responsibility here. (8:01) Shoppers aren't tracking down which farm or processor supplied the meat. (8:07) They place their trust in retailers where they shop, (8:11) and they expect brands like Costco to set meaningful standards throughout the supply chain. (8:18) All right, well, let's continue on with the Mercy for Animals (8:22) undercover video of this animal factory that supplies chickens to Pilgrim's Pride, (8:28) which in turn supplies them to Costco. (8:52) Never allowed outdoors, never breathing fresh air or standing in grass, (8:56) in violation of organic requirements. (8:59) This is the outdoor pen they never saw. (9:03) Why is that so significant that they, according to your undercover investigator, (9:08) never got to the outdoor area? (9:11) That is required to call yourself organic, is it not? (9:16) It is, and consumers associate USDA organic with higher standards. (9:20) Now, no label can make animal suffering acceptable, (9:24) but Costco sold this chicken as organic, (9:28) and consumers were asked to trust that these standards were being followed and met. (9:33) What our investigator documented raises serious questions about that trust. (9:38) Birds clearly denied outdoor access, birds standing in feces-filled mud, (9:43) high ammonia levels, inadequate darkness for sleep. (9:47) These are not small technical violations. (9:50) These conditions cause suffering, (9:53) and the investigation documented conditions that raised questions (9:56) about whether those expectations were fulfilled. (9:59) But this isn't, again, about one farm. (10:02) This investigation focuses on one supplier,(10:05) but Costco's influence extends far beyond one farm. (10:09) The company has the power to reduce suffering for more than 250 million chickens annually (10:15) by implementing proven, science-backed animal welfare standards throughout its supply chain. (10:23) All right, well, we are going to continue with the video of your undercover investigation.(10:29) And in the buildings where the animals were forced to spend their lives, (10:32) leaks and uneven flooring contributed to feces-filled mud (10:36) that birds were left to stand and walk in.(10:42) The farm also failed to take the most basic measures (10:46) to prevent the spread of diseases that could endanger humans. (10:49) Their practices included carrying dead chickens into different buildings that contained living ones (10:55) and never stepping into the standard boot sanitizer. (10:58) And the investigator repeatedly witnessed darkling beetles, (11:02) which can spread E. coli and salmonella. (11:05) Worst of all, even if a farm has none of these conditions or abuses, (11:10) Costco chickens have been genetically selected to grow so quickly (11:14) that their bodies collapse under their own weight. (11:17) Chickens bred for such unnaturally fast growth are known to endure crippling pain, (11:23) immobility, leg deformities, and even heart failure, often when they're still babies. (11:32) Oh, this is difficult to watch. (11:35) And it is, it's heartbreaking. It really is. (11:40) What about this whole issue involving the size of the chickens? (11:46) And the average consumer may feel, well, nobody has control of that. (11:51) That's nature. What are your thoughts? (11:54) Well, in fact, we do have control over that. (11:58) Most of the chickens in the supply chain at Costco and across factory farms across the world (12:06) are fast growing breeds. (12:10) And that is ultimately as a result of the demand to be able to have a lot of,(12:17) they're made top heavy to have more, to keep up with the demand for white meat. (12:23) There are alternatives that science fact has shown slower growing breeds (12:30) that reduces significant amount of suffering. (12:33) These large breeds grow so quickly and the young bones and anatomy of these chickens (12:40) and chicks, frankly, don't have the ability to hold up their weight. (12:46) So you end up with results of extreme pain, chronic suffering, broken bones,(12:53) lots of different painful syndromes. (12:56) And I'll say one other thing. (12:58) It's important to note that the birds suffering from foot infections due to feces filled litter (13:04) and sleep deprivation from constant light and respiratory damage and burns around their eyes (13:11) from dangerous ammonia levels aren't just isolated failures. (13:16) They're very much predictable results of standard industry practice. (13:22) And Costco allows these to happen. (13:24) Consumers paying a premium shouldn't have to wonder if the outdoor access promised (13:29) by the USDA organic label was canceled because of a fabricated weather excuse, (13:36) which is what our investigator documented. (13:39) The reality is that proven science fact standards, slower growing breeds already exist. (13:45) And that mandate and the processes also mandate better air quality, (13:51) periods of darkness for rest, meaningful outdoor access. (13:56) Costco doesn't need to reinvent the wheel.(13:59) They just need to step up, honor their past promises, (14:03) and actually choose to enforce these standards across their supply chain. (14:08) So let's take a look at what some folks are saying. (14:12) People should have to witness and feel the effects and consequences of their actions. (14:16) They are too far removed from the reality and pain they call. (14:19) The way to get the general public on board is to unveil to them (14:23) the extreme physical dangers and their children. (14:25) We've got to get them to actually watch the footage because most don't want to see it. (14:31) And this woman, Nilo Farr, says, I plan to speak to Costco manager (14:35) the next time I visit them in Arlington. (14:38) What is it that you would like people to do? (14:40) Obviously, you want them to sign the petition, which is at CostcoExposed.com. (14:46) But what can the general public do beyond that?(14:51) Aside from, obviously, not consuming the chicken (14:54) would be probably your ultimate recommendation. (14:59) But I don't want to put words in your mouth. (15:02) No, I mean, I agree with you, Jane. (15:04) Ultimately, it's a each person is there to make their own decisions. (15:08) I personally do not consume any animals and have not done so for the last 10 years, (15:15) nor has my entire family, including our companion animals. (15:19) And we are all thriving. (15:21) But at the end of the day, consumers are being absolutely misled. (15:26) And people pay a premium for the USDA organic label, for standards at Costco. (15:34) And so first step, we would love for everyone to go to CostcoExposed.com, (15:39) take two minutes, get involved with us. (15:42) There's a number of ways to get involved. (15:45) Once you're on CostcoExposed.com, you can sign up, (15:50) and we will automate a message that can get sent to Costco. (15:55) Your voice, whether you are a Costco member or whether you're not, (16:00) goes far further than you think. (16:02) And then there are other ways that you can learn about getting involved on Costco Exposed, (16:08) as well as on At Mercy for Animals. (16:10) All right, well, we have the final piece of this undercover investigation video. (16:16) Let's play it. (16:17) We exposed Costco's cruelty in 2021. (16:21) They did nothing of impact. (16:23) Costco still has no meaningful standards across their operations, (16:27) and animals are still paying the price with their suffering. (16:31) It's time to hold Costco accountable. (16:43) Getting back to the Costco statement, (16:45) basically, I asked for a comment to the undercover investigation and the video, (16:51) and they directed me to Pilgrims, which seems to imply, (16:55) and they're invited on any time to dialogue.(16:58) We'd love to dialogue with Costco, (17:00) but it seems to imply that they are saying, (17:03) it's not our responsibility, it's Pilgrim's. (17:05) What is your reaction to that? (17:08) Ultimately, their responsibility is built on the promises(17:12) that they make to their customers and to their members. (17:15) It is a company, an enterprise that is built on trust and consistency. (17:21) This has been broken. (17:24) They made their promise five years ago after our first investigation in 2021, (17:28) and they broke that. (17:30) Costco does not need to reinvent the wheel. (17:33) Proven standards and science-backed measures already exist. (17:37) Slower-growing breeds can meaningfully reduce the suffering (17:41) that the fast-growing breeds endure chronically. (17:44) Improved living conditions like better litter to reduce infections(17:48) and the risk of infections and disease spread. (17:52) Proper lighting with adequate time for darkness so the chickens can rest. (17:57) Enrichments to allow for their natural behaviors in their young lives, (18:02) and independent auditing and transparency. (18:05) These are reasonable and achievable. (18:07) Costco just has to make the decision to do it. (18:11) Let's talk about the government, (18:14) because if you're organic, certified organic, (18:17) there are rules that go along with it. (18:19) As we've talked about, access to the outdoors, (18:22) which your undercover investigator said in his two-and-a-half months (18:25) he never saw the chickens get. (18:27) So the USDA said to Vox, (18:29) it must provide, quote, due process under the law (18:32) and allowing certified organic farms to come into compliance (18:35) when problems occur. (18:37) So just as a person, (18:40) I would say due process does not happen (18:43) without some kind of inquiry or investigation. (18:47) In order to gather the facts so that due process can occur.(18:50) So what is it that you would like to see from the U.S. government? (18:54) Yes, well, we've already taken this step. (18:57) Mercy for Animals submitted extensive documented evidence to the USDA (19:02) and also filed a criminal complaint. (19:05) So they have all the facts needed to act. (19:08) And while due process takes time, (19:10) the reality is consumers shouldn't have to rely (19:13) on an undercover investigation or a nonprofit (19:16) to uncover conditions that violate organic standards. (19:21) And more importantly, (19:22) I don't think that Costco needs to wait on government bureaucracy. (19:27) Costco approved this supplier (19:29) and has direct control over its supply chain right now. (19:33) They have the power and responsibility today (19:35) to enforce real meaningful standards (19:38) for the 250 million chickens in...
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Fight for Wild Horses
07/22/2026
Fight for Wild Horses
America's wild horses are facing one of their most critical moments in years. From the proposed roundup of the Montgomery Pass herd in California's Eastern Sierra to nationwide policy changes that could affect wild horse management across the West, important decisions are being made now. Wildlife ecologist Craig C. Downer and Karen Sussman of the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros, join Lindsey Baker to explain what's happening and why it matters. The discussion explores the science, the controversy, and the human impact behind helicopter roundups, habitat protection, long-term holding facilities, and current legislation. Most importantly, viewers will learn practical ways to make their voices heard and help protect America's iconic wild horses for generations to come. TRANSCRIPT: Fight for Wild Horses (0:00) Welcome to Action Hour podcast. I have breaking news. America's wild horses need your help today. (0:09) Major decisions are being made and hundreds of horses face helicopter roundups that could (0:14) separate families and send many of them into government holding facilities. Today I'm joined (0:21) by three leading wild horse advocates to explain what's happening. Let's talk to them now. (0:27) Welcome. I'm here with Karen Sussman and Craig Downer. Both are wild horse advocates and I (0:35) would say experts. They've both been advocating for wild horses for many, many, many years and (0:43) we have some breaking news for you today. We have action you actually have to take today. (0:50) Yeah, I gave my input on the 30th of June and this is a very serious proposal because it largely (0:56) exempts the public lands ranchers and the BLM and I guess it probably influenced the Forest Service (1:05) too from abiding by environmental laws and Wild Horse and Burrow Act when it comes to their plans (1:13) for the wild horses. In other words, they're not valuing the wild horses and burrows (1:20) and they're letting the big monopolizers of the public lands call the shots and that's (1:27) outrageous. But why is it so important? Like what happens to the horses when they're rounded up? (1:36) Yeah, well they'll be eliminated pretty much from their legal areas or taken down to extremely low (1:43) genetically non-viable levels and they'll allow the ranchers to have even more of a monopoly (1:52) and the other interests in their legal habitats where they're supposed to be (1:57) the principal resource recipient. So they're really subverting the true intent and spirit (2:05) of the Wild Tree Roaming Horse and Burrows Act and ignoring the general public in this (2:11) wonderful quality of life issue by treating these wonderful animals as misfits and the truth is (2:19) they're all the opposite. They're actually deeply rooted North American natives that (2:26) are wonderful restorers of ecosystems as a keystone species. It's always been, you know, (2:34) the cattle ranchers or other corporate interests come in and take over the horse's land that's (2:41) theirs but it seems like it's accelerated. Do you feel Karen that it has and if so why do you think (2:48) it's suddenly it's even with all of these action items we have so many things happening to the (2:54) horses. Why do you think that's happening right now? Well I believe that it has been going on (3:00) throughout history where the cattlemen have always had a greater right to the land even though that (3:06) they have a privilege the horses have a right but this is continued but in this particular(3:12) administration they're very proactive cattle and what they're going to do is reduce all kinds of (3:17) regulations that the cattle people have to do in order to contain their keep their permits going (3:25) and there's going to be fewer regulations for the cattle when in essence there already has been for (3:32) years no regulations for cattle people. The BLM has been and the Forest Service has been negligent (3:40) in being able to monitor the habitat to determine who actually is doing damage when they find out (3:49) that the cattle are doing the damage they ignore it. Yes that seems to be the story that we continue (3:57) to hear and this like I said this has been going on and it seems to be accelerating we are not (4:05) Unchained TV is not a political channel or animal rights and conservation channel so we do not take (4:12) political sides we want to state that right now but we are not in favor of either side (4:18) approaching and I think both corporate interests on both sides have done so in the past. Craig (4:24) yeah that's that's for the Montgomery Pass wild horse herd that's one of the most(4:31) pristine un-PCP'd, un-gonocond, un-castrated herds that's been studied for many years and it's a (4:42) vibrant vital herd that they're trying to gut this herd and I did an appeal on this and now (4:52) and we're doing we've done a TRO and so have two Native American tribes so it's not certain that (4:59) the roundup will start however I think it would be good if you contact the Inyo National Forest (5:06) and I've given you the the website and you just go on contact us and you can voice your opinion (5:14) and that's bound to to have make a difference if you're yeah I want to make Craig I want to (5:21) make sure I can bring up the right one oh here we are Montgomery herd correct (5:26) uh yeah I I sent you that yeah that's it right there it's up in the corner now so Craig as (5:32) Craig's explaining and talking uh tell us a little bit more about why they're picking on this herd (5:39) and what is so uh wrong with what they're doing the science behind it it's because we delved into (5:46) this both the uh the medical doctor and the professional nature filmer yeah Sherry Tobin (5:54) and Carl Mrozek and we discovered that this is kind of a setup against these animals whereby (6:02) they have excluded them from vital water sources and basically not given them any value in their (6:10) own right but they've paved into the mainly the ranchers cattle and sheep there are a lot of sheep (6:18) there and also to people who just use the wild horses as a political pawn to favor say game (6:28) hunting interests including there in California so it's really a terrible thing they're they're (6:36) trying to do they're trying to scapegoat the horses for all kinds of things just because they move (6:42) around and not taking any measures to take steps to avoid avoid these problems uh which (6:49) some common sense steps could be taken and and they could avoid these problems okay Karen can (6:55) you go ahead and comment on that well so just to remind you we're talking about the Montgomery (7:01) Pass horses go ahead right and basically it would be a simple a letter to the government to say (7:07) please save these horses from being rounded up when you round up these horses you destroy their (7:13) family bands and destroy them forever do not round up the horses right that's as simple as that they (7:21) have to get into detail they're just people who are concerned about these horses (7:25) just a simple sentence or two that's all they really need to say right and I want to just (7:33) just tell people how important this is to take these actions today now even if we are past the (7:42) date you're seeing this afterwards still contact them because once we raise that public awareness (7:49) or rather the our politicians once we raise their awareness that we are watching we see things (7:56) change we we just went through the Ridgeland Farms dogs and that lab closing so many things (8:01) happening when when activists take action so please those of you out there watching whenever (8:07) you see this please click on these links and take the actions we're talking about there's another (8:12) really devastating proposal which is to exclude the environmental oversight of the public lands (8:23) ranchers and the input on that is due on July 13th and that's extremely important because (8:32) if they exclude them from Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act (8:38) and all the other acts you know Wilderness and Administrative then that would give them even (8:47) more monopoly on the public plants in other words they would be totally calling the shots (8:54) for the BLM and Forest Service on public land ranching permits. Yes and with that one I've (9:03) also set up I believe a link which I'm going to put at the top all of these links of this (9:08) broadcast but if you scroll down in there you will see who to contact and there's even a little (9:15) paragraph of what to say because a lot of times people are afraid to speak but let me tell you (9:22) your voice has so much power I think a lot of people get intimidated and they shouldn't this (9:28) is so important. Yeah and if you've been there mention that that I go here and it's a big part (9:38) of my life you know for my quality of life and what it means to them personally yeah. Okay we (9:48) want to move on so that we can cover everything and I will give you guys each a chance at the (9:52) end if we miss something that you feel is really important but Karen I want to put the focus on you (9:57) and the Heber Herd I know you've been really really busy so tell us what is going on and how (10:04) people can help you support you. Okay our organization's been involved in saving the Heber (10:11) Herd of Northern Arizona they're the really in my book the last herd on public lands that has (10:17) literally been untouched from roundups and from a lot of manipulation and it's been more than 20 (10:24) some years so in 2007 we filed a stipulation agreement with the Forest Service that they need (10:32) to manage them in three areas and so we have participated throughout all these years to make (10:39) sure that we can protect this herd and very interestingly just in January the acting (10:47) superintendent his name is Mr. Miller he put out a a word he put out a letter stating that these (10:58) horses are not even going to be protected under the wild horse and burrow free roaming wild horse (11:06) and burrow act but they are going to be unauthorized livestock and so for if they're unauthorized they (11:14) don't fall under any law so we are in court as of April 23rd ISPNB is suing them right now (11:22) and the court case is proceeding I imagine that by July 15th we'll have an idea of when we're (11:29) actually going to be in the actual court we've been just filing papers back and forth but the (11:36) Forest Service has completely defied these horses as wild and free roaming and honestly this is what (11:43) we won in 2005 when we initiated the lawsuit and the stipulation in 2007 they've completely (11:50) ignored it and just say that they're unauthorized so everybody please write please contact us (11:58) we can help you to let you know what you need to be doing as we move forward because the case is (12:05) going to continue to change throughout the next two weeks great and as you see right next to (12:12) Karen that is the link you just take a picture of that with your phone I'm sure everybody's familiar (12:18) but if you're not you go to your camera you take a picture of it with your phone a little box comes (12:25) up at the bottom you see that folks you see that and then that shows you it's going to the website (12:31) so there you go that it's as easy as that contact Erin she needs your help she's doing amazing work (12:38) as is Craig. Craig I'm going to let you weigh in here on the Heber herd because I know that you (12:44) work with all the yeah I did a study I've worked a lot with Karen and ISPMB and I did a study in (12:50) 2021 that worked with assistants there that Karen introduced me to and it's a wonderful herd (12:58) it's known to be self-stabilizing and also to be very good catastrophic wildfire (13:06) preventers by taking down the dry flammable vegetation but there's some kind of mean-spirited (13:13) people around there that even they shoot them every year or so especially around Christmas (13:19) and New Year's and there just seems to be kind of a negativity and that the Forest Service is in on(13:27) this the Apache Sitgraves National Forest there in the Black Mesa Ranger District so yeah I really (13:38) have so much admiration for these herds such beautiful animals and they need we need officials (13:46) that really protect them and not always look for excuses to get rid of them or cripple their (13:53) populations and same thing with the Montgomery Pass or any of the herds like the Callahan herd in (14:01) Nevada or the Pinot herd here where I live they're just everyone is special in their own right and (14:07) all the borough herds too wonderful borough herds and I heard that many of them are being decimated (14:14) like the Lake Pleasant borough herd in near Lake Havasu in Arizona. (14:23) Okay I want to cover the other two action items we have and then I'll circle around (14:29) to each of you and anything we didn't discuss we'll get into more. The next one I believe is (14:34) the Virginia Range herd the what is it called the Washoe herd? Yeah the Indians. (14:44) Okay let's hear about what's going on with that and Karen if you want to mention that. (14:49) Yeah I've been really involved in that and I did an article in the Reno (14:55) News and Review but this is really a nasty move by the between the Nevada Department of (15:05) Agriculture and the Bureau of Land Management. They issued a categorical exclusion which excludes (15:13) them from the NEPA requirements to do an environmental impact study and this is a (15:22) major part of the historic Virginia Range herd. Remember that's the cradle of the wild horse (15:28) movement in America is the Story County and the Virginia Range that's where wild horse Annie (15:35) first got going you know so this would just be atrocious and it would put them in if they were (15:41) fenced off for that southern end of the Washoe Lake where they're by the way having a really (15:48) good effect by creating beautiful meadows and all the kind of birds and insects and there's a lot (15:56) of willow trees and cottonwoods and it's a thriving ecosystem it's just a nasty thing (16:02) and there are certain common sense things they could do on that east lake road like putting in (16:08) certain overpasses, putting in lower speed limits, speed bumps or certain fence patterns (16:18) that would enable them to cross without having the collision so they don't have all that (16:25) many collisions really there and they wouldn't put them into that desperate situation where they had (16:30) to go up into the dry mountains where they claim their springs but there really aren't very many (16:36) springs and many of them have with the droughts they're much lesser and that would force (16:42) them over into Highway 50 to get to the Carson River and that's where they really would be hit (16:48) on Highway 50 because there's a lot of people that commute from Carson City out to those urban (16:54) communities out by Silver Springs so I think we can win on this and some politicians (17:02) are coming in now on the side of the wild like well that's that's encouraging I can I just want (17:09) people to know that here is the link again each of these links are here so you can go back freeze the (17:16) camera click uh freeze the freeze the video and then click your camera get the link and just sign (17:23) this petition uh this is we've seen this with other even with other other animals we saw this (17:31) with the tule elk they tried to starve them out and and luckily people took action yeah and it (17:38) takes the public's action I can't emphasize enough these people are only two people they do amazing(17:43) work that was point raised without your help point raised to the elk that we saved yeah I was part of (17:51) that I went and testified and I used to go there when I was a student at Berkeley to study the (17:57) seashore okay Karen did you want to weigh in on that at all what we were just talking about uh (18:05) the current roundups yeah I think the thing that I really wanted to get out to everybody today (18:12) is um we need to really press the government on a different way of managing these wild horses (18:19) because the way they're currently managing they're going to manage them to extinction (18:24) and that is with roundups every four years they're destroying their family bands and that's (18:29) one thing our organization has done for the past uh 25 years is study wild herd behavior and we (18:36) think we have pretty much an authority on how to do this and how to do it effectively so (18:42) my goal is to get everybody out there to stop the roundups and to allow the horses to um (18:51) again be able to uh I guess really they need to have some sort of rest time (18:57) because within every four years uh the government says that they um they double every four years (19:04) and that their birth rates are 20 percent every year and uh they call that the win equus program (19:11) and sadly I think through the fear of trying to scare everybody they're saying by 2040 the (19:18) population of wild horses will be 2.8 million horses now we know we've just done this it's in (19:25) our lawsuit with the Heber herd right now um we believe that we have enough information now (19:32) to be able to show that their win equus program that determines that 20 percent uh annual or daily (19:38) or I should say yearly growth rate and doubling every four years is based on injured herds and (19:45) not healthy sustainable herds that haven't been rounded up in 20 some years like the Heber herd (19:51) so I think this is critical information that needs to get out to everybody because it's the (19:58) win equus program that really is going to put the fear in congressional people put the fear (20:04) in other people to say that if we don't do something they're going to keep growing (20:09) now do you have a link or some way that people can connect with the win equus program (20:16) actually I I have a whole paper on it so I mean if anybody wants to contact you (20:21) and they should contact me in fact I just sent it to the government yesterday (20:26) and basically uh based on our herd that we have too which shows what happens and what is necessary (20:33) to be able to save the horses once they have been rounded up in four years you have to really stop (20:39) these roundups and I think that's going to be critical but we have to understand why we need (20:44) to stop the roundups it's not to do anything else but to allow these herds to recover from (20:51) their injuries that they have received you know it's like when you go into a family in a community (20:57) let's say a community of 100 people if you go in and you pull out a mother in one family a father (21:04) and another family children and another family what kind of family uh community do you have it's(21:11) same thing with the herd when they round them up they destroy all of their family structures (21:16) and through our 20 some years of study we understand that family structures are critical (21:23) to minimizing growth and uh the heber herd is under three percent growth it's not a 20 percent (21:33) daily or uh yearly growth and this heber herd could really show um what we need to do to be (21:40) able to change the management of wild horses but we're actually we're destroying the horses by (21:47) rounding them up every four years we're destroying their family bands and we can't do that any longer (21:52) never that's so critical that that information gets out to the public now we have one more (22:01) herd we're going to talk about for a moment it's the salt water herd greg you gave me the information (22:07) so i'm going to let you take the lead on that yeah again that tonto national forest has...
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Animal Testing Crisis: PETA Sounds the Alarm
07/22/2026
Animal Testing Crisis: PETA Sounds the Alarm
🎯 Episode Highlights 🐒 Why PETA says endangered long-tailed macaques are still ending up in research laboratories. 🌍 How the global wildlife trafficking pipeline fuels the laboratory monkey trade. ⚖️ The legal battle to secure stronger protections for endangered primates. 🔬 A discussion of the ethics of animal experimentation and emerging non-animal research alternatives. 📉 Why conservation experts warn that long-tailed macaque populations are rapidly declining. 💬 Jane Velez-Mitchell and her guest explain how viewers and listeners can take action to help protect monkeys from exploitation. 📝 Podcast Description Animal Testing Crisis takes an in-depth look at the fight to protect endangered long-tailed macaques from the global laboratory trade. In this compelling episode, Jane Velez-Mitchell speaks with one of the world's leading experts on primate trafficking and animal experimentation to examine why these intelligent animals continue to be captured from the wild despite mounting scientific evidence of their declining populations. "These animals are in crisis." – From the transcript You'll discover why PETA is urging U.S. officials to strengthen protections for endangered macaques, how wildlife trafficking feeds the laboratory supply chain, and why conservation scientists are warning that long-tailed macaques face severe population declines. The discussion also explores the ethical questions surrounding animal experimentation and the growing movement toward modern, non-animal research methods. Recent investigations highlighted by PETA and featured on UnchainedTV examine allegations that endangered macaques have entered the U.S. research pipeline through illegal trafficking networks. "There is a war on monkeys." – From the transcript Join Jane Velez-Mitchell and her guest as they explain what's at stake for endangered primates and what listeners can do to help protect wildlife and promote humane science. Call to Action: Subscribe, share this episode, and learn more about protecting endangered animals by visiting UnchainedTV and PETA. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and New York Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world's premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers more than 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle, and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile devices or TV streaming platforms including Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE: 📘 Facebook: janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack: 📸 Instagram: @unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter/X: @jvm TRANSCRIPT: PETA Battle for Monkeys! (0:11) These animals are in crisis. (0:14) There is a war on monkeys. (0:17) They are being kidnapped from the wild for lab torture, and the U.S. government will (0:25) not admit that long-tailed macaques are now endangered, even though scientists are saying (0:32) they are endangered and they need protections. (0:37) So we're going to go straight out to the person who knows more about this than any other person (0:43) on the planet, and that is PETA's Chief Scientist Advisor for Animal Experimentation, Dr. Lisa (0:52) Jones-Engel. (0:53) Dr. Lisa, tell us what's going on. (0:56) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, they've decided that even though all the data is there (1:01) in front of them, the population declines, the smuggling, the illegal capture, the disease (1:05) risk, they've said now twice that long-tailed macaques are not worthy of being added to (1:13) the Endangered Species Act. (1:14) And that's crazy, because the data don't lie. (1:18) And so the question that we all need to be asking U.S. Fish and Wildlife is, why aren't (1:22) you seeing it? (1:23) Why aren't you responding to what the scientists are putting in front of you? (1:31) How is it possible that they ignore the science, that they ignore major environmental scientific (1:37) groups who are saying these animals are endangered, and the reason why is that you keep kidnapping (1:41) them to put them in cages to be experimented on in torturous experiments? (1:48) You know, I think a lot of it has to do with we are up against an incredibly powerful industry. (1:55) You know, the pharmaceutical industry, the big primate, the big monkey importers, remember, (2:00) this is a billion-dollar industry. (2:02) And a billion-dollar industry buys you a lot of time in people's offices. (2:08) It buys you a lot of meetings. (2:09) It buys you a lot of monkeys. (2:12) And I think money is doing a lot of talking here, but as the money talks, the monkeys die.(2:21) The populations decline. (2:23) Just because U.S. Fish and Wildlife has again denied this petition doesn't mean that the (2:28) conservation risk, the threat for this endangered species has changed. (2:34) The IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the global authority on whether (2:41) plants and animals are at risk of being endangered, critically endangered, going extinct, that (2:48) global authority has now said twice in the last four years, long-tailed macaques, these (2:55) animals are being wiped off the face of the earth. (2:59) And one of the driving forces is their extraction from the wild to be boxed up and sent around (3:05) the world, primarily here to the U.S. for use in experimentation. (3:11) I don't know how an agency like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can deny the numbers, (3:16) can deny their own data, can deny data from scientists and say, looks fine to us. (3:22) You and your organization, PETA, has documented other risks to humans from the importation (3:31) of these macaques and other primates to the United States for experimentation.(3:37) Let's listen to you at a news conference in Washington, D.C. last year. (3:43) CDC's own data show that tuberculosis-infected monkeys imported from Southeast Asia and Mauritius (3:50) made it through federal quarantine and into U.S. laboratories, carrying multiple strains (3:55) of TB, including a strain that we have never seen before here in animals. (4:02) A new peer-reviewed CDC paper, quietly published behind a paywall, confirms this. (4:10) Tuberculosis sickens 10 million people and kills one in a quarter of them every year. (4:16) It's the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, according to the (4:22) World Health Organization. (4:23) This deadly disease is coming into the U.S. and, ironically, going into the laboratories (4:29) that are supposed to be curing disease. (4:31) Not only is monkey experimentation not curing diseases, all the diseases they cite, cancer, (4:38) diabetes, heart disease, are going up, but it's posing a threat to humans. (4:44) Can you expand on that, Dr. Lisa? (4:47) Exactly. (4:48) And so, I mean, thank you for playing that clip. (4:50) That was about a year ago now, when, again, what PETA has been doing is we've been following (4:56) the pathogens because we know that this, a real weak point for this industry is having (5:05) people look in and say, oh, not only are you just bringing endangered monkeys into the (5:10) U.S., these monkeys, once they're caught up in this importation pipeline, are invariably (5:18) harboring dangerous infectious diseases, everything from tuberculosis to Shigella to herpes B (5:25) to simian retroviruses to malaria parasites. (5:31) And I want to share something with you, Jane, that we just learned. (5:34) So the CITES, Animal Committee, so the CITES, this is the global organization that oversees(5:41) trade in animals and plants. (5:44) CITES met last week, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Delegation had the audacity to say, (5:56) hey, stop trying to use the threat of infectious diseases being brought in with these monkeys (6:01) as a way to backdoor shutting the door on importation.(6:08) This was basically the same day that the CDC published another paper and said, yeah, you(6:15) know what? (6:15) Over the past couple of years, we've had more monkeys arriving. (6:19) The shipments are larger. (6:21) The larger the shipments, the more sick the monkeys are.(6:24) We've not been able to detect all the infections. (6:27) The infections are leaving quarantine. (6:29) Monkeys are moving to other facilities. (6:31) People are getting exposed. (6:34) Again, I'm a scientist. (6:36) The data are right in front of all of these agencies. (6:42) What is it going to take at this stage? (6:47) You are making, you are defining the pathway for the next global pandemic with this industry. (6:56) And for what? (6:57) Because the scientific community is rapidly moving beyond using non-human primates. (7:02) And yet this multi-billion dollar industry says, uh-uh, not yet. (7:06) I want to try to squeeze every single penny I can out of these monkeys. (7:11) It's incredibly dangerous. (7:13) Meanwhile, there is still an effort to put a giant, a laboratory monkey breeding facility (7:20) in a small town in Georgia. (7:22) And there's been so much uproar about that. (7:26) There's even a documentary that is now streaming on Unchained TV. (7:30) Let's take a look at a little clip of that documentary called 30,000 Monkeys in Our Backyard. (7:38) We learned that this proposed facility was going to be 30,000 monkeys. (7:45) My God, you know, at this rate, this industry will empty the forest of macaques. (7:54) And then I actually read just a little bit more closely. (7:56) And that's when we saw who the main players were. (8:00) He was the COO of a company named InVigo. (8:02) This is a company that, in addition to importing monkeys, (8:07) also ran a beagle factory farm that supplied beagles to laboratory experiments. (8:12) The Department of Justice ended up coming down on this company. (8:16) They took dogs who were in acute distress out of there and eventually shut the entire place down. (8:23) That's how hideous this place was. (8:25) And InVigo even pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the Federal Animal Welfare Act, (8:32) as well as the Federal Clean Water Act, (8:34) because they were also not properly treating the water coming out of this facility. (8:40) The Humane Society of the United States is carrying out its largest animal rescue ever.(8:46) 4,000 beagles rescued from the Cumberland, Virginia, breeding facility run by research company InVigo. (8:52) We knew what this man was capable of. (8:54) He was in charge of that facility when the undercover investigations were going on, when the USDA was coming in. (9:00) What I don't understand is how these people are on all these boards and no one does research. (9:07) Now we invite any company mentioned on to respond,(9:11) but you're saying essentially the company that is trying to build this massive 30,000 monkey facility in Georgia (9:20) that has caused such an uproar is connected, very much involved or overlapping with the InVigo company, (9:30) which had made headlines because they were forced to shut down (9:35) and 4,000 of the beagles they bred were rescued and put into loving homes. Is that correct? (9:44) That is absolutely correct. (9:46) One of the things that I think people are starting to understand even more is that these companies that use beagles also use monkeys.(10:00) The monkeys kind of pay in many ways to support some of the beagle use infrastructure(10:06) because these companies are making tens of thousands, 20, 30, 40, $50,000 selling these monkeys to experimenters. (10:16) But monkeys and beagles, they are the species that are kind of underpinning this entire industry around relying upon animal models (10:27) to supposedly give us better human drugs and treatments. (10:31) And my goodness, the suffering is undeniable. The bad science is on full display. (10:40) And then you have Bainbridge. You know what? Bainbridge, you know how much I love the folks in Bainbridge, Jane? (10:48) Bainbridge, they've stuck that spear in the ground right there in their town and said, no more. We are ground zero. (10:56) We are a community who is going to, we are at the front lines of this industry trying to expand and put this massive facility in our town. (11:07) And they said no, and they are fighting tooth and nail. (11:10) Well, are we getting ready to roll into year three of this legal battle? And it goes on. (11:16) Where does the legal battle stand? (11:19) The state officials have now stepped into one lawsuit. They're aimed at moving the monkey project forward. (11:25) Local residents have filed multiple additional lawsuits. (11:30) They argue that the project was advanced without proper transparency. (11:33) And, you know, that's that's the key in this industry. (11:36) They cannot stand anyone to look closely at them. (11:40) And I want to say, I mean, even though this has been going on for now, what, two years, two and a half years? (11:45) We're still in the beginning of it. And I can guarantee you, PETA, we will not leave this battle. (11:51) We will not. We will not leave Bainbridge. We will not leave them unsupported. (11:57) And we will make sure that that facility in Bainbridge never breaks ground. (12:02) It was supposed to a broken ground. I mean, they should already, according to their plan, they should have had monkeys in there by now. (12:07) They should have been selling monkeys and not a single brick has been laid. (12:11) And that's because this community has stood up and said, no, not in my backyard. (12:18) Well, and meanwhile, all this is happening, this battle to stop the monkeys being imported at a time when the culture is shifting. (12:27) I'll just show you. Here's a protest against animal testing happening outside of the biggest beagle breeder in the United States. (12:39) And there is all sorts of plans. There's a giant march planned in September from Albany to this facility to say no more animal experimentation. (12:51) It's gone very mainstream. And certainly, you know about and the world knows about the rescue of beagles that occurred in Wisconsin at the Ridgeland Beagle Facility. (13:04) And that that became a globally reported on war with a series of what they call open rescues. (13:13) This is the first rescue where about 24 beagles were taken into good homes. (13:20) And then you have the second rescue where it really became a war between the would be rescuers and law enforcement that hit the rescuers with tear gas and rubber bullets. (13:36) We can watch that for a second before getting your big picture commentary. (13:43) The whole world is watching you. Do you know that? (14:07) And then you had because of that uproar, because of the global coverage, as up to a thousand would be rescuers were attacked with rubber bullets and tear gas, you had behind the scenes negotiation. (14:22) And finally, an announcement that these Ridgeland beagles would all get out. (14:56) So the final thing I want to say before getting your commentary. (15:00) Big picture on where the culture stands on Vivisection. (15:05) After all that hullabaloo and how happy all Americans and people around the world were to see the beagles released and taken into good homes through nonprofit organizations like Beagle Freedom Project, etc. (15:24) Then you had politicians falling over each other to speak out against Vivisection. (15:30) Here's a Republican incumbent. (15:32) But I have to point out, because we don't do partisan politics here. (15:35) The Democratic opponent said very much even he was also speaking very much against the largest beagle breeding facility, the one in New York state. (15:47) Listen to this Republican congressman sound more like a radical animal rights activist. (15:54) And that, to me, indicates that the culture is changing. (15:58) We have someone in the crowd here from England. (16:02) Someone from Washington state. (16:06) I mean, since since I have joined this fight, I have heard from people that have contacted my office from all 50 states. (16:16) Because this is this is not just a local matter. (16:19) Although it's disgusting that this is a local matter that this is going on right here in New York state. (16:26) I had a long conversation this week with the USDA and talking about a lot of policy matters, talking about legislation that we're working on, talking about what their criteria and what they're allowed to do under the law with inspections. (16:45) And they are woefully behind because the laws on a site like this, they do back to the 60s.(16:56) These animal testing regulations are far too old. (16:59) They need to be modernized. (17:00) They need to be improved. (17:04) And I will say his opponent said, that's not enough.(17:08) We need to go further. (17:10) And so literally, again, we don't engage in partisan politics or endorse any candidates.(17:17) But it was just fascinating to see a Republican and a Democrat literally falling over themselves to speak up against animal experimentation. (17:26) So you have all of that happening, a real cultural shift. (17:29) I see it as on one side. (17:32) But then on the other side, you still have the primarily the government importing all these monkeys. (17:38) How is that possible? (17:40) Both of these happening at once. (17:45) That we're going to unpack all that. (17:47) But first, I have to say, I met one of those vigilant beagles recently. (17:53) And to watch an animal who's been born and bred in that environment kind of open up and become a real dog, become this astonishing animal. (18:07) I mean, it gives me goosebumps just thinking about knowing the resilience of the animals who are in captivity. (18:13) And I think that is, it's so critical for us to understand that they will find a way. (18:21) And I bring this up because we're going to be talking at some point about, you know, the 25,000 monkeys who are being kept in the National Primate Research Centers. (18:29) Sanctuary is going to come for those animals. (18:31) And they will find a way to be macaques. (18:34) And you're right, Jane. (18:36) The reason that's happening is because there is this bipartisan support when it comes to ending animal experimentation. (18:44) And I think that the people who are in charge, the people who aren't making money by experimenting on animals, the companies, the companies are making the money. (18:54) The industry is making the money. (18:57) The government, the government itself is not importing the monkeys. (19:00) Now, the government has not shut the door on those importations. (19:04) And they have the ability to do that. (19:06) And if they did that, I could retire. (19:10) I could be done and dusted. (19:11) But I think that you touched on something. (19:14) This is a cultural moment. (19:16) Everything is coming together. (19:18) We have Democrats and Republicans coming together saying, let's support the Primate Act. (19:26) We had the FDA Modernization Act 3.0 was just passed. (19:35) We've got the CDC ending its use of monkeys and sending them to sanctuary. (19:41) We have NIH dramatically reducing the amount of funding going towards primate experimentation. (19:47) And we have the world looking at the animals, generally the beagles, who are inside these facilities. (19:54) But the beagles are kind of like the gateway to see the monkeys. (19:56) If you can see the beagles, give me a minute and let me show you the monkeys who are in there. (20:02) Because you will feel the same way about those monkeys that you feel about the beagles.(20:07) These are animals who are us. (20:11) These monkeys love the same way that we do. (20:14) They care for their...
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LA'S SUMMER VEGAN BONFIRE PROVES VEGANS HAVE MORE FUN
07/13/2026
LA'S SUMMER VEGAN BONFIRE PROVES VEGANS HAVE MORE FUN
LA’s Summer Vegan Bonfire! Live from the Beaches of California… The Summer Vegan Bonfire! Welcome to UnchainedTV, broadcasting live from the Summer Vegan Beach Bonfire at Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey, California! This was a super-fun gathering of an incredible coalition of animal rights groups, including The Humane League, Mercy for Animals, Plant Based Treaty, New Roots, SoCalVegFest, Direct Action Everywhere, We The Free, Los Angeles Animal Defense League, Animal Alliance Network, Anonymous for the Voiceless, UnchainedTV and others. This entirely plant-based potluck brought together passionate activists fighting for animals through street outreach, policy, and powerful campaigns. These incredible activists deserve a little down time to party! It was the perfect afternoon/evening to connect with a thriving community of like-minded activists enjoying the ocean breeze. This gathering is entirely eco-friendly, so attendees are reminded to bring reusable cutlery and plates. To keep the space safe and inclusive, the event is strictly alcohol and drug-free, as well as entirely vegan—meaning completely meat and dairy-free. No animals suffered or died to make this party! Let’s celebrate! Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, television producer, and New York Times bestselling author. She is the founder of UnchainedTV, the world's premier plant-based streaming network, featuring more than 2,000 documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle programs, and news reports promoting compassionate, sustainable living. 💡DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm TRANSCRIPT: LA'S SUMMER VEGAN BONFIRE PROVES VEGANS HAVE MORE FUN (0:05) We are live from Playa Del Rey, California, and the vegan bonfire. (0:12) This is history in the making because you are looking at a big party and we are bringing (0:18) it to you live from Playa Del Rey, California. (0:22) If you hear a lot of planes, that is because LAX, Los Angeles International Airport, is (0:30) right in front, but this is a huge vegan bonfire, vegan party, just shows you vegans have more (0:39) fun. (0:39) I want to bring in my co-host, Kate Delgado. (0:43) Woohoo! (0:44) Hey, how's it going?(0:44) This is our second annual vegan bonfire where we get the entire L.A. activist community(0:51) together, potluck, enjoy the beach, have fun, build community, and strengthen our cause.(1:00) Folks from Mercy for Animals, DXC, AAV, Plant Based Treaty, New Roots, We the Free, and(1:11) End Chain TV folks, and a lot of other organizations, all the volunteers came over to participate (1:18) in this. (1:19) Okay, and you see, ah, everybody's just having a good time. (1:22) It's a party, and it's, oh, vegan s'mores, that's part of it. (1:28) You know, one of the things that I think is so important about this is that people think, (1:35) Kim, that vegans don't have any fun, and it's, I know, it's the craziest thing. (1:41) That's ridiculous. (1:42) Yeah, it's the craziest thing, so we're going to go back to, look at those crazy vegans (1:48) having fun. (1:49) Yeah. (1:49) I want to come back to you, and you're here with Wednesday, our rescue, and she's a service (1:57) dog, so don't get all crazy about that, but tell us, Kim, for people who think that vegans (2:03) don't have as much fun, what would you tell them? (2:06) I would say, go vegan, and you will find out how much fun we have. (2:10) This is the second annual, and this year it was much bigger than last year. (2:15) Next year, you'll be here joining us, and you'll see how much fun we have. (2:19) Hi, I'm Katrina, I'm a yoga teacher and a psychologist, and I'm vegan. (2:24) And what are you doing with this event? (2:25) Are you involved? (2:27) I have friends here, and I love eating vegan food, and I'm a long-time vegan, yeah. (2:33) Randy and I co-organize with We the Free, we do street outreach together, mainly in (2:38) like Santa Monica, and we show people a three-minute movie documentary about various, like, farm (2:43) factory farm footage, and we show that to the public, after they watch that three-minute (2:47) video, then we have a conversation about them, and try to get them to go vegan. (2:52) I found it's really an effective way to get people to go vegan, because they see the truth(2:56) behind the scenes of what's going on in animal agriculture, and we can have really effective(3:00) conversations with them. (3:01) So, We the Free is a really great organization to get involved with, that we've been volunteering. (3:05) So, we are here to build community, and I am here to, I am the Los Angeles organizer, (3:12) and I also oversee Orange County, and the Inland Empire area. (3:17) And this event tonight, it's very important, because we're getting multiple organizations(3:22) together to amplify the activism that all local groups are currently doing to defend and(3:29) protect animals across different regions. (3:32) And at the Humane League right now, we're also getting activists to go after campaign (3:38) targets that will change the lives of millions of animals across the globe. (3:42) And so, I'm really happy to be here with so many other organizations, and friends, and (3:47) meet more new members of the community, and let's keep it going. (3:52) Let's get stronger here to change the lives of so many around the world. (3:56) Thank you for being part of this historic live, the first time we've gone live with (4:02) a satellite dish. (4:03) In fact, I could probably just show you the satellite dish right here. (4:08) Why not? (4:09) Full transparency. (4:10) There it is. (4:11) Right there. (4:12) That's allowing us to go live. (4:15) Oh, Dale, come on down. (4:17) It's amazing that we can actually use technology, too. (4:21) Yes. (4:21) As we should, to spread the word that vegan is the only way to go. (4:26) We've got to save our planet, save the animals, and, you know, peace begins on your plate. (4:32) So let's start there. (4:34) Thank you. (4:34) Dale Hendrickson is an amazing artist who does The Simpsons. (4:40) I mean, we've got some famous people here. (4:42) This is our second annual Vegan Summer Bonfire. (4:44) We have about double the people we had last year. (4:47) I actually want to turn it over to my co-organizer, Annabelle. (4:50) We've been organizing together every single week. (4:52) She's on the other camera right there. (4:54) I organize with a group called Los Angeles Animal Defense League. (4:57) We work on mostly international campaigns, whether it's against fur or foie gras or whatever. (5:06) I mostly organize fur, but currently I'm working on a campaign against Milan Fashion Week to get them to enact a fur-free policy. (5:13) It's part of a larger global movement, and it is one of the final things upholding the fur industry. (5:20) So we want to end fur forever. (5:23) Coming back to us here. (5:24) Look at the bonfire. (5:26) It's pretty amazing. (5:28) Hi. (5:28) My name is Chinmayee Orcrystal, and I do a lot of activism. (5:33) I went vegan last year, and ever since then, I just want to do as much as I physically can for the animals. (5:38) I do a lot of AV outreach, plant-based 3D outreach. (5:41) And also, I made a campaign at my school to have plant-based options for a big unified school district in California. (5:50) I'm vegan because I'm against animal exploitation. (5:53) If I was in their position, I would not want to be hurt. (5:57) I would not want to be used for any purpose. (6:00) I would not want to be used for any purpose. (6:03) I'm not a resource the same way they're not a resource, because they're individuals who feel pain and suffer just like us. (6:09) They deserve to live just like us, and we have no right to take anything away from them.(6:13) Why don't you tell on Shane TV who you are and what you're involved with. (6:18) Rick Scott, vegan hockey player. (6:21) Yes. (6:22) I'm Lisa Valenza, private chef. (6:25) And why did you guys come out tonight?(6:28) I heard it was going to be, well, one, there was a lot of great food, and a lot of vegans. (6:35) And I just wanted to, because I know there are a lot more vegans in the vegan community that I don't know. (6:44) That, like, we haven't all connected. (6:46) I see a lot of the same faces a lot. (6:48) And at this event, in particular, there were several organizations combining forces. (6:54) And so there were, like, a lot of vegans here that I have never seen before. (6:59) And it was really exciting to, like, get to know new people and connect even with people in my area where I live who I didn't know. (7:10) That's awesome. (7:11) And how about for you? (7:12) Real live vegans. (7:14) Right. (7:15) The funny thing is, like, you know, so hockey player, figure skater. (7:20) I didn't know you were a figure skater. (7:21) That's awesome. (7:22) Yeah, yeah. (7:24) This is the first one of these was a year ago. (7:28) And just as Lisa mentioned, like, the cool thing about this is this is a bunch of different organizations. (7:33) It's Plank X 3D. (7:34) It's Mercy for Animals. (7:36) They sent me this after last year, by the way. (7:37) Oh, that's cool. (7:38) So I was like, okay, let me read it or let me wear it. (7:41) And so, like, it's a big group of a lot of people. (7:45) In fact, there's a lot more people here this year than last year. (7:48) So it's growing. (7:49) And this is the second year, which means that from the turnout, there will definitely be a year of three. (7:54) And how long have you been vegan and why did you become vegan? (7:57) Oh, so I stopped eating animals 36 years ago. (8:02) Oh, and OCD. (8:03) Yeah, yeah, yeah. (8:05) However, vegan 11 years. (8:07) And I am absolutely ethical vegan. (8:09) Once I learned what factory farming was, I went vegan for the animals. (8:13) And how about for you, Nicole? (8:16) Interesting amount of time. (8:18) 36 years that my family went vegan. (8:21) And what was the question? (8:24) Oh, how long have you been vegan and why? (8:26) And why? (8:28) Because, well, my family went vegan because my mom had symptoms of colon cancer when she was 37. (8:33) And because she was so young, her doctor wouldn't test her for cancer. (8:40) And so she took matters into her own hands and started reading a lot of books. (8:45) One of them I remember was A Diet for a New America. (8:48) Yes. (8:49) And so she was like, I'm going vegan. (8:52) And she told my dad. (8:53) She had it in her head, actually, before she told my dad, like, if he's not going to go vegan.(8:57) Because she tried to go vegetarian before that a couple of times. (9:01) And she was like, if he's not going to do it, I'm leaving him. (9:04) And for some reason, he said, OK. (9:07) That's awesome. (9:08) So, yeah. (9:09) So my family, we called it vegetarian. (9:11) But it was, like, very strict. (9:13) Like, no meat, no dairy, no eggs. (9:16) And also a bunch of other things for the health reasons. (9:20) And we didn't even know, like, the terminology back then. (9:24) And other people were like, we lived in North Carolina. (9:27) So they were like, oh, you're a vegetarian. (9:31) Yes. (9:32) Because nobody knew how to say it. (9:33) We didn't even have YouTube. (9:34) So. (9:35) I remember that. (9:35) Because I've been vegan since 1990. (9:37) So I get it. (9:39) Yeah. (9:39) Hi, Jane. (9:39) Thanks for having me. (9:40) My name is Dash Nye. (9:42) I organize with a bunch of different groups. (9:44) But I'm most active with Direct Action Everywhere, the LA chapter. (9:49) We're still pretty thrilled about a recent victory where we convinced the luxury chain (9:55) to drop Meyenberg Goat Milk, a company that was documented committing numerous cruelty violations. (10:04) So that was a big victory. (10:05) Yes. (10:06) And we're trying to have serious conversations and talking to each other about how we can (10:10) level up our activism. (10:11) But I'm not going to lie. (10:12) We're also enjoying ourselves. (10:14) I've been a little indulgent tonight. (10:16) I had two vegan s'mores. (10:18) But I stopped after two. (10:19) So maybe I'm, like, getting a little more mature. (10:21) There's no alcohol. (10:22) Certainly no drugs here. (10:24) Very straight edge kind of feel, right? (10:28) No meat. (10:29) No dairy. (10:29) No drugs. (10:30) No alcohol. (10:31) And yet everybody's having a fabulous time. (10:34) And one of the points of this, in my opinion, and I'm going to show you this. (10:39) People are roasting marshmallows, but there are vegan marshmallows. (10:43) It's a company called Dandy's. (10:45) D-A-N-D-I-E-S. (10:47) I've had the privilege to interview the founder. (10:49) It's based out of Chicago, and they make absolutely the most amazing vegan marshmallows (10:58) and related products. (11:00) So I think the whole point of it is that you don't need to hurt animals or kill animals (11:07) to have a good time, to have delicious food, to have all your traditions. (11:11) Like, sure, bonfires are tradition. (11:14) I grew up in Manhattan, so bonfires weren't part of my life. (11:17) But it's so Americana, and people think they have to give that stuff up when they go vegan. (11:24) And the truth is, no, they don't have to. (11:26) I'm here because I like being around a lot of vegan people, and this is great. (11:31) And I've been vegan for 13 years, along with Dale. (11:37) And we have 18 cats that we rescued, and we created quite a sanctuary. (11:44) Tell us who you are and what brought you here. (11:46) Hey, everybody. (11:47) My name is Sam, and I'm in Southern California trying to connect with all of the vegans around town (11:55) to save the world and save the animals. (11:58) So I just thought I'd pop in and say hi to Jane, since she does such great work with Unchained TV. (12:04) Well, thank you. (12:04) And what focus do you have in animal rights, though? (12:08) Well, funny you ask. (12:10) I'm making an animated feature film that contains an extinction warning (12:18) in that beginning of the animated feature film, animals are extinct. (12:23) And spoiler alert, by the end of the film, humans are extinct. (12:27) Wow. (12:28) Or at the twist at the end of it, or do they all get a second chance? (12:33) You know, a bit of a cliffhanger there. (12:35) And it's animated? (12:36) Exactly. Animated feature film. (12:38) So I've been going back and forth to Japan, and we got our pitch deck together. (12:43) So they sent me, they said, OK, now Sam, get us a Hollywood movie deal. (12:47) So I'm like, OK, yeah, no problem. (12:50) My name is Nuzar. (12:51) I'm with Leap Over Feet, and I'm here enjoying the vibes of the community. (12:56) It's a great event to bring everyone together. (12:59) You know, the animal rights, the foodies, activists, everyone just joined together in harmony here, (13:06) enjoying a great day at the beach. (13:07) Hi, I'm Alex. I run Taco Sin Vaca. (13:10) It's vegan taqueria based out of L.A. County. (13:14) And I volunteer at a lot of animal sanctuaries. (13:17) I rescue dogs in Skid Row. (13:18) That is really awesome. (13:21) Thank you, because that is a big issue right now. (13:23) It's getting darker and darker. (13:25) But tell us. (13:26) Hey, guys. (13:27) Yeah, tell us who you are and your involvement with this. (13:30) Yeah, so my name's Hartosh in SoCal VegFest. (13:33) And yeah, we're one of the co-organizers for this. (13:37) Just happy to have everyone come down. (13:40) And yeah, we're here just hanging out, having a good time, the bonfire. (13:44) And this is the second annual. (13:46) We're going to make this an annual thing. (13:48) So if any of you guys see this, want to come down, come down next time. (13:51) Just have a great time. (13:53) Well, one of the things that I want to say is that this proves that vegans have a lot of fun. (13:58) You know, the meat industry and Big Pharma and everybody who's aligned against us(14:03) tries to make it seem like we just walk around lecturing people and eating raw carrots.(14:10) And there is a little bit of that. (14:12) But we also have a really great social life. (14:15) Honestly, I could go to a party every night in the vegan community in Los Angeles. (14:20) And I'm not joking. (14:21) There is one every single night. (14:22) In fact, there was one last night. (14:24) There was one today that I didn't make. (14:26) And now I'm here. (14:27) But, you know, isn't that part of it? (14:30) Because you also do SoCal VegFest, which is massive. (14:34) And it's another big party. (14:36) And people, you know, they should see for themselves how much fun it is. (14:41) Look at this party. (14:43) Look at this party going on.
/episode/index/show/8bbfa8c9-8d5b-4a7a-bf3f-b9881fc30040/id/42062825
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1st Vegan to Compete in Mr Olympia
07/02/2026
1st Vegan to Compete in Mr Olympia
Torre Washington is the first vegan bodybuilder to earn the Mr. Olympia stage. Now, Torre Washington speaks to UnchainedTV LIVE as he embarks on one of the world's most intense physical challenges. The vegan bodybuilder qualified for the 2026 Mr. Olympia, bodybuilding’s most prestigious competition, after winning the Ben Weider Natural Pro-Am. Competing without animal products or performance-enhancing drugs, Washington has achieved what few athletes in the world ever do. His motto: winning without compromise! The contest will be held in Las Vegas on from Thursday September 24th -Sunday, September 27th and he wants the support of the vegan, animal loving community to go to Vegas and watch him compete! Sounds like a party! Palms Casino Resort is a hotel at the center of the action, along with the Las Vegan Convention Center. GET A T-SHIRT TO HELP TORRE IN VEGAS! YOU can help Torre Washington by buying a t-shirt which helps pay for the costs associated with going to Vegas for the contest. https://vegan2olympia.com GET YOUR MR. OLYMPIA TIX HERE https://mrolympia.com/ticket-type Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Torre Washington went plant-based in 1998 and never looked back. A natural, steroid-free competitor who has shared the stage at the Arnold Classic, he also coaches athletes. We will meet one of those athletes, Erin Tice. In late 2025 he won both the Open Masters and Masters 40 classes at the Ben Weider Natural Pro-Am, qualifying him for the 2026 Mr. Olympia — and making him the first vegan, all-natural bodybuilder ever to reach that stage. WINS: 2009
Pro card, natural bodybuilding.
2017
IFBB Pro card, Men’s Physique.
2025
Qualified for Mr. Olympia.
2026
1st vegan bodybuilder to Mr. Olympia. “It’s an unreal feeling that anything is possible if you believe in yourself,” Washington said. “I hope this shows people to never give up on their goals or dreams.” A Historic Milestone for Vegan Athletes Each year, only a small number of professional bodybuilders earn the right to compete in Mr. Olympia, the pinnacle of the sport. Qualifying demands years of disciplined training, flawless nutrition, and unwavering focus. This victory is a milestone not only for vegan athletes but also for veganism and animal advocates everywhere. Washington’s success on one of the world’s largest stages demonstrates that compassion and athletic excellence can coexist and thrive. The moment marks a turning point for vegan representation in professional bodybuilding. TRANSCRIPT: 1st vegan to compete in mr olympia (0:00) Live from the Unchained TV headquarters in Los Angeles, California, (0:04) this is Truth Files with Jane Velez Mitchell. (0:10) We did it. Come on, we made history. (0:25) Torrey Washington, he's here, people! It was a dramatic entrance and I love it that way.(0:32) First and foremost, Jane, thank you so much for the opportunity to share (0:36) such an amazing, historic, monumental event, not only in my life, but in the (0:43) journey or the history of vegan as we know it, you know, because this is something that (0:48) a lot of times you get the comment, you've never seen a vegan at an Olympia (0:56) or on the Olympia stage. And for the first time, we're going to have (1:00) a vegan male bodybuilder on stage at the Mr. Olympia, which is such a huge (1:06) Guinness World Record, Book of World Records type of moment. (1:10) But I think because bodybuilding is such a niche and such a, like a cult thing, (1:16) but it's bigger because of social media, it hasn't really hit people as it should. (1:21) But it's such a big monumental feat that hopefully this is not the end of it, (1:27) you know, that there'll be more to follow after I do this for the first time, (1:33) trailblazing, setting the path for the next to come.(1:48) I coach, I train, I've been vegan since 1998 and I'm here for the planet, (1:55) the animals and the betterment of humanity. (1:58) It's extraordinary. And I've been looking at videos of you working out and (2:03) I wanted to just hit the couch and relax because I just couldn't even believe it. (2:09) Look at this. Look at this. It's extraordinary. So anybody who says, oh, vegans are weak. (2:15) This man is a vegan. (2:17) What we need to focus on is making sure that our nutrition comes from many different sources, (2:22) because with this, we're getting the vitamins and minerals that our body needs. (2:27) Protein is going to come, especially if the calories that you're getting in(2:30) are enough to suit your day-to-day activity. (2:34) I look to eat mostly carbohydrates and food form. (2:39) Japanese sweet potatoes. Japanese sweet potato would be on there, definitely. (2:42) I love my nut butters, my almond, my peanut butters. (2:47) And then my other source of carbohydrates plus protein would be beans. (2:50) And that can be beans converted into tofu or tempeh, or it can just be beans in general. (2:55) Also greens, all types of greens, doing asparagus, broccoli, bok choy. (3:01) You name it, I'm eating it. (3:03) We just ran a clip showing some of the things you eat on a typical day. (3:07) Healthy fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, legumes. (3:10) OK, I want to say a couple of things.(3:12) I'm a little confused about Mr. Olympia. (3:15) I know where Las Vegas is. (3:17) OK, I know where the Las Vegas Convention Center is.(3:20) But tell us exactly what's happening. (3:22) Because I think one of the problems is people are like, (3:25) OK, it's this huge competition, but where do I go? (3:29) How do I sign up? (3:31) How do I support Tori? (3:33) Break it down for us so we can support you. (3:35) We want to go to Vegas. (3:37) And this is one case where what happens in Vegas is not going to stay in Vegas. (3:41) Right. (3:44) I love it. I love it. (3:46) The Mr. Olympia is typically held in Las Vegas. (3:50) It has been for probably more than a decade. (3:53) It moved to Orlando one time during 2020. (3:56) But it's typically been in Las Vegas. (3:58) Prior to that, it used to move around. (4:00) So Mr. Olympia is the World Cup Super Bowl of bodybuilding. (4:07) So what that means is 1% of the bodybuilders in the world make it to Mr. Olympia every year. (4:14) And some do it once in a lifetime. (4:17) Some never make it. (4:18) Some make it multiple times because, you know, (4:20) they just are that phenomenon when it comes to their physique. (4:23) So it's hosted at three different hotels. (4:27) And I say that because the convention center in Las Vegas is where the expo is held. (4:33) So Mr. Olympia has a big expo where you have Vegan Strong Team. (4:37) I've seen them there before. (4:38) You have a lot of vendors who supply supplements and different things (4:43) when it comes to bodybuilding, from weight training belts to dumbbells (4:47) to different lifting machines and massage machines. (4:51) You have different events going on. (4:53) They're going to have cheerleading going on this time around. (4:56) They have wrestling. (4:57) They have all of that in the expo. (4:59) And also in the expo, which happens on Friday, Saturday, (5:04) the expo, they also have the bodybuilding competition, (5:08) which is at the back of the convention center. (5:11) There's going to be a place where you can sit. (5:12) And then there's going to be a surrounding gate where you can stand and watch it as well.(5:16) Now the expo is just an entry fee. (5:19) You pay to go into the expo. (5:20) You can come watch the show. (5:22) Or if you want to pay more, you can come and sit down and watch the show. (5:25) And so there's just different ways in which you can view the show. (5:28) Now, mind you, with the amount of vegans we're going to have (5:30) and my family and friends that are coming, (5:32) you know, we're just going to be loud. (5:35) And you can be as loud and obnoxious as you want. (5:37) And then they also have the finals, which shows at the hotel. (5:44) It's typically at the New Orleans, (5:45) but they're also going to have a host hotel, which is the Palms Hotel. (5:49) So that is still to be determined, (5:51) whether or not it's going to be at the New Orleans or it's going to be at the Palm. (5:54) And on Thursday, Aaron knows about this. (5:56) Thursday, they call it Meet the Olympian. (5:59) They used to call it Meet the Olympian,(6:01) but it's now called the Superstar Kickoff event, (6:04) where you get to come personally sit down, (6:08) talk to the fellow Olympian, the Olympian that you are a fan of, (6:13) or you want to support. (6:14) They'll have a table. (6:16) You can bring your camera. (6:17) We're going to have a party, man. (6:18) We're going to bring music. (6:20) My table is probably the most lit table in the event. (6:23) And you're just there to come support and show love for a couple hours. (6:28) And yeah, and we're going to also do a meet and greet twice. (6:32) We're going to do one on Friday at Tarantino's. (6:34) We're going to do one on Sunday at Tarantino's. (6:37) This is just a way for people to come and meet me, talk to me, (6:41) talk to other vegans who are also going to be there. (6:43) Veg Nutrition is going to be there. (6:45) Jane Velez and the whole crew is going to be there.(6:47) So it's going to be an amazing, amazing time. (6:49) We're going to have a party, y'all. (6:51) This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us all to come together (6:54) to celebrate a historic moment. (6:57) So this is Thursday. (6:59) You have a table. (7:01) People can come up to you at, I'm not sure, (7:04) the convention center or some locale there. (7:06) It'll probably be at the Palms. (7:08) That's what I'm thinking. (7:09) Okay, at the Palms. (7:10) Friday, my very favorite restaurant on the planet, practically. (7:14) I mean, I've never been. (7:17) Tarantino's. (7:18) Oh my God. (7:20) It's a mom and pop owned Italian restaurant. (7:23) She saw a video, went vegan, convinced her husband to go vegan. (7:27) They were already making great Italian food. (7:29) They veganized everything. (7:30) Honestly, if you're carbo loading, this is the place to go.(7:35) Tarantino's. (7:36) So you're going to be there Friday. (7:38) So I'm definitely going to be there. (7:40) I'm going to be there Thursday, Friday. (7:42) Then Saturday, it's like the competition gets started, right? (7:47) That's where you stand or sit and watch you at some venue. (7:53) And then Sunday, hopefully we'll be celebrating. (7:55) At the convention center. (7:56) Wow. (7:57) At the convention center on Saturday, (7:58) you can see me on stage and the show starts at 9 a.m. (8:01) Oh my God. (8:02) All right. (8:03) So this is the date I wrote down was September 26th. (8:07) I believe that's the Saturday.(8:08) So September 25th, September 24th, we should plan on being there. (8:13) Yes. (8:14) Yes. (8:14) Thursday, September 24th. (8:16) Mark it in your calendars, people. (8:18) I am so blown away by everything you're doing.(8:22) We've been talking to Aaron, who works with you. (8:26) And I said it was kind of funny because we're doing the before and after. (8:31) Aaron, look good before. (8:32) Let's be real. (8:34) It's not like... (8:38) I would like to look as good as she looked in her before picture. (8:42) Let's just put it that way. (8:43) But let's just take a look at the before and after. (8:46) Tell us, Aaron, you've been working because Tori also trains people. (8:53) Right. (8:54) Well, I know I turned 40 this past year, (8:57) and this is one of the first times I'm admitting that in a public space. (9:01) But watching Tori over the years, wow, this is impressive. (9:05) Tori is 51 years old, and he puts that out proudly. (9:08) And he does not look in any way like he is 51. (9:11) It doesn't seem like he ages at all. (9:13) And I realized there's something to that. (9:16) And there's something to the fact that that progressive overload, (9:19) that push for your fitness and to choose and just make a decision (9:25) that you can do more and that you can do hard things and that you can be consistent. (9:32) And so over this time, it's less about the look that I care about, (9:36) but the fact that I feel strong and that I know when I'm 80 years old, (9:40) I'm going to be walking upstairs and lifting things like no problem. (9:45) I mean, I'm looking at these photos. (9:47) Like I say, you look great in the before, but I can see that you're tighter. (9:53) It's like muscle, I guess, is what you got, right? (9:57) I feel like I've got muscle now, yes.(10:01) Yeah, I feel so much stronger than I did before. (10:04) I truly do. (10:05) And more importantly, I proved to myself that I can do hard things (10:08) and that I can wake up early and can get my workout in (10:11) and that that focus and determination carries through into other aspects of my life (10:16) on a more consistent basis now. (10:18) And it's only prompted me to be more motivated and to want to do more hard things. (10:22) Wow. (10:23) So I'm so excited by all of this. (10:27) Let's face it, veganism is under attack right now.(10:31) The meat and dairy industry has declared war. (10:34) It started in 2019 when Beyond Meat was the most successful initial public offering in years. (10:39) And just the word Beyond Meat scared the wits out of them. (10:43) They have co-opted not only the government, but the media. (10:47) Media is writing nasty articles. (10:50) It's OK. (10:51) You know, first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they get angry at you, (10:54) which is where we are now, and they join you. (10:57) What you're doing, Tori, is so important right now, (11:02) particularly because of this war on veganism. (11:05) We even started, a dear friend of mine started an organization called Veg Media Watch (11:10) to call out veganism. (11:12) So you can go to vegmediawatch.org and join the rapid response team (11:16) when they write articles that don't talk about the fact that processed meat is cancer-causing (11:23) and promoting cancer-causing foods like they're completely healthy. (11:27) We have to call them out. (11:30) And there's no better way to call them out by show and tell. (11:35) I mean, when I look at these videos that you, (11:41) it's just, let's take a look at the training video again. (11:43) It's just amazing. (11:45) Tell us about your workout and how this busts the myth that vegans are weak. (11:52) Well, you know, what's interesting is, you know, when I talk to people who(11:59) think about what a vegan is, their first comment is (12:02) they're not used to seeing vegans look like how I look. (12:06) And so by just my physique alone, it's changing that stereotype, right? (12:14) And so when it comes to training, I make sure my training is very intense. (12:18) You know, we go from heavy to moderate to lightweight at times, (12:21) but it's all about building muscle and building quality muscle (12:24) because by putting the muscle under such tensions, under such stress, (12:28) you force it into a place where it has to grow and get bigger (12:31) and stronger in order to manage that weight and more for the next time around. (12:36) So right now, as we're getting ready for the Miss Olympia, (12:39) we're continuously doing a lot of basic movements, (12:41) where you see like the lat pull down, the barbell curl, (12:44) you know, all of these exercises help to really, really draw a good foundation (12:51) where you then carve it. (12:52) Like, for example, when you look at Erin's physique, (12:55) Erin's physique, coming from someone that, from me, for example, (13:01) seeing the change, I knew she needed that tightness(13:03) because a lot of times people are skinny with fat on them, (13:10) but it doesn't look like that because of how they fit in their clothes. (13:13) But when you put them into a situation where they have to showcase more skin, (13:17) you can see how much fat their body has and how much muscle they don't have. (13:21) So what I did is designed a program that really worked on her weak areas, (13:27) which is building up her shoulders, building up her back, (13:29) tightening up her glutes, tightening up her legs. (13:31) So therefore, now she looks phenomenal. (13:34) I mean, sometimes pictures can't even do a justice (13:37) to when you see them in person. (13:38) You know, so when I see her in person, it's like, wow, (13:42) you know, we really made a difference in her physique (13:45) because yes, you're right, Jane. (13:47) For the average individual, she looks good from before. (13:49) But when we're in a world of aesthetics (13:52) and we're looking at ourselves from a different eye, (13:56) she now has reached that point of, okay, she's athletic. (14:00) And now we can take athletic and make it even more so to elite. (14:05) Because for example, being on the Olympic stage is elite. (14:08) It's an elite athlete. (14:09) You can't get there without being elite. (14:11) And if you're, you can be athletic and do phenomenal things. (14:16) But when you're elite, you do extraordinary things. (14:20) Now, in order to get, and I agree with you, by the way, (14:24) she looks phenomenal. (14:25) I always, when I look at her, I say, (14:27) I'll have what she's having. (14:31) But to get to Mr. Olympia, (14:34) and we're going to double back on how everybody can support. (14:37) The t-shirts that both of you are wearing, (14:39) and I ordered mine, Corey. (14:41) I ordered mine. (14:42) I can't wait to get it. (14:44) You didn't just saunter into that. (14:46) You had to win many, many contests. (14:48) And the most recent was this one. (14:52) Tell us about this extraordinary, (14:55) I hope I pronounce it right, (14:57) Ben Weeder Naturals Pro-Am, (15:00) and what you had to do to get to this next phase. (15:03) Tell us about this contest. (15:04) So the Ben Weeders has started, (15:07) it started in 2019.(15:09) It was a show put on by the IFBB, (15:13) which is the International Federation of Bodybuilding. (15:15) And the IFBB is world known, (15:17) world renowned for such talents as Arnold Schwarzenegger, (15:21) Ronnie Coleman, (15:22) and pretty much all your top bodybuilders.(15:26) And so they decided to create a natural division, (15:31) which is what Ben Weeders is.(15:32) It's for the bodybuilders that do not want to take (15:35) any type of, any form of, you know,(15:39) PEDs, which are Performing Enhancing Drugs, (15:41) or steroids, and so they test you for it. (15:44) They test you by urine, (15:45) and they test you with a polygraph. (15:47) So I've been competing in the Ben Weeders since 2019, (15:50) when it started. (15:51) And so, you know, placing sixth, third, fourth, (15:54) you know, those type of placements. (15:57) And so last year, in 2025, (15:59) I had a death in the family. (16:02) My mom passed away in April, (16:04) and I was truly inspired by the fact that my mother, (16:08) you know, she had done so much to get me to this place. (16:11) And I said, you know what? (16:12) This is my time to shine for her, (16:14) because my mother could never make a competition (16:16) due to her religious belief, which is Seventh-day Adventist. (16:19) And so I was more inspired to go win. (16:24) And I had to win two shows. (16:26) So after her funeral on May 5th, (16:28) I then competed on May 10th. (16:31) And I was just strictly focused on winning. (16:33) Like, I just saw myself grabbing...
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Can a Vegan City Change the World?
06/26/2026
Can a Vegan City Change the World?
🎙️ Podcast Highlights • 🌱 Can an entire city become vegan—and what would that mean for humanity? • 🍎 Is healthy, plant-based food a basic human right rather than a privilege? • 🌍 Dr. Sailesh Rao and the Climate Healers movement reveal a bold vision for transforming communities through compassion and food justice. • 🤝 Discover how the Together Around Food initiative in Port Townsend, Washington, is bringing people together over free, nourishing vegan meals. • 💚 Learn why this community experiment could become a blueprint for healthier people, a healthier planet, and a more compassionate future. 🎙️ Episode Description Can a Vegan City Change the World? What if one small city could spark a global movement? In this episode of The UnchainedTV Podcast, award-winning journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell travels to Port Townsend, Washington, where an extraordinary experiment is underway. The Together Around Food initiative, inspired by Dr. Sailesh Rao and Climate Healers, asks a revolutionary question: Should healthy, plant-based food be considered a basic human right? From community meals to climate solutions, this inspiring conversation explores how compassion, sustainability, and food justice intersect. You'll hear from the visionaries behind the movement and discover why they believe providing free, nourishing vegan meals can improve public health, strengthen communities, protect animals, and help combat the climate crisis. If you've ever wondered whether local action can create global change, this episode offers hope, practical ideas, and an inspiring vision for the future. Subscribe to The UnchainedTV Podcast on Libsyn and your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode with friends and family who believe a healthier, kinder world is possible. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, television producer, and New York Times bestselling author. She is the founder of UnchainedTV, the world's premier plant-based streaming network, featuring more than 2,000 documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle programs, and news reports promoting compassionate, sustainable living. 🎥 Watch Free: 🌐 Learn More: ▶️ Rumble: 📘 Facebook: 📬 Substack: 📸 Instagram: 🐦 X: 👽 Reddit: #VeganCity #FoodJustice #PlantBasedLiving TRANSCRIPT: A Vegan City? Food as a Basic Human Right? (0:25) An exciting experiment is happening right now in Port Townsend, Washington State, and(0:32) it could take the world by storm. (0:35) Here's where it's happening. (0:37) Just about a two and a half hour drive northwest of Seattle, and it's called Together Around Food, (0:48) and the basic concept is that, well, vegan food, healthy plant-based fruits, vegetables, nuts, (0:55) and grains, should they be a basic human right? This entire concept is the brainchild of one of (1:03) my heroes, Dr. Silas Rao of Climate Healers. Dr. Rao, how is it going? (1:10) It's going great. We started out slow for the first three days, and then yesterday, (1:16) we overflowed pretty much the room that we were in, and so we had to get tables from the other room (1:22) and, you know, safety overflow people. So, exactly what we wanted, you know, things picking up like (1:29) that, and so now we are looking at new spaces that we need to go find to accommodate the people (1:37) who are coming. (1:38) You are looking at a live cam on the kitchen where food is being prepared for a lot of people,(1:46) and one reason that this can happen, because it is free food for anybody in the town who wants to (1:54) take advantage of it, and when I say food, it's not, you know, a meat burger and fries. It's healthy (2:00) plant-based food. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and legumes brought to us by Loving Hut. So, we (2:08) want to go to the representative of Loving Hut, who is Mike Zanabria. Mike, tell us, wow, this is (2:16) extraordinary. What's happening? What's the who, what, when, where, why happening? (2:20) Awesome. So, we are here in Washington on the Olympic Peninsula at the Tri-Area Community (2:26) Center, which is in a city called Chimicum, just outside of Port Townsend, and the goal with (2:32) Together Around Food is, as you said, Jane, to showcase that whole food, plant-based meals that(2:38) are gourmet, that are delicious. They should be served to the community, by the community, in a (2:45) community center like this, free of charge, as a community project, where anyone, breakfast, lunch, (2:51) and dinner, can come to their local community center and get a free delicious meal that's (2:57) awesome for their health, great for the environment, great for the animals. So, this is really what (3:02) could propel our world into world peace and the vegan world that we're hoping that we are moving (3:08) towards very quickly, especially since we are in the current climate crisis that we are all feeling (3:14) the pressure of. Now, I want to make a very important point. Port Washington, Port Townsend in Washington (3:22) State, is not an impoverished community. We have a lovely resident who has agreed to join us. (3:29) There's no major food insecurity, malnutrition, starvation. These are people who are (3:35) taking part in this experiment as a test example of something that could expand to the rest of(3:43) the world, and some areas where there is food insecurity. So, I just want to give a shout out to (3:49) everybody in Port Townsend for taking a leap of faith, and we're going to go to Patty Schmucker, who (3:55) is one of the local residents. Patty, what inspired you to get involved? Well, we had the opportunity (4:03) here in Port Townsend. We have a community that is very environmentally aware. Port Townsend is a (4:10) very pristine environment, a rural environment, and like every other community, we do have some food insecurity, (4:17) and we do have issues with homelessness, and those kinds of issues, but we also have 55 percent of our (4:25) population is over the age of 50, and we have a lot of people who have made their fortunes (4:32) in other parts of the United States, and have retired here. So, we have a very diverse population. (4:39) I'm one of those. I've spent the last 45 years in Los Angeles, and made Port Townsend my (4:44) full-time home just two years ago, and my motivation to be involved is I know that we (4:50) have a crisis. We have a crisis at many different levels with regards to what's going on in our (4:56) society, and what's going on with regards to our planet, and now is the time to act, and this was (5:01) for me where I'm feeling sometimes very hopeless about some of the things that are going on. (5:07) This was an opportunity to lean in, and be able to do something that what I thought was impossible(5:13) three weeks ago when we started this whole discussion, and yet the community has just(5:19) embraced it. The food has been amazing. The lectures and the programs that we've done (5:25) has just really enrolled the community, and has started a very important and conversation of real (5:33) substance. Well, for those who are just joining us, the concept is should food be a basic human (5:41) right, and we're not talking about fast food, junk food, cookies, and meat burgers, and french (5:50) fries. We're talking about healthy, whole food, plant-based. Should it be a right like air or (5:57) water? This is the fundamental question being posed, because after all, you can't live very (6:03) long without food. Now, we know that air is a right. We certainly hope that water is a right, (6:09) but since you can't live without air, water, and food, maybe food should be a basic human right. (6:17) This is a radical concept, and the test is happening now in Port Townsend, Washington.(6:24) You are looking at a live camera of this extraordinary experiment in progress, live. (6:32) So, the question is, could this end up being exported to other towns? But even before we get (6:41) to that, I want to talk about some of the really ambitious goals this project has, and as I was (6:49) looking at the website, which is, we'll put it up in a second, I was blown away. (6:58) I know Dr. Rao is an overachiever, but gee, there's a lot of goals here. Eliminate hunger(7:06) and malnutrition worldwide, improve human health, support local food systems, strengthen community, (7:14) accelerate the plant-based transition, and restore planetary health. Wow. Dr. Rao, (7:23) tell us, how are you going to achieve all this, sir? (7:26) This is the food system transformation. To me, any system is based on an objective function, (7:35) constraint set. So, I sort of analyzed it, as an engineer would, and I said, (7:40) the current food system is not designed to nourish people. So, this is why even (7:46) people who are wealthy, who don't have food insecurity, are not eating the right food, (7:52) and they're getting sick. So, it's evidenced in the amount of sickness that's going on in society. (8:01) So, if people are not getting the right food, they're being misinformed, they're being deceived (8:08) into eating the wrong foods. So, let's create healthy food as a basic human right. And so, (8:15) then everyone knows, okay, if you eat like this, that's my baseline, you know, that should be free. (8:20) So, if healthy food is free, then it's impossible for you to be unhealthy, right? It's almost (8:27) impossible. You have to choose to be unhealthy. So, that's the goal, and you can make it very (8:34) delicious. This is why we enrolled Marlene Matsanchara and Bill Chara of the Human Ecology (8:40) Project, because I had Marlene's food for the first time, maybe three years ago. I went and (8:46) had lunch with them, and I told Marlene, if people could eat your food, the world will be vegan (8:51) tomorrow, because it's that delicious. And, you know, she addresses how the food looks, how the (9:00) food tastes, the texture. She addresses all aspects of the food experience, and shows how (9:07) you can create meals like that. She's there in the background, walking around. She's very busy. (9:13) She's working like crazy, serving up lunch. I want to go back to Mike Sanabria of Loving Hut (9:21) Restaurants. I'm sure a lot of people are wondering, well, how the heck are you affording all (9:26) this? Either you're one of the tech billionaires, and we just don't know about it, or you've got (9:33) some secret formula that's allowing you to serve all this food for free to everybody. Take it away. (9:40) What do you have to say about that, Mike? Sure. So, Loving Hut is, we're all part of a spiritual (9:47) community. So, we're all students of Supreme Master Ching Hai, and we have members around the world. (9:52) So, they are helping to fund this project, because projects like this are really how you can make an (10:00) impact in the local community, and then we're producing a short-form documentary on what (10:04) happens here in Port Townsend. And our goal is to bring this to the United Nations, and showcase this (10:10) as a project that can be done around the world, where communities are funding this project locally, (10:17) providing the food for free to the community members, like a subsidy. So, currently, (10:23) so much money, unfathomable amounts of money are going from our government tax dollars, (10:28) are fueling animal agriculture. And it's killing our health, it's killing our planet, (10:34) it's killing billions, and billions, and billions of animals each year. (10:38) So, instead, the same money could just be allocated towards beautiful, peaceful, delicious, (10:45) healthy food that would literally completely revolutionize the world, and bring peace, (10:52) bring love, and showcase what humans truly are. Humans are love, animals are love. So, (10:58) a project like this, Dr. Rao brought this to our team coordinator, and said, hey, (11:03) can you guys please, please come to Jefferson County, and let's do this project. And that was(11:09) just a month ago. And we assembled the team quickly, we came quickly. And because it's so (11:15) urgent, I mean, we needed to come as fast as possible. So, we're really thankful to Dr. (11:20) Silas Rao from Climate Healers. We're grateful to Bill and Marlene Watson-Terra from the Human (11:27) Ecology Project. And of course, you, Jane, for having us on, because it's a team effort. And (11:32) when you get a community to support this project, then you have hundreds and hundreds more people (11:38) that are going to start advocating for this message. So, the transition can happen very (11:42) quickly. And we're very excited to be a part of this mission. I want to ask a follow-up question, (11:49) because I'm going to be honest here. When Dr. Rao, who is, everything he says goes over my head the (11:56) first five times, and then I finally get it, right? Takes me a while. But in a lot of ways, (12:02) I'm kind of like the average consumer, although I'm vegan, plant-based animal lover. But my (12:08) reactions to things can be like the average consumer. So, he did this in a very small way (12:13) in Santa Monica on the beach. And he said, Jane, I want you to come over and have some free food. (12:19) And my first reaction was, I'm offended. I can afford my own food. Why is he asking me this? (12:26) Then I went kind of like with my eyes rolling. And when I got there, I had a totally different (12:33) experience than what I envisioned it was going to be. And I'll be honest, I envisioned it was (12:39) going to be unhoused people lining up for free food. And it turned out that it was a wide swath (12:45) of people from some unhoused people, but people at the most expensive hotels in Santa Monica coming (12:51) out. People from France, people who live in Santa Monica. It was just an entire group of people (12:58) who were trying this out, and it was a big party. So, I want to go back to Patty. How are the folks (13:07) in Port Townsend reacting to this revolutionary idea? (13:12) I would imagine it might take some people a little bit of time to get used to it. (13:18) Yeah, it's been amazing. As Dr. Ross said earlier, it's built in momentum, but by day four, (13:28) we had people just from overflowing our capacity. And the amazing thing is it's not only, (13:37) it's about this food and this amazing tasting and looking food, but it also is about community. (13:45) And I know for myself, I do economic development here in the Jefferson County area, (13:50) and the conversations that are going on around the table, our friendships are being formed. (13:57) Things about our community and how the community is working is part of the conversations that are (14:03) going on. Opportunities in terms of the ways that we can sustain this and the relationships that are, (14:13) that we knew each other, but as a result of being able to break bread with one another, (14:19) it's also given us an opportunity to really look each other in the eye and have conversations that (14:24) would never normally be taking place. So, it is not only just about, and it's the education. (14:32) Each night we've done a different program that's allowed us to be in a situation where(14:36) we're all being, our knowledge is being expanded. Our paradigms are being shifted (14:44) and we're being introduced to various different things. And the urgency is so compelling that(14:50) people are walking away and really thinking about it. Tonight, as a result of the conversations (14:56) we've had the last few nights, we're actually going to have a round table where we can have (15:01) Dr. Rao and Mike and Marlene and Bill dive a little bit further into some of the topics (15:07) they've talked about the last four nights. And our community can engage in the conversation (15:12) and talk further about how do we sustain this? We're fortunate here in Jefferson County that (15:18) we do have a lot of programs where people are being fed. And now this elevates the conversation (15:26) of, can we choose to feed people in a more healthy manner? We've got a question here from (15:32) one of our viewers, Nilofar Ashgarian, how can we get the attention of the upper echelon (15:37) to propel out of tax dollars to plant-based foods instead of animal foods? This is a very (15:45) important question because what's really important to keep in mind is this food is free, but it is all (15:51) 100% plant-based. So there's a reason for that. And I want to play a clip from a documentary that (16:03) we just did here in Unchained TV, featuring the work of Dr. Rao called The Climate Healers, (16:11) where he talks about the causes of climate change. (16:17) It's preventable by just shutting down the killing machine. What we are doing to animals on the animal (16:23) kingdom, we are dropping a hundred thousand Hiroshima bombs a week, one every six seconds. (16:30) That's how you get to kill a trillion animals a year. That's what we are doing. And that killing (16:37) machine is the leading cause of all of these planetary boundary transgressions. So all the (16:44) problems that Earth has, you could immediately reverse it if you shut down the killing machine. (16:49) So this is urgent. This is pressing. Our future generations, the ones who didn't even cause this, (16:56) are going to be dealing with the repercussions. So go vegan. Cue The Climate Healers. (17:05) And that is our documentary about another one of Dr. Rao's projects, (17:10) A Convergence, that was held in Toronto. So I urge everybody to go to Unchained TV and watch that, (17:18) packed with information. But that helps Dr. Rao sort of explain why this isn't just offering (17:24) free food. And it raises the question of a lot of these groups that want to end world hunger, (17:31) offering meat, which is the most inefficient food source that's actually creating the world (17:38) hunger problem. So address those issues if you would, Dr. Rao. Yeah, it's just analyzing these (17:45) things as a system. And you realize that feeding people meat and animal products, you're using way (17:52) more resources, 39 kgs of food for every one kg of animal food that you're consuming. That's the (17:59) average reduction that happens. And this is why there is world hunger in the first place. So how (18:06) can you address hunger by using the same food that caused that hunger? So when you analyze it (18:13) as a system, when you analyze why our human engineering systems are in conflict with the (18:19) life support systems of our planet, the system solution that pops up is healthy food. Healthy (18:25) vegan food should be available for free. Subsidize that. So that makes the economic case. Everything (18:31) turns around as soon as you do that. You have to turn around so that everyone's health becomes (18:38) normalized as opposed to diseases and killing being normalized. So once we understand that (18:47) we have to heal ourselves, heal human beings, and then automatically we will start healing the (18:53) animals and healing the planet. And we have to go and intervene sometimes when the animals are, (18:58) you know, it's too hard for them to come back because they don't have enough water. Then we (19:03) have to go and figure out how to get them water. So there's a lot of ecological repair work that (19:08) needs to happen. And that follows once we become healthy ourselves. So I say the current system (19:15) is all based on extracting from the planet and holding the wealth. And we need to create a system (19:22) in which it's all about repairing the planet and healing. So it's healing ourselves and healing (19:29) the planet. So that's...
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Outrage after Another NYC Carriage Horse Dies. What Next?
06/20/2026
Outrage after Another NYC Carriage Horse Dies. What Next?
SHARE OUT IF YOU LOVE HORSES! Yet another horse has died in New York City’s carriage trade. Deniz, a 16-year-old male who worked the city streets for a decade, collapsed and died in Central Park on June 9th near famous Strawberry Fields. His final breaths were caught on tape, a video that has gone viral, sparking grief and outrage. This latest tragedy has also reignited calls for New York City to end the carriage trade once and for all. In this episode of UnchainedTV’s award-winning Truth Files podcast, host Jane Velez-Mitchell dives into the rising national movement to end this controversial practice. Joining the conversation are Edita Birnkrant, Executive Director of NYCLASS and one of the nation's leading voices against the trade, along with prominent NYC social media influencer Jamie Logan. Together, they discuss the growing momentum to pass Ryder’s Law, a bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC. The tide is undeniably turning. The podcast highlights how the mood of the nation is shifting, pointing to the Philadelphia City Council's historic vote to ban the carriage horse businesses. Both famed tennis star Martina Navratilova and Meghan McCain, former co-host of The View, have expressed heartache and anger on X over the horse’s death. Crucially, even the prominent Central Park Conservancy has broken tradition to take a public stand urging an end to horse drawn carriages. Advocates argue these gentle animals deserve dignity, not the stress of navigating gridlocked traffic, exhaust fumes, and concrete. However, opponents push back; Transport Workers Union Local 100, representing the drivers, maintains that the horses are well-cared for and that a ban would eliminate jobs. Truth Files extends an open invitation to union representatives to comment further. Tune in to hear how the tragic loss of Deniz, caught on video, could be the game changer for horses, TRANSCRIPT Outrage after Another NYC Carriage Horse Dies. What Next? (0:01) All right, we are live with extraordinary breaking news. (0:06) After nearly 10 years of campaigning (0:08) by animal rights organizations, (0:10) the beagles at Ridgeland Farms are all being freed, (0:14) every last one of them. (0:16) This is history in the making. (0:18) You are looking at just released footage (0:21) of the beagles who were released today. (0:24) We're talking about 325 dogs being released today (0:28) and tomorrow. (0:30) So this is a truly extraordinary. (0:33) Big Dog Ranch Rescue secured the deal (0:35) to ensure that the remaining 475 dogs (0:39) at Ridgeland Farms will be released (0:42) and the facility is going to close permanently, (0:46) which is really history in the making. (0:49) Of course, those of you who have been following this(0:52) know that it is a saga that has gone on for a decade. (0:56) And take a look at these beagles. (0:58) I mean, this is huge breaking news. (1:00) We've also got huge breaking news (1:02) about what's happening with carriage horses. (1:05) Another tragic death of a carriage horse in Central Park. (1:10) His last moments you are seeing there caught on videotape, (1:15) which has sparked outrage from celebrities (1:18) like Martina Navratilova, Meghan McCain, (1:21) and some of the Kardashians just saying, (1:23) what is going on in New York City (1:25) that this is being allowed to happen? (1:27) We have one of the leaders (1:29) of the ending carriage horse trade movement on with us, (1:33) but first we're gonna go straight out to Wisconsin (1:37) on the beagle story. (1:40) So much happening. (1:41) Amy Van Artsen with the Marty Project. (1:44) You brought us these incredible images. (1:47) What's happening there? (1:49) Yeah, thanks so much for having me, Jane. (1:50) It was such an incredible day. (1:52) I just, truly some of the best news ever (1:54) is to hear that Ridgeland Farms is finally closing. (1:56) I couldn't be more ecstatic to finally feel this (1:59) after so many years. (2:00) There's been so many individuals in the movement (2:02) that it took to make this happen. (2:04) And we finally did it. (2:05) So come August, the doors will close for the last time (2:07) and I couldn't be more excited. (2:09) Now you got this footage. (2:12) What was your emotional reaction seeing (2:15) that these dogs were in cages all of their lives? (2:19) Some of them undoubtedly subjected to experiments. (2:24) These are the dogs with tattoos on their ears. (2:27) I mean, what was it like to see this? (2:29) Yeah, I think for me, it was especially powerful (2:32) just to connect with them individually. (2:33) Like I think today I had a little more time (2:35) just to sit in the grass with them (2:36) and like to have them come up one by one. (2:38) That was something I'll just never forget. (2:41) And so just to, I mean, just to see their faces (2:43) and to see them take it in and as they, you know(2:45) gain confidence and just start to see the tail legs (2:48) and just to see them, you know, interact with each other (2:50) like that, just to take it all in today was, (2:52) I mean, just such an honor (2:53) and privilege to be there with them. (2:55) Given everything that's happened in Wisconsin (2:58) and we have a team of experts here standing by (3:02) to talk about this, but given what has been national (3:06) even global media attention on the whole Ridgeland dog saga (3:13) with of course the attempts to get all the beagles out (3:19) by going in there and doing open rescues, (3:22) open rescues that at first got about two dozen dogs out (3:28) but then there was a second open rescue (3:31) that turned into a fiasco (3:34) as the rescuers were hit with tear gas. (3:38) You know, it's been a global story. (3:42) Do you feel that this outcome is a turning point (3:46) in animal rights history, Amy? (3:49) Oh, I entirely do. (3:50) And Jane, I'll be right back. (3:51) I'm sorry, I got to jump off quick. (3:52) Okay, no worries. (3:54) There's a lot going on in Wisconsin. (3:57) The dogs are still being taken out. (3:59) So the fact that you're seeing people pop on and pop off (4:05) it's because that there is just so much breaking news (4:07) happening right now. (4:08) And we're going to get to the horses in a second (4:10) but I do want to ask Hurek Tela (4:14) who is an anti-vivisection activist (4:16) who has worked for literally decades (4:19) to end animal experimentation. (4:21) Do you feel this is the tipping point? (4:24) Hurek. (4:24) I definitely believe so. (4:27) The secrecy of the cruelty to animals has been exposed (4:33) thanks to brave activists who have been fighting this, (4:38) documenting this specifically in Richland (4:41) and in other vivisection laboratories around the country (4:44) and around the world. (4:45) And the secrecy is out. (4:49) People now are starting to see (4:51) what they couldn't even imagine (4:54) goes on in vivisection labs. (4:56) And next, we have the opportunity now with this momentum (5:00) to help people understand that animal research doesn't work, (5:05) that there is human beings who need help(5:09) with all kinds of diseases, cancer, diabetes, you name it (5:12) and that they need the help(5:14) and medical doctors can definitely work with those patients (5:19) and come up with solutions on top of some other laboratory, (5:24) non-animal based laboratory technologies. (5:27) I mean, we're talking about in the age of the computers (5:30) and technology. (5:32) So the momentum is on our part to say goodbye (5:35) to animal research once and forever, (5:38) not just the beagles who are the sweet little creatures (5:42) but also even all kinds of animals, rats, mice. (5:47) There's a couple of hundred million animals every year (5:51) in the United States that's being used for vivisection. (5:54) They don't have an accurate count (5:55) because mice and rats aren't even reportable. (5:59) There are estimates that about a hundred million mice, (6:02) rats are being used. (6:03) Another hundred million other animals, (6:05) dogs, cats, pigs, ferrets, bunnies. (6:09) And it's about time that we stop, (6:14) that we help people understand that this is not science. (6:18) This is not research. (6:20) This is a government funded torture of other creatures (6:25) that is not helping human medicine, (6:28) whether it's in pharmaceutical drugs or in other areas. (6:31) So I think the momentum is on our side. (6:34) I am so pleased that JFK Jr. (6:36) and Secretary of Groups Rawlings (6:39) announced the formation of ORIVA, (6:41) which is an organization under NIH,(6:44) which is going to hopefully expedite the transition (6:49) to non-human methodologies. (6:53) And we need to take this momentum and run with it. (6:59) I agree. (7:00) I wanna thank you, Hurrik. (7:02) There's so much happening. (7:04) Now we're gonna go to Adita Bernkrant. (7:07) Adita is one of the most prominent animal rights activists (7:10) in the United States, indeed the world. (7:12) She leads New York class, (7:13) which has led the fight to ban carriage horses. (7:17) So Adita, I wanna get your response to this latest death, (7:21) which has gone viral because it was caught on videotape. (7:26) What is the significance (7:27) and how is it reactivating the push (7:30) to end the carriage horse trade in New York? (7:33) Right now we have incredible momentum(7:36) because this footage, (7:39) this heartbreaking footage of 16 year old Dennis (7:42) who took his last breaths in front of people (7:44) that were sobbing, hugging each other, traumatized, (7:50) this went unbelievably viral in a way we've never seen. (7:53) And it has reignited the demand (7:57) that the New York City Council do the right thing here(8:00) and free these horses from this miserable existence. (8:05) This is one of many horses who has been worked (8:08) to the point of collapse and death. (8:10) We've also had at least six violent runaway crashes (8:14) in Central Park that has injured people, (8:18) sent people to the hospital, including carriage drivers, (8:21) nearly trampled people to death. (8:23) This has got to end. (8:25) And I think we have reached a tipping point (8:29) in that actually just a few days ago, (8:31) Philadelphia banned horse-drawn carriages. (8:34) San Antonio, Texas recently voted (8:36) to ban horse-drawn carriages. (8:38) Chicago's already done it. (8:39) So New York City is a glaring outlier (8:41) in still allowing this to continue. (8:44) And it's been a really tough political issue here (8:46) for a lot of different reasons. (8:48) But we really feel that we have the momentum now (8:52) to get this done because there has been such a groundswell (8:56) of outrage and heartbreak and disgust (9:00) that this beautiful horse should not have suffered (9:03) and died like that. (9:04) None of this should be happening. (9:06) We have rescue farms for all of these horses (9:09) to be living and running free as nature intended. (9:12) Right now they're stuck in a abusive situation (9:15) and we have the solution with rider's law. (9:18) So it's very simple what we're asking, pass rider's law. (9:21) This is what 78% of polled New Yorkers want, (9:24) the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park, (9:27) strongly supports rider's law. (9:29) They put a very strong statement out actually (9:31) after the horrible death of Dennis saying, (9:35) this just highlights the urgent need to do this. (9:38) Look, we know what the nature of horses are. (9:40) They are nervous, skittish prey animals. (9:43) So a horse can collapse at any time. (9:46) A horse can drop dead at any time. (9:48) They can also spook and run wild at any time. (9:51) And that's why the Central Park Conservancy says (9:53) in an increasingly crowded park,(9:56) we can no longer protect public safety and health (9:59) by allowing these horses to continue to run wild, (10:03) to collapse and even die, unfortunately, (10:06) right in front of horrified people. (10:07) I can tell you, I spoke to multiple witnesses (10:10) who were there walking their dog, jogging, riding bikes. (10:14) They will never forget what they saw. (10:16) One woman I spoke with who walks her dog regularly (10:19) in the park said that this was the second violence (10:22) she's seen in just nine months in Central Park (10:25) because she saw Dennis die right in front of her eyes (10:28) while walking her dog. (10:29) And last Labor Day, a horse rampaged through the park (10:34) after spooking and running wild. (10:37) And the actual tourists in the back (10:39) had to jump out of that carriage to save their lives. (10:42) And this witness in the park had to jump out of the way (10:45) to avoid being trampled.(10:47) So at this point, the only way we can protect lives, (10:51) whether that's the carriage drivers, (10:53) whether that's the people in the park, (10:55) New Yorkers, tourists, and the horses themselves (10:58) is to pass this common sense legislation (11:00) that most other large cities have already done. (11:03) So that's our task to get that done. (11:06) And the website link on the screen here (11:09) is we have everything laid out. (11:12) Whether you live in New York City, (11:14) contact your council member. (11:16) If you're outside of New York City, (11:17) there's also action steps you can take. (11:19) Also, please follow our Instagram page at NYCLASS. (11:24) We're constantly putting updates. (11:25) There's gonna be a lot happening (11:26) because we really believe (11:28) that this is the year of the horse, 2026. (11:30) We're finally gonna get this done and free these horses. (11:33) Well, I have to tell you,(11:35) it's so extraordinary to see all this mainstream outrage (11:41) because these aren't just animal rights activists. (11:43) These are people, I'm gonna play a clip (11:45) of the demonstration outside City Hall (11:48) that occurred after this horse's death. (11:50) And you can see this is a massive group of everyday people, (11:54) not what they call radical animal rights. (12:20) Now I'd like to bring in my colleague Jamie Logan and I'd like to get your reaction because (12:28) you've covered both of these. You're a New York City native and yet you've also been (12:33) at the Ridgeland. You were one of the people who was attacked with tear gas and pepper (12:40) spray. So what do you think's happening? So I mean just seeing this footage of the horse (12:46) carriages first and foremost, it's so powerful. It I think tears at anybody's heart whether (12:52) you're an animal rights activist or not. And in fact, most New Yorkers want these carriages (12:57) banned anyway. It's a thing of the past. We're in 2026. Let's use our own damn legs at this (13:05) point. It is truly the definition of insanity that we are just doing the same thing over (13:11) and over again and expecting a different outcome. But the outcome is the mere fact that there (13:16) is a dead horse on the side of the street. It seems like every few months. And so it's (13:22) just a matter of like, when is the next catastrophe going to happen? And so we must get this rider's (13:28) law passed and end the horse carriage industry for good. There was just a victory in Philadelphia (13:34) where the horse carriages are banned there. So come on, New York City. Come on, girl. Like (13:39) what are you waiting for? Yeah, I think you know, you're making very important points. I want to (13:45) though. We always show both sides of the story here. First of all, let's look at the union's (13:51) response. And I want to get your response, Adita, to the union's response, because they say (13:57) TWU Local 100 said Dennis was examined by the NYPD mounted units veterinarian in March and (14:04) was found fit for work. Union officials said there were no signs that the horse was ill before (14:08) Tuesday's incident. We are all in mourning. TWU Local 100 shop steward Christina Hansen said in (14:15) a statement and they said they closed their stables for a day this past Wednesday in honor of (14:21) this horse's death and that a necropsy will be conducted soon to determine the cause of (14:27) death. I want to get your response to that. And I believe the last death was actually last (14:34) year in terms of a New York City carriage horse. You can clarify all that. Yes. Last August, a (14:41) 15-year-old horse, a mare, dropped dead on the streets. And actually, my response is that all of (14:49) these horses get a perfect bill of health because there's no independent veterinary (14:54) oversight. Rider, which was the horse that the legislation is named after, was a 26-year-old (15:00) horse. That's about equivalent of an 85-year-old human. The owners had falsified his age to say he (15:07) was just 13 years old. And this was a horse that was riddled with cancer, emaciated and very sick. (15:14) Well, guess what? Rider had a perfect bill of health. And then he collapsed on a hot August (15:20) day in 2022. And then it was revealed that he was a very sick horse. But we don't have the autopsy (15:28) results from this particular horse. But regardless of what the autopsy shows, the fact of the matter (15:36) is that horses have medical emergencies all the time. They can trip and fall at any time. There (15:42) were passengers in that carriage when Dennis collapsed. They are very lucky that they weren't (15:48) thrown from the carriage and injured. But regardless of whether Dennis was in perfect health and just (15:55) had a cardiac event that could happen to any horse or whether he was sick and wasn't being (16:02) treated, the outcome is the same. Horses can collapse and die at any moment. And that is why (16:07) we cannot have them dragging open carriages with passengers, sometimes very young children. (16:15) There's no safety measures. There's no modern safety measures in these carriages, right? So (16:22) it's a 19th, 18th century contraption thrown into midtown Manhattan. So when something goes wrong, (16:30) which happens regularly, these carriages just fall apart. They're very flimsy. They crash into (16:35) vehicles. So again, the industry's response will often be that, well, horses can die at any time. (16:44) And by the way, I also feel like that's sort of a very flippant response when people are (16:51) watching this horse die in public. But the point is that they shouldn't be there pulling carriages (16:57) in stressful conditions. We know that the traffic is stressful. They're pounding pavement. They go (17:03) back to multi-level storied stables, if you can call them that, where they are put into very small (17:13) stalls that are about half the size recommended by humane orgs. Horses are herd animals, right? (17:19) But they have no pasture in New York City. They don't have grass. So the things that horses need (17:24) to be healthy are often denied them in New York City. And the fact that we know that horses can (17:32) collapse, die, spook at any moment is exactly why we cannot safely and humanely operate horse-drawn (17:41) carriages in the city. It puts everyone at risk. Just last month, actually, there was another (17:47) violent spooking incident in the park where two carriages lined up waiting for rides collided (17:53) with each other. And the carriage driver was flung from the carriage and ended badly injured, (17:59) was trapped underneath. He was badly injured, taken away by ambulance. The passengers had just (18:04) stepped off and narrowly avoided also being thrown in the air. And Jamie Logan is right. There's (18:10)...
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Why Are Dogs Still Being Used in Experiments?
06/05/2026
Why Are Dogs Still Being Used in Experiments?
🎙️ Podcast Highlights • Why activists are demanding an end to dog experimentation • The role beagles play in laboratory testing and why they are commonly used • Voices from the front lines of a New York City animal rights rally • The growing movement for cruelty-free scientific research • How you can help advocate for animals used in experiments Why Are Dogs Still Being Used in Experiments? Animal advocates, rescued beagles, and concerned citizens gathered in New York City to demand an end to dog experimentation and animal testing. This powerful rally shines a spotlight on the ongoing use of beagles in laboratory research and the growing movement calling for humane, cruelty-free alternatives. UnchainedTV brings you coverage from the streets of Manhattan as activists raise their voices for animals who cannot speak for themselves. “Why are dogs still being used in experiments?” – Rally Participant What You'll Discover In this compelling episode, you'll hear from activists, advocates, and supporters working to end animal experimentation. The rally highlights concerns about the continued use of dogs in research facilities and explores the increasing demand for modern, humane alternatives. Listeners will gain insight into the ethical concerns surrounding animal testing and the passionate movement working to create change. “The beagles need us to speak for them.” – Rally Speaker Join the Conversation If you believe in compassion, transparency, and advancing science through humane methods, share this episode and help amplify the voices advocating for animals. Every conversation helps bring greater awareness to the issue of animal experimentation. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm TRANSCRIPT: NYC Rally against Dog Experimentation (0:28) Pet owners in America is the largest coalition that there is, and if we're not going to stand(0:34) for just us hiding behind the fact that the laws aren't on our side, we need new laws. (0:40) We need new laws that are going to stop this barbaric practice once and for all. (0:54) Welcome to our team coverage of the Beagle Battle, which has gone from Wisconsin to New York State. (1:04) Extraordinary developments. We've got an incredible team here. (1:08) Lindsay Baker, our co-host, and Jamie Sasone, who was at the protest yesterday. (1:13) I want to play some breaking news that just happened. (1:18) And then we're going to go over to Edita Bernkrandt, who is in New York City. (1:23) We are here with some... Let me just flip the camera. Hang on. (1:29) We're here in New York City. We've got... Look who we've got here. Who's this? (1:37) Sir Ethan. (1:38) Sir Ethan. This is Sir Ethan from Envigo Labs Rescued. Now you're with your forever home, right? (1:50) How's it going? (1:52) Wow. (1:53) We're... I can't hear. We're live in New York City in Union Square. (1:58) We're getting ready for a rally to call for an end to animal testing and for a release of all of the beagles. (2:05) So everybody's just gathering here. We're getting set up. (2:10) We have Rachel, the organizer, here. (2:13) And we have another rescue doggy here. (2:19) Hi. (2:19) Who's this? (2:20) This is Clover. (2:21) This is Clover. Where are you from? (2:23) Clover is available for adoption from Puppy Kitty, New York City. (2:28) She's about three. She's a dog. (2:31) She likes everybody except cats. She does not like cats. (2:35) No cats. (2:36) And she loves toys. She loves kids. She loves other dogs. (2:40) She's a dog. (2:41) Awesome. Okay. (2:43) So we're going to come back in a few minutes when we are ready to set up for all the speakers and all the excitement here. (2:50) Let's see that poster. (2:52) Yes. (2:53) Here we go. (2:54) Are we going to introduce them? (2:55) Yep. (2:56) All right. (2:59) Incredible. Thank you so much. (3:02) Thank you. Thank you. (3:03) And we're going to go back to our other team here and talk a little bit about some of the breaking news that has been happening. (3:13) Really incredible news. (3:16) Jamie Sessone, you were at a rally against beagle experimentation in New York State. (3:24) And there was some breaking news announced by a congressman who sounds like an animal rights activist. (3:30) Absolutely extraordinary. (3:32) But let's hear the breaking news about the dogs who remain at Wisconsin's Ridgeland Farms. (3:39) Now, just a little background here for those who don't know because it is a very fast unfolding breaking news story. (3:50) Beagles at Ridgeland Farm have been the centerpiece of a saga that has been going on actually for years. (3:59) But most recently, there were rescues of about two dozen beagles. (4:05) And those rescues happened at Ridgeland Farms led by the famed animal activist Wayne Shung. (4:14) And approximately two dozen beagles were rescued and taken out. (4:21) This is called an open rescue where animal activists go in and they videotape themselves and broadcast their own rescue. (4:32) And so the authorities called this stealing. (4:36) There's a whole bunch of legal issues that emanated from that. (4:41) But the fact is that approximately two dozen dogs were removed to homes. (4:48) Then what happened was that there was another attempted rescue. (4:54) And that one did not go as well, even though there were so many more people involved. (5:00) That was a rescue that resulted in a lot of drama and actually injuries as well. (5:10) So I'm going to show you a little bit of that. (5:55) OK, so as you can see, that second mass beagle rescue failed. (6:00) But then there was a positive development where mainstream organizations like the Center for Humane Economy, (6:11) which is more along the lines of like an HSUS Humane Society than a more, let's say, open rescue style organization got involved. (6:27) And the bottom line was that fifteen hundred beagles were purchased and free. (7:01) So what remains are, I believe, approximately 600, according to some reports, beagle still inside Ridgeland. (7:11) Now, you brought us this, Jamie. We're going to get the information on the other side. (7:16) A congressman speaking yesterday said this in terms of Ridgeland. (7:23) That was the start of change. That was the start of turnover. (7:28) They're still 650 at Ridgeland. And I think our next they're on a limited timeline. (7:34) Right. We all know Ridgeland shutting down. We got to do something about those 650. (7:41) One hundred and fifty more coming out of Ridgeland on Monday. (7:49) Well, how about that? That would be called late breaking news, right? (7:55) Hot off the press. I love it. (7:59) Wow. How incredible this breaking news. (8:04) A hundred and fifty beagles coming out. You brought us that news, Jamie. (8:09) Tell us the scene there at this protest against the New York state based beagle breeding facility, (8:18) Marshall Bio Resources, which is huge, an estimated 20,000 beagles at least there. (8:26) Yes. Thank you, Jane. Yes. So I was at Marshall Bio Resources yesterday for a protest organized by Beagle Lovers and Rescuers, Inc. (8:37) They've been organizing protests there for years. (8:40) And I think we're super happy now to see more media coverage and light being shined on this. (8:45) And a congressman actually coming out to speak on behalf of the dogs at Marshall. (8:50) So yesterday when I was there, there were protesters. (8:54) Several of them had been there since Thursday, the 28th, all day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. protesting. (9:01) So total over the three days, there's an estimate of around 180 protesters there. (9:06) And this includes speakers like Congressman Langworthy, as well as local rescue organizers. (9:15) Against All Odds Animal Alliance is a local rescue organization that has had a huge part in this. (9:21) They were at Ridgeland in April, ready to take some of the dogs and unfortunately had to leave empty handed. (9:27) But when the 1500 were finally released, they did take eight of them that they have been caring for now at their rescue here in upstate New York. (9:37) So they were there yesterday. They organized this great lineup of speakers, including connecting us with Congressman Langworthy. (9:45) It's absolutely extraordinary to listen to a U.S. congressman talk like an animal rights activist. (9:53) I'm going to play a clip of some of the things he said and then talk to Lindsay Baker, our co-host, on the other side. (10:02) Listen to this. (10:04) Those people inside of Marshall, they're hearing them too here today. (10:08) And you're hearing them every day from this day forward. (10:14) They know they have a problem on their hands. (10:18) And, you know, like I said, I paid a visit here. (10:20) We pulled in within one minute of our arrival and we pulled over there and tried to kind of peek around the corner. (10:27) There's a big gate. (10:29) They had security out here so fast. (10:31) They didn't know what was coming. (10:34) It was made very clear that we weren't welcome. (10:37) We had no appointment and we could go buzz off. (10:41) They don't want anyone to see what's going on behind those gates and in those buildings. (10:47) But as y'all drove up here and you saw the map on your car, you see the enormity of this site, the amount of buildings there. (10:54) I mean, it is it's just it's mind boggling that this many animals could be held under one roof in this state. (11:03) So what we're seeing is the Beagle testing battle has moved from Ridgeland in Wisconsin to this massive New York State facility called Marshall Bio Resources. (11:17) Lindsay, do you see this as a breakthrough moment for the animal rights movement where you have, you know, a Republican congressman joining forces with people who engage in open rescue, essentially to say this industry has to end? (11:34) Well, yes, and I think it is a trend as well, because we see, you know, other politicians. (11:40) And again, we're a nonpartisan streaming network. (11:45) But Spencer Pratt sticking up for the dogs on Skid Row and others. (11:49) Cory Booker is a vegan. (11:52) So I think people, politicians, I should say, are starting to realize that people care about animals, particularly pets. (12:01) And as you say, Jane, pets are the gateway drug to animal rights because people start to see animals as they really are living, breathing, sentient beings that have the right to life and pursuit of happiness. (12:19) So, yes, I do think it's monumental. (12:22) I think it's a big deal. And it's a positive step, but it means we just have to push harder.(12:27) I think, too, we have to keep pushing. (12:30) Yeah, it's an opening. (12:33) And what we're seeing is a seismic shift. (12:36) As you said, Lindsay, dogs and cats and sometimes horses are the gateway drug to animal rights in general. (12:44) And when we talk about animal rights, we talk about pigs and cows and chickens and turkeys and goats and lambs and lizards and all sorts of animals. (12:51) But those people in America who have pets are a huge demographic. (12:57) They are a huge voting bloc. (12:59) And what we're seeing here, which is so revolutionary and game changing, is that people, Republicans, Democrats, young, old, black, white, Latino, Asian, North, South, East, West are coming together, Jamie, to say we do not want to have beagles or any dogs experimented on.(13:26) It's a great start. (13:28) What are your thoughts on the implications for the bigger animal rights movement, Jamie? (13:35) Yeah, I think it's interesting with Marshall Bioresources, because not only do they have the estimated roughly 20,000 beagles there, they have an estimated potentially up to around 60,000 animals total. (13:50) That includes cats, ferrets, mini pigs. (13:53) So the people at Marshall were standing up for all of them and wanting all of these animals to be released. (14:02) And I think that we've seen a lot of people come into this fight to stand for the dogs. (14:22) And if you're just joining us, we are literally typing out the breaking news as it's coming in.(14:34) 140 more dogs are going to be released from Bridgeland on Monday, according to a U.S. congressman. (14:43) This is fantastic breaking news, and it really symbolizes just a breakthrough in the entire animal rights movement, because one of the big tenets of animal rights is animals are not ours to experiment on. (15:02) And so it starts with beagles, but it can spread to other animals. (15:08) And what we're seeing is this protest against animal experimentation is going nationwide. (15:15) We are getting ready to join a protest and speeches in New York, Union Square, 14th Street, the heart of Manhattan. (15:25) It is getting ready to go underway right now. (15:29) We're going to bring it to you in a second. (15:31) In fact, we're going to bring it to you right now. (15:34) Take it away, Adita Byrdgrad, for what's happening in New York. (15:38) We are live in New York City with the rescued beagles. (15:42) This is Chloe Clover. (15:45) She's available from Puppy Kitty, New York City. (15:48) No, no, no. (15:48) So this is one of the rescued beagles who is up for adoption. (15:52) And we are here with a big crowd in the middle of Union Square, and we're about to start.(15:57) This is super exciting. (15:59) These doggies are getting so much attention in New York City, right? (16:03) And who are you? (16:05) I'm Carol. (16:06) I was at Ridgeland. (16:11) I adopted beagles from the first Mass Rescue Corps of People.(16:17) I want to say whoever's holding the camera, steady it up. (16:20) Yes. (16:21) All right. (16:21) We're about to start. (16:23) We're going to flip the camera around and get started with our speakers. (16:28) All right.(16:28) Absolutely incredible. (16:30) Great job, everybody. (16:31) This is very exciting. (16:33) You are watching live as a rally to end dog experimentation gets underway in New York City. (16:43) And what's really incredible about this, it's a coast-to-coast explosion of animal rights.(16:50) A coast-to-coast explosion of animal rights spearheaded by the battle to end beagle experimentation. (17:04) So you're seeing people gathered here to end beagle experimentation. (17:09) But where does that take us in terms of animal rights in general? (17:13) It can take us who knows where. (17:17) Far, far greater issues. (17:21) And obviously we want to get all those dogs out. (17:23) You see right there it says over 600 dogs still in cages at Ridgeland Farms. (17:28) Well, if you're just joining us, I can tell you that we've got breaking news to bring you. (17:35) And I'll play it one more time. (17:37) It's not 600 dogs. (17:42) In terms of Ridgeland, that was the start of change. (17:48) That was the start of turnover. (17:49) There's still 650 at Ridgeland. (17:51) And I think our next, they're on a limited timeline, right? (17:55) We all know Ridgeland's shutting down. (17:57) We got to do something about those 650. (18:01) 150 more coming out of Ridgeland on Monday. (18:08) Well, how about that? (18:12) That would be called late breaking news, right? (18:16) Hot off the press. (18:18) I love it. (18:19) And we have a rally going on in New York City. (18:22) Let's go right there. (18:24) All right, we're here. (18:25) Here we go. (18:26) Go. (18:26) Hello, Unchained TV. (18:29) How are you doing today? (18:30) We have amazing guest speakers today. (18:36) We have survivors. (18:38) We have people that have been rallying for these Beagles since day one. (18:45) Some even from two years ago. (18:49) So today I'm not going to give a long speech because we want to get this started. (18:54) And, again, thank you, Jane, for having us. (18:55) Thank you, Unchained TV, for offering to cover the rally. (19:01) I was one of the animal rights activists at Ridgeland Farms on April 18th. (19:07) And all I can tell you is that the passion and dedication of these animal rights activists fighting for these Beagles doesn't compare. (19:16) It doesn't compare. (19:18) And I've been an activist for over two decades. (19:21) Today we're going to be asking for action items. (19:26) People to sign signatures. (19:27) We're going to outreach the public. (19:29) There's plenty of people across the street at Union Square. (19:32) And we're going to also ask for signatures. (19:35) And also to sign up and find out how they can help, even if they're not here, in the comfort of their own homes. (19:44) We want to stop Ridgeland Farms from selling the rest of the Beagles that are still languishing in those cages. (19:52) There's about 600. (19:54) Some have been already sold under contract. (19:56) We have evidence of that. (19:59) And also, we want the public and the politicians to really hear us today and take action.(20:06) All across America, this has to end. (20:08) The suffering of these Beagles has to end. (20:11) So with no further ado, I'm going to introduce our first guest speaker. (20:15) Carol Vinzant and Clover Marshall from Marshall Bioresources. (20:26) Clover was born in 2023 at Marshall Bioresources. (20:33) She was used as a lab experiment, then trained vet techs. (20:37) She enjoys carrying stuffed animals around the house and greeting the school bus. (20:43) Carol Vinzant is known as the Beagle Lady of Sleepy Hollow, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and two hounds. (20:52) She has fostered over 70 hounds, including about 20 former research lab Beagles. (20:59) Before that, she worked as a journalist for Fortune and Rutters. (21:02) So let's please, a round of applause and welcome Carol and Clover. (21:10) Just speak loudly. (21:14) Hi there. (21:17) I'm Carol Vinzant. (21:19) I first became involved in research lab Beagles and their cause in 2010, (21:26) when my husband and I saw a story in the New York Times about a lab in Coral Peak, North Carolina, getting shut down. (21:36) PETA had done an undercover video and found the workers slamming around the dogs, hosing them. (21:45) People were outraged. (21:48) And very quickly, the local prosecutors shut down the lab. (21:53) And then all of a sudden, there were 200 Beagles up for adoption. (21:57) And rescues up and down the East Coast jumped in. (22:02) They had 14 hours. (22:03) There was Associated Humane in New Jersey sent down a horse trailer filled with dog crates, brought up 35 dogs. (22:15) And we, my husband David and I, adopted the last two. (22:20) We lived over on Fifth Street at the time. (22:24) The female was so scared, she would barely walk down the block. (22:29) She would just lie down. (22:31) And eventually, though, we got her over to Tompkins Square Dog Run. (22:38) And she was so excited by the other dogs. (22:41) She jumped on the picnic table and started humping the biggest pit bull she could find. (22:48) And so we named her Moxie. (22:51) The boy would walk, just so happy to see everyone and everything. (22:58) He would eat gum off the...
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Texas Cattle Rancher Turned Vegan Invites President Trump to Her Farmed Animal Sanctuary Amid Talarico Vegan Controversy
05/29/2026
Texas Cattle Rancher Turned Vegan Invites President Trump to Her Farmed Animal Sanctuary Amid Talarico Vegan Controversy
🎙️ PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS Why did a vegan controversy become a major political talking point in Texas? The backlash surrounding James Talarico and accusations of veganism How animal rights, climate concerns, and politics collided The growing public response from vegan advocates and supporters What this controversy reveals about food culture, identity, and political messaging The larger conversation about compassion, sustainability, and social change 📝 Description Attacked for Being Vegan? The Backlash Explained dives into the heated controversy surrounding Texas politician James Talarico and the political firestorm sparked by accusations of veganism. As debates over animal rights, climate change, and food choices intensify, vegan advocates are speaking out and pushing back against stereotypes and attacks aimed at the plant-based movement. Recent political criticism framed veganism as politically damaging, fueling a broader national discussion about ethics, identity, and cultural values. "I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign." — James Talarico What You'll Discover In this episode, we examine the response from the vegan community after Talarico became the target of criticism tied to comments supporting reduced meat consumption and vegan business purchases. The discussion explores why animal rights advocates view these attacks as part of a larger effort to marginalize conversations about sustainability, compassion, and food system reform. The controversy grew after resurfaced remarks connected vegan purchasing choices with climate concerns and respect for animals. "It is now existential that we try to reduce our meat consumption." — James Talarico Join the Adventure What do these attacks reveal about society's relationship with food, politics, and animal advocacy? Listen now and join the conversation. Share your thoughts, subscribe, and help amplify discussions about compassion, sustainability, and informed public dialogue. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #VeganActivism #AnimalRights #PlantBasedLiving
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Truck Carrying Pigs Crashes on Way to Slaughterhouse
05/26/2026
Truck Carrying Pigs Crashes on Way to Slaughterhouse
🎧 Podcast Highlights: Truck carrying pigs crashes en route to slaughter Emotional scenes from the accident aftermath The hidden reality of pig transport exposed Why activists say factory farming must change A heartbreaking look inside animal agriculture Truck Carrying Pigs Crashes on Way to Slaughterhouse in a shocking incident that is sparking outrage among animal advocates and renewed scrutiny of factory farming practices. This emotional podcast episode explores the devastating reality faced by pigs transported through the industrial farming system and the urgent calls for compassion and reform. “The pigs were terrified.” – Witness at the scene What You’ll Discover Discover what happens during live animal transport, why activists argue these dangerous journeys expose the cruelty of industrial agriculture, and how accidents involving animals headed to slaughter continue to ignite debate about food systems and ethics. This episode examines the emotional response from rescuers and advocates, the conditions pigs endure during transport, and why many people are reconsidering their relationship with animal agriculture after seeing incidents like this one. “No animal should suffer like this.” – Animal Rights Advocate Join the Adventure Listen, share, and join the growing movement calling for greater compassion toward farmed animals. Share this episode with anyone interested in animal welfare, vegan activism, ethical living, and the truth behind factory farming. Subscribe and leave a review to help amplify awareness and inspire change. 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #PigRescue #FactoryFarming #AnimalRights TRANSCRIPT: Truck Carrying Pigs Crashes on Way to Slaughterhouse (0:00) We are live from Canada where hundreds of pigs have just been involved in a (0:08) crash. Jenny McQueen, leading activist along with Benjamin Pitigan, another (0:13) leading activist. Tell us what happened, Jenny. You know, we were just at a vigil (0:19) with Toronto Pig Save. We just heard a beautifully moving poem about Regan (0:25) Russell. He died in this exact spot and then next minute there's a massive crash (0:31) and we look behind us and there's a truck full of screaming pigs that had(0:38) crashed into a small red car. So we immediately called EMS and we had fire, (0:45) we had ambulance, we had police here. You can see the tape behind me. Well tell me (0:51) more about the reaction of the pigs. Yeah, the pigs were screaming. We could (0:58) hear they were, for example, one of the pig's claws was in the hole. It was (1:05) horrible and pigs were here for about two hours without water, without any help. The (1:13) only thing that the law enforcement was worried about was how to get about the (1:19) injuries to them. To the humans? To the humans slash to the cars and trucks. (1:28) There was no compassion, empathy whatsoever towards the pigs. There was (1:33) nothing. Well, I spoke to the fireman and he said, you know, we have strict (1:39) instructions not to give anything to the pigs from the slaughterhouse. And I said (1:44) to them, why are you listening to a slaughterhouse whose job it is to kill (1:49) them anyway? And I asked, like, what is better death? The pigs are gonna die (1:57) screaming, being lowered into a gas chamber, or they're gonna die of heat (2:02) stroke right here on the truck. What would you prefer? What did he say? He said, I (2:13) can't answer that question. And I said to him, as an individual, you have an (2:19) answer to that. You deal in life and death all the time. Can you not consider the (2:23) death of these animals? So what's the situation there now? We're looking at (2:31) footage that you shot shortly after the crash. What happened to the pigs? (2:37) Unfortunately, as we knew would happen, they were loaded up using another truck (2:46) and they were taken off to be gassed inside, right behind us at this (2:53) slaughterhouse. I actually have Mark Powell here as well with us. He drove (2:59) down when he heard about the crash. This is Regan Russell's partner. (3:08) Go ahead, tell us, sir, what your reaction is. Well, it's in many parts, of (3:16) course, revisiting the spot where there's been an accident involving a truck. (3:21) Fortunately, it didn't involve an activist getting killed today. But it does(3:28) show you some of the recklessness, I think, of this spot for truckers. He was (3:36) turning from the outside lane, as he did when Regan was killed, and a car happened(3:41) to come up on his inside lane. Stuff happens. But it is, unfortunately, when the (3:48) authorities arrived, they paid more attention to the vehicles, getting them (3:52) looked after and out of the way, and did nothing. I mean, ironically, one of the (3:58) fire trucks was a pumper. He had thousands of gallons of water on his truck, and we (4:04) had thirsty pigs only about 10 feet away. And our cries for compassion were (4:14) ignored. Just open the hose gently. Let's give these animals some comfort. They are (4:20) going to slaughter. We all know that. But you cannot just stand here and let (4:25) them scream and suffer, without feeling it in your bones, and do something. (4:32) And it was horrible to see that. And these pigs, are they still alive now, or have (4:37) they been killed? Well, we're sure they've entered the system. I think they'll be (4:43) dead by now, Jane. (4:47) Now, let me tell you that this is breaking news. We're covering this as it (4:54) happens. I'm in Los Angeles at Unchained TV headquarters. The folks you're (4:59) listening to are in Canada. How far is this outside of Toronto? (5:07) We're about an hour outside of Toronto. This is the local slaughterhouse for us (5:12) where we come and we bear witness. So we were here today bearing witness to (5:16) hundreds upon hundreds of pigs being driven to their death in Burlington, (5:23) Ontario, which is in Canada. And we know that today is a hot day, and they are (5:29) really, really struggling inside. They're screaming inside, and then having (5:34) them traumatized by a big crash, and then having them just, you know, suffering (5:41) inside there in the heat for two days, just suffering for, sorry, two hours, just (5:47) suffering and screaming in right front of us. (5:50) Well, we've just gotten the footage with sound of the interactions. This is (5:57) coming in as we speak. This is breaking news. Let's play it. This is video the (6:01) activist sent us, and it's about two minutes. We'll take you right there to(6:06) the crash, and we'll talk about it on the other side. (6:08) At least one six-month-old pig to the itinerary. That's what they deserve. (6:15) These pigs are suffering right now. They are hot. They are screaming. They need (6:21) water. (6:21) Yes. Yes. (6:23) Please, let us get these pigs some water. (6:25) That's the driver. (6:26) Just because you're about to slaughter them doesn't mean they need to suffer (6:28) right now. (6:28) Catch the red one. And now he's got a buddy with him. (6:32) A little bit of water would be a long, a long way to bring some compassion for (6:37) the pigs, and we can bring them some water. I really want to give them some (6:41) water. (6:44) But if we give them water from here, then they're garbage. They have to (6:55) incinerate. They can't process the pigs. (6:57) When we realize they're going to be processed anyway, we can't stop that. (7:03) We can't give them anything. (7:06) We can't give them anything. (7:08) You can talk to anybody, but if you give them water, they cannot process them. (7:14) You can believe me. (7:16) Yeah, we've done this before. (7:20) I don't disagree with you. (7:23) But if we give them water, then they incinerate them. (7:26) We've given them water before, and they've processed them. I was charged (7:29) for giving water, and they still killed the pigs. (7:30) If you just stay behind the line, we'll take care of the rest. (7:33) In the court case, they did that. They still killed the pigs. (7:36) I appreciate your compassion. (7:39) They're okay. (7:40) They're not okay. (7:42) It's not great for you either. (7:50) Compassion. (7:56) Compassion. (8:13) All right. Wow. (8:15) As one of the viewers said, poor babies. (8:18) As activist Patty Schenker just said, animals run no risk of going to hell. (8:23) They are there already. (8:24) A quote from Victor Hugo. (8:27) So, Jenny, you are an amazing activist who has risked arrest many times. (8:33) The idea that they need water, what exactly did the firefighter say about (8:41) if you give them water, their trash, quote, they're going to have to be incinerated? (8:47) What is he talking about? (8:49) I was telling the firefighter that myself. (8:53) The firefighters did not react with any language of that. (8:57) That way, they just refused to give us any hints of any compassion. (9:03) They were doing their job, but their job didn't include any of the suffering animals. (9:09) You know, we have international activists with us here today as well. (9:12) Benjamin is here as part of the ABA conference that we just had. (9:17) Yes. Benjamin, what's your reaction to how the police and the firefighters handled this? (9:23) I have it in my T-shirt. (9:26) Can you read it? (9:27) Oh, yes, exactly. (9:29) Come closer. (9:30) Yes. Is it any better in Finland? (9:34) It's all the same shit, you know. (9:37) Yeah. Yes. (9:40) We actually have a slaughterhouse truck. (9:43) What? (9:43) So in the back we see a slaughterhouse truck is exiting the slaughterhouse behind us. (9:49) You can just see it behind us. (9:52) This is the reality. (9:53) It's the reality. (9:55) Yes. Yes. (9:56) Yes. The truck is coming out empty. (10:00) Is that the truck that was involved in the crash? (10:04) No, the truck that was involved in the crash just left a few minutes behind us with the same driver in. (10:10) So the driver is not arrested for animal cruelty. (10:13) They're not given breathalyzers. (10:15) They're just they can just leave. (10:18) You know, meanwhile, the pigs are killed and the pigs have suffered for hours. (10:24) So the point is that it compounded their suffering. (10:29) For those of us just joining us, the breaking news is that in Canada, about an hour outside of Toronto, there was a car crash outside a slaughterhouse involving pigs. (10:40) And there was a red car. (10:43) There you see it. (10:44) The red car that was involved in the crash with the pig truck. (10:48) But that meant that those pigs who are headed to slaughter have to sit there for hours in the heat. (10:55) The pigs, hundreds of pigs are inside that truck and they're getting no water and they're already thirsty. (11:03) So the activists had said, oh, my gosh, at least see their snouts. (11:08) You see their snouts poking out. (11:10) The activists were saying at least give them some water. (11:13) And the firefighters said, you just heard it on camera. (11:16) If you give them water, they're, quote, trash. (11:20) If you give them water, they will be incinerated. (11:23) I still don't understand that. (11:25) Why would they be incinerated? (11:27) Jane, I don't want to be criticizing our first responders. (11:32) I really don't believe that they would have said that. (11:34) We were telling them that they were going to be killed in a few minutes. (11:40) The reason why they didn't give them any water is they were, for some stupid reason, listening to the instructions. (11:46) From the slaughterhouse, which is right behind us, strict instructions not to give them water from the slaughterhouse. (11:55) Yeah, so what he said, if I if I when he said they're trash, he meant they can't be killed for food. (12:04) So the slot, your opinion or what you think is that the slaughterhouse has said if any activists give pigs water, they are not going to be killed for food anymore. (12:14) Is that is that your understanding? (12:17) That that that could be that could be correct. (12:20) Yes, yes. (12:21) We don't know. (12:22) You know, unfortunately, I invite my family on any time. (12:27) This is a breaking news story. (12:28) The information is just coming in. (12:31) But suffice it to say that the firefighters said, don't give the pigs water. (12:35) Is that the is that the bottom line or not? (12:38) The slaughterhouse said, don't give the pigs water. (12:42) OK, so and they were there for an additional how many hours due to the crash?(12:48) They were there for two hours. (12:50) Yeah, two hours screaming the whole time. (12:54) And we could see them struggling inside, trying to climb over each other, putting their snouts out of the holes in the truck. (13:01) It was just absolutely heartbreaking, as it was almost nine years ago during the truck rollover. (13:07) And I was there to witness the so was Regan, the the slaughterhouse staff, a boss from the slaughterhouse, (13:17) instructing the police to do certain things. (13:21) Wow. And the police obeyed. (13:23) I was wrong. I called them out on it. (13:25) There's a video of me calling them out that the slaughterhouse was instructing police to do certain things. (13:30) On their behalf, to get those animals into this, into the slaughterhouse. (13:36) And again, we invite fearmans on any time this is a breaking news story. (13:40) Mark Powell, I know this must be very difficult for you. (13:44) I'm going to play one of the many videos that have been done on your. (13:53) Ex-wife, your former partner who died tragically at that very location, let's listen to a little bit of a documentary regarding (14:03) the death of Regan Russell. (14:07) Fucking truck hit her.(14:09) Jesus Christ. (14:11) Animal rights activist Regan Russell was killed while standing in front of the entrance to Fearman's Slaughterhouse. (14:17) Halted police are conducting an investigation. (14:20) Regan was there telling the truth about what really happens to these animals, and she was killed as a result. (14:27) The industry here is very powerful and it will stop at nothing to make sure that people can't see the horrific conditions that animals are enduring. (14:36) The government says it's trying to protect farmers and animals from trespassers. (14:40) Bill 156 is a pro-agriculture act. (14:42) It essentially stops protesters and extremists from giving water to the pigs like we see down here every couple of days. (14:49) Who wants to put up with that harassment and get hassled? (14:51) Look at this. These people here are illegally watering, touching and stopping and interfering with the truck. (15:00) They just want us out of the way. The police want us out of the way. (15:02) The politicians want us out of the way. (15:05) Movements have martyrs. (15:07) That's the way it goes. (15:09) This is a moment that is going to reverberate across the whole world. (15:13) And it has final thoughts, Mark, that this happened at the same location where Regan Russell was killed. (15:29) Before you go, just give us your final thoughts. (15:32) As you were seen in that documentary talking about helping her bear witness at that exact location where the pigs and the car crash occurred today. (15:43) Well, final thoughts are really it's always hard to visit this spot to be here. (15:48) And I do it quietly on my own often. (15:53) Today, fortunately, there were many people here to witness what happened. (15:57) And it really just shows the lack of efforts on the industry and the local community, the city and the police to make some changes here. (16:07) Yes, absolutely. (16:10) Thank you. Thanks, Ben. (16:11) All right. Well, you heard it there. (16:13) We literally just went live because we heard about this happening and we brought you the news. (16:21) So I'm going to recap exactly what we understand happened. (16:26) Remember that when breaking news occurs, we don't have all the information, but we have some footage here. (16:36) We got word that at a pig, a very, you might say infamous because there was a death there, a death of a woman, Regan Russell. (16:45) You just saw that pig slaughterhouse about an hour, hour and a half outside Toronto, Canada. (16:53) There was a crash involving this red car and the pig truck that you're looking at right here. (16:59) Hundreds and hundreds of pigs, and you see their snouts, were inside that truck and they had to remain there for a couple of hours, at least, as the firefighters and law enforcement arrived to investigate the crash. (17:16) And so what the activists wanted was for water to be given to those pigs. (17:22) They are terrified. (17:23) They are tired. (17:25) They are hungry. (17:26) They are confused and their babies, by the way, most pigs are killed at the age of approximately six months. (17:32) And so the firefighter and the activists made a point of saying, don't blame the firefighter.(17:38) He's only the messenger, said no, that they couldn't give water to the pigs. (17:43) And so this is one of the key points in the animal save movement, bearing witness. (17:50) The bearing witness part is that when you see suffering, you have a moral obligation to get closer, see if you can help. (18:00) And even if you can't help to bear witness, but if you can help by giving water, then you do that. (18:08) You give water. (18:10) And so the activists who were there already, they were there on the scene having a vigil, which is what they do religiously. (18:21) And they were not allowed to give water to these pigs, according to what I see. (18:25) And again, we invite Fearman's the Pig Slaughterhouse on any time to comment on any of this. (18:33) And the the sad irony is that this is the exact same spot where Regan Russell was killed.(18:41) You saw a documentary that we played that is streaming on Unchained TV about Regan Russell's life and death that we played a few minutes of just moments ago. (18:50) And all you have to do is go to Unchained TV and put in Regan Russell and three documentaries will pop up about that very, very tragic death at the same location as what happened today. (19:05) So this is something you should share out because and yes, thank you for covering it.(19:12) Thank you for all the activists who texted me. (19:16) I woke up this morning to many, many texts. (19:18) There's a crash involving pigs. (19:20) So we just went live here at Unchained TV to try to bring you the very latest, which is what we do, trying to cover the animal rights movement in real time, documenting a living history. (19:32) Sometimes it's a little rough around the edges as breaking news is. (19:37) You can imagine even with giant...
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This Senate Bill Could Undo Historic Animal Rights
05/26/2026
This Senate Bill Could Undo Historic Animal Rights
🎧 Podcast Highlights: Why activists are urgently calling U.S. Senators The battle over the SAVE OUR BACON Act How Proposition 12 protects farm animals The pork industry controversy explained What YOU can do right now to help animals This Senate Bill Could Undo Historic Animal Rights protections as activists across the country rally to defend Proposition 12 and humane farming standards. In this urgent podcast episode, advocates explain why the SAVE OUR BACON Act has sparked outrage among animal welfare supporters and why Americans are being urged to call their Senators immediately. “Call your Senators NOW!” – Podcast Call to Action What You’ll Discover Learn how Proposition 12 became one of the strongest animal welfare laws in the United States, requiring more humane conditions for pigs, calves, and egg-laying hens. This episode explores the political battle surrounding the SAVE OUR BACON Act, why opponents say it threatens state rights and animal protections, and how factory farming lobbyists are influencing legislation in Washington. The discussion also highlights how grassroots activism is mobilizing citizens to defend humane treatment for farmed animals. “This could roll back historic protections for animals.” – Animal Welfare Advocates Join the Adventure Take action today by contacting your elected officials and sharing this episode with anyone concerned about factory farming, animal welfare, food policy, and political activism. Subscribe, leave a review, and help spread awareness about the future of animal protection laws in America. 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #SaveOurBaconAct #Proposition12 #AnimalRights TRANSCRIPT: Call NOW! NO on Save Our Bacon! (0:00) How horrible would this be? Farm animals are seen just as commodities. They're put in cages and (0:07) crates so small they can't move. California took a very bold step to say that this was not (0:13) acceptable. These animals need at least enough space to turn around and stretch their limbs. (0:17) Very modest. But agribusiness has been fighting it for years and they've lost in court. They lost (0:24) the U.S. Supreme Court. Now they unfortunately have been able to get language in the Farm Bill. (0:30) And that Farm Bill passed the House of Representatives tragically and now it's (0:34) going to the U.S. Senate. So U.S. Senators now need to act to get Save Our Bacon Act (0:40) out of the Farm Bill. This is our last hope. So please act today. (0:45) Welcome. We are live at the Animal, Vegan, and Advocacy Summit in Toronto, Canada.(0:51) You're looking at a live picture of the summit in action. Almost 900 animal rights activists and (1:02) vegan activists gathered to basically try to figure out how we can save animals from the horrors of (1:11) industrialized animal agriculture. You can see on the right there's a picture of a pig. Pigs need (1:17) your help right now. Right now there is something in the U.S. Senate called the Save Our Bacon Act (1:26) which would put pigs back in the horrific pig gestation crates that are basically crates the (1:33) size of their bodies, never able to turn around. These are horror devices. These are tortured (1:40) devices. But we've got some breaking news to bring you on this subject. We are really thrilled to (1:48) say there is some promising news and that means you, you as an animal lover need to double down(1:55) and call your U.S. Senator. So I'm going to bring in an incredible animal activist. (2:03) Somebody is doing unique work. Liam Gray. Let's meet Liam Gray who is here standing beside, (2:11) well sitting beside me. Liam, you have some breaking news regarding the Save Our Bacon Act. (2:18) Tell us basically where it is because we're trying to get everybody to call, call, call their U.S. (2:27) Senators. Yes, absolutely. So the Save Our Bacon Act was pushed into the Farm Bill in the House. (2:36) It passed when the Farm Bill passed. There was actually an amendment to take it out from Rep (2:41) Luna that got taken out of that Farm Bill. But the big news from today or actually yesterday (2:48) that we're finding out is that Senator Bozeman who is the Senate Ag Chair has said it is not (2:56) going to be in the actual text of their version of the Farm Bill like it is in the House. So it's, (3:00) we have to temper it a bit and we have to keep on pushing on it because it still could be added (3:04) as an amendment later on. But as of now it's not going to be in the text of their version of the (3:10) Farm Bill. This is huge breaking news. But what it means is that we have to double down and call (3:17) our U.S. Senators now to say no to the Save Our Bacon Act. Again, the Save Our Bacon Act would(3:23) eradicate Proposition 12 that was passed by voters in California. I'm one of the many people who (3:29) collected signatures for Prop 12 and it essentially banned these things, these horror chambers for (3:36) pigs. Pigs kept in crates the size of their bodies, never able to turn around or even scratch themselves. (3:44) The people of California said no to this. They said we do not want these torture devices (3:52) because California is the fourth largest economy in the world. The fourth largest economy in the (4:00) world. That basically meant that these horrific pig gestation crates were put in the dustbin of (4:07) history, at least in the United States. But then the pork industry was furious and tried to get (4:15) them reinstituted. It went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court (4:23) affirmed Proposition 12 saying basically no. These pig gestation crates are against the law (4:31) in California. That's what the people of California voted and that's the way it is. So now the pork (4:36) industry is coming back again trying to stick this Save Our Bacon Act into the Farm Bill. It was (4:46) stuck into the Farm Bill in the House. The House of Representatives passed the Farm Bill with the (4:52) Save Our Bacon Act that would wipe out Prop 12 and like 600 other state laws of protecting animals. (5:00) And then it went to the Senate. And now the Senate is considering the Farm Bill. The great (5:05) news we just got from my incredible guest here is that yesterday it was agreed that it would not, (5:13) now correct me if I'm wrong, yesterday it was agreed that the Save Our Bacon Act wording is (5:20) not going to be included in the Senate version of the Farm Bill? Correct. It won't be in the (5:27) original text of their version of it. Now again we still have to worry about whether or not a (5:33) senator will come and put up a put an amendment to add it back in there which is a threat and (5:39) honestly a probability. So it's not not over but it won't be in the text which is how it passed in (5:44) the in the House version. So what this means it's even more important than ever for you to call (5:52) your representative, your U.S. senator, and we put up the number over and over again. Now here's the(5:58) thing. You just call this number okay and especially call Senator Bozeman. He is the head of the U.S.(6:08) Senate Agriculture Committee and he is very pro-pork. He needs to know that this is anathema (6:16) not just to liberal Democrats but as well to conservative Republicans because it wipes out (6:23) states' rights and the last time I checked Republicans and conservative Republicans especially (6:29) are all for states' rights. You've heard it a million times. Let the local school boards decide. (6:35) Let the local people decide that what their schools are going to be like, what (6:42) their institutions are going to be like. Let's get the federal government out of our lives. Well now (6:48) this is totally against that theory. Now one thing that's very interesting about our guest who is (6:56) here with us today, Liam Gray, and I'm going to put his name up right now, is that he is with an (7:02) organization that appeals to conservative voters on the basis of animal rights. I don't want to (7:10) speak for you. Tell us about your organization. Yeah absolutely. So my organization is the Wilberforce (7:15) Institute and we are a conservative animal advocacy organization. And so the Save Our Bacon (7:20) Act, this is a perfect example of the kinds of things we're talking about because you're 100% (7:23) right. I wrote in a recent article that this is something where, you know, I'm for this (7:30) bill. I think it's a good bill. It's becoming of our values. It's a (7:36) tremendous defense of animals for Prop 12. But even if I wasn't for Prop 12, it's (7:43) not the federal government's job to decide whether or not California can implement laws to (7:49) protect animals or any other state. This pushes that power to the federal (7:54) government, which is really anti-federalism. It's anti-the foundational concepts that we talk about (8:01) all the time at the Wilberforce Institute and that conservatives talk about all the time. (8:04) Yeah, so I want to get more into this because I think this is a missing ingredient of the animal (8:10) rights movement. Again, we are live at the Animal Vegan Advocacy Summit here in Toronto, (8:16) Canada. You're looking at a live cam of another part of the conference. There's almost a thousand (8:23) people gathered here to try to speak for voiceless animals who cannot speak for themselves. And (8:29) Unshained TV is bringing you live coverage and interviews with some of the movers and shakers (8:34) here. And so we're talking about the urgent need for everybody who loves animals to contact U.S. (8:41) senators and say no to the Save Our Bacon Act, which would reinstitute pig gestation crates, (8:49) which many U.S. farmers have already gotten rid of because of Prop 12 that was passed and (8:55) basically said no pig products in California can be sold if that product is the result of pig (9:03) gestation crates. So being the fourth or fifth, depending on the day of the week, largest economy (9:08) in the world, what happens in California spreads to the rest of the United States and the world. (9:13) That was a huge victory for animal welfare. And now the pork industry led by Smithfield Foods,(9:22) which happens to be a Chinese owned company. It sounds very American, Smithfield, but it's (9:27) actually a company owned by China. It is the world's largest pork producer. They are pressing (9:33) their lobbyists to try to undo Prop 12. And Prop 12 was even approved and validated by a conservative (9:42) U.S. Supreme Court with a conservative majority. But they never stop in their desire to extract (9:49) profits from the backs of animals, even if it means torture of animals. The first time I saw (9:56) pig gestation crates, I said to myself, this is not possible. Humans are not this (10:03) this sadistic that they would put pigs, considered the fifth most intelligent mammal, (10:10) okay, far smarter than dogs in crates the size of their bodies, never able to turn around or (10:16) even scratch themselves. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Pig gestation crates are a real thing. (10:22) And Smithfield, in particular, and the pork industry in general wants to bring them back.(10:29) And that's why they inserted the Save Our Bacon Act into the House version of the Farm Bill, (10:39) which determines food policy by the U.S. government for the next five years, at least.(10:45) Now it's in the U.S. Senate, and it's absolutely crucial for people to call. I've been calling. (10:50) I've been writing emails. If you look in the introduction to this live video, you'll see a (10:57) link to an article that has all the emails of all the senators on the Ag Committee that you can (11:04) email. It's more important than ever to call because we just had a victory, and they took it (11:09) out of the current, current wording in the Farm Bill for the U.S. Senate side. That doesn't mean (11:16) that somebody can slip it in, can't slip it in, in any second. So they need to know that they (11:23) don't want to slip it in. They need to know, leave the Save Our Bacon Act out. Now, the reason why (11:30) it's so precarious now is that we still haven't necessarily convinced all the Republican (11:37) conservative senators that this is a bad idea. That's why Liam Gray here is so crucial, because(11:43) he speaks for the conservative side of the U.S. political movement. And really, in very basic (11:49) terms, why is animal rights also a conservative issue? Oh, absolutely. Well, there's a lot of (11:57) reasons. I mean, when it comes down to it, ultimately, we all love animals. All people (12:00) love animals. We've kind of, this has turned into a, it's been framed as a political issue, (12:06) or as a partisan issue for so long. But when it comes down to it, no one likes factory farming. (12:10) Everyone loves animals. You know, there's varying degrees of how active and how involved people get (12:15) on that effort. But conservatives have a long history of standing up for animals and defending (12:19) animals. And actually, in this case, with the Save Our Bacon Act, the Republican base, (12:24) the conservative base is opposed to this. It's a disconnect between them and Congress, which is(12:30) why I've been pushing right along with you on trying to get everyone to call their senators(12:33) and tell them this is not, this is something that's inconsistent with conservative values,(12:36) both from the standpoint of protecting animals, not subjecting animals to this obscene cruelty, (12:41) but also from a federalism standpoint and from a state's rights standpoint, (12:45) this is inconsistent with our values. And you know, that's the big disconnect, (12:50) where you have essentially the conservative Republicans, but also the liberal Democrats (12:58) voting to subsidize animal agriculture. The animal agriculture industry would collapse, (13:07) collapse tomorrow if government subsidies were pulled from it. The average fast food hamburger (13:13) would cost 30, 35, even $40 if us taxpayers were not forced to subsidize it. That's why it is so (13:21) crucial that we reach across both parts of the aisle, both sides of the aisle and convince (13:27) everybody. I had my little turn as a libertarian when I was in high school. So I know a little bit (13:33) about the libertarian movement. And basically it's like the government shouldn't be putting (13:40) its thumb on the scale to help anybody, particularly an industry that is causing widespread climate (13:49) change damage. There's an argument to be made, not only that animal agriculture is a leading cause (13:55) of climate change, but there's an argument to be made. It's a very vast subject, depending on how(14:00) you calculate it, that animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, something the UN (14:07) does not acknowledge. However, how much success is the UN having? None. The UN Secretary General (14:13) announced that we are shooting past the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal set by the Paris Climate Accords. (14:19) So if just looking at fossil fuels were solving everything, we wouldn't be in these dire straits. (14:25) Animal agriculture is the missing piece of the puzzle. And yet the U.S. government is subsidizing (14:32) the very cause of the climate catastrophe. The U.S. government is also subsidizing the very cause (14:38) of the health catastrophe. America's leading killer is heart disease, which is connected to (14:43) plaque in the arteries, which is connected to animal consumption. Plants do not produce (14:49) cholesterol. Go up and down the supermarket aisle, you will not see one vegan product that has (14:56) anything but zero cholesterol because plants do not produce cholesterol. So let's get back to (15:01) you, Liam, as the head of a conservative organization that talks about animal rights. (15:07) Why is it that Republicans, conservatives don't understand that they're creating the very problem (15:14) that they purport to want to solve? I think you're dealing with a lot of the regulatory (15:18) capture and a lot of the outside lobbyists and interests that both parties are dealing with. (15:24) You were 100 percent right when you talked about the subsidies and how much that (15:28) floats factory farming. You probably remember from your high school libertarian days a guy named (15:32) Murray Rothbard, an Austrian economist, who wrote about how there's no such thing as a natural (15:38) monopoly. Monopolies don't grow up on their own. Factory farming is the perfect example of this, (15:43) where companies like Smithfield, the Chinese owned Smithfield that you mentioned, and these(15:48) big four conglomerates that are dominating the agriculture industry. Not only are they(15:55) the recipients of billions of dollars of subsidies, which is just taxpayer money handed to(16:00) them, but they're also supported in a million myriad ways from the institutional level. Everything (16:06) the government does is designed to prop them up and to expand their consolidation of agriculture. (16:12) It's not something that is any way reflective of free market principles or libertarian values (16:17) or conservative values. I don't get it. When are they going to wake up? Let's hear what some of (16:24) the comments are. Let's go to the comments. Tom says, the meat and dairy industry are very (16:30) powerful lobbyists. You can rest assured tremendous amounts of money are exchanging hands. (16:34) Yes, it's like follow the money. Here's another one. So great that AVA is happening this weekend. (16:40) It coincides with the animal rights march happening on Sunday. Yes, here in Toronto, (16:44) there will be a march and Unshade TV will be there with our cameras. And here's another one. (16:51) So let's go to this. Hold on. Yes, we need to eliminate the Save Our Bacon Act. I've called (16:57) my rep several times. Keep calling, Tom. Keep calling. And somebody else says, share, share, (17:03) share, share, share. Yes, share. It sounds like a song. Share, share, share. Yes, share it out. (17:08) And now we have, God bless, the kind and compassionate. Thank you for your wonderful work. (17:13) And subscribe and share. Yes, please subscribe and share to Unshade TV. But getting back to (17:20) this point, again, the meat and dairy industry, which is causing so much of the problems that (17:28) our planet experiences. I don't know if you've ever heard of the 80-20 rule. And that is that (17:34) 80% of the world's problems are caused by 20% of the factors. Animal agriculture is that 20%, (17:41) if not more. If you talk about world hunger, we're creating most of the food to feed to 90 (17:48) billion farmed animals, as opposed to 8.3 billion humans. And humans, many of them, (17:54) millions...
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This Former Rancher Reveals the Truth About Beef
05/26/2026
This Former Rancher Reveals the Truth About Beef
🎧 Podcast Highlights: Former Texas cattle rancher goes vegan The shocking truth behind animal agriculture How Rowdy Girl Sanctuary was born A powerful story of compassion and transformation Inside the movement changing ranching forever Vegan cattle rancher Renée King-Sonnen reveals the heartbreaking truth behind animal agriculture in this powerful conversation about transformation, compassion, and courage. In this episode, the founder of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary shares how a spiritual awakening led her from life on a Texas cattle ranch to becoming one of the most outspoken advocates for farmed animals today. “I went vegan on that very day.” – Renée King-Sonnen Available now for pre-order on Amazon and Bloomsbury, this memoir is a gripping tale of compassion, marriage on the brink, and ultimate redemption. Join us as Renée spills the secrets of her radical transformation! Buy the book here: Amazon https://a.co/d/01X7Unmo Bloomsbury Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #RowdyGirl #VeganRancher #AnimalSanctuary TRANSCRIPT: Rowdy Girl: The Shocking Memoir (0:02) We are live with a breaking news here at the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit in (0:11) Toronto, Canada where we're talking to movers and shakers in the vegan animal (0:16) rights space and we've got one of the biggest leaders who has a shocking new (0:21) memoir out. It's called Rowdy Girl Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher. It (0:27) is a page-turner, it is a shocker, but it's got a very happy ending. Without (0:33) further ado, let's introduce the amazing Renee King Sonnen. Take it away. What's(0:39) your book about? Hi Jane, thank you so much for that warm welcome. The book is (0:44) about my life, actually. Kip Anderson asked me one time, what kind of person(0:50) faces their husband, a cattle rancher in Texas, and basically has a showdown and (0:57) takes over the ranch? And furthermore, what kind of person faces the entire (1:02) animal ag industry and pretty much says, F you! And so that was me. And the whole (1:10) book is really about my life story, what kind of life shaped me to become the (1:18) hardcore animal rights activist that I am today as a former cattle rancher. I (1:24) talk about all the trauma, my life is full of trauma, all sorts of juicy (1:30) details on what happened in my life, and I segue that trauma, Jane, like people (1:35) will be reading the book about what happened to me, and the next thing you (1:39) know, they're reading about what's happening to the animals. And it just (1:43) kept working like that. Yes. So this is a shocking page-turner memoir. I can say (1:50) that I had the great honor of hearing it firsthand from the horse's mouth, or the (1:57) cow's mouth, or Renee King-Sonnen's mouth. As she was writing it, she read (2:02) chapter and chapter and chapter to me. And it is such a shocking, such a (2:07) fascinating book. Everybody in America should read it. You should also give it (2:12) to your friends as a holiday gift or a birthday gift. And you can order it now. (2:19) We're going to put how you can order it in the comments section. But first, I (2:23) want to tell you a little bit about Rowdy Girl Sanctuary by showing you a (2:29) video that we have on Unchained TV about the sanctuary. So let's check that (2:36) out. And let's look at that for a second. And here we go. (3:01) That's Rowdy Girl over there. And if you haven't figured it out yet, well, she is (3:05) the boss. And that's Tommy. He's my husband. He's the sole reason this place (3:10) even exists. Without him, there'd be no sanctuary. He keeps everything running (3:15) around here. Oh, but by the way, he is a rancher. That's an ex-rancher. I bought (3:22) this 96-acre ranch as a retirement investment until Renee stepped in. I fell (3:28) in love with these cows. I started spending all of this time with them. And (3:32) I started naming them all one by one. They were no longer a number to me. Oh, (3:37) she sings to them too. When it became time for us to put all these babies in (3:45) the red trailer and sell them for slaughter, I just couldn't do it. And we (3:49) found ourselves in a massive standoff regarding the future of these cows. I (3:55) started a crowdfunding campaign. I raised $36,000 in less than four months. And I (4:01) bought my husband's cows. The whole herd. Now that she's saved Rowdy Girl and (4:06) Houdini and the rest of the herd, I think it was the best thing she ever (4:09) did. Rowdy Girl has rescued a host of animals. We are now home to many cows, (4:16) pigs, chickens, horses, ducks, turkeys, and a goat. All of them are well taken (4:24) care of. They're given full medical care and they're free to roam. And they now (4:28) live out their lives in peace here. Running an animal sanctuary is a very (4:33) big job. There's so many elements that are always moving at once. You need (4:38) roads, you need infrastructure, fences, food, you need hay, vet care, the list (4:45) goes on and on. Without volunteers and donations, we could never make it. (4:51) Although it isn't easy running an animal sanctuary, it's all worth it when I see (4:56) folks leave here with an understanding that animals also feel pain and sadness. (5:02) They feel grief, happiness, and genuine affection, just like we do. And I know (5:08) that after meeting Rowdy Girl and the rest of the bunch, folks are going to (5:11) leave here with a big heart for the animals. (5:15) Whoo! Wow! That was amazing! Thank you, Renee King-Sonnen, for that amazing (5:26) description. That gives a little hint to what the book is all about. So tell us a (5:31) little bit more about this extraordinary book. (5:34) Well, the video you just saw was when we were in Angleton. So we have, I heard it (5:40) say, and you got a goat. We have like a whole herd of goats now. So the sanctuary (5:45) has really grown into much more than what it was back then. And the book (5:51) unveils everything. The book goes from, it talks about all the floods we've been (5:56) through. It talks about my past trauma with all the rapes I've experienced, (6:05) multiple, and how that translates to the animals. It talks about my alcohol and (6:10) drug addiction. And it just, you know, because honestly, I realized when I was (6:15) writing the book, Jane, that this is something I didn't even know. It was very (6:18) cathartic for me. But a lot of the reasons why I relapsed in the marriage is (6:23) because of what we were doing to the animals. I didn't want to see it. And I (6:27) think a lot of people, especially farmers and ranchers, are sensitizing (6:32) themselves. They're numbing themselves out so that they don't have to see what (6:37) they're really doing. So the book is really all about all the things. We talk (6:43) about all the hate we went through. Cattle ranchers, I mean, animal ag (6:47) industry, posing as vegans. We talk about the hate, all the hate. We talk (6:52) about it all. It's all in the book. I confess everything. I leave no stone (6:56) unturned. And part of the shocker is your relationship with your husband. (7:01) Remember, her husband was a fourth and still is a fourth generation cattle (7:05) rancher by heritage. And then suddenly Renee goes vegan because she was (7:12) practicing her guitar in the fields with the cows and made a connection with (7:17) the cows. And then she begins this secret campaign to stop her husband from (7:24) putting the cows on the red trailer headed for slaughter. And so I want to (7:30) hear a little more about that. We don't want to give away the whole book. It is (7:34) a page turner. And we're gonna put in the comments section where you can (7:39) order the book. It is literally coming out as we speak. It's an incredible (7:44) book. I don't think there's ever been a book like it. So you could see where (7:50) you can get it. But just go to Amazon and put rowdy girl confessions of a (7:54) vegan cattle rancher. That's all you need to do. And now tell us a little (7:58) bit about the drama, the drama with your husband and how it almost destroyed (8:03) your marriage. Wow. Well, you know, there's a whole chapter in there called (8:09) Renee and Tommy. And, you know, me and Tommy met back in the early nineties (8:14) whenever I was singing in nightclubs. I'm a former country western rock and (8:19) row show band performer. I had my own country. I had my own band on the road (8:24) performing all over the place. And without giving too much away one night (8:29) I was performing at a place in Lake Jackson and Tommy's best friend called (8:35) Tommy at work and said, Hey, and this was a lie. Okay. It was not the truth. (8:39) He told my husband, he said, Hey, there's a girl up here in red spandex (8:43) pants with fringe hanging off of her arms and white cowboy boots. And she (8:47) wants to meet you. And that was no more further than the truth than a man in (8:51) the moon. But Tommy, you know, he came on over to Michael's nightclub, (8:56) strutting in the door around closing time, looking good, smelling good. And I (9:01) walked off that stage with my wireless microphone. And when he was sitting down(9:05) next to Robert, I went and sat right in his lap. Now he didn't know I was (9:08) gonna do that. I didn't know I was gonna do that. I didn't know nothing about (9:12) him, but he thought he thought that I knew he was coming. So he really thought (9:17) I was doing this anyway. And so I sat in his lap and started singing the song (9:21) crazy. And y'all, it has been crazy every since. That was an omen of things (9:27) to come, Jay. Okay, that's how the romance started. But what I want to (9:31) know is after you and Tommy were married once, then you got divorced, (9:36) then you got married again, and he was living out his dream to be a cattle (9:40) rancher, and he had a whole bunch of cattle on his ranch. And then tell us (9:44) about your transformation and your secret campaign to stop your husband (9:49) from sending the cows to slaughter. Well, so we got married a second time. (9:55) The reason we divorced first time is because of my alcohol and drug (9:59) addiction, and that's all in the book. And then we'll be married the second(10:02) time. I was actually sober, and we get married. And, you know, Tommy wants me (10:07) to get more involved in cattle ranching. I really wasn't interested. I was (10:11) producing the Texas Women in Country Music show and doing my own thing, and(10:15) I wasn't interested in the cattle. I wasn't interested in anything remotely (10:19) having to do with the cattle ranch. They were just a big herd of animals as far (10:24) as I was concerned, and he wanted me more involved. And see, what I wanted (10:28) to say right now is the industry actually teaches us to only see herds (10:33) of cattle. They don't teach you to see individuals, so just remember that. And (10:39) so anyway, as I began to get more detached from the whole business, Tommy (10:44) decides he wants me more involved. So he comes home one day, and he tells me (10:48) about these two baby calves that need a mama. Well, one of those baby calves is (10:54) Rowdy Girl, or was Rowdy Girl. And she was a little bitty baby. Whenever I (10:59) went to meet these two calves, Rowdy Girl came bouncing up to me with a(11:03) little white heart on her head, and I was like, Oh my goodness, aren't you a (11:07) little Rowdy Girl? And boy, it's been rowdy ever since. I bought her and (11:13) Bobo for $300 apiece, took them home, and started taking care of these babies. (11:18) Bobo had a failure to thrive disease and passed away about a week later. But (11:23) Rowdy Girl thrived, and she became the reason I get up in the morning, and I'm (11:27) a cattle rancher. And so I started seeing the world through her eyes. I started (11:32) seeing her world through her eyes. The cows, the babies, all the mamas, the (11:37) babysitters. And so instead of seeing a herd when I was bottle feeding Rowdy (11:41) Girl, I saw individuals. Because, spoiler alert, that's what they are. They're (11:48) individuals. They happen to be in a herd, kind of like humans, right? A herd (11:52) right here at Ava's Summit. You know, we're in a herd, but we're all (11:54) individuals. We all have a name. We all have a medical file somewhere, just like (11:59) our animals at Rowdy Girl. All have a name, and all have a medical file. They (12:03) are someone, not something. And anyway, long story short, from there is I ended(12:10) up having real trouble. I was tormented about what we were doing. When Tommy (12:16) would send the baby calves off to the cell barn, I would cry. I would like not(12:20) wanting to do it, and I wasn't a vegan. And the reason I would cry is because I (12:25) would watch those mamas crying. They would run up the highway looking for (12:31) their, wanting their babies, and they would just wail. And the babies were not (12:35) coming home. They were going to a cell barn where they were going to be (12:39) prodded. They were going to be branded. They were going to be tagged. They were (12:43) going to be sold or slaughtered. That's what happens to families that are born (12:48) in the bovine family, and that's just wrong, y'all. It's absolutely wrong, and I (12:54) started seeing it as wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it. I didn't say, gosh, (12:59) this is wrong. I'm going vegan. I just kept trying to figure out a way to do(13:03) the right, the wrong thing the right way. I kept trying to figure out how I could, (13:09) I could be in this business and have, and feel okay in my heart, but I could (13:14) never get there. I tried, you know, humane meat, humane milk, humane eggs. I tried (13:21) everything. I even went up to Tommy one day and said, Tommy, why don't we kill (13:25) one of our own cows and, you know, and share it with the community? Why are we (13:28) selling our cows to market when we can slaughter our own, save money, and feed (13:33) the community? We have our own pasture-raised cows right here. He looked (13:37) at me like I'd lost my mind, and he said, Renee, I can't eat my own cows. I can't (13:42) eat a cow I know, and something shocked me about that. It hit me like a ton of (13:46) bricks, like you can't eat a cow you know, but you can eat their sister or their (13:51) brother or their mother or their cousin or their great-aunt. How can you do that?(13:57) He said, well, I just can't eat a cow I know, and don't talk to me about that (14:01) again, and he, you know, he, it's like a taboo subject to talk about these things, (14:07) but I wouldn't stop talking. Next thing you know, I'm telling Tommy we're going (14:12) to kill one of our own cows. Pick one. I want to, I want to make sure that our (14:16) community has good pasture-raised beef, and we're going to go in together, and (14:21) we're going to kill one of our cows. Now, understand, I'm trying to figure out how (14:25) to do the wrong thing the right way, and I had been learning that humane meat was (14:30) more humane. That's, spoiler alert, a lie. There is no humane meat. Everybody dies. (14:36) Everybody goes to a slaughterhouse somewhere. Everybody gets their throat (14:39) slit. There ain't no humane way to do the wrong thing, period, and so I kept seeing (14:44) that. The more slaughterhouse videos I watched, and that's one thing I started (14:48) doing, I started watching the slaughterhouse videos. Slaughterhouse (14:52) videos, why did I do that? Because Tommy was telling me they only have one bad (14:58) day, and I'm like, no, I don't believe that. I had to find out for myself, so I started (15:04) getting online, and I started watching, and I started realizing when those cows (15:08) are separated from their babies, their mamas, when their babies are separated, (15:11) they cry. They yearn. The mamas want their babies. That's a bad day. Not only is it a (15:17) bad day, it's a bad month. Those mama cows look for their babies for three or four (15:22) weeks, crying for their babies, yearning, wanting their young by their side, and so(15:28) anyway, when, when all this started happening, I just couldn't, I couldn't, I (15:33) just couldn't keep stomach in it. I kept trying to do it, but I couldn't, and (15:37) whenever, whenever it finally rubber met the road, and I was watching these (15:41) slaughterhouse videos, Tommy said, Renee, you need to stop watching those (15:45) slaughterhouse videos, because that is all PETA propaganda. None of it's true, you (15:49) know, and I was like, what? So, you know, that is what the industry teaches the (15:54) farmers that, you know, and they teach, they try to teach you that, that this(15:58) shit isn't true, Jane, you know, but it is. It's true. It is like PETA propaganda. I (16:05) couldn't believe it, so any time anybody says, oh, you know, don't believe that (16:09) PETA propaganda, you heard it straight from my mouth to your ears, that what I (16:15) discovered watching those slaughterhouse videos was atrocious. There was no way (16:20) that was staged. He kept trying to tell me it was like reenacted or something, you (16:25) know, like bullshit, you know, come on, I know I'm from Texas, and I walked through a lot of cow crap, but I ain't (16:31) believing that, and so anyway, you know, when one thing led to the other, I (16:37) stumbled on Dr. Melanie Joy's documentary or dissertation on carnism, and I began (16:44) to see with real eyes when I was watching a table, a family around a table eating (16:51) beef stew. They were eating beef stew, and everybody was loving the taste of the (16:55) meat. I love beef stew. Mama used to make it. It tasted so good, and whenever they (17:00) were eating it, somebody said, this is so tasty. What's the recipe? And the lady in (17:05) the house said, well, I'm so glad you asked. You start off with a pound of very (17:10) young golden retriever, okay, a little puppy dog, and I was like, and I was like,(17:19) oh my god, and then everybody on screen was like, oh my god, and I felt like I was (17:24) in the screen, you know, with them, and then there was this dead silence, and then (17:28) the lady of the house said, oh, never mind, I'm just kidding, it's really a cow, and I (17:33) was so pissed off, and so was everybody there on the screen. It's like we were (17:36) there together, and all of a sudden the lady goes, well, you know, it's just, I'm (17:41) just kidding, it's just a cow, you know, but nobody could continue eating. Why? (17:47) Because at that moment, brilliantly, Dr. Melanie Joy got through the brain to (17:54) that part of us that feels something for a puppy. They feel what's happening to...
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URGENT: Stop the Save Our Bacon Act NOW
05/08/2026
URGENT: Stop the Save Our Bacon Act NOW
🎧 Podcast Highlights: Why activists are urging Americans to call their Senators NOW How the “Save Our Bacon Act” could impact animal welfare laws The controversy surrounding California’s Proposition 12 What critics say about factory farming and pig confinement The growing battle between Big Pork and animal advocates How this legislation could affect state rights nationwide What YOU can do to help protect farm animals Save Our Bacon Act opponents are sounding the alarm as animal advocates urge Americans to call their U.S. Senators NOW and stop legislation they say could weaken state animal welfare protections and factory farm regulations. This urgent discussion examines the controversial pork industry bill, the future of Proposition 12, and what’s at stake for farm animals across America. Critics argue the legislation could override hundreds of state laws tied to animal welfare, food safety, and livestock standards. “The day of judgment has come for Big Pork’s last-ditch attempt to destroy the ability of states to enact farm animal protection laws.” – Humane World for Animals What You’ll Discover This episode explores why activists, lawmakers, and legal experts are battling over the so-called “Save Our Bacon Act,” and why many believe it threatens hard-won protections for pigs confined in factory farms. You’ll hear arguments from both sides, including concerns from animal advocates who say the bill could nullify California’s Proposition 12 and similar humane farming laws. “Enactment of H.R.4673 could affect, or nullify, hundreds of state laws and regulations.” – Harvard Animal Law & Policy Program Join the Adventure If you care about animal welfare, factory farming reform, and protecting state rights, listen now and share this episode with friends and family. Call your elected officials and make your voice heard on this urgent issue impacting millions of farm animals. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm TRANSCRIPT: URGENT STOP "SAVE OUR BACON" ACT (0:03) We're at a critical time right now. (0:05) The Save Our Bacon Act, which is horrific, has already passed in the House of Representatives, heading to the Senate. (0:15) Now what's going to happen? (0:17) We are going to see all of our hard work for animals taken away. (0:23) It's possible that pigs will be back in gestation crates. (0:26) The worst possible fate for them, other than the torturous death that we know they're going to endure. (0:32) But we can stop it. We can get on the phone, we can get on our emails, we can get on social media, and we can say enough is enough. (0:40) We did the work. We saved animals. We're not going back. (0:44) Right now is the time. Pick up your phone today. (0:50) We have to stop the Save Our Bacon Act. (0:55) We are trying to get everybody who's watching, first of all, share out. (1:00) Share out with your animal-loving friends to call their U.S. senators and defeat the Save Our Bacon Act. (1:08) We have a fabulous panel with us today of animal rights leaders. (1:13) Leah Garces, amazing animal rights icon known throughout the world. (1:18) Leah, well-born of In Defense of Animals. (1:21) And Matthew Dominguez of Compassion in World Farming. (1:25) I want to start with you, Leah, because I saw your social media posts. (1:31) You're so emotional about this. (1:34) What's at stake here, and what would you say to people watching to motivate them to not just go, (1:40) this is terrible, you know, let's stop it, but to pick up the phone, what should they do? (1:47) Yeah, great question. (1:49) So in the next two weeks, the next two weeks, the Senate Ag Committee is meeting, (1:53) and they will literally decide the fate of millions of farmed animals,(1:58) whether they can move around at all or whether they're stuck in a crate for their whole lives.(2:03) And it will override our rights to protect farmed animals at the state level (2:08) and also farmers' rights to compete fairly against big ag. (2:12) We don't have a lot of time, and we've never had a moment like this in my 25 years of advocacy. (2:16) There has never been a moment where we have such a concrete, binary decision being made. (2:23) Are animals going to be protected into the future? (2:25) Are all of our hard work to protect farmed animals going to be erased? (2:30) It's a yes or no situation, and everyone needs to call their senator (2:33) to make sure they vote no on any farm bill that includes the Save Our Bacon Act. (2:40) Well, you are looking at the number. Call it. (2:44) If you have a phone, forget what we're saying. (2:48) Just make that call to your U.S. senators. Everybody has two U.S. senators. (2:52) I just called Senator Alex Padilla moments ago before this live started (2:59) because I never asked somebody else to do something I haven't done. (3:02) I called, back when it was in the House of Representatives, Ted Lieu five times. (3:08) Five times, and I spoke to three people. (3:11) Now, when I called Alex Padilla, I got a recording. (3:13) But you're saying, Matthew Dominguez of Compassion in World Farming, (3:20) that sometimes people go, oh, I got a voicemail. (3:23) But if you're leaving a voicemail, is that effective, sir? (3:28) Yes, it absolutely is, and we highly recommend that people also make sure that you email your representatives (3:34) and, frankly, do it daily. (3:36) As Leah mentioned, we have two or three weeks to fight this back. (3:40) This is the meteor headed towards Earth when it comes to our movement (3:44) and our ability to protect farm animals on the state level. (3:47) And so make sure that you call. (3:49) And there are members of the staff that do count your calls and your emails (3:54) and report back to whether it's the chief of staff or the legislative director. (3:58) So when that senator goes into a room to either vote or to caucus, (4:02) they know how their constituents feel. (4:04) And what we need is to overwhelm the numbers where they see that their constituents (4:09) are overwhelmingly in support of our position (4:13) and to ensure that the Farm Bill does not include any language of the Save Our Bacon Act. (4:19) It's really so horrific that I can't even wrap my mind around it. (4:25) It's almost like our society is sanctioning torture, (4:31) legalized torture, Leah Wilburn, of indefensive animals. (4:36) This is torture. (4:38) Yes, absolutely, Jane. (4:42) There's really no other word for it. (4:45) Honestly, our entire animal farming system tortures farmed animals daily. (4:52) But this would roll back the most basic, most minimal protections. (4:59) You know, I don't even necessarily call them protections, (5:02) but they are voter approved.(5:04) They are the most minimal standards passed by voters. (5:08) Prop 12 in California passed in 2018. (5:11) Question 3, Massachusetts, very similar to Prop 12, (5:17) but gestation crates for pigs, (5:20) mother pigs cannot even turn around or stand up or stretch their limbs (5:25) often for their entire pregnancy. (5:28) So around four months that they're confined in this hell. (5:34) And then calves, who most people don't realize, (5:37) male calves in the dairy industry are slaughtered. (5:41) But if they're not sent immediately to be slaughtered, (5:44) because they're useless to the dairy industry, they can be used for veal. (5:48) So they are sent and confined in veal crates, (5:53) so tiny that they too can't stand up and they can't build muscle. (5:58) That is on purpose so that their flesh is more tender. (6:02) And that is veal. (6:03) So Prop 12 and Question 3, California and Massachusetts, (6:09) both set the most basic minimum standards. (6:12) It would be 24 square foot of space for pigs, (6:16) 48 square feet of space for calves. (6:21) But even that is like a tiny closet. (6:23) So this is the most minimum protections for farmed animals. (6:28) So this is absolutely crucial that everybody call this number. (6:31) And this is going to torture even more farmed animals (6:36) throughout the next five years, most likely, (6:39) because that is what this Farm Bill represents, (6:42) this legislation that's going to be enacted for the next five years. (6:45) So this is huge. (6:52) We're putting the number up so everybody can see it (6:55) and call immediately, call their representatives. (6:58) I happen to be at Farm Sanctuary's 40th anniversary celebration recently. (7:05) And I was just rolling my camera, as I always am, (7:10) when U.S. Senator Adam Schiff from California brought this issue up. (7:18) I didn't even know that he was going to mention it, but thank God he did. (7:21) Here's what he had to say. (7:23) Right now, our current fight is over the Farm Bill, as Gene mentioned, (7:26) because among other things, they're trying to preempt Proposition 12, (7:32) passed by a strong majority of California voters, (7:36) demanding humane conditions for farmed animals. (7:40) And California has set the standard for the country, (7:43) which is why they're taking aim at it, (7:45) because they know it's such a big market that what California does, (7:49) much of the rest of the country will follow. (7:52) And we need to make sure that we preserve Prop 12. (7:56) We also have a lot of work to do in the Farm Bill itself. (8:02) But if you had a phone in your hand and you reached either a voicemail(8:07) or an actual person, one of your senator's offices, (8:12) what exactly would you say? (8:13) Because sometimes people are held back by, (8:16) I don't know exactly what to say, I'm not an expert on this issue. (8:20) What would you say? (8:21) Yeah, I actually live in Georgia, (8:23) and Senator Warnock is my senator. (8:26) He sits on the Ag Committee, (8:28) who is actually writing this bill as we speak.(8:31) And I'm actually planning to go up and see him (8:34) with a delegation of faith leaders, farmers and advocates. (8:38) And I'm going to say, (8:39) Senator Warnock, the voters deserve protection. (8:43) They voted in California, in Massachusetts, (8:46) to protect farmed animals. (8:48) And farmers deserve to compete fairly on the market. (8:53) And right now, if we allow for Save Our Bacon (8:57) to be put into the Farm Bill, (9:00) it would erase our ability to protect farmed animals at the state level (9:03) and for farmers to compete fairly. (9:05) Do not vote for a Farm Bill (9:07) that allows for Save Our Bacon to come into force. (9:11) We can't allow that. (9:12) It overrides state rights. (9:15) It overrides voter rights. (9:16) It cannot be allowed. (9:17) And something else I wanted to mention (9:19) is who is behind all of this? (9:21) How did this even happen? (9:24) If you look at who is behind this, (9:26) this is a matter of lobbying. (9:28) Basically, voters of California passed a law. (9:31) The big pork didn't like it. (9:33) They lobbied. They donated. (9:35) They rewrote a law. (9:36) They handed it to the House of Representatives, (9:38) and the House of Representatives said, (9:39) thumbs up. (9:40) That is overriding our state rights. (9:43) Now, who is behind that?(9:44) The National Pork Council. (9:45) Who is the main member there? (9:46) Smithfield. (9:47) And who owns Smithfield? (9:49) WH Group, which is a Chinese conglomerate. (9:52) So, essentially, we have these huge corporations (9:55) that are pulling the strings in our Congress, (9:56) and we need to remind senators who they actually work for. (9:59) They don't work for corporations. (10:01) They work for us as voters. (10:03) And midterms are coming up, (10:04) so they should really care about this. (10:06) And people are wondering, (10:08) well, is this just for one state? (10:10) No, this number is for the U.S. Capitol. (10:13) Okay, the U.S. Capitol building. (10:14) So, just write this number down,(10:17) and put it in your phone. (10:19) Get it in your phone, (10:20) because, as I said, (10:21) when it was in the House, (10:22) I called Ted Lieu, who is my congressman, (10:26) five times. (10:27) And I talked to two or three people. (10:30) So, I got two voicemails, three units. (10:32) That's a pretty good track record. (10:34) So, again, everybody all hands on deck. (10:37) I mean, we absolutely have to stop this. (10:41) It's crucial. (10:43) Now, I literally copied something out of Leia's Instagram post. (10:49) And that said, (10:50) if you happen to live in one of these states, (10:53) you have extra impact,(10:55) because your senator is on the Ag Committee. (10:59) And I'll just read them out. (11:00) Arkansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Iowa, Mississippi, Kansas, Alabama, (11:04) West Virginia, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, (11:08) New Mexico, Georgia, Vermont, Pennsylvania, California, Michigan. (11:12) Okay, so I want to break this down. (11:15) Maybe, Matthew, you could take a crack at this. (11:19) When we say, (11:21) oh, call your senator, (11:23) first of all, everybody has two senators. (11:25) Are both those senators going to be on the Ag Committee? (11:28) So, with the Ag Committee, (11:30) it is split up where it's majority Republican and majority Democrat. (11:34) And the states that Leia puts in her post (11:37) represent that you have one senator (11:40) from each of these states that sit on the Ag Committee. (11:43) And what's incredibly important right now, (11:45) as Leia pointed out, (11:46) is that this bill in the Senate is being drafted as we speak. (11:51) There are members of staff and senators (11:53) that are working on drafting the Senate version of the Farm Bill. (11:56) And these are the folks that control the faith. (11:59) Now, it's absolutely critical that you contact your senators, (12:03) even if they are not on the Ag Committee (12:05) or in the case of where they are just a senator. (12:09) You need to contact them (12:10) because we need to make this so toxic (12:12) that neither party wants to take this up and wants to vote on it. (12:16) But in this moment in particular, (12:17) if you live in any of these states, (12:20) it is vital that you reach out to both your senators (12:23) and at least one of them is on the Ag Committee.(12:25) Now, for me, I live in New York, (12:28) and one of the most important people in Congress(12:29) in this particular moment is Senator Chuck Schumer. (12:32) And he is the minority leader for the Democratic Party in the Senate. (12:36) So you better betcha I'm calling and I'm emailing (12:38) and working my heart out to get a meeting with his staff (12:42) to discuss why he particularly needs to be opposed to this. (12:46) What does one call do, Leia? (12:50) I think that is what most people think, (12:53) is that it's not going to do any good (12:54) and that is so not true. (12:56) They record all of the calls they have to. (12:59) It's required. (13:00) So calls are actually more important right now than sending emails.(13:04) But sending emails also, we need all of it, right? (13:08) We need everybody to make as many calls as they can. (13:11) But please do not believe that. (13:14) That is so not true. (13:15) They need to feel pressure(13:17) and they need to have those phones ringing 24-7 (13:21) and not having enough staff to handle it all. (13:25) They need to feel that from all of us. (13:28) So, I mean, anybody that cares about animals at the very least. (13:32) I mean, there's also language in this farm bill (13:35) that could imply that it actually could be interpreted (13:42) to effectively override long-standing bans on horse slaughter as well (13:48) and require states to allow horse meat sales, (13:53) including overturning bans in places that have had bans for decades, (13:59) like in Texas. (14:00) So this isn't even just farmed animals. (14:04) And there's also ways that it's affecting the fur industry (14:08) and mink are going to be more at risk (14:11) and more mink sales are going to be happening (14:14) due to language in this farm bill. (14:16) It's very, very sneaky, the things that they're trying to get through here. (14:19) So please, please, everyone, make your calls and share. (14:24) Share this with everyone.(14:26) And our alert is coming out, the most updated one, (14:30) that's really targeting senators this Friday. (14:33) But you can go to idausa.org slash farmedanimals (14:36) and look for latest news. (14:38) You can share that article. (14:40) Share any of these social media posts. (14:44) You know, if you're on social media, (14:47) just share this with anyone you know who is an animal lover. (14:50) They don't have to be vegan, right? (14:52) Who doesn't care about animals?(14:55) But we also, I think it's very important, (14:57) we have to get across to the public (14:59) that even with these animal welfare laws, (15:04) if you're buying animal products, (15:07) there's no way that it's humane. (15:09) This is where we start. (15:10) We start by pressuring Congress, politicians. (15:14) Lobbying is such a huge problem.(15:17) So many of them are influenced by millions of dollars (15:21) in campaign contributions, right, from these industries. (15:25) So we have to pressure them. (15:27) These animal welfare laws are critical, (15:29) but we also have to recognize (15:31) that farmed animals are still tortured daily (15:34) just in the standard practices. (15:36) They're mutilated, forcibly impregnated, (15:38) their baby's taken from them, and they're all slaughtered. (15:42) So that is just a key message I would like to get across to. (15:46) Absolutely. (15:47) And everybody here has been doing social media. (15:50) And you don't have to be a member of an organization (15:52) to do social media. (15:54) Some of the most effective social media influencers (15:57) don't work for any particular organization. (16:00) We were struck, in fact, our social media director, (16:03) Michelle Celestino, contacted me this morning and said, (16:06) oh, look at Leah Garces and her social media posts(16:11) about this issue. (16:12) So I'd like to play what you've been posting, Leah, (16:15) because it's an example of what everybody can do. (16:18) And I know Matthew's also done great social media posts. (16:21) What's the big deal and what's happening with the Farm Bill? (16:23) I'm going to tell you in 60 seconds or less (16:25) what you need to do this week and the latest. (16:28) So last week, the House passed the Farm Bill, (16:31) and it still contains that dangerous language (16:33) known as Save Our Bacon Act, (16:35) which overrides states' abilities to protect farmed animals (16:38) and what goes in our grocery stores (16:40) and farmers' ability to compete fairly. (16:43) Now it goes to the Senate. (16:44) Particularly, it goes to the Senate Ag Committee. (16:47) And in the next few weeks, before they break, (16:50) before Memorial Day, (16:51) they are going to make a decision on this. (16:53) That's right, we have like three weeks. (16:56) If you have a senator who sits on that Ag Committee, (16:58) and I will list those states below, (17:01) you matter a lot. (17:01)...
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BREAKING: Ridglan Beagles Set to be Freed!
05/02/2026
BREAKING: Ridglan Beagles Set to be Freed!
🎧 Podcast Highlights: Breaking news on Ridglan beagles rescue Inside the fight against animal testing facilities Emotional stories behind rescued lab beagles How activists pushed for this major breakthrough What happens next for these freed animals WATCH ANIMAL RIGHTS HISTORY! SHARE OUT! COMMENT! A New Dawn for the Ridglan Beagles For years, Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin has been ground zero in the battle to stop the breeding of beagles for painful experimentation. Now, that narrative has shifted in a historic victory for animal welfare. In a monumental breakthrough in the "Ridglan Beagle Saga," an agreement has reportedly been reached to transfer about 1,000 beagles from the breeding facility into the compassionate hands of rescuers. This extraordinary news broke without many details which we will hopefully get NOW as a news conference begins in Madison, Wisconsin. This extraordinary deal follows a period of extreme tension and physical confrontation. On April 18th, the saga reached a fever pitch when approximately 1,000 animal activists surged toward the facility in a dramatic rescue attempt. The demonstration turned volatile as authorities deployed tear gas and rubber bullets to repel the animal lovers. The encounter left numerous would-be rescuers injured and led to multiple arrests, underscoring the desperate urgency felt by the animal advocacy community. Now, that desperation has turned into a diplomatic triumph. Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy have reportedly successfully negotiated a confidential agreement to secure the release of many of the dogs. Exactly how many? We should learn that now. This development marks a definitive turning point for animal rights in general and animal experimentation in particular as activists said they were spurred to do their own rescue after authorities failed to act despite whistleblower testimony that beagles had been subjected to painful surgical procedures without anesthesia by non-veterinarians. Leading the news conference: • Lauree Simmons, president and founder, Big Dog Ranch Rescue Wayne Pacelle, president, the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action The Road to Recovery: Scale: An estimated 1,000 beagles are being liberated from the Dane County facility, although we should get specific numbers now. Mission: Big Dog Ranch Rescue will provide immediate medical exams, vaccinations, and rehabilitation. Placement: A nationwide network of rescue partners will help place these dogs in permanent, loving homes. The press conference in Madison will provide the first full look at the logistics of this massive rescue operation. After the chaos and injury of recent weeks, this announcement offers hope of a peaceful resolution. Ridglan denies the cruelty allegations and is invited on any time. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: https://unchainedtv.com/donate/ 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm TRANSCRIPT: BREAKING Ridglan Beagles Set to be Freed! (0:02) Absolutely incredible news, everybody. (0:04) Bridgeland is releasing the dogs. (0:06) After years of campaigning and months of negotiations, (0:09) Bridgeland has just signed a deal to release the beagles at their animal testing and breeding facility (0:13) to rescue and ready to place them in loving homes. (0:16) If what I've heard from you is true, (0:20) um, (0:22) then I'll be very happy. (0:26) We don't want these dogs to spend even one more day in a cage. (0:29) We can help it. (0:30) Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible. (0:36) Extraordinary. (0:37) And the meeting is happening. (0:40) I'm going to, um, this is history in the making, people. (0:44) This news conference is starting now. (0:46) Let's see if we can join from Zoom. (1:34) Thank you for another week and a half. (1:38) We are very, very excited (1:41) about the idea of these animals (1:46) living... (1:47) Microphone. (1:48) Oh, I was preparing the microphone. (1:50) Yeah. (1:52) Okay, sorry about that. (1:57) We are very excited about these animals (2:00) who have lived in confinement, (2:04) which is a normal condition in any sort of contract breeding facility, (2:10) having an opportunity to touch soil and grass, (2:13) breathe fresh air, (2:16) and get into a loving home for the balance of their lives. (2:21) This is a tremendous celebratory moment (2:24) and one of the biggest rescues of animals from a breeding facility. (2:29) Not quite as big as Invigo, (2:32) which was the breeding facility in Virginia in 2022 (2:35) that had animals taken out of that facility. (2:39) But nonetheless, you have some shelters in the United States, (2:42) good-sized shelters, that don't handle 1,500 animals a year. (2:46) This is one big movement over the next 10 days. (2:52) And Lori and Diggo and Ranch Rescue (2:54) are going to be in charge of taking 1,000 of those animals. (2:58) And she will explain that she's going to work with her rescue partners. (3:03) And of course, she also has some fabulous facilities (3:05) that are dog-centered facilities(3:08) that will experience the joy of the settings (3:13) that you're going to provide to them. (3:16) This is really part of a larger effort (3:20) to move our nation away from eagle testing, (3:25) primate testing, and other forms of animal testing. (3:28) In 2022, the Center for Humane Economy (3:32) works with members on both sides of the aisle. (3:36) Washington, D.C., and the House and Senate (3:39) to pass the FDA Modernization Act 2.0.(3:43) That legislation eliminated an animal testing mandate (3:47) that had been in place since the Great Depression. (3:51) Since 1938, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act, (3:54) and the word drug is in that statute, (3:57) required animal testing. (4:00) Dogs, primates, other animals(4:02) used over 5 or 10 or even 15 years. (4:07) It is precisely because of that federal mandate (4:09) that you saw the growth of contract breeding facilities (4:15) to supply research institutions and prong-suiting companies, (4:18) and also contract testing facilities. (4:22) And obviously, the global concern (4:25) that's been expressed recently about Ridgeland Farms, (4:28) I think, reflects the rising tide of social concern(4:31) about this broader issue. (4:35) Ridgeland, to my vantage point, (4:38) looks like it's winding down operations. (4:41) Our organizations financed the acquisition of these animals. (4:46) We did so because we were cognizant (4:49) that there was a settlement agreement (4:51) that was going to cause Ridgeland (4:55) to terminate its sales of eagles by July 1st. (4:59) We wanted to know, Lori and I did, (5:03) and the Dane County Humane Society, (5:05) and Eagle Freedom Project, (5:07) and the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project, (5:11) we and so many others wanted to be sure (5:14) that these animals got to a safe place. (5:18) With this narrow runway between now and July 1st, (5:23) this guarantees them the safest circumstance (5:26) over not just these next few months, (5:29) but also in the months beyond July 1st. (5:34) It's not all of the dogs. (5:36) We are engaging in continuing discussions with Ridgeland. (5:42) We have very specific terms in the accord that we reached. (5:47) These terms are to be collegial, to be communicative, (5:52) and we are looking forward to seeing other dogs (5:56) come out of the facility, (5:58) but this is a large chunk of them. (6:02) I must say that in my mind, (6:04) I think about Marshall Bioresources. (6:07) This is a contract for each facility (6:09) in Wayne County, New York, (6:12) that has 20,000 eagles at this facility. (6:16) 20,000 is ten times the size of Ridgeland numerically (6:21) in terms of the number of animals there. (6:24) And the only way we're going to solve this problem (6:26) is if the United States takes the next set of steps (6:31) to defund grantmaking to research institutions(6:38) and others that are using eagles and primates (6:42) and other animals. (6:44) This system of testing is broken. (6:47) It's been broken for a very long time. (6:50) The data show that in more than 90% of cases (6:53) where a new drug passes muster in ten years of animal tests, (7:00) when it then goes to human clinical trials, (7:02) it fails more than 90% of the time. (7:05) You know, the NBA playoffs are happening now. (7:08) If you had a free-throw shooter (7:09) who hit one of every ten free throws, (7:13) that person, that player would be on the bench. (7:16) Why is a 92% failure rate considered some sort of success? (7:21) And the reality is the world is moving ahead. (7:25) We have innovation in every part of our economy. (7:28) In transportation, communications, aviation. (7:35) Does anything today in any of those realms (7:37) look like it did in 1938 (7:40) when we passed the federal food, drug, and cosmetics act (7:43) with this animal testing standard?(7:46) No, it does not. (7:48) We now have organs on a chip. (7:50) These are human cells that are aggregated (7:53) in a microphysiological system (7:55) to replicate what a human liver would do with a drug or a kidney.(8:01) We have organonics. (8:04) We have AI that can look at all of the data (8:07) that exists all over the world on a drug (8:10) and quickly deliver outcomes that are understandable (8:14) and give us a pathway for safer testing. (8:18) The idea that we don't have alternatives is absurd, (8:23) especially when you consider that the baseline (8:25) is so deeply flawed. (8:29) So we are calling, (8:31) and I know Lori has already done this, (8:33) and I know she's going to say a word about this, (8:34) but we are asking this federal administration (8:38) and its public health agencies, (8:40) who have actually made the most important set of statements ever (8:44) by any administration, (8:47) the best statements in moving away from animal testing, (8:50) we're asking them to put those principles into practice (8:54) because we cannot rescue our way out of these problems. (8:59) We need front-end solutions (9:01) in order to protect these animals (9:04) from treatment broadly that is unacceptable in our modern Europe. (9:11) And when you have superior alternatives, (9:14) you must choose them because the animals' lives matter. (9:19) They matter to them as much as our lives matter to us. (9:23) And before I turn this over to Lori, (9:26) I just want to say that not only are we excited to work with her (9:31) which has done so much important work. (9:34) Thank you for all the life-saving work that you've done. (9:37) I want to thank also our partners here. (9:41) Shannon Keith with Beagle Freedom Project is not here, (9:44) but Shannon does a super job(9:47) in caring for beagles in particular, (9:49) has protocols that we will be following. (9:52) I know Lori's standards are going to be tip-top (9:54) in terms of her overseeing 1,000 of the dogs moving into adoption. (10:00) We have Eileen Rivets here from the Wisconsin Puppy Milk Project. (10:04) Eileen, thank you for supporting this whole effort (10:08) in such a meaningful way (10:10) and helping with really every aspect of it. (10:14) We are really excited to have Pam McLeod-Smith(10:17) from the Dane County Humane Society. (10:20) Pam, thank you for your leadership at a fantastic organization. (10:25) And for the 500 dogs at the Center for Humane Economy (10:28) that we will be ultimately responsible for staging (10:31) is going to occur at the Dane County Humane Society here. (10:36) And I will also want to note (10:38) they're involved with the Wisconsin Federation of Humane Societies. (10:43) I want to also shout out Paul Collins, our Wisconsin State Director. (10:48) Paul, where are you? There you are. (10:50) And finally, I want to thank the former chair of the board (10:55) of the Dane County Humane Society (10:56) and a board member of Animal Wellness Action, (10:59) which is the other organization that I lead, Joseph Goode. (11:04) He was the attorney on a pro bono basis (11:08) who negotiated this agreement, talking with me and Lori Daly. (11:12) And, Joseph, thank you for your outstanding work (11:15) and this really exciting outcome work (11:18) for the Beagles here in Dane County. (11:21) So, Lori, thank you again, (11:23) and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts. (11:28) So, hello. (11:30) I am Lori Simmons, L-A-U-R-E-E-S-I-M-M-O-N-S, (11:36) founder and president of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, (11:40) which is the largest no-kill cage-free rescue in the United States. (11:48) So, today is about doing what is right for the Beagles (11:53) and making sure these dogs are safe.(11:56) From the beginning, it was critically important to me (12:00) and all of us at Big Dog Ranch that there was a real safety net in place. (12:07) We wanted a structured, responsible plan (12:11) that guarantees every one of these dogs is safely transitioned (12:16) into the care of reputable, fully vetted rescue organizations, (12:23) including ourselves. (12:25) Places where they will receive essential medical care, (12:30) including space and neuters, (12:32) along with love and compassion that they so deserve. (12:38) All of this while being prepared for their future and loving homes. (12:43) At the end of the day, that's what matters most. (12:48) When organizations, leaders, and advocates work together, (12:54) real progress is possible. (12:57) And that's what this moment represents. (13:01) Across this entire effort, (13:04) all 1,500 of these Beagles are now beginning a new chapter, (13:10) one focused on care, stability, socialization, (13:16) and making sure every dog has the best possible outcome. (13:23) Several hundred of these dogs will be going to our two Big Dog Ranch campuses, (13:30) one in Palm Beach County, one in Alabama, (13:34) with the remaining dogs placed with our rescue partners across the country. (13:41) Organizations we know and trust. (13:45) These dogs are going to need time. (13:48) They will need patience. (13:50) They will need support as they adjust to environments (13:54) they've never experienced before. (13:58) They will learn kindness and what it means to be loved, (14:03) how to walk on a leash and see sunshine and grass beneath their feet. (14:10) We're not just moving dogs. (14:12) We are preparing them for life. (14:16) We appreciate the cooperation and coordination that make this possible, (14:23) especially the work done alongside Center for Humane Economy. (14:28) We worked together for almost a month to ensure the right plan was in place. (14:35) This is what happens when you have collaborative engagement, a shared goal. (14:42) You get solutions that save lives. (14:45) I also want to acknowledge the role that animal advocates and activists (14:52) and the public had in this. (14:55) The courage of these animal advocates and everyone who spoke up and made this possible. (15:04) It's a powerful step forward towards a much larger mission. (15:13) This is exactly what Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., (15:20) has been advocating for his Make America Healthy Again agenda. (15:25) It's about using the best, most accurate science available (15:32) to protect human and animal health. (15:36) That includes how we conduct research because the reality is science has changed. (15:44) There's growing consensus that traditional animal testing models, (15:49) including those using dogs, are not consistently predictive of human outcomes. (15:57) In fact, even the FDA has acknowledged that the vast majority of drugs (16:04) that succeed in animal testing never really translate successfully to humans. (16:12) The NIH has also acknowledged that animal models may not reliably replicate complex human diseases, (16:22) which can limit their predictive value in drug development. (16:27) It's why we are pushing so hard towards newer, more reliable ways of testing (16:35) that are based on human biology and give us far more accurate results. (16:43) This isn't just about animal welfare. It's about better science. (16:48) It's about smarter, more humane innovation without causing harm to innocent animals. (16:57) I'm calling on RFK, Jr. to open the Office of Research, Innovation, Validation, and Application, ORIBA, (17:09) to advance non-animal biomedical research methods. (17:15) We need continued action by HHS, NIH, and the FDA. (17:22) Continued investment in full implementation of programs that will accelerate this transition. (17:32) Because progress only matters if they follow through on their words they have publicly stated. (17:41) Today is an important step forward because it is part of a larger shift (17:47) in how we protect the animals and how we approach science (17:52) and in how we take responsibility for doing things more humanely and better. (18:01) At Big Dog Ranch Rescue and Center for Humane Economy, together, (18:06) we are committed to working and pushing this agenda forward humanely and collaboratively. (18:14) And most important of all, today, these dogs have a future. (18:20) Thank you to everyone who made this possible. (18:47) How can we possibly think that this method that was really enshrined in the 1930s is a good way to do science? (18:56) We have to get beyond it. (18:57) I have beagles. I've had beagles for a long time. (19:02) They're just the most trusting, incredible creatures. (19:08) And their own trust is exploited when they're used in a laboratory setting. (19:12) That's why they're used. It's because they're so compliant. (19:17) They're so obedient in this way. (19:20) I want to ask Pam, in terms of the Dane County Humane Society, (19:26) I know people want to tame dogs. (19:31) We're probably not going to have enough to go around for the demand given the incredible interest in these animals. (19:37) What should people do, Pam, to signal their interest? (19:43) Why don't you come up for a quick moment. (19:49) And joining her is Amy Good, with the Dane County Humane Society. (19:54) Hi, everybody.(19:57) So, I am short. (20:01) All right. (20:02) Dane County Humane Society is just so incredibly excited to be part of this project. (20:07) This has been happening in our backyard for so long. (20:10) And so many people have made this possible today, especially our partners here at the Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy. (20:18) So, right now, our group is going to be staging 500 of the dogs at the Dane County Humane Society once Lori's team gets their dogs off and out to all of their rescue partners. (20:31) So, stay tuned on our website at giveshelter.org. (20:35) We'll have all the information there if people are interested in adopting. (20:39) They can express their interest there. (20:41) We'll, of course, gladly accept donations to take care of these pups, because there's a lot of work to do in...
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5 Amazing New Animal Rights Films!
05/02/2026
5 Amazing New Animal Rights Films!
🎧 Podcast Highlights: 4 groundbreaking animal rights films you need to know Emotional stories that expose animal cruelty Filmmakers using media as activism Why these documentaries are sparking global conversations How storytelling is shifting perspectives on animal rights Buckle up. You are about to witness the cinematic evolution of a movement. Welcome to a high-octane episode of UnchainedTV, where we prove that the camera is the most powerful weapon we have in the fight for animal liberation. Today, we aren’t just talking about change; we are projecting it onto the screen. The animal rights movement is leaping forward, fueled by a new wave of visionary filmmakers who are shattering glass ceilings and breaking hearts to open minds. In this special showcase, we dive into four groundbreaking new films that span the entire emotional spectrum: The Hard Truths: We go behind the curtain of digital exploitation with Nina Jackel (Lady Freethinker) to discuss the chilling exposé Cruelty for Clicks. Then, Michael Torres from In Defense of Animals joins us to pull back the rug on the shadowy puppy mill industry with Dog$piracy. The Avant-Garde: Prepare to have your perspective shifted by filmmaker Dustin Todd, whose surreal masterpiece Not an Ad blurs the line between fantasy and our harrowing reality. The Game-Changer: Finally, we prove that activism can be riotous. Filmmaker David Giardina brings the laughs with Mystery on the Vegan Express, a breakthrough comedy unlike anything you’ve ever seen. From undercover grit to satirical wit, these creators are redefining the "cruelty-free lifestyle." Now, UnchainedTV’s Jane Velez-Mitchell and our fabulous panel unpacks the impact of these extraordinary new films. 🌱 Join the Movement If these stories moved you, don’t stop here. Share this episode, start conversations, and explore more content that supports a compassionate, plant-based world. 👉 Watch more on UnchainedTV: 👉 Learn more: Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm
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Mass Beagle Rescue Turns Chaotic After Tear Gas
05/01/2026
Mass Beagle Rescue Turns Chaotic After Tear Gas
🎧 Podcast Highlights Activists attempt a live beagle rescue operation Confrontation escalates with police deploying tear gas Shocking conditions surrounding dogs used in testing Emotional reactions from rescuers on the front lines The growing movement to end animal experimentation UNCHAINEDTV NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT The Battle for Ridglan: 1,000 Activists Meet Rubber Bullets in Historic Failed Rescue In a scene described by witnesses as a "war zone," the quiet landscape of Dane County, Wisconsin, became the site of a historic clash on April 18, 2026. Over 1,000 animal rights activists from across the globe descended upon Ridglan Farms, a controversial beagle-breeding facility, in a mass "open rescue" attempt aimed at liberating 2,000 dogs slated for experimentation. What it unfold live in this UNCHAINEDTV NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT. What began as a mission of mercy quickly devolved into chaos. Law enforcement greeted the massive surge of protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets, leaving some activists collapsed and injured. Despite the sheer scale of the mobilization—one of the largest in history—the mission failed to extract a single animal. The escalation followed a contentious legal deal that allowed Ridglan to continue internal experimentation despite harrowing whistleblower testimony regarding surgeries performed on beagles without anesthesia. While no beagles were saved, the event ignited a national firestorm and global media coverage. Images of injured protesters and the arrest of lead organizer Wayne Hsiung have prompted some local supervisors to express outrage and one to call for an investigation into allegations of excessive police force. Ridglan Farms denies all allegations of animal cruelty, calls the activists extremists. We invite Ridglan on any time to comment further. Join the Adventure 👉 Watch, share, and raise awareness 👉 Speak out against animal testing 👉 Support ethical, cruelty-free alternatives Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: We invite company representatives on to comment. 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm
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AI & Animals: WHAT TO DO NOW!
04/03/2026
AI & Animals: WHAT TO DO NOW!
🎧 Podcast Highlights The surprising ways AI could replace real animals Ethical concerns every animal lover must understand How technology may impact animal rights and activism Why urgent action is needed right now The future of animals in an AI-driven world “URGENT AI & Animals Every Animal Lover Must Take Action NOW!” What You’ll Discover In this powerful episode, we explore the growing intersection of AI and animal welfare, uncovering how emerging technologies may impact real animals, industries, and activism. Could AI reduce animal suffering—or unintentionally erase animals from our lives? This conversation dives into the ethical consequences, the hidden risks, and the opportunities for compassionate innovation. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm TRANSCRIPT: URGENT: AI & Animals: Every Animal Lover Must Take Action NOW! Speaker 3 (0:20) In the same way that AI is going to affect so much of human life, you know, possibly all aspects of human life, we can really think about it having similar impacts on animal lives. Speaker 1 (0:28) It would be crazy not to wake up and see that this is actually going to be transformative.(0:34) And the sooner we can do that, the better the world will go for animals. Speaker 3 (0:39) We should be really, really cautious and make sure that AI is being used in an ethically responsible way. Speaker 1 (0:46) AI and animals, it is a powerful new documentary streaming now on Unchained TV, raising so many questions. (0:56) And we've got some of the top people here to answer those questions.(1:02) Want to start out with Peter Singer. (1:06) You probably know the name. (1:07) He is not only a Princeton professor, but the author of the game changing book, Animal Liberation, along with many other books. (1:16) Peter, for those who are just sitting on their hands saying, AI, no big deal for animals. (1:22) What would you say to those people? Speaker 2 (1:25) Well, AI is a big deal for animals, as, of course, it's a big deal for humans. (1:30) But just here's one simple fact that shows why it's a big deal for animals. (1:36) If AI starts running factory farms and that's already happening in some countries, China is doing that, but some European countries, too, introducing AI to run factory farms. (1:46) Well, we're talking about hundreds of billions of animals each year, maybe 200 billion vertebrate animals alone that are being their lives are being controlled, dominated by AI. (1:58) And if the AI is set up only to maximize the profits of the corporation that is running it, that owns it and is running it, then that's going to be even worse for animals than factory farming run by humans. Speaker 1 (2:13) Well, it's terrifying. (2:14) And when I was watching this documentary that everybody who's on this panel is in and involved in, I thought, oh, my gosh, we've got to get the word out. (2:27) To what you were saying, here's a clip that talks about that. (2:30) Right now, we're seeing AI play out in industrial animal agriculture. (2:36) They are using it more and more to automate these systems. (2:40) If we miss this opportunity and this technology goes everywhere, it's going to be incredibly hard to change. (2:51) The ability to monitor, control and manipulate billions of animals with minimal human oversight, combined with genetic modifications and environmental controls optimized purely for economic efficiency, creates the potential for suffering on a very large scale, one that dwarfs current factory farming. (3:12) This is truly terrifying. (3:14) I want to go out to Constance Lee of Sentient Futures. (3:17) You're in the documentary. (3:20) What would you say about the threat? (3:22) And again, what is your message to animal rights activists, vegans, people who love animals about what they should do? (3:31) Yeah, so I don't have a great idea of what to do, except like we need to start paying attention to these systems. (3:40) They're still in their infancy right now. (3:42) Like Peter said, it's mostly happening in China and other places where they can have really high tech infrastructure. (3:54) And like right now, they're still struggling to get by on their own. (3:58) They're still struggling to get buy in from farmers. (4:00) A lot of farms are not digitized yet. (4:03) Many animal advocates don't even know what these systems are. (4:09) The term for it is precision livestock farming. (4:12) I think we should all familiarize ourselves with this. (4:15) And I think a good way to think about this going forward is, are we going to work on legacy systems, which mainly rely on human labor? (4:24) Or are we going to focus on emerging systems, which could be things like the factory farms in China, but it could also be autonomous vehicles that are increasingly getting a higher and higher share of the road. (4:39) And instead of teaching every single human how to avoid running over small animals, we could teach one algorithm to track and avoid running over small animals. (4:50) And so, yeah, I think the window of opportunity is really, really small when these systems are like still in its infancy and there's not like gigantic industry interests and like lots of money behind it opposing people who want to get animals considered in these systems as they're being developed. (5:10) And of course, people are saying scary precision livestock agriculture. (5:14) It is terrifying. (5:17) Aditya, I think it's incredible that you and Animal Ethics did this documentary. (5:24) But we have to wake up, if only to wake animal rights activists, vegans and animal lovers up to the fact that the answer isn't saying, I hate AI, I won't have anything to do with AI. (5:39) Why is that, for lack of a better phrase, a dumb move? (5:48) Yes, so to answer that, I think, yeah, I totally understand why people are skeptical of AI right now. (5:56) It is having pretty large scale consequences on like human welfare, on environment.(6:04) But people tend to forget that we as animal advocates have in the past missed out on opportunities of mitigating potential harms to non-human animals. (6:19) This, for example, could be factory farming of aquatic animals or the current scaling up of factory farming of invertebrates and insect farms. (6:30) So we have been a bit on the back foot and the industry is accelerating exploiting animals in many different domains. (6:37) And AI will enable many such forms of harms and exploitation of animals in other domains as well. (6:43) And so if we as animal advocates are not also, A, paying attention to how AI can harm non-human animals in many different ways, like Peter and Constance mentioned, and also how can we leverage AI to benefit animals in many different ways as well, because the animal agriculture industry is leveraging AI to boost the exploitation of animals. (7:09) And if we as animal advocates are not leveraging this technology to help the animals in the most effective way, then we are missing out on a very important opportunity and are failing animals in many different ways as well. Speaker 2 (7:21) So, yeah, I think that's one. Speaker 1 (7:22) Here's another clip from your incredible film. (7:25) I urge everyone to watch it. (7:27) It is streaming on Unchained TV right behind me. (7:30) It's the featured film. (7:32) Every animal activist needs to watch this. (7:35) It could worsen the moral catastrophe that animals are already suffering right now. (7:41) Or it could enable positive changes that would otherwise be very difficult to achieve. (7:48) This is something animal advocates and indeed anyone sympathetic to non-human animals should keep very much in mind. (7:57) If we want to make the future better for them, if there is a lesson we can learn from the history of animal advocacy, it is that we need to be proactive. (8:09) Ending the harms animals are already suffering, for example, by banning well-established forms of animal exploitation can prove very difficult. (8:17) It is much harder than preventing them from being established in the first place. (8:23) Animal advocacy has typically focused on the former, even though the latter can, in expectation, have a far greater impact. (8:32) As a result, we have missed so many opportunities in the past. (8:37) No proactive action was taken to prevent factory farming, fish farming and insect farming before they became widespread. (8:46) Repeating this mistake in the case of the potential future harms or benefits animals may face from AI technologies would be disastrous. (8:55) We need to act in advance and act quickly before events unfold. (9:01) This includes working to ensure that future AI systems take non-human animals into account as much as possible. (9:09) So, Peter, what would you say to animal activists right now who are saying, I don't like AI. (9:19) I made a poster for a new documentary I just completed using AI and an activist told me, I don't know if I want to go to your film because you used AI to make the poster and I don't know if that's aligned with my values. (9:34) And that kind of scared me, not because she's not coming, but because, hello, it's here. (9:43) It's here. (9:44) Your disdain for it or contempt for it is only going to hurt animals. (9:50) Weigh in if you would, Peter. Speaker 2 (9:52) Yeah, absolutely. (9:53) I mean, you can't just stick your head in the sand. (9:56) You know, that never gets you anywhere. (9:58) You don't like something that's happening. (10:00) So, yeah, you just pretend not to see it, not to be involved with it. (10:05) But it goes on and the vast majority of people are involved with it in some way or other. (10:12) And, you know, I think the only thing we can do here is try to steer it in a better direction.(10:18) We're going to have AI. (10:20) We already have AI. (10:21) We can change it, though, as Constance and Aditya was saying. (10:27) But I think we need to sort of make our views known to the companies that are producing it and to the particular humans who are developing AI and working for these companies. (10:39) We need to ensure that they have some ethical values. (10:43) That's already happening as far as values affecting humans are concerned. (10:48) So early versions of AI turned out to be biased in various ways and to particular ethnic groups or class on the basis of how classy their neighborhoods were. (11:01) So we've got codes of ethics that try to guard against that happening. (11:08) But the codes of ethics have overwhelmingly ignored the interest of non-human animals.(11:13) So we must raise our voices to the companies, to the people we know and say there needs to be some AI ethics that relates to the welfare of animals, that ensures that it takes into account the welfare of animals and not only the profits of the corporate owners. (11:30) And if the AI companies won't do it, then we may need to push our legislators to pass laws to ensure that they do it. Speaker 1 (11:39) Well, this is really fascinating because I was thinking, Constance, more in terms of being proactive to program AI. (11:48) But I think that we should operate on all fronts. (11:51) Yes. (11:52) As Peter Singer mentioned, let's reach out to our legislators. (11:56) Let's reach out to these companies. (11:58) And some of these people purport in their conversations and media to be ethically minded, not just after profits, purportedly to try to make the world a better place. (12:11) So perhaps appeal to that. (12:13) But specifically, and I think this is some of the most important questions that we can answer today, I want to address a lot of questions that are coming in from our audience. (12:24) What features specifically of current language models correlate most strongly with reduced moral considerations of animals? (12:36) We don't know that right now. (12:40) There's some things that we suspect, though. (12:45) So things like decreased reasoning ability probably correlates with decreased concern for animals, probably if they're very courageable on their goals. (13:06) So meaning that they kind of do whatever the user tells them to do. (13:12) Like, OK, you're going to be running a factory farm. (13:15) I want you to do this and maximize profits as much as possible. (13:18) And then the AI is like, yes, sir or ma'am. (13:21) Then that could be pretty bad depending on who the user is. (13:25) But there's a lot of work that's currently being done to try to get the whole science of large language model characteristics and what correlates with good outcomes for animals out there. (13:40) I'll say that there's one website where you can explore a current benchmark that's been created for this. (13:47) It's called CompassionBench.com, an organization called Compassion Aligned Machine Learning has developed this. (13:57) And you can inspect all the questions that they pose to the different language models and how the different language models performed. (14:07) Now, yeah, if you go to CompassionBench.com, you'll see the actual benchmark. (14:13) Or I think maybe you can click Compassion. (14:16) Yeah, I put this up because I was looking at, frankly, I got an email today saying there was a writing contest and that maybe you could tell me about that because it dovetails with this question. (14:31) What if the most powerful thing you could write wasn't for human eyes? (14:35) We're collecting the best writing on how AI should reason about non-human beings. (14:40) Every submission has a missing non-human perspective to AI training data. (14:44) We're also developing tools for labs to assess compassion in their mid-training data.(14:49) And everything from this site informs the development of that tool set. (14:53) It's kind of a new language, Constance, that people have to get used to. (14:59) And as a journalist, my job is to translate it in people terms. (15:04) I often say if I can understand it, anybody can understand it. (15:08) So to take away all the gobbledygook of what are you recommending animal activists do? (15:15) We all have a phone. (15:16) For example, on Shane TV, we are a nonprofit news and entertainment network. (15:21) We produce hundreds of videos and articles every day. (15:26) Are those getting into AI? (15:30) If I write an article on WordPress and I publish it, does that inform AI or am I thinking too simplistically? (15:39) Yeah, so I'll try to make this as simple as possible. (15:44) But essentially, I don't think you're thinking too simplistically. (15:49) Those things do work as long as it gets into the AI training pipeline. (15:56) So the Internet is kind of like scraped by little bots and then digested. (16:04) And so anything that you publish out on the Internet that can be read by bots will make it to some point of the training pipeline, whether it gets through the filters of different labs. (16:16) And each lab has their own filters to filter out things that are clearly written by other AIs or that are propaganda or harmful things. (16:29) They all have their own processes that are not published. (16:32) But if you put in like wherever you publish something on WordPress into like, say, Chachapiti or Claude and you say, like, read me what this is about and it's able to read it out to you, then you know that it can be scraped. (16:51) There's different types of websites. (16:54) I have to jump in. (16:55) You're saying read this out to me. (16:57) In other words, regurgitate the article. (17:01) So there's different styles of websites. (17:04) So some are made in I learned this very recently. (17:08) So forgive me if I say something wrong, like some are done in like JavaScript or React, which means that it's a client side rendering, which means that machines can actually read it. (17:26) So you don't actually like when you look at a like a Web page, it's not necessarily the same thing that a bot would see. (17:36) Well, now you also mentioned something else that's a little scary and worrisome. (17:41) If they see that it's written by AI, they don't want to absorb it. (17:46) Well, everything's being written by AI. (17:47) We use AI to write articles, but that doesn't mean that it's made up out of whole cloth.(17:53) We give information and it puts out articles. (17:58) Are you saying articles that are written by AI are not going to be accepted by AI as information? (18:05) Not necessarily. (18:07) There's different types of filters out there. (18:11) And if you have a unique enough idea, but you used AI to polish it a little bit, it could it could very well pass the filter. (18:20) They just don't want to take in any data that is going to like harm the reasoning of AIs.(18:27) So if it was written by like a less intelligent AI, then it's not actually benefiting the new model that they're training. (18:35) And that's why they filter these things out. (18:37) Wow. (18:38) I mean, this is Aditya, you know, I really loved your documentary, but I also was left with so many questions because, well, I'll just play another little tiny clip where you're like, the time is now. (18:53) And I'm like, OK, I'm ready. (18:54) What do I do? (18:56) So let's listen to that clip for a second and then go back to that question. (19:00) What do we do? (19:01) We need to act in advance and act quickly before events unfold. (19:06) This includes working to ensure that future AI systems take non-human animals into account as much as possible. (19:14) With the exception of a few organizations and initiatives around the world, work in this area remains largely neglected. (19:22) Yet it is among the most important and urgent tasks animal advocates face today. (19:28) The stakes could not be higher. (19:30) If we don't start working on this right away, it may soon be too late to make a difference. (19:37) Animals need us to take this task seriously. (19:41) Not next decade, not in a few years, but now. (19:49) I'm ready to get going. (19:51) Aditya, what do we do? (19:54) And actually, I know that we have a couple of our writers who are watching this right now because we've had these conversations that it's important to get the word out. (20:03) But as this banner just really so eloquently put it, what if what we're writing is most effective by getting it into the AI as opposed to read by other humans? (20:22) Thanks, Jane, that's a very important question. (20:25) And like you mentioned, there's many different ways that one could actually make progress in this. (20:31) And some of these ways are discovered, but some aren't. (20:34) So there needs to be more exploration into what are the different strategies that we could adopt to make sure that AI is beneficial for the animals and these harms are mitigated. (20:45) Like one that you...
/episode/index/show/8bbfa8c9-8d5b-4a7a-bf3f-b9881fc30040/id/40727415
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Shocking Mass Beagle Rescue LIVE!
03/27/2026
Shocking Mass Beagle Rescue LIVE!
UNCHAINEDTV IS LIVE FROM Wisconsin — A massive surge of animal activists has descended upon Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin, the nation’s second-largest beagle breeding and research facility. UnchainedTV has a reporter LIVE at the scene to bring us the very latest as this high-stakes nonviolent mobilization unfolds. A large group of animal advocates have gathered at the facility following a historic legal settlement that requires Ridglan to surrender its breeding license by July 1, 2026. However, protestors argue that the "stipulation" leaves thousands of dogs in immediate peril to be experimented on at the facility. The mobilization follows shocking revelations from an evidentiary hearing. In open court, whistleblowers testified to witnessing harrowing scenes where dogs were reportedly operated on without anesthesia by non-veterinarians, including "cherry-eye" surgeries, where dogs were allegedly conscious and thrashing around in pain while being restrained. Led by famed attorney and animal rights activist Wayne Hsiung and a coalition including The Simple Heart and Alliance for Animals, the crowd is currently initiating a direct appeal to the government. Holding white flowers to symbolize their commitment to nonviolence, the group is calling on authorities to facilitate an immediate rescue of all the dogs inside the facility and for those animals to be put up for adoption with the help of animal rescue groups willing to help. The atmosphere is tense but disciplined. Organizers tell us: "We have found that the authorities will not respond to anything other than public pressure. That, in turn, depends on a well-organized and well-attended demonstration." While a special prosecutor investigated the allegations of felony animal abuse, protesters today say the agreement still leaves beagles at risk of painful experimentation and death. If authorities refuse to intervene, some participants have expressed a readiness to provide direct aid to the animals themselves. We will remain on-site as this developing situation unfolds. Now, UnchainedTV host Jane Velez-Mitchell and former law enforcement investigator Tiffany Brunelli analyze the action on the ground in Wisconsin as it unfolds. We invite company representatives on to comment. 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Shocking Mass Beagle Rescue Live! (0:00) We have dogs though, we have dogs. (0:04) Wow. (0:04) Wow. (0:06) Dogs are coming out. (0:07) Dogs are coming out of that facility. (0:10) This is extraordinary. (0:12) You're watching it live. (0:13) We can't really tell you what's happening (0:14) because your guess is as good as mine. (0:17) It's in Wisconsin live. (0:19) There's a whole bunch of activists. (0:22) You can see, wow, there they are. (0:25) There they are. (0:25) I see a dog. (0:26) Multiple dogs. (0:27) Tell us where crates are. (0:28) You gotta tell us where crates are. (0:29) That's on me. (0:32) There are the beagles. (0:33) There are the beagles. (0:34) We just saw them. (0:36) There are the beagles. (0:38) Six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13 dogs at least. (0:44) I think there's more. (0:45) Wow, look at that. (0:47) These are animal activists who went into Ridgeland Farms. (0:51) You are watching animal rights history in action. (0:56) A mass animal rights action in progress. (1:00) Look at that beagle. (1:01) Look at that beagle being rescued. (1:02) Look at that beagle. (1:04) Finally free. (1:06) Finally free. (1:07) Oh my gosh. (1:09) This is absolutely extraordinary. (1:12) You are watching this breaking news live as it happens. (1:16) We are live in Wisconsin. (1:18) Where's the baby go? (1:19) Absolutely amazing. (1:22) I met a lost beagle for the first time ever. (1:26) I've never seen a dog like this. (1:28) Wow. (1:29) Wow. (1:30) It's an amazing moment in time. (1:34) I've never seen anything like this before. (1:40) Amazing. (1:41) Look at all these dogs. (1:44) Oh, is that the van taking the dogs away? (1:53) The van with the dogs took off? (1:57) We have another round of dogs (1:59) coming out of the facility now. (2:01) Unbelievable. (2:03) In a hail storm, might I add. (2:06) I understand. (2:07) And when you're moving very quickly, (2:09) it gets a little blurry. (2:11) So- (2:11) I can understand that there's so much rain on the lens. (2:14) Oh my gosh. (2:16) This is unbelievable. (2:21) Wow. (2:22) Just absolutely amazing. (2:27) It is never, never... (2:30) I've never seen anything like this.(2:32) I've heard about them. (2:33) I've covered them the day after. (2:35) This is pretty much something in reaction. (2:38) Look at these beagles being rescued (2:40) from a laboratory breeding facility. (2:42) You are watching it here live on Unchained TV. (2:45) This is unbelievable. (2:49) Absolutely extraordinary. (2:50) A rescue in action. (2:53) As somebody said, this is better than an action movie. (2:57) Tears of happiness, somebody else is saying. (3:00) Yay, awesome. (3:03) Let's just watch for a second. (3:12) Look at that. (3:14) Look at all these dogs. (3:17) Amazing. (3:19) Wow. (3:20) Uh-oh. (3:21) We just lost her for a second. (3:23) Oh, here she's back. (3:23) I got her back on. (3:24) Yeah. (3:26) Wow. (3:27) A lot of dogs. (3:28) How many dogs would you estimate? (3:30) I'm gonna guess at least 30.(3:33) We've got more police responding. (3:36) And the police are sort of standing back. (3:39) It doesn't appear that they are (3:43) taking any aggressive action. (3:46) No, it looks like original employees (3:48) slashed tires of one of the vans or someone. (3:51) I don't think it was police. (3:52) But other than that, we have another van, I think, (3:55) getting ready to leave. (3:56) There are, oh, this doesn't look good. (3:59) There are the beagles going into the van right now. (4:02) Check this out. (4:06) That's a police officer taking one of the beagles. (4:10) Get this on film. (4:12) Stop it, stop it. (4:13) We're begging you. (4:18) You want him blowing your head off? (4:23) Who's helping them? (4:25) Who's helping the hostages? (4:28) You're supposed to be helping the hostages. (4:32) You're the problem. (4:37) How are you gonna look the kids in the eyes? (4:41) Well, how rude can you be? (4:43) What is wrong with you? (4:48) You're supposed to return that beagle (4:50) to the laboratory breeding facility. (4:53) No, we can't. (4:55) I'm as mean as proud of you. (5:04) Give him a crack, if he sleeps. (5:06) What is wrong with you? (5:07) Don't you have a heart? (5:10) You don't want to kill me some pasty bacon, right? (5:12) I'll chew some pasty bacon. (5:15) Sir, look at how scared she is. (5:17) Sir, please, please, please! (5:19) He's risking her life! (5:22) Sir! (5:23) How could you do this?(5:26) How could you do this? (5:28) Look at him, he doesn't want to go! (5:30) Leave him alone!(5:31) Leave him alone! (5:33) You wonder why people hate the police! (5:38) Sir, that dog step is on your head! (5:41) Sir! (5:42) Sir! (5:43) These are hostages being held against their will! (5:45) Shame on you! (5:49) There's more happening over here, I'm going to go over here now. (5:53) Alright, so law enforcement grabbed (5:55) one beagle at least, but (5:57) there's plenty of other beagles (6:00) that are getting out, (6:01) getting in. And activists are going back (6:03) for more, Jane. (6:05) The activists are going back for more? (6:07) Yeah, can you see them? Yes, I can see (6:09) them. This is extraordinary, you'd say (6:12) about 30 beagles (6:13) were (6:15) successfully rescued?(6:17) I believe at least. (6:19) Wow, and if you see the people (6:21) in white, those are the team(6:23) that goes in, so they're (6:25) dressed in outfits (6:27) that will prevent any kind of (6:29) contamination. (6:31) And apparently they're going back (6:33) in to rescue more, they've rescued(6:35) 30 so far, we are live in (6:37) Wisconsin. Oh look, Jane, activists are stopping (6:39) original employees! (6:40) Whoa, okay. (6:43) Let's see what happens here. (6:45) Okay, (6:46) original employee... (6:48) Look at this brave activist, Jane, stopping the (6:50) original employee! (6:53) So dramatic, so dramatic. (6:57) And this is all (6:58) happening live in Wisconsin (7:00) at a facility that breeds (7:02) beagles for laboratory (7:04) investigation, experimentation. (7:07) And these (7:08) activists say it's the 21st (7:10) century, we do not need to (7:12) torture beagles in labs (7:14) anymore, there's organs on a (7:16) chick. It looks... (7:17) Is that... (7:19) He's leaving? That employee is leaving? (7:24) Wow. (7:34) What then is that? Tell us what's happening. (7:36) Out of the way, out of the way! (7:38) This is us, this is us! (7:42) Out of the way, out of the way! (7:49) What's happening? (7:54) Tell us, tell us(7:56) what's happening. (7:58) My team, my team! (8:00) Go, go! (8:06) Go! (8:20) Carrier! (8:33) Amy, bring us up to date. (8:36) Here. (8:39) What's happening? (8:44) Amy, what's happening? (8:46) The police are advising that everyone here will be arrested. (8:50) Okay. (8:52) That brown van that took off, was that a van with beagles in it? (8:57) Sorry, Jane, what's that? (8:59) The brown van that just took off, did that have beagles in it? (9:04) Jane, it absolutely had beagles in it. (9:08) Jane, there's a large van here that I believe is a police vehicle. (9:13) Did we get this right? (9:15) So it appears that law enforcement got one beagle, (9:20) but we don't know whether they're returning that beagle to Regiland Farms (9:24) or whether they're taking that beagle in as evidence to their sheriff's headquarters. (9:30) I don't know what happened to the beagle, unfortunately. (9:33) It was put in a law enforcement vehicle and driven away. (9:38) So you had told me that they're going back for more. (9:42) Are they still going back for more? (9:46) That is a good question. (9:47) I don't see everyone here yet. (9:50) I don't think everyone's here yet. (9:51) A vehicle is entering Regiland. (9:53) They are living on, all day long, these puppies. (9:57) We saw puppies on wire caging that we know that they've already been told (10:01) they're not supposed to have because it causes injuries to their feet. (10:07) They're continuing with things that they're not supposed to be doing. (10:12) Can we get a little bit more from Carla? (10:15) Carla, are you available for comment? (10:17) Not right now. (10:18) Not right now. (10:19) We've got to figure out what we're doing. (10:21) We've got to get it up, I guess. (10:22) I mean, they haven't said it's time. (10:23) That was Carla Cabral, one of the lead actors. (10:29) All right. (10:30) Well, what's going to happen? (10:33) What's happening now? (10:34) Jane, it looks like we've got a van down. (10:37) What? (10:39) We've got a van down. (10:40) Oh, no. (10:41) Oh, dear. (10:45) There's dogs in this van, Jane. (10:47) Oh, no. (10:49) So there's dogs in this van, and the van is being blocked on one side? (10:55) Is that it? (10:56) It's being blocked, and the tires are slashed. (10:59) Oh. (10:59) And you said that somebody from the company had slashed the tires. (11:06) That is my understanding. (11:07) I do not believe this was police. (11:09) All right. (11:10) We don't know that. (11:12) We don't know who slashed the tires. (11:14) It could be anybody. (11:15) And we invite the company on any time. (11:18) Oh, boy. (11:20) This is really, it's a nail-biter, because there's animals in that van, (11:28) and now the tires are slashed? (11:30) Do you know if there's animals in that van? (11:32) There's animals in that van, Jane. (11:34) Oh, no. (11:35) It's not good. (11:36) That's not good. (11:38) Oh, dear. (11:42) And so that vehicle driving away is, we don't know. (11:48) OK, here's the police coming out or some kind of security vehicle coming out. (11:52) Because the tires are slashed, that vehicle cannot drive on its rims, I suppose. (12:02) That is correct, Jane. (12:04) Yeah. (12:05) Oh, man. (12:06) This is very agonizing. (12:09) What are your thoughts, Tiffany, while we watch this? (12:12) Oh, I just, I'm so, it's just so, yeah, it's so disappointing that these dogs were so close to freedom,(12:20) and now they slashed the tires so the van can't move with the dogs. (12:24) It's very disappointing. (12:26) I'm very glad, because I don't know why our society. (12:31) OK, so there are dogs in that van. (12:35) You saw that some dogs did get out. (12:38) Some dogs were driven away. (12:41) But a vehicle, a white van with dogs inside, the tires have been slashed, (12:48) and the vehicle is essentially surrounded by law enforcement. (12:53) You're seeing this here. (12:54) It looks like they blocked the entrance, blocked the exit for this white vehicle containing dogs. (13:01) And we don't know what's going to happen to those dogs. (13:04) But you can see that law enforcement is there. (13:08) And it doesn't look good for those dogs getting out at this moment in time. (13:13) But you never know. (13:14) You don't know. (13:15) I don't know. (13:18) Jeez. (13:21) OK. (13:26) OK, so they're trying to move the dogs, apparently, from the van into the car. (13:35) And so you could pack a whole bunch of dogs in a car. (13:39) I've had six dogs in my car at one point. (13:41) And get these. (13:44) And that's what the activists are trying to do is get the dogs out.(13:50) Here we go. (13:52) There's a dog going into. (13:58) Get the dogs out. (14:02) And they're trying to get the dogs out and into that car and then out. (14:11) This is so dramatic. (14:13) Unbelievable. (14:21) All right, there's at least two dogs in that vehicle leaving. (14:25) The dogs are leaving. (14:28) Do we know how many more dogs are still in that white van?(14:33) Yeah. (14:34) You are watching this live. (14:36) This is happening live. (14:37) A Beagle rescue in action in Wisconsin at the site of a massive breeding facility that breeds Beagles for laboratory investigation. (14:51) This facility has agreed to, as part of an agreement with prosecutors who determined that they were committing violations. (15:03) They've agreed to stop selling the Beagles. (15:05) But there's reportedly a couple of thousand Beagles still in there. (15:12) Don't want these Beagles sold. (15:13) Jane's available for comment. (15:15) Yes, Jane, tell us what's happening. (15:17) All right, folks. (15:18) We're on live stream right now, OK? (15:20) With Jane Unchained. (15:21) Jane, is that you?(15:22) Unchained TV, yes. (15:24) Hi, Jane. (15:25) Thank you. (15:26) So we have just rescued some dogs. (15:29) As far as I know, dogs have been loaded into vans, various vehicles. (15:35) They're on their way. (15:37) I don't know where they're going. (15:38) But as far as I know, they're going to safety. (15:40) Police may try to be intercepting them. (15:43) But as far as we know, dogs are in cars.(15:45) They're in motion. (15:47) We here are staying. (15:49) We do not know if we were going to leave this facility or if we're going to stay. (15:56) My best guess is we may be arrested here. (16:00) These folks all, to my understanding, are willing to be arrested. (16:05) Is that correct?(16:06) Yes. (16:07) Awesome. (16:08) These folks have all assisted in the Ridgeland dog rescue today. (16:12) We rescued, does anyone know how many dogs we rescued? (16:16) No. (16:16) We don't. (16:17) Maybe 20 or 15. (16:18) Yeah, so we have numbers, maybe 20 to 15. (16:22) What was happening at Ridgeland? (16:23) And so things moved quickly. (16:27) We were pretty good in moving information. (16:30) We moved as a team. (16:31) It was easy to reach the gates, the fence, pretty quickly. (16:35) Once we entered, many of our teams realized that the doors were harder to access than we realized. (16:42) We believe that they welded the doors shut in preparation for us. (16:46) We realized that there was no security or police meaningfully here to intercept us. (16:54) So we believe that we successfully surprised them. (16:57) They did not know we were coming. (16:58) They didn't know we were coming today. (17:00) They didn't know we were coming this morning, which means that we were able to rescue the dogs (17:04) and move in a relatively calm and organized formation. (17:10) We have multiple teams here. (17:12) Team leads, raise your hand. (17:14) Okay, team leads, Alexandra, do you want to speak? (17:17) I just want to say that we're staying here. (17:20) We're going to get arrested, so we need to be prepared for that. (17:25) All the dogs got out. (17:28) So, there are still dogs in there. (17:34) So, thousands are in there. (17:37) So we're going to stay here because our job is not done until the cops are here. (17:42) Okay? (17:43) Yes. (17:44) And if anybody needs anything, come talk to Carla, me, Dean, Paul. (17:50) Alexandra, say that again. (17:52) What are we doing? (17:53) We're going to stay here until we get arrested because there are still thousands of dogs in at Ridgeland facility. (18:01) Okay? (18:02) I don't like to call it a farm.(18:04) It's a facility. (18:05) It's a factory. (18:07) Animal factory. (18:09) Alexandra, I'm going to nominate you for team lead for all of us. (18:12) Does that sound good? (18:13) Yes, I will be team lead. (18:16) And Carla, because we work together a lot, is going to be my co-lead. (18:20) Okay. (18:22) And Dean, you'll work with us. (18:23) Yeah. (18:24) I'll follow you, co-lead. (18:25) Videographers! (18:26) Take clothes. (18:28) We got all the dogs out that we had. (18:31) Now, it's just up to us. (18:32) We can get them. (18:33) Where are they now? (18:34) We don't know. (18:35) We don't know. (18:36) Stephanie, you're up. (18:37) Stephanie, you're up. (18:38) It's so uncertain. (18:39) Stephanie, let everybody know that the county... (18:44) Do they have a band of tails?(18:46) No, they have said. (18:48) We have a judicial order. (18:49) We have paperwork that shows that they have Dean. (18:53) They have Dean. (18:54) That this place is performing criminal animal cruelty. (18:58) Felony. (18:58) It is on here. (18:59) Felony animal cruelty. (19:02) Yet they allowed them to continue breeding and experimenting. (19:07) What we saw in there, the filth, the stench. (19:12) They needed to get out. (19:15) We got some of them out. (19:16) But as Alexandra said, there are so many more in there. (19:19) So everybody who's watching, anybody who sees this, contact Dane County. (19:23) Let them know that you know what is going on. (19:26) And that they are not doing their jobs. (19:28) That they are allowing this cruelty to continue. (19:31) And we are not going to abide that. (19:34) We're here until they may be. (19:41) Didn't you hear that? (19:42) The activists plan to stay until they are being arrested....
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Shocking USDA Move: Faster Slaughter, Bigger Risks!
03/23/2026
Shocking USDA Move: Faster Slaughter, Bigger Risks!
🎧 Podcast Highlights Heightened Animal Suffering: At accelerated speeds, it becomes nearly impossible to ensure animals are properly stunned. This leads to horrific instances where animals remain conscious as they reach the scalding tanks or the butchering line. Severe Worker Hazards: Employees on the slaughter floor face a dramatic increase in repetitive motion injuries, such as carpal tunnel and musculoskeletal disorders, while the sheer speed of the machinery raises the risk of life-altering accidents. Compromised Food Safety: Faster lines mean less time for inspectors to identify fecal contamination, abscesses, or disease, potentially allowing tainted meat to enter the national food supply. Lack of Enforcement: Critics say this is part of a broader pattern of weakened enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including the USDA’s failure to consistently hold violators accountable COMMENT BELOW NOW before the approaching deadline! TELL THE USDA NOT TO KILL PIGS AND CHICKENS EVEN FASTER: Here's the comment page for the proposed poultry rule: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FSIS-2025-0012-0003 And this is the other proposed rule for pigs: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FSIS-2025-0009-0001 The US government wants the speed up the killing machine making factory farming even more torturous for pigs, chickens and the people whose job it is kill them. Now, In Defense of Animals is one group leading the charge to stop the speed up, along with a team of top flight lawyers from the Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law and Graduate School. Find out how they plan to stop the speed up! The federal government’s controversial plan to kill pigs and chickens even faster by speeding up the slaughterhouse line is a move that critics argue sacrifices both animal welfare and human safety for industrial efficiency and so-called economic benefits. These "high-speed slaughter" rules—recently advanced by the USDA—would allow plants to operate at breakneck paces, often outstripping the ability of inspectors and workers to do their jobs. Here's the comment page for pigs: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant-based, cruelty-free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: Hashtags: #USDA #AnimalWelfare #FoodSafety The USDA Wants to Speed Up Slaughter Lines for Pigs and Chickens! SAY NO! Speaker 1 (0:03) There it is. (0:04) Slaughter. (0:06) Horrible under any circumstances and now the USDA wants to kill even faster with high-speed killing. (0:16) What have we come to? (0:17) We've got a team of experts here to discuss it. (0:20) I want to go straight out to Leah Wilborn of InDefensive Animals. (0:27) For those who don't know, why is this so horrible? Speaker 2 (0:32) Well, first of all, like slaughterhouses aren't terrible hell holes for animals enough already, this new proposed rule is pretty much guaranteed to increase suffering for animals. (0:49) First of all, the animals are who I'm here to defend, first and foremost. (0:56) When slaughter lines are set up, workers, of course, are rushing, they're under pressure, extreme pressure and intimidation from their bosses, mistakes are made, injuries happen, and the first to be harmed are the animals. (1:14) So those in these situations, these animals, oftentimes I watch hours and hours, unfortunately, of slaughterhouse footage in my work in order to do videos for alerts for InDefensive Animals. (1:29) I've seen hours of footage in slaughterhouses without these speeds being sped up already. (1:36) And a lot of the time, these precious individuals are still conscious when they're being slaughtered. (1:45) So these sped up slaughter lines are going to increase their suffering, are going to make it so that workers don't stun properly. (1:55) And even stunning doesn't even guarantee that the animals will be unconscious while they're slaughtered. (2:02) So it's a horror show. Speaker 1 (2:03) It is a horror show. (2:06) And I want to go to Jose Oliva. (2:10) Thank you so much for joining us, sir. (2:12) And you speak up for humans, the people who are forced to kill. (2:20) While, you know, so many Americans run around talking about, oh, peaceful, love animals, and yet they're not coming to terms with the fact that there are people who have to do this day in and day out. (2:33) You're with Heal Food Alliance, and you're the campaigns director. (2:37) Jose, tell us the impact that higher speed killing lines will have on the human beings whose job it is to do the killing. Speaker 3 (2:47) Yeah, first of all, thank you for having me. (2:50) Secondly, yes, the impact on humans is also egregious. (2:57) The conditions in these plants is dire. (3:01) Most of the workers, and just for context, there's a little bit over 27 million food workers in the United States. (3:11) And that includes farm workers all the way up to grocery store and restaurant workers, right? (3:16) So it is the largest workforce in the U.S., and the lowest paid and the one with the worst conditions. (3:25) So in this particular sector, what we're seeing is that for poultry, for instance, or for chickens in particular, the line speed was already over 140 birds a minute. (3:38) So just imagine doing a repetitive motion many times during one second for a 12-hour shift and knowing that if you step away from the line, you're going to get a red mark. (3:55) And after three red marks, you are fired. (3:58) And that means that if you have to use the bathroom, you will get a red mark. (4:04) If you are ill and you have to step away, you will get a red mark. (4:09) So folks have basically started to use diapers, adult diapers on the line so that they don't get the red mark. (4:21) And that's just one example of the many horrendous things that these workers have to do.(4:29) Repetitive motion illnesses like carpal tunnels is so prevalent in the industry that the company doctors don't even recognize that as an illness for the workers in that industry anymore.(4:46) And things like being able to go home and have a peaceful evening after work have become sort of almost a real, people can't do that anymore because they have PTSD from seeing and killing animals all day long. (5:11) So it's just a horrendous industry all around. (5:14) And taking away even the slightest way of protecting workers in it just makes it that much worse for everybody. Speaker 1 (5:25) Tell me once again, how many they're killing now per? Speaker 3 (5:31) In chicken particularly, they all have different line speeds because the animals obviously are different. (5:39) But in chickens, it is 140 birds per minute that are going by the person and the person has to do whatever cut or whatever part of the animal that they're removing. (5:56) They have to do it in less than a second because they are having so many birds flying by, no pun intended, right? (6:04) But that is literally how the industry operates. Speaker 1 (6:10) Wow, thank you for that. (6:12) That, whoa, so, so I almost don't have words. (6:19) What kind of society are we? (6:21) What have we become? (6:23) I'd like to go to Amanda Hill and also Delce. (6:28) You're both with this incredible organization, Vermont Law and Graduate School, Animal Law and Policy Institute at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. (6:41) It is a mouthful, but that's because you're doing incredible work. (6:45) Amanda, just give us the lowdown and then we're going to save the best for last, Delce, after that. Speaker 2 (6:52) Oh, well, in that case, well, let me be quick. (6:55) Well, thank you for having me. (6:56) Thank you for this important discussion. (6:58) What I'd like to add is this is not a new topic, but this is the first time they've given up on really, this particular administration given up on regulating line speeds at all, essentially. (7:11) So, you know, Jose was talking about 140. (7:15) Well, now they're saying 175 and maybe no line speeds when it comes to poultry. (7:20) The same is true with pork products and pigs. (7:24) You know, we, we, we were saying, you know, roughly three seconds or two and a half seconds to inspect a 250 pound hog. (7:34) And now we're looking at, you know, whatever works for the plant and we'll just let the USDA inspectors watch out for us. (7:42) But what I would like to tell your, your audience, Jane, is, you know, our watch, our federal watchdogs are not watching. (7:50) And it's not, it's not because they don't care about the public's health. (7:54) It's not that because they don't care about animal suffering. (7:57) It's because they are impeded from doing their job every day. (8:01) And they are, are calling out for, for help. (8:04) And they're looking for people like us to really move the USDA to do the right thing and start listening to their inspection personnel and start really paying attention to all the externalities that occur when a federal inspection is weakened to the point that it has been. (8:26) We're looking at threats to the workers themselves, which Jose discussed and we talked about. (8:31) Of course, the animals are very much committed to this process, one way or the other. (8:36) But what about the consumers at the end of the day? (8:38) Are they getting cheap and more abundant pork? (8:41) I would say not. (8:42) They're getting potentially very dangerous products that are very much degraded from the wholesomeness that they had once known even just 10 years ago. (8:53) So this isn't a slippery slope. (8:55) This is a, this is a cliff and we're on it. (8:57) And we need people to start attention. Speaker 1 (9:00) All right. (9:02) Wow. (9:03) We're getting comments from people. (9:05) Let's not call these animals, pork, beef, and poultry. (9:08) They're pigs, cows, chickens, turkeys. (9:10) They are individuals. (9:13) Absolutely. (9:13) It's getting worse. (9:15) There are more and more chickens in the UK. (9:16) It's disgusting. (9:17) Go vegan if you're not. (9:19) Nilo Farr says, I have successfully submitted my comments and many in my Signal group have as well. (9:27) Excellent. (9:27) Thank you, Nilo Farr. (9:29) I also submitted my comment right here. (9:34) And, you know, I didn't do it perfectly. (9:38) I made a mistake on one word. (9:41) Instead of billions, I put billion. (9:43) But you know what? (9:44) That's not the point. (9:45) The point is to get a lot of comments in. (9:49) We need to get a lot of comments in. (9:52) So I just want to let everybody know that the two places to comment, one for poultry and one for pigs, we are putting those in the comment section. (10:06) And they're also in the introduction. (10:08) If you do nothing else, comment, comment, comment. (10:13) It's so important. (10:14) I commented. (10:16) We saw Nilo Farr commented. (10:18) We need to get those comments in. (10:21) But even more than that, we need to be strategic about how we are going to fight this. (10:27) So enter stage left, Delci Winders. (10:32) Delci, you are with this incredible organization, Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law and Graduate School. (10:41) You are the director. (10:43) Tell us, what are your plans to stop this? (10:49) Because as much as we'd like to say that comments will stop it, there's got to be more than that. Speaker 4 (10:57) Yeah. (10:58) And unfortunately, this is an issue I've been working on for too many years because industry and the USDA keeps trying to deregulate and speed up slaughter. (11:09) But there's some really incredible coalition work that has been fighting back for years. (11:14) And folks are working together, Jose and Amanda, and many others are working together to make clear the animal welfare, the environmental, the worker safety, the consumer safety impacts of this. (11:32) And so the comment period, you know, of course, in an ideal world, we would persuade the USDA not to do this. (11:40) But I'm a little more cynical than that. (11:42) I've been doing this work for too long. (11:44) So really, this is our opportunity to build a record so that if and almost certainly when the USDA decides to move forward with what it has said it wants to do, we are ready to sue over the rule. (12:00) And we have put all of the evidence about the, I mean, we know from undercover investigations and eyewitness testimony in pilot high-speed slaughterhouses about the animals who are going into scald tanks fully conscious, the downed animals who are having a hook put in their mouth and dragged. (12:18) We have all that evidence. (12:19) So we're getting it in front of the agency so that if and when we need to sue, that will be in front of a judge at the appropriate time. Speaker 1 (12:30) Assuming you are going to sue, do the comments help? Speaker 4 (12:36) Yes, absolutely. (12:37) Comments are hugely helpful. (12:40) The entire legal process is built around the comments. (12:44) And so the agency actually has a obligation to consider and respond to all of the comments that it receives. (12:51) It's much more powerful to submit individualized comments.(12:57) Oftentimes, organizations will send language that you can submit, and that's certainly better than nothing. (13:03) But if you can tailor them, that's even better. (13:06) And that is what the agency has to consider. (13:10) It's not allowed to just ignore information that's in front of us, in front of it, rather. (13:15) And if it does so, then a judge can overturn it. (13:18) And that's exactly what happened a few years ago when they tried to do this exact same thing before. (13:26) And with pig slaughter, they refused to consider the worker safety impacts. (13:32) There was voluminous evidence submitted with comments about the many harms to workers that Jose mentioned. (13:39) And a court said, you failed to consider the impacts on workers. (13:44) Therefore, you cannot speed up the slaughter lines. Speaker 1 (13:48) Wow. (13:49) Well, I think you've really underlined the fact that don't assume because Delcy is going to sue that you don't have to make comments. (14:01) The comments are super important. (14:04) And I want to put them up in various ways because you could take a snapshot right now.(14:12) Anybody who's watching, just grab your phone camera and take a snapshot of this. (14:16) These are the two comment pages. (14:19) We also put these in the comment section if you're watching on social media. (14:25) And if you're watching on the Unchained TV streaming app, they're in the description. (14:31) But the point of this entire exercise is to get people to comment. (14:37) I saw in one of them, there was about a thousand comments. (14:40) We had to get a lot more comments than that. (14:44) Leah Wilborn of InDefensive Animals, I know that you're getting ready to do a massive email blast to your many hundreds of thousands of followers. (14:54) For those who are sitting there watching this saying, this is awful, but oh my gosh, I've got a list of to-dos a mile long. (15:03) I'll put this in the burner. (15:04) What would you do to encourage them to take a snapshot of this and follow through and make comments? (15:13) You know what I did? (15:13) I copied and pasted my comment for the chickens and I put it right into the pigs. (15:17) So you could just write one comment and you could also have AI help you. (15:22) Somebody emailed me and said, I can't think of what to say. (15:25) I'm paralyzed. (15:26) I put it in AI, I said, here's an idea, but why is it so important for people to comment? Speaker 2 (15:34) Yes, absolutely. (15:35) So InDefensive Animals, we are going to be sending out an alert very soon, working on that video right now. (15:42) And we are also in deep solidarity with Animal Outlook, who's also been doing work on this and sending out email blasts. (15:51) Free From Harm is another organization that really challenges those in Congress. (15:56) So when we send out our alerts, this goes to around 200,000 people around the world. (16:04) And these alerts can be shared on social media, of course, and we put in a suggested comment, but people can submit their own personalized comment, which absolutely is usually more effective. (16:19) And also there is another way. (16:21) So I would suggest www.idausa.org slash take action and keep your eyes on that because this alert will be coming soon. (16:34) But I would also recommend these links that Jane has posted, share all over social media, please. (16:41) And also there is a capital switchboard phone number that anyone can call because pressuring our senators and representatives. (16:52) So if you call, now Jane, here's the phone number. (16:56) I only just thought of this before, but we are going to add this to our alert, but it's 202-224-3121. (17:05) That is 202-224-3121. (17:10) You just call that number, you enter your zip code, and it'll put you through to your representatives because it's very, very important that people in Congress are feeling pressured by their constituents because unfortunately the USDA has an inherent conflict of interest. (17:29) They are the agency in charge of supposedly regulating this slaughter industry while also in charge of marketing it and promoting it and funding it. (17:41) So sadly, as our other wonderful guests have pointed out, we can't really rely on them to do the right thing. (17:49) So they have to feel pressure. (17:50) And I also absolutely want to say that of course, in defense of animals, all of us, we are absolutely advocating for the humans in this situation too, because working in slaughterhouses is one of the most, if not the most dangerous job that anyone can do in the country. (18:08) And the majority or many, a large percentage, we don't have the exact numbers, are undocumented immigrants who face intimidation and all kinds of punishments and faced with deportation if they need to go to the bathroom, if they're suffering. (18:32) There was a worker who died last year. (18:35) He fell into a machine of blades and it killed him. (18:41) And he was an undocumented immigrant with a family at home and children. (18:47) So this industry doesn't only not care about animals, it doesn't care about humans either. (18:53) And we need to get real with the public about that. Speaker 1 (18:56) Yeah. (18:57) Let me show you what Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said, that this is bringing our regulations in line with proven real world capabilities. (19:09) When I saw this, I said, oh my God, I mean proven real world capabilities. (19:14) If I have an automatic weapon, my proven real world capability would be to fire it many times. (19:22) Just because you have the capability to do something doesn't mean that you should. (19:28) It's actually a terrifying thought. (19:33) As a woman, it really saddens me that it's a woman who's the Agriculture...
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America’s Hidden Factory Farms EXPOSED
03/03/2026
America’s Hidden Factory Farms EXPOSED
🎧 Podcast Highlights How the DxE factory farm map works Why activists call it a game-changer The controversy surrounding animal agriculture secrecy What this means for animal rights investigations Factory farm investigations take a dramatic turn as America’s Hidden Factory Farms EXPOSED reveals what activists say the public was never meant to see. Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) has launched a powerful new factory farm map that pinpoints industrial animal agriculture operations across the United States. This animal rights investigation shines a spotlight on transparency, whistleblowers, and the scale of factory farming in America. The newly released Direct Action Everywhere map aims to document hidden factory farms, creating what activists call an unprecedented animal agriculture database. By mapping factory farm locations nationwide, DxE argues that communities can finally see what has long operated out of public view. The discussion dives into factory farm transparency, animal cruelty exposé efforts, and the growing movement demanding accountability. Join the Adventure If you care about animal rights, investigative activism, and exposing hidden factory farms, this episode is a must-listen. 🎧 Subscribe, share, and download UnchainedTV. 📢 Help us amplify animal agriculture transparency. Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #FactoryFarms #AnimalRights #DxE TRANSCRIPT: Why DxE's New Factory Farm Map Is a Shocker! (0:12) 80 million animals are trapped in factory farms across California, and now there's a (0:19) way to see what's been hidden. (0:21) For the first time, you can explore every major factory farm in California. (0:25) See where they are, how many animals they confine, the brands they supply, and the pollution (0:31) they cause. (0:32) This data comes from public records, open-source research, and on-the-ground investigations (0:37) connecting the dots the industry wants to keep secret. (0:41) Factory farming drives drought, disease, and destruction. (0:45) But now, anyone can find out who's responsible. (0:48) From Proposition 2 to Proposition 12, California has always led the fight to challenge factory(0:54) farming. (0:54) But it's hard to tackle a problem that you can't see clearly. (0:57) And with Factory Farm Watch, we can finally see the truth and start changing it. (1:03) Explore the map at factoryfarmwatch.org. (1:08) We are so excited at Unshade TV to have two of DXC's leaders in this phase of DXC's development. (1:19) They're known for protests. (1:20) They're known for all sorts of things. (1:22) Now, they are known for this new factory farm map that is extraordinary. (1:29) It is a breakthrough. (1:31) And it is showing, essentially, what's really happening behind the curtain. (1:38) When you think of—and welcome, both of you—when you think of California, you think of beaches, (1:43) you think of the tech industry, you think, of course, more than anything else, of Hollywood. (1:47) Do you think of factory farms? (1:50) But you're pointing out that this state is a massive animal agriculture complex. (1:59) Elmira Tanner, lead organizer for DXC, take it away. (2:02) What was the impetus behind this and what's the importance? (2:06) Yeah, I think you're totally right, Jane. (2:08) I don't think a lot of people think of California as having a ton of factory farms, partly because (2:14) they're hidden in rural parts that are less populated. (2:18) They're not in San Francisco and Los Angeles. (2:21) And also because I think we have this sense that California is more of a progressive state(2:26) with better animal welfare laws. (2:28) And that is true to an extent. (2:30) But doing this research, we see that actually there are well over 1,000 factory farms in (2:36) the state. (2:37) It is the number one dairy-producing state in the country. (2:41) A lot of people might think that's Wisconsin, but no, it's actually California. (2:45) And this project kind of came out of Measure J, really, in Sonoma County, which was an (2:52) attempt to end factory farming in Sonoma County through a ballot measure. (2:57) And while we were working on that campaign, we created a very bare-bones map of the factory (3:03) farms in Sonoma County because we were repeatedly hearing from people in that community that, (3:09) yeah, factory farming is bad, I don't like it, but we don't have it here in Sonoma County. (3:13) So we made this kind of basic map, had it on the campaign websites, and showed people (3:18) like, no, there are farms with hundreds of thousands of birds right down the street from (3:23) you in some cases. (3:25) And when, I think we all know Measure J did not pass, but that kind of led us to understand (3:30) that a lot of people just don't know that this is a problem in their state. (3:35) And after Measure J, we then embarked on the process of making this map statewide, but(3:44) also including way more information about it that I think other maps, you know, there (3:49) are other maps that exist, but this one has a lot of information about not just the specific (3:54) farms, but also how ordinary people might relate to them in the grocery store. (3:59) So you don't pick up an animal product package in a grocery store and see the farm, you see (4:06) the brand name. (4:07) And those brand names tend to have a lot of pretty images and, you know, I'll say just(4:13) straight up lies or deceptions about how those animals are being treated. (4:16) And now you can find that brand name and look at the map and then be like, oh, that looks(4:22) like a giant warehouse. (4:23) I didn't think that that's where this, you know, happy chicken was coming from. (4:27) So that's just kind of the backstory of where this map came from and why we made it. (4:32) And it's been a very long work in progress. (4:35) Well, I know you, Matthew Zirbel, were very involved in the development of this. (4:41) It's extraordinary. (4:43) It really is. (4:44) It blew my mind. (4:45) And we're going to try to go to it live in a second. (4:48) But here's you explaining some of the key aspects of this map. (4:53) It starts off by showing all the facilities that we have listed that have for large mammals (4:59) more than 500 and for birds, chickens and ducks more than 5000, just to make sure that (5:07) we're showing just places that really are the largest, very clearly factory farms. (5:11) And I think one of the clearest things is just when you take a look at where animals (5:18) are, where the density is, zooming in on any facility, this one you can see by the number (5:24) here has 16,000 cows being used for milking. (5:31) And there's a very common thing I hear when I talk to people that, you know, California's(5:37) cows are really, you know, all of their animals are raised on pastures, is an easy idea to (5:44) believe and very direct to dispel by looking here. (5:48) This is where cows live their lives, is these rectangular little feedlots. (5:55) Wow, it's so powerful. (5:57) And I want to congratulate you for just the technical accomplishment. (6:01) Let me ask you, how did you make this happen? (6:04) What is the basis for it? (6:05) It's amazing. (6:07) I mean, you can zoom in and it's like the Google Maps, but focusing on these factory (6:12) farms, busting these myths, but not with just words, with actual video of the facilities. (6:21) Yeah, we have a long history of people who've done direct investigations of factory farms,(6:27) trying to show everybody in California or the world just what conditions can be like (6:34) in factory farms. (6:34) And so there's quite a number of drone shots on the ground investigative footage that we've (6:41) looped into the map. (6:43) And that's a lot of what we've tried to highlight from here. (6:46) But then also just compiling, adding in more data from government databases and from our(6:52) own separate investigation to try and find as accurate as we can get numbers for each(6:58) of the facilities, as well as what brands they sell to. (7:02) So it's been a big effort from investigators, for volunteers, and from just work pulling (7:09) in databases to compile and sort all of that information all together. (7:14) So on a lot of the facilities, you can see very specific investigations that are linked (7:20) there. (7:21) And on a lot of them, you can just see the overall overview of the farms and you can (7:26) look and they're the same from the outside. (7:29) All the places that have been are generally, you know, most of the places that have been (7:34) investigated versus places that don't yet have investigations. (7:38) I'm going to do something a little risky here and go live to the actual map. (7:46) I was playing around with it. (7:48) It is so extraordinary. (7:51) Everybody, you got to go to factoryfarmwatch.org, subscribe on the bottom, which is just putting (7:58) in your email, and then you can go in deeper to look at this. (8:05) Look at this. (8:08) It's absolutely amazing. (8:10) And I am not the tech whiz here. (8:15) So we're going to let Matthew tell us a little bit more about how this works. (8:19) There's all these filters on the left side. (8:22) I assume you can see that these filters on the left side. (8:25) Can you explain these filters? (8:26) It says filter by brand, filter by facility type, filter by number of animals, filter by (8:35) size ranking, build your own filter. (8:38) I mean, it's extraordinary. (8:40) And you can also filter by which factory farms had outbreaks of bird flu. (8:49) Unbelievable. (8:50) Just tell us a little bit more while we're looking at this live. (8:56) Yeah, one of the most vital parts that people want to know is, you know, if they see something (9:01) in the grocery store, where did that really come from? (9:05) And so we have the majority of our facilities are linked up. (9:11) We've been able to find some information about what processors they sell to. (9:17) And then by looking further at that, we can see what brands, the actual brand name that (9:25) shows up in the store, the companies behind those brands sell to. (9:30) And it's often different ones. (9:32) Places will, you know, they'll have some very agriculture or agriculture factory sounding(9:38) name, but they'll have a very friendly human name as the name of the product. (9:42) And it kind of, for most people, envisions one very small facility, you know, a couple (9:50) chickens in a backyard. (9:52) But you can see by filtering through, it's a set of factory farms. (9:59) Well, I'm going to jump in and say I just put in Sonoma County, California, and it immediately(10:06) jumped to that. (10:08) And then I could get a little closer and you can see literally you can get right down to (10:14) the addresses of these facilities. (10:17) So I'm going to just put in, for example, just for fun, Riverside, California. (10:22) Let's see. (10:23) And there we go. (10:25) Riverside. (10:25) Now, let's see what happens when I put enter. (10:29) Boom. (10:30) Wow. (10:31) And there you see to the left, there's a whole bunch of dairy facilities and cattle (10:37) facilities. (10:39) Truly, truly extraordinary. (10:41) A lot of people are asking, when is this going to come to other places? (10:47) I'm going to remove that before I make a mistake because that was pretty, pretty, pretty good (10:54) that I didn't mess it up there. (10:56) But, you know, Elmira, people are wondering when is this coming to their state? (11:03) Well, no promises. (11:04) I know that's a very common question. (11:06) We've already gotten emails from people about different states and even different countries. (11:11) And I'll be honest, this took a year. (11:14) Of course, not full time people working on this, but it was an incredible amount of work (11:19) to do a lot of the brand stuff is where a lot of the work came because that involved, (11:26) in some cases, literally parking outside of a facility and following that truck sometimes (11:33) for hours to see where the animals are going or where the milk is going because they don't (11:39) disclose this publicly a lot of the time. (11:42) And so that's, it's an enormous amount of work. (11:44) And our vision is not that we just put this map out and then like, okay, we put the map(11:49) out and that's great. (11:50) It's actually almost just a step one because it is a launchpad for a lot of campaigning (11:55) to happen. (11:56) People using this map to find places to investigate in their facility, I'm sorry, in their vicinity (12:02) and then also kind of adding more information and being able to show journalists and legislators (12:09) look at the scale of the problem. (12:11) So now that we're, in a sense, done with making the map, and of course, it's going to keep(12:16) getting more stuff added to it, updated, et cetera. (12:20) Now we're ready to start the campaign. (12:22) We're a campaigning organization. (12:24) So I don't, we have no, we have no plans. (12:27) I know that's not the answer that people want to hear, but we do not have any plans of making (12:30) this for any other state. (12:31) Our work is very focused in California here. (12:33) We think that this is the place to make the next big step forward in the fight against (12:38) factory farming for animals. (12:40) That being said, people like Matthew, who are the technical people behind this, are (12:45) happy to talk to folks in their area to provide all the things we used to make maps in your (12:52) state. (12:53) And it is very state dependent in the sense of how difficult it is to get this information. (12:58) My understanding is there are some states that make more information available than(13:02) California. (13:03) So then a lot of it becomes easier to do. (13:07) Also states, like for example, the dairy and the beef industry are actually a lot more (13:12) complicated to get your head around in terms of brand relationships and stuff than more (13:17) vertically integrated industries like poultry industries. (13:21) So it really depends on how much work it might be for your state. (13:24) We don't have any concrete plans right now, but we're happy to help anybody do it. (13:27) And we're not saying no, just not right now. (13:30) Well, Nilofar wants to know, when's it coming to Texas? (13:33) All right, Nilofar, email us, we'll tell you what to do. (13:37) And by the way, Matthew's gonna pull on me. (13:39) I have no idea how the back end of this thing works. (13:42) Well, what's interesting is that you would think, okay, Texas, that's where all the factory(13:47) farms are. (13:48) No, California is the biggest dairy state. (13:53) And you know, people don't believe it. (13:55) In fact, I was talking to a very famous animal activist and he said, no, no, it's Vermont(13:59) or Wisconsin. (14:00) I said, no, double check. (14:02) Let's listen to this and we'll talk about it on the other side. (14:05) California voters have passed some of the, or the strongest animal welfare laws in the(14:10) state. (14:11) So Prop 2, Prop 12, but these never get enforced because they're unenforceable when animal (14:18) cruelty is really built into the backbone of that entire system.(14:22) It's going more into like what factory farming in California actually looks like. (14:27) So we actually are the number one dairy producing state in the entire country, not Wisconsin (14:35) or some of these other places, but we actually produce more dairy than any other state. (14:39) And we have more dairy cows confined across factory farms than any other state. (14:45) One of the reasons why I think this is so powerful is, yes, you're shattering the illusion (14:51) that so many people have said, well, terrible things are happening around the world, but (14:55) not in California. (14:57) We've got Prop 2. (14:58) We've got Prop 12. (15:00) So everything's good. (15:01) And if in fact it's not being enforced, then that just gives consumers a false sense of (15:08) security and a feeling of freedom to go and buy animal products. (15:12) Amira. (15:13) Yeah, I think beyond Prop 2 and Prop 12, I think the biggest issue with enforcement in (15:19) California is California's general animal welfare laws. (15:23) On the books, California has really strong animal welfare laws. (15:26) And I think it's like Prop 2 and Prop 12 are these huge step forwards and also just the(15:32) existing laws in California specifically that's under the Section 597. (15:37) So 597B, for example, says it is a crime to cause unnecessary suffering to animals. (15:43) And that is happening every day on these factory farms. (15:49) But prosecutors have discretion. (15:51) They don't have to prosecute. (15:52) And we see time and time again when we report violations of these laws to sheriff's office, (15:58) district attorney, attorney general, nothing is done other than maybe prosecuting the (16:02) activists. (16:03) And I think... (16:04) Go ahead. (16:05) Go ahead. (16:06) Yeah. (16:07) So I think that's one of the biggest issues here. (16:09) It's this weird contradiction where I think it is true that California is on the forefront. (16:14) We have the best animal welfare laws. (16:16) And that just kind of goes to show like how much further we have to go because what we(16:21) have is the best and it's nowhere near enough. (16:24) And I really encourage people to look at 597A and B, for example, and just see like, wow, (16:31) like these are actually really strong laws.(16:33) California does not have a livestock exemption like some other states does. (16:40) And we need to hold our elected officials, for example, district attorneys and the attorney(16:45) general accountable for actually enforcing these laws. (16:49) And there's a very interesting law in this animal welfare statute. (16:54) It's 597T that says that anybody who's confining an animal must provide them with adequate (17:00) space to exercise. (17:01) And I think in some of these instances, some of the things that we've documented, like(17:06) the veal crates that are still being used in California, just not for veal. (17:11) I don't know how anybody can make an argument that this is adequate space to exercise, especially (17:16) when these animals who are babies are kept in these places for two to three months. (17:20) And we've reported this and a lot of them actually are even smaller than what you're (17:25) showing on the screen. (17:25) This is actually like the luxurious version of what this looks like. (17:30) Most of them or most of them in California do not have the extended bit where the animals (17:36) can even leave the crate. (17:40) And a lot of them, most of them don't have any bedding or straw....
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Inside the Capitol: Activists Confront Senetors
03/03/2026
Inside the Capitol: Activists Confront Senetors
🎧 Podcast Highlights First-hand activist engagement with policymakers at the American Farm Bureau Convention — one of the most influential food-policy events of the year. Why animal rights advocates are broadening their strategy to include legislative action and grassroots pressure, not just protests. The larger social movement pushing for legal recognition of animal rights and fundamental changes in how animals are treated in food systems. In this powerful livestream, animal rights activists confront key members of the U.S. Congress and agricultural leaders about government subsidies for animal agriculture, public health impacts, climate change, and the ethics of factory farming. This high-stakes confrontation brings the debate over animal rights, food policy, and legislative reform into sharp focus — and holds lawmakers accountable in real time. This episode sheds light on the animal rights movement, a social reform effort aiming to end entrenched practices like factory farming and expand legal protections for sentient non-human animals. Join the Conversation: Tune in to hear these confrontations, policy debates, and calls for action that reflect why animal advocacy is increasingly intersecting with politics and public policy. Your voice matters — get involved, share this episode, and help amplify the movement for animal rights and a more just food system. 📻 About Jane Velez-Mitchell Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer, and New York Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers thousands of free documentaries, news programs, and lifestyle shows focused on compassion, sustainability, and justice for animals. 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm TRANSCRIPT: Animal Activists Confront Congressmembers! (0:04) Can we talk? (0:07) Apparently, either not at all or not very much when it comes to talking with (0:14) our representatives, members of Congress, Senators, who are at a major convention(0:22) regarding animal agriculture. There is the guy from Free From Harm who tried to have (0:29) interactions along with his associate Ariana, the two of them really trying to reach Congress (0:38) and talk about animal agriculture. So you had this opportunity at this convention. (0:47) And let's talk about how it went, because these people work for us, hypothetically. (0:55) And you were asking some very specific questions about, hey, why not promote plant-based foods (1:01) for human health? What was the general response you got, Robert? (1:09) Well, you know, from what I could see in the videos, the general response was either, (1:15) hey, we're not partial to animal ag. We support all forms of agriculture. But the reality is, (1:22) is that, you know, animal ag receives, what Cory Booker once said, about 93% (1:31) of the subsidies support that industry, and only 7% go to all the other crops that are grown for (1:38) human consumption. So you tell me, is that equitable? I don't think so. I don't think (1:44) anyone in their right mind would think that that was equitable. The reason why animal ag is such a (1:50) subsidy horde is that it costs a lot of money and resources to raise huge animals and millions of (1:58) them. And they have a lot of disease, and they have a lot of external costs that they can't afford. (2:07) So they, you know, Congress is essentially helping them by using our tax dollars to cover (2:14) a lot of the costs that they want to externalize. (2:19) So you, your team, Free From Harm, went to the American Farm Bureau Convention to essentially (2:27) try to talk to members of Congress. And we've got the clips, we're going to play them for you (2:33) right now, of you really attempting to talk to these members of Congress about animal agriculture. (2:41) Let's see how it goes. We're going to start with (2:45) the person who is the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. (2:51) I just want to ask, do you believe more support is needed for producers of healthy, plant-based (2:55) food? Yeah, I mean, whether it's, I don't discriminate as, personally, as chairman of (3:06) the House Agriculture Committee on the size of farms, or quite frankly, the commodities. (3:13) And so whether it's plants or livestock, it's all important and all has a place(3:19) on the American dinner plate. Right, okay. So why are you advocating for (3:24) billions of our tax dollars to bail out animal ag and the commodity crops? (3:28) We're not bailing anybody out. We're, quite frankly, those folks who grow plants, soybeans, (3:36) corn, specialty crops, and there's over a thousand different specialty crops, which are all plants, (3:42) and not the nearest many livestock. They're all hurting right now. Thank you. (3:55) All right. Well, first of all, we invite the American Farm Bureau Federation, (4:04) any members of Congress, and any members of the agriculture industry on to comment at any time. (4:11) We would love to dialogue with you. But Robert, I got to go back to you. He says here, (4:18) we don't discriminate. We are for any kind of agriculture commodity. (4:25) But that flies in the face of the fact that when you talk about soybeans, (4:31) the overwhelming majority of soybeans produced are fed to farmed animals. A lot of the commodity (4:38) crops that are technically plants, yes, you're producing plants, but they're fed to farmed (4:43) animals. That's right. So, as the head of the Agriculture Committee, he has to know that, (4:50) right? Oh, sure. Yeah. He knows full well what we're getting at. And we've approached him several (4:58) other times on the same issue. And this is the first time we actually got some kind of a response (5:04) out of him, which was kind of shocking to us to begin with. But, I mean, the bottom line is that, (5:11) yeah, the commodity crops that he's talking about, they're used to feed livestock, corn and soybean, (5:19) namely. Alfalfa is another one. But yeah, and only 7% of the overall support from the government (5:29) for plant crops raised for human consumption. It's around 7%. And the numbers just don't lie. (5:38) He knows that. He's legislated that in the past. And that's what's continuing here in this current (5:45) farm bill that they're proposing. So, there should be no confusion over this, right? (5:53) And I think he's obfuscating. And he's trying to say, oh, we support everyone equally. And of (6:00) course, that's not true. Not only is that not true by agriculture sector, it's also not true (6:07) in terms of scale. The larger farms get most of the subsidies. The smaller farms get much less. (6:15) But I have to say, and Arianna, I believe you were the person asking the questions. And I think you (6:21) did a great job. Because with all of the interactions you had with members of Congress, (6:28) you stayed cool. You stayed polite. Nobody can accuse you of being abrasive. (6:32) Um, he actually was the best response in terms of numbers of words uttered. (6:39) So, we're going to get to the ones that did not say a word and just walked away from you.(6:44) But what was your response? What was your gut reaction to this idea that he's saying, oh,(6:52) you know, we don't discriminate. We love plants. We love animal agriculture. We love it all. (6:57) What was your gut reaction to that? Yeah. I did appreciate that he actually (7:02) answered the question. But it's known that we can live healthfully on a plant-based diet. And (7:10) like Robert was saying, majority of these crops being grown are being fed to animals. And you (7:16) just imagine, like, how much land we could save, how much water usage we could prevent a ton of (7:22) animal suffering if we started supporting plant-based farmers. So, in my head, I was like, (7:29) I don't agree with that. But I wanted him to keep talking. So, I was like, yeah. But I 100%, (7:36) I don't agree. So, if you're just joining us, the folks from Free From Harm went to the American (7:43) Farm Bureau Convention here in Southern California, I believe. And basically, they (7:50) tried to confront members of Congress politely and ask them tough questions. We know that, you (7:57) know, the number of animals being killed for food continues to skyrocket. It is in the many, (8:04) many billions. In 2022, it was 75 billion. It's now jumped to something like 85 billion. (8:13) We have a health crisis in this country with two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, (8:18) heart disease a leading killer, skyrocketing colorectal cancer, skyrocketing cases of early (8:25) onset dementia. A lot of that can be traced to diet. We've got a great film on Unchained TV (8:33) called How Not to Die that dives into the connection between eating meat, which is (8:40) packed with cholesterol, which clogs up the arteries, and the connection to meat because (8:47) plants do not produce cholesterol. There's only cholesterol in animal products. So, you've got (8:52) the health issue. You've got the environmental issue. New York Times reported that heavy meat (8:59) eaters can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by switching to a plant-based diet. You've (9:05) got the compassion to animals issue, 75-85. This is just land animals being raised in(9:13) industrialized conditions and killed every year. So, the thing that gets me is that this is the(9:22) most important issue we could discuss. It concerns health. It concerns the environment. It concerns (9:27) ethical issues. And yet, it's almost as if you're being rude to want to talk about it. (9:34) So, let's go to another member of Congress. This one is Senator Boozman. We're going to hear (9:43) this interaction that you had, Ariana, with him. And you can see somebody running interference (9:48) literally blocking the camera. And we invite all of them on. But let's watch this and dissect. (9:55) I shouldn't use the word dissect. Analyze on the other side. (9:59) Do you believe more support is needed for producers of healthy plant-based foods? (10:05) So, do you believe more support is needed for producers of healthy plant-based foods? (10:14) Right on. Okay. Just one more. I'm so sorry. (10:19) Why are you advocating for billions of our tax dollars to (10:22) bail out animal ag and the commodity crops that support animal agriculture? (10:28) No comment, you said? Why is that? (10:33) If your position is to make Americans healthier, why aren't you supporting healthy and sustainable (10:37) plant-based options and food production? Why should taxpayers carry the burden for (10:45) animal ag industry's problems like bird flu, my friend? (10:53) Don't you think that these outbreaks like bird flu and screw worm are an inevitable outcome (10:58) of the extreme conditions under which the industry raises and slaughters billions of animals? (11:04) Wow. So, that was another interesting interaction. I want to go to Ariana. What was your (11:12) gut take on that? At least Representative Thompson did talk to you and answer your questions, (11:23) albeit briefly, but he did give you the respect of answering your question. (11:28) This was just basically the cold shoulder. (11:30) Right. I was kind of, I mean, I was expecting it, but I was also kind of shocked because(11:38) these are people who are supposed to be representing us. And as humans, we're like,(11:43) trying to evolve or hopefully want to evolve. And if I'm just like an everyday person, yes, (11:51) I'm an animal rights activist, but I'm just a person like I am asking very valid questions (11:57) to the people who represent us and use our taxpayer dollars to fund this industry. So, (12:03) I feel like they're very reasonable questions and it's kind of sad that (12:07) we can't even have a conversation with these people who represent us.(12:13) Yeah. And let's go to some of the comments that are coming in about this. First of all, (12:18) love this, says Tiffany. And it takes gumption and guts to do this, to basically speak truth (12:27) or question truth to power. Not an easy thing to do. Raping children, slaughtering factory farm, (12:35) warehousing, this is one and the same for them. These are comments that are coming up. I am not (12:43) filtering them or censoring them. So, this is what people have to say. Nilofar says,(12:48) isn't it interesting how they think they can ignore taxpayers when polite activists approach(12:54) them? Ari, so well-spoken. Karen LaCava says, this administration obviously does not care about (13:02) the health of the American population. They only care about money and power. And basically, (13:07) taxpayers are paying for the animal ag lobbies and this re-election campaign on top of money in (13:13) their own pockets. All right. Well, let's see if there's one more. Here we go. Sloan, thank you. (13:22) These people are morally bankrupt, hence ag gag laws. Hopefully, they will die off some. Well, (13:27) we don't wish that on anybody. I'll jump in and say that, Ariana. Robert, put this in context. (13:36) Tell us about this conference and how important it is and how, basically, the deals are made, (13:44) not in front of the cameras, not when the cameras are rolling or when the legislature, (13:50) state or federal, is in function, but at these kind of get-togethers. Tell us about this. (13:59) Right. Yeah. So, this is the big annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation, which is(14:08) arguably the most important animal ag lobbying front in the country and perhaps even the world. (14:17) It shapes food policy. It has a very heavy hand behind the scenes in shaping the farm bill. (14:26) And the influence of the CEO, Zippy Duvall, cannot be underestimated. He's one of the most (14:32) influential people in our food system that no one's ever heard of. And the fact that they (14:38) can bring in the top brass in Congress, working on farm and food policy, that they fly in from (14:47) D.C. to L.A. just to come in and do their speeches and make their promises, that just tells (14:55) you the power and influence that we're dealing with. So, there were thousands of people at this (15:01) conference, and it was a great opportunity for us at Free From Harm to get in front of them, (15:10) because our simple belief is this. We believe that in a democracy or any kind of representative (15:18) government, that the average working person should be able to access the most powerful people (15:24) making decisions on their behalf. And when we do this, we're showing our supporters, (15:31) we're showing the public that it is possible to access them. And not only is it possible, (15:37) but it's absolutely imperative, because if we want to protect our rights, if we want to protect a (15:43) democracy, we have to do this work. It's not even an option. We have to be out there. We have to be (15:50) in front of them, holding them accountable. All right. We have yet another interaction (15:57) with Ariana, and this one, well, let's just play it. This is Representative Angie Craig, (16:04) who I looked up. She used to be a journalist. So, she knows that whole system of walk and talk, (16:12) asking questions while you're walking. Let's listen to what happened here. (16:15) Hi. Sorry, we're on our way to another thing. Sorry about that. I apologize. (16:20) It's okay. It's just a quick one. Do you believe more support is needed for producers of healthy, (16:25) plant-based foods to mail out animal ads and the commodity somewhere? (16:44) We've got to get to another event really quickly. (16:47) We can walk and talk, right? Yeah, we can walk and talk. (16:49) We have time. If our position is to make Americans healthier, (16:54) why aren't we supporting healthy and sustainable plant-based food production? (16:58) Do you guys want to give me your email so we can... Do you work for an outlet or like a media outlet? (17:04) Independent. Independent. (17:05) Can we have your business card? Yeah, I'm happy to give you my business card (17:09) if you guys want to. We do work with influencers and citizen media. (17:17) Are we here? You can Google it and you can find... (17:24) Is this something like that because we're wanting to speak with her? Is this... (17:28) Yes, so if you wanted to set up a phone interview or even something on Zoom, (17:33) you can reach out. It's just we've had very little time today and she's got places to go. (17:41) I understand. Okay. (17:42) But yeah, so if you let me know just kind of like the who, what, when, where, (17:46) that's how much time you need, what topics you want to cover, what outlet is. (17:53) I use outlet generally. (17:57) So please, if you ever have that meeting, I will, I promise you right now, (18:05) do another podcast with you and find out exactly what happened at that meeting. (18:10) But what is what you would call the strategy here? You see three members of Congress. (18:18) One's talking, but not saying a whole heck of a lot, but you got to give them credit for talking. (18:24) The other one basically says one thing and then rushes off. (18:28) And then the third one won't talk to you at all. (18:34) Well, look, as I said, in a democratic system, we need to hold the most powerful people (18:42) accountable. I don't think anyone would argue with that. And it's a, it's a job. It's not a (18:48) fun job and it's sometimes it's a thankless job. But if you look at other movements, (18:54) you'll see the same kind of strategy where climate activists, (19:01) pharma activists, healthcare for all, where do they go? They go to the CEOs and the top (19:07) leadership in Congress to demand the changes that society needs. And we're basically taking (19:14) that cue from a very tried and tested and accepted strategy that the most powerful people (19:22) need to be in the limelight. We need to make them front and center because consumers, (19:29) yeah, it's important to have consumer outreach, but guess what? These big decisions and deals (19:37) that are being made behind closed doors are made long before consumers have any choices (19:43) when they go into the grocery store, right? Of course. I mean, look, they say, well, (19:49) it's the capitalist system at work. I personally call it corporate socialism. (19:53) The average fast food hamburger would cost $30 or more if it wasn't subsidized by animal (20:00) agriculture, by government, by big government. Everything from rounding up wild horses so that (20:07) the cattle can have public lands to graze, to subsidizing the commodity crops that go into the (20:15) feed for the animals. I mean, there's a gazillion tax breaks and the farm bill is where a lot of it (20:23) happens. And interestingly, they've been sort of dilly dallying on the farm bill now and extending (20:29) it and extending it. So there is this opportunity to have meaningful change in the next farm bill, (20:37) but it's a fait accompli when all these deals are done, again, behind closed doors or at (20:44) conventions...
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You Won't Believe What These 2 Vegan Powerhouses Have Done!
02/12/2026
You Won't Believe What These 2 Vegan Powerhouses Have Done!
🎧 Podcast Highlights The vision behind a new vegan lifestyle app How tech can empower compassionate living Why they believe cruelty-free living is the future Women-led entrepreneurship in the vegan space Turning values into a digital platform for change The power of community: vegan voices uniting How users are discovering plant-based products Behind-the-scenes of building a mission-driven app A call to action for those ready to lead with purpose “We want to bring the plant-based community together and give them tools to live more compassionately.” – App Co-Creator What happens when two dynamic vegan women team up to revolutionize how we live plant-based? You get an empowering conversation about purpose, tech, and community — all wrapped in a cruelty-free mission. This episode reveals the creation of a unique platform designed to uplift, connect, and mobilize compassionate living. “It’s not just an app. It’s a lifestyle shift powered by impact.” – Vegan Influencer & Entrepreneur 🌱 Make Compassion the Default Discover how living cruelty-free could be the most powerful lifestyle shift you ever make. 👩💼 Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: Links: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📺 Rumble / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #CrueltyFreeLiving #VeganTech #PlantBasedApp TRANSCRIPT: You Won't Believe What These 2 Vegan Powerhouses Have Done! 📱 (0:02) Wouldn't you like to be fierce and vegan? I certainly would, and there she is, (0:08) nobody more fierce and vegan than this extraordinary actress, activist, and now entrepreneur. All I can(0:15) say is, I'll have what she's having, right? I would like to be this ripped, and I think everybody(0:23) would like to be ripped, really, when you get down to it. And what's so amazing is that now(0:29) Nina Bergman, the actress, activist, biting her high heels and launching a brand new company, (0:40) and her bestie, Rebecca Mink, has three different companies. So there's a lot going on right now. (0:49) I want to start with Nina Bergman. Tell us what you're doing and why. (0:57) Um, well, you know, I'm Nina Bergman, and I'm a vegan, and been most of my life, and I just(1:05) wanted to do more. And by doing undercover work and showing what happened behind slaughterhouses, (1:12) I didn't really get anywhere. I didn't get where I wanted to be. So I started thinking of other (1:17) ways. And then people kept asking me, how do you stay so fit? How do you, you know, you look so (1:23) healthy, your muscles, your skin, your energy, what do you do? So for a decade, I wrote it all (1:29) down. And I started logging everything. And then I created a 12-step program for anyone. If you're (1:36) vegan, you can become a healthy vegan. If you are living in the Midwest, and you don't even know (1:41) what a vegan is, it's for you. It's a broad program for 12 weeks. And it's all about (1:48) taking it from where you are and improving, you know, even if it's just Meatless Monday, (1:53) and that's all you get out of my program, in my opinion, you're a winner. There's no judgment in (1:57) my program. It's not overwhelming. It's very simple. So that's what it is. And I have an app (2:03) that I created too, a GPT app that I fetched, so you can ask me questions. It's like having me (2:09) in your back pocket, so you can ask me questions throughout the process. For recipes, workout (2:14) programs, what's healthy, how to get more protein, anything that you want. If you're depressed, and (2:20) you need to, you know, up your mood or whatever it is, you can ask the GPT chat called Nina, (2:28) so you can have me in my back pocket. So yeah, I created it to give. I just want to help people. (2:34) This is your website. It is absolutely fantastic. And what I love about it is that (2:41) there's a program. So many people want to get in shape. I mean, look, I struggle with it all the (2:47) time. I wear ankle, wrist, and a heavy jacket. I walk a mile and a half with my dogs every day, (2:56) but you know, it's a struggle. It's a work in progress. It would be great to have (3:02) the kind of support and guidance that you offer. So tell us about this masterclass and how it (3:08) plays out for, what is this, 50, basically 60 bucks a month for a whole new body, mind, and spirit. (3:17) That's a good deal. Yes, I mean, I made it so it's affordable for everyone, or you can purchase the (3:22) whole program for $149, and then you have it for life. And it's just because I was not a healthy (3:30) vegan. I thought I was healthy, but I retained water in my body. My hormones were all over the (3:38) place. You know, I did a Ted talk about it, my story, actually. I just did a Ted talk called (3:42) Vegan Machine that you can check out, and it's like the whole story about how I came about it. (3:47) But I wasn't doing well, and I realized that I had candida in my body. I had heavy metals in my body. (3:53) I had all this stuff. So even though I was vegan, I wasn't healthy, and I was sluggish and tired, (3:58) depressed. And I talk about that in my program. I have a whole chapter dedicated to the stomach, (4:04) because that's our second brain. Our gut is our second brain. So it's all about cleaning out your (4:09) body, cleaning out your gut, and what to clean out your fridge, what to have in your fridge. (4:17) And it's all designed for people who have no money, and someone like me who can't cook. (4:23) I can prepare food, but I can't cook, and I have no time to work out. So what do you do if you have (4:29) no time and no money? So that's what the program is for. So there's no excuse. (4:35) Well, let me say this, and I want to come back to you and get to Rebecca. But you are an actress. (4:43) For those who've been living under a rock, you've been in some of these top films, (4:48) Doom, Annihilation, Hell Hath No Fury, Chief of Station, The Car, Road to Revenge, Assassin X, (4:56) Catacombs. And that obviously helped you when it was time to do a TEDx talk because (5:03) you're used to public speaking. So let's listen to a little bit of your TEDx talk, (5:10) and then we're going to come back to you and really hone in on why you did this TEDx talk, (5:17) and why you've decided with this incredible acting career to also take on this whole new role as (5:24) essentially a vegan health and fitness guru. All right. I'm Nina Bergman, and I'm vegan, (5:30) and I'm here to debunk the myth that vegans are weak and to tell you that anyone who is (5:35) listening right now can be vegan if they choose to. But before we get into this, (5:41) can we just leave all preconceived notions at the door just for the duration of my speech? (5:46) I promise I will refund all of your opinions and your judgments for free. (5:52) All right. What if I told you that vegans stand for vital, enlightened, global advocates, (6:02) nonviolent soldiers? Now, while that sinks in, let me tell you a little bit about myself. (6:10) I was a ballerina at age four, and I trained harder than anyone else. And my dad told me...(6:17) All right. What did your dad tell you? (6:21) That meat equals power. My Russian dad growing up in Denmark. Yeah, because that's what he was (6:27) taught. So that's what I believed in as a little girl. We would break the chicken bones and suck (6:33) out the marrow to become strong. I didn't know that being strong meant eating what the strongest (6:40) animals on the planet eat, which is greens, veggies. So I have to ask you, when did you (6:48) split from your dad's philosophy and come into your own? And how did you discover that, (6:55) like a lot of dads, he was wrong? Well, I talk about it to him in my TED Talk. He took me fishing (7:02) and he asked me... We caught a fish and he asked me to kill the fish, to beat it to death. That's (7:08) how we killed them. And it was completely unnatural to me. And all I could do was pick it up (7:13) and put it back in the water. It's not natural to want to kill. It's something that we had taught. (7:22) And I put that together at age six or seven. I was like, oh, wow, I don't want to kill animals.(7:28) I want to save them. Well, let me say the proof is in the pudding. And darling, you look marvelous. (7:36) That's all I can say. And like I said, I want what she's having. Now, let's move on to the (7:42) extraordinary Rebecca Mink. Again, this was one of the toughest podcasts because I'm like, (7:49) they're doing so much. What do I talk about now? So, Rebecca, you are a famed entrepreneur who (7:57) really broke new ground when you debuted your vegan shoes. And let's revisit history (8:06) to see what you're doing now to take those vegan shoes and combine it with another extraordinary (8:12) new company. I'm Rebecca Mink and I am the founder and designer of Mink Shoes. (8:22) Every pair of Mink Shoes has a personality of its own. And since 2004, they have adorned the feet (8:27) of the most famous women in the world. So what does it mean to have a vegan shoe? It doesn't (8:31) mean that they're just not made of leather. It means that every step in the process is (8:36) completely cruelty free and it's completely free of any animal product. And it's all made from (8:41) rubber plant materials. Non-animal glues actually outlast animal glues. They crack less, they work (8:46) better with water. And it turns out we've created something very special. All Mink Shoes are named (8:52) after animals. The reason that I name every shoe after an animal is because of my love for them. (8:58) Rebecca fills a void for something that is very unique, very stylish, very pretty and very well (9:05) made. One picks up the shoe doesn't even know that it's not leather. It's so spectacular. Rebecca (9:11) Mink succeeded in creating the first collection of Mink Shoes, which premiered in 2004. A lot of (9:17) people didn't understand the concept of vegan shoes or cruelty free shoes. Why would it matter (9:22) if a shoe was made out of leather or not? But now the idea of a cruelty free shoe, a gorgeous shoe (9:29) that is not made of animal byproducts is pretty mainstream and Rebecca was at the forefront of that. (9:36) You were a pioneer, Rebecca. I remember meeting you when you first launched (9:41) Mink Shoes and it was a sensation. Tell us, how's Mink Shoes doing? (9:48) Incredible. It's been such a journey. I mean, I started my journey at four years old when (9:54) I was at a birthday party and a little boy told me hot dogs were made from dogs. (9:59) And then I just wanted to figure out what everything was that I was eating. And then I (10:05) became a stylist to celebrities and then I started this Mink Shoes, which is the first luxury vegan(10:11) shoes created 26 years ago. A really long time ago when people did not know what I was doing. (10:17) So now I've developed a new invention, which is Plyd, the plant leather company. (10:24) And we are creating plant leather that's made from upcycled fruit and vegetable waste. It's (10:29) regenerative, it's circular, and it's actually using the actual looking at the polymers in each (10:38) fruit and vegetable way so we can use all plants and we can create a leather that is scalable(10:45) in existing plastic leather factories. So we are excited to be launching Plyd, the plant leather (10:52) company in 2026 with my co-founder Ahmed Rahim and we are so thrilled to be moving into a direction (11:00) of doing something so big. People don't realize how large the leather industry is. And then another (11:08) thing people don't realize is how difficult it is to make something that is actually able to go (11:14) through industrial production. So we are finishing our R&D, closing up some funding and (11:22) getting some incredible investors on board if anyone's interested. And we are excited to move (11:27) to the next level and revolutionize the leather industry, which is, you know, shoes have been (11:34) incredible mission for me to really shift the paradigm of the way people think. So they don't (11:40) think that gorgeous shoes have to be leather, but now Plyd, the plant leather company, is really (11:48) moving the needle because we also will be putting this within automotive, we'll be putting this(11:53) within all different fashion industries, leather goods, bags, belts, wallets, and also furniture,(12:01) and the list goes on, sport. So we're excited to really regenerate what's happening in that (12:08) leather industry. So lots, lots going on there in the tanneries and the carbon footprint of the (12:16) emissions from the cows, and so much more that's unnecessary. I've always wondered why people (12:24) haven't evolved beyond equating leather with luxury. It seems so 19th century to me. (12:32) Now we know that fur is dead in the sense of being a fashion accessory. All the big labels have (12:41) abandoned fur. Rodeo Drive, which used to be just a giant fur bazaar, has now pretty much almost (12:48) eliminated fur with maybe one or two exceptions. But the big shift would be if we completely(12:58) abandoned leather for what's called vegan leather. It is now popping up in cars and it is being (13:06) equated with sort of a modern chic ethic. Can you tell us a little bit about that evolution, how (13:16) you're interacting with designers and manufacturers and brands to convince them that the really hip, (13:24) cool, new luxury is compassionate vegan leather? First, I have to say that the replacement for (13:34) leather has been plastic. So that has been the biggest issue. And that was an issue for me, (13:40) making a luxury shoe. I wanted the whole shoe to be sustainable. So really using plastic and (13:48) all that's come out has a lot of plastic in it. So it might be not strong enough if it's not plastic (13:56) without lining it with plastic to make shoes because there's a heavy amount of pressure and (14:01) torque and heat that has to be able to sustain. So number one is that they've been plastic. So (14:09) that's where Plaid is changing the game, making something that feels natural, feels like leather, (14:14) doesn't feel like plastic, something scalable, something that uses all different plants. So (14:20) never going to run out of our inputs for the production of it. So it's exciting to think about (14:28) actually creating something that's adoptable by these brands. And I can tell you as a luxury brand (14:33) creating mink shoes, I would look at what was out there and I shredded my competition. (14:39) So there really hasn't been anything that a high-end brand would really design a collection (14:46) around. And for example, I have an idea to create a collection that's a yellow crocodile with lemons (14:54) from Sicily, for example, making a story, making something very unique, just like what they've been (15:00) doing with leather for so many years. They really want something more than just another plastic (15:07) leather. Wow, this is extraordinary. It's beautiful. So many colors. And I think the idea that (15:15) fruit can become leather is such a breakthrough concept. Are there any particular fruits? I mean, (15:24) I would think that for example, like a cantaloupe would be a little tougher than a strawberry, but (15:29) what do I know? Well, it's interesting because we find a, when we look at the polymers, all of the (15:35) different fruits have a skin. So it's almost like as if a human skin or a cow skin. So it protects, (15:43) it's durable. And some of them are actually extremely waterproof. Some are more durable (15:49) and some, even if they don't have the durability coming through, they add thickness or, so we've (15:55) tested a multitude of different things. We've even tested bay leaves and roses and left the smell in. (16:01) But of course, when we do cabbage, we take the smell out. So it's fun to think about leaving in (16:07) lavender or doing some fun things like that in the future, because the plants coming through (16:13) is a whole nother layer of what we're doing that we're just starting to explore. So it's, (16:19) it's an exciting time. And you know, the bottom line is we do not need animals to create products (16:26) that are leather-like. We just needed somebody to work as hard as I am to get through the R&D (16:33) and get to the other side of this, where we're creating something very new and it's never been (16:38) done before. And if you're just joining us, we are talking to two incredible powerhouse women,(16:44) actress, activist, Nina Bergman, with her new Fierce and Vegan cutting-edge GPT-enabled(16:53) fitness program, and Rebecca Mink of Mink Shoes, now launching into vegan leathers using fruit. (17:02) Nina, you are in the Hollywood crowd because you're an actress, you go to these events,(17:09) the red carpet events. Where is Hollywood when it comes to switching to compassionate fashion? (17:16) I personally have attended protests. There have been years where some so-called star wears fur (17:24) at a big event that's televised, and we've protested that. But it really seems that fur is (17:31) an embarrassment to be caught in at this point, culturally. Where are we with leather? (17:40) We're not there yet with leather. The connection, I feel like, haven't been made. I too was with the (17:47) early fur campaigns, Lash Ends for Animals, and every Friday when they were doing them. But (17:52) leather is, we are not there yet. And I think my philosophy on it is, someone like me (18:02) that wants to wear something cool, hip, edgy, funky, whatever, high-end, at these kind of events, (18:12) it's hard to find. Where now, it is so much easier, and that's why I'm so excited for Rebecca (18:20) to start creating again, because she was one of the first vegan designers that I worked for (18:27) as a model, fully vegan designers that I worked for. That's how we met, I was a model for her (18:34) shoes. And I was just blown away by her style and the cool, edgy stuff that she was doing. (18:42) And the quality, a lot of vegan quality doesn't last very long. You buy it and then (18:49) it falls apart. But with someone like Rebecca, I just wanted to show you something. (18:56) I have something right here, one of Rebecca's things that I got many years ago that I (19:01) still have. There's Rebecca's shoes. I would wear those to the red carpet, I've worn them many times. (19:07) But I wanted to show you, many, many years ago, I got this. This is a vegan wallet. Look, make. I have (19:15) had this thing for God knows how long. It's cool, it's classy, it's edgy, it's high-end.(19:21) It's a little worn because I've had it for, I don't even want to know how long I've had it for. (19:27) I think that's the biggest...
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The Dog Food Revolution You’re Not Supposed to Know
02/12/2026
The Dog Food Revolution You’re Not Supposed to Know
“We spent a year formulating a food that is truly complete, truly balanced, truly vet-approved, and 100% plant-based.” – Virtuous Vittles Founder Discover how your dog can thrive on a plant-based diet, straight from the experts behind Virtuous Vittles. This is not just another dog food brand—it's a mission-driven movement powered by science, compassion, and nutrition. “We are AAFCO-compliant and go above and beyond the standards.” – Virtuous Vittles Founder 🎧 Podcast Highlights The truth about meat in commercial dog foods Why plant-based dog food is not only possible—but optimal Backed by veterinary nutritionists and scientific studies Virtuous Vittles’ unique approach to whole food ingredients How this brand meets AAFCO nutritional standards Debunking myths about vegan diets for dogs The urgent ethical and environmental reasons for switching Dogs as omnivores: the science behind plant-based digestion Behind the scenes of formulating a savory, balanced gravy 🎯 Join the Revolution Give your dog what they truly deserve: health, compassion, and flavor—all in one bowl. 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: 👩💼 Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #VeganDogFood #PlantBasedPets #VirtuousVittles What's Virtuous Vittles? Your Dog Wants You to Know!! (0:06) This is so easy, I love how you can just cut this open, lickety-split, boom, there you (0:17) have it. (0:20) This is their fave, like I said, these fish have 100% plant-based. (0:29) There's my sundae, eating a virtuous vittles, she just loves it, check that out. (0:35) Here's sundae on the right, and Wednesday on the left, chowing down on their virtuous(0:41) vittles, they just love it. (0:43) You can see, they are just, mmm, just look at them eating away. (0:48) Here's my Wednesday, she is eating, loving, there she is gobbling down her virtuous vittles. (1:06) And here is one of your biggest fans, Wednesday Velez Mitchell, who loves virtuous vittles,(1:14) and I have to tell you, my other dog, as you saw, does as well. (1:19) So we're gonna be talking virtuous vittles today, I stumbled upon this product at an (1:25) event where somebody, one of these fabulous co-founders, handed me a box, and I went home (1:31) without much of any expectation, put it in a bowl, and oh my God, my dogs went crazy. (1:38) They, I believe, they think it's meat, but it's not, it's 100% plant-based. (1:44) So we've got the co-founders here today, we're so excited, let's start with Brianna Schweitzer. (1:50) Wow, what makes this product so meaty, and makes the dogs dive in thinking that they're (1:58) actually consuming meat when it's 100% vegan? (2:00) Yeah, well, so we do actually, we're the first and only on the market with a meaty morsels (2:06) and gravy. (2:07) So we make a plant-based meat, and we chop it up, and we put it in a delicious, hearty (2:14) gravy with also a bunch of fresh vegetables. (2:17) And it was developed over the course of collaborating with one of, with my, with Ziggy, my little (2:24) one, we really like looked at what Ziggy loved to eat. (2:29) I watched him carefully with all sorts of different ingredients. (2:32) We also built it foundationally from whole foods, looking at the nutrients in each ingredient (2:38) and how they would contribute to what he really needed. (2:41) And so I think all of those things together just really make it irresistible to them. (2:46) You know, dogs can taste quality. (2:49) Yes, and over the course of the show, we are going to actually open a case and show you (2:55) the little nuggets inside. (2:56) I believe they are made from seitan, which is also known as wheat meat, Brianna, but (3:03) correct me if I'm wrong. (3:04) Yes, it's a, it's a, it's a version of, so vital wheat gluten, which is 90% protein and (3:11) a very, has a really great amino acid profile, very similar to meat. (3:17) We mix that with some pea protein and with yeast proteins in order to get a balanced (3:24) blend. (3:25) So it's like seitan, it's very close, but a little bit different. (3:29) Wow. (3:29) This is so exciting. (3:31) Now, how did you two powerhouse women come together? (3:36) I know you're longtime friends and you have somebody who's really good in the kitchen, (3:40) Brianna, and then you're an attorney and a startup expert. (3:44) Wow. (3:45) My head's exploding. (3:46) Tell me all about it, Elizabeth. (3:49) So Brianna and I have known each other for over 20 years, like almost 25 years. (3:56) And we talk to each other constantly on the phone and she had been working on this for (4:01) some time and it was so exciting. (4:03) She, you know, she just had come up with a formulation and we just started getting together (4:07) and said, you know, we need to get this out. (4:09) So this was like several years ago. (4:11) So we, she actually went and got a canning because we, we figured out what is the most (4:16) sustainable way we can market this and put into a packaging. (4:20) We didn't want to do fresh frozen because, you know, all of the environmental aspects(4:24) of having to keep it cold and frozen and all of that. (4:29) We wanted something that was shelf stable, that was, you know, that was whole foods that (4:33) could seal in all of the delicious nutrients without having to do a lot of processing. (4:39) And so she actually went and got a canning machine and tried it at home. (4:44) And then we sent it out to friends to make sure that that wouldn't affect the taste (4:47) of what, what she'd already come up with. (4:49) And then we were like, let's do this. (4:51) And it took us so long to find a co-manufacturer that had, could do it human grade. (4:55) They could do it with a whole food ingredients that could handle the texture of the meat(5:03) and then still also be able to scale up as we grew. (5:07) So we were, it was a hard work, it's a passion project and we're so excited we've (5:11) gotten here and we just launched. (5:13) All right. (5:14) Well, I gotta tell you, you've got some fans in this audience. (5:18) There it is. (5:18) You can see that it looks meaty and I'm going to also show you one of the number one fans. (5:26) This is my dog, Sunday, my incredible rescue. (5:29) She's very smart, but she's also quite finicky. (5:34) Wednesday, she's just, you know, put it in front of me, but this one is a discerning connoisseur (5:40) and she loves virtuous fiddles. (5:43) Don't you, my dear. (5:44) Okay. (5:44) I'm going to let you run along. (5:46) Now, what I really like about it also is look at this packaging. (5:51) You have sustainability in mind and tell us a little bit about the connection between (5:58) climate change and the consumption of meat by dogs. (6:02) I have heard wild statistics, like if dogs were their own country, they'd be the fifth (6:08) largest meat eating country in the world. (6:10) I don't have independent confirmation, but I know Lisbeth and Brianna. (6:15) Brianna, you have some hard stats on that. (6:17) I think it's very important because people, if you're vegan and you're feeding your dog (6:23) a human's worth amount of meat, you're kind of undercutting yourself and self-sabotaging. (6:29) That's right. (6:30) Yeah. (6:30) So a stat that I didn't even know when we first started is that 25% of the meat proteins (6:35) in this country are consumed by our cats and dogs, which is just a mind-blowing number. (6:41) You're totally right. (6:43) The stat is that a 50-pound dog eats about the same amount of meat per year as the average (6:48) American, and we all know that Americans are extremely heavy meat eaters on average. (6:55) So it's really a striking amount of savings that you can get just from switching. (7:00) Going vegan is, aside from not having children, which is actually the number one thing you can (7:07) do to affect climate change, but which obviously changes one's lives quite a lot. (7:11) The second largest thing you can do is changing from a meat-based diet to a plant-based diet,(7:17) and that goes same for humans as for dogs. (7:20) So it's really, really impactful. (7:22) Just a huge, huge savings. (7:24) I calculated that switching my 10-pound chihuahua, Ziggy, who's also quite picky and was (7:30) inspiration for this, to a plant-based diet from a conventional canned meat-based diet (7:36) saves basically an equivalent of flying around the world per year in CO2 emissions. (7:44) So it's really, really striking. (7:46) Yeah, and I want to say that I've been looking into this. (7:49) It's a fascinating story. (7:51) You can learn all about it by going to virtuousvittles.com. (7:55) Their story, which we're going to dive into more, is on there. (7:59) Also, they've got this bountiful land for dogs sampler pack for $20. (8:06) Now, this is a perfect way to introduce yourself and your dog to this because you're investing (8:12) 20 bucks.(8:14) I got to tell you, I was handed these two packets at a party, and I went home, like (8:20) I said, and I didn't have any expectation, and my dogs gobbled it up, and I was like, (8:24) whoa, and it really is the chunks that are in there plus the sauce. (8:30) It has a meaty flavor. (8:32) I'm joking sort of when I say, don't tell your dogs it's not meat.(8:38) They don't know it's not meat. (8:41) So tell us about, I want to go way back to when you first started this. (8:46) You're a vegan.(8:48) You love animals. (8:49) You're cooking in the kitchen, but you're struggling to get your dog, Ziggy, to eat (8:56) the vegan dog food. (8:59) Pick up the story from there. (9:01) Yes, so I've been plant-based since I was 12, and I one day decided I didn't want to (9:07) eat animals, kill them anymore. (9:08) Within a year, I read Animal Liberation and became vegan. (9:13) So I've even had vegan cats for three years, quite a long time ago. (9:18) It's a very intensive process to do that, and you have to really pay attention to what (9:25) you're feeding them when you home cook their meals. (9:27) So anyway, life got busy. (9:30) We've gone back to conventional food in the house, and then I got my first dog about 10 (9:35) years ago, and I would buy conventional food when I was too busy to cook for him. (9:44) And so about four or five years ago, I just said, okay, this is enough. (9:48) Let's go with a purely plant-based diet, never use the conventional food, and we tried (9:54) everything on the market. (9:55) And he is admittedly a picky chihuahua, very opinionated, and I just struggled with the (10:02) canned foods that were on the market. (10:06) But I would cook an Impossible or a Beyond burger, and he would be all over me, or I'd (10:11) make a delicious homemade meal for him, and he'd be all over it. (10:14) So it wasn't about plant-based. (10:16) It was really that we just thought that it wasn't for his taste buds, at least. (10:21) So that was the genesis, and that's how we started our collaboration with him. (10:26) I don't know if you got the actual package open. (10:29) I'd like to show people. (10:31) I want to show people what's in there, because what happened to me was when I saw it, can (10:39) you open it? (10:40) Yeah, yep. (10:41) Open it, because when I saw it, and I was like, what makes this different? (10:46) And then I really started looking, and there were these little chunks. (10:51) That's what they want, those little chunks. (10:54) Now, there is incredible nutrition. (10:59) I'm going to play a clip from a doctor. (11:02) While you get that ready, I'm going to play a clip from a doctor, Dr. Sarah Dodd, who is (11:07) an expert in plant-based nutrition for dogs.(11:09) She's written numerous published papers on this subject. (11:14) Let's hear what she has to say. (11:15) We actually see there's a number of therapeutic diets that are plant-based that are intended (11:20) to manage a number of conditions. (11:23) So a lot of people recognize skin allergies and some dietary sensitivities that can be (11:30) resolved with switching to a plant-based product or a therapeutic product. (11:35) We also see, for example, conditions like liver disease and in some cases kidney disease(11:40) that can benefit as well from particularly the plant-based proteins and the different (11:47) kind of fatty acid profiles that are available in plant-based diets. (11:50) One of the mantras is nutrients matter, not meat. (11:55) Explain. (11:56) Exactly. (11:57) It's very different when we talk about feeding companion animals. (12:01) In the USA, there is an organization called the Association of American Feed Control Officials, (12:07) and they set the standard for the industry on what sort of nutrient profile we want to (12:13) look for. (12:14) When we're feeding a plant-based diet to dogs, it's really no different from the essential(12:21) nutrient perspective than it is feeding an animal-based diet. (12:24) In fact, if you go and look at the ingredient list on a number of products out there, you'll (12:28) see a lot of the nutrients are already coming from plant-based ingredients or non-animal (12:32) ingredients. (12:34) Feeding a plant-based diet that meets that same essential nutrient profile really doesn't (12:39) have much of a difference. (12:40) The ingredients are different, but the nutrients aren't different. (12:43) It's really focusing on providing that essential nutrition regardless of where the ingredients (12:48) are coming from.(12:50) Wow. (12:50) That was a great explanation. (12:53) We really don't have to be afraid of this. (12:57) It's just like the general public. (13:00) We're not getting the information about the value of plant-based foods, human or animal,(13:05) because mainstream media is controlled by its advertisers. (13:09) Who are the advertisers? (13:10) Big meat, big dairy, big pharma. (13:13) All the positive advantages of plant-based are simply ignored. (13:19) That's why we started Unchained TV. (13:20) I was in the mainstream media for 35 years.(13:23) I've been behind the curtain. (13:25) I know what it's like. (13:26) That's why we really try to show people that plant-based nutrition is a completely valid (13:35) thing. (13:36) Don't listen to all the hysteria because there's a lot of false information out there, (13:41) what I call alternative facts. (13:43) Take it away. (13:44) Show us, Brianna, the actual chunks that make this so salivating for dogs. (13:51) There we go. (13:52) I put some out on a plate. (13:55) There's chunks of veggies in here too, but I'll pull out a little meaty chunk. (14:00) Stick it right in the camera so people can see. (14:02) Let's see if I can see. (14:04) Yeah, that's okay. (14:05) You realize it's a little sloppy, but this is what it is. (14:10) There it is. (14:11) That's the little chunk. (14:13) That is the chunk that the dogs, right?(14:17) What you were saying, and it's human grade. (14:21) I see you- (14:22) Yeah, it's human graded. (14:23) It's pretty good. (14:24) I mean, it's made for a dog's taste buds and flavor profile. (14:29) It's not very salty. (14:30) It's not very spicy, but it really has a rich umami flavor and it's totally safe for you (14:35) to eat. (14:36) It's human grade, made in a human grade facility with human grade ingredients. (14:39) So- (14:40) Yeah. (14:41) And so I'm just wondering how you hit on this jackpot because I know so many people have (14:48) been trying it. (14:49) And you know, listen, I love all the vegan dog food products. (14:54) Like I'm friends with V-Dog and their kibble and their treats. (14:59) My dogs gobble them up. (15:01) And ditto for Wild Earth is incredible. (15:04) Incredible kibble. (15:05) But this is a unique product. (15:07) It's not an either or. (15:08) It's an and. (15:09) Absolutely. (15:10) Okay. (15:10) And that's how I approach it because I feed my dogs V-Dog and I feed them Wild Earth and(15:15) I feed them a Halo and all sorts of other plant-based treats. (15:19) I mean- (15:20) They're spoiled. (15:21) Okay. (15:21) I'm a helicopter dog parent. (15:24) But this is a unique product that is different than every other product on the market because (15:30) it's like taking your dogs to the Four Seasons cuisine wise. (15:36) Thank you. (15:37) We've heard that. (15:38) We've heard that it's elevated dog food. (15:40) So that's a direct quote from one of our customers. (15:45) And yeah, we are like, we are all about variety. (15:48) We're so glad that there's a good number of people in the market already. (15:53) It's, you know, dogs just like us. (15:56) They want variety and to be able to have different textures and flavors in their lives. (16:01) So we love, you know, we're just, we're joining a community and we're happy to be here. (16:06) Yeah. (16:07) And I want to go to some of the comments. (16:09) Now, Nilo Far Asgarian says, I have 400 pounds of rescued dogs distributed in four rescue dogs. (16:16) So she's got four rescues. (16:17) I use natural balance, vegan formula. (16:20) Is your product affordable? (16:23) So let's talk about affordability for a second. (16:26) Yeah. (16:27) Who wants to hit that? (16:30) We could probably add on to it a little bit. (16:32) I can start.(16:33) So we worked hard to try and make this as affordable as possible, (16:38) but I mean, we are going up against 20 subsidized, 25 cents a pound chicken that's on the market. (16:46) And so, you know, we, and we wanted to have a human grade. (16:49) We wanted to have healthy. (16:50) I mean, in the more, I mean, we've gotten as many organic ingredients as we could(16:56) from a price perspective, as many GMO ingredients that we could. (17:00) So we, you know, one box is $7. (17:04) If you get a subscription, you can get that down.(17:08) And then we also have 20% off of the first shipment and all the shipping is free. (17:14) So you've got to keep that in mind. (17:15) We don't add that to your order. (17:18) And then you can also use it for a topper. (17:22) You know, if you don't want to use just all Bert's Bittles or just all wet foods, (17:27) you can use this as a topper on kibble. (17:29) And we think it's a really healthy alternative. (17:31) And anything that you can do to reduce your meat consumption, (17:35) anything you can do to give your dog more wet food (17:38) and whole food ingredients is going to be a plus. (17:41) I want to jump in. (17:43) We got a comment from Melissa Cromwell and we welcome all comments. (17:47) This is not a judgment against your comment, (17:49) but this is what I would call misinformation. (17:51) She says, I thought dogs and cats were meat eaters. (17:54) This diet couldn't be healthy for them. (17:56) Not natural way of thing. (17:59) Now, we had, we...
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Victory! Why Students Have Access to Vegan Milk in Schools Now!
01/30/2026
Victory! Why Students Have Access to Vegan Milk in Schools Now!
“We’re demanding justice. Plant-based milk should be an option, and now it finally is.” – Activist Speaker “Kids can now choose oat, soy, almond, or other plant-based milks in schools, and that’s a huge step toward equity, health, and sustainability.” – Youth Advocate 🎧 Podcast Highlights FDA Confirms Victory: Plant-based milks like oat, almond, and soy can officially use the term “milk” on labels. Dairy Industry Defeated: Lobbyists failed in their attempt to monopolize the word “milk” for dairy-only products. Truth in Labeling: This ruling is a huge step forward in food transparency and consumer choice. Empowering the Plant-Based Movement: Jane celebrates a turning point in the plant-based vs. dairy industry battle. “They lost. We won.” — Jane Velez-Mitchell delivers the powerful message behind this regulatory win. Consumer Awareness: Discussion on how labeling impacts public perception and market trends. No More Censorship: Why this decision matters for the future of marketing plant-based foods. Join the Adventure Celebrate this powerful moment as we spotlight the plant-based movement’s big win in the battle for food justice. After tireless efforts from advocates, schools are now required to offer plant-based milk options — a move that recognizes diverse dietary needs and honors the values of sustainability and compassion. 💥 Hear from students, parents, health experts, and justice leaders who helped make this victory possible. This episode dives into the significance of choice, the role of activism, and what this change means for the future of school lunches. 📣 Don’t miss this inspiring update — a major leap for children’s rights, vegan options, and food justice. 👤 Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #VeganMilkVictory #PlantBasedSchools #FoodJustice TRANSCRIPT: plant-based milk's justice tour! (360p) (0:00) Did you know that nearly half a billion dollars is literally thrown in the trash every single year(0:07) because of a corporate welfare scheme in the national school lunch program? And according (0:11) to USDA data, about one-third of these cartons are thrown away untouched because the kids just (0:18) don't want them. How's that for government waste? That's hardly surprising considering (0:21) one-third of Americans are lactose intolerant just like me. We've got breaking news to bring you (0:27) and it's excellent news for plant-based milks and the people who love them. A huge win for (0:37) plant-based milks. Specifically, parents can now demand that their kids get vegan milk in school. (0:45) This was a huge battle that went on for years and we are talking to the leader in this epic saga to (0:54) get this very basic right that should have been available to all kids from the get-go. Let's go (1:00) straight out to Dotsie Bausch. Give us a backstory, like how did this come about? Oh my gosh, as I was (1:06) going down the route of starting Switch for Good and kind of coming to terms with that we were (1:14) going to focus on one animal food group, it was going to be milk, it was going to be cow's milk, (1:20) and that was from a history of as an athlete having so much cow's milk pushed on myself and (1:25) my teammates and it's made them sick. Once I took my blinders off and realized what was behind (1:31) that cow's milk machine and what happened to the animals, I said no more. I'm not a mother, (1:38) but I have a special hatred for stealing mother's milks to give to other species in any way, (1:44) shape, or form. This idea came to me, we're going to change some of it. We should try to (1:49) change all of it and that really includes ending the cow's milk monopoly that is in schools that (1:56) started in 1945 with the Richard B. Russell Act when schools were segregated. It was only (2:03) white children that were being fed cow's milk and I imagine in the very beginning it was good (2:08) intentions, but 80 years later it's not okay. I called the only person that I know that is a (2:17) powerhouse in Washington and can actually get federal legislation passed and that was Wayne (2:20) Pacelli. It took me like six months to talk him into it because he was like, oh god, no, that'll (2:27) take forever if ever. No, no, no. We had a long series of conversations and we started the journey (2:35) and we started with Representative Troy Carter out of Louisiana. He was as passionate as we were (2:41) about getting this changed. His entire family is lactose intolerant. He hated that this was (2:46) forced on them. That's our man right there and he was just ground floor day one, got other (2:53) representatives on board, senators, and it's been quite the journey. I still can hardly believe it (3:00) to really tell you the truth because you know when anybody that's listening that's working on (3:04) something that's longstanding and takes this amount of time, actually Wayne told me it takes (3:10) an average of seven years to pass federal legislation, so we did it in about four. So (3:16) it's like wow, we're fast. What's next? But anyway, it's really rewarding to see this at the end and (3:24) the thing that excites me the most is yes, we got rid of the doctor's note and yes, children have (3:30) access. It's a free choice just with a parent's note, but what really is exciting that changed (3:36) that really to me ended the cow's milk monopoly in schools is that schools now, per this bill, (3:42) per this legislation, they have the ability, they have the right, and they can choose if they don't (3:51) have to, but they can choose to put plant milk out in the lunch line and it doesn't require any (3:57) child to request it. They just have that right. They can put plant milk out. As you know, the (4:03) fiscal language was embedded into the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act and actually it's the same (4:09) with whole milk. Schools don't have to put whole milk out. They may put whole milk out alongside (4:15) plant milk. So that's, yeah, because I was talking to a friend who's a parent and would like to do (4:23) this and he was confused and was like, well, what if I want oat milk? Can I ask specifically for (4:29) oat milk or can I just ask for plant milk and how would I go about that because I don't think my (4:35) school even knows about that. So I want to break it down for parents who want to take advantage of (4:43) this. They've got a plant-based kid. They've got a kid who's lactose intolerant, which is, (4:48) you know, according to the National Institutes of Health itself, 68% of humans are lactose (4:54) intolerant or experience lactose malabsorption, but of course the devil's in the details. So (5:00) how do we go about it and how can we make sure that this law is enforced? (5:06) Yeah, that's a great question, Jane. I know we're going to kind of go into what we're doing about (5:12) educating the schools so that it can be enforced because (5:16) I learned pretty quickly right after the bill passed, it was like, oh, wait a minute. (5:22) It's not like the government passes a bill in both chambers and then the president signs it and then (5:27) they run around and do a marketing campaign to tell all the schools what their new rights are (5:31) or when any bill passes of any legislation, right? That's not how it works. It then again (5:38) falls on the people who work to pass the bill to educate about what the bill now offers to (5:44) the American people. So we're going to take that into our own hands. But if a parent says, (5:51) okay, I want Johnny to have plant milk, we are still in a situation where it does need to be (5:58) nutritionally equivalent. And I hate that for, you know, words really, you know, because that makes (6:03) the bar cow's milk, but it has to have the same amount of protein. So it has to have that eight (6:07) grams of protein per half pint. So right now that is only soy milk and pea milk. But as you know, (6:16) a lot of the plant milk companies that maybe are doing oat or almond are innovating and they're (6:21) putting more protein into their, like I said, oat milk or almond milk or even cashew milk (6:28) to meet the standards of the national school lunch program. So they're very detailed about (6:34) what needs to be, what nutrients need to be in these milks for the kiddos. So right now it's still (6:40) soy and pea. But if a kid wants that, the parents can ask the school, hey, you have the right. (6:50) They can print out the language to the bill. I know it's not easy to find bills, but you can (6:54) certainly come to Switch for Good and we'll get you all set up. But they can go to the school, (6:59) the principal, the teacher, whoever they want to speak to and say, I really want (7:03) Johnny and his friends to have access. And you now have the right to offer that. But the school has (7:09) to want to offer it, right? It has to put it out on the lunch line. So if it's not out on the lunch (7:14) line, then the school is required by law now to give Johnny the plant milk he wants with just a (7:22) note from parents, not from, doesn't need a note from doctor. I think there should be some kind of (7:27) packet that kids can walk in, parents can walk in or kids and go to the principal and say, (7:33) this is the law here. It is right here. I'm showing it to you and you need to follow the law. (7:39) The reason I mentioned that is in California, it is the law that hospitals provide plant-based (7:46) meals to people who are there. And I've said this many times on the show, (7:51) people will call me all the time. I'm in the hospital. They refuse to provide me a plant-based (7:55) meal. The nurses don't know about it. The people who are delivering the food. So if there's a law (8:02) that is in paper that like maybe a packet, here's the law, you need to follow it. Then I think it's (8:10) going to have more weight because some of these patients have said that the people delivering the (8:14) food are arguing with them saying, no, it's not the law. I don't have to do that. Or, you know, (8:19) you can have a piece of toast with no nothing on it and that's going to satisfy. So it has to be a (8:25) substantial meal. I think it's a very similar situation here in the schools, because just (8:32) looking at it from an administrator standpoint, if somebody comes in and demands this, the first (8:37) thing I would have to do is, well, now I have to go out and buy that. And yeah, I have to buy that. (8:42) Am I going to buy one container or am I going to buy it on a regular subscription basis? So I(8:48) think that there's got to be a way for us to make it easier for schools to get this done (8:55) and maybe have them proactively providing this. Right. I know they have to figure out the demand. (9:02) I mean, you said it perfectly, right? It's like how many people are going to want this if we put(9:07) it out in the lunch line and nobody takes it because nobody knows about it. So I couldn't(9:11) agree more. It's not going to be, you know, done overnight. But I really do feel like we have this (9:16) kind of it's almost like a once in a generation opportunity to kind of reshape the school lunch (9:21) experience by educating them. And we're going on tour because I don't think you can educate (9:28) digitally in this lane as much as you can in person. So we are doing a 10 city tour to schools. (9:40) It's going to be a team of Olympic and professional athletes, and they're going to be leading these. (9:45) We're going to show up in a van. We're going to lead one hour kind of interactive assemblies (9:49) that get kids excited, packed with games and stories and science back lessons about plant (9:54) based nutrition. And we're going to teach the students about the plant milks, what their new (9:58) rights are and the teachers and the principals and the parents, what their new rights are, (10:04) how to build these meals, how to read labels, just getting them to really understand and embrace (10:11) what is now their their new freedom. And we're starting we're going to do the Midwest because (10:17) we we are we are fairly certain that there are a fair amount of California schools and even New (10:22) York schools like coastal schools that have been waiting for this for a while. And so our know(10:28) that it is happening and know their new rights. I mean, I wish we could just do every school in (10:32) the whole country, you know, but that's going to be a little expensive chain. So we're doing (10:37) Kansas City, St. Louis, Mount Vernon, Illinois, Louisville, Bowling Green, Nashville, Memphis. (10:43) Wow. And then come back up Little Rock, Bentonville. Do you literally have this this van (10:48) here? Yes. It's an electric. Yes, we I should I should say yes. Yes, because we are trying to get (11:00) it sponsored. So yay, VW Kansas City. We love you so much. Please say yes. But we do have someone (11:08) that is a donor who I actually live with my husband who has agreed to buy it from us. (11:15) After we know which can't afford to buy to buy electric vehicles. (11:20) Heather Dominic saying come to Indiana. Love, love, love this. (11:25) Yes, yes. And I very much so hope that this is the first of many, right? We're going to do it(11:31) the following fall and the following spring and the fall after that. I mean, it's just (11:36) no one's going to know unless we do it this way. But but we are also looking at doing exactly what (11:43) you suggested, which which I think is really important, like a packet for schools to get (11:48) so that they really because just just with the law alone written, this is exactly what your what (11:53) your new rights are and what you can and can't do what this exactly allows you or doesn't allow you. (11:58) Important because I was trying to explain it to my friend who's a parent and I was like, (12:02) you know what, I can't really explain for you how to do this. So I think that would be incredible. (12:07) And I think it's fantastic that you're going on this justice tour. Now, let me ask you. (12:14) One of the biggest arguments is that the NIH itself on its own website says 68% (12:22) of humans experience lactose malabsorption, and it is higher in communities of color. (12:28) Dr. Milton Mills talks about this. Let's listen and discuss how that might play into it on the other (12:35) side. 70 to 75% of African Americans are lactose intolerant. And I was having African, African (12:46) American patients coming in, telling me, Doc, my irritable bowel is acting up or I've got a spastic (12:52) colon. And I talked to them about their symptoms. And it was fairly clear to me that probably what (12:59) was going on with them wasn't that they actually had spastic colon or irritable bowels. It was that (13:05) they were continuing to include dairy foods in their diet. So I have them go home, do two weeks, (13:11) no dairy, come back and see me. And eight to nine out of 10 times, the problems had cleared up. And (13:18) so what is the reason that these foods are recommended? It's marketing, plain and simple. (13:26) Marketing, plain and simple. We know, for example, that when it comes to the new food pyramid, (13:33) there was huge industry influence on this pyramid, which elevated meats, cheese, and dairy (13:40) to the top left. And it sparked outrage. Is this something when you're working, for example, (13:48) with this congressman, the dietary racism aspect of it that has come into play here? And can that (13:56) be part of the argument as you do your tour? Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I mean, it's so cool (14:03) to see Milton. That was 2018 at the launch of Switch for Good, actually, when he was talking (14:08) about that. And he was really the one that got me, I think, just not only excited, but really amped (14:15) up about fighting the dietary racism aspect of cow's milk. I mean, he's the one that taught me (14:21) everything and the science and showed me how to fight when he started getting me involved in(14:29) fighting for a new dietary guidelines in 2020. I think that it makes me crazy that (14:39) it's not openly talked about and known. I've talked to, at this point, probably thousands, (14:47) almost a thousand people, young, old, middle-aged, wherever they are. And if they're lactose (14:54) intolerant, it's almost as if they've had this secret that they've kept. Or they say, (15:01) I think I am. I mean, I'm really sick, or I'm on the toilet right after, but I love ice cream. Or (15:08) that's what they gave me in school. Or it's almost the same that serves like this hidden hush-hush (15:14) thing that people have that they shouldn't have when you and I both know, and all of your listeners(15:19) know, that it is totally and completely normal. I'm the weird one. I can digest cow's milk if I (15:25) had some right now. I did as an athlete in my early days. I'm lactase persistent. I'm a weird, (15:32) white, Northern European that was drinking cow's milk for probably the longest, my ancestors. (15:39) And I'm genetically mutated. That's weird, right? The people that can't digest milk from any species (15:46) after infancy are totally and completely normal. And this, in the United States, and I'll say (15:53) mostly probably our government is the one that twisted this and made it seem weird or sound weird (16:00) and people feel weird or guilty even if they have lactose intolerance. So it's just been a (16:07) whole education journey, right? Because no one really knew. We're getting a lot of questions. (16:13) Naja Roy Brown says, are these organizations promoting the bill focusing on Black and Brown (16:17) communities? I don't see it. Come to these communities and collaborate with the Black (16:21) Veg Society. You've already got another collaborator. Yes, definitely. No, we had (16:27) early adoption from the Black Veg Society on this bill. We have about 200 organizations that (16:33) signed on to this bill in NAACP. And I'm pretty sure you guys signed on to it early on and were (16:42) behind it. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. I couldn't agree more. And yes, there'll (16:47) be many, many, many, many Black students and Black parents that we will be able to reach and be in (16:54) front of on this tour. And we're beyond excited about that. Yes. One of the amazing things that (16:59) you've done with Switch for Good is show how many athletes have rejected dairy. You're an Olympic (17:05) cyclist, but there are others. Let's go to another one of your incredible videos, which are streaming (17:12) on Shade TV as well, and discuss on the other side. When I gave up dairy, it was the single (17:19) biggest change that I had felt in my body. Unless you're a baby cow, you shouldn't be drinking cow's (17:24) milk. The biggest way that I saw my performance change when I dropped dairy was in my recovery. (17:29) I don't think dairy is a part of an Olympic diet. I was recovering better, and it was a hugely(17:34) transformational shift for me. I started just feeling like a machine....
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Exposed: Shocking Truth Behind New U.S. Food Pyramid
01/19/2026
Exposed: Shocking Truth Behind New U.S. Food Pyramid
UnchainedTV’s The Truth Files, tackles RFK Jr.’s New Food Pyramid—a dramatic reworking of federal nutrition guidance that critics say turns decades of independent science on its head. Released under the Trump administration, the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans are being condemned as adulterated with corporate conflicts of interest and questionable science. The new food pyramid places red meat prominently at the top, abandons clear limits on red meat consumption, promotes higher overall protein intake, and emphasizes full-fat dairy—despite longstanding evidence linking these foods to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. Now, a formal challenge has been filed in Washington. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has submitted a petition to the Offices of Inspector General at both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, calling for the Dietary Guidelines to be withdrawn and reissued. The petition alleges rampant industry influence by the meat and dairy industries and violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which is supposed to ensure federal health recommendations are free from special-interest control. According to the filing, eight of the nine authors of the scientific report underlying the Guidelines received funding or compensation from industry groups including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Dairy Council, the National Pork Board, and major food corporations. Joining us is Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a board-certified cardiologist, and a leading voice in preventive medicine. Dr. Barnard warns that while the new Guidelines acknowledge saturated fat should be limited to no more than 10% of calories, they simultaneously urge Americans to prioritize meat and dairy—two of the largest sources of saturated fat in the American diet. Recent research published in Annals of Internal Medicine once again confirms that saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Barnard calls this influence what he describes as a “cholesterol cartel” that has distorted federal nutrition policy for decades. PCRM has previously sued over conflicts of interest in the 2000 Dietary Guidelines—winning in federal court—and has challenged similar issues in the 2010, 2015, and 2020 guidelines. Also joining us is Chloë Waterman. Senior Program Manager at Friends of the Earth U.S. Friends of the Earth, which has issued a forceful condemnation of RFK Jr.’s New Food Pyramid. FOE warns that rejecting science-based recommendations to shift toward plant-rich diets could fuel higher rates of chronic disease and increase exposure to toxic chemicals concentrated in factory-farmed meat and dairy. This is not just a policy disagreement. It’s a public health reckoning. Tonight, we ask: Are Americans being fed science—or corporate talking points? 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: 🎙️ Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #FoodPyramidScandal #USDATruth #PlantBasedHealth Challenging the New U.S. Food Pyramid! Speaker 2 (0:00) Guidelines are promoting full-fat dairy products and dairy products in general. (0:06) They're promoting meat as well. (0:08) But dairy and meat happen to be the number one and number two sources of saturated fat. (0:13) Many of these reviewers have been paid by Big Beef and Big Dairy, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the National Dairy Council, General Mills, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Pork Board, oh and Nova Nordisk, otherwise known as Big Pharma. (0:28) All of the recommendations in these new dietary guidelines somehow support the inclusion of all of these animal products. Speaker 1 (0:40) There it is, the controversial new food pyramid. (0:45) And we've got some breaking news for you. (0:49) And we're happy to say that Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is petitioning HHS and USDA, Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Agriculture to withdraw the dietary guidelines over the unlawful industry influence. (1:11) We're so excited to have Dr. Neil Barnard of Committee for Responsible, Committee's Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Chloe Waterman, Friends of the Earth with us. (1:21) Thank you so much, both of you for joining us. (1:24) We'll start with Dr. Neil Barnard.(1:27) What is wrong with this new food pyramid and what are you doing to fix it? Speaker 2 (1:32) Two big problems. (1:33) The first is the process by which it came about. (1:36) By law, it's supposed to be transparent. (1:39) People are supposed to know what they're looking at, what evidence is it? (1:43) How did the people choosing it get picked? (1:45) That was all done behind closed doors. (1:48) But apart from the process, the content is really something that food industry, especially the beef and dairy industries, would have written. (1:56) Their fingerprints are all over it. (1:58) It says promote meat, promote dairy products, and it really shows the naivety scientifically, but that's what the food industry wants. (2:07) So we have filed a formal petition with the U.S. government to pull it back and start over. Speaker 1 (2:13) Tell us about this petition. (2:16) It's not a lawsuit. (2:18) Health and Human Services and USDA are being petitioned to withdraw these guidelines. (2:24) How does that differ from a lawsuit and what is it that you're specifically asking for? Speaker 2 (2:30) Okay. (2:30) Well, there is a law called the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act that says when you're pulling together dietary guidelines, you've got to have a transparent process. (2:41) It's got to be based not on some special interest, but on the preponderance of scientific knowledge at that time. (2:49) The committee has to be free of bias. (2:52) But what we found, and as you were describing in the lead up, when you look at the nine people who put this together, the nine supposed scientists, five of them had beef industry and specifically Cattlemen's Beef Association links, and overlapping five had dairy links. (3:10) Three of them were linked to the low-carb industry product. (3:15) And then when you read what they come up with, they said, eat more meat, have more dairy, favor low-carb diets. (3:20) And you're thinking it is the most embarrassingly industry-influenced committee. (3:26) So when I say we're filing a petition, I don't mean we got 200 signatures and mailed it in. (3:31) What I mean is it's a formal legal process where we go to the inspector general at the USDA and said, this does not follow the law. (3:41) We went to the inspector general at HHS saying this is not following the law. (3:45) Now, they have a certain amount of time to get back to us. (3:48) If they don't, we will be in court. (3:50) In other words, that's where the litigation comes in.(3:53) Now, we've been there before. (3:54) Back in the year 2000, the dietary guidelines at that time, 25 years ago, were produced without transparency. (4:03) Nobody knew what they were looking at. (4:05) Six of the 11 committee members had industry ties at that time. (4:10) We sued. (4:11) Now, Jane, the government has a lot of attorneys. (4:16) Back at that time, we had one. (4:18) But it helps if you're right. (4:21) And the judge looked at our attorney and said, you are right.(4:24) These guidelines are not fitting with the law. (4:28) And I have to say, after that, the process got so much better with each succeeding dietary guidelines. (4:33) But we're back to square one. (4:34) And we're going to be back in court if we don't get satisfaction with our petition. Speaker 1 (4:39) Well, amazing work. (4:42) Bless you that you're actually challenging these. (4:44) I want to go to Chloe Waterman of Friends of the Earth US, senior program manager. (4:49) I was really encouraged to see your news release very strongly outlining the reasons why this new food pyramid is a disaster. (5:00) A lot of environmental groups, big ones, don't take a stand on this. (5:05) And I could list them. (5:07) And so I just want to applaud Friends of the Earth for being at the forefront of this issue, because it's also an environmental issue. (5:16) So let me just show a very little bit about the top part is the New York Times editorial, the new food pyramid brought to you by Big Meat. (5:26) And below that is your news release, Friends of the Earth, Trump's dietary guidelines reject science backed advisory committee recommendations for shifts towards plant rich diet. (5:38) So tell us, Chloe Waterman, what are the headlines of your stance on this, Friends of the Earth? (5:46) Well, we completely agree with Dr. Barnard that this pyramid is not been driven by science whatsoever. (5:52) It has been driven by the industry interests of Big Meat and Big Dairy. (5:56) And you see that. (5:57) If we put if our plates looks like the food pyramid and people put that much steak and cheese and whole milk, we would be exacerbating cardiovascular disease.(6:08) We would be exacerbating obesity, hypertension, diabetes. (6:12) This is not what the science backed recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which was that group that was put together in a transparent process and made recommendations for plant forward dietary guidelines. (6:26) And you know what's convenient, Jane, is that the diets that are best for our health are also the diets that are best for our planet.(6:35) So if we eat a predominantly plant forward diet, if we eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, that is good for our health. (6:45) But those are also the foods that emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions that have less water pollution that contribute less to biodiversity loss. (6:54) So the diets that are good for us are good for the planet. (6:58) And this dietary guidelines is a failure on both counts. (7:02) Yeah. (7:02) And Nilo Foroshkarian is saying PCRM is badass. (7:06) You will get them again. (7:08) Here's what I find so confusing about all of this. (7:12) And that is that Robert F. (7:15) Kennedy Jr., who is the mastermind behind this, has changed his tune on factory farming. (7:21) He used to be, as a environmental attorney, very anti-factory farming. (7:29) He went after Smithfield. (7:32) He compared factory farming of animals to terrorism. (7:36) So you're nodding your head. (7:38) Let me go back to you on that, Chloe. (7:40) What happened? (7:43) RFK Jr. has been a complete traitor on the issue of factory farms. (7:47) I think if you talked to him today, he would still say that factory farming is bad. (7:51) And that makes it completely irresponsible to be recommending a carnivore forward of meat and dairy heavy diet, because he knows, as well as the rest of us, that the vast majority of meat and dairy products in the United States are coming from factory farms. (8:07) So when maybe he can afford the higher quality, higher welfare animal products that don't have as many pesticides in them, that don't have the hormones and antibiotics that end up being stored in the fatty tissues of animal products, but most Americans are going to be eating meat from factory farms. (8:25) That's where most of our meat comes from. (8:27) So these guidelines completely contradict his message and a core message of the Make America Healthy Again movement, that factory farming and this really pollution-intensive method that we have of raising animals in this country is OK. (8:42) It's completely contradictory. (8:44) And I just hope that more environmental organizations follow the lead of Friends of the Earth and make the connection between animal agriculture and climate change. (8:55) It is one of the leading drivers, and it is the most ignored aspect of climate change. (9:00) Now, I want to go back to you, Dr. Neal. (9:03) This idea of emphasizing meat and dairy, you see it there on the upper left hand, when Americans already consume more animal products than any other part of the world. (9:19) Americans eat more than 66 pounds of pork per year per capita. (9:26) And of course, heart disease is the leading killer, which comes from clogged arteries that get clogged with cholesterol from animal products to a large degree. (9:36) How is it possible that the simple math of if people are already eating more meat and dairy than they should, adding more on is going to make them sicker, not healthier, not get through to the people who came up with this? (9:49) Or do they just not care? (9:51) Are they that cynical? Speaker 2 (9:53) Well, I think we have to put the blame where it belongs, and that's really on industry. (9:57) The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the dairy industry, their job is to promote their products. (10:03) And that's what they do. (10:04) And they're very successful at it. (10:06) And so they try their best to push it in schools and push it into other federal guidelines and that sort of thing. (10:12) And so if you were a secretary of HHS, Secretary Kennedy or others, they're entitled to have whatever views they want. (10:22) And lay people never have a complete understanding of good nutrition. (10:27) So that's what they need good, unbiased expert advisors for. (10:33) And frankly, I think that the nine people who constituted the panel that pulled together the scientific findings, they really let the government down and they let the American people down. (10:47) Their biases showed through. (10:49) It was not a balanced group. (10:50) And so what really needs to happen is we pull these guidelines back. (10:53) You bring together true experts and a balanced panel of experts who can deliver to RFK, to the administration and to the public the information that they do deserve. (11:07) Let's face it.(11:08) Their families are at risk for disease as well. (11:11) They need good information. (11:12) And I don't think they were well served by the members of this committee. (11:15) That's what needs to change. Speaker 1 (11:17) So people are asking, what can the average person do? (11:20) Well, I can give you one answer. (11:22) Support Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. (11:26) Support Friends of the Earth. (11:28) Sign the petitions that go out against this. (11:32) One of the problems we have here is that we're kind of in uncharted territory where perhaps even if you prove the industry influence, which I don't think would be very hard to prove, it's right there for everyone to see. (11:48) It could just be ignored. (11:50) It's we're sort of in an era of, you know, alternative facts.(11:58) So how do we deal with this? (12:00) How do we and what are the implications, Chloe, for institutions like hospitals, prisons, schools, et cetera? (12:11) Well, that's something that's very concerning about these new dietary guidelines, because most Americans don't follow the dietary guidelines in their own diet. (12:20) They do inform what ends up on our school lunch trays and in other public institutions. (12:25) So school meals, for example, we serve seven billion school meals in the U.S. every year, and the dietary guidelines govern the standards for those school meals and therefore what ends up on the lunch trays of those children. (12:37) That's a different process and a longer process.(12:40) USDA still has to do a rulemaking process and propose new guidelines for the school meals that would align with these dietary guidelines. (12:48) That's going to be a crucial opportunity for scientists and academics that should have been influencing this process that Dr. Barnard is talking about. (12:57) For example, the scientists that are on the dietary guidelines advisory committee to be weighing in and ensuring that the way these guidelines are operationalized does not make our school meals even more meat and dairy heavy than they already are. (13:11) Um, yeah, and everybody is saying thank you for fighting back. (13:17) So we're getting a lot of response on that. (13:19) Now, here is something that I find very bizarre. (13:24) Okay, as Charles Dickens said, it was the best of times. (13:28) It was the worst of times. (13:28) Or maybe he started with it was the worst of times. (13:30) It was the best of times. (13:31) I don't remember. (13:33) But there are also some developments that are positive that, of course, have been completely ignored by mainstream media. (13:41) And let's discuss a couple of them. (13:43) One is that there's this new law called the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which sounds terrible in the sense that it sounds like it's pushing dairy. (13:53) But within that, there is a new rule that says non-dairy beverages can be fed to kids at school without a doctor's note. (14:06) So that's a positive. (14:08) I want to go to Dr. Neil Barnard, because in this upside down world we're living in, you'd think, oh, my God, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. (14:16) Now they're pushing whole milk.(14:18) And this is a disaster. (14:19) But it's also saying that you don't need a doctor's note for soy milk or oat milk or almond milk. (14:27) Take us through this, Dr. Neil, because I think it's hard for people to navigate all of this contradictory developments. Speaker 2 (14:37) Jane, you said it. (14:38) And I want to thank Chloe for her work on this as well. (14:42) When this act was first proposed a long time ago, it was terrible, exactly as you said. (14:49) The whole thing was to put whole milk back into schools so the kids were going to get all the saturated fat and all the calories that had been taken out for a while. (14:57) It was going to be put back. (14:58) That was terrible. (14:59) It was also inevitable. (15:01) There was no way that that act was not going to be passed.(15:04) So we and others worked very hard to get what we could. (15:09) And so the first thing is, just as you said, Jane, right now, as of the signature on this law, which was, I think, yesterday or the day before, it's now law. (15:21) Any school can serve cow's milk. (15:24) They can serve soy milk. (15:26) So a kid comes in, they're 16 years old, and they say, give me the soy milk. (15:30) I'd like vanilla. (15:31) The school can serve it before they couldn't. (15:33) That's a good step. Speaker 1 (15:34) Secondly, we got a little frozen there, but that's OK. (15:41) Go ahead. (15:41) We got you back. (15:46) All right. (15:47) Well, you're hearing about this. (15:50) We all froze for a second. (15:53) I think freezing is part of our new society. (15:56) So we'll get back to Dr. Neal in a second.(15:59) What do you have to say? (16:01) Well, Jane, I think I can finish his thought on this because Friends of the Earth and Physicians Committee worked really closely...
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You Won’t Believe This Epic Vegan Thanksgiving from the 19th Century
01/16/2026
You Won’t Believe This Epic Vegan Thanksgiving from the 19th Century
History was made and rediscovered on November 22nd, 2025! That's when about one hundred guests gathered in Philadelphia for a truly unique celebration — The 1890s Vegan Thanksgiving Gala. This living history banquet transported attendees back to the Golden Age of meatless meals, with ragtime music, mocktails, vintage gowns, and delicious plant-based dishes adapted from original 19th-century vegetarian recipes. Beyond its pageantry, the event was a tribute to the enduring roots of the plant-based movement in America — a philosophy far older than many realize. In this episode of the UnchainedTV Truth Files, host Jane Velez-Mitchell is joined by two powerful voices in the plant-based movement: Seth Tibbott, creator and founder of Tofurky, and Anne Dinshah, CEO of the American Vegan Society. Together, they reflect on the gala and examine the long, rich history of veganism in the U.S., from its early visionaries to its contemporary resurgence. 3 decades ago, Seth Tibbott brought veganism into the cultural mainstream with his launch of Tofurky — a groundbreaking product that forever changed the way Thanksgiving could be celebrated. But, more recently, he was shocked to discover that, way back in the 1890’s, vegetarians were whipping up alternatives to eating actual turkeys. The Chestnut-Eggplant “Turkey” served at the gala paid homage to meatless recipes of that long bygone era, a dish that got rave reviews. In all, almost a dozen chefs joined forces to help veganize and modernize different vegetarian dishes from over a century ago. Anne Dinshah’s connection to this legacy runs deep. Her father, Jay Dinshah, was a foundational figure in the rise of veganism in both America and the world. In 1960, Jay founded the American Vegan Society, which became a beacon for compassionate living, plant-based education, and nonviolent values. His wife, Freya, also played a major role in its growth, spearheading decades of vegan outreach, publishing, food-prep demonstrations, and community-building. Together, Seth and Anne explore the deeper truth: veganism in America is not a fad, but a deeply rooted ethical and cultural movement. From the founding fathers to modern-day galas, this conversation reveals how history and vision continue to shape a more compassionate future. For more information, visit: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: 🎙️ Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm TRANSCRIPT: the 1890's vegan thanksgiving! (240p) (0:00) The 1890s Vegan Thanksgiving Gala. Step back in time, ladies and gents, to the city of Philadelphia, (0:09) where our nation was born in the sound of the Tofurky Rad and learn the amazing history of (0:17) vegetarianism and veganism in the United States from two experts. History came alive at Philly's (0:25) Vegan Thanksgiving Revival Gala on November 22nd, 2025. About 100 guests gathered in Philly (0:33) for a unique celebration, the 1890s Vegan Thanksgiving Gala. This living history banquet (0:41) transported attendees back to the golden age of vegetarianism with ragtime music, (0:47) mocktails, vintage gowns, and delicious plant-based dishes adapted from original 19th century (0:56) vegetarian recipes. Yes, there was a huge vegetarian movement in the United States (1:03) in the 19th century, and that's what you're going to learn all about from two experts, (1:09) one of whom is Seth Pivot, the founder of the one and only Tofurky, the amazing alternative (1:17) to eating an actual turkey. There he is right in the center, Seth Pivot, the founder of Tofurky, (1:24) and Ann Denshaw, the CEO of the American Vegan Society that put this incredible celebration on. (1:32) So Tofurky started in 1995 in the Pacific Northwest where I had been struggling at Thanksgiving to find (1:43) something to eat that was like celebratory and high-protein, center of the table, you know, (1:50) and I saw all these people that were eating Tofurky, including some vegetarians who would (1:56) backslide into eating turkey on Thanksgiving back then, and I wanted to have something that we,(2:04) as vegetarians and vegans, that we could eat. So we invented Tofurky just for that purpose and (2:12) right away it was apparent that this was a big moment, you know, we found a niche that was not (2:20) really fiddled at that point, you know, which was having this food that vegetarians and vegans could (2:27) eat at Thanksgiving. And so I thought, oh man, I've invented sliced bread, this is incredible. (2:35) And then after that first season, I got an email from Bill Shurtleff, who is the author of the book (2:43) of Tempeh, the book of Tofu, and kind of the historian of the soy movement and meat alternative (2:50) movement, and he goes, hey Seth, did you know that in 1895 there were vegetable turkeys? And I was (2:59) like, oh my god, I had no idea. And that idea really struck me, and he sent me an article about (3:07) it, and I read it. And so I was researching that really for the next 20 years or so with Tofurky, (3:16) and then it was last year, in 2024 actually, that I found these recipes for a vegan, well, (3:27) actually it was vegetarianism then, because veganism didn't really start until Donald Watson (3:33) in 1944 coined the word, but it was like news to me that here was these recipes that I found in, (3:44) of all places, the 1900 November issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. And so I thought then, (3:52) wow, wouldn't it be great to taste these? Because I wanted to know what these recipes tasted like,(4:00) and I thought it would be a good living history thing, because people think that vegetarianism, (4:05) veganism only was a family that was born, you know, in the 1960s, but actually vegetarians were (4:16) busy veganizing, vegetarianizing Thanksgiving all the way back in the 1890s. (4:23) Before we get to Ann, you did an incredible presentation at the event, at the gala. By the (4:29) way, we were all in costume. It was super fun. I hope you do it again, Ann, because it was a blast. (4:35) But you gave an incredible speech that was so fun with a PowerPoint, but it also taught everybody, (4:41) including myself, so much about the history of the plant-based movement in America. Let's hear a (4:48) little bit about that, a clip from that incredible speech, and then we'll talk to you on the other (4:52) side. The first mention of vegetable turkeys was in 1869. It was like in Indiana, and it's almost (5:00) like a early National Enquirer article, man finds giant beef and thinks it's turkey. And they (5:09) published an article about it, but in the process they mentioned vegetable turkey in 1869. So that's (5:15) where the term came from, from this beef. In 1886, right here in Philadelphia, was the Vegetarian (5:23) Society of America, who had this magazine, Food, Home, and Garden, and they published all the (5:31) stories that, again, read like a social media post. Like here's one of the posts, Mr. O. (5:36) Charrington Arthur of Oregon writes that after experimenting, he has come to the conclusion he (5:42) is better without butter or any animal products. Here's the first vegetable turkey recipe, which (5:47) is in 1891. This is what we had to go on a lot of times when we were researching these recipes. (5:53) You'll notice that they're in paragraph form. It's not like we have recipes today, where you have (5:59) the ingredients and then the preparation, and this was a recipe that was based on bread. (6:06) Wow. It was just so fascinating. I learned a lot. I want to go to Ann Denshaw, the CEO of the (6:13) American Vegan Society, and we'll talk more about the incredible history of that organization in a (6:18) second. But you were sort of the concert master, the maestro of this entire, very complicated event. (6:28) I'm going to show some of the incredible food that was served there. Tell us how you brought (6:34) this together and all the different chefs that you recruited, top vegan chefs from around (6:40) Philadelphia and the country, Ann. Well, I had the pleasure of being the event coordinator, (6:46) and it was a lot of fun to get to work with amazing chefs. Really, Rachel Klein and Christina Perlow (6:54) put together the food with the help of many other prominent Philadelphia chefs who veganized the (7:01) recipes. I've got to give Seth credit for having the dream of doing this celebration, (7:07) and American Vegan Society, that's a big part of what we do, is we like to throw celebrations (7:13) because we spend a lot of time teaching people what vegan is, how to be vegan, how to be (7:18) successful at being vegan, how to encourage others to be vegan. But sometimes you've got to just stop (7:25) and celebrate, and so that was a big part of what this was about. Yeah, and you're looking at the(7:31) main course. We're going to dive into that in a second. Absolutely delicious. The reviews were (7:38) raves. That was a vegetable turkey on top, and here are the incredible desserts. Now, remember, (7:44) everybody, this is all taken from, essentially inspired by, Good Housekeeping and other (7:54) recipes that were published at the start of the 20th century and the end of the 19th century. (8:01) So I really want to ask you, Seth, for those people who have no clue that, first of all, (8:08) veganism or the idea of a non-violent meatless diet goes back to Pythagoras, (8:14) you know, to the ancient Greeks and to Buddhism. Why is it important to show that (8:23) the plant-based movement has a rich and long history? Yeah, well, you know, we as vegans and (8:32) veganism right now has had some incredible growth. Really, it's a golden age of veganism that we've (8:40) been living in since, I would say, 1995 when the first Tofurky came out. But, you know, (8:48) Beyond an Impossible came so close to the sun, really. They were showing up all over in, you (8:57) know, fast food restaurants and stores and, you know, Tofurky and other products were doing the (9:04) same thing too. So, big meat and big dairy had to respond and this is what they have done, (9:12) you know. They've really tried to villainize plant-based foods with all of this misinformation (9:19) and saying that their products are the ones that you should be eating and that this is just a fad. (9:25) Plant-based food eating was a fad. And to counter that misinformation, I think it's important(9:34) to look at, like you say, that this is a quote-unquote fad, but it's not a fad. It's a (9:41) movement that's been around centuries, really, in the world. And I would say the movement in the (9:49) USA has been around since 1819 when the Bible Christians came over from England with the idea of (9:59) spreading their good news of the plant-based diet into America. So, (10:05) I think it's really important to look at the long history and then you can extrapolate that (10:13) this isn't a fad, but it's something, a diet that'll last on into the future and is strong (10:20) and a great way to live and eat. So, that's why I think it's important to have these kind of living (10:27) history events that underscore that. Yeah. And it was just so much fun. Again, you're seeing (10:33) people in period outfits and the food was based on these 19th century recipes. It was a unique (10:42) event that also had a purpose of showing the history of the vegan movement and the vegetarian (10:49) movement at a time where, as Seth mentions, basically there's a lot of very powerful forces (10:56) that would like to just make veganism disappear. So, I want to go back to you, Ann, and talk about (11:03) the history of the vegan movement in America and the crucial role that your parents played (11:11) in founding your dad, J. Dinshaw, and your mom, Freya, in founding the American Vegan Society, (11:19) helping it take off, helping it go pretty much from a concept that very few people had heard of (11:26) in 1960 to something that is obviously recognized around the world. So, why don't you tell us a (11:35) little bit about the history of your family and how that relates to the vegan movement? (11:45) My father, J. Dinshaw, visited a slaughterhouse because back then you could just knock on the (11:52) door and say, your food is made. And he saw dairy cows get slaughtered in Philadelphia. He went vegan on the spot. (11:59) And so, he decided to devote his life to lecturing, teaching people how to pronounce the word vegan(12:06) and what it really means. So, in 1960, he founded American Vegan Society and he was the president. (12:15) And my mom was actually his pen pal and she joined him in 1960, just a few months (12:21) after he started the organization. And they really traveled together frequently. He would (12:27) give the talks. She would help people learn how to cook vegan. In 1965, she published, (12:35) that's Freya Dinshaw, my mother, she published the very first vegan cookbook in America that used (12:41) the word vegan in the title. And that's what they devoted their lives to. So, when my dad (12:47) passed away in 2000, because he internalized the suffering of billions of animals, (12:52) my mom took over as being president and she just retired last year. And so, now I've decided to (13:01) not be the president. We have someone else being our board president and we created a new role of (13:07) CEO. And so, I like to call that coaching effective organization. (13:12) And there's your incredible family. We learned so much about it by visiting the headquarters. (13:20) There's two headquarters. There's the original headquarters in New Jersey. And then you have a (13:25) Brownstone storefront in Old City, Philadelphia. That's incredible. But what history that you (13:33) brought us. And by the way, we're in the process of doing a documentary series on that. And so, (13:38) we're going to step back in time and really show all the, almost like secrets, secrets revealed (13:46) of the start of the vegan movement in the United States. Just for one example, you, Ann, were born(13:54) as a vegan baby and that was like, ah, everybody was up in arms. And your mother, Freya, wrote an (14:00) article in the American Vegan Society publication to explain like, wow, you can be totally healthy (14:08) on a vegan diet as a baby, as a mother who's pregnant, getting ready to give birth, dispelling (14:17) a lot of these myths that frankly are perpetrated and perpetuated by people who make money off of (14:23) selling formula and trying to convince customers and consumers that they have to consume dairy. (14:32) Yes. Well, I've been vegan my entire life. So, 56 years of veganism as of now. I like to keep (14:40) celebrating my 39th birthday. So, that's all good. But I've got plenty of energy. I've always been (14:47) an athlete. And yeah, back in the day, like in the 70s and 80s, I just didn't really tell people I (14:54) was vegan because the world wasn't really ready to hear it. And I just let people (14:59) like me as a friend because I was growing up. Yeah. And everybody is just loving this concept (15:06) of a vegan gala based on vegetarian recipes from the golden age. And I just only learned in the (15:18) past year that the word vegan was created in 1944. I mean, we have to put this in context. (15:22) We're babies. We're babies here in terms of veganism. Go ahead. (15:31) Yeah. The word vegan was created in England. And ironically, that's also where my mother was from.(15:38) So, she was about three years old when this word was coined and took her correspondence (15:44) with an American to convince her to go fully vegan. But both my parents grew up in vegetarian (15:51) households. And we did our own bit of research in preparation for the gala. And we found out (15:59) that one of my grandparents was actually in America as a vegetarian in the 1890s. And so, (16:07) he would have experienced a vegan or vegetarian, at least, 1890s experience.(16:17) That's amazing. (16:17) Well, let's get back to... Yeah, it's truly amazing, the history. And we all should learn it (16:23) because it gives you strength. And nothing goes straight up. Right now, we're in a little bit of... (16:30) Well, we're on our heels because very powerful institutions want to wipe us off the map. But (16:35) I feel that there could be also a boomerang effect. So, it could end up being a positive.(16:39) So, let's talk about the main course, the vegetable turkey. Again, to recap, (16:48) you, the founder of Tofurky, Seth, thought you had created this incredible product, which you did. (16:53) I've enjoyed it for many, many Thanksgivings and continue to have the Tofurky deli slices and the (17:00) Tofurky plant-based chicken just this week. It's so good. But you were shocked to find out, (17:08) oh my God, they were doing similar things back in the 1890s. So, tell us about how you tried (17:14) to recreate but also modernize the original menu so that they were free of eggs, free of dairy. (17:23) And let's dive into that vegetable turkey with chestnuts that was served at the gala. (17:31) Yeah. So, this recipe was based on chestnuts and eggplant. And the modern Tofurky and Gardein and (17:44) Field Roast, they're all kind of modern textural creations that use vital wheat gluten. And this (17:53) was a whole food recipe that didn't have any of the isolates or concentrates that, well, (18:02) Tofurky doesn't have those, but some of them do, but it didn't have tofu either because tofu was (18:07) just getting a foothold in America at that time. And so, I was attracted to this recipe. I found (18:16) five vegetable turkey recipes and I took them down to a culinary institute on the Oregon coast (18:24) where I teach a class in veganism every year to these young student chefs. And we made up these (18:31) five different recipes. Some were like more like a nut loaf. And then this one really stood out (18:38) because of the eggplant chestnut texture. You know, chestnut trees in 1900 were about a fourth (18:48) of the deciduous trees in America. And then in 1906, a blight came over from Japan and it destroyed (18:57) all of these chestnut trees. So, chestnuts, which were a big part of holiday eating in the 1900s (19:05) and 1890s, really disappeared. But this recipe tested good for us. And then I took it to my old (19:14) friend, Hans Robel, who created the first tofu turkey for us in 1995. And he took the recipe (19:25) and brought it to another level, but he kept the main ingredients the same. And he just tweaked (19:32) them. Like for instance, onions, he caramelized the onions instead of just putting them in the (19:37) roast like the recipe called for. And to make it like more of a flavorful vegetable turkey, he added (19:47) a little bit of nutritional yeast. But those were really about the only things that he changed. So, (19:54) it was a very historical recipe and it was, I felt like, very close to...
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Puppy Justice Wins! -- Beagle Rescuers NOT GUILTY
01/13/2026
Puppy Justice Wins! -- Beagle Rescuers NOT GUILTY
In a stunning and historic development for the global animal rights movement, the defendants in the second Animal Rising beagle rescue trial in Cambridgeshire, England, have been found NOT GUILTY. The verdict marks a dramatic reversal from the first trial connected to the same campaign, where a separate group of activists were convicted—sending shockwaves through advocacy communities worldwide. This case centered on the rescue of beagles from a breeding facility supplying animals for laboratory experimentation. Beagles, known for their gentle temperament and trust in humans, are among the most commonly used dogs in animal testing. For years, campaigners have argued that these facilities operate behind closed doors, shielded from public scrutiny, while animals endure lifelong confinement and suffering. The acquittal is being hailed as a major victory for animal rights, not only because it frees the defendants, but because it sends a powerful signal: juries are increasingly willing to scrutinize the moral and ethical dimensions of laws that criminalize compassion while protecting institutional cruelty. The contrast between the guilty verdicts in the first trial and today’s not-guilty outcome underscores a growing public unease with the criminalization of nonviolent rescue efforts. Now, we are bringing you LIVE analysis and insight from one of the most influential figures in the modern animal rights movement—attorney Wayne Hsiung, founder of Simple Heart and co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere. Wayne is widely regarded as the founder of the Open Rescue movement, a strategy rooted in transparency, nonviolence, and the moral conviction that rescuing suffering animals is not a crime, but a duty. Wayne Hsiung brings a rare and deeply informed perspective to this moment. In the United States, he was convicted and served time in connection with open rescue actions—cases that helped ignite international debate over animal protection laws, whistleblower suppression, and the legitimacy of civil disobedience on behalf of animals. His legal battles have shaped the movement and forced courts, lawmakers, and the public to confront an uncomfortable question: when laws protect cruelty, is breaking them an act of justice? As the world watches the implications of this UK verdict ripple outward, we are honored to speak with Wayne Hsiung LIVE about what this decision means—for the defendants, for future animal rescue actions, and for the rapidly evolving legal and moral landscape of animal rights worldwide. This is not just a court ruling. It is a turning point. For more, visit: 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: 🎙️ Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm TRANSCRIPT: not guilty uk beagle trial (0:00) of England, the Animal Rising Trial. (0:04) And we are live with Wayne Chung, (0:06) who's considered the founder of the Open Rescue Movement, (0:10) talking about this not guilty verdict(0:13) that has just come in. (0:15) There you see the four defendants. (0:18) This is a huge animal rights victory, (0:21) and it concerns basically a series of trials (0:24) which formed the first open rescue trials (0:26) in the United Kingdom. (0:28) This is all happening near Cambridge University. (0:32) You can see they're probably 50 minutes (0:36) or less from London, England. (0:39) The first group of defendants, (0:43) there's so many, 18, that they did several trials. (0:47) The first trial resulted in guilty verdicts, (0:49) but now we're learning that the newest trial, (0:54) the latest trial has resulted in not guilty verdicts. (0:58) Wayne Chung, you were in court. (1:01) Tell us the entire thing. (1:03) I mean, this is huge, huge news (1:05) for the animal rights movement. (1:07) Yeah, Jane, it was a complete rollercoaster (1:09) because frankly, the prosecutor's pretty effective, (1:11) and he made arguments about how the entire society (1:14) was gonna break down, social order would break down, (1:17) that there would be anarchy on the streets (1:19) if the jury quit it. (1:20) He did everything he could (1:22) to paint these people as extremists, (1:24) and frankly, I think the judge was on his side. (1:26) There was a point where the judge indicated to the jury(1:29) that everything MBR did was legal, (1:31) which I thought was biased and just frankly incorrect, (1:34) legally and factually. (1:36) MBR does lots of illegal things. (1:38) MBR is the vivisection facility at issue in this case, (1:41) but the lawyers did just an extraordinary job (1:44) of breaking down the legal arguments (1:45) and arguing effectively (1:47) that the defendants all acted honestly, (1:48) which is one of the elements of a theft charge (1:51) or a burglary charge in the United Kingdom, (1:52) and then the self-representative defendant(1:54) just knocked out of the park. (1:55) There were tears in everyone's eyes (1:56) when he gave his statement, (1:58) and I think the key moment for him (1:59) was when he directly challenged the prosecution's argument (2:03) that the dogs were similar to a can of beans. (2:07) That's literally what the prosecutor said, (2:08) just like you can't steal a can of beans, (2:10) you cannot steal a dog from a vivisection facility, (2:14) and Tom stated very directly, (2:15) I just do not agree with that, (2:17) and I don't think you do either, (2:18) because dogs are not cans of beans. (2:21) They're living beings who deserve love, (2:23) and so many of us said just tears in our eyes(2:25) at the end of his statement, (2:26) and honestly, I felt like (2:27) even though the prosecutor was pretty effective, (2:29) even though the judge was biased against us, (2:31) when I looked at the jury's faces, (2:33) I thought we were gonna win, (2:34) and that's exactly what happened.(2:36) Well, you're looking at video (2:38) of some of the beagles who were rescued. (2:40) There they are. (2:40) You see the feces. (2:41) You see the, just, well, the innocence of these animals. (2:47) Approximately 20 beagles were rescued (2:50) from this breeding facility. (2:52) Two were, you might say, recaptured by authorities, (2:55) and 18 rescuers went on trial.(3:00) This is the first open rescue group of trials (3:04) in the United Kingdom, (3:05) and what's very interesting is that (3:07) the first trial resulted in guilty verdicts, (3:12) and people were devastated. (3:14) The second trial, which just ended, (3:17) resulted in not guilty verdicts, (3:18) so what was the difference between the two cases (3:21) where one is guilty and the other, (3:24) the jury facing, well, the same situation, (3:28) they're dealing with the same rescue, (3:30) finds not guilty? (3:32) Yeah, I think there were two big things, (3:34) and for the record, I was not there at all(3:36) in the first trial, (3:36) and the second trial, I was only there for one day, (3:38) closing argument, (3:38) but I have been very much in touch with the support team, (3:42) some of the lawyers. (3:43) We did a big debrief after the first animal rising trial, (3:46) and I think the first big factor, frankly, (3:48) was the judge just came to his senses a little bit. (3:51) In the first trial, (3:52) the judge literally shouted down some of the defendants, (3:55) and shouted down and cut off one of the attorneys (3:56) during closing argument, (3:58) because they were trying to appeal to people's emotions. (4:00) They were trying to, (4:02) I think the line that actually led to the judge(4:04) shutting down and closing argument (4:05) was one of the attorneys said, (4:07) imagine you had lived for 18 weeks of your life (4:09) in conditions like this, (4:11) and frankly, the defense should have been entitled (4:13) to make that argument, (4:15) but instead, the judge told the jury to leave the room, (4:19) screamed at the attorney, (4:20) threatened him, (4:21) and said, you're not allowed to appeal to emotion at all, (4:23) and which is just not true as a legal matter, (4:25) and more importantly, (4:26) one of the elements of the case is dishonesty, (4:29) and for any of the defense lawyers, (4:31) or the defendants themselves to make the case (4:33) that they were acting honestly on the day of this rescue, (4:35) they had to describe the reason for being there. (4:38) They had to describe their concern (4:39) about the abuses that were being inflicted on the MBR dogs, (4:44) and so my perspective is the judge got this wrong, (4:47) and frankly, the judge may have realized that himself, (4:49) because in this case, (4:50) he gave the defendants a little bit of a longer leash (4:52) in terms of what they're allowed to say (4:54) about the conditions at MBR, (4:56) the experimentation that happened to these beagles, (4:58) and some of the stuff that happens is just evil. (5:00) You know, basically bleeding out these beagles (5:02) to every last drop of blood, (5:04) slowly taking all the blood away for experiments, (5:06) so using this blood for various things, (5:08) and then harvesting all their organs, (5:10) bio-harvesting all their organs for various experiments, (5:12) so just bleeding these dogs out, (5:13) then selling the dog's organs(5:15) to all sorts of experimentation facilities. (5:17) So that's one big factor. (5:18) The judge kind of came to his senses and realized, (5:21) look, I have to give these people(5:22) the right to defend themselves, (5:24) which includes talking about the reasons for being there, (5:26) but the other big factor is I think (5:28) that there was a lot more personal storytelling,(5:30) that in the first case, it was too logical, too rational, (5:33) and you and I know in the persuasion business, (5:36) in the media business, (5:37) in any sort of communications business,(5:39) it's all about emotions and stories, (5:40) and frankly, I think one of the reasons they relied(5:43) on just reasons and abstract arguments in the first trial (5:46) is because the judge was so hardcore (5:47) about not allowing any emotion in the case, (5:50) but in this case, it was extremely interesting. (5:52) The prosecutor said at one point, (5:54) there's no room for sympathy in the courtroom. (5:57) He literally said those words, and I was kind of shocked (5:59) because it's the sort of thing (6:00) that you think of a villain from some movie, (6:03) like an action movie villain would say, (6:04) there's no room for sympathy in this courtroom. (6:06) There's no room for, (6:06) because sympathy is a good emotion. (6:08) It's a good thing for our legal system to have, (6:10) to imagine what it's like to be in someone else's shoes, (6:12) but the defendants themselves did an extraordinary job (6:15) of generating sympathy, (6:17) not like directly appealing to sympathy, (6:19) but just describing why they were there, (6:21) describing how they felt, describing their backgrounds (6:23) in a way that I think really moved the jury (6:25) to very quickly render a verdict of not guilty. (6:27) And I want to say, this is like a record verdict. (6:30) I mean, I've been a lawyer for almost 20 years now. (6:33) Actually, it's over 20 years now.(6:35) I've never seen a verdict come out this fast, (6:37) and it came out this fast (6:38) because the defendants did a good job of storytelling. (6:43) You mentioned something (6:44) that I thought was really interesting, (6:46) that the prosecutor compared these dogs to a can of beans, (6:51) and you, despite being a constitutional law professor (6:56) and the founder or the inspiration (6:59) of the open rescue movement in the United States, (7:03) we are getting some comments, (7:04) and people say, well, somebody was doing it in Australia. (7:06) Absolutely, it's a joint team effort, (7:08) but certainly you've been arrested and served time (7:12) for involving open rescues in the United States. (7:15) And one of the acquittals that you won (7:21) involved a prosecutor using the same argument (7:24) when it came to the rescue of little pigs (7:29) from the Smithfield factory farm. (7:31) Let's hear that prosecutor make that same (7:36) comparing animals to inanimate objects argument in court. (7:41) Analyze for just a moment (7:44) the reasoning being demonstrated here tonight. (7:48) I think it's clear that the pigs were stolen, (7:51) they were taken, and they were not returned. (7:54) In fact, Mr. Shum stated he didn't want to return them. (7:58) That's that. (7:59) Imagine the use of the word rescue in some other context. (8:02) Suppose you were in the grocery store, (8:06) and you saw a can with dents in it, (8:08) and you thought to yourself, oh my goodness, (8:11) that can has a dent, it has the potential of going bad. (8:13) I better rescue that can, put it in my purse, (8:15) take it out of the store. (8:19) Or imagine your DQ, you see a dripping ice cream cone (8:23) up there, the clerk just put it on the counter, (8:25) oh dear, that cone is dripping off the side. (8:27) I better take it so that it doesn't make a mess (8:30) on the floor. (8:32) So that was the argument that was used (8:35) by the prosecutor against you. (8:37) You won that case, and the British prosecutors (8:41) used the can metaphor analogy again, and they lost. (8:48) So what's your takeaway there? (8:51) The first thing is my jaw just dropped. (8:53) I couldn't believe what I was hearing. (8:54) It was like deja vu all over again, (8:56) because I thought it was such a terrible comparison (8:58) to make in our trial. (8:59) We actually talked to all the jurors in that case, (9:01) which no one thought were gonna win.(9:03) My attorney in Utah thought this case is hopeless. (9:06) This is like 90% Trump County. (9:08) One third of the people in the entire county (9:09) work for Smithfield Foods, the company(9:12) that we had quote unquote stolen the pigs from. (9:14) And I think one of the reasons we won (9:16) is because the absurdity of the industry's position (9:19) becomes apparent once you actually are forced (9:21) to deliberate about it. (9:23) And the reality is for them to actually effectively accuse (9:25) any animal rights activists who rescue animals of theft, (9:28) they have to compare these animals to property, (9:30) including a dented can. (9:31) And that's what the prosecutor did today. (9:33) He said, well, look, you might not agree with this industry. (9:35) And I'll know this industry does treat animals (9:38) like commodities, kind of like a can of beans. (9:40) And I think he was trying to basically preview (9:43) the personification we're gonna try and do and say, (9:46) look, no, don't buy this idea (9:47) that this is the same relationship (9:49) that you have with your dog or cat at home. (9:51) This is more like the way a company would see (9:53) a can of beans. (9:54) But the jury just revolted against it. (9:56) And I actually was taking notes during the closing argument. (9:59) I noted a number of the juries kind of like looked away (10:01) and it wasn't as obvious as in my case. (10:04) In my case, I think when Von Christensen, (10:06) the prosecutor you just saw made that argument, (10:07) I could just see the jury's eyes roll. (10:09) And I was like, all right, I mean, (10:11) I don't think we should be able to win this case,(10:13) but I think they just kind of had an own goal. (10:15) They just shot themselves in the foot.(10:17) But in this case, it wasn't quite as obvious, (10:19) but a number of the jurors were like rolling their eyes, (10:21) looking away, just clearly not that engaged (10:23) with the prosecutor's argument (10:23) and went down that direction. (10:25) And this has much bigger implications than two acquittals, (10:29) because the idea behind this comparison (10:31) is that animals are property. (10:34) In contrast, what the animal rights movement believes (10:36) is animals are persons. (10:38) And this shows time and time again,(10:40) that when jurors are actually forced to deliberate, (10:42) they sided those who see the animals as persons (10:44) and not property. (10:46) So there's a couple more trials coming up. (10:49) And I don't know if we're allowed to mention (10:51) that you have a personal relationship (10:52) with one of the defendants. (10:54) You're married to one of the defendants. (10:56) Is that okay to mention? (10:59) Yeah, the best part, yeah, no, for sure. (11:02) Yeah, and they have talked about (11:05) how, well, what's at stake with this trial? (11:10) Again, this is the first set of open rescue trials (11:16) in the United Kingdom. (11:19) So I'm gonna queue up when they're talking (11:22) and let them talk for a little bit, (11:24) because I think that there was a lot of optimism (11:27) and shock after the first verdict. (11:30) First optimism, yes, this is a no brainer. (11:33) We had the best of intentions. (11:34) We weren't going to steal property. (11:37) We were going to rescue animals. (11:39) And then there was shock when that didn't happen. (11:41) But now there's a resurgence of optimism, I would hope. (11:45) So let's listen to Ben Newman, (11:47) the co-founder of Animal Rising and Rose Patterson.(11:51) Both of them, Ben was, they're both part of this case. (11:55) This is the first open rescue trial ever in the UK. (11:57) So it's a historic event. (12:00) And yeah, just a huge moment for the animal movement(12:02) to draw more attention to animal testing (12:03) and hopefully see the closure of NBR Acres very soon (12:07) as the first step in ending all animal testing. (12:10) And we're calling for the facility to be closed, (12:13) long story short, and put animal testing, (12:17) originally the concept of animal testing on trial, (12:19) because we actually, I did it once in June, 2022, (12:22) with three of us who did it accountably. (12:25) And then the Crown Prosecution dropped the charges. (12:28) They said, huge lack of evidence. (12:29) So then we went back again in December, 2022. (12:32) And so what we're hoping is that we'll be found, (12:34) obviously it's not guaranteed,(12:35) but hoping we'll be found not guilty by a jury. (12:38) And then, yeah, and that will significantly, (12:42) hopefully undermine the animal testing industry in the UK. (12:44) So there's 20 of us going on trial (12:47) over a period of about three or four months. (12:49) So yeah, Ben's in the first trial (12:51) that starts on the 1st of December. (12:53) And we've been split into groups of four or five (12:56) and mine's the fourth trial. (12:58) So my trial's in February. (12:59) I'm not too worried about it at the moment, (13:01) to be honest, I'm quite hopeful. (13:03) It seems so common sense. (13:04) Yeah, in 2022, there was the opportunity (13:08) to go into MBR Acres and do this. (13:12) And yeah, of course, to save those individuals (13:14) that we did, those 23 puppies, (13:17) I think that in and of itself is a really, really good thing. (13:20) But also we did this openly and accountably, (13:23) and we wanted it to...
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Emergency Town Hall: Help Save Wild Horses
12/27/2025
Emergency Town Hall: Help Save Wild Horses
This Emergency Town Hall: brings urgent attention to the growing crisis facing America’s wild horses and burros—iconic symbols of freedom and resilience now pushed to the brink of disaster. According to the official UnchainedTV Emergency Town Hall overview, there are now more wild horses warehoused in Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facilities than living free on public lands, with tens of thousands removed through controversial roundups. “These magnificent beings helped build our nation… yet few people realize that our country’s wild horses and burros are now facing a dire emergency—one unfolding largely out of public view.” – UnchainedTV Emergency Town Hall. What You’ll Discover In this powerful town hall hosted by Jane Velez‑Mitchell, leading advocates from Sweet Grass Advocacy for North American Equines, Heart of the Wild Equine Rescue, In Defense of Animals, NYCLASS, and other organizations unite to spotlight the escalating threats from government‑led helicopter roundups and mass removals, the opaque management practices of the BLM, and the heartbreaking fate of horses funneled through adoption channels that can lead to slaughter. Join the Movement This episode isn’t just informational—it’s a call to action. Learn how federal policy reform efforts, including bipartisan bills seeking to end cruel helicopter roundups and increase transparency in herd management, are gaining momentum. 👉 Support the cause: share, comment, and take action for wild horse protection. 👉 Donate & get involved: links shared within the episode. 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: 🎙️ Jane Velez‑Mitchell is an award‑winning journalist, TV producer, and New York Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant‑based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000+ free documentaries, lifestyle shows, and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. 🎥 WATCH for FREE: 🌐 LEARN MORE: 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack: 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm Hashtags: #WildHorses #StopTheRoundups #BLMExposed
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Why Music Icon Moby Is Praising Chicken Rescue Defendant Zoe Rosenberg
10/13/2025
Why Music Icon Moby Is Praising Chicken Rescue Defendant Zoe Rosenberg
As the defense begins its case, Moby tells that Chicken Rescue Trial defendant Zoe Rosenberg is in the company of Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King, Jr. Now it’s the Defense’s turn as the of 23-year old animal cruelty investigator Zoe Rosenberg enters its 16th day. It’s a case that’s riveted the nation. Some say it’s also putting industrialized animal agriculture on trial. Members of the animal rights group have attended the trial daily to support Rosenberg and her legal team, which includes Chris Carraway of the and Kevin Little. , “Some of those spectators were in tears when Little showed the jury a picture of the ‘condemnation pot,’ which he said is where all chickens Petaluma Poultry deems not suitable for human consumption end up. He went on to display video of chickens flapping their wings as they hung upside down in a slaughter line.” Rosenberg faces about half a decade in prison after rescuing 4 chickens from a truck at the slaughterhouse in June of 2023. The total value of the chickens has been estimated at $24. It’s not known how much this trial will cost taxpayers as it enters its 5th week in Sonoma County, California. Music icon Moby is now praising Rosenberg, comparing her to historical social justice figures who faced imprisonment for their ethical beliefs. “When you look at history, the number of people who’ve been where she is, the number of people who have been arrested and persecuted for their ethical beliefs, she’s certainly in good historical company,” Moby told UnchainedTV reporter Michelle Celestino adding, “She’s in company with Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King, Jr. and on and on and on, like with the suffragettes, like so many people who’ve been arrested for doing the right thing.” Moby expressed sympathy for Rosenberg, saying, “I don’t know if there is any comfort in that, but she’s certainly on the right side of history.” The first defense witnesses expected? Fellow Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) member Rocky Chau and animal care expert Carla Cabral. Cabral reportedly took care of the 4 chickens Zoe rescued (named Poppy, Ivy, Aster & Azalea) and is expected to describe their condition around the time they were taken off the slaughter truck. Zoe has said they were visibly ill and suffering, adding that her repeated attempts to get law enforcement to investigate the slaughterhouse were ignored, sparking her decision to undertake the rescue. The defendant and Direct Action Everywhere claim chickens are sometimes boiled alive at the facility due to the high speed nature of the killing process. The defense team also asserted that about 4,000 chickens were crammed into the slaughter truck from which the 4 chickens were removed. The company in question, Perdue-owned Petaluma Poultry, denies the animal cruelty allegations insisting it has high animal welfare standards and calling Rosenberg and DxE extremists with a radical agenda. The company is invited on any time. UnchainedTV is providing daily live coverage of the trial with a team of attorneys, analysts and reporter Matthew Zirbel live at the courthouse. 💡 DONATION INFO & UNCHAINEDTV LINKS Thank you for watching! UnchainedTV is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our vision is a world where plant‑based, cruelty‑free, sustainable living is the norm—across food, fashion, science, and entertainment. You can help us spread this crucial message here: 👉 Donate: 🎙️ Jane Velez-Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and NY Times bestselling author who founded UnchainedTV, the world’s premier plant-based streaming network. UnchainedTV offers 2,000 free documentaries, cooking shows, lifestyle and news programs. Download UnchainedTV free on mobile or TV streaming devices like Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV. Watch online: 🎥 WATCH for FREE: ✅ LEARN MORE / 📘 Facebook / janevelezmitchell 📬 SubStack / 📸 Instagram / unchained_tv 🐦 Twitter / jvm
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