We Animals

07/10/2026

Who gets to document The Calgary Stampede?

This year, as a photographer with We Animals, Cynthia Hughes applied for media accreditation to photograph the Stampede - the largest rodeo event in Canada.

As someone who has spent years documenting animals—their beauty and their suffering—Cynthia knows that meaningful storytelling happens in the tension between those things. And the Stampede is both: a celebration of Western heritage and a site of documented animal injuries and deaths. That complexity deserves transparency and discussion.

She simply wanted to document the event. But the Stampede ignored her request and refused accreditation, and despite following up, she’s received no response.

The Stampede claims to be proud of its animal welfare standards. So then why the secrecy? Why so tightly control who can photograph its events?

Read the full story:

Independent documentation is one of the few tools available to hold rodeo organizers accountable for the treatment of animals behind the chutes. When photojournalists and advocates are kept out, the public loses one of its only windows into what is actually happening to these animals.

07/09/2026

He would leave if he could.

In this breakaway roping event, a calf retreats from the chute, seeking refuge in the pens behind the arena.

Tradition is no excuse for exploitation. It is time for our traditions to evolve.



🎥: Bulls, Broncs & Barrels, Coombs, British Columbia, Canada, 2024. Jordan Rivers / We Animals

07/09/2026

Every year, animals are injured and killed in rodeo and chuckwagon events at the Calgary Stampede.

"We cannot allow outdated traditions to excuse animal abuse. It is time to evolve past these cruel spectacles and protect these animals from further suffering."

— Animal Justice

Learn why these events continue to face growing public opposition, what the law says, and what actions you can take to help protect the animals forced to participate.

Read more:

Rodeo and chuckwagon events harm animals, but incoming legislation will protect participants and organizers from consequences.

07/07/2026

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal that could make it more difficult to use drones to document some industrial animal agriculture facilities.

The proposal would allow certain “fixed site facilities” — defined as permanent locations with buildings, infrastructure, equipment, or operations that remain in one place and could be considered important to public safety, security, or the economy — to apply for official drone flight restrictions.

While the rule is intended for facilities that meet specific security and safety criteria, such as chemical plants, oil refineries, and water treatment facilities, the FAA is now asking whether some food and agriculture facilities should be eligible to apply for drone restrictions as well.

If approved, drone pilot apps would display these locations as restricted airspace, limiting where photographers and journalists can legally fly.

"So much of what happens to farmed animals is deliberately hidden from public view. Drone imagery provides a unique window into their world, exposing issues of public interest. It is not about intrusion; it's about transparency and accountability."

— Victoria de Martigny, We Animals Director of Visual Content

The FAA is currently accepting public comments on the proposal until August 5, 2026.

If you are a photographer, journalist, advocate, researcher, or anyone who values transparency and public access to information, we encourage you to review the proposal and consider submitting a comment.

We Animals recently collaborated with FarmSTAND, a legal advocacy organization focused on industrial animal agriculture, on a public comment submitted in response to the proposal.

Read more about why this matters and how you can make your voice heard before the deadline. ⬇️

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal that could make it more difficult to use drones to document some industrial animal agriculture facilities.

07/02/2026

The spectacle returns, but so does the suffering.

As bullfighting season begins, thousands of bulls are once again destined for the arena.

Often described as a cultural tradition, bullfighting is a controversial event that relies on the use of purpose-bred animals for public amusement. While its popularity has declined in recent years, thousands of bulls continue to be killed in arenas each year.

At the centre of it is a bull who endures a calculated progression of physical trauma and psychological distress, ultimately facing their final moments before a crowd of spectators. Yet, as We Animals founder Jo-Anne McArthur observed, the animal at the heart of the arena can easily fade from view:

“Everyone seemed present not merely to witness a fight, but to be part of a masquerade, where it’s more important to be seen by and with friends than focus on what’s taking place at the heart of the spectacle. In this three-act opera of death, the humans once again take centre-stage, as the animal, even though in the middle of the arena, is out of focus, an afterthought.”
– Jo

Beneath the vibrant spectacle are individuals capable of feeling profound fear and suffering.

📷: San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain, 2009. Jo-Anne McArthur (Jo-Anne McArthur) / Animal Equality / We Animals

Arles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France, 2009. Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals

07/02/2026

We Animals is hiring! We are seeking a Director of Development to lead and grow our fundraising program. This is a senior leadership role responsible for setting fundraising strategy, driving revenue, and building the systems and relationships required to sustain and scale our work.

Location: Remote, with a preference for candidates whose working hours allow for at least 3–4 hours of regular overlap with Eastern Time. We particularly encourage candidates based in Canada, the Americas, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, and similar time zones to apply. Candidates outside these regions may also be considered where scheduling and employment arrangements are workable.

Questions about this role or working at We Animals? Ask us anything below!

➡️Learn more at weanimals.org/join-our-team

06/30/2026

For some, bullfighting is tradition. For the bull, it is a fight he was never given a choice to enter.

Bullfighting has been part of Spain’s cultural history for centuries, evolving from an activity of the nobility into a modern spectator event.

Today, bulls are still bred specifically for these performances, where entertainment comes at the cost of an animal’s life.

A typical bullfight unfolds in three stages. The bull is first lured and provoked with capes, then wounded with lances and barbed sticks designed to weaken him through blood loss and exhaustion.

Finally, a matador attempts to kill him with a sword. If the bull does not succumb within 10 minutes, another participant delivers a final jab to sever his spinal cord. After suffering this torment, a team of mules drags the bull from the ring, dead or alive, to be sent for slaughter.

Despite declining attendance over the past two decades, bullfighting continues across Spain. In 2022, more than 1,500 bullfighting events were held, resulting in the deaths of over 9,000 bulls.

Behind the spectacle is an individual experiencing fear, pain, and the instinct to survive.

📷: San Sebastian de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain, 2009. Jo-Anne McArthur () / Animal Equality / We Animals

06/30/2026

New blog post: Peru is Taking Important Steps for Farmed Animals

Two recent votes in Peru's Congress signal a growing recognition that farmed animal welfare deserves a place in public policy.

On May 22, lawmakers advanced a bill that would require egg producers to disclose how hens are raised, allowing consumers to distinguish between eggs from caged, cage-free, and free-range systems. Then, on June 2, another committee unanimously approved legislation requiring anaesthesia or analgesia for painful procedures commonly performed on piglets, including castration, tail docking, and teeth clipping.

Neither proposal has become law yet, but together they reflect a growing recognition that the experiences of farmed animals matter and deserve consideration.

These bills reflect years of work by animal protection organizations, veterinarians, legal experts, advocates, and concerned citizens. Congresswoman Sigrid Bazan played a key role in advancing the pig welfare bill, while ARBA, Te Protejo, and Fundación Igualdad Animal helped build momentum behind both initiatives.

In 2023, We Animals collaborated with ASOCIACION PARA EL RESCATE Y BIENESTAR DE LOS ANIMALES to bring the HIDDEN exhibition to Peru's national Congress, helping expose lawmakers and visitors to the realities of industrial animal agriculture.

Photographs reveal the lives of animals who are too often kept out of sight, creating opportunities for greater awareness, accountability, and change.

As these bills move forward, they offer a reminder that progress for animals is often gradual—but visibility remains a powerful catalyst.

Read the blog post:

Two recent votes in Peru’s Congress signal a growing recognition that farmed animal welfare deserves a place in public policy.

06/25/2026

New Work: What’s Behind Chile’s Salmon Boom?

Fish are often excluded from conversations about animal welfare, yet they remain among the most exploited animals on the planet.

In Chile, the rapid expansion of industrial salmon farming has transformed the nation into the world’s second-largest producer and the primary exporter to the United States, despite salmon being an invasive species in these waters.

This explosive growth has come at a staggering cost. Beyond the invisible lives of the fish themselves, the industry faces mounting criticism for its environmental impact, deadly labour conditions, and the threats it poses to local and Indigenous communities.

In December 2025, photojournalist Marcos Zegers documented several parts of Chile's salmon industry, including fish farms, processing plants, and markets. What he witnessed raises important questions about the treatment of fish, the health of fragile ecosystems, and the broader costs of industrial salmon production.

“I documented cages where men are raising the bottom net to bring the fish closer to the suction chute. The final process, where the fish die, takes place inside the plant after they are sucked in. Slaughter methods generally included electrical stunning.”
— Marcos Zegers, photojournalist

Photos:
1 and 3. Undisclosed location, Cochamo, Llanquihue Province, Chile, 2025. Marcos Zegers / We Animals
2. Puerto Montt, Llanquihue Province, Chile, 2025. Marcos Zegers / We Animals
4-6 Mercado Angelmo, Puerto Montt, Llanquihue Province, Chile, 2025. Marcos Zegers / We Animals