We Animals

Our work is part of a global effort to end animal suffering at the hands of humans. We believe seeing is an essential step in this collective effort to repair our species’ broken relationship with non-human beings. “Political activist Susan Sontag wrote at length about looking at the suffering of others. Who should look? When, and why? The answer that she and many others came to, is that anyone who can help should look. Looking at the suffering of animals is perhaps especially hard. To look at the suffering of animals is to face our complicity in it – we eat animals, we wear them, we test our medicines on them, and we put them in cages and arenas as entertainment. For over 25 years, millions of people have seen and been moved by our work. With the number of animals inside factory farms growing, wild animal populations declining, and the world facing a climate crisis, now is the time to amplify our efforts.” – Jo-Anne McArthur, We Animals Founder, President, and Animal Photojournalist Our updated look and renewed commitment reflect our continued dedication to animal advocacy. If you missed it, explore the changes and what they mean for our mission. Learn more here at the link in our @weanimals bio.

A fresh look. A return to our original name. And a commitment to animals that’s stronger than ever. We’ve evolved, grown, and are excited to unveil a brand that reflects this journey. As the exploitation of animals intensifies, we’ve sharpened our mission and defined our work more clearly. Today, we’re proud to share this evolution with you. Though our appearance has changed, our dedication to uncovering the hidden lives of animals and advocating for their rights and welfare remains unwavering. Thank you to @anyday and @mek.studio for their exceptional branding work, our incredible team of volunteers and staff, and Vegan Grants for their invaluable support! 🧡 ➡️Learn more about our brand evolution at the link in our @weanimals bio. #WeAnimals

Do you love our photos? Do you want to support what we do? We Animals relies on the generous support of our donors to document the realities animals face around the world. With a one-time or monthly donation, you help fund investigations, support our photojournalists, and keep these stories visible. If our work has ever impacted you, consider being part of what makes it possible. 🧡 Support our work at weanimals.org/donate or comment ‘Donate’ and we’ll send you the link directly. 📸: Jo-Anne McArthur (@joannemcarthurphotography ) / We Animals Havva Zorlu (@havvazorlu ) / We Animals

In case you missed it: We Animals is proud to introduce @shaysalehi as our 2026 Animal Photojournalism Fellow. Shay is an Iranian–Polish Canadian artist based in New York City. Her work examines the relationship between humans and other animals through photography, sculpture, and collaborative projects. Her Fellowship with We Animals project will investigate a largely unseen but widespread practice in animal agriculture: identification systems. Across farms, auctions, and veterinary settings, animals are tagged, numbered, and entered into databases. These systems make animals legible to industry. They turn living beings into units to be counted, tracked, and traded. “I’m thrilled to join the We Animals Fellowship to document how systems like numerical identification prioritize efficiency while erasing individuality.” More from Shay’s Fellowship project in the months ahead. ➡️Comment “More” to learn more about Shay’s Fellowship—we’ll send the link straight to your inbox. Photos: These photographs were taken while on site as an Animal Care Intern at Woodstock Animal Sanctuary in High Falls, NY. This collection of photographs pauses on the importance of empathy and the ethic of care. The photographs document different stages of healing in the residents living at Woodstock Sanctuary, Shay Salehi, Scar Tissue, 2025

“What are we teaching him?” During intermission at the Hadi Shrine Circus in Indiana, this Bengal tiger was placed inside a plexiglass “beast wagon” for photo opportunities after already being forced to perform tricks in the ring. As crowds lined up to pay for pictures, Animal Photojournalist Gigi Glendinning noticed a young boy standing off to the side, quietly taking his own photo on a phone. The tiger noticed him too. “The sign on top of the wagon made me think of children’s alphabet books — T is for Tiger,” Gigi recalls. “I immediately thought, what are we teaching him?” Behind the spectacle are wild animals confined, transported, displayed, and made to perform for entertainment. Images like this ask us to consider not only what animals endure, but what messages we pass on when their suffering is normalized. #WeAnimals #VisbilityMatters 📸: A Bengal tiger peers through plexiglass at a young boy photographing them with his phone. The animal is displayed in a wagon for photo ops during intermission at a circus, one of seven tigers used in a performance. Hadi Shrine Circus, Evansville, Indiana, USA, 2019. Gigi Glendinning (@gigiglendinning ) / We Animals 🏆: This photo won the 2025 International Tiger Day Photo Contest run by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (@gfassanctuary ) and @tigersinamerica

What does motherhood look like in “man’s best friend”? According to science, it’s full-on right away. Dogs are what scientists call altricial animals—meaning they are born in an underdeveloped state. Puppies arrive blind, deaf, and unable to walk. In those early weeks of life, they spend most of their time sleeping, waking only to nurse. During this period, the mother is, in practical terms, their only lifeline. She nurses, licks, grooms, and maintains almost constant contact. Together, these behaviours sustain survival and early development. Research has shown that by just a few weeks of age, puppies can already distinguish their mother through scent alone. Even after separation in early life, dogs have been shown to recognize their mothers—and mothers their offspring—years later. Peter Hepper, whose research contributed to this finding, describes this as “long-term retention of kinship.” In Mothers, Across Species, We Animals is exploring motherhood is observed beyond the human experience. Driven by biology and shaped by environment, maternal care takes many forms. This series examines how different animals nurture, defend, and raise their young—and how captivity can disrupt, diminish, or deny these essential behaviours. 📸: Justin Mott (@askmott ) / Kindred Guardians Project / We Animals

More than half a century ago, researchers discovered that chicken embryos learn to recognize their mother’s calls while still inside the egg, listening through the shell and retaining those sounds after hatching. This early learning, now documented across many bird species, suggests that maternal bonding can begin to develop even before birth. After hatching, that communication becomes instructive. Despite chickens being relatively independent in their first days of life, chicks imprint on their mother. For a short time, the hen guides everything from what they eat to when they rest, and how they respond to threats. Studies have shown that chicks raised by a mother are less fearful than those raised without one, suggesting that maternal behaviour can shape offspring temperament. In Mothers, Across Species, motherhood is observed beyond the human experience. Driven by biology and shaped by environment, maternal care takes many forms. This series examines how different animals nurture, defend, and raise their young—and how captivity can disrupt, diminish, or deny these essential behaviours. 📸: 1. Resident and mother hen Kiwi takes care of her newborn baby chicks at the farm animal sanctuary Santuario Igualdad in Chile. Santuario Igualdad, El Monte, Santiago, Chile, 2015. Gabriela Penela @gabrielapenela / We Animals 2. newborn baby chicks at the farm animal sanctuary Santuario Igualdad in Chile. Santuario Igualdad, El Monte, Santiago, Chile, 2015. Gabriela Penela / We Animals 3. A weak hatchling lays amidst empty shells at a chicken hatchery in Ukraine. The dead and ailing chicks will be ground up alive and used as fertilizer or feed for other animals. Ukraine, 2017. Andrew Skowron @andrewskowron / We Animals / 4. Newborn baby chick Juanito carefully observes his surroundings at the farm animal sanctuary Santuario Igualdad in Chile. Santuario Igualdad, El Monte, Santiago, Chile, 2015. Gabriela Penela / We Animals

How quickly can a bond form between a mother and her newborn? Within minutes after birth, a mother cow begins to lick her calf, drying them, stimulating circulation, and learning their scent. Recognition develops immediately. In the days that follow, mothers and calves stay close together, communicating through calls only they can distinguish. When separated, mothers call out again and again, trying to find their young. This experience is the reality of the dairy industry. This week, We Animals is exploring “Mothers, Across Species,” where motherhood is observed beyond the human experience. Driven by biology and shaped by environment, maternal care takes many forms. This series examines how different animals nurture, defend, and raise their young; and how captivity can disrupt, diminish, or deny these essential behaviours. #WeAnimals #Motherhood #AcrossSpecies 📸: 1. A mother dairy cow licks clean her newborn calf at a large agricultural fair. She was induced to give birth in the fair birthing center in front of live audiences. New York State Fair, Syracuse, New York, USA, 2024. Jo-Anne McArthur (@joannemcarthurphotography ) / Woodstock Farm Sanctuary / We Animals 2. Moments after birth, a dairy cow at a dairy farm gently licks and cleans her newborn calf who will be separated from her within two hours. Sweden, 2025. Noah Marsten (@animalsarebeingstoo ) Djurrattsalliansen / We Animals 3. Rescued former dairy cow Betsy, who is closely bonded with her son Oliver, caresses him as they spend their lives together at Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary. Scio, Oregon, USA, 2017. Beth Lily Redwood @bethlilyredwood / We Animals 4. Rescued former dairy cow Betsy nuzzles her male calf Oliver in a pasture at Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary. Betsy was rescued from a dairy farm while pregnant, and she shares a tight bond with Oliver, the only of her calves she has been able to keep. Scio, Oregon, USA, 2017. Beth Lily Redwood / We Animals

What happens when a mother’s instincts have nowhere to go? For pigs, maternal instincts to protect their young kick in in the final hours before giving birth, when a sow, if given the chance, begins to build a nest. She roots into the earth, gathers branches, and arranges grasses with her snout and forelegs. The process intensifies as birth approaches. The finished nest provides warmth, comfort, and protection for her piglets. But that’s not the only benefit; nest-building is associated with increases in hormones in the mother such as oxytocin, which supports bonding, and prolactin, which stimulates milk production. When this behaviour is restricted for sows in industrial systems, where they are confined first to gestation crates and then farrowing crates that prevent movement and provide no nesting materials, the sequence gets disrupted. The maternal instinct and motivation to build a nest for her young remains, but it cannot be fulfilled. Studies have shown that this mismatch is associated with elevated stress and interrupted hormonal responses. The result is decreased nursing and dampened maternal behaviours, heightening the risk of piglet deaths. In this series, Mothers, Across Species, motherhood is observed beyond the human experience. Driven by biology and shaped by environment, maternal care takes many forms. This series examines how different animals nurture, defend, and raise their young; and how captivity can disrupt, diminish, or deny these essential behaviours. #WeAnimals #MotherhoodSeries #AcrossSpecies 📸credits (in caption):

Every mother, across cultures and continents, speaks of a fierce instinct to protect her young. Humans may be the only species to mark it with a holiday, but for other animals too, motherhood is a daily, unrelenting act. Driven by biology and shaped by environment, maternal care takes many forms. In this series, Mothers, Across Species, we examine how different animals nurture, defend, and raise their young—and how captivity can disrupt, diminish, or deny these essential behaviours. Take chimpanzees, where motherhood begins in near-constant contact. An infant clings to their mother’s body as she moves through the forest, nursing for up to five years. Even when fatigued or undernourished, mothers make time to play (yes, play!), which behaviour researchers identify as critical to cognitive development and social bonding. In some cases, chimpanzee mothers have been documented carrying the bodies of their deceased infants for days, weeks, even months—what primatologists describe as “infant corpse carrying.” There isn’t a simple scientific explanation for why, but it points to the persistence of maternal attachment beyond death. 📸: 1. Mother chimpanzee Jane looks down at her breastfeeding infant. Faruk Yalcin Zoo, Darica, Turkiye, 2010. Deniz Tapkan Cengiz (@dnztpkn ) / Animal Politics / We Animals 2. A rescued chimpanzee touches the hand of his rescuer, Dr. Carole Noon. Save The Chimps, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA, 2008. Jo-Anne McArthur (@joannemcarthurphotography ) / We Animals 3-4. A rescued chimpanzee resident at Sanaga-Yong sanctuary. The residents have been rescued from the pet and bushmeat trades. Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Centre Sanctuary, Yaounde, Cameroon, 2009. Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals 5. Young rescued chimpanzees play together at Save the Chimps. Save The Chimps, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA, 2008. Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals 6. A portrait of Pepsi, a chimpanzee rescued from research, who now lives at Save the Chimps sanctuary. Save the Chimps, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA, 2011. Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals

Breaking: The beagles are being released from Ridglan Farms. Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Centre for a Humane Economy have entered into a confidential agreement with Ridglan Farms to purchase 1500 of the 2000 beagles remaining at the facility—one of the largest breeders of dogs for experimentation in the United States and the subject of long-standing animal cruelty allegations. The agreement follows years of advocacy, mounting public pressure, and an attempted mass open rescue on April 18, documented by We Animals photojournalists @dianahulet and @thomasmachowicz for @sanctuarydoc . The dogs will be transported later this week and will receive medical exams, microchips, and vaccinations before they are assessed for adoption. When hidden systems are exposed, awareness grows—and change becomes possible. #WeAnimals #RidglanFarms #RidglanRescue 📷: A beagle rescued from lab experimentation stares intently into the camera while enjoying the open space of a grassy field. Czechia, 2023. Lukas Vincour (@lukasvincour ) / Zvirata Nejime / We Animals A beagle rescued from lab experimentation for veterinary products runs playfully around a grassy field. Czechia, 2023. Lukas Vincour (@lukasvincour ) / Zvirata Nejime / We Animals A beagle rescued from lab experimentation for veterinary products trots around a grassy field at a Czech animal shelter. Czechia, 2023. Lukas Vincour (@lukasvincour )/ Zvirata Nejime / We Animals A beagle with his adoptive human parent celebrates the anniversary of his liberation from a medical research lab at a party held by the Beagle Freedom Project. California, USA, 2014. Jo-Anne McArthur (@joannemcarthurphotography ) / NEAVS / We Animals Abbey and Maggie were both purpose bred beagles at a veterinary school. Most lab dogs are euthanized after their short life in a lab but Abbey and Maggie were rescued. Ontario, Canada, 2012. Jo-Anne McArthur (@joannemcarthurphotography ) / The Ghosts In Our Machine / We Animals A beagle rescued from lab experimentation for veterinary products stares intently into the camera at a Czech animal shelter. Czechia, 2023. Lukas Vincour (@lukasvincour ) / Zvirata Nejime / We Animals

Notes from the field: "It was quite difficult to get access to the buffaloes before the race, as our request was met with suspicion and superstition. Even though on the phone three owners had agreed to let me visit the village homes where their buffaloes were kept, on the day of the visit, they all started making excuses and denied access. The main race in Mangalore was to happen the next day, and after much back and forth, I was told that the owners were worried about two things—1) they thought I had been sent by rival teams to shoot how well kept the buffaloes are, and if I took a picture, it would make the buffaloes race badly the next day, and 2) I might be from an animal welfare organization as people do not ask to document the animals before the race." — Manju N Gowda, We Animals photojournalist Every year from November through March, buffalo are raced along watery tracks in coastal Karnataka, India. Yoked in pairs and whipped by a bamboo cane in 30+°C heat, they sprint for the entertainment of large, shouting crowds and for the boasting rights of their owners. The visuals captured are part of an assignment undertaken in collaboration with @fiapoindia ➡️Comment "video," to watch our latest video story, Buffalo Racing: A Closer Look at India’s Controversial Sport Photos: 1. A caretaker massages a racing buffalo inside a holding shed. Buffaloes used for racing are given nutrient-rich organic foods, oil massages, warm water baths and in some instances housed in air-conditioned rooms. 2. A caretaker massages the face of a racing buffalo inside a holding shed. 3. Welts mark the back of a racing buffalo as his caretaker massages him inside a holding shed. 4. Two tethered buffaloes lie on a mat in a holding shed ahead of being used in the Kambala buffalo races. 5. A tethered buffalo looks warily at the camera while lying in his holding shed ahead of being used in the Kambala buffalo races. Before race day, the animals are kept in a calm environment to rest. A rope through his nostrils is used to control his movements and keep him tied in place. Mulur Village, Udupi District, Karnataka, India, 2025. Manju N Gowda / FIAPO / We Animals