I want to share something personal with you today. Before I became Director of Investigations at Animal Outlook, I was an undercover investigator. Looking back at that job listing for an "undercover investigator," I remember feeling completely out of my depth. I was just a newly-vegan ecology graduate who had attended a couple of animal rights events in college. But something about that opportunity called to me – maybe it was the idealistic part of me that grew up reading superhero comics and wanting to make a real difference.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Over the next few years, I would work inside three different slaughterhouses – chicken, pig, and lamb facilities. Nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed. Every day, I had to maintain a straight face while watching animals being beaten and killed. These were beings just as capable of suffering as the dogs and cats we share our homes with, yet their deaths were treated as just another part of the production line.
I saw so much suffering during my time as an undercover investigator
The physical toll was immense. In the chicken plant, I worked "live hang," forcing the legs of terrified birds into shackles that flew past at eye level – 24 birds per minute. My hands swelled, my back ached, and my coworkers just said, "That's how it is here." Twelve-hour shifts in dangerous conditions were normal, with the constant risk of injury from industrial machinery.
But the hardest part was the isolation. I couldn't tell anyone what I was really doing. Thousands of miles from home, I couldn't confide in friends or family about the horrors I was witnessing. I wrote in journals just to maintain my sanity, knowing no one would ever read them. Even today, years after leaving fieldwork, I still have nightmares about being discovered.
Yet despite all this, I don't regret a single moment. I remember my last day at the pig facility, walking to a nearby river and sitting on a bench, finally feeling like I could breathe again. The footage we captured has been seen by millions through major media outlets and documentaries. We've secured Department of Justice settlements and criminal charges. Most importantly, we've helped countless people understand the reality of industrial animal agriculture and choose a more compassionate path by going vegan.
I'm still fighting for animals every single day, most recently for those suffering in live animal markets. I want to share with you a recent piece I did with CBS News Bay Area that highlights this pressing issue. The conditions we uncovered are shocking – but sadly not surprising to those of us who have spent years documenting animal abuse. These markets represent yet another frontier in our ongoing battle to expose and end animal cruelty.
I'm sharing this with you because your support makes these investigations possible. Every time you donate to Animal Outlook, you're helping expose these industries' darkest secrets and create real change for animals. You're helping us provide crucial mental health support for our investigators and ensuring this vital work continues.
The footage is hard to watch – I know because I filmed it. But please watch it. Share it. Help us show the world what happens behind these walls. Go vegan, as this is truly the most impactful way you can help animals.
We're trying to change the world, and we need your help to do it.
With hope and gratitude,
Scott David
Director of Investigations
As a non-profit organization, Animal Outlook relies on donations from caring, generous people like you. Every dollar matters. Your support makes a world of difference to farmed animals.
