Have you ever stopped to think about what behaviors come naturally to you? The ones you engaged in wholeheartedly as a child. That intrinsic desire to play, explore, learn, build.

When undercover investigators talk about what they see inside factory farms, this notion of natural behaviors—or the lack thereof—comes up frequently. One investigator in Bulgaria, who also runs a sanctuary for rescued hens, explains:

When I hear what investigators have seen these birds experience while confined to life in a cage inside a factory farm, it devastates me. The heartbreaking loss of their most natural behaviors and their desperate attempts to reclaim those instincts. It’s just brutal. But you can build a world where they can rediscover what comes naturally to them, and simply be hens again.

You are someone who inherently understands the courage and compassion demonstrated by these incredible investigators. Let’s use the heartbreaking reminders they’ve uncovered to fuel our own natural desire to build something better. Something that these deeply sentient animals deserve.

World Farm Animals Day is October 2, and a group of incredible donors is matching all gifts leading up to that date. This means your gift will not only help end the abuse of animals raised for food around the world, but it will go twice as far in protecting birds from the worst forms of cruelty.

Together, we can use one of our most natural behaviors—leading with kindness and empathy—to ensure our animal friends return to theirs. Thank you for building the world they deserve with us.

For the animals,

P.S. What is the first thing we see rescued hens doing after they arrive at a sanctuary? Scratching, sunbathing, dust-bathing, spreading their wings. Those are their natural behaviors. Let’s build a world in which they can do those things. Your gift from now until World Farm Animals Day is matched.