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Their Sovereignty, not ours
Video by Lucie Munson and Little Vegan Artist
"The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?"
Jeremy Bentham
Animals are sentient individuals with subjective experiences who want to live free from human use, exploitation, and harm. They are not commodities, food, or sources of income and pleasure. It is wrong to exploit individuals, so it is wrong to exploit animals. If you were in their place, you would want us to defend you at all costs.There is no humane way to kill or exploit a sentient being who cannot consent and does not want to die. Animal agriculture and animal use are exploitation and enslavement when viewed from the animals’ position. Choosing who to eat and how we use each species is imposed on us by societal norms, which we, in turn, force upon sentient beings who want to live.Animals, the victims, don’t want us to seek to exploit them in a “better” way. They’d want us to abolish animal use entirely. Why should we find better ways to do the wrong thing?
Local, organic, or high-welfare animal products are still animal exploitation, often marketed to make consumers feel comfortable. There is no ethical dairy, eggs, meat, or fish. Exploiting a living being who cannot consent or who doesn’t want to die is never ethical. We have no right to control their bodies, expect anything from them, harm them, or oppress them.Animals want to live their lives free from human interference. They’d want us to reject the perverted ways we see them. They’d want us to defend their body sovereignty and their right to be free from use and harm.These notions make up a doctrine called veganism. Veganism is not about becoming a better person, the environment, or health. It is only about defending the weak and voiceless and giving them the respect they deserve. It is a movement for animal liberation and respect.Veganism rejects specism, the idea that certain species are to be used by us, while others are to be respected. What is the difference between a cow and a dog that justifies exploiting one but not the other? Aren’t both of these animals sentient? Don’t they both care about their freedom? Aren’t these two distinct species fundamentally the same where it truly matters?
Veganism also rejects carnism, which furthers harmful narratives such as human supremacy and the belief that animals are here for us to use.Just like any other justice movement, veganism is about the victims it defends and deserves the same respect, as it is based on the same core principles: opposing oppression, recognizing the rights of sentient beings, and advocating for justice.We do not ask that chickens, cows, pigs, turkeys, sheep, or fish be granted the right to vote. We ask only that they be treated with respect, have sovereignty over their own bodies and lives, and be free from exploitation and human use, to not be killed, objectified, or seen as resources.Animal use, exploitation, and human supremacy are the roots of the problem. Cruelty and abuse are simply the symptoms.We are rational creatures with morals. There is no need to use animals anymore.
They are here with us, not for us.
“Now it seems to me to be self-evident that when we love, we do no exploit. In the moment of love, there can be no thought of exploiting that which we love.”
Leslie Cross
“Fortunately, the word veganism has a precise and simple meaning.
It means: the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals.”
Leslie Cross
Annually, we approximately exploit and kill…
83 billion land animals
2.8 trillion aquatic animals
… only for food around the world.
Data provided by Our World in Data
The use of animals for food, clothing, entertainment, and breeding is built on exploitation. No matter how much industries try to disguise it with labels like “humane” or “ethical,” every system that treats animals as property causes suffering. Whether it’s for dairy, eggs, meat, fish, fur, leather, honey, circuses, transport or breeding, the result is the same: lives controlled, bodies used, and autonomy stolen. The animal agriculture industry and other forms of animal use around the world receive a large portion of tax payer money and profits from many campaigns and collaborations. Forms of animal use are heavily normalized in our society, but just because something is legal or considered normal, doesn’t mean it’s right, as you may know.What you’re about to read is what happens when we view animals as resources. These practices are not only necessary to meet consumer demand efficiently, they need to be done in order for an end product to even exist. The truth is, we don’t have to (and shouldn’t) use sentient beings at all in the first place.
Familiarizing yourself with these practices is not important when it comes to learning that animals are not ours to be used, but it’s always good to acknowledge what happens and how these sentient non-human animals suffer in a world where human superiority reigns.DairyCows, goats, and sheep do not produce milk for humans, they produce it for their babies. In the dairy industry, they are forcibly impregnated to produce milk, and when they give birth, their newborns are taken away, causing immense distress for both mother and child. Mothers often bellow and search for days, but their babies are either killed, kept away so that they don’t drink the milk, or raised to endure the same cycle of forced reproduction.Males are considered useless and are either slaughtered immediately or sold into the veal industry, where they are confined in isolation and killed at a few weeks old.
Females are raised to replace their mothers, their bodies pushed to extreme milk production through genetic manipulation, selective breeding, and hormones.After repeated pregnancies and the strain of constant milk extraction, their bodies give out, and they are sent to slaughter at a fraction of their natural lifespan, usually when they’re only 4 or 6 years old. Cows can live up to 20 years.Outliers in the industry, such as "small family farms," still separate mothers and babies, exploit reproductive systems, and send individuals to slaughter once they are no longer profitable.EggsChickens, ducks, and quails have been selectively bred to lay an astonishing number of eggs, depleting their bodies of calcium and causing painful health issues such as osteoporosis and reproductive tumors. In the wild, chickens would be laying around 10 to 15 eggs per year, usually only during breeding season. They’d break into their unfertilized eggs and would eat them to regain the nutrients lost for the growth of that egg. In the industry, egg laying birds lay 250 to 350 eggs per year and lose the instinct to break the egg shells for replenishment.Hatcheries kill male chicks by grinding them alive, suffocating them in bags, or gassing them, as they are seen as waste.
Hens are slaughtered as soon as their egg production slows, usually at 1 or 2 years of age, despite having decades of years ahead of them.Labels like “cage-free” and “free-range” mislead consumers. Even on these farms, individuals are still debeaked, confined in overcrowded sheds, and ultimately killed when no longer profitable.Normalizing exploitation in backyard egg production at home is still harmful. Even in backyard settings, taking eggs from chickens still exploits their reproductive system and can cause harm in several ways.Egg Laying is Unnatural and Physically Depleting
Egg laying chickens have been selectively bred to lay 250–350 eggs per year. This extreme overproduction drains their bodies of calcium, leading to osteoporosis, broken bones, and reproductive disorders like egg binding, tumors, and prolapsed oviducts.The Eggs Belong to Them
Chickens lay eggs to form a clutch, even if unfertilized. Many will instinctively sit on their eggs and protect them. Removing their eggs disrupts their natural behavior and can cause stress.The Hatcheries that Supply Backyard Chickens Kill Males
Most backyard flocks come from hatcheries, which kill millions of male chicks every year because they do not lay eggs and are not profitable. Males are either ground up alive, gassed, or suffocated in plastic bags, supporting and normalizing backyard egg production still fuels this system.
"Rescue" Hens Still Used for Eggs
Even if the chickens are rescued from the egg industry, continuing to take their eggs treats them as commodities rather than individuals with their own needs. Instead, their eggs should stay with them so that they can choose what to do with them and replenish the lost nutrients and support their health.It Reinforces the Idea That Eggs Are Ours to Take
Keeping backyard chickens for eggs even in "better" conditions still sends the message that their bodies exist for human use. A truly ethical approach would be to care for rescued hens without taking anything from them, allowing them to live as individuals rather than as sources of food.Would you want to be valued only for what your body produces?MeatPigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, sheep, goats and so many animals are born into an industry where their only purpose is to be killed. The vast majority spend their lives in filthy, cramped spaces, unable to express natural behaviors.Pigs are confined to metal cages where they cannot even turn around. They are subjected to tail docking, ear notching, and teeth clipping without anesthetic.
Chickens and turkeys grow so large so quickly that their bones break under their own weight, leaving them crippled.
Sheep and goats are transported long distances to slaughterhouses, often without food or water, where they are roughly handled and killed while fully conscious.Even so-called “humane” farms still own the bodies of these animals, confine them, and slaughter individuals who do not want to die.Fish and Aquatic CreaturesFish feel pain, form bonds, and experience fear, yet they are slaughtered in numbers so vast they are measured by weight rather than as individuals. Whether farmed or caught in the wild, they endure extreme suffering.Farmed fish are confined in filthy, overcrowded enclosures where disease and parasites spread rapidly. Many suffer from deformities, blindness, and organ failure.
Wild-caught fish are dragged from the water in massive nets, suffocating or being crushed under the weight of others. Some are gutted alive or left to die slowly on the decks of boats.Other marine animals such as dolphins, sea turtles, and seabirds are killed as bycatch. They too are victims of fishing operations.Sustainable or small-scale fishing still doesn’t eliminate suffering. No matter how they are caught or raised, fish are still seen as food and struggle against death.Fur, Leather, and WoolThe bodies of animals are turned into clothing, furniture, and accessories, all at the cost of immense suffering.Foxes, mink, and rabbits in the fur industry spend their lives in wire cages, pacing in distress until they are gassed, electrocuted, or skinned alive.
Cows, pigs, and sheep are slaughtered for their skin, with leather contributing directly to the meat and dairy industries.
Sheep in wool production are subjected to painful mutilations like tail docking and mulesing, where large chunks of skin are cut away without anesthetic. When their wool production declines, they are slaughtered.Even brands that claim to use "ethical" materials still exploit, harm, and kill animals.HoneyBees create honey to feed their own colonies, yet humans take it, replacing it with nutrient-deficient sugar water. Beekeeping practices often involve:Wing clipping of queens, preventing them from leaving their hives.
Culling entire hives before winter to avoid feeding them.
Killing queens to force colony production.
Killing bees who find where you keep the stolen honey, because bees will naturally attempt to reclaim it, as it belongs to their colony. This is called “robbing behavior” and it can lead to the extermination of entire colonies.Wild bees, who are essential pollinators, suffer habitat loss due to honey production.Replacing honey with plant-based alternatives respects the autonomy of these complex and intelligent beings.Circuses, Zoos, and Other Forms of CaptivityAnimals in entertainment are forced into unnatural conditions for human amusement.Elephants, lions, tigers, bears and other animals in circuses endure negative reinforcement training methods such as bullhooks, electric shocks, and whips. They are confined to small spaces and suffer from severe psychological distress. Trainers “break” them, causing trauma.
Dolphins, whales and other animals in marine parks live in barren tanks a fraction of the size of their natural habitat, leading to severe stress, illness, depression and early death.Even zoos, which claim to focus on conservation, keep individuals imprisoned for life, all for ticket sales. Conservation is a marketing strategy used by zoos to justify captivity, maintain public support, and secure funding while continuing to exploit animals for profit.Zoos promote themselves as protectors of endangered species, but the vast majority of animals in zoos are not endangered and will never be released into the wild. Instead, they are bred for display, traded between facilities, and confined in artificial environments that fail to meet their physical and psychological needs. Conservation efforts often focus on select “charismatic” species to attract visitors, while many animals suffer from stress, boredom, unnatural behaviors due to captivity and zoochosis, a form of psychosis that develops in animals held captive in zoos. Most often, it manifests in obsessive, repetitive actions that serve no purpose.In reality, true conservation happens in wild habitats, not behind bars.Sanctuaries that do not breed or exploit for profit are the only places where rescued and endangered animals can live with dignity.BreedingThe pet breeding industry creates suffering both for the individuals bred and those abandoned in shelters.Puppy mills mass-produce dogs in filthy conditions, leading to severe health and behavioral problems.
Purebred breeding results in genetic deformities and illnesses, as seen in breeds like pugs and bulldogs, who struggle to breathe due to inefficient skull shapes.
Exotic pet breeding fuels wildlife trafficking and condemns animals to lives of isolation in unnatural environments.Adoption is the only ethical option. No life should be created and exploited for profit while millions suffer and die in shelters.Horse Riding and PullingHorses are often seen as willing partners in riding, racing, and labor, but their use in these industries is rooted in domination, control, and exploitation.Breaking the Horse’s Spirit
Horses are prey animals and were not born accepting riders or harnesses. For that, they must be “broken”, a process that often involves fear, pain, and submission. Even so-called “gentle” training methods still revolve around forcing them to comply with human demands.
Physical and Psychological Harm
Saddles, bits, and reins cause pain and injury. Bits press into their sensitive mouths, causing nerve damage, bleeding, and stress. Saddles create pressure points that lead to long-term spinal problems.
Horses used for riding and pulling often suffer from laminitis, arthritis, and joint pain from unnatural workloads.
Chronic stress Horses are prey animals who rely on freedom to feel safe. Being confined in stalls, transported, or forced into crowds and loud environments causes extreme anxiety.
The Horse Racing Industry
Racing pushes young horses to their limits, often before their bones have fully developed. Many suffer catastrophic injuries and are murdered on the track.
Doping and forced performance are common, with drugs used to mask pain so injured horses keep running.
Most racehorses are discarded once they are no longer profitable, with many sent to slaughter.
Horse-Drawn Carriages
Horses forced to pull carriages endure extreme weather, heavy loads, and hard pavement that damages their joints and hooves.
Many collapse from exhaustion, heatstroke, or dehydration, especially in busy city environments filled with traffic and pollution.
When they are no longer profitable, they are often sent to slaughter.“Retired” Horses
Once horses are no longer useful for riding, racing, or labor, they are frequently abandoned, neglected, or slaughtered. Every year, tens of thousands of horses are shipped to slaughterhouses, where they endure brutal deaths.Horses, like all animals, are not here for human use. True respect means leaving them free to live on their own terms, not as tools for transportation, entertainment, or sport.HuntingHunting is often framed as tradition, population control, or even conservation, but at its core, it is the unnecessary killing of sentient beings for human pleasure or profit.No matter how skilled a hunter is, animals do not die instantly. They suffer from painful gunshot wounds, arrow injuries, or other brutal methods before eventually succumbing to blood loss, infection, or predation.
Bow hunting is especially cruel, with studies showing that more than 50% of deer shot with arrows are not killed instantly and suffer slow, agonizing deaths.
Trapping causes days of suffering. Animals caught in steel-jaw traps or snares break their own bones trying to escape, die from dehydration, or are killed by predators before the hunter returns.The Myth of “Population Control”
Hunters often claim they help manage wildlife populations, but in reality, hunting disrupts ecosystems.
Removing certain individuals can lead to overpopulation, starvation, or increased disease spread in the remaining animals.Wildlife agencies manipulate populations to benefit hunters. They may kill predators like wolves to increase deer numbers or breed game animals to ensure there are always more to kill.
If hunters truly cared about balance, they would stop destroying natural habitats for urban expansion, farming, and industry, which the real causes of population imbalances.“Trophy Hunting”
Trophy hunters target the biggest, strongest individuals, weakening species over time by removing those with the best genetics.
Many species killed for trophies, like lions, elephants, and rhinos, are already struggling due to habitat destruction and poaching.
Some claim that trophy hunting funds conservation, but most of the money goes to hunting organizations and corrupt governments, not to protecting animals.Hunting Teaches Disrespect for Life
Killing for fun desensitizes people to violence and reinforces the idea that animals exist for human use rather than as individuals with their own right to live.
Hunters often introduce children to killing at a young age, teaching them that harming animals is entertainment rather than encouraging respect and empathy.
Non-lethal conservation efforts, like habitat restoration and wildlife corridors, are, obviously, far more effective than hunting at maintaining healthy ecosystems.The Slaughter of “Pest” Animals
Animals like wolves, coyotes, foxes, and birds are killed under the excuse of “protecting livestock” or “preserving game species.”
Many of these species play critical roles in ecosystems, keeping prey populations balanced and preventing overgrazing.
Killing predators often backfires, leading to an explosion in prey populations and more starvation and suffering.Hunting is not a necessity but a choice that inflicts suffering, disrupts ecosystems, and reinforces human dominance over nature. True respect for wildlife means leaving animals alone, not taking their lives for sport, trophies, or in the name of “conservation”.
CarnismCarnism is the invisible belief system that conditions people to see certain animals as food while considering others as companions, wildlife, or worthy of protection.Coined by psychologist Dr. Melanie Joy, carnism operates as an ideology that justifies and normalizes the exploitation and killing of animals for consumption. It is learned, not natural of humans, with people taught from childhood to eat certain animals without questioning why, while the idea of eating others (like dogs or dolphins) is seen as unthinkable.Carnism relies on psychological defense mechanisms, where people deny or justify the reality of animal exploitation, maintaining a disconnect to avoid facing the violence involved. It also reinforces speciesism, encouraging the belief that some species matter more than others, leading to their systematic use.SpecismSpeciesism is the belief that one species is superior to others, leading to the unequal treatment and exploitation of animals based on their species. It’s essentially a form of discrimination that justifies treating members of some species better than others.
Speciesism operates similarly to other forms of discrimination, such as racism or sexism, where an arbitrary characteristic (in this case, species) is used to justify harm, inequality, and oppression.Speciesism allows humans to view animals as commodities or resources to be used for our benefit, ignoring their inherent right to live free from harm. This mindset results in the widespread suffering of trillions of animals every year, with little consideration given to their emotional and physical needs and the rights that they should have.Rejecting speciesism means recognizing that the ability to suffer, experience pain, and have desires is not limited to humans or any particular species. By rejecting speciesism, we can build a world where all sentient beings, regardless of species, are treated with the respect, compassion, and justice they deserve.Reject Exploitation, Stop Funding it, Go VeganExploitation is never justifiable. No matter how it is marketed, no matter how small the farm, no matter how “traditional” the practice, the individuals being used do not consent. They are born into a system designed to take from them until there is nothing left.The solution is not better conditions, it is abolition.
We do not need to consume the milk meant for babies, steal eggs from exhausted bodies, murder animals for meat, kill for fashion, breed for entertainment or violate their sovereignty for our pleasure.
Pleasure is not more important than the life of another sentient being.
A world without exploitation is possible, and every choice we make brings us closer to it.Are you ready to take the first step?
Go vegan
End animal exploitation
Text by Leonor Martins (@bunzorg)