Content warning: This blog includes descriptions of animal suffering and contains external links to articles and videos that may be distressing for some readers.
Undercover investigators operate at the frontlines of animal advocacy. Many of us have seen undercover footage of animals suffering on factory farms, but it’s easy to forget that behind each camera is a person risking their own safety, freedom and wellbeing to capture those images.
Every time an investigator enters a farm or slaughterhouse, they expose themselves to harrowing sights, smells and sounds. They are also up against one of the richest, most powerful, and ruthless industries on the planet, exposing themselves to legal risk which could result in fines or even imprisonment. In many countries, investigators face severe legal challenges and the criminalization of their work, with some targeted by repressive ag-gag laws that restrict their freedom to expose animal cruelty. Despite these risks, undercover investigators continue their vital work to show us the suffering inherent in animal agriculture.
We may never quantify the positive impact these investigators have had for animals, but it’s undeniable–from institutional reforms and legal amendments to the massive growth of the animal protection movement, their efforts have been transformative. Today we showcase and celebrate their extraordinary work, and the successes they have achieved for animals.
Investigators
These individuals have all made extraordinary sacrifices to bring us footage from behind the doors of slaughterhouses and factory farms.
Richard Hardy
Richard’s contribution to the animal rights movement is hard to beat. He has conducted more than 100 investigative assignments in more than 30 countries, has worked as a campaign leader for multiple NGOs, and is the proud guardian of many rescued animal companions.
During his long career, Richard spent time undercover in slaughterhouses, factory farms, fur farms, animal experimentation facilities and hunting groups. To infiltrate these spaces, he had to build relationships with people who were doing terrible things to animals, and sometimes had to work alongside them in practices he deeply disagreed with. It’s hard to imagine the emotional toll this takes on someone dedicated to animal rights. Richard has spoken openly about the trauma of witnessing such cruelty, but without his work there would undoubtedly be far more animal suffering in the world.
In recent years, Richard has taken more time to care for his rescued companion animals, surfing, and growing vegetables–a well-deserved shift after years spent on the front lines of animal protection.
Interested in learning more about Richard’s life and work? Pick up a copy of his extraordinary memoir, ‘Not as Nature Intended’.
Raven Deerbrook
Raven Deerbrook is a dedicated and courageous investigator who has risked her life to expose the suffering of animals slaughtered for the meat industry. In 2022 and 2023, Raven carried out an unprecedented investigation of Smithfield Foods in California. By infiltrating the slaughter line, Raven was able to climb into the CO2 gas chambers – at one point struggling to breathe – and plant hidden cameras which revealed, for the first time, the horrific experiences pigs endure when gassed to death. Her footage shows panicked pigs thrashing and gasping for air as they are asphyxiated–a heart-wrenching glimpse into the cruelty behind pork production.
Prior to Raven’s groundbreaking investigation, the meat industry had gone to considerable lengths to convince consumers and regulators that CO2 gassing was ‘humane’. Raven’s footage proved the opposite, exposing the immense suffering pigs endure during this process.Her work revealed that gassing animals to death is far from humane.
Raven has faced legal challenges as a result of exposing the meat industry’s lies about humane slaughter. She also actively campaigns for change, raising awareness and pressuring authorities and consumers to reconsider their support for such barbaric slaughter methods.
Wired produced a detailed account of Raven’s investigation, and the extreme risks she took to secure the footage from Smithfield Foods. It’s not an easy watch, but it is an important one.
Chris Delforce
Chris Delforce is an investigator, filmmaker and director of the Farm Transparency Project, perhaps best known for producing the acclaimed documentary ‘Dominion‘. In this shocking feature film, Chris exposes the widespread suffering of animals exploited for food, clothing, experimentation, and entertainment. It is one of the most profound and influential documentaries on animal exploitation ever produced, and has led countless people to choose a more compassionate diet.
Chris’s work goes beyond filmmaking–he’s been on the frontlines of farm and slaughterhouse investigations in Australia and around the world, often facing legal conflict with the authorities in his mission to expose animal cruelty. In 2017, he faced charges from the Australian government under the ‘Surveillance Devices Act’ for the use of hidden cameras in a clear attempt to silence his exposés of animal cruelty. Chris has also received harsh criticism from those who argue that his methods are too extreme. But we believe what’s truly extreme is the abuse and slaughter of billions of animals.
Criminal charges and smear campaigns have not stopped Chris’s crucial work. He continues to produce films and exposés that reveal the true horrors of animal farming and slaughter. His impact on the animal rights movement is undeniable, and he has inspired thousands to question their consumption of animal products.
Kathy Guillermo
As the senior vice president of PETA’s laboratory investigations department, Kathy has overseen investigations into medical research facilities that experiment on animals and commit unspeakable acts of cruelty on innocent animals. Because of the comparatively smaller numbers of animals involved, lab experiments and vivisection are often overshadowed by animal farming in animal advocacy, and yet these practices are responsible for some of the most despicable treatment of animals imaginable.
Kathy’s work, along with that of her team of researchers and investigators, has led to major policy changes, such as the US military and US Coast Guard ending their use of monkeys, goats, and pigs in medical trauma training. She has also helped to close major product testing plants, including Professional Laboratory and Research Services, Inc. in North Carolina, following which hundreds of cats and dogs were freed and went on to live fulfilling lives in new homes.
Thousands of animals owe their freedom and happiness to Kathy and the work of her team. Kathy’s book, ‘Monkey Business: The Disturbing Case That Launched the Animal Rights Movement’, details the events that first opened the world’s eyes to animal testing.
Sean Thomas
Sean is the director of Animal Equality’s global investigation department, a program that has filmed inside more than 800 farms and slaughterhouses across 50 countries. This makes him one of the most experienced and influential investigators in the world. His investigations have been broadcast by international news outlets including CNN, the Washington Post, the New York Times and the BBC, reaching millions of people around the world. There is no better way to reach and educate the public about the reality of animal exploitation than through the mainstream media: this kind of coverage directly undermines the misleading marketing, misinformation and outright lies of the meat industry, giving them nowhere to hide.
Sean continues to oversee investigations that give farmed animals a voice. In this dairy investigation, Sean’s work exposes cruelty to calves on farms that supply major retailers Babybel and Laughing Cow. If you want to hear more from Sean about his life as an investigator, this interview is well worth a listen.
Jo-Anne McArthur
No list of investigators would be complete without including Jo-Anne McArthur. As a photojournalist and the founder of We Animals, she has carried out investigations documenting and exposing cruelty to animals in farms, slaughterhouses, zoos and laboratories in hundreds of countries around the world. Her work has appeared in major global publications, including the prestigious National Geographic. She has also earned top honors, winning both the “Man and Nature” category and the People’s Choice Award at the highly competitive Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Jo-Anne also founded We Animals, which advocates for animals through photojournalism. The organization brings together investigators from all around the world who contribute to a central stock site, offering thousands of powerful stills and videos that expose the realities of animal exploitation. These resources are available free for activists, campaigners, lawmakers and other advocates, empowering them to drive meaningful change.
Jo-Anne has published several books including ‘We Animals’, ‘Captive’ and ‘Hidden: Animals in the Anthropocene’.
Organizations
As well as these courageous individuals, many organizations play a pivotal role in the investigative landscape. Thanks to their larger teams and greater resources, these groups can combine their investigative findings with well-organized campaigns to raise awareness and drive change for animals.
Animal Equality
Animal Equality’s teams have conducted more than a thousand investigations in more than 800 farms across 50 countries worldwide. They also have an extensive international volunteer network of more than 50,000 animal lovers, called the Animal Protectors. Their work has provided a voice for the millions of animals who would otherwise pass through the torment of our farming systems unnoticed.
To support their work or volunteer, Animal Equality’s website has a wide range of amazing events, petitions, and initiatives so that you can take action for animals. Every bit of support, big or small, allows them to continue their important work.
We Animals
We Animals‘ mission is to bring the public inside slaughterhouses, labs, racecourses, factories and zoos where animals are used and exploited, through compelling undercover visuals. Their stock website hosts powerful imagery from thousands of investigations conducted all over the world, all of which can be downloaded free for non-profit use. The archive has been an invaluable resource for animal advocates for many years, and continues to grow. Every piece of content that uses their imagery and reaches a new audience is a step in the right direction for animals.
You can support their work by paying a voluntary fee for using their images, or by donating directly to the organization. We Animals also offers an online Photography Masterclass which can be purchased for $45.
Compassion In World Farming
Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) was founded by a British farmer in 1967, appalled at the worsening conditions for animals within his own industry. CIWF’s goal is to end all factory farming, and while they are criticized by some for their campaigns for better welfare, their investigations have nevertheless underpinned 10 years of huge improvements to conditions for farmed animals.
Their website’s action center offers many ways to help, including via donations, as well as by taking action through signing petitions and contacting policymakers on behalf of animals.
Mercy For Animals
Mercy for Animals (MFA) operates worldwide, investigating and exposing cruelty to all farmed animals. Their investigations form the backbone for their public and corporate engagement strategies, as well as their efforts to influence policy change on behalf of animals. Their work highlights the importance of the fight against ag-gag laws and the need for whistleblower protections.
They offer several ways of getting involved, including volunteer programs, fundraising guides and even legal internships for those looking to help shape the legal framework for animal protection in the United States.
What to Watch
Below are some short films and documentaries which highlight the daunting but essential work of undercover investigators.
INVISIBLE: An Unbound Project Film
This award-winning short film by documentary filmmaker and photojournalist Christopher Shoebridge gives us a rare glimpse into the life of an undercover investigator. By inviting the viewer to join “Sarah” and “Emily” on a pig farm investigation, and interspersed with the investigators’ personal testimony, the film captures the emotional reality that investigators subject themselves to. It reminds us that these people are individuals, making an extraordinary sacrifice to show us the truth.
Andy Goes In: An Undercover Spy Documentary
This powerful short film follows “Andy”, an undercover investigator working for Mercy For Animals, who secures a job at Tyson Foods chicken farm. Through cameras hidden on his body, Andy discovers and documents the unspeakable acts of cruelty inflicted upon chickens every day, all in the name of producing meat.
The Ghosts in Our Machine
This moving 2013 feature length documentary by award-winning director and producer Liz Marshall follows Jo-Anne McArthur as she documents the appalling conditions animals endure on fur farms. As well as joining her investigations, the film sees Jo-Anne visit a sanctuary to experience how farmed animals can lead fulfilling lives when not confined and abused to produce meat, milk and eggs. It is a film not only about injustice, but also about hope, and the power that compelling visuals have to change our hearts and minds.
Final Thoughts
The investigators we’ve mentioned here are just a fraction of those making sacrifices to help animals. Many work in countries where repressive legal systems bring harsh penalties for whistleblowing, and in order to protect their safety and freedom, they conduct their work covertly, anonymously and within a strict security culture. As such, we may never know their names.
Investigations continue to be an indispensable component of our journey towards animal freedom. Despite the intense challenges, investigators continue to selflessly tell the stories of the animals trapped in the terrible cruelty of our food systems. Without their constant sacrifice and hard work, we may never have known what really happens behind the closed doors of farms and slaughterhouses.
We thank each and every one of them, those we know and those we may never know, for everything they do to help animals.
