I am a former undercover investigator who worked in factory farms, and am currently Investigations Manager for a national animal protection organization

Hey Mike, thanks so much for doing this AMA. I live in Arizona and heard on the news this morning that a bill just passed, and is now on the Governor's desk, that would take away legal protections for farm animals. What can my family and I do about this (just as regular people - don't have a lot of connections) and is this happening elsewhere or is it just cuz lawmakers here in AZ can sometimes be a little terrible for animal welfare?

Thank you for asking this, you are correct, yesterday, the Arizona House of Representatives passed a bill (HB 2150) that would weaken protections for farmed animals in the state. The bill is now sitting on the Governor's desk to be signed.

It is very important that the Governor veto this bill. I would encourage anyone who lives in Arizona (but only Arizona residents, please!) to call the Governor's office today and politely ask him to veto HB 2150.

The bill puts farmed animals in separate category from other animals with regards to the cruelty law in Arizona. This would make it easier for factory farm operators to abuse farmed animals.

The bill also contains a new provision that would make it more difficult to conduct investigations into Arizona's factory farms.

If you live in Arizona, please consider calling the Governor today! See this link for more details: https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=9C021E9C3272450661035B7FF8973A74.app314b?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6751&autologin=true&s_src=em_ha032415

How do you thinking working in such horrible conditions affected you? Did you ever have to participate in order to not stand out?

Working in those conditions definitely has a lasting impact on your mind and body. It changes you as a person. There are certain things that I will never, ever forget. But, I don't want to forget them--I think it would be an injustice for the animals if I was to look the other way and try to forget.

Working in the field you have to perform the job duties that are assigned to you. This means that you have to engage in what is called standard practice--for example, castrating a pig. Those practices I had to do, but I did not engage in abuse the way other workers did. I did end up standing out sometimes because I did not hit the animals the way other people did--but it worked out in the end.

Honestly I would love a job like this. Although I think posting an AMA is sort of blowing your cover I think it's cool you're letting people know what's out there

Thank you very much. I am actually not in the field anymore--I manage the current investigators for Compassion Over Killing.

First off thanks for all the work you have done. It takes a special person to be able to go through what you have. I'm a vegan and I don't think I could've put myself in your position without blatantly giving myself away. My question is why do you think there is so much animosity towards people who are exposing animal cruelty? Also do you think there will ever be more transparency in animal agriculture? What will it take to gain that transparency?

Thank you so much! I think there is a lot of animosity towards our movement because deep down, maybe even on a subconscious level, people are aware that we are right. They put up their defenses because they are frightened of the unknown and of making a change to their lives.

I think the only transparency that we will ever have will be due to the undercover investigations. The ag industry is trying to pass ag-gag laws in order to prevent transparency--so that shows us just how much they have that they want to keep hidden. I think the best way to gain that transparency is to fight the ag-gag laws in each state when they are proposed.

What can the average consumer do to help these animals other than boycotting the companies products?

Thank you for this question. I think that it goes beyond boycotting products from some specific companies. The most compassionate and efficient way to help animals is to leave them off of your plate--from any company. After my Smithfield investigation, my best friend said that he would never buy a Smithfield product again. I had to explain to him that all companies treated the animals the same. Once you are at that point, the best thing to do is to help spread awareness :)

all companies treated the animals the same

If this is your attitude, we can never help all the animals because people will ALWAYS eat meat. Don't you think a focus on humane farming & slaughter practices (and rewarding those companies who do actually care about this by purchasing their products) would be beneficial?

I think that there are ways to take steps in the right direction. I don't feel that it falls just within buying from companies that claim to be humane--because many times these claims are the companies way to dupe the public. I think that buying from companies who publicly commit to improving current conditions would be the first step. For example, gestation crates are so inherently cruel for sows. They spend their lives in crates so small that they cannot turn around. If someone cannot give up pork, then it would be better to buy from a company that has phased out gestation crates rather than keeping the sows in them,

People seem most receptive when talking about how their diet affects their health, and angriest when the treatment of animals is brought up. Have you found that to be true, and if yes, why do you think that is? What do you think is the most effective way to talk to omnivores and even vegetarians about animal abuse and maintain a productive conversation? Obviously any effective dialogue comes from a place of mutual respect, but if you have any advice it would be greatly appreciated. When you talk to people about excluding animal products do you cite certain experiences or reports that are generally, for lack of a better term, 'eye openers'? Most people will not just sit down and watch Earthlings at your request, which is what is typically recommended. With your past work how do you remain calm when people tell you abuse doesn't happen often/at all? Sorry about all these jumbled questions, I'm trying to get them in quickly at work in between meetings. Thanks in advance!

I find that you are absolutely right--most people are okay with the health aspects, but the animal cruelty side causes them to shut down during a conversation. I think that is because when you are discussing health, people think you are genuinely trying to help THEM, and you are not attacking them but helping. For those people, I find that The China Study is the best thing to cite. I know several people who have gone vegan from reading that book--which is strictly related to health.

I think once animal cruelty comes up, people start to feel like you are judging and attacking them, and their natural defenses come up.

It certainly can be frustrating when people argue against the abuse, once you have lived it. The best thing you can do for the animals is to keep calm, and address their concerns rationally. If you don't then you only justify their actions and the next thing you hear them tell someone is, "This crazy vegan said..."

I truly think that the fact that people's defenses are raised so easily surrounding this is evidence enough that they know it is wrong---and that one day there will be change on a massive scale.

Hi Mike, thank you for doing this AMA! Your work is thought-provoking and inspiring.

It seems like many people have this idea that poor treatment of animals occurs only on factory farms, and that animals on family farms live much better conditions.

However, as I understand, many factory farms are ALSO family-owned farms. Can you please clarify the difference between factory farms and family farms, if such a distinction exists?

Thank you very much! There is definitely a bleed-over between factory farms and family farms. For example, Craig Watts is a family farmer who is a contract grower for Perdue. You can see his story here: http://interactive.fusion.net/cock-fight/

Even when a small family farm is not connected with a major supplier, there are still many horrors that the animals endure. They still go through standard practices that painfully mutilate their bodies, they still live incredibly unnatural lives, and they still have their throats cut when they are killed. All animals fear death, I have seen it thousands of times. The look in their eyes shows that they know what is about to happen, and how incredible terrified they are.

Growing up, my granddad was such a skinflint he wouldn't buy fresh razors for castrating his new boars. I remember having to help him by holding the pig down on the table that he kept in his barn for this, and he'd just pick up a rusty razorblade from the table, where it was left since the last castrations, and he's just have to saw on that poor pig's ball sack to open it up. Being to cheap to spring for fresh razors, I'm sure I don't even have to mention he was WAY too cheap to buy any sort of anesthetic, so the pig would be squealing and bucking the whole time while I had to hold him. It was not uncommon for him to lose a few to infections and injury, and it also wasn't uncommon for a not completely castrated boar to breed sows they weren't supposed to because he missed one of the testicles.

The handful of dollars he saved not doing it in a more sanitary, not to mention humane, way, cost him hundreds of dollars every year in lost pigs. I'm sure I also don't have to mention that a sick animal was never taken to a vet (skinflint remember) so they'd either survive, or when deemed too sick to make it, killed and "hauled off" (this means he dropped it on the side of the road once he was someplace secluded enough to do it, same thing he did with unwanted dogs and cats).

I've seen some shit, man.

Thank you so much for sharing that!! Unfortunately, I bet this is all too common--but I'm glad that having to witness that has made you a more compassionate person!

Well I guess I have to ask. I only peeked at about 30 seconds of the Central valley Meat link video. That's all I could take. What major coping strategies or common reactions do you find your investigators experience? Do some people crack up? Do some weather it well? How did your investigative work affect you?

Thank you for asking this--and thank you so much for watching our Central Valley Meat investigation (for those who want to watch, you can find it here: http://cok.net/inv/central-valley-meat/).

I always tell investigators that in order to be successful and last, you need to have an outlet. For me, I used lifting and listening to music to help relieve the stress. Every investigator is different, and some people like to read, run, or do yoga. For me, running would be the last thing I would want to do :)

Some people can handle it better than others. People don't necessarily crack up, but some people can't last too long in the field. On the other hand, some of my friends have been in the field for several, several years.

The work has definitely had a lasting impact--it changes you as a person. Physically, I will always have certain injuries which affect me. Emotionally, though, is where it hits you the most. I have developed my own coping strategies, and I use it as motivation.

Wow. You are an amazingly strong person for seeing that and having gone through with it. My whole life has been spent on ranches, mine, my family's, and even a commercial ranch, and I've always taken care of pigs, chickens, goats, cows, rabbits, and other animals, and seeing this just sickens me. Not once has anything like that ever happened around me, and for good reasons; we loved and respected our animals, and we treated them as such. I've never seen a herd of 75 head be given less than 500 acres to graze and run on.

Thank you for what you do. What can I do, both as a normal citizen and a rancher?

Thank you very much! I think you have an interesting perspective to be able to reach people through. I would say that as a normal citizen and a rancher, the best thing you can do is help to spread the awareness. There is such a huge disconnect between the product that is bought at the store, and the animal who is on the farm. Helping to shorten that gap would be the best thing!

Thank you for your work as an animal cruelty investigator. I'm interested in hearing more about your training as a vegan powerlifter. Which came first for you, veganism or powerlifting? Can you tell us more about how you train and how you eat?

Thank you so much! I started weighlifting in high school, and then went vegan in my 20's. There is actually a big difference between weightlifting and powerlifting. I started to learn this last year when I started training for PlantBuilt (http://www.plantbuilt.com/). For training, I cut the amount of days down that I train, and started to train a specific lift rather than a body part (bench press instead of chest for example).

For eating, I currently eat large quantities of everything, as I am bulking in preparation for the competition. I eat oatmeal in the morning with bananas and berries, and several portions of tofu throughout the day. I like to put the tofu in wraps with a lot of veggies and a Follow Your Heart dressing. I do use Vega and PlantFusion protein shakes, as well as Vega bars, but that is only because I have a higher protein requirement due to the Powerlifting. It is very easy to get enough protein, without any supplements, on a balanced plant based diet. Tofu and Seitan offer a large quantity of protein, as do Gardein, Beyond Meat, and Tofurky product lines.

Thank you for being so brave to go into these facilities and expose the horrors you find in them.

What is your vegan awakening story? How did you find veganism and what made you make the jump?

Thank you very much! I initially went vegetarian after my dog, Curly, died. That was an incredibly difficult time for me, and I learned that dogs are farmed and eaten in some countries, which shocked me. I then made the connection that there is no difference between a dog, cow, cat, pig, or chicken. I started working in the field a few months later, and shortly after that, I learned of the horrors that dairy cows and egg laying hens endure, and I decided that a vegan diet was the most compassionate choice I could ever make.

This is what pushed me into vegetarianism as well! Once I really put thought into it, I realized that my dogs are no different than any other animals. They're all capable of feeling love and happiness, and fear and pain.

I could no longer disconnect myself from the fact that I was consuming things that used to be sentient beings.

Thank you for your work and for being a voice for the beings who cannot protest. I've watched documentaries such as Food Inc and the images will stay with me forever. I can't imagine seeing it in person like you did.

Thank you very much! I have heard of other people as well who have made that connection due to their dog or cat. I wish more people would--so many people are so wonderful to their dogs/cats, but still eat animals. One day, though :)

Personally, especially, dairy cows are a major emotional hurdle for me to accept.

Something about mammalian bonding through nursing, and exploiting that function through manipulation and stress breaks my heart. All for an over abundance of a product that is over eaten by some and not even digestible by a huge portion of the population.

I don't know, but I just can't...

But anyway, the best pizza relies on a solid crust and sauce, good herbs and texture. Cheese, I find, is unnecessary.

My question is, what's your favorite pizza topping?

Ha, great question! I LOVE pizza--Daiya is an amazing cheese to put on pizzas. I have just tried Beyond Meat's meatballs for the first time, and although I haven't had them yet on a pizza, I am very excited to try that!

Do you own any carnivorous pets? If so, how do you reconcile continuing to fund slaughterhouses (and/or unsustainable fishing) by buying pet food? If responsible meat is okay for pets, why not for people?

I do live with companion animals, and they are all healthy and thriving on a plant based diet. A wonderful brand is Ami, and you can find their food here: http://www.amipetfood.com/en

22 criminal charges against 6 workers.

But don't you think that's like punishing the guys who physically cut down trees for global warming? They're just the workers, punishing them doesn't change the source of the problem.

Thank you for bringing up this important point. At this particular facility, there was a lot of egregious abuse happening. In general though, I do not believe that the farm workers deserve the blame--it should land squarely on the company. There are certainly some bad apple farm workers who are sadistic, but for the most part, the workers are normal people who desperately need a job. There are so many systemic issues within factory farming, and the workers are a product of that system. Due to standard practices, such as castration for example, the farm workers are forced to inflict pain and cause suffering on the animals. Having to do these practices all day long, over time, warps the worker’s minds, and they get very desensitized. When cutting into the flesh of an animal and ripping out a body part, all without anesthesia, is not only legal but also your job description, suddenly punching and kicking does not seem so bad.

Also, due to the speed required at these farms, the workers are forced to cut corners and act in ways that ensure their jobs get done in the right amount of time. These means that if they need to hit an animal to make them move faster, they will, because they rely on that paycheck.

Hi! Thank you for doing what you do. Has your organization ever thought about collaborating with groups like workers' rights organizations? I imagine some of those jobs must be pretty terrible for the humans as well.

Thank you for asking this! We have definitely thought about collaborating with worker's rights groups, because these jobs are most definitely terrible for humans as well. The only thing that matters to these big companies is the bottom line--the animals, and the farm workers, are expendable. There is such a high turnover rate at these facilities because of how terrible the conditions are. The people who last, and stay there, are the ones who are left with little other choices.

There is also a high injury rate at these facilities, and even deaths, due to poorly maintained machinery among other reasons. No company should have the right to treat any living beings in such a manner--animal or human.

Hi Mike! Thanks for the work you have done to draw attention to these issues. What can you tell us about the trend of states passing Ag-Gag laws and how that would impact investigations like the ones you have done?

Thank you! I feel that Ag-Gag laws are being passed due to the relationships between politicians and local farmers--and the lobbying interests of those farmers. These laws are a clear infringement on our First Amendment rights.

They have a large impact on our investigations. We follow all of the state and federal laws, so when a state passes an Ag-Gag law, we have to stay out of that state. Once the law gets overturned, which they eventually will, we will happily go back :)

Seems to me an organization like you belong to would be the lightning rod for that overturning by purposely breaking those unjust laws to get the ball rolling on an overturn. Who are they waiting on to overturn them?

Well, we do follow all the laws, so we would not go into a state where it is illegal to perform an investigation. If someone did it would just give the opposition momentum for their arguments, and would not further our cause too much. The best way to fight these laws is in the courtroom.

Not including your reports and videos, do you recommend any books or documentaries to learn more?

This is a great question. Obviously, I think the best place to really learn how animals are truly treated are through our investigations (http://cok.net/inv/). Aside from that, Earthlings is such a powerful documentary, and they take you through each industry in such a comprehensive way. Speciesism is also a wonderful documentary which helps to make people understand why it is wrong to discriminate against animals. Cowspiracy is also another great one!

I think it should be said that Earthlings is a deeply troubling film. It is not easy to stomach the images that are shown, and no one I know has ever looked at the animal industry in the same way having experienced the film. I do think it's important for people to watch it, regardless of their inclination toward veganism.

EDIT: Link to Earthlings, free to watch on their website: http://earthlings.com/?page_id=32

Thank you for adding that!

I've seen an undercover investigator say the egg industry is the most abusive, & some will argue that the dairy industry is more abusive than the beef industry (although they're intertwined of course). Do you have any views on this issue of ranking which industry is worst?

Wow, what a tough question. I wouldn't really have a ranking, I think that the atrocities of laying hens and dairy cows are both so terrible. Dairy cows spend their entire lives being raped, having their children stolen (which is a very emotional time for momma cow--google 'cows crying for calves' or something similar), being hooked up to machines for their milk to be taken, and being beaten. They do live a longer life than beef cows.

Egg laying hens spend their lives in battery cages in a space so small that they cannot turn around or spread their wings. They are in sheds filled with tens of thousands, and it is impossible for workers to check on the health of every bird. This means that dead and decaying birds are left in the cages with the live ones for periods of time. There is also often poorly maintained cage wires which the birds get impaled and stuck on.

What have been the most shocking conditions/situations you've found in your work with these factory farms?

Thank you for your question. Honestly, it is so hard to compare one terrible thing to another and say which one is worse when they both cause such suffering to the individual who it was inflicted on. In my eyes, though, the hardest thing for me to see was the pig castration. When someone takes a blade and tears open the flesh of a pig’s scrotum, and rips out their testicles, there is something deep inside you that screams at how wrong that is.

Have your large muscles helped you blend in while undercover since most people think one can't be strong on a plant-based diet?

Ha, thank you :) Actually, yes. It has helped me get out of eating meat plenty--because I use people's stereotypes against them and they think that there is no way I could ever be vegan.

I wanted to say thank you for the work you've done. People like you are my heroes, I can't even imagine doing this when just seeing the video are so upsetting.

As an activist myself, I've felt that in the past year or so, things have reaaaally changed (even where I am in Europe) for the better, media is covering these stories more, veganism is seen much more positively, loads of people are switching over... have you also felt a recent change? Do you think we are nearing some kind of tipping point?

Thank you so much---and thank you for this question! Absolutely!!! There has been so much positivity in recent years---we are definitely nearing the tipping point. The number of animals slaughtered per year is actually starting to decrease. Even though it is by a small percentage, when you are talking about billions of animals, that small percentage becomes an incredibly large number. I think this is due to more people turning to veganism, but also largely due to reducing meat consumption. Meatless Mondays, for example, is an avenue that largely reduces the amount of animals slaughtered.

There are so many other positive indicators--the number of vegan products, companies, and restaurants has drastically increased in the last several years. You can even walk into a Chipotle and buy vegan meal. Bill Gates is financially backing vegan companies---that right there shows us the direction that we are heading.

There is also the vegan fitness movement(http://www.plantbuilt.com/ and http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/ are great examples).

We are most definitely on the cusp of change!

Did anyone you worked with while you were undercover suspect that you were documenting abuses?

There has been a couple of times when I felt like people were suspicious of me--mainly because I would not hit the animals (and I would be the only worker to not hit them). But, when you are in the field, it is your job to be able to navigate situations like that, and I was never made while on the job.

Did you face legal charges from any companies you investigated? How did you avoid/fight them? Sadly the current situation is the average Joe would get his pants sued off for trying to expose CAFOs.

I personally never have been criminally charged from my investigations.

One of our previous investigators, Taylor Radig, was charged for her Quanah Cattle Co case. This was a situation where the local law enforcement had a personal relationship with the farm, and the Sheriff had political aspirations. The charges were dropped :)

You can see more about that here:

http://cok.net/inv/quanah/

When you got hired on to work at factory farms did you use your real name or was a fake name and identity made for you? I've wondered if I would be able to do an undercover but in this internet age, all they would have to do is google my name and they would find out that I'm an animal activist.

This is a very common question. We have to apply for these jobs legally, so we do use our real names. Unfortunately, with how prevalent social media is, this does cut out a lot of very passionate people who would like to do the job.

Do you have some recommended charities that would be a good place for concerned citizens to donate toward? I know PETA and the ASPCA both have had their issues...

Thank you so much for asking The one thing I would say regarding PETA and ASPCA is to please do your own research regarding them. There are a lot of haters out there who will be deceptive about these organization's practices. Regarding donations, I would certainly recommend Compassion Over Killing, and you can donate here: https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=4434. You can choose if you want your donation to go directly to our Investigations Department, and this will help us to continue to bring these horrors to light.

Do you have any idea if free range/organic/etc farms actually treat their livestock better?

Thank you for asking--this is a very common question. There are several issues with the 'humane meat' concept. First, the standards for humanely certified meat are not upheld at every level of production--it only applies to a narrow window in the production process. For example, it would not apply to a hatchery (please see our Bell & Evans investigation at http://cok.net/inv/bell-and-evans/).

This means that there are standard practices (such as debeaking and grinding male chicks up alive) which are still going on, even at humane certified companies.

Regarding labeling, this is truly a way for the companies to dupe the public. For example, all broiler chickens are raised in sheds, and not in cages, Though, broiler chicken companies will sometimes sell the chicken as 'Cage-free'. Of course they are--they all are. Only egg-laying hens are kept in battery cages. It is a way for the company to try to make the public feel better about what they are buying, without improving the conditions for the animals.

For additional information on labeling, and how Compassion Over Killing has helped makes changes with this, please see: http://cok.net/camp/victories/animal-care-certified-eggs-exposed/

Does it really matter? This man is living proof just how much you can thrive without killing - so why do it? No matter how many labels you stick on a dead animal, no matter how well you treat them - there is no humane way to kill someone who does not want to die.

Thank you! Very true that killing cannot be humane---and none of them want to die.

Would you be opposed to the eating of meat if it came from local small farms?

Thank you, this is definitely a common question. I would be opposed to it because I am vegan for the animals. Even on small local farms, the animals live a life that is filled with pain, fear, and suffering. There are certain standard practices that all animals endure on farms which cause a tremendous amount of suffering. At the end of their lives, they end up getting their throats cut, and animals (just like humans) are aware that they are about to die and are so fearful of it.

Have you read Jonathan Safran Foer's book 'Eating Animals'? If so, what do you think of it?

I actually have not read it yet, but I have heard good feedback from it--and I am definitely for any book that helps to spread awareness!

Mike, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. I have a few.

1. By this point, there are countless hours of footage inside farms of all scales at all levels. Whatever educational purpose this footage can serve, why do we need more and more and more of it? We already have more than enough footage to communicate to the public that what goes on when we use and kill animals is horrifying and wrong, so why do groups like yours want to collect more and more footage? (One might wonder whether one of the main reasons CoK continues to collect footage is to justify its continued work, and to keep bringing in fundraising dollars.)

2. In your opinion, is the primary problem that animals are treated very badly when we use/kill them for food and other purposes, or is the primary problem that we're using them to begin with? In other words: do you think using and killing animals for consumption is morally permissible, as long as it is done in a sufficiently nice and humane way?

3. If you answered 'No' to the last part of Question 2 (i.e., if you don't think using/killing them for consumption can ever be right), then why does your organization focus almost entirely on treatment rather than use? Have you ever been concerned that by focusing so much on treatment, you're just reinforcing the idea that it's OK to use and kill animals as long as we do so nicely?

4. If the animal protection movement focused far more of its resources on full-time moral and vegan education, what do you think would happen?

5. Can you think of times where your group, or other animal protection groups, have gotten a bit too close to and/or supportive of animal-using businesses? Are there any cases of cheering on/supporting/working with/endorsing an agribusiness which you now regret? (For instance, how do you feel about the 2005 letter to John Mackey, which CoK signed, thanking him for his "pioneering" work in how Whole Foods uses and kills animals?)

Thanks for your time, Mike.

Thank you for your questions! Sorry for the delay--in contrast to the reply to your comment below--I am not avoiding any questions. This is my first AMA and I am just trying to keep up :)

1. The reason to keep obtaining more footage is because the opposition will claim that the footage is outdated, and that the abuses don't happen anymore. We need to prove that not only does it still happen, but it is more widespread than anyone can imagine. Also, some people claim that it is a few 'bad apples' that perpetuate the abuse--which is simply not the case. It is more of a systemic problem than anything else. We need to show that the abuse on these farms continues to happen.

2. In my opinion, I feel that the simple fact that animals are being used and killed for consumption causes the poor treatment. Even on a farm where nobody is punching and kicking the animals, they still undergo standard practices (such as castration) which causes an incredible amount of pain and suffering.

3. Compassion Over Killing does not focus solely on treatment rather than use--we have several campaigns that are focused on reducing the consumption of animals. Meatless Mondays is one such option, which you can read more about here: http://cok.net/camp/meatless-mondays/. Regarding working to better the treatment of animals---the simple fact is that there are billions of animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses right now. We can't snap our fingers and end all suffering. But, small shifts towards less suffering (for example moving from gestation crates to group housing) make a tremendous difference for those animals who are living on the farms right now. Why wouldn't we want to reduce the suffering as much as possible?

4. I feel that Undercover Investigations are the greatest tool for vegan education. There is no better way to help someone understand what it is like than to show them. I can talk to someone for an hour and describe in great detail what happens on these farms, but watching an hour of Earthlings will probably stick with them much longer. I don't think it would be wise to funnel all of the resources into just the one avenue though of vegan education--there are so many other things that need to happen.

5. I am actually not familiar with the letter you are referencing, so I can not really speak to it. In my own personal experience, no, I can not think of a time when we got too close as you are referring to.

Thanks again for your questions!

Mike, thank you for your work, and for doing this AMA. I have to ask, what can I as an individual do to stop the animal cruelty happening around the world?

Thank you! Honestly, the best and most efficient way to help stop animal cruelty is to leave them off of your plate. Also, be conscious of the products that you buy--not only for vegan ingredients, but also to be sure that the product is not tested on animals. These lists are very helpful for that:

http://www.mediapeta.com/peta/PDF/companiesdotest.pdf http://www.mediapeta.com/peta/PDF/companiesdonttest.pdf

Keep in mind that these lists are ever-changing, so you want to make sure your products are cruelty-free.

Helping to spread awareness is another great way to help. Most people just don't know the horrors that the animals go through, and helping to spread the information, such as Compassion Over Killing's investigations, is the best way to bring people that knowledge

Getting involved locally is also another great thing to do. Leafletting may seem boring, and you may get nasty comments from people, but the research shows that it is one of the greatest methods for bringing about change.

Thank you for what you do :) Have you been to any halal/kosher slaughterhouses or operations, and how was the treatment of the animals compared to regular operations?

Thank you! I have not personally been to one, but my friends have. Unfortunately, the treatment of the animals at these places does not vary from any other slaughterhouse.

Hi Mike! Thanks for doing this, you're a real inspiration. I'm sure you've seen unspeakable things. How did you remain calm, cool and not break cover to defend an animal?

Thank you very much! This is a very common question as well. When you are in the field, you know that you can't break that cover--as much as you may want to sometimes. That would be detrimental for the animals, the organization, and the movement. You are there for the one any only reason of documenting what you are seeing to bring to the public. Once you step foot on a farm, you have to realize that you are not an activist anymore--you are a farm worker. Once you are out of the field, you can be an activist again.

Thank you so much for what you do. I can't imagine it being easy.

How do u not let seeing all of that scar you? Do u have to go to therapy? How have u dealt with it all emotionally?

Thank you--it certainly has it's difficult moments. I think that you cannot avoid letting it scar you--but how people handle that scarring is always different. I have not gone to therapy for it, but I know other investigators who have and they have said that it works well. Some investigators do yoga or meditate to help. For me, weightlifting has always been my crutch to help me through. The release of endorphins helps me focus and gives me clarity in a way that nothing else can.

I often hear people dismiss the footage shown in undercover investigations as being simply isolated incidents. They claim the actions are the work of a handful of bad employees and not representative of the industry as a whole. Based on your experience, how prevalent would you say the mistreatment of animals is within the meat industry?

Thank you so much for bringing this up. I hear that often as well---and also that the footage must be edited, staged, etc. I often tell people, I would be more than happy to take a polygraph to attest to the fact that it is not edited or staged. The unfortunate truth is that the conditions are so terrible that we do not need to stage or edit the footage.

These are also not isolated incidents. Every farm I have walked onto, and every farm that every investigator I have known has gone onto, there has been abuse. This is a systemic issue of the industry, and not just isolated bad employees. The industry wants the public to think that it is just an isolated employee here or there because if the public knew the truth, it would cut into their profits.

What's the one moment that really struck you as the most horrifying?

Thank you for asking this. The moment that has stuck with me the most may not be the most horrifying, but for me was the most emotional. It was during my Smithfield investigation when we had to kill a boar who was injured. There were three other workers who were trying to get him out of his crate, and I was off to the side. He knew what was going to happen. Two workers were using snares (one around his snout and one around his ear) and one worker was hitting him on his back with a gate rod. He was screaming out in pure terror--and fought with everything he had. He was clawing at the ground to stay in his crate. It took several minutes for the three workers to drag him out--and he fought the entire way. They pulled him outside and bolt-gunned him. After several minutes, the manager decided he was still alive, and shot him again. He went through a tremendous amount of suffering and terror--but through it all, he never gave in. That moment will always stay with me.

What do you think of PETA, do you think they make your job harder because of how people perceive them?

Thank you for asking this. Personally, I am a huge fan of theirs. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about them, and I know first-hand that PETA does so much countless good for animals. There are also a lot of misconceptions about being vegan in general, but that makes me want to prove those wrong and not run from them. I think PETA does so much good, that it far outweighs the negatives that are out there.

What was the worst thing you saw that has yet to come to light (either because the investigation is ongoing or the evidence wasn't central to a case and perhaps not used)?

Thank you for your question, and unfortunately, I cannot really speak to things that are potentially ongoing. But, regarding the worst thing I have seen, this was my answer to a previous question: It really is so hard to compare one terrible thing to another and say which one is worse when they both cause such suffering to the individual who it was inflicted on. In my eyes, though, the hardest thing for me to see was the pig castration. When someone takes a blade and tears open the flesh of a pig’s scrotum, and rips out their testicles, there is something deep inside you that screams at how wrong that is.

Hi! Thanks for doing this work. What do you think is the best way to convince people to go vegan?

Thank you! I feel that bringing awareness to people is the most efficient way. Most people just simply have no idea what is happening to these animals, and when they see the videos they are shocked. I feel that most people have the capacity for empathy and compassion, and when faced with the horrors, they know deep down what the right decision is. Investigations like ours (http://cok.net/inv/) and documentaries like Earthlings are so important to help get the message out.

What kind of loss in profits would meat producers see if forced to treat animals more humanely?

Well, I think that a huge issue where there is an area for improvement surrounds the intensive confinement systems, such as gestation crates for pigs and battery cages for hens. The producers would most likely not be able to produce as many animals if they abolished these incredibly cruel confinement systems, which is why some are so resistant to.

Lack of sunlight UV must be something that contributes to disease and illness for these animals who never get to roam free. Why don't these producers see any benefit to letting them run outside? Wouldn't it reduce germs and add vitamins for better quality "product"?

Thank you for this question. There are a number of reasons that the producers keep the animals locked up--but it all boils down to money. By keeping them inside, they are able to increase the amount of animals that they have, and also control the amount of exercise they get. Keeping birds in a shed for a sedentary lifestyle, for example, helps them grow bigger faster.

I just want to thank you for what you do.

Question: what's your favorite vegan dessert recipe?

Thank you so much! I'm not too much into desserts, but the new Daiya cheesecake is AMAZING!

You are a hero and I wish there were 100 of you out there doing this. I noticed almost all your points are based on animal welfare. In my experience (10 year veggie in TX) people are much more receptive to the environmental and resource costs when compared to historical farming methods, perhaps because society has cultured us to feel responsible for our global footprint. Do you fluidly switch angles based on your audience, or do you tend stick with the animal welfare argument?

Thank you so much! You are definitely right that people are sometimes more receptive to other arguments. If I'm talking with someone about veganism I will switch up the topic based on that person's interests. Right now though I am just speaking from the heart---and for me, it is all for the animals :)

How did your agency know which places to investigate? Where there a lot of internal whistleblowers, did you get tipped off by people who lived near the farms, or is there a different system?

It actually is quite random. Our investigators apply for these jobs just like any other worker. There are certainly times when there is a whistleblower who is brave enough to reach out, but that is not always the case.