Most people only encounter farmed animals after they have been converted into food, but these animals, like humans and our beloved companion animals, are much more complex than they are often given credit for. They have wants and needs and can enjoy life immensely as well as suffer terribly. Clicking on the images below will lead you to more detailed information on each species.
Each animal page starts out with links to the wonderful attributes of each species when allowed to live out their lives on their own terms. Following this are links that provide information on how they suffer when farmed. You may think that labels such as "humanely raised" mean that the animals you eat did not suffer. Unfortunately, this is not true.
It is upsetting to learn how these animals are treated. Nobody wants to be complicit in this. For this reason, it can be very healing to visit farmed animal sanctuaries to meet and get to know animals who escaped from this system, one way or another. There are a number of farmed animal sanctuaries near Portland that you may want to visit and get involved with: Wildwood Farm Sanctuary, Out to Pasture Sanctuary, Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, Green Acres Farm Sanctuary, and Sanctuary One.