Ingrid L. Taylor

Sentient Media •

New Documentary Predicts “The End of Medicine”

A new documentary film by BAFTA-award-winning director Alex Lockwood (73 Cows) and writer/producer Keegan Kuhn (Cowspiracy, What the Health) explores the underreported connections between animal farming and human disease. Weaving together whistleblower testimony and expert knowledge from scientists, physicians, and a veterinarian, “The End of Medicine” takes an unflinching look at how humanity’s exploitation of animals is leading to our own demise.

The film is executive produced by Rooney Mara
Sentient Media •

Researchers Develop New Technology to Read Pigs' Emotions

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen are developing an automated emotion recognition tool that they claim can be used to assess pig welfare on farms. Lead researcher Elodie Briefer thinks this technology can be an important tool for determining positive welfare in animals, which looks beyond just the alleviation of suffering to how animals can have more fulfilled lives.

“Animals need to thrive,” says Briefer in an interview with Copenhagen University, “It is not enough that they are in g
Sentient Media •

Meet the Women Shaping the Future of Food Tech

A new report from the United Nations’ International Panel on Climate Change says that the global environmental crisis is at a tipping point and calls for “urgent action” from policymakers, companies, and individuals to curb global emissions before it is too late. The report also acknowledges–for the first time–that plant- and cell-based foods are a crucial part of the solution.

Women entrepreneurs are answering this call for change. Over the past several years, women-led food tech startups have
Feminist Food Journal •

The Future of Cultivated Milk

The dairy industry is fraught with ethical, health, and environmental concerns. But what if milk could be produced without using animals?

In recent years, food tech start-ups have been asking just that question. Dairy, as it stands, is big business: Around six billion people globally consume dairy, either as milk or in other products such as infant formula. But this demand for dairy hurts our planet. Worldwide, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dairy have increased by 18 percent over the past
HuffPost •

I'm A Vet Who Helps People Say Goodbye To Their Pets. When My Dog Was Dying, I Couldn't.

Often, the words that came to mind were things like: “You gave Cooper a good life.” Or, “I can see you loved her very much.” Or, “This was the right decision.” And most of the time, it was. One of the things I do as a veterinarian is help people to understand when it’s time to let go — before the bad days outnumber the good ones and suffering sets in. I consider it one of my most important duties, both to the animals and to the family members who love them. But when it came to Mathilda, I couldn
Sentient Media •

Veterinarians Play Pivotal Role in Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

The threat of antibiotic resistance looms large for veterinarians. Dr. J. Scott Weese, an infectious disease specialist and veterinarian at Ontario Veterinary College, knows this better than most.

Weese says veterinarians have always been aware of the intersections between human and animal health. As the list of antimicrobial-resistant diseases continues to grow, Weese and others in the veterinary community have been active in identifying strategies to prevent the spread. “Now more than ever, v
Sentient Media •

‘The Situation Is Dire’: California’s Tule Elk Face Biggest Threat Yet

Over 25 percent of the tule elk herd held behind a fence in California’s Point Reyes National Seashore have died this summer. The loss of 72 elk, who faced slow, agonizing deaths from thirst and starvation, brings the population to its lowest since 1993. While the tule elk herd dwindles, an ongoing court battle is being fought over how the National Park Service is managing them.

On January 5, the Animal Law & Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School filed another legal brief on behalf of the tule el
Sentient Media •

Veterinary Records Reveal Primate Research Centers’ Long History of Violence

On October 11, 2018, at 8:30 pm, a truck carrying 29 rhesus macaques arrived at a research facility in New Jersey. The monkeys began their journey at a National Primate Research Center (NPRC) in Oregon, one of seven federally funded laboratories and breeding centers located across the U.S. They were destined to be used in laboratory experiments, a practice that has been considered controversial for decades.

The NPRCs were created in the 1960s, using taxpayer money, to maintain a ready supply of
Sentient Media •

Interview: The Future of Pet Food With Ryan Bethencourt

More than 63 percent of households in the U.S. live with dogs and cats, and according to market research firm Packaged Facts, people are paying closer attention to their pets’ health and wellness during COVID-19. They’re especially concerned with what their pets eat, and rightfully so. Today, the U.S. pet food industry is worth around $30 billion and growing annually, but most commercial pet foods are heavily meat-based. What many pet parents don’t know, as they’re standing in the grocery store
Stray Dog Institute •

US Farmers: How Many Farmers Are There in the United States?

Agriculture is one of the original foundations of US society and has played a key role in North American history. Farmers today play an essential role in the US economy, providing food for domestic consumption and agricultural commodities for international export. Farm products appear on dinner tables, in clothing, in medicine, and in national financial markets. In 2019, farmers contributed over $136 billion to the US gross domestic product. Together with related industries that depend on farm p
Stray Dog Institute •

What Is Agroecology, How Does It Work, and What Are Its Benefits?

Transforming the global food system is urgently required to nourish populations more effectively, conserve natural resources, promote animal welfare, and provide sustainable livelihoods to billions of farmers and food system workers.

In search of ever-higher yields, industrial food production has created ecological, social, and economic vulnerabilities by relying on genetically homogeneous crops, intensive animal confinement, corporate control of farms, and heavy use of synthetic chemicals.[1]
Sentient Media •

Food Upcycling's Untapped Potential

Every weekend, before massive garbage trucks rumble through U.S. neighborhoods, families clean out their refrigerators. Into the trash bag goes an uneaten casserole, a sliced onion leftover from lunch a few days ago, an opened can of refried beans and a nearly full box of spinach that is starting to spoil. Earlier that week, carrot peels, celery leaves, a half-eaten burrito, and the leafy tops of beets were also tossed out, to eventually find their way into landfills.

Around one-third of all th
Sentient Media •

Can We Turn Plastic Waste Into Edible Protein?

A team of scientists, led by microbiologist Stephen Techtmann at Michigan Technological University, has developed a process to convert plastic waste into edible protein. The process uses technology that has been around for decades, pyrolysis and fermentation, combined with a proprietary bacteria population. Waste plastic is heated to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen to break it down into its individual components, or monomers. That’s the pyrolysis step. Then, the broken-down plastic (w
VEGWORLD Magazine •

OPINION PIECE- Dogs Abandoned in Afghanistan by U.S. Forces Deserved Better

During the chaotic events of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the U.S. military made the disturbing decision to leave behind 150 dogs who were waiting in crates at the Kabul airport. The dogs were supposed to board a plane that had been chartered by Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR) to evacuate them from the country. These animals, who were all under the care of KSAR, included 50 contract working dogs in addition to companion animals of evacuees who were not permitted to take their animals w
Sentient Media •

How Are Chicken Nuggets Made and What Is Bad About Them?

Chicken nuggets are a staple of fast food chains and grocery store freezers, known as both convenient and versatile, accompanied by an array of popular dipping sauces. They rank most popular among frozen chicken products, and over 73 million Americans regularly consumed them in 2020. With their boneless, bite-sized shapes, it’s easy to forget that these products come from a living chicken—one who most likely lived his entire short life in a windowless, ammonia-filled shed, packed wing-to-wing wi
Sentient Media •

New Slaughterhouse Investigation Reveals Critical Lapse in Federal Law

In the same month the U.S. Senate recognized August as National Catfish Month, Animal Equality, an international animal protection organization that has conducted hundreds of investigations into slaughterhouses and industrial farms, released disturbing footage of an undercover investigation at Simmons Farm Raised Catfish. Simmons, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, is one of the largest USDA-inspected catfish slaughterhouses in the U.S. and a supplier for Cracker Barrel and Captain D’s restaurant chain
Our Honor •

Anti-LGBTQIA+ Hate Speech at Texas A&M Exposes Veterinary Medicine’s Diversity Problem —

In the midst of Pride Month at Texas A&M, Vince Hardy, a program coordinator in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, responded to a fundraising invitation for the Trevor Project, an organization focused on suicide prevention in LGBTQIA+ youth, with the following, “I realize that sexual deviations are on the increase in today’s society (and are even being accepted as normal by many),” and “I do not promote nor celebrate sexual perversions. Rampant sexual perversion and the killing of poor i
Sentient Media •

Endangered Elk Starve While the National Park Service Stands By

This summer, as California is experiencing some of the hottest conditions on record, around 293 endangered tule elk isolated on the Point Reyes National Seashore are in a fight for their lives—with no help from the National Park Service, the organization tasked with their protection. Confined behind an eight-foot fence erected by the Park Service to keep the elk away from nearby cattle ranches and within a 2,600-acre parcel known as the Tomales Point Elk Reserve, many of these elk face painful,
Sentient Media •

Fish Farming Giant Faces Animal Abuse Allegations

In production systems where animals are bred and raised to be used for food, animal pain and suffering are often viewed as the cost of doing business. While there is increasing consumer awareness of animal suffering in industries like meat and dairy, this consideration is rarely extended to fish. Between 51 and 167 billion farmed fish are killed annually for global food production, with people in the United States spending $102 billion per year on fish for consumption. Much of this is salmon and

BHRSC's Hound Haul Explained!

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Hi everybody! My name is Boogs and I can’t wait to meet you soon! I am a very sweet, happy 8-year-old boy looking for my forever family. I am house trained, and I lived with the same owner in Texas for a long time. But then my owner got cancer – I don’t know what that is but it must be bad, because they weren’t able to take care of me anymore.



Thankfully, rescuers in Texas saved me and BHRSC brought me out here for a new lease on life!



I just have to

Bids & Bites for Bassets is Just Around the Corner!

Hi everybody! My name is Philo, and I’m 7 years old. My name is Greek for “lover” and boy do I love life! I love to tell everybody about it too! I have “personality plus” and I love to meet new people and see new places. Could this include your home? I came from Utah in the big hound haul, and I really like to get out and explore this new Southern California thing so I can figure out how best to be a good SoCal surfer boy (I will try to refrain from counter surfing, but I can’t promise everythin
IDA USA •

The Hidden Cost of Dairy

It sounds like a scene from a horror film….

On February 16, 2016, dairy worker Ruperto Vazquez-Carrera began his shift at Sunrise Organic Dairy Farm in Idaho. Ten hours later, his submerged body was found, after Ruperto drowned in a 20 acre manure pit.

Sadly, this wasn’t the first time that a dairy worker suffered such a gruesome death. In 2015, in a similar incident, Randy Vasquez drowned in a manure pit at a dairy in Washington. Once again, his body was not discovered for hours.

Consumer de
IDA USA •

Factory Farms - Destroying Communities

Residents of Cass County, North Dakota are alarmed over the state’s plans to allow the establishment of a 9,000 pig factory farm near Buffalo. In a series of letters to Inforum, North Dakota residents have raised concerns ranging from compromised air quality, increased pollution, impact on local economy and health, and animal welfare. As one citizen put it, “The environmental impact and the health and well-being of North Dakota will be forever compromised if approved.”

People living in Cass Cou
IDA USA •

Eating a Veg Diet Can Save the Environment

Compelling new research shows that plant based diets are key to saving the environment. In a study published this April, a group of Austrian researchers looked at whether it was possible to feed the world without further deforestation. According to the researchers, three-quarters of the Earth’s landmass is currently being used by humans, and every day our natural resources are shrinking. Huge amounts of global forests continue to be converted into agricultural land, particularly in tropical area
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