Mercy for Animals facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | MFA |
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| Formation | 1999 |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Purpose | Animal rights, animal welfare |
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Region served
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United States, Canada, Brazil, Latin America, India, Asia |
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President
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Leah Garcés |
Mercy For Animals (MFA) is a global non-profit organization that works to protect animals. It was started in 1999 by Milo Runkle. MFA's goal is to stop cruelty to farm animals. They also encourage people to choose kinder food options and support better laws for animals.
Contents
History of the Organization
How It All Started (1999–2007)
Milo Runkle founded MFA when he was a high school student in Ohio. An event in his biology class inspired him to take action. A student worker from a farm handled a live piglet very roughly in front of the class. Even though many people were upset, it was ruled that the student's actions were allowed under farming rules at the time.
Milo felt this was wrong and decided to start an organization to protect farm animals.
MFA began its first investigations in 2001. Team members went into two large egg farms in Ohio. They filmed the conditions and helped birds that were sick or didn't have water. This type of work is called an open rescue.
The videos they took were shown on the news in Ohio. This helped show the public what was happening on some farms. In 2002, MFA filmed inside another Ohio egg farm. The video showed that some hens were not being cared for properly. MFA used this footage to question a "humanely raised" label the farm was using.
Using Undercover Videos for Change (2008–2010)
MFA investigators often get jobs at factory farms and meat processing plants. This allows them to film what happens every day. These videos can show ongoing problems with how animals are treated. This evidence helps MFA push for better animal welfare rules.
In 2008, MFA helped with a campaign in California for Proposition 2. This was a proposed law to give farm animals more space. It required that hens, pigs, and calves have enough room to stand up, lie down, and turn around. Just before the vote, MFA released videos from two large California egg farms. The law passed, becoming a major step forward for farm animal protection in the U.S.
A year later, an MFA investigation in Maine showed workers at an egg farm treating birds poorly. The farm owner had to pay a large fine for animal cruelty.
In 2010, MFA and other groups campaigned for better animal protection laws in Ohio. After MFA released a video from an Ohio dairy farm showing workers harming cows, farm leaders agreed to talk. This led to new rules to improve the welfare of farm animals in the state.
Expanding Its Work (2011–2013)
In 2012, MFA began working in Canada. Their first investigation into the Canadian pork industry showed poor conditions for pigs. This led to Canada's eight largest grocery stores promising to stop using small pens called gestation crates. The Canadian pork industry also agreed to make changes.
An MFA video from an egg supplier for McDonald's Canada also caused a big public reaction. Soon after, McDonald's announced it would stop using eggs from caged hens in North America. Many other Canadian food companies did the same.
In the U.S., MFA investigated turkey farms that supplied the brand Butterball. The videos were shown on major news channels like CNN and NBC. Because of the footage, five employees were found guilty of animal cruelty. This was the first time in U.S. history that someone received a serious conviction for cruelty to farmed birds.
The next year, an MFA investigation at a Wisconsin dairy farm that supplied Nestlé's DiGiorno Pizza brand got a lot of media attention. Afterward, Nestlé, one of the world's largest food companies, created a new animal welfare policy.
Global Growth and Big Wins (2014–2016)
After its success with Nestlé, MFA encouraged other large cheese companies like Leprino Foods and Saputo to improve their animal welfare policies.
In 2015, after several MFA investigations and campaigns, Walmart agreed to ban small cages and crates from its U.S. supply chains. Many other major U.S. and Canadian grocery stores also promised to sell only cage-free eggs.
In 2016, MFA launched The Good Food Institute. This organization works to create a food system that is healthy, kind to animals, and good for the planet. It supports companies that make plant-based foods.
That same year, MFA expanded to Brazil, Mexico, India, and Asia. An investigation in Mexico showed poor conditions in government-run slaughterhouses. The video, narrated by Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez, was shared widely.
Working for New Laws (2017–2019)
After the investigations in Mexico, MFA worked with lawmakers to introduce a new bill to improve how animals are treated in slaughterhouses.
In 2018, MFA helped convince Carrefour, the largest supermarket in Brazil, to stop using eggs from hens kept in small cages. Many other big brands in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil also promised to make changes for animals.
MFA also began using drones to film factory farms from the air. These videos have been viewed by millions of people. An investigation into California's fishing industry showed dolphins and other sea animals being caught in large nets. This footage helped support a new law to ban these types of nets.
Recent Work (2020s)
A 2020 investigation in Brazil looked at the live export industry. It showed animals traveling for weeks on large ships in crowded and dirty conditions.
In 2023, the organization received a B+ rating for how it manages its finances. MFA celebrated its 25th anniversary with a party in April 2024. They gave awards to groups like Beyond Meat and to Gwenna Hunter, who started the first vegan food bank in Los Angeles. In August 2024, MFA helped get a promise from the UK supermarket Tesco to improve the welfare of shrimp.
Transfarmation Project
In 2019, MFA's president, Leah Garcés, started a project called Transfarmation. This program helps farmers switch from raising animals to growing plants, like mushrooms. In 2024, Garcés published a book about this project.
See also
- List of animal rights groups
