Relationship of Respect

"I've built a relationship of respect with this driver I see multiple times each week. Our interaction started with my cooperating with his request to keep my hands out of the truck. Weeks later he started calling out "Good morning!" Taylor let him know why he was there this week which resulted in another equal exchange. The situation is so much bigger than just that one truck or one driver. The respect he offers me in exchange has resulted in me capturing footage on days, without his slow driving or abiding by traffic laws, I wouldn't have time to connect with any pigs at all." -Hannah

Trying The Best I Can

There aren't words to describe how I feel in that moment. Trying the best that I can to capture what they are going through. 

Driver Shouts "I'll Call The Cops!!"

I try to respect this driver as I know he is irritated by my presence- and often vocalizes his opinions shouting out the drivers window. He will also disrupt traffic acting out in dangerous ways that enhances the sufferings the pigs are experiencing trapped inside the trailer. 

That being said, my heart will never let me ignore the gentle pink snouts that poke out at me. I gently reached my fingers inside. Not a moment passed and I heard him screaming "Touch them again and I'll call the cops!" 
Knowing that this is the same driver that has already tried to charge an activist for feeding water to thirsty pigs, and that he lost the highly publicized trial- I replied, "Yeah. And you'll lose the trial."
He was obviously offended by my snarky remark and called me a "Big mouth". I tried to communicate that it wouldn't do anything for either of us for him to call the police- as I was doing absolutely nothing wrong. 

"I Love Bacon"

Someone shouts "I love bacon." I reply to the pigs "How can they say that?"

I beg for their forgiveness- "I love you."

Why I'm Here

I feel that it is my duty and honour to do my best to document their voices, faces and stories.

Collecting content of Hannah's connection with Animals

It has been over 3 years since Hannah decided to dedicate her time to collecting and creating content of her connection with the animals and their experience bound for slaughter. All the animals Hannah has made contact with are stored in her library of memories; inside both her heart and mind. Each time Hannah is at the slaughterhouse she adds to this collection and carries the animals with her every single day. 

Impossible to Apologize

How do you apologize for the worst crime in history? How do you justify this on-going mass murder that is continually overlooked everyday by the majority of participants in society? 

"I'm so sorry" I plead.

Pigs Rub Their Snouts Against My Nose

Affectionate and forgiving; Four pigs rub their snouts against my nose. 

I'm not sure I'll ever forget these few minutes of my life; the last few minutes of theirs.

There are hardly words to describe the feelings that take over when you feel four pig snouts poking through a grate at you. Everything inside of me wanted to save them, I wish I didn't have to let them go. 

How do you apologize for one of the worst crimes in human history? 

Hannah's Heartbreak

I wasn't planning on going to a slaughterhouse today. I was going about my morning but I couldn't ignore the cows calling my name. I had to go- to be there for them; with them. When I arrived there were already two trucks parked on the public street. As soon as they pulled into the dock at the slaughterhouse another truck full of dairy cows pulled up. It is unbearable and impossible to describe what it feels like to say goodbye to 3 trucks of innocent cows moments away from slaughter. 

All Of My Sympathy

"I have to apologize for each moment I'm there standing witness to what is happening to them"- Hannah

A Gentle Moment

A gentle moment shared between me and this pig moments before her heartbreaking, horrific, brutal murder. Moments like this I will never forget. This pig was so clean. His ear softer than human skin. He was so gentle and affection; willing to come close to sniff my nose, allowing me to pet his ear. 

We Have To Stop This

I truly believe that if these farmers took the opportunity to get to know the animals and who they really are; they would have a much different perspective driving hundreds of animals to the slaughterhouse each and every day. 

Slaughter-Truck Crash and Reactions

A horrifying scene this morning when a truck carrying 150 pigs over-turned outside Fearman's Pork Inc. slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario. I could feel my heart pounding as I approached what was happening. I've never heard pigs scream like this before.

Activists pleaded for some pigs to be released to a nearby sanctuary as the firemen gently removed a portion of the slaughter-truck grate.
"Ready?" one shouts as they are about to expose on of the most heartbreaking events.

Battered, bruised, and bleeding; pigs who survived the accident stumbled out one by one. "Downed" pigs were stunned and carried out by forklift.

My heart sank watching these pigs stumble around the parking lot; forcefully marching onward to the kill floor. Pigs who suffered this severe traffic accident were detained and denied freedom being offered by nearby farm sanctuaries.

Words can't capture what it was like to bear this experience this morning. As hard as it was for me and as hard as it is for you to watch; Can you imagine what it was like to be them?

Witnessed in Burlington, Ontario October 5th 2016

Someone Staring Back at Me

I am asked all the time: "How can you do this?" 

My answer is always the animals. I do it for the animals who truckload after truckload are suffering their last moments bound for slaughter. I can not sit at home knowing that this is happening to them whether I am there or not. My power to expose their story keeps them going.