Thanks to a handful of determined animal activists in Philadelphia and Baltimore, an organization now known as The Humane League is born—with a bold vision to end the abuse of animals.

When 98% of egg-laying hens lived in cages so small they couldn’t spread their wings, compassionate people like you refused to accept this cruelty as inevitable—and our efforts to end factory farming began.

Student activists convince the University of Pennsylvania and 21 Catholic schools to abandon cruel cages, creating a blueprint for transforming the entire food industry.

Each rescue exposes the harsh realities facing so many animals.

18 universities and two of the largest food service companies in America—Sodexo and Aramark, servicing over 100 accounts nationwide—commit to ending extreme confinement, proving that large-scale change is possible.

Our shift to evidence-based advocacy ensures every dollar and every action creates the most change possible for animals suffering in factory farms.

The world’s most prestigious university rejects cruel cages, influencing 1.5 million eggs annually and setting a new standard for institutions across America.

11 more universities abandon cruel cages after students demand change, showing how grassroots activism can reshape institutional purchasing.

We launch The Humane League Labs to conduct some of the first empirical studies on animal advocacy, ensuring every action taken by changemakers like you creates maximum impact for animals suffering in factory farms. Animal Charity Evaluators names The Humane League a “Top Charity” for the first time.

Brown, Boston College, and Smith College eliminate cruel cages from their supply chains, accelerating the momentum for institutional change.

From college campuses to music festivals, changemakers like you help expose industrial agriculture's darkest secrets. Did you grab one of our leaflets at Warped Tour?

Global brands IKEA and Starbucks commit to ending the worst abuses against hens and pigs after our first-ever national campaign pressures entire supply chains to change.

In México, we challenge the world’s largest bakery—Grupo Bimbo—to end cages. And they take on the challenge.

Sustained pressure convinces major brands—from Dunkin' to Sodexo—to eliminate extreme confinement, triggering a wave of reform across the food industry. Influential brands—including Subway, Panera Bread, and The Cheesecake Factory—pledge to eliminate cruel cages by 2020, transforming the future for millions of hens.

Each cage-free victory brings us closer to ending factory farming entirely. The percentage of hens free from cages jumps from 2% to 13% in just ten years—but millions still wait for freedom.

The Humane League expands to the UK—where half the country’s flock, 19 million hens, live in cages. This leads to immediate victories at major brands like Pizza Hut, Burger King, and Hilton. Meanwhile, the new Open Wing Alliance unites advocates across six continents with one goal: ending the abuse of chickens worldwide.

The world’s largest retailer (Walmart) and America's largest foodservice distributor (Sysco) commit to eliminating cages, while Aramark, Compass, Panera, and Starbucks pledge to address the suffering of chickens raised for meat.

United Egg Producers agrees to end the routine killing of male chicks at hatcheries, marking the first-ever commitment to address this hidden cruelty.

The state passes one of America’s strongest animal protection laws, proving that voters will stand up for animals when given the chance.

The Humane League launches in Japan, creating a new pressure point in the region where more than half the world’s hens live in extreme confinement.

We lead a coalition of advocates and scientists to create the Better Chicken Commitment, a science-backed set of standards to alleviate the worst suffering of chickens raised for meat. We pressure 45 major companies, including Subway and Unilever, to change the 4 cruelest practices.

Changemakers like you flood companies with demands for reform, proving that collective action can transform how animals are treated.

Changemakers successfully “get out the vote” for Proposition 12, and more than 62% of Californians vote yes—showing that people will vote to end the worst forms of factory farming when given the chance.

The Open Wing Alliance—now 40 groups strong—launches its first global campaign against Starbucks, while 21 major brands including Blue Apron, Royal Caribbean, and Papa John’s Pizza commit to addressing the worst abuses of chickens raised for meat.

Changemakers like you demonstrate the power of coordinated grassroots pressure.

The Humane League launches our first-ever campaigns to hold companies accountable to their cage-free commitments, ensuring promises translate to real change for animals.

The Open Wing Alliance grows to 80 member groups in 62 countries, securing 279 commitments and first-ever victories in Chile, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, and Greece.

Our generous supporters come together to form the Mended Heart Society, creating transformative change for animals.

One in five hens are now free from cages in the US—double the number since 2016—while UK progress soars to 65% cage-free, sparing more than 30 million hens from cruelty, and proving that ending extreme confinement is possible.

Despite the pandemic, Tyson Foods—the largest US meat company—agrees to end live-shackle slaughter at four facilities, while 53 additional companies across the US and Europe commit to comprehensive welfare reforms.

During a challenging year, changemakers in 325 communities across 40 states prove that nothing can stop the movement to end factory farming.

Yum! Brands commits to eliminating cages across 50,000 KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell locations in 150 countries, as the Open Wing Alliance reaches 70 member organizations fighting to ensure that more than 100 corporations have promised to end cages.

More than one-third of hens in the US—over 100 million birds—are now free from cages, while UK progress surges past two-thirds cage-free, impacting 4 million hens.

We launch the Animal Policy Alliance with twelve members nationwide, empowering local groups to create change for animals through coordinated legislative victories.

The Open Wing Alliance—now 95 groups across 67 countries including 11 African nations—hits a historic milestone, while major pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens eliminate cages 3 years ahead of schedule.

Arizona joins a growing list of states outlawing battery cages, proving that ending the worst factory farming practices is politically possible.

After years of defending California’s Proposition 12 at every level, California's Proposition 12 survives industry challenge at the Supreme Court, preserving states’ power to ban the worst factory farming practices.

Pressure on 62 companies—from Quiznos to Panda Express to Barnes & Noble Café—ensures cage-free commitments become reality, not just empty promises.

The Animal Policy Alliance grows to 25 local and state-level animal advocacy groups, and The Open Wing Alliance grows to 94 organizations with new members in Somalia, Australia, Portugal, and México, collectively building unprecedented power to challenge factory farming.

Corporate accountability campaigns spare 4.6M hens from suffering and win new commitments affecting 79 million more at companies like Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, and Wagamama, while 89% of companies fulfill pledges due in 2023.

A twenty-fold increase in the number of hens living cage-free since 2005 proves transformative change is possible, while the UK reaches an 80% cage-free milestone.

Our Common Enemy documentary reveals industrial agriculture’s impact on animals, workers, and communities—and the growing movement to create change.

The number of hens in cruel cages in the US has been cut in half since 2005, while our global coalition spares 100 million more through worldwide corporate commitments to end extreme confinement.

That’s the highest percentage in US history, and it’s more than just a statistic. It’s a testament to what happens when thousands of people like you demand better for animals.

Twenty years of transformative victories prove that ending the worst forms of animal abuse isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable. Are you ready to help write the next chapter?