the face of a pig on its way to the slaughterhouse A\J AlternativesJournal.ca
Activists, Artists, Campaigns

Mercy Me

Photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur bears witness to the journey from pig to pork in her documentary photography project, We Animals.
BY Jo-Anne McArthur on

More in Activists:

JO-ANNE MCARTHUR’S PHOTO ESSAY in Lifecycles features a handful of heart-shattering windows into the way pigs are trafficked in their final moments, courtesy of McArthur’s unflinching eye. Buy the issue for the story behind these photos and more.


Inside a small-scale slaughterhouse. …Although the graphic nature of this photo doesn’t make it obvious, this is what humane meat looks like.

JO-ANNE MCARTHUR’S PHOTO ESSAY in Lifecycles features a handful of heart-shattering windows into the way pigs are trafficked in their final moments, courtesy of McArthur’s unflinching eye. Buy the issue for the story behind these photos and more.


Inside a small-scale slaughterhouse. …Although the graphic nature of this photo doesn’t make it obvious, this is what humane meat looks like.


Exclusive online photo: Minutes before death at an abattoir, from We Animals.

Property or Sentient?

“Sentient beings feel pleasure, pain, fear and attachment. Biologically, sentient beings have a nervous system, which allows them to innately experience these feelings. Sentient creatures will seek pleasure, will react to fear and, most significantly, avoid suffering and pain in order to live. Animal rights are based on the idea that non-human animals, like humans, are sentient beings; and like humans, non-human animals have an interest in preserving their own lives.” – From the website for The Ghosts in Our Machine, a documentary from Toronto filmmaker Liz Marshall that profiles McArthur’s work with Toronto Pig Save and other causes.

What you can do

Support We Animals by buying prints, making donations and making lifestyle changes. Learn more and get involved with Toronto Pig Save. Find or host a screening of The Ghosts in Our Machine. See more of Jo-Anne’s work at the Fur Trim is a Trap website.

We’ve got interviews with Jo-Anne McArthur and The Ghosts in our Machine creator Liz Marshall in the Lifecycles podcast.

Watch The Ghosts in Our Machine at the Princess Cinema on October 3, 2013, as part of A\J’s Planet in Focus KW film series.