Juliane Priesemeister 12/20/24 Juliane Priesemeister 12/20/24

Best of 2024

Join us in reflecting on the progress made and the exciting future ahead.

With bird flu leading to the mass depopulation of hens and the rise in backyard chicken keeping ignited by the pandemic, is there really anything to celebrate about eggs in 2024?

While these challenges are undeniable, the movement toward a compassionate, plant-based world is growing stronger each day. It’s clearer than ever that each of us has a role to play in creating change. From the rise of plant-based diets to growing awareness of the cruelty in the egg industry, real progress is unfolding.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the strides we’ve made and look forward to the exciting journey ahead.

Animal Welfare Legislation Challenges

While some shifts in animal welfare legislation in 2024 are being celebrated, we must face the reality that these changes, though well-meaning, still fall short in addressing the deep-rooted issues within the egg industry. This year, attention has been placed on cage-free systems and technologies designed to reduce chick culling in hatcheries. On the surface, these might seem like steps forward, but they fail to challenge the heart of the problem: the relentless exploitation of chickens. Cage-free systems still confine hens in overcrowded, stressful environments, and male chicks—who can’t lay eggs—continue to be culled in vast numbers, regardless of technological advancements. These so-called “improvements” miss the mark because they don’t disrupt the core injustice: treating living beings as mere commodities for profit. True progress for animals means moving beyond exploitation entirely—embracing a world where no animal is harmed for food, and where industries profiting from their suffering are a thing of the past.

Animal Justice Project Activist Educating the Public During a Street Outreach in Cambridge, UK

That said, the growing awareness around the suffering of animals in the food industry is a shift worth celebrating. It’s inspiring to see more people question long-standing practices and demand better for the animals who share our world. More people than ever are talking about the realities behind their food choices, and this is just the beginning. At Egg-Truth, we want to ignite change, encouraging individuals to challenge old habits and embrace compassion. We’re excited to continue amplifying this growing wave of awareness and, together, we’ll push the conversation further—toward a future where plant-based food systems are the standard, and the exploitation of animals is a distant memory.

The Plant-based Egg Market

In the past few years, the plant-based egg alternative market has seen remarkable growth, driven by increasing consumer awareness of health, ethics, and sustainability. As more people embrace plant-based options, they are turning away from traditional egg production, which is notorious for its environmental impact—high water usage and significant greenhouse gas emissions. This shift toward more sustainable food choices presents a huge opportunity for the vegan egg market, with demand steadily rising.

Innovation has played a key role in this progress. Companies like Eat Just Inc. are creating plant-based eggs that closely resemble traditional ones in taste, texture, and functionality. Products like JUST Egg are now widely accepted and used in various dishes, while fortification with essential nutrients like Omega-3s, Vitamin B12, and iron addresses nutritional concerns. The growing availability of vegan eggs in major grocery chains and online platforms has made these alternatives more accessible, allowing even more people to incorporate them into their diets and driving the market’s expansion.

Our Work — Partnerships

One of the most invigorating parts of our work this year has been forging and strengthening partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations. We are especially excited about the flyer project with Kerstin Brueller—now available online and completely free—that offers invaluable information about the egg industry and realistic steps toward going egg-free. Not only is it ready to print and share, but it’s also a resource that can be adapted for any form of advocacy, from street outreach to leafleting at community events and online campaigning.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve gathered a wealth of materials for everyone who wants to engage in activism, whether in their spare time or as full-time advocates. Education about the egg industry and their labels, plus practical tips on leaving eggs behind, is now more accessible than ever.

Our work with Danzig Roost, Rooster Redemption, and The Browns’ Microsanctuary has been especially close to our hearts. These three incredible organizations hold a special place for roosters, the often-overlooked victims of the egg industry. Roosters, who are discarded due to their inability to lay eggs, find a loving home in these sanctuaries. Through our collaborations, we've worked together to raise awareness about the plight of roosters, showing that their lives matter too.

And we continue to support and share content with Little Cage Fighters, whose tireless work, beautiful content, and honest advocacy continue to inspire us. Together, we are amplifying the message that no animal deserves to be mistreated or discarded.

The Year(s) Ahead

As we head into the new year, we’re gearing up for some major changes—starting with a comprehensive website redesign. This will ensure that all the hard-earned information, the personal stories, and the actionable steps are easier to find and share. We want our online home to be a welcoming, organized space that encourages engagement and makes it simple for anyone to join the movement, learn about the issues, and find support in going egg-free.

In addition, we’re planning to invest in paid content to broaden our reach beyond what we’ve achieved organically, bringing these truths to new audiences who have yet to consider how their meals affect living, feeling beings.

We’re also committed to giving our newsletter more attention. By signing up, you’ll receive updates, deeper insights, opportunities to connect, and the encouragement you need to be part of this compassionate change. Follow us on social media for daily content to be shared and engaged with.

Gratitude

None of these accomplishments would be possible without the people who keep this movement alive every single day. Change of this magnitude isn’t achieved by one voice—it’s a chorus, a community, a family. Each of you, whether you’ve shared a recipe, posted an educational link, participated in political action, or simply taken a moment to reflect on your own habits, has played a part in this progress.

We also want to thank our volunteer, Michelle Bray, who has been tirelessly ready to lend a hand. And our advisors, both old and new, who work behind the scenes to keep our content accurate, up-to-date, and meaningfully presented. Your dedication, insight, and compassion form the backbone of everything we do.

Together, we are building a safe, supportive community where our collective efforts bring us closer to a vegan world—one where all animals can live without being forced into someone’s meal plan. It’s a long road ahead, but it’s a journey worth taking as we challenge ourselves, open our hearts, and believe in a kinder world.

Now, let’s move forward and make the coming year even brighter.

Reources & Further Reading

Robin - Rescued From The Dead

This post documents the rescue from a plastic trash bag of a “dead” chicken – a baby rooster – who was slaughtered during the ritual of Kaporos in Brooklyn, New York last fall along with thousands of other chickens.

Robin was found in a tied-up trash bag with his throat slit. Activists were documenting the aftermath of the kaporos on the morning after the final night of rituals, and they discovered one of the bags moving. They opened the bag and found Robin still alive and covered in blood among several dead birds. Robin went through the entire “sin- transferring” ritual including being swung over the participants head, then having his throat slit and being left for dead in the trash. The butcher (known as a shucat) missed his main artery, which is one of the many miracles of his story. Just minutes after they pulled him out of the trash, the garbage trucks arrived to take the bags filled with dead birds.

He was assisted by a triage team of activists and when Vanessa Dawson from Penelope’s Place showed up, she brought him to the emergency vet.

Robin was placed on oxygen, given heavy pain meds, fluids and antibiotics. He went into surgery the next day but he was given a 20% survival rate that he would live through the very risky surgery to repair his throat. When the vet called Vanessa for an update after the surgery the first words out of her mouth were “You have a miracle bird”. He recovered beautifully and now thrives at Penelope’s Place. He suffered some mental trauma from having lived through the ritual and being in the garbage bag among all of those other dead chickens. Any time that the lights went out it was as if he was back inside the bag. But he quickly learned that he was safe and loved at Penelope’s Place and the trauma symptoms subsided significantly. He turns 3 years old this month and is doing beautifully!

Unparalleled Suffering creates a documentary to report on the cruel Jewish tradition (more about that at the bottom of this page) and the unbelievable rescue of Robin.

Watch it here:

Kaporos - An Antiquated Custom

Kaporos is an antiquated custom that is sometimes referred to as Kapparot, both of which can mean “atonement,” or “scapegoat” or “sacrifice.” This is a “sin-transferring” custom in which a live animal (usually a mass-produced domesticated chicken) or money can be used. This tradition is done by some Haredi (ultra-orthdox) and Hasidic Jewish practitioners in the days and evenings leading up to the holiday of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Neither the Torah nor the Talmud - the two most holy Jewish texts - mandate or even mention Kaporos. It isn’t part of Jewish law to practice this. Certain Jewish scholars first discussed Kaporos in the ninth century. These scholars claimed that since the Hebrew word ‘gever” meant both “man” and “rooster,” punishment for the bird could be substituted for punishment of the human. Since this time, many Jewish scholars and rabbis have opposed this torturous, murderous and superstitious sin-cancellation practice. The ritual is most commonly practiced in Israel, but it also takes place in many other areas of the world - the epicenter being Brooklyn, New York and the second most popular location in the United States being Los Angeles. In Brooklyn alone, between 100,000 to 200,000 chickens are killed annually for this superstition.

For more information check this link.

Penelope's Place the Sanctuary is a non-profit Rescue and Sanctuary located in Akron, NY. Co-founders Vanessa Dawson and Steven Dawson began Penelope's Place in Brooklyn, NY and moved to the buffalo area to expand the sanctuary. The sanctuary was inspired by their first rescue Penelope the chicken. This sanctuary is her legacy. Penelope's Place is a vegan sanctuary and operates fully under those values. The animals will never be used for their eggs or meat and we also serve as a place of education about living a compassionate life towards all beings.