Faunalytics’ 2022 Year In Review

In this annual report, we highlight our research, recent accomplishments, and the ways we use data to help animal advocates change the world.

Author: Brooke Haggerty | Published: December 21, 2022

What does it take to change the world? As animal advocates we know it’s possible, but how? How do we transform hearts and minds, policies and practices? How do we inspire compassion and visionary action for animals?

A few decades ago, the answers to these questions were anybody’s guess. As a movement, animal protection is under-resourced and under-researched, and we’re up against industries that invest millions into understanding and influencing the public at the expense of animal wellbeing.

But in 2000, the seeds for the research branch of the animal protection movement were planted. Since then, Faunalytics has become your trusted source for freely accessible information, providing advocates with unprecedented insight into the hearts and minds of those we’re trying to influence. This year, we’ve produced hundreds of data-driven resources for hundreds of thousands of advocates, and we’re proud to be named a Top Charity by Animal Charity Evaluators.

Below, we highlight some of our contributions to the animal protection community in 2022, and offer a peek into our plans for the year to come. Thank you for engaging with our work, and for trying to change the world for animals. Let’s change it together.

Highlights From 2022

Original Research

Faunalytics’ research fills vital information gaps in the animal protection movement. We’ve conducted over two dozen studies in recent years to help guide advocates, prioritizing topics with the potential to make positive change for many animals. Our Research Director Jo Anderson leads this program, alongside researchers Andrea Polanco, Zach Wulderk, and Coni Arévalo.

Attitudes Towards Chickens & Fishes: A Study Of Brazil, Canada, China, & India

Our multi-country study and comparative report, available in four different languages, examined public beliefs about these farmed animals and what those beliefs mean for advocacy.

The Impact Of Diet & Different Animal Advocacy Tactics

Our survey and subsequent experiment looked at the relative effectiveness of 15 different animal advocacy tactics on influencing diet change, and how successful each is immediately and in the long term.

Going Vegan Or Vegetarian: Barriers & Strategies

The third and final report from our longitudinal study of new vegans and vegetarians identifies the biggest barriers for those starting a veg diet, and how advocates can help.

Chinese Consumers’ Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare: Behaviors, Beliefs, & Messaging

After seeking input from members of the farmed animal protection community in China, we teamed up with The Good Growth Co. to conduct focus groups with Chinese consumers’ regarding meat consumption, animal welfare, and strategies for movement growth.

Local Action For Animals As A Stepping Stone To State Protections

This U.S. study looked at whether local animal laws have laid the groundwork for laws at the state level of government, providing insights for grassroots and legal advocates working to make meaningful change for animals.

Animal Product Impact Scales - 2022 Update

This study and analysis has been one of our most well-used resources, and it was updated in late 2022 to include additional nuances, better estimates, and updated statistics.

"Faunalytics helps us use real data to measure the effectiveness of different advocacy strategies and disseminates timely information that helps us navigate how we show up for animals."

Britty Mann, Planted Society

Research Library

Faunalytics’ online library houses nearly 5,000 study summaries, infographics, and videos to help inform advocacy tactics and strategies. Find data on farmed animals, companion animals, animals used in science, wild animals, and more! Faunalytics’ library is spearheaded by our Content Director, Karol Orzechowski, with curation and editing support from Casey Bond.

Global Animal Slaughter Statistics & Charts: 2022 Update

We updated our overview of the total number of cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, and fishes slaughtered each year. This visual resource provides global and country-specific figures, and has been translated into eight languages for advocates.

Faunalytics Infographics

The newest Faunalytics Fundamental provides a summary of the ways that animal and social justice issues overlap, and our new factsheets focus on shelter data, effective vegan advocacy, and behavior change.

Faunalytics Explains

We produced six new videos, covering research related to the USDA, the dairy industry, wool production, the exotic pet trade, companion animal food insecurity, and more.

Research Study Summaries

250 new study summaries and blogs that condense data into actionable recommendations for advocates were added to our library, with over 100 resources available in multiple languages.

Run To Death: The Rise & Fall Of Greyhound Racing

We provided factchecking, editing advice, and helped promote filmmaker Ryuji Chua’s latest video production, which examines the history of greyhound racing, the abuse issues that plague it, and the industry’s decline.

"As a career animal advocacy researcher, I have found Faunalytics' resources and support to be indispensable over the years."

Chris Bryant, Bryant Research LTD

Research Support

Faunalytics provides direct support to the movement, helping advocates apply research to their work. Delivered one-on-one or via small group settings, our team offers guidance on finding data, conducting research, and more. Our advocate engagement efforts are overseen by our Communications Manager, Jenna Riedi.

We hosted Fauna Connections, our first-ever research symposium designed to connect academics and advocates working on animal issues.
We personally helped dozens of advocates and organizations through our weekly Office Hours.
Our new Research Ambassador project connected with organizations in 18 different countries and shared research that advocates can apply to their outreach.
Our team delivered data-driven presentations at conferences including the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit, the Aquatic Life Conference, the Canadian Animal Law Conference, and more.
Faunalytics co-facilitated 10+ inter-org research meetings to share updates, plans, and knowledge with other researchers in farmed animal protection.
We added a new Glossary to our Research Advice Center, breaking down academic jargon into everyday language with examples to contextualize the terms for animal advocacy.

"Faunalytics is my go-to for research to help guide my advocacy. Your team is approachable, helpful and awesome! You also seem to be impartial."

Liz Ross, Rethink Your Food

Our Impact

We are firm believers that the more we understand how our research is used, the greater our impact will be. Every year we conduct a Community Survey of our audience – animal advocates who engage with our research and resources – as well as a brief survey of advocates who utilize our free Office Hours.

97% of respondents agreed that our work is high-quality.
94% had put our resources to concrete use; for example, to improve advocacy materials or to improve advocacy techniques.
82% thought our work is either extremely or very valuable to improving animal advocacy.
95% of Office Hour attendees will definitely use what they learned from us in their work.

We’re always exploring new ways to measure how our research and resources can better help advocates make change for animals. Learn more about our reach and impact by visiting our Impact Center.

"We believe that Faunalytics’ reports have the potential to influence priorities, inform the implementation of interventions, and build the field."

Animal Charity Evaluators

Behind The Scenes With Faunalytics

All of the research, data, and visual resources above are made possible by our small-but-mighty team, composed of passionate volunteers, knowledgeable staff, and an experienced board. Read on to see how we’ve grown, and what our team has been up to!

25+ dedicated volunteers contributed nearly 1,000 hours to our research, library, and overall efforts. We’re extremely grateful for their thoughtfulness, time, and talents!
70+ hours dedicated to professional development and continuing education for our staff.
We grew our team, welcoming Lucas Alvarenga to our board, and Coni Arévalo and Pona Tran to our staff.
Our Executive Director Brooke Haggerty was named one of 40 Top Business Leaders Under 40 by the San Diego Business Journal, and our Philanthropy Officer Liz Wheeler founded her community’s first microsanctuary!
We outlined a new, three-year strategic plan, with an emphasis on growing the impact of research in the animal protection movement.

Ways to Support Animal Advocacy Research

We’ve just announced our research agenda and shared what’s in store for 2023 – check out our new Plans & Priorities overview for all the details. You can help make animal advocacy research possible by contributing to the vital work the movement depends on.

Donate: The easiest way to support our work is to donate! You can donate on Faunalytics’ website, through PayPal, or via our Facebook fundraiser. Checks can be mailed to PO Box 152703, San Diego, CA 92195.

Shop: With a variety of fun swag options including shirts, mugs, backpacks, and more, Faunalytics’ store offers one-stop shopping this holiday season. You can also support us when you shop on Amazon!

Amplify: Help spread the word about Faunalytics by creating a social media fundraiser in support of our work. Our Fundraising Hub makes the process a breeze, and you’ll help introduce new advocates to a treasure trove of information they can use to help save animals’ lives.

DONATE

SHOP

FUNDRAISE

Thank You For Your Support

Faunalytics would like to extend our gratitude to you – to our fellow advocates, incredible volunteers, dedicated donors, and the following organizations for helping us make our work possible this year: A Well-Fed World, Animal Charity Evaluators, Food Systems Research Fund, Open Philanthropy, Park Foundation, Stray Dog Institute, The Tipping Point Private Foundation, VegFund, and several anonymous supporters.

On behalf of the entire Faunalytics team, thank you for your support, and for all you’re doing to change the world for animals. We’re honored to work alongside you and look forward to the year ahead.

Save to Library

Author: Brooke Haggerty

Brooke Haggerty has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and serves as the executive director here at Faunalytics. Previously, she served as the executive director and later as a board member for the Foundation for Animal Care and Education, and also worked as a humane educator and later as a campaigns director for the Animal Protection and Rescue League. Brooke is a former board member and programming chair for the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of San Diego, currently serves on the board for HandsOn San Diego promoting community volunteerism, and actively volunteers with her alma mater's student mentorship program. In 2022, she was named one of "40 Top Business Leaders Under 40" by the San Diego Business Journal. Brooke has an MA in Human Behavior, a BA in English, and certifications in Marketing and Nonprofit Management.

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