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We advocate for animals through photojournalism. We expose. We educate. We empower. Learn more about our work: www.weanimals.org
07/10/2026
Who gets to document The Calgary Stampede?
This year, as a photographer with We Animals, Cynthia Hughes applied for media accreditation to photograph the Stampede - the largest rodeo event in Canada.
As someone who has spent years documenting animals—their beauty and their suffering—Cynthia knows that meaningful storytelling happens in the tension between those things. And the Stampede is both: a celebration of Western heritage and a site of documented animal injuries and deaths. That complexity deserves transparency and discussion.
She simply wanted to document the event. But the Stampede ignored her request and refused accreditation, and despite following up, she’s received no response.
The Stampede claims to be proud of its animal welfare standards. So then why the secrecy? Why so tightly control who can photograph its events?
Read the full story:
If the Calgary Stampede Stands Behind Its Welfare Standards, It Should Welcome Scrutiny - We Animals Independent documentation is one of the few tools available to hold rodeo organizers accountable for the treatment of animals behind the chutes. When photojournalists and advocates are kept out, the public loses one of its only windows into what is actually happening to these animals.
For some, bullfighting is tradition. For the bull, it is a fight he was never given a choice to enter.
Bullfighting has been part of Spain’s cultural history for centuries, evolving from an activity of the nobility into a modern spectator event.
Today, bulls are still bred specifically for these performances, where entertainment comes at the cost of an animal’s life.
A typical bullfight unfolds in three stages. The bull is first lured and provoked with capes, then wounded with lances and barbed sticks designed to weaken him through blood loss and exhaustion.
Finally, a matador attempts to kill him with a sword. If the bull does not succumb within 10 minutes, another participant delivers a final jab to sever his spinal cord. After suffering this torment, a team of mules drags the bull from the ring, dead or alive, to be sent for slaughter.
Despite declining attendance over the past two decades, bullfighting continues across Spain. In 2022, more than 1,500 bullfighting events were held, resulting in the deaths of over 9,000 bulls.
Behind the spectacle is an individual experiencing fear, pain, and the instinct to survive.
📷: San Sebastian de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain, 2009. Jo-Anne McArthur () / Animal Equality / We Animals
06/25/2026
New Work: What’s Behind Chile’s Salmon Boom?
Fish are often excluded from conversations about animal welfare, yet they remain among the most exploited animals on the planet.
In Chile, the rapid expansion of industrial salmon farming has transformed the nation into the world’s second-largest producer and the primary exporter to the United States, despite salmon being an invasive species in these waters.
This explosive growth has come at a staggering cost. Beyond the invisible lives of the fish themselves, the industry faces mounting criticism for its environmental impact, deadly labour conditions, and the threats it poses to local and Indigenous communities.
In December 2025, photojournalist Marcos Zegers documented several parts of Chile's salmon industry, including fish farms, processing plants, and markets. What he witnessed raises important questions about the treatment of fish, the health of fragile ecosystems, and the broader costs of industrial salmon production.
“I documented cages where men are raising the bottom net to bring the fish closer to the suction chute. The final process, where the fish die, takes place inside the plant after they are sucked in. Slaughter methods generally included electrical stunning.”
— Marcos Zegers, photojournalist
Photos:
1 and 3. Undisclosed location, Cochamo, Llanquihue Province, Chile, 2025. Marcos Zegers / We Animals
2. Puerto Montt, Llanquihue Province, Chile, 2025. Marcos Zegers / We Animals
4-6 Mercado Angelmo, Puerto Montt, Llanquihue Province, Chile, 2025. Marcos Zegers / We Animals
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