Undercover Investigations

Erin Wing

At just 25 years of age, Erin Wing went undercover and spent two years working at chicken, dairy, and salmon farms, documenting the institutionalized abuse of animals in these industries. Animals were Erin's companions throughout her childhood, a time when she experienced household violence. It was because of this personal history and her deep connection with animals that Erin was convinced she was right for these undercover roles, but even she was not prepared for all that would follow. Now the Deputy Director of Investigations at <a href="https://animaloutlook.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Animal Outlook</a>, Erin relinquished her anonymity to speak out about what she saw on several American farms, and her testimony is confronting. Foremost in Erin's stories is the constant presence of violence. "Those environments are meant to take away all the better parts of yourself, all the parts that feel compassion, that feel happiness, that feel kindness, because you can’t really feel much of anything," she says. Workers must become desensitized to survive while performing their jobs. Wing believes that members of the public who see her undercover footage will be surprised not only by the abuse shown but also by what farmed animals are actually like. According to Erin, the four investigations that she undertook resulted in one chicken farm being closed and the owner being banned from working with animals for one year. The other three facilities are still operating. Wing doesn’t think she can ever go back to a life outside of animal advocacy after all that she has witnessed. Despite the horrors, Erin still has hope: "I see the future as being very bright."

Deputy Director of Investigations, Animal Outlook

Erin Wing is the Deputy Director of Investigations for Animal Outlook and a former undercover investigator. Over the course of 2 years, she went on to complete 4 investigations in the dairy, chicken and aquaculture industries, including the first-ever undercover exposé of salmon aquaculture in the U.S.

Erin's investigations have helped shed light on the suffering animals endure on farms in the animal agriculture system. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, The Guardian and The New York Times.

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Links

https://animaloutlook.org/

https://youtu.be/GM5lwhO2RvY