Side of Truth
Compassion Over Killing (COK) is a national nonprofit animal protection organization based in Washington, D.C. Started in 1995 as a high school club, the organization has grown by leaps and bounds since its early days—today it has 6 full-time staff members and dozens of volunteers from coast to coast who are committed to exposing the hidden horrors of factory farming and empowering others to choose compassion by leaving animals off their plates.
COK relies on an arsenal of strategies to bring about positive changes for farmed animals—conducting undercover investigations inside factory farms and slaughterhouses, taking animal agribusiness to court for cruel practices and misleading marketing, airing 30-second pro-veg commercials on MTV, successfully working with corporations to reduce or eliminate their use of eggs and offer more vegan options, and teaming up with volunteers nationwide to host local events such as leafleting and feed-ins.
One of COK’s current campaigns prominently featured on its website involves urging Dunkin’ Donuts to offer vegan doughnuts and other menu items in all of its more than 6,400 stores nationwide. Launched in July 2009, the campaign includes a website, DunkinCruetly.com, which asks consumers to contact the company about this important issue. Dunkin Donuts had not yet shown that it’s taking this issue seriously, so in Sept. 2009, COK released the results of an undercover video filmed by a COK investigator who worked inside Michael Foods, which supplies eggs to Dunkin Donuts and is one of the nation’s largest egg producers. This video reveals hens trapped in the wires of their cages, a bird being decapitated by an employee, rotting corpses left in cages with live hens, and other horrific conditions for hens. Thousands of people have contacted Dunkin Donuts after seeing this video, yet the company is still refusing to act responsibly.
Those wishing to learn more about COK’s mission to build a better world for all animals can visit www.COK.net for campaign updates, various resources, event listings, and more. Additionally, their website TryVeg.com offers all the tools needed to start transitioning to healthier and more humane diet, including a free Vegetarian Starter Guide and dozens of quick and easy recipes.
Are you interested in joining Compassion Over Killing efforts to stop animal abuse? Call 301-891-2458 or email info@cok.net
