2004 marked another truly successful year in Mercy For Animals' work to end animal cruelty wherever it is found. In our effort to create a culture where all animal are treated with the respect and compassion they deserve, in the past year MFA has:

Developed a new comprehensive 32-page Vegetarian Starter Kit which includes everything needed to adopt a healthy and humane diet. Packed full of powerful information, useful tips, and mouth-watering recipes, MFA’s Starter Kit has widely been referred to as one of the most in-depth, well-researched, and persuasive pieces of vegetarian literature available. Click here to order your copy.

Launched a groundbreaking, 30-second vegetarian commercial on MTV stations across the country. The ad exposes factory farm cruelty to teenage viewers, the demographic most likely to adopt and maintain a vegetarian diet. Thousands of viewers have contacted MFA to request information and share how deeply they were touched and moved to action. The commercial has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

Conducted over 130 educational outreach events, including lectures by our humane educators at high schools and colleges, exhibits at festivals and conferences, and leafleting events on busy street corners. MFA’s new “body screen” TV and mobile “faunette,” which give pedestrians a glimpse of the harsh reality of animal agriculture through video footage, have been very useful at many of these events.

Expanded our popular Veg-Friendly Ohio Campaign. Ohioans and visitors to the Buckeye state can now quickly find cruelty-free meals with MFA’s expanded, second-edition Veg-Friendly Ohio Guide as well as the redesigned and updated VegOhio.com website. Over 100 establishments now proudly display MFA’s “Vegetarian-Friendly” window decal. MFA’s Veg-Friendly Ohio campaign coordinators have been working with a growing number of restaurants to implement and expand vegetarian options.

Created ChooseVeg.com, a website containing compelling information, photographs, and video footage covering the many reasons to eliminate animal products from your shopping list. Visitors can search from hundreds of delicious cruelty-free recipes for any occasion.

Distributed over 40,000 pieces of vegetarian literature during outreach events and through information requests.

Underwent an image change with a fresh new logo. Featuring the images of a chicken, rabbit, and fish, three of the most abused and exploited animals; the logo demonstrates MFA’s motto of being “a voice for the rights of all animals.” Click here to browse MFA’s new logo merchandise.

Exposed animal cruelty in the Ringling Brothers Circus by staging demonstrations that garnered media attention on opening night in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. In Cincinnati, MFA activist Jason Zeh made headlines when he stormed the center ring of the world’s largest circus and unfurled a banner reading “Ringling Tortures Animals.”

Launched a chilling TV commercial that took viewers behind the big top, giving a rarely seen glimpse of what life is really like for the animal "performers" imprisoned in the circus. The chilling ad, which hit the airwaves in Cincinnati just a week and half before the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus arrived at the US Bank Arena, contained shocking undercover footage of circus trainers viciously beating elephants with bullhooks while yelling "Make' em Scream!" Click here to view the commercial.

Spoke out against the violent fur industry by staging headline-grabbing demonstrations in Cleveland, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus. Thousands of viewers in every major Ohio city were shown that the real price of fur is animal cruelty when MFA's heart-wrenching anti-fur commercial hit Home & Garden, MTV, and BET. The ads urged consumers not to let the cold weather penetrate their hearts by refusing to buy fur. Click here to view the commercial.

These efforts are truly saving lives. Nearly every day MFA hears from individuals, couples, and families who have encountered one of our volunteers face-to-face, picked up a piece of our literature at a local business, or seen our commercials on TV. They are forever changed.

Please help us make 2005 MFA’s most successful year yet. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to support our crucial work.