‘The Tourist’ Star Danielle Macdonald Appears in PETA Ad

Actor Danielle Macdonald—known for her role in The Tourist and who will soon appear in Nicole Kidman’s new dramedy series, The Last Anniversary—is standing in solidarity with all females in a new PETA campaign.

The campaign encourages everyone to go vegan to spare the lives of cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals whose reproductive systems are routinely used and abused in the meat, egg, and dairy industries.

Watch the accompanying video to see Macdonald joined by her best friends as they discuss how sisterhood should extend to all species:

“Women’s rights and animal rights are entirely intersected. It is a feminist issue. When we talk about the dairy industry, or we talk about chicken and eggs, these animals are forcibly impregnated. One of the main reasons that we’re vegan is because every meal is an opportunity to choose kindness and to reject industries that exploit animals.”

– Danielle Macdonald

Pigs Crammed Into Crates

Females of other species feel pain and fear just as intensely as human women do, yet they’re routinely exploited for human use. In their natural surroundings, pigs are playful, protective animals who bond with each other and build comfy nests for their young. Newborn piglets learn to run toward their mothers’ voices, and mother pigs sing to their young while nursing.

In the meat industry, mother pigs spend their entire adult lives confined to cramped metal crates, in which they cannot even turn around. The frustration and stress of extreme confinement can drive them to engage in aggressive behaviour such as ear- and tail-biting, so farmers routinely cut off their tails and grind down their sensitive teeth.

Essere Animali

Cows Forcibly Impregnated

In the dairy industry, cows are repeatedly forcibly impregnated to ensure a steady milk supply. Cows are naturally doting mothers. When their babies are taken away from them, which generally happens within 24 hours, mother cows bellow and call out frantically for their young for several days afterward. Then, when they are worn out from repeated pregnancies and can no longer produce such high volumes of milk, they are sent to the abattoir and killed.

Jo-Anne McArthur / Animal Equality / We Animals Media

Hens’ Beaks Cut Off

Chickens are inquisitive and intelligent. Mother hens begin communicating with their chicks before they even hatch, clucking softly to them while they chirp back through the shell. In the egg industry, hens are typically confined to less than one square foot of space, unable to stretch their wings, breathe fresh air, or feel the sun on their back. Farmers may cut off parts of their beaks to prevent them from pecking each other to death because of the stress of severe crowding. Once their bodies wear out, they’re shipped to slaughter.

Join Danielle – Show Compassion to All Species

Show you’re serious about helping animals by going vegan. Pledge to go vegan for 30 days, then download PETA’s free Vegan Starter Kit for recipes and helpful tips: