for curious students, from Toronto
Make The Humane Choice.
The Humane Choices Foundation (HCF) is a volunteer-run animal welfare organization in Canada. We help students and young people learn how animals are treated, why it matters for people and the planet, and what they can do about it.
Quick answer
The Humane Choices Foundation (HCF) is a volunteer-run animal welfare organization based in Toronto, Canada. We teach students and young people how animals are treated, why it matters for people and the planet, and what they can do about it, using free, sourced, plain-language guides.
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Start here
Three ideas in plain language. You do not need to know anything already.
What is animal welfare?
How well an animal is doing: its health, comfort, safety, and chance to behave naturally. Welfare asks how animals are kept and treated.
What is a humane choice?
A decision made with an animal's wellbeing in mind. We share accurate, sourced information so you can weigh it and reach your own conclusions.
What is a food system?
Everything it takes to get food to your plate: growing, raising, processing, shipping, selling, and eating. Animals, land, water, climate, and workers are all part of it.
the big picture
The numbers behind the mission
Every figure links to its source, and we say what each one does and does not cover.
87.9 billion
Faunalytics, Global Animal Slaughter Statistics and Charts (based on FAO data) 2024 data
73%
WWF, Living Planet Report 2024 (with the Zoological Society of London) 1970 to 2020
12%
FAO report on livestock emissions, 2023, as reported by AFP 2023
863 million
Animal Justice, 2024 Canadian Slaughter Statistics 2024 data
pick one, any one
Meet the animals
Six areas where animals live under human care and use. Tap a sticker, then open its page.
Farmed land animals
How animals raised on land for food are housed, handled, transported, and protected by law.
Open this pageit is all one story
Everything is connected
Animal welfare touches questions many of us already care about. Pick a note and follow the thread.
Climate change
How the way animals are farmed connects to emissions, land, and a warming planet.
Food security
Who gets enough to eat, and how animals fit into the food system.
Land and water
How much land and fresh water our food choices use.
Public health
What our food system means for human and community health.
Workers' rights
The people who raise, process, and move our food.
Social justice
Who is heard, who is protected, and who is left out.
What we stand for
Compassion
We lead with empathy, for animals, for the people who raise them, and for anyone still finding their way.
Honesty
We share the truth about our food system, even when it is uncomfortable, and we do it with care.
Courage
We research how animals are treated and explain it in plain language so you can draw your own conclusions.
Collaboration
Change is a team effort, so we work with farmers, policymakers, chefs, educators, and communities.
Hope
We have seen what is possible when people care and act together. That keeps us moving.
Bring it to your campus
Campus Ambassadors are student volunteers who hold information tables, have respectful conversations, and share sourced material. No experience needed.
read something
Browse the blog
Plain-language articles, with a source for every number.
Help keep it free.
Everything we publish is free for everyone, and the people who share it are volunteers. A donation helps us reach more students, in more places.
Donate now