We recently discussed the impact of the violence of slaughterhouse employment on kill floor workers, but what about farmers? Should we feel sympathy for the pressures they face? Jackie Norman, a former cow and dairy farmer turned vegan writer, discusses this difficult topic.

Not-so-jolly ranchers in Colorado are up in arms after the state’s governor Jared Polis dared to declare an official flesh-free holiday to encourage people to go plant-based for just one day. Why so threatened? Let’s discuss.

Someone really needs to give the Ethical Butcher - champions of so-called ‘ethical meat’ - a lesson on how to handle their social media because the cracks are showing. From the defensive and the passive-aggressive replies to actually going on vegans’ Instagram posts and being downright snarky, the #Regenuary gang are outraged... and we know why.

The news that a disturbing picture of Gordon Elliott - trainer of two Grand National-winning horses - has led to widespread condemnation and an investigation by racing authorities, only touches on the truth about this brutal “sport”. We delve deeper into the murky world of horse racing.

This week 21 NGOs called on the European Commission and the European Council to stop plant-based dairy censorship (by preventing amendment 171, passed by the European Parliament in October 2020, from being implemented in Member States). Coming from environmental organisations as diverse as Greenpeace, WWF, and Foodwatch, as well as consumer organisations and animal-welfare groups, including World Animal Protection, the message is clear: protect our planet, its animals, and our health.

Winter Storm Uri has taken its toll on both humans and non-human animals alike with viral posts and mainstream media reporting on tragedies such as ranchers losing calves born into the cold, hatcheries without heating and sanctuaries having to choose which animals to save. Was this purely an act of God or are we humans to blame yet again, as some scientists believe?

We curate a small collection of iconic photographs of animals, each one with an important lesson for all of us. From the first dog in orbit to the monkey who with a little help from PETA sued a human photographer and won.

Who remembers when we could hit the streets at a moment’s notice to hand out vegan flyers and talk to people about the rights of animals? Or rustle up some signs and hold a demonstration without fear of getting too close to anyone. One year after the first recorded case of Covid-19 in the UK, we discuss the state of grassroots activism today, how things have changed for us here at Surge, and a message of hope for the future.

An analysis of new data from the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has revealed the EU to be the biggest exporter of live animals. But what is larger - our sense of surprise or the scale of the EU’s hypocrisy regarding animal welfare?

As someone who milked cows for 18 years, I can vouch that dairy farmers can and do have a real fondness for their cows. Like Nate Chittenden in Andrew Jacob's recent article. 'Is Dairy Farming Cruel to Cows?', a lot of the cows I milked had names, I could pet them and I never wanted to see them suffer. What I didn't realise at the time was that every single day I was CAUSING suffering to those animals I loved. How? Where to start.

A ban on baby male chicks being macerated or gassed soon after birth that could spread from Germany to other European countries - that sounds excellent, right? Sadly, it is not nearly far enough and could even be a distraction from the real issues.

Enthusiasts of coagulated bovine breast milk and questionable ethics came out fighting yesterday with a new challenge to mark the start of so-called ‘Februdairy’. We take a look at #CheeseADayChallenge, where it came from and our thoughts on how we as vegans and animal rights campaigners can get involved.