Few individuals have transformed how humanity sees other animals as profoundly as Dr. Jane Goodall.
Like so many others, her work reshaped how I came to see animals–and clarified the responsibility we carry toward them.
For more than six decades, her groundbreaking research and tireless advocacy have helped the world recognize that animals are not objects or resources but thinking, feeling individuals with emotions, personalities, and complex social lives. Her work reshaped science, inspired generations of advocates, and challenged us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world.
Today, on Jane Goodall Day, Mercy For Animals is honored to celebrate her extraordinary legacy.
To mark the occasion, we are releasing never-before-seen footage of Dr. Goodall discussing the emotional lives and sentience of farmed animals. The clip comes from the documentary Humans and Other Animals and captures Dr. Goodall reflecting on pigs, cows, and other animals raised for food.
In the footage, she offers a powerful reminder:
“They have emotions. They have personalities… just like us.”
On this Jane Goodall Day, we invite you to watch this newly released footage and reflect on the message she continues to share with the world.
These words reflect a truth that science continues to affirm: farmed animals are sentient beings capable of forming relationships, experiencing joy and fear, and interacting with the world around them in meaningful ways.
Yet billions of these animals live in industrial farming systems that deny their most basic needs.
The way we treat animals within our food system is not just an agricultural issue. It is a moral and societal one. The way we treat our planet and all its inhabitants is one of the greatest moral tests of our time.
Dr. Goodall had spent her life encouraging humanity to meet that test with empathy and responsibility.
While she is best known for transforming our understanding of chimpanzees, her message has always been broader: that the lives of all animals matter and that our choices—especially the choices we make about food—shape the future of animals, people, and the planet.
Mercy For Animals has had the privilege of collaborating with Dr. Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute throughout the years to help share that message.
In 2024, for Dr. Goodall’s 90th birthday, we partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute and Dr. Goodall on the short film Voices of Hope ~ Words of Wisdom by Dr. Jane Goodall, featured in PEOPLE Magazine and Rolling Stone, celebrating her lifelong advocacy for animals, people, and the planet. The film brought together twenty-two influential voices—including Alicia Silverstone, Senator Cory Booker, Ellen Burstyn, James Cromwell, and Tabitha Brown—to reflect on Dr. Goodall’s enduring impact and the compassion she has inspired worldwide.
The response was extraordinary. The film quickly reached audiences across the globe, reminding us that Dr. Goodall’s message resonates just as deeply today as it did when she first stepped into the forests of Gombe more than 60 years ago.
Her message also speaks directly to one of the most urgent challenges of our time: transforming the global food system.
Industrial animal agriculture inflicts immense suffering on animals while contributing to environmental destruction and threats to public health. Addressing these interconnected challenges is essential to building a more humane and sustainable future.
Encouragingly, change is already underway.
Around the world, people are rethinking how food is produced and consumed. Companies are investing in plant-based innovation. Policymakers and advocates are pushing for reforms that protect animals and promote a more sustainable food system.
This progress reflects the same spirit of compassion and curiosity that Dr. Goodall had championed throughout her life.
Her legacy reminds us that meaningful change begins with recognizing the shared sentience that connects us to other animals—and choosing to act on that understanding.
Dr. Goodall often said that what gave her hope was the resilience of nature, the creativity of the human mind, and the determination of young people to build a better world.
At Mercy For Animals, we share that hope and vision. And we remain deeply grateful for Dr. Jane Goodall’s leadership, wisdom, and lifelong commitment to compassion.
Her work has helped illuminate a path toward a future where animals are treated with the respect they deserve. Together, we can carry that vision forward—and continue building a food system that reflects our highest values.
As Dr. Goodall always said, “Together we can, together, we will.”
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