Leafleting: A Simple Act, A Powerful Result

“People ask me why I leaflet so much. I point out that each hour of leafleting has far more of an impact than a lifetime of personal abstention from animal products.”
- Eugene Khutoryansky, star leafleter

As animal advocates, we accept some basic principles that shape the way we view the world. At the heart of this is the idea that all sentient beings, regardless of their species, should not be subjected to unnecessary pain and suffering. But with animal exploitation so prevalent—whether it be the use of animals in clothing, research, entertainment, or food—it can be overwhelming just trying to figure out how to put our compassion for animals into practice.

Rather than feeling useless and hopeless, we want you to feel empowered with an effective advocacy strategy. We can all play a vital role in creating a kinder world with less suffering in it. There’s never been a better time to do so than now.

We all have limited time, energy, and money. So, when we choose to do one thing, we are choosing not to focus on other things. That makes it very important for us to choose activities that will maximize the amount of good we can do for animals.

With the industrialized farming of animals for food, our society has given rise to what might be considered the highest concentration of animal suffering in existence. The ten billion land animals raised and killed for food in the US each year account for over 95% of all the animals exploited in the US—and this is not even considering the billions of aquatic creatures killed for food! Most of these animals must endure unfathomable suffering from birth to slaughter.

A focus on factory farming allows you to make the biggest impact as an activist. By encouraging people to go vegetarian, vegan, or even reduce their consumption of animal products, animal advocates can help decrease the demand for farmed animal cruelty. We don’t have to overthrow a foreign government. We don’t have to forsake modern life. We don’t even have to win an election or convince Congress of the validity of our argument. Rather, we can make a huge impact by just getting out and leafleting.

You might be surprised to learn that the seemingly simple approach of distributing leaflets about factory farming and vegetarianism is one of the most effective activities in terms of time spent, use of resources, and results. This is not to say that leafleting is the only successful strategy activists have available to them. Rather, it’s one fundamental and necessary strategy of the broader movement. One person can hand out hundreds of leaflets in a short amount of time, reaching many people quickly, cheaply, and effectively.

By leafleting, you provide a respectful avenue for individuals to educate themselves about what is happening on today’s factory farms and to also learn about alternatives to animal products. Rather than feeling pressure or judgment, recipients of leaflets can review the information on their own time and draw their own conclusions. This is what results in true and sustainable change.

It is not uncommon to pass out hundreds of leaflets in just one hour depending on the location—encouraging many people to reevaluate their eating habits. Simple calculations show that with the average American consuming about 35 birds and mammals each year (not to mention dozens of aquatic animals), a move to a vegetarian or vegan diet can save hundreds or even thousands of animals over just one person’s lifetime! This represents a serious victory.

Be a part of a growing movement to help bring awareness of the animals’ plight to millions of people. Leafleting is a great strategy for outreach and education. We know one person can hand out hundreds of leaflets in a short amount of time; it doesn’t require a lot of planning; it can be mobile; and having friendly, outgoing people in the streets is great for our movement’s image.

We would all love to have a tangible, immediate impact on the world. We want to feel like we’re accomplishing something concrete. So when the path we’re taking doesn’t produce immediate results, it’s normal to feel ineffective and get disheartened. Leafleting provides us with a direct opportunity to make that impact. Leafleting isn’t a quick fix for animal liberation, but it does sow the seeds for people to reevaluate their relationship with animals, reduce their consumption of animal products, and maybe even go completely veg.

Every day, every single person makes decisions that affect the lives of farmed animals. Inspiring someone to change leads to fewer animals suffering on factory farms. By choosing to promote cruelty-free living, every person we touch with our message is a potential major victory. So what are you waiting for? Even if you can leaflet for only an hour a month, you will be doing a great service for animals. Check out the great resources and tips on this website, order some leaflets, and find a good crowd. Turn your compassion into action. You CAN make a difference!