Marking its 40th anniversary, Farm Sanctuary, the world’s first farm animal sanctuary and a leading voice in the farm animal protection movement, is taking over Times Square with a bold and unflinching message: kindness to animals means not eating them.
The new digital billboard, positioned at the intersection of Broadway and West 43rd Street across from the NASDAQ screen, features a rescued cow, pig, and lamb from Farm Sanctuary’s New York and California shelters. The imagery invites passersby to see farm animals as individuals rather than commodities, bringing an often-avoided conversation into one of the most visible public spaces on Earth.
The activation coincides with four decades since Farm Sanctuary first exposed cruelty in industrial farming and introduced the concept of a dedicated farm animal sanctuary to the public.
By bringing the message to Times Square, Farm Sanctuary aims to reach tourists, commuters, and New Yorkers at a moment when discussions about food systems, climate impact, and animal welfare have moved further into the mainstream. Look below:
“When we started Farm Sanctuary in 1986, the idea that a cow or a chicken could be seen as an individual, with a name, a personality, and a desire to live, was almost unheard of,” said Gene Baur, President and Co-founder. “Today, millions of people are questioning the status quo. This billboard is an invitation to imagine a kinder food system.”
The campaign reflects a broader cultural shift. Over the past decade, interest in farm animal sanctuaries has surged globally, with hundreds now operating worldwide. Their work has helped reshape public understanding of the emotional lives and intelligence of farm animals, while drawing attention to conditions within industrial agriculture.
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