The inside story: How a small coalition took on Big Pork to stop a nationwide rollback of animal protections

​Earlier this year, the Save Our Bacon Act looked unstoppable — a Farm Bill rider backed by industrial pork lobbyists that would have wiped out state animal protection laws nationwide, including California's Prop 12. It didn't pass. Join Leah Garcés (former Mercy For Animals CEO) and Dan Shannon (The Humane League CEO) for a candid look at how they helped stop it; not by outspending the opposition, but by building an unlikely coalition of independent pig farmers, faith leaders, veterinarians, and others who don't usually share a table with animal advocates.

​What we'll cover:

• ​How the campaign won over unexpected allies, including pig farmers who had every reason to sit this one out

• ​What it actually took to hold a coalition of very different interests together under pressure, without anyone walking away

• ​The specific tactics and messaging that moved lawmakers

• ​What this win signals for the future of animal protection policy

• ​The broader lesson for anyone building influence outside their own camp — not just in animal advocacy, but in any high-stakes campaign

​About the speakers

​Leah Garcés: Former president and CEO of Mercy For Animals; author of Grilled: Turning Adversaries into Allies to Change the Chicken Industry. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in the animal protection movement

​Dan Shannon: CEO of The Humane League.  A longtime animal advocate, Dan began his career at PETA, leading corporate campaigns that improved animal welfare standards at major companies like Burger King, KFC, and Whole Foods Market.