Dominion by Matthew Scully
The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy
Twenty years ago, I decided to stop eating red meat after learning about the harmful effects of cattle farming in the Amazon. The scale of destruction was impossible to ignore—cattle farming isn’t just a leading contributor to methane emissions—a potent greenhouse gas; it is also dried deforestation and transforms entire ecosystems. Giving up red meat became my stand for the planet.
In the years that followed, I dug deeper into the farming practices, particularly the intensive methods used in the United States. What I discovered was profoundly disturbing; the cruelty inflicted on animals in these industrial animal farms was beyond heartbreaking. As a result, I stopped eating meat altogether. It wasn’t just about the environment anymore; it was about standing against cruelty and making more conscious, ethical choices.
An Unlikely Advocate
In the world of animal welfare literature, few works are as striking as Matthew Scully’s Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy (2002). Coming from the conservative Christian end of the political spectrum, Scully—a former speechwriter to George W. Bush and Mike Pence – emerges as an unexpected and powerful voice in the animal welfare debate.
The irony of Scully’s position cannot be overstated. Here is a man using his platform within a traditionally conservative community to advocate for a cause often associated with liberal or progressive circles. This alone makes Dominion a fascinating work, as it reaches an audience that might otherwise dismiss animal welfare concerns as the domain of “bleeding heart” liberals.
In his book, Scully reinterprets the Biblical concept of “dominion” not as a license for exploitation but as a call for stewardship and mercy. This reinterpretation challenges the dominant narrative among many conservatives who see dominion as justification for the use of animals for food, sport, and profit.
The Slavery of Animals
Dominion is both powerful and provocative. Scully goes beyond armchair theorizing, providing firsthand accounts from factory animal farms, hunting conventions, and whaling commission meetings. His descriptions, particularly those from a Smithfield pig farm, are visceral and harrowing. These scenes of suffering are not merely recounted; they are vividly described, making it difficult for readers to remain indifferent to the hellish realities of modern industrial animal agriculture.
Animal farms are not limited to just chickens and pigs. Several years ago, while travelling in Africa, I visited a crocodile farm in Zimbabwe. The crocodiles were kept in overcrowded, barren concrete pits, lacking sufficient shelter and with very shallow water, conditions that can cause stress and provoke aggression among the animals (image above). Despite having a lifespan of 70 years, these crocodiles are brutally slaughtered at just about 2-3 years old for the production of luxury items, such as Birkin bags, belts, and watchbands. Crocodiles are wild animals, not handbags. They are sentient beings who should not be stripped of life in the wild or the freedom to exhibit their natural behaviours for the profits of luxury fashion houses.
Animal cruelty goes beyond the confines of industrial farming. Words often fail to describe the intense feelings of anger, disgust and sadness evoked by reading about practices like canned hunting. At its core, canned hunting is a mockery of what some might call a "sport." In canned hunting, animals, often bred in captivity, are confined in enclosures to be hunted by customers who pay exorbitant fees to kill an animal that has no means of escape and no way to defend itself.
This is slavery in its most literal form. These animals are deprived of their natural behaviours, their dignity, and ultimately, their lives - all for the sake of someone’s fleeting thrill. The animals are mere commodities in a cruel business, bred and sold like inanimate objects, their lives reduced to nothing more than a price tag.
Tradition or Tragedy? When Cultural Practices Cross the Line into Cruelty
Scully’s description of the debates in the whaling commission meetings is equally disturbing. That there are still people and countries that hunt and kill these majestic creatures is something that my mind cannot comprehend. And, hunt is not the most appropriate word to describe what is happening. Today, with advanced weapons and technology, whales stand no chance. Once symbols of the untamed wild, whales are reduced to easy targets for high-powered harpoons and explosives. The precision and lethality of today's whaling tools ensure that the outcome is almost always the same—an animal with no real chance of escape or survival. This isn’t just about hunting; it’s a one-sided slaughter under the guise of "cultural tradition" or "scientific research."
Traditions often serve as vital connections to our history and identity, but when tradition becomes an excuse for cruelty, it must be reevaluated. The fact that whale hunting persists is an indictment of the values we choose to uphold.
During a discussion about the book, someone argued that while Scully’s approach is compelling and his writing powerful and evocative, its emotional intensity might alienate readers and limit its intellectual impact. I disagree. The subject is clearly deeply personal to Scully and his emotional reaction is not a weakness but a strength. His genuine concern and compassion for the suffering of animals give authenticity and a sense of urgency to his argument. By letting his personal emotions show through, Scully allows readers to relate to the issues on a visceral level, making the plight of animals more immediate and relatable.
Despite the heavy subject matter, Scully’s writing is infused with acerbic wit and caustic satire. This is particularly evident when he critiques those who justify animal cruelty in the name of tradition or economic necessity. For instance, his darkly humorous account of the Safari Club convention, where wealthy hunters discuss the best ways to hunt endangered species, highlights the absurdity of such a practice.
The use of humour also makes the harsh realities he describes more bearable while highlighting the contradictions in conservative thought—such as the claim that humans are rational beings who nonetheless engage in irrationally cruel practices. By mocking these contradictions, Scully challenges his readers to question their own beliefs and assumptions.
What’s next?
Matthew Scully does not provide any practical solutions or actions for reform. Dominion is more about provoking and challenging the readers to reflect on their own values and consider the suffering of the creatures over whom they have dominion. Nevertheless, the question remains: What now?
Still, the book compels us to ask: what now? What will you do, now that you know? Will you ignore the suffering and continue as before? Or will you reconsider your relationship with animals and your moral obligations toward them?
Perhaps you could advocate for greater compassion for the creatures with whom we share this planet. Or, maybe you could start with small, thoughtful choices— reducing the amount of meat you consume and choosing animal products from farms that prioritize humane treatment. Maybe you decide to eliminate meat from your diet altogether.
There are signs Big Livestock may be in trouble. The demand for plant-based foods is rising, with significant market growth expected globally, especially in Asia-Pacific. And in a world where even the meat industry’s giants are feeling the strain, the call for change has never been more pressing.
What is happening today
The grey blocks rising out of Yaji Mountain in southern China look more like offices than animal farms. Inside these structures, nine stories high, pigs live their entire lives confined in narrow pens under harsh strip-lights, stacked 1,270 to a floor. Piglets are shuttled up and down in lifts, and corpses are disposed of by a chute.
These so called ‘hog hotels’ on Yaji Mountain represent the cutting edge of industrial efficiency, pushing the boundaries of animal confinement to new extremes. While similar high-intensity facilities exist the United States, Brazil and Thailand, these farms typically spread horizontally, covering vast areas of land. The Chinese approach, with its towering vertical scale, stands alone in its ambition.
Yet, as China explores new extremes in industrial farming, several other countries are moving in the opposite direction. They have begun implementing laws to restrict or outright ban intensive animal farming, though the specifics and the extent of these regulations vary.
Sweden and Austria are among the leading nations with strict regulations on animal welfare, particularly in farming practices. Sweden, in particular has stringent requirements for the space and living conditions of farmed animals.
Germany has also made strides in banning certain practices associated with intensive farming, such as the phasing out of battery cages for hens and the use of sow stalls (gestation crates). The Netherlands has introduced laws that effectively ban several forms of intensive farming, particularly concerning animal welfare in pig farming and poultry production.
Outside Europe, New Zealand has also introduced animal welfare laws that heavily regulate intensive farming practices and the treatment and living conditions of all farmed animals.
Further Reading
Shocking new footage exposes cruelty on Hermès crocodile farms (worldanimalprotection.org.au)
Exposed: Crocodiles and Alligators Factory-Farmed for Hermes 'Luxury' Goods (peta.org)
Icelandic government grants new license to whaling company to hunt 128 fin whales (mongabay.com)
Plant-based diets will be essential to the planet's future, report says