Today’s Solutions: December 18, 2025

When you see a really old dog, it can make you feel all fuzzy inside. But have you ever seen an elderly farm animal? Chances are you haven’t, which makes sense considering many farm animals don’t get the chance to live for more than a year. Their “purpose” – in the dystopian thing that is factory farming – is to be born and then slaughtered to feed the two-legged animals with opposable thumbs. Which is why a new book of portraits showing the beauty and dignity of older animals from farm sanctuaries is such a poignant creation. The book, Allowed to Grow Old: Portraits of Elderly Animals from Farm Sanctuaries, is by photographer Isa Leshko and is the culmination of a long-term project more than a decade in the making. The book is profound in a way as it opens a window into possibilities that most of us would never imagine: What would that cheap, supermarket chicken have become if given the chance? If you want to see the answer to that question, have a look at these beautiful portraits of rescued farm animals allowed to grow old.

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