Today we’d like to introduce you to Belinda Davis.
Hi Belinda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My connection to animals has been a constant throughout my life. As a child, I was always drawn to them, and when I was seven years old and learned where meat came from, I stopped eating it on the spot. I didn’t have the language for ethics or systems at that age — I just knew it didn’t feel right. I remained vegetarian well into adulthood, believing that avoiding meat was enough and not yet fully understanding the realities of animal agriculture.
At one point, I imagined becoming a veterinarian, but I didn’t have the academic focus in high school to pursue that path. Instead, I studied biology and went on to complete a PhD, eventually building a career in research and industry. I enjoyed the intellectual challenge, but the desire to do something directly connected to animals never completely disappeared — it just sat quietly in the background.
That changed when I began volunteering. I first got involved with the Coalition Against Duck Shooting in Australia, helping campaign against recreational duck shooting and spending time on wetlands during the season to rescue injured birds. Being on the ground and witnessing the impact firsthand made everything feel immediate and personal.
Soon after, I visited Edgar’s Mission, a farmed animal sanctuary, and that experience was pivotal. Connecting with the animals — especially a sheep named Timmy — brought clarity to what I wanted my life to stand for. Around that time, I became vegan after taking a deeper look at animal agriculture and recognizing that my daily choices still contributed to suffering.
As I was finishing my PhD, I took a trip to Africa as a personal milestone. It was meaningful, but I came away knowing I wanted my next chapter to focus more on service. In 2011, I volunteered in Phuket, Thailand, with Soi Dog Foundation. I connected immediately with the animals there, particularly the senior dogs. After returning to volunteer a few more times, I was offered a role. In 2013, I left my industry career and relocated to Thailand to become their first communications and fundraising staff member.
It was a significant pivot — new country, new profession, and a steep learning curve — but it was also incredibly energizing. Over six years, I helped grow the communications and fundraising efforts, expanding the team and increasing revenue substantially, which translated directly into more animals helped and stronger programs on the ground.
In 2015, I moved to the U.S. and in 2020 I joined Animal Outlook and We Animals. Both organizations are deeply aligned with my values — one focused on farmed animal advocacy in the U.S., the other on documenting the realities animals face globally. My role at Animal Outlook has since grown, and that’s where I’m focused today, while still strongly supporting the mission of We Animals.
When I look back, the path wasn’t straightforward. I started in science, moved into advocacy and communications, and changed countries along the way. But the common thread has always been my commitment to animals — and gradually building the courage to align my career with that commitment.
I’m incredibly grateful to be where I am today, working towards ending the abuse of farmed animals. Volunteering played a pivotal role in getting me here, and I always encourage others to start with volunteering if they want to pursue a passion. I continue to volunteer to maintain personal connections with animals and currently help out at Wildwood Farm Sanctuary and Preserve in Oregon, as well as foster animals for the county shelter. My love for animals was clear from a young age, and it’s been a dream come true to make helping them my career.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve lived with depression and anxiety for most of my life. For a long time, I tried to push through it quietly — focusing on achievement, structure, and productivity as a way to cope. Sometimes that worked. Other times, it made things harder because I wasn’t always addressing what was really going on beneath the surface.
During my PhD, I made the decision to change direction in my research. It was the right choice intellectually, but it added significant time to the process and meant I needed to work part-time — and eventually full-time — while completing my degree. Balancing financial responsibility, academic pressure, and my mental health was extremely challenging. There were periods where it felt like I was constantly playing catch-up, just trying to stay afloat.
Later, when I transitioned out of industry and into nonprofit work — and moved countries — that leap was incredibly rewarding, but also destabilizing in many ways. Starting over professionally and personally takes resilience you don’t always know you have until you’re forced to find it.
In recent years, I’ve experienced some deeply personal setbacks that, honestly, brought me to the brink. It was one of those periods that reshapes you. I’m still navigating the aftermath of that time — healing isn’t linear — but I’ve come back with a deeper sense of clarity, boundaries, and understanding of myself.
If anything, the struggles have strengthened my empathy and resilience. They’ve forced me to be intentional about my mental health, about the environments I choose to be in, and about how I define success. I wouldn’t say the road has been smooth — but I would say it’s made me more self-aware, more compassionate, and ultimately more grounded in why I do this work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the Senior Director of Communications at Animal Outlook, where I lead the organization’s communications strategy and execution. My role includes overseeing our messaging across platforms — writing and editing content for our website, social media channels, newsletters, and press materials. I also manage social media, guide visual storytelling, oversee video production, and ensure our website content stays current and impactful.
One of the most meaningful parts of my work is preparing for investigation releases. Animal Outlook conducts undercover investigations inside animal agriculture facilities — including slaughterhouses, hatcheries, dairies, breeding operations, grow-out facilities, aquaculture sites, as well as documenting animal transport and live markets. Our investigators capture powerful footage that exposes conditions inside these systems, which can support legal action and broader accountability efforts.
When an investigation is ready to go public, I take the footage and findings and shape them into clear, compelling narratives. The goal is to responsibly and strategically share what’s been documented — through our own platforms and through media outreach — so the public can better understand the realities of animal agriculture and the urgency of reform.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, animals were always at the center of my world. As I mentioned earlier, that love started very young — I felt a deep connection to them before I could even articulate why. They were a source of comfort and consistency for me.
I was born and raised in Australia and had a really loving family environment. I was a generally happy kid — curious, sensitive, and probably a little bit idealistic. My dad was in the air force, so we moved around quite a bit. We even spent three years living in Malaysia. As an adult, I’m incredibly grateful for that experience because it exposed me to different cultures and perspectives early on. But as a child, it was harder. I was quite homesick and deeply attached to my grandparents, so being far away from them was tough.
My teenage years were more complicated. My parents divorced during that time, and that period coincided with the onset of depression. That shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time. I mostly did well in school — I was capable and interested — but I didn’t really push myself to excel. I did enough to get by without applying the discipline I probably could have. And, like many teenagers, I had my share of typical shenanigans along the way.
Looking back, I think I was a sensitive and thoughtful kid who was trying to find stability and meaning. My love for animals was the one constant thread through all of it — the thing that grounded me, even when other parts of life felt uncertain.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://animaloutlook.org/
