Gail A. Eisnitz

Out of Sight

Out of Sight is both an investigative deep dive into the meat industry’s treatment of farm animals, and a story of resilience and, ultimately, professional and personal triumph. This insightful and often harrowing memoir chronicles the author’s forty-year career conducting undercover investigations and documenting animal abuse in the U.S. meat industry while simultaneously coping with a mysterious and incapacitating medical condition. Due to the isolation she experienced in childhood suffering from an undiagnosed neurological disorder, Gail Eisnitz found solace with animals, especially those who were neglected or injured. Her childhood desire to rescue animals was eventually realized when she was hired as staff writer at the largest animal protection organization in the United States. She later transitioned to become the only female cruelty investigator at that organization, initiating investigations into many issues, including violations in puppy mills and the dog racing industry, ritual animal sacrifice, factory farms, and slaughterhouses. Her continued efforts—ultimately as chief investigator for the Humane Farming Association (HFA)—resulted in an annual multimillion-dollar appropriation for enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the first funding for what had been a zero-budgeted law for more than forty years. The author’s campaign to expose the meat industry was marked by high-level cover-ups, personal health challenges, violent encounters, and ongoing legal battles as she fought to hold animal abusers accountable. Out of Sight is a powerful exploration of resilience, healing, and a lifelong mission for justice, and a call to action for every reader who dreams of a kinder world.