10 common reasons people reported eating less meat—or going vegan—after watching Dominion.

1. Unfiltered Footage of Animal Suffering

Viewers often describe the slaughterhouse footage as “life-changing.” Seeing how pigs, cows, chickens, and fish actually die—rather than sanitized marketing images—makes it hard to justify eating them afterward.

2. Realization of Scale

Many didn’t grasp the sheer number of animals killed each year (over 70 billion land animals, not counting fish). The industrial scale of death turns “meat” from a personal choice into a global moral crisis.

3. Loss of Trust in “Humane” Labels

Dominion shows animals labeled as “free-range,” “organic,” or “humane-certified” enduring confinement, mutilation, and slaughter. This shattered faith in marketing claims and led people to stop buying all animal products.

4. Cognitive Dissonance Breaks

The film forces viewers to confront the contradiction between loving animals and eating them. Once that mental wall cracks, many find it impossible to return to old habits.

5. Ethical Awakening

Seeing animals as conscious, emotional beings—expressing fear, affection, and pain—awakens empathy. For many, compassion becomes incompatible with exploitation.

6. Awareness of Industry Secrecy

Learning that farms and slaughterhouses are hidden behind “ag-gag” laws and private security sparks outrage. The secrecy implies there’s something worth hiding—and reinforces people’s decision to boycott the system.

7. Environmental Impact

Although Dominion focuses on ethics, it also references the environmental destruction tied to livestock: deforestation, methane emissions, and water pollution. Viewers start connecting meat to climate harm.

8. Health Reflection

After confronting the cruelty, some viewers reevaluate their health. They realize they don’t need animal products to thrive—and often feel lighter, cleaner, and more energetic after reducing or eliminating meat.

9. Sense of Responsibility

Dominion makes clear that consumer demand fuels the system. Once people see that their choices directly perpetuate suffering, many take personal responsibility by changing what they buy and eat.

10. Moral Clarity

By the end of the film, moral lines sharpen. The usual excuses—“it’s tradition,” “it tastes good,” or “it’s natural”—feel hollow. The message becomes simple: if we can live well without harming others, why wouldn’t we?