Former Brooklynite Brings Catholic Teaching to Animal Protection Effort

Kristin Dunn launched the St. Francis Institute for Animals in March 2026 to advocate for alternatives to factory farming. The organization seeks to educate and empower Catholics to reduce animal suffering.

Dunn, a former member of the Oratory Church of St. Boniface in Downtown Brooklyn, began working in animal welfare in 2014 with the U.S. branch of World Animal Protection. Her interest in the field grew after learning about factory farming practices, such as the confinement of livestock in feedlots and the culling of male chicks that cannot lay eggs. Dunn, who grew up in Florida and moved to Brooklyn in 2011, founded the institute to apply Catholic teaching to animal protection efforts.