Out of Sight: An Undercover Investigator's Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival

by Gail A. Eisnitz

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.

 

Genres: Vegan

264 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[G. Nine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible book by author Gail A. Eisnitz. What courage it must take to enter into the hidden, guarded, isolated, and dangerous world of meat processing. This very lucrative industry appears focused on making as much profit as possible, even at the expense of being diabolically inhumane. An industry that would much prefer the public ignore the things that happen BEFORE the hermetically sealed packages are placed on the grocery store shelf. Gail is the voice for the forgotten, ignored, powerless, frightened and voiceless farm animals that many only see as meat. She takes us with her on an undercover journey to investigate why humane practices are not being monitored and enforced. Her compassion for the workers, who are also silenced and ignored by the industry, brings the focus back to the corporate shills raking in the money. This book shares a powerful and moving memoir of a life that is fabulously inspiring. The author’s personal journey solving the neurological symptoms that affected her sight and psyche as she worked undercover, added a compelling mystery. In a world that truly needs heroes, she never gave up on the animals or herself. That is quite a legacy.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping, unflinching, and intimate look into the life and career of Gail Eisnitz. It builds on a lot of the horrors and injustices documented in her earlier book “Slaughterhouse,”
with some additional personal context and previously undisclosed investigative material. Gail went through some truly unimaginable suffering so that the public could be informed about the ongoing unconscionable suffering that every factory farm animal experiences every minute of every day, and I’m grateful for her continuing to fight for their humane treatment.

[Anne Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail not only talks about seeing what animals in the food system go through, which is bad enough. Also debilitating health issues that took years to get diagnosed and help. She is one tough lady.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail's story is truly inspiring. Her work alone is incredible, and her personal story kept me turning the page. This is a must read!