Blood runs down an identification tag freshly applied to a calf’s ear at a Black Angus cattle farm. At this farm, the smaller numbers above and below identify the calf’s mother and father. Undisclosed location, Monkton, Maryland, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
As our 2026 We Animals Fellow, Shay Salehi investigated how farmed animals are identified and tracked in the northeast United States. Across farms, auctions, and veterinary contexts, Shay documented the animals who are routinely tagged, numbered, and entered into databases that track them.
This work is part of Shay’s long-term project to research tagging practices across wild and domesticated species, and to develop an archive of physical objects used in a range of settings, from conservation to industrial agriculture.
Explore Shay’s photo story, Proof of Identity, and read on for our conversation with her about the project and her experience as a We Animals Fellow.
An Interview With Shay Salehi
We Animals: Can you tell us a bit about your Fellowship journey? What was your project and why did you choose it as your focus?
Shay Salehi: In my artistic practice, I’ve been creating an archive of physical identification objects used on non-human animals. For the past two years, I have collected objects ranging from simple items such as a plastic ear tag or a can of marking paint to sophisticated, weatherproof GPS-tracking devices or coded wire.
I became interested in these identification methods because they are often among the first markers by which an animal’s individuality is reduced to data. The process of numbering animals, both domesticated and wild, reinforces systems in which animals are understood as property or as units within a larger population. While this is particularly visible in agriculture, where animal bodies are routinely commodified, the same logic extends into wildlife management and conservation.
For this Fellowship, I wanted to expand this existing body of research by moving beyond the objects themselves and documenting the processes by which they are applied and used. I focused on domesticated species and sought opportunities around the Northeast US to observe animal tagging firsthand, while also speaking with the people who maintain these systems. The Fellowship allowed me to look more closely at both sides of the process: the individual animals being identified and the human structures that make that identification routine.
Negatives of various vanity tag shapes used in the production of rabies tags hang on a wall at an animal identification tag manufacturing facility. Each stencil corresponds to a specific die used to stamp and manufacture the final tag. Undisclosed location, Lake Luzerne, New York, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
We Animals: What was your experience in the field during your Fellowship assignments?
Shay Salehi: It comes as no surprise that many of the inner workings of agriculture prefer to exist behind closed doors. I was determined to pursue access and reached out to a wide range of sources. Some people were willing to let me observe and document the standard practice of tagging, and I’m very grateful for the transparency and trust they extended to me. At the same time, I was frequently rejected, ignored, or dismissed.
This was the most difficult aspect of the project—feeling that my intentions were interpreted as an attempt to target individuals, rather than as an effort to understand a much larger system. There is often an assumed opposition between farmers and animal advocates and I found that divide challenging to navigate. I’m interested in creating spaces where we can look beyond individual positions and examine the larger systems at play. Some of the greatest resistance I encountered came not only from individuals, but from community programs and public universities, places I had hoped would be open to facilitating research, access and dialogue around these practices.
Experiencing that resistance is not unfamiliar to me as a vegan and as an artist whose practice centers on animal exploitation. What was particularly meaningful about this Fellowship was having the support of the We Animals team throughout the process. The regular check-ins gave me a place to talk through challenges and remain grounded when the research became difficult. Having that support allowed me to stay engaged with the complexities of the project, rather than allowing the barriers to access to become the endpoint of my research.
A farmer holds the head of a kid during routine handling while carrying out ear tagging of young goats at a small family farm. Undisclosed location, Meredith, New York, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
We Animals: What was your go-to camera bag kit during the Fellowship?
Shay Salehi: Prior to this Fellowship, I didn’t even own a camera bag for my equipment, so I do now! I have a modest setup: a Canon R8, a standard zoom, a telephoto and a wide-angle lens.
We Animals: How much did you explore image editing during the Fellowship, and what did you learn? How might you weave aspects of those learnings into your work going forward?
Shay Salehi: I learned a great deal throughout the Fellowship, particularly around organization and strengthening my field camera skills. Having a practical application for these skills was especially valuable to me. I learn best through hands-on experience, so being able to incorporate new ways of working directly into my existing practice made the learning easier to retain. It was incredibly helpful to have the We Animals team to discuss ideas with and troubleshoot the editing process, as well as the practical aspects of uploading, previewing, captioning and organizing images.
A worker holds a microchip implantation needle beside the neck of a foal before inserting the identification microchip at a horse breeding farm. The microchip provides permanent electronic identification that can be read by a scanner. Undisclosed location, Wallkill, New York, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
A handheld microchip scanner displays the identification number of a microchip implanted in a foal at a horse breeding farm. Undisclosed location, Wallkill, New York, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
We Animals: What would you say to others who are considering applying to the We Animals Fellowship?
Shay Salehi: The We Animals Fellowship is a unique opportunity because it supports animal advocates and photographers in bringing greater attention to issues that are still too often overlooked or left out of public conversation. The Fellowship creates an important space to push that dialogue forward through research, advocacy, and creative practice.
If you have a project that you are passionate about and that contributes something distinct to the conversation around animal exploitation, I would strongly encourage you to apply. Even when you are not selected, the process itself is good practice and can help you better understand how to articulate and develop your work. Don’t give up on a project you believe in!
A pig with two notches and an ear tag reading “UNLAWFUL TO REMOVE U.S.” in their right ear at a state fair. Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
A pig stands in a pen before competition at a county fair. The pig’s ears are notched and fitted with identification tags on both ears. Undisclosed location, Rhinebeck, New York, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
We Animals: What’s next for you in your work? Are there any other animal stories you’re particularly compelled to document?
Shay Salehi: There are many topics and animal stories I would love to explore more deeply, but my research tends to develop organically. Often, a particular story, object, or line of inquiry leads me somewhere unexpected, and I’ll follow that thread to see where it takes me. There are certainly areas I would like to investigate further, but the scope of what I can pursue is also shaped by the practical realities of having an art practice. Research, travel, materials, and access all require resources, so what I am able to take on is often connected to what I can financially support. I’m dedicated to continuing asking the questions that emerge through my research while finding ways to make that work possible.
A white male kid with a freshly applied green ear tag, the colour indicating his sex, rests in a pen at a small family farm. Undisclosed location, Meredith, New York, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
We Animals: Where can people view and follow your work?
Shay Salehi: There are two main ways to stay connected with my work. I share updates via Instagram at @shaysalehi and I regularly update my website, where you can find info about upcoming exhibitions and events, as well as documentation from past projects.
I have two solo exhibitions coming up in 2027. The first opens May 6 at Centre CLARK in Montréal, followed by another exhibition in Manhattan, New York, in summer 2027 with A.I.R Gallery. Both exhibitions will touch on issues in animal welfare and the systems that shape our relationships with non-human animals through my artist practice.
I also love connecting with people interested in these topics, so please feel free to reach out by email!
A partially faded number “206,” handwritten in black marker as a form of temporary identification, inside the right ear of a rabbit on display at a state fair. New York State Fair, Syracuse, New York, USA, 2026.
Shay Salehi / We Animals
Explore Shay Salehi’s photo story, Proof of Identity.
Applications to the We Animals 2027 Animal Photojournalism Fellowship will open in January 2027. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date.
Explore and download more visuals from Shay’s Fellowship portfolio via our stock platform.