The article highlights the practice of branding animals in the agriculture industry as a brutal method of claiming ownership over sentient beings. Dating back to ancient civilizations, branding involves causing animals discomfort and pain for identification purposes. Methods such as hot-iron branding, freeze branding, ear tagging, notching, and tattooing all inflict pain and distress on the animals. Though some countries have implemented regulations to soften the edges of brutality, the core issue of commodifying animals as objects for human use remains unchanged.

Branding is not just a cruel agricultural practice, but a potent symbol of carnism, the ideology that normalizes and justifies the exploitation of animals. The act of branding reduces animals to objects with economic value, reinforcing the belief that they exist solely for human use. While some progress has been made in terms of animal welfare legislation, animals continue to be seen as commodities to be tagged and tracked rather than sentient beings deserving of autonomy and freedom.