Along with the triumph of Obama, yesterday’s election was also a triumph for the animals, as Americans voted for more compassion.

California’s Proposition 2 passed with 62% of the vote, ensuring much more humane confinement and compassionate treatment for 20 million chickens, pigs, cows and other farmed animals in that state each year. This was a huge victory, and is expected to catalyze change throughout the U.S. Proposition 2’s success also sends a strong signal to the meat industries that Americans will no longer tolerate extreme cruelty in the name of profit.

A smaller, though also wonderful, victory was Massachusetts’ Proposition 3 , which bans greyhound racing in the state. It, too, passed by a wide margin.