
VOLUME 8
Howdy y’all from Waelder, Texas!
You’ve heard the expression “go big or go home” right? Well, we went big for the animals in December. With your help we raised a whopping $134,870 which was matched by our friends at The Vegan Fund.
Even with inboxes overflowing around Giving Tuesday, our message about building a Medical Treatment Facility was heard far and wide. Tommy and I are blown away by the unprecedented support.
We are not holding back on the rowdy. In fact, in 2025 we are dialing it up. The reality is when we take in animals, it’s for a lifetime. And, depending on what type of animal it is, that can be up to 40 years. These “farmed” animals like Rowdy Girl (pictured below) were intended to reach maximum weight in a short period of time – to end up on a plate, not in a sanctuary. With that commitment comes an enormous responsibility to care for them as they age. This is veterinary care at a whole different level than companion animals.
The Medical Treatment Facility will be a game changer. There are a great deal of preventative measures for health we can do in addition to responding to injuries, right here at the ranch. Transport is traumatic and scary for the animals. We are well on our way to having a place where a cow can be calmly isolated and a large animal vet can come to practice not on “food animals” as veterinary schools call it, but on sentient beings.
On another note, because the healing will go on for quite some time, I would be remiss to not acknowledge what has taken place in Los Angeles over these past weeks. I love LA.
My connection there runs deep, with cherished friends, advisors, donors, and board members tied to this incredible city. The shock is overwhelming, and it all feels heartbreakingly surreal.
Those of you reading this undoubtedly know that industrial animal agriculture is a major contributor to the warming of our planet and drought conditions that fuel massive fires like the ones we are witnessing in LA. But knowing isn’t enough—we want to end animal agriculture, not just talk about its role in this crisis.
Compassion and boldly rejecting the consumption of animal flesh, in the true spirit of Rowdy Girl, will forever stand on the right side of history.
Thank you for being with us on this journey.
Renee King-Sonnen,
Founder and Executive Director

Rowdy Girl Impact Tour Update
Rowdy Girl the documentary continues to make an impact throughout the world. The film is now part of WorldCat.org. WorldCat.org is a resource for locating unique, trustworthy materials that you often can’t find anywhere except in a library. By connecting thousands of libraries’ collections in one place, WorldCat.org makes it easy for you to browse the world’s libraries from one search box. Kind of amazing, right?
Did you know you can host a screening in your home or private venue? The documentary is impactful and family-friendly. To make a request or get more details about it, go here.

New Animal Residents
We love the phrase “better together” as joining efforts with other sanctuaries and NGOs makes us all more effective. In November, we were honored to work with Tamerlaine Sanctuary and Preserve in Montague, NJ to rescue four sweet Cornish hens from the cruel ritual known as Kaporos.
Our journey with the Kaporos rescues began when we welcomed six Cornish Cross chickens, who were rescued from the annual ritual in Brooklyn, New York, by The Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos in 2023. This organization is dedicated to replacing the use of chickens in Kaporos ceremonies with money or other non-animal symbols of atonement. Thanks to their efforts, we were able to provide sanctuary for Marshmallow, Snow White, Ivory, Cotton, Alabaster and Crystal.
This year Tamerlaine’s co-founder Gabrielle Stubbert made the long journey from Brooklyn to bring us these four beautiful birds—Coconut, Eloise, Miss Lily and Mona Lisa—who now call our sanctuary home. They are learning what it means to live free from harm, exploitation and cruelty.

L to R: Paola Adrienne, Viola Agostini, Gabrielle Stubbert with Renee King-Sonnen
In September we welcomed three beautiful ducks named Samantha, Friday and Joan of Ark. Because their neighborhood was unsafe due to Pit Bull dogs that got loose and killed Samantha’s siblings, the caretaker surrendered her feathered friends to Rowdy Girl where they are thriving.

Membership Spotlight
Rowdy Club members are the lifeblood of the sanctuary. We nearly hit our 800 member goal in 2024 at 759 as of December 31st. Members provide the runway of support we need for daily sanctuary operations. When we know food, nutrition, veterinary care and farm maintenance costs are covered, we can have bold, audacious goals like the Medical Treatment Facility.
If you are not yet a member of the ROWDY CLUB, what the heck are you waiting for? We look forward to welcoming you to the club.
Meet our featured member, Reverend Carol Saunders.

From a chemical engineering degree and career in the Texas energy field to founding a church, Rev. Carol Saunders in her words, “boldly threw out the church model and focused on creating an alternative to church that included the message, the world, and God in the midst.”
Here’s Carol’s why:
“Rowdy Girl is an inspiration to the world! In addition to their personal demonstration of Ahimsa living, Renee and Tommy are living examples of how minds and hearts can be changed to create a more compassionate world. I so appreciate their care and advocacy for the animals, their vision, and their powerful voices for all of Creation. They put feet to their beliefs, which is rare in today’s world. It’s easy and joyful to give to this organization!”
Recent Appearance
Last November, Renee King-Sonnen had the privilege of being emcee for the entire V-COP19 conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, which brought together an international audience. V-COP, Vegan Convergence of the Peoples, is the vegan response to the United Nations Climate Change Conferences. The presence of lobbyists from industrial agriculture companies and trade groups at the UN COP29 reached record numbers, raising concerns about potential greenwashing and the influence of big agriculture on climate policies.
V-COP is having serious conversations about animal agriculture’s dire effect on our planet and meaningful actions individuals and countries can take.

Renee with V-COP organizer and founder of Climate Healers, Dr. Sailesh Rao.
Recent Interviews & Media Attention
Tommy Sonnen and Renee King-Sonnen were quoted in this hardhitting VOX Article on Livestock Auctions
“Treating animals inhumanely has always been normalized at auctions,King-Sonnen says, as a necessary means to get the job done.”






Watch Age like a Badass Mother Podcast: Cattle Rancher Turned Animal Activist
For the complete library of Rowdy Girl podcast interviews, go here!
Save the Date
Mark your calendar for the next Rowdy Roundup! If you haven’t attended one of these, you’re in for a treat. Tommy and Renee talk about high level Rowdy Girl Sanctuary happenings. You get to ask them anything! These virtual gatherings are a benefit of membership.
Not yet a member? Join here with a few clicks!
Saturday, April 5th
1:00pm PST | 3:00pm CST | 4:00pm EST
45 minutes + 15 minutes for Q&A
Virtual via Zoom
Plan Your Trip to Rowdy Girl Sanctuary Today!

There’s nothing like meeting our animal residents in person! We’ll show you some Texan hospitality and give you a tour of our 147 acre ranch that is now home to more than 120 animals. You’ll see the progress we are making on the Medical Treatment Facility and the famous red trailer that started the founders on this journey of transformation from cattle ranch to vegan sanctuary.
Private tours are an important part of raising awareness about our food system and providing education about the complex lives of farmed animals.
Book your private tour here. We would love y’all to visit!
Thank You Collaborators!
We are proud to announce our new Collaborators program! At Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, we are proud to partner with businesses that share our commitment to ending animal agriculture and promoting the virtues of a plant-based lifestyle. As a collaborator, your business can make a meaningful impact by contributing in-kind gifts, essential services, or financial support to help us achieve our mission.
For more information on how to become a Collaborator, go here!
Our most recent Collaborators since the last Dispatch are:

Rowdy Girl founder Renee has been using Boon for All-Ecco Bella’s healthy makeup and liposomal skincare for years. Now comes the delicious Boon Broth that helps stop the bloat, reach an ideal weight, have better focus and energy. It’s a great plant-based protein source. Boon For All-Ecco Bella is giving 10% of the sales to Rowdy Girl Sanctuary when supporters and health seekers purchase their products through this link.

Reel Time Animal Rescue is the first live-streaming reality channel dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of domestic animals and wildlife. With over 551K subscribers, Reel Time showcases compelling rescue stories across multiple platforms. Shout out to the amazing Krista Embry for creating this powerful platform.

All Y’alls Foods Founder and CEO Brett Christoffel pays it forward for the animals with his time, treasure and talent to support Rowdy Girl Sanctuary. According to PR Newswire, “All Y’alls Foods is a mission-driven and visionary plant-based protein company founded by Brett Christoffel. Inspired by his journey towards compassion and sustainability, the company he built aims to offer more delicious and nutritious plant-based protein alternatives and is committed to fostering a healthier, more sustainable world for all living beings.”
In Memoriam
Losing animals at Rowdy Girl Sanctuary is inevitable. It’s part of life here and is just so painful. We are privileged to have the profound joy that comes with making a safe home for animals who were headed to slaughter, neglected or needed to be rehomed. We make sure their last chapter is one that allows them to be the individuals that they are in a loving space.

Letter to the Founders
Hi Renee,
I am overjoyed to be even a small part of something so extraordinary and astonishing (and some would maybe even think “impossible”, as we all know how strongly the Texan people feel about their mighty beef cattle ranches, and how dare a little lady go and break the mold!) as a Texas cattle rancher turning their ranch into an animal sanctuary!!!
I am almost certain you had to have had a lot of flack from other ranchers, i.e. how dare you do this, but you are one tough and beautiful and passionate soul who left those naysayers in the Texas dust and carried on walking in your beautiful Texas cowboy boots with your vision and goal and YOU DID IT GIRL!!!!
I am so proud of you!! This means so much as you know.
I truly hope you are the beacon of light and change and in time many other beef cattle ranches will see the benefit of making the change and saving life instead of killing it.
I have the deepest respect for you Renee!
Thank you for doing the impossible in Texas.
Brenda Robinson
Rowdy Club Member and symbolic adopter of Tom Tom the goat
I am a volunteer at PEAS Animal Sanctuary in Oxford Michigan. We love our farm animals and I am so happy to see your work!!
Thank you, Renee. It’s wonderful to hear that you’re volunteering at PEAS. Keep up the great work!