Renee King-Sonnen

After witnessing time and time again the ranch’s baby calves going to the sale barn, she became increasingly depressed about the inherent cruelty of the ranching business. By October 2014, she had decided she no longer wanted any part of ranching. She went vegan and began her pursuit of a dream to open a farmed animal sanctuary. She forged relationships with many key leaders in the vegan movement who offered insight and counsel, and with tremendous determination, worked toward creating a sanctuary out of what was once a beef cattle ranch.

As a result of her transformation, numerous media stories have been published and have gone viral. Tommy and Renee’s story has been seen all over America on TV stations like CBS, NBC, ABC, and Animal Planet, magazines like Vogue, Bon Appetit, Southwest and Vera and countless newspapers and online new sites

Rancher families reach out to Renee on a regular basis because her story has landed in their living room via the news, TV story or a documentary.

Ranchers and their families relate to Renee. She realized that she could be an advocate for ranchers. In July of 2018, the Rancher’s Advocacy program (RAP) was launched to help animal farmers transition to sustainable business models that are good for the planet, the animals and the farmer.

Renee’s prior background includes a career as a professional singer, songwriter and recording artist. In her life before Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, Renee traveled extensively with her band, Renee King & Wildcard. She recorded an album called Renee King, Queen of Honky Tonk.

In addition to her work in the music business, which also included producing and being a publicist, Renee was a Top Producing Realtor for five years running in Pearland, Texas.  She founded and owned a wellness spa, where she was a certified Hatha and Kundalini yoga instructor and Ayurveda practitioner.

Renee’s passion is her greatest asset. She believes her true calling has finally found her in the sanctuary. Her desire to be a mother has been fulfilled in the care of farmed animals.  She is a catalyst for change to shine a light in the darkness and educate others about the vital importance of adopting a vegan lifestyle.

Renee finds her greatest strength in the still, small voice inside her that she has come to know through her practice of yoga and meditation.

Renee’s Vegan Transformation

“I am grateful to have found veganism and the animal rights movement. It has changed me at my core. I have questioned so much about myself and have come to very different conclusions about how I see the world and live my life. Veganism opened my eyes and caused me to widen my circle of compassion to include all animals—human and nonhuman. I want to fight for justice for animals of all species and people of all races, genders, and sexual orientations.

The animal rights movement is rooted in reaching out to people and changing their hearts and minds about the way we treat animals. As activists, we learn that we can be most effective by meeting people where they are and helping them understand that compassion and justice should be extended to all sentient creatures. And I am one of those people. The message of compassion reached me and I am forever changed

I didn’t always see the world the way I do now. Back in 2012 and before, I used to have very different views and beliefs, not just about the animals most people see as commodities and as food, but about other people, too. My political views used to be very different than they are today. I used to have very different views about LGBTQ issues than I do today. My former views were rooted in the biased and hateful traditions that surrounded me as I grew up and I regret having been influenced by them. I used to eat innocent animals. Now I do not. I used to fear innocent people. Now I do not.

Today I stand here in absolute solidarity and affirmation of people of every race, gender, and sexual orientation. Today I stand for justice and fairness for all oppressed people including those in the LGBTQ community and believe that love is love, pure and simple. I fight for justice for all.

Isn’t it wonderful that we can be moved by life experiences to change our hearts? The capacity within each one of us to become more compassionate and justice-driven is the very hope of the animal rights movement. Without this hope, our movement is nothing. With this hope and with the action it brings, we are changing the world to be more just and compassionate.

I am the change I want to see in the world. I am choosing love, each and every day. Love continues to transform me to help me do our work—and there is much work to do for our fellow humans and nonhumans. I hope you will join me in putting that love into action and not let the demons of our past sabotage the deeds we do today.”