Update: The event has wrapped! Watch the replay.
People who make their living from animal agriculture are often the staunchest defenders of the industry—which is why it matters when a few of them change sides and start fighting for animals instead.
This Animal Justice panel brings together former animal farmers, a slaughterhouse inspector, and a ranch worker whose conscience and compassion led them from producing and killing animals to advocating for them.
Some have gone on to open animal sanctuaries. Others have become vocal animal activists and vegan leaders. All of them offer something we don’t get often enough: firsthand accounts from inside animal agriculture—what they saw, what they did, and what sparked a change of heart that went against their livelihood, culture, and community.
From Animal Farmers to Animal Advocates
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM ET
Location: Online via Zoom
Register: animajustice.ca/farm-panel
Meet our panelists:
- Renée King-Sonnen: Former cattle rancher & Executive Director of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary
- Mike Lanigan: Former cattle rancher & co-founder of Farmhouse Garden Animal Home
- Jennifer Barrett: Former chicken farmer
- David Magna: Former slaughterhouse inspector turned animal rights advocate
- Edith Barabash: Former cattle ranch worker & Executive Director of Farmhouse Garden Animal Home
Hosted by: Animal Justice’s Kimberly Carroll.
This panel will cover:
- The specific animals and moments that changed their hearts.
- Farming and slaughter practices that would shock most people.
- The beliefs that kept them in the industry for so long.
- How they transitioned out of farming to rebuild their lives.
- What advocates should understand about the industry mindset.
This is an especially powerful panel to invite people who care about animals but haven’t connected the dots yet. And for advocates, it’s a rare chance to hear directly from industry insiders—gather meaningful stories and insights for your own outreach and reignite your hope.
Because if people who once made their living from animal exploitation can change… anyone can.
Panelists Biographies:
Renée King-Sonnen, Founder and Executive Director of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, has been at the forefront of animal rights activism internationally ever since she rescued her husband’s Texas herd from slaughter. She tells their story of former Texas cattle ranchers turned vegan and transforming the ranch into a haven for farm animals at VegFests, conferences, animal rights rallies, and vegan celebrity events. Their story went viral on CBS Evening News in 2016, which gained Rowdy Girl an international following and fanbase. In 2016, Renée won the VegNews prestigious “Vegan Rookie of the Year” Award. No longer a rookie, her voice can be heard on podcasts, news stories, documentaries, and magazine interviews all over the world.
Mike Lanigan is a multigenerational farmer and cattle rancher who, in the summer of 2016, realized he no longer wanted to send animals to slaughter. In the years that followed, he reimagined his farm as a place rooted in compassion and connection, showing that even lifelong ranchers can find a new way of relating to animals. Today, Farmhouse Garden Animal Home is a space that fosters love and compassion for all animals, with an impact reaching far beyond what he could have imagined when he made his decision years ago.
Jennifer Barrett is a former chicken farmer and cattle rancher from southwest Arkansas whose life and perspective have been shaped by years of living and working closely with the land, animals, and the realities of farm life. Her transformation was first sparked by the profound health benefits she and her husband experienced after adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet, which opened the door to deeper reflection on compassion, change, and what it means to live in greater alignment with her values. She brings an honest, grounded voice to these conversations, shaped not by ideology but by lived experience.
David Magna is a former Canadian slaughterhouse inspector turned animal rights advocate and organizer. After witnessing the systemic abuse of animals and the psychological toll on workers firsthand, he left the agricultural industry and has since dedicated his life to exposing these realities and advocating for a world without animal exploitation. As a leading voice with We The Free and a prominent livestream activist, David has reached millions through powerful street outreach, investigations, and viral content that challenges deeply held societal norms. His work bridges the gap between animal rights, worker justice, and ethical responsibility, using both lived experience and strategic storytelling to drive meaningful change.
Edith Barabash is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Farmhouse Garden Animal Home. Nearly a decade ago, after spending several summers as a farm intern, she partnered with Mike Lanigan to transform his working farm into a sanctuary and humane education space rooted in compassion and community. Over the years, while earning her law degree and building a career in the charity space, Edith has remained deeply involved in the sanctuary, dedicating much of her time to ensuring the animals receive the care and love that all beings deserve.
Kimberly Carroll (Host) is a coach for changemakers, campaigns strategist with Animal Justice, founder of Animal Justice Academy, and a director with the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank. She brings her strategic and bridge-building skills as a coach and extensive media background from her career as a television host and producer to advocating for animal rights. She co-created the original “Why love one but eat the other?” transit ad campaign in Canada and was one of the founders of Mercy For Animals Canada — helping bring the first undercover farmed animal investigations to Canadian television. As a coach/teacher, Kimberly has helped empower thousands of activists and counselled those in high-stress animal advocacy movement positions like undercover investigators and executive directors. She’s also passionate about environmental activism, democratic reform, anti-poverty initiatives, and Indigenous rights.
