By Gabe Ahmed

For many, becoming vegan is a non-linear journey. Here at Friends of Animals, we applaud those who recognize the importance of a vegan diet and commit to living the lifestyle in full.

Most, if not all of us were not lucky enough to be raised vegan from day one. Most of us, for years, were subjected to the customs of our caregivers, which typically included the consumption of animal products. However, we couldn’t ignore what we knew was the right thing to do and eventually found our way to veganism. 

This was certainly the case for Renee King-Sonnen, Jack Castle and Dr. Alice Brough—and we hope you’ll find their vegan transition stories as inspiring as we did.

Hunter turned vegan conservationist

As a child, Jack Castle was no stranger to hunting and ranching. His father, who took Castle along on hunting trips since he was one, owned a cattle business and fish farm empire. However, against all odds, Castle has broken the mold: Today, he is an advocate for veganism and conservation. You won’t find a lasso or hunting rifle in this Texan’s hands any longer.

Jack’s transition was largely inspired by his wife, Shushana Castle, who was a co-executive producer of the documentary What the Health.

Alongside going vegan, Castle has embraced true conservation: by dedicating his 900 acres of land to being “forever wild,” Castle has exemplified his commitment to wildlife. Hunting groups who masquerade as conservationists while killing more animals ought to take note.

In an interview with VegNews, Castle said he draws endless energy and “total fulfillment (from) not participating in the suffering of animals, not taking away life.” In that same interview, he said “I have a lot of energy from dropping all the meat and dairy from my meals. Making a contribution of peace in a caring manner, to not kill for a sport, just feels right.”

Ranch becomes sanctuary

Renee King-Sonnen of the Rowdy Girl Farm Animal Sanctuary is another Texan rancher who had a vegan change of heart. She and her husband Tommy (depicted above), a multi-generational rancher, once consumed animals (and raised many for the same fate). Eventually, the day came when “the anguished cries of the mother cows watching their babies go to the sale barn could no longer be tolerated,” King-Sonnen said in her story of the sanctuary’s inception.  

Rowdy Girl Sanctuary is named after Rowdy Girl, an orphaned calf who King-Sonnen bottle fed on the ranch. The time she spent with Rowdy Girl inspired her to research the horrors of the meat and dairy industry—which then prompted a vegan switch. It wasn’t as easy convincing Tommy, though. Verbal arguments, periods of silence and divorce threats were all too real. Despite his initial insistence on keeping the ranch, Tommy was eventually moved by the horrific slaughterhouse footage and images that Renee shared with him. He realized he had a choice.

Despite attempts by their small, rural community to ostracize them, the duo kept on their path. Even Tommy’s ranching business partner wanted nothing to do with him after the transition.

Alongside caring for rescued animals, they established the Rancher Advocacy Program, which supports cattle ranchers and other livestock producers who want to transition to plant-based farming.

Pig vet to vegan activist

Dr. Alice Brough became a vet because she loves animals. She soon discovered that farms are actually an animal lover’s worst nightmare, despite the picturesque window dressing presented by the meat and dairy industry. This is exactly why Dr. Brough left vet work to become an activist for animals.

Brough ate meat growing up and well into her adult life. Her father farmed pigs, cows and turkeys. Still, Brough recalls having an affinity for nonhuman animals from a very young age – which shaped her desire to become a vet.

Soon enough, she learned the brutal truth of animal agriculture: “It didn’t seem to matter which section (the farms) were in, or which assurance scheme they were under, there was always some horrendous suffering to be found,” she told VeganFTA.

Brough went into the veterinary field to help animals—but she found herself having to shoot them nearly every day. It took a toll on her, and by 2017 it sank in. She stopped eating meat and then became vegan.

Now known as the “vegan vet,” her odyssey was far from over: She still faced the daily struggle of working in the industry as a vet. For two years, Brough took care of pigs, taking the approach of instilling change from within. She recalls having some blunt conversations with farmers that put her in difficult situations.

As time went on, her mental health declined. She recalls witnessing absolute horror day in and day out, which took its toll. She tried to stay as long as possible to help the pigs, but she realized this wasn’t the place for her to do so.

Staying true to her mission of helping the pigs, Brough began looking into investigations that were coming out and exposing the horrors of animal agriculture. Call it kismet, but around this time she happened to connect with the producer of Hogwood: A Modern Horror Story during an event.  The meetup led to her being featured in the 2020 documentary. Brough became a veterinary consultant and campaigner for animal rights and has not looked back since.

Who’s next?

These vegan awakening stories provide encouragement to anyone thinking of going vegan. When someone embraces veganism and all the benefits that come with it, they make a positive impact.

Are you next?