Less than 1 percent of U.S. animal product consumers ever witness the conditions inside factory farms. Brent Ratkovich is part of the small percentage who has, and he has turned that truth into tireless action.
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In this episode, Cheryl Moss sits down with longtime animal advocate Brent Ratkovich, whose journey from personal health transformation to frontline activism highlights the power of everyday
people making an extraordinary impact for animals. From solo street protests to large-scale hen rescues, Brent’s story is a powerful reminder that when it comes to animal rights, silence is never neutral.
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A Spark Ignited by Compassion
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Brent’s vegan journey began in 2013 for health reasons, but everything changed after watching the documentary Meet Your Meat. What started as a personal lifestyle shift quickly evolved into a public mission. He began attending protests with Mercy for Animals and soon launched One Cow Army, a bold solo outreach effort designed to grab attention and plant seeds for compassion through simple signs and meaningful conversations.
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Taking Action Where It Matters Most
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Within two years of going vegan, Brent was fully immersed in sanctuary life. His volunteer work with Animal Place Sanctuary included hands-on caregiving, barn cleaning, and life-saving rescue missions. From the emotional weight of pulling hens from the brink of death to the joy of watching them dust bathe for the first time, Brent understands what it takes to restore dignity to animals who have endured suffering.
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He also volunteers at other sanctuaries, including Harvest Home, Blue Barn, and Welcome Home Sanctuary. His message is clear: sanctuaries need both financial support and boots-on-the-ground help to keep going.
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Building Community Through Outreach
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Brent co-founded Animal Compassion Eugene (ACE) to mobilize local activism. Though the group is currently on pause, Brent continues to lead peaceful outreach efforts throughout Eugene, Oregon. Whether he is leafleting outside a fast food restaurant or educating students near a college campus, Brent uses calm and conversation to reach people where they are and offer new ways of thinking.
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Planting Seeds Within His Own Family
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This episode explores how Brent’s advocacy reached his own household. His wife made the transition to veganism after visiting a sanctuary and connecting with turkeys. Their son followed in his own time, supported by a non-pressured approach that respected his personal journey. Brent offers an honest look at how family dynamics and gentle persistence can lead to powerful lifestyle change.
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From Music to Markets: Advocacy in All Forms
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Brent is also a musician and participates in food justice initiatives. His activism shows up in many places, from Eugene’s Saturday Market to quiet corners where he distributes dairy-free
alternatives and plant-based education. As the founder and face of One Cow Army, Brent remains a consistent, visible force for animals, and he hopes that events like the Eugene Vegan Fest on May 4 will reinvigorate the local advocacy scene.
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A Call to Support Sanctuaries
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Brent encourages listeners to get involved with animal sanctuaries in any way they can. Cleaning barns, providing financial donations, or simply spending time with rescued animals can make a meaningful difference. Many sanctuaries operate with limited resources and staff, and volunteer help is always needed.
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How to Connect with Brent
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You can follow Brent’s work on Blue Sky:
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- @elementalvegan.social
- @onecowarmy.social
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Whether standing alone on a sidewalk or helping to rescue thousands of hens, Brent Ratkovich proves that a single voice, when used consistently, can lead to powerful change.
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Subscribe to Better Life for Animals and help us continue to spotlight voices like Brent’s; people who are building a more compassionate world, one life, one protest, one sanctuary at a time.
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Episode Hightlights
[00:00] Introduction
[04:00] First for health, then for the animals.
[05:15] One Cow Army arrives!
[07:00] Planting the seed of veganism.
[08:15] Brent started without a plan.
[09:45] A family affair.
[12:30] The Humane Hoax of animal agriculture.
[15:00] Hands-on time with sanctuaries transforms.
[18:30] The most effective form of activism is…
[21:15] Food aid programs equate to food justice.
[23:30] Beyond veganism.
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About Brent Ratkovich
Brent Ratkovich is a passionate animal advocate whose journey into veganism began on August 12, 2013. Initially driven by health concerns, Brent’s deeper transformation was sparked by the haunting PETA documentary Meet Your Meat, narrated by Alec Baldwin. The images from that film planted a seed that ultimately grew into a lifelong mission of compassion and activism.
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Within a year of going vegan, Brent became actively involved in animal rights protests with organizations like Mercy For Animals and local campaigns against the Ringling Brothers Circus. In 2015, he launched his solo advocacy project, 1 Cow Army, donning a cow mask and taking his message to the streets. That same year, he and his wife discovered Animal Place Sanctuary, an experience that led them both to deepen their commitment to a fully plant-based lifestyle and begin regular volunteer work.
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Brent’s contributions to Animal Place grew quickly. In 2015, he joined a historic rescue operation that saved 500 hens from slaughter. From 2016 to 2017, he worked part-time as an animal caregiver, feeding and medicating animals, cleaning barns, and caring for special-needs rescue hens. He also participated in multiple large-scale rescues at Southern California egg farms, where he helped remove thousands of hens from battery cages in coordinated midnight efforts.
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Brent’s activism extended to co-founding the Sacramento Animal Save chapter, where he helped organize over 20 early-morning vigils outside a local chicken slaughterhouse, bearing witness to the suffering and even rescuing several chickens from the trucks. He also contributed heavily to Vegan Outreach through leafletting, tabling, and enrolling students in the “10 Weeks to Vegan” program.
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In 2019, Brent officially joined Vegan Outreach as a social media assistant and was soon promoted to Community Outreach Coordinator. Traveling across California and Southern Oregon, he signed up hundreds of college students each week for vegan education programs, until the COVID-19 pandemic paused in-person outreach. He then pivoted to support Vegan Outreach’s Vegan Food Aid program, delivering plant-based groceries to 52 families weekly in Sacramento and Stockton until relocating to Oregon in mid-2021.
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Now based in Eugene, Oregon, Brent continues his commitment to animal protection. He has volunteered with numerous local sanctuaries including Lighthouse, Welcome Home, Blue Barn, and Divine Bovine. He also founded A.C.E. – Animal Compassion Eugene, organizing outreach and protests targeting rodeos, circuses, leather shops, and fast food chains. While A.C.E. was disbanded due to low participation, Brent continues his solo activism through 1 Cow Army, leafleting, and sticker campaigns, and remains open to restarting A.C.E. if interest grows following events like the Eugene VeganFest.
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Through every chapter of his journey, Brent Ratkovich exemplifies tireless dedication to creating a more compassionate world for animals.
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Social Media
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Bluesky
@elementalvegan.bsky.social
@1cowarmy.bsky.social
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About Cheryl Moss
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Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to raise $100,000 for Mercy For Animals to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
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Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books, Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, which inspire young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
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When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, show jumping, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
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https://www.facebook.com/BLFAnimals/
https://x.com/betterlife4anim
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
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