Michele Waldman turned a lifelong dream into a transformative mission: creating Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary in suburban Maryland to bring the realities of farmed animal suffering to the heart of communities.
Michele is on a mission to shift hearts and minds about animal agriculture. Inspired by a shocking PETA display during her college days at UC Berkeley, she became vegetarian, and later vegan, after discovering the horrors of the dairy and egg industries. But her most impactful contribution came decades later, when she launched Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary on just five acres nestled in a residential neighborhood near Washington, D.C.
Creating a Compassionate Model for Urban Animal Sanctuaries
Unlike most farm sanctuaries situated in remote areas, Rosie’s operates within a suburban community. This proximity to schools, religious centers, and neighborhoods means people can
encounter farmed animals as neighbors, not distant spectacles. Visitors, including schoolchildren and families, interact directly with rescued animals, touching, feeding, and naming them. This intimacy fosters empathy and challenges the psychological barriers that allow people to compartmentalize animal suffering.
Trauma, Empathy, and the Power of Personal Connection
Michele’s background as a trauma therapist uniquely informs her advocacy. She draws connections between human trauma and the exploitation of animals, helping visitors understand that pain, fear, and grief are not exclusive to humans. Her compassionate, non-judgmental approach invites people to reflect on their choices without shame, an essential part of her sanctuary’s educational mission.
Educational Impact Through Youth Leadership
Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary is not only home to rescued sheep, pigs, goats, cows, and chickens, it’s also a hub for humane education. High school students participate in internship programs like LEAP, learning animal care, advocacy, and even sanctuary operations. These teens influence their households and peer groups, creating ripple effects that extend well beyond the sanctuary gates.
Creative Fundraising and Community Engagement
Funding a sanctuary is never easy. Michele and her team get creative with events like “Paint & Sip with Pigs,” where guests enjoy refreshments while creating art with the help of snout-painted pigs. These events raise essential funds while deepening participants’ connection to the animals.
Advocacy Meets Action Near the Nation’s Capital
Located near Washington, D.C., Rosie’s has also become a platform for legislative activism. The sanctuary hosted the launch of Maryland’s Cage-Free bill and Michele has testified in the state legislature. By merging grassroots compassion with policy advocacy, Rosie’s amplifies its impact on animal welfare.
A Call to Action for Animal Advocacy
Michele’s story is a testament to the power of belief and persistence. “Everyone can do something,” she says. Whether it’s donating, volunteering, shifting to a plant-based diet, or starting a small sanctuary, each act contributes to a better life for animals.
Visit rosiesfarmsanctuary.org to learn more, volunteer, donate, or find inspiration for your own advocacy journey.
About Michele Waldman
Michele Waldman is the Founder and President of Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary. Michele is a licensed psychotherapist focusing on trauma and relationship issues. Michele graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies, hence her love of nature and ecology. She received a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integrated Studies in San Francisco and a Master’s in Latin American Studies with a focus in International Marketing from UCLA. Michele was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and spent her childhood in Australia. She has worked and lived in 40 countries around the world.
Michele is deeply involved with animal activism and animal rights. She was first made aware of the suffering of animals in the food industry by PETA when she was a student at UC Berkeley. She became a vegetarian right away and became vegan later in life – after learning about the atrocities of the dairy and egg industries. Michele started her journey in animal activism by volunteering at animal sanctuaries in California and helping to rescue calves from the dairy industry. It was her lifelong dream to open an animal sanctuary.
Social Media Handles: @rosiesfarmsanctuary
www.rosiesfarmsanctuary.org
About Cheryl Moss
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.
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.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, 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.
https://www.facebook.com/BLFAnimals/
https://x.com/betterlife4anim
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
