In Rena Roseman, animals had a staunch protector, a selfless defender, and a hero whose unconditional love brought hope to many.
Rena leaves behind a mighty legacy—for animals and for everyone whose life she touched.
“Her legacy is one of honesty,” shared Rena’s husband, Elliot Roseman. “She was honest with herself and her feelings first and then used that as a launch pad to seek honesty and compassion in the world, especially for animals.”
The adoption of her four-pawed daughter, Cami, in 2006 affected Rena in a powerful way. In Cami’s eyes Rena saw a soul. In her tail wags and sweet licks, Rena felt compassion and emotion. And if dogs could have such deep feelings, Rena thought, surely other animals could as well.
With her natural curiosity about the world driving her, Rena learned everything she could about factory farming. She attended conferences, took courses, read books, and volunteered for animal protection organizations.
She decided to focus her time and energy on a few select organizations, including Mercy For Animals.
Rena strongly admired Mercy For Animals undercover investigators. Integrity and fairness were values Rena lived by every day. She saw these traits in the investigators who took great risks to expose some of society’s worst injustices, and she fought the meat industry’s backwards ag-gag laws with ferocity.
Rena’s legacy will live on—not just through the lives she touched in life but in the lifesaving programs that her support will continue to make possible. Rena believed in a world without violence for humans and animals, and without question, she’s brought us all closer to this compassionate future.