Sophia Baer has spent the past decade working in animal welfare, beginning as an adoption counselor and ultimately developing and leading a foster program of more than 300 volunteers. While her career in animal welfare opened her eyes to how our systems and legislation can limit the reach of animal protection initiatives, her passion for animals began long before.
At age 11, Sophia made the profound connection between the food on her plate and the animals she adored and never looked back. Since then, she has remained committed to reducing animal suffering. Getting involved in farmed animal activism in her free time, participating professionally in large-scale animal cruelty and neglect cases, and witnessing first-hand the impact our society’s view of non-human animals drove her to pursue higher education in animal law. She has worked around the gaps in animal protection legislation, and now seeks to address them.
Her career has allowed her to explore many facets of animal welfare. She has developed trainings and medical protocols for neonatal kitten care, participated in operations with National Mill Dog Rescue, and contributed to the rehabilitation of Envigo beagles bred for animal testing.
Sophia lives in beautiful Portland, Maine with her fiancée and 3 beloved cats. In her free time, she enjoys reading, fostering medically fragile kittens, and spending time outdoors.