Lifelong Animal Rescuer • Advocate • Photographer • Writer

Saving the forgotten. Fighting for the voiceless. Choosing compassion—for animals and people.

For Rosa Fond, animal rescue isn’t a hobby, a career she stumbled into, or something that began with social media. It has been part of her life for as long as she can remember. Long before viral stories, media coverage, followers or Humans and Animals United, Rosa was helping animals. For decades, rescue has been woven into her life and has shaped the advocate, leader and person she is today. Her philosophy has always been rooted in something simple: when an animal needs help, someone has to be willing to step forward. And throughout her life, Rosa has tried to be that person.

A Lifetime Devoted to Animals

Rosa’s connection with animals extends far beyond rescue. Her love for animals and the natural world eventually led her behind the camera, where she developed a passion for animal and nature photography. Her photographs capture the beauty, vulnerability and individuality of animals—particularly those whose stories might otherwise go unnoticed. Her photography has received widespread attention and has been featured by The Dodo.

Rosa is also a writer. Her ability to put the emotions behind animal rescue into words has connected with people around the world. A passage she wrote from the heart went viral, demonstrating how powerful storytelling can inspire compassion and change the way people see animals. Over the years, Rosa’s rescue and advocacy work has received national and international attention, including coverage by Reuters, The Dodo, Access Hollywood and television news stations across the United States.

Her work has also reached millions through social media, including the unforgettable “snake in a can” rescue, which captured widespread attention on social media and television which then introduced people around the world to another side of animal rescue. But media attention was never the reason Rosa rescued. The animals were.

Humans and Animals United

Today, Rosa is a driving force behind Humans and Animals United (HAAU), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping animals facing euthanasia, abandonment, neglect, abuse and serious medical challenges. HAAU has become especially known for stepping forward for animals others may overlook—the seniors, the injured, the emaciated, the abused, the medically complicated and the dogs sitting on death row when no other option has materialized. For Rosa, removing an animal from a shelter isn’t the end of a rescue story.

It’s where the responsibility begins.

That responsibility can mean veterinary care, emergency hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, transportation, fostering, behavioral support, recovery and ultimately finding a safe and loving forever home. Some animals require weeks of care. Others require months. And some become lifelong commitments. Rescue isn’t simply about saying yes. It is about being prepared to remain responsible after you do. That philosophy has become one of the principles at the heart of Rosa’s work with HAAU.

Advocacy Beyond Rescue

Rosa’s advocacy extends beyond the animals she personally helps save. She also serves as a board member of a coalition fighting breed-specific legislation and advocates for laws and policies that judge dogs by their individual behavior rather than their breed or appearance. She believes meaningful animal advocacy requires more than reacting to emergencies. It requires education, responsible rescue practices, accountability and a willingness to challenge systems that continue to fail animals.