Rebel With a Cause: Rose McCoy

Editors’ Pick Veggie Award: Rebel With a Cause, Youth Division

(This is the first of our “Editors’ Picks” for 2014. We’ll be announcing all of the recipients over the next two weeks.)

More and more stories of youth animal right advocates are surfacing, and Rose McCoy shows us just how powerful their voices can be. The vegan seventh-grader became an animals rights emblem after stealing the show, and our hearts, at two nationally viewed events: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Pasadena Rose Parade. Inspired by the documentary Blackfish, McCoy and other were arrested while protesting SeaWorld’s use of captive wild orcas for entertainment and profit. McCoy’s protests, paired with her age, enthusiasm, and dedication to the well-being of animals, helped draw attention to the plight of SeaWorld orcas and the emotional needs of animals. We look forward to watching her continue to fight for the cruelty-free cause.