Meet Sandra Horvath | Sandy, Lawyer and Animal Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sandra Horvath and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sandra, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Even though I consider myself a risk-adverse person, in hindsight I have taken many risks personally and professionally over the years and the advice I would give anyone is to be open to change and take risks. After graduate school I started in a sales position with a financial services company. Commission was scary, but the appeal of the freedom, income potential and being my own boss was the attraction. It did not take too long to figure out sales were not in my DNA, but I did love the business and the organization and worked in various capacities for 20 years there ultimately taking over the business as a Co-Managing Director. Once again, I took a major leap from that position, quit, when I went to law school to pursue my passion of animal welfare law. At 45 that was a pretty significant risk, but that led me to what I now believe was my life’s calling to care for animals as a full-time volunteer caregiver at Sunrise Sanctuary. I would not have imagined this path and without taking risks, I would not be here today. My advice; take calculated risks and be open to change.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My primary role in life as I like to think about it is an animal caregiver. I do still have my private practice law firm and work with my existing clients and acquaintances. Although animal welfare law prompted the change from the financial world into the legal world. I ended up doing most of my legal work in estate planning. Part of the draw to the financial world, aside from the freedom and income potential, was the desire and need to help people plan. I grew up extremely poor and my parent died young. There was no life insurance or assets. It is a tough start in life under those circumstances and I truly loved helping others plan and avoid having loved one’s struggle. My powerful sense of empathy, compassion, and the desire to improve lives whether it be my animal family, or my human friends and family drives me to be better as a person so I can help others.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would first introduce them to the Sunrise babies. I could love on them all day and never need to step off the Sanctuary. If I were to take them off the Sanctuary, I would find a local park with a beautiful hiking trail and spend the day in the woods. I grew up in a very rural area of Missouri and spent much of my time in the woods. Being in nature is the most relaxing and humbling experience. I love sharing that feeling with others.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been many influences in my life that have motivated me to strive to be better at everything I do. Early on in my sales career I was given the book Diet for A New America by John Robbins by a colleague and I think that was a turning point for me. I am now vegan and have been for many years. Immediately after reading this book, I became vegetarian and did not look back. I have always had a love of animals, but this book changed my way of thinking about the disconnect between loving animals and eating them. I think, this book is why I do what I do today and got me on my current path.

Website: www.sunrisesanctuary.org

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyhorvath/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.horvath.353/

Image Credits
Liz Maselli, Greg Combs, Meghan Wolf