You’re in for not one but two interviews with incredible activists in this episode! We’re thrilled to welcome both Gwenna Hunter and Sue Fischer back to the podcast for updates. First, we catch up with Gwenna about her newest project, the Vegans of LA Food Bank. Gwenna tells us how she turned a longtime dream into a reality after partnering with …
This one just might move you to tears. Why? Because it’s about ELEPHANTS! Need we say more? Scott and Kat Blais have dedicated their careers to helping captive elephants live out the rest of their lives the way nature intended. This week they join the podcast from rural Brazil, home to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, a project by the organization they founded, …
On this episode, I will be talking to Taimie Bryant, a law professor at UCLA School of Law. She will explain some of the ins and outs of a law review article she recently published in the Marquette Law Review entitled “Novel Food Ingredients: Food Safety Law, Animal Testing, and Consumer Perspectives.” This article involves the question of what the FDA …
What if you could feed your companion animals real meat without ever having to slaughter an animal? Because Animals is working to make this dream a reality, and the CEO and co-founder, Shannon Falconer, Ph.D., joins the podcast this week to tell us how they’re doing it. Traditional companion animal foods are made with byproducts of animal agriculture, including meat found …
We love hearing from fellow animal advocates in different parts of the world, and this week we are thrilled to welcome Linda Ncube for an exceptional conversation about animal activism in rural Zimbabwe. Linda is the founder of Humane Africa Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a “compassionate, healthy, and just environment” for animals. She joins us to explain how she’s …
How annoying is it when you are just getting into a good book, starting to identify with, or at least sympathize with, the protagonist, and then get thoroughly turned off when they sit down to enthusiastically eat a dead animal? Today, author Christine Melanie Benson joins us for a conversation about her recently published debut novel, Marrying Myself, in which, happily, …
Have you been wondering about the state of veganism and animal rights in Uganda? Well, we’ve got you covered! Nabaasa Innocent Kashobera, founder of the Uganda Vegan Society and a passionate advocate for animals, joins us this week and fills us in on the state of veganism and, on the other hand, the growth of factory farming, in Uganda and Africa …
Today I will be talking to Raffael Fasel and Sean Butler, who are the founders of the Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law at Cambridge University in the UK. They are doing something quite special — a series of workshops in various parts of the world seeking to help law professors and lawyers, and perhaps some others, develop courses at their …
Wow! Camille DeAngelis visits the podcast this week and does she have a story to tell!! She is, of course, the author of Bones and All, an inverted fairy tale with a sympathetic girl monster protagonist that has since been turned into an award-winning film starring Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell. At heart, though it may not be obvious at first …
We’re thrilled to welcome filmmaker Ryuji Chua to the podcast this week. You may already be familiar with Ryuji, and his animal rights-focused work, thanks to his appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah earlier this year. In our conversation, Ryuji tells us why it’s important for humans to shift our messaging from broad generalizations, such as saving a species, …
We’re delighted to welcome Nirva Patel to the podcast this week for a wide-ranging conversation about the different ways she’s working to make the world a better place for animals. We begin by discussing Nirva’s background in Jainism, how the religion informs her beliefs regarding the treatment of non-human animals, and the work she has done in that realm to create …
Author Peter Alagona, PhD, joins us on the podcast this week for an illuminating conversation about the wild creatures that coexist alongside humans as part of the fabric of city life, as well as the habitat the city itself creates for these animals. Since World War II, populations of wild animals have increased in urban areas largely due to, as Peter …
On this episode, I will be talking to Alene Anello, whose law firm, Legal Impact for Chickens, is pursuing a shareholder derivative case against Costco regarding the treatment of the poor little birds whose bodies end up being their extremely popular, and very cheap, rotisserie chickens. Essentially, in Smith v Vachris, currently pending in Superior Court in King County, Washington, Legal …
Artist and Our Hen House’s own beloved graphic designer Weronika Kolinska joins us this week for a conversation about the ways in which art can be a means to help bring people’s attention to what is happening to animals. Weronika, who specializes in t-shirt design, tells us why she believes wearable art is a particularly effective form of activism and how …
Welcome to this special holiday presentation of Sanctuary: A Radio Play, an annual Thanksgiving tradition at Our Hen House! This performance marked the world premiere of John Yunker’s Sanctuary at New York City’s Symphony Space during the Culture & Animals Foundation’s Compassion Arts Festival. We were thrilled to have been a part of this witty, engaging, and incisive production that portrays …
We are joined this week by Altamush Saeed for a conversation about the critical disaster relief work he’s spearheading in response to the devastating floods that occurred in Pakistan earlier this year. Altamush updates us on the current status of the floods and the effects this climate disaster has had on both the human and animal populations within the country. The …
Liz Ross has made it her mission to help people of Caribbean heritage embrace vegan living. She joins us on the podcast to discuss how Rethink Your Food, the nonprofit she founded, is helping her reach Caribbean people, in the islands and beyond, to promote the benefits of a plant-based food system. Liz discusses how she hopes to engage, not only …
Karthik Sekar, PhD wants to see the world move beyond an unsustainable, inefficient animal-based food system. He joins us on the podcast this week for a conversation about his recent book, After Meat, which details why animals are an outdated “production technology,” as the agricultural industry calls them. We discuss why plant- and microbial-based foods are far superior to their animal …
Lisa Dumas is on a mission to make the world a better place. This week she joins us on the podcast for a conversation about how she’s working toward expanding access to plant-based food options to those in need. Not only is she increasing accessibility for healthy alternatives, Lisa is also helping underserved communities access critical educational information on making informed …
On this episode I will be discussing a case that a lot of you have no doubt heard of, and that is National Pork Producers Council v Ross, which was recently argued in the Supreme Court. This case brings into question the constitutionality of Proposition 12, something else which many of you may be familiar with, by which California set certain …
Imagine a world where cows, chickens, pigs and humans not only coexist, but live and flourish amongst each other within the same communities. For vegan artist Hartmut Kiewert, this is the definition of utopia, and he joins us on the podcast this week for a conversation about his truly unique artwork. Hartmut’s Animal Utopia series, which depicts animals and humans thriving …
The World Federation for Animals (WFA) is a new membership organization that seeks to harness the collective strength of the animal protection movement to advocate for the inclusion of animals in global policy making. This week, CEO Dr. James Yeates and Policy Director Jessica Bridgers join us on the podcast for a conversation about how the organization is spearheading this global …
Zoe and Sherstin Rosenberg are an unstoppable mother-daughter activist duo, and we’re thrilled they’re joining us on the podcast this week. You may remember Zoe as the brave activist who chained herself to the goalpost during a Memphis Grizzlies NBA game earlier this year in protest of the cruel use of ventilation shutdown on the team owner’s factory egg farm. Zoe …
Award-winning journalist Marina Bolotnikova is writing the story to change the way mainstream media covers farmed animals. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the podcast this week for a conversation about her eye-opening work to alert people to the horrifying reality of animal agriculture. Marina discusses her thoughts on objectivity and integrity within journalism and why she chooses to free-lance with …
On this episode, I will be discussing State of Utah v Hsiung, the case that has everyone in the movement talking. Wayne Hsiung and Jon Frohnmeyer will be here to discuss the prosecution of Wayne, along with his co-defendant Paul Picklesimer, for burglary and theft for entering a huge Smithfield factory farm in Utah and, while there, rescuing two sick piglets. …
Torre Washington has caused quite a stir in the world of professional bodybuilding with his plant-powered, all natural approach to the sport. This week, he joins the podcast to discuss his personal journey to veganism through Rastafari and the Ital diet, as well as how and why he got into the art of bodybuilding. Torre shares his reasons for following a …
Amy Luebbert is the definition of a community powerhouse, and this week she joins us for a conversation about Des Moines, Iowa’s growing vegan scene and the importance of approaching activism through an antiracist lens. Amy, a founding member and the President of VegLife Des Moines, tells us about the nonprofit’s commitment to fostering community and connecting vegans—and the vegan-curious—to resources. …
Summers in the United States are often synonymous with state and county fairs. Advertised as idyllic family fun, these fairs are replete with animal exploitation and the horrors of animal cruelty. Rachel McCrystal and Hervé Breuil of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary join the podcast this week to talk about what really happens to animals at such events. They outline the cruel realities …
This very special extra episode is a compilation of interviews we have conducted over the years with our dear friend and passionate animal advocate Sherry Colb, who, as you may know, died last month. These interviews range from our first encounter with Sherry, when she came on to talk about her book, Mind if I Order the Cheeseburger? And Other Questions …
Tamara Human is the definition of a fearless, compassionate leader and activist, and this week she joins the podcast from Kyiv, Ukraine. Tamara is the force behind Every Animal, a Ukraine-based NGO founded in 2019 committed to mobilizing the vegan movement among Ukrainians. In our conversation, the founder shares how Every Animal is supporting vegan soldiers on the frontlines of the …
On this episode I will be discussing Krasno v Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin, a crazy case involving comments made on the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the University involving the dreadful research conducted on primates at the University and, in particular, at the infamous Harlow Center for Biological Psychology. Joining me will be both the plaintiff in …
The brilliant karol orzechowski joins the podcast this week, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! karol currently serves as the Content Director for Faunalytics, a nonprofit whose mission is to empower animal advocates with access to thorough, reliable data. While Faunalytics is best known for using research and statistics to strengthen pro-animal, anti-suffering activism, the organization is now also producing visual …
We’re honored to welcome Andrew Rowan, DPhil, to the podcast this week for a critical conversation about companion dogs and poverty. Dr. Rowan has a long tenure in the animal protection movement and is currently the President of WellBeing International, an NGO dedicated to achieving optimal wellbeing for animals, people, and the environment. He joins us today for a discussion about …
Christopher “Soul” Eubanks is an unstoppable force, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to the podcast this week to discuss his new nonprofit, APEX Advocacy. The organization is committed to increasing the number of activists from the global majority. Christopher describes the three central missions driving APEX Advocacy: the Black Vegan Everything website highlighting Black-owned businesses, the Global Majority Caucus …
There are few issues more contentious amongst vegans than what to feed companion animals. So, this week, we are going there! Veterinarian, researcher, and animal welfare specialist Andrew Knight knows more about this topic than pretty much anyone, and we are thrilled that he is joining us for a discussion about his recent peer-reviewed study exploring the health impacts of vegan …
Documentary filmmaker Gloria Pancrazi and Michael Bronner of Dr. Bronner’s join us this week for a conversation about the recent film, Coextinction. We discuss the stars of the film: the Southern Resident Orcas of the Pacific Northwest who are currently facing extinction and the salmon, whose brutal exploitation is contributing to the to the starvation of the orca and other wildlife. …
It’s become pretty clear that the more that meat-eating consumers find out about how the animals they eat were treated, the more temptation there is for the industry to, shall we say, fudge the truth. Thus, today I will be talking to Dije Ndreu and Brooke Dekolf of Richman Law and Policy about two cases they are currently litigating regarding the …
Powerhouse environmentalist, wildlife conservationist, and animal advocate Jack Lekishon joins the podcast this week from Maasai Mara, Kenya. A native Maasai, Jack shares traditions from the people of The Mara and tells us about the land on which they live and the plethora of wild animals that also know the Maasai Mara as home. Jack also shares why the traditional Maasai …
Monica Engebretson is working to end cruel animal testing practices, and this week, she joins the podcast for an in-depth conversation about the state of medical and cosmetic animal testing. The North American Head of Public Affairs for Cruelty Free International, Monica breaks down how the global organization is working to bring an end to animal testing worldwide. Plus, she explains …
Jane Velez-Mitchell is a media powerhouse known for speaking up for animals, and today, we welcome her back to the podcast for a conversation about UnchainedTV, the free streaming platform committed to amplifying vegan, animal rights content. In our conversation, Jane explains how people can access this critical content worldwide, why she decided to make it available free of charge, and …
Visual artist and author Linnea Ryshke joins the podcast for a conversation about her recent book, Kindling, a collection of poems and mixed media artwork inspired by the artist’s difficult, but instructive, experience working as a laborer at an organic meat farm. During the conversation, Linnea outlines what she initially hoped to gain by working there and describes her day-to-day life …
On this episode I will be speaking with Jessica Rubin, who is the Associate Dean of Experiential Learning and the Director of the Animal Law Clinic at the University of Connecticut School of Law. She will be discussing a Connecticut law, called Desmond’s Law, which allows law students, and lawyers, to be appointed to assist the court in certain animal cruelty cases …
The multi-talented Zach Sherwin joins the podcast this week for a can’t-miss conversation about using comedy, rap, and wordplay to make the world a better place for animals. Zach explains how he incorporates his vegan ethos into each of his artistic endeavors while taking care not to isolate his audience. Plus, he gives us a behind-the-scenes look into his epic duck …
Eva Haifa Giraud joins us on the podcast this week for a conversation about her recent book, Veganism: Politics, Practice, and Theory. In our discussion, we deep dive into the constraints of veganism within a capitalist system, what this means for activism, and whether capitalism itself is putting veganism at risk. Eva elaborates on veganism’s political, activist roots and how they …
Christopher Sebastian has a lot to say about what animals need from us and how we could all do better in working to change the world, and we are pretty sure you will want to listen. One of the most thoughtful contemporary commentators on how our relationship with animals has gone so far astray, he joins the podcast this week for …
Author, science communicator, and climate interpreter A.E. Copenhaver joins the podcast this week for a conversation about her recent debut novel, My Days of Dark Green Euphoria. A.E.’s book follows the flawed, eco-anxious Cara as she crosses paths with Millie, her boyfriend’s mom who represents everything Cara is against. In our conversation, A.E. tells us why she decided to make Cara …
David Casselman is paving the way for a new era of media, and he joins us on the podcast this week for an in depth conversation about Ecoflix, the world’s first not-for-profit media group committed to helping animals and the planet. The philanthropist explains how the platform aims to provide its viewers with inspiring, educational content relating to animals that, in …
On this episode I will be talking to Asher Smith, who is the Director of Litigation at the PETA Foundation, about Usler v Vital Farms, which is a class action against an egg facility which makes some very elaborate claims about how well they are treating their hens (“our girls!”) and charges their customers a hefty premium for doing so. So, …
The inimitable Dash Meizler joins the podcast this week from Kampala, Uganda, for a truly inspiring conversation about leveraging our activism to better advocate for animal rights and marginalized communities. Founder of the Podrska Foundation, Dash outlines how the organization is fighting for farmed animals while empowering women, providing schools with vegan meals, fighting poverty through home-based vegetable gardens, and more. …
The remarkable Gwendolyn Church joins the podcast this week for an awe-inspiring conversation about Friends of Philip Fish Sanctuary, the aquatic animal sanctuary she founded, based in Reno, NV. Gwendolyn tells the tale of Philip, the betta fish that changed the trajectory of her life and inspired the sanctuary. This passionate animal activist also discusses the misconceptions around fish sentience and …
Mamta Jain Valderrama joins the podcast for an insightful discussion about Jainism and the many ways in which its beliefs intersect with veganism. Jainism is one of the oldest religions in existence, having taken form in ancient India some time between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE. In our conversation, Mamta explains the philosophy of ahimsa, or non-violence, that practitioners of …
The remarkable Danielle Hanosh joins us on the podcast for a conversation about a revolutionary new program that you will definitely want to hear about. LEAP—short for Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planet—offers high school students humane education, hands-on experience caring for rescued farmed animals, volunteer experience at animal sanctuaries, and scholarship opportunities. Teaching compassion instead of slaughter, LEAP, teaches …
On this episode I will be talking, once again, to Kelsey Eberly, who is now with Harvard Law School’s Animals, Law and Policy Program, as well as with Dena Jones of the Animal Welfare Institute about the deeply troubling topic of chicken slaughter. Specifically, we will be discussing Animal Welfare Institute v Vilsack, a case involving the rather confusing landscape of …
Dr. Christopher Carter joins us on the podcast this week to discuss his new book The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, and Food Justice. This groundbreaking work covers everything from the history of soul food to choosing how to eat in a way that helps us “live into our fullest sense of self.” Dr. Carter shares why he centers the …
She’s an activist, artist, librarian, professor, and more. The multi-hyphenate Stacy Russo joins us on the podcast for a deep dive into Love Activism. Created by Stacy in 2013, Love Activism is a daily, holistic, and radical activism rooted in kindness. In our conversation, Stacy outlines the eight elements of this activist approach and describes how they can empower us every …
The trailblazing Gemunu De Silva, a United Kingdom-based undercover investigator of animal exploitation, joins us this week on Our Hen House. Gem, one of the first and longest-serving investigators of the worldwide hidden mistreatment of animals, tell us about his path into the world of animal activism and the animal rights movement. It was his very first factory farm investigation in …
LoriKim Alexander can do it all—from her core organizing role with Black VegFest to her work in the fields of anthropology and biology. She joins us on Our Hen House to discuss how The Cypher, the organization she founded, places emphasis on veganism’s true, anti-oppressive meaning. LoriKim shares how The Cypher started off as an educational, political book club on Facebook …
On this week’s podcast I will be talking to Will Lowrey of Animal Outlook about a case that really has everyone in the animal law community talking. Several years ago Animal Outlook conducted an undercover investigation of Martin Farms, in Pennsylvania, a dairy farm that proved to be the locus of much hideous cruelty to animals. Some of that cruelty was …
Hope Ferdowsian, President and CEO of Phoenix Zones Initiative (PZI)—a non-profit organization committed to advancing the interconnected rights, health, and wellbeing of people and animals—joins us on the podcast to discuss how the organization is striving to realize optimal health outcomes for humans and non-human animals alike. More specifically, Hope shares how, by expanding upon the One Health approach, PZI is …
Faithful listeners will know this to be true: we can’t get enough of Grass Fed, Rochester’s premier vegan butcher shop and deli. Thus, this week, we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Rob Nipe and Nora Rubel, founders of Grass Fed, to the podcast. The husband-and-wife team joins us to dish why they view Grass Fed as training wheels for veganism, and …