Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Join hosts Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan for intimate conversations with leading vegan activists, animal rights advocates, and changemakers transforming our world. Each week, Our Hen House brings you inspiring stories from the frontlines of animal liberation, practical activism strategies, and the latest developments in the fight for animal rights. Whether you’re a seasoned activist or newly vegan, discover how to make a difference for animals through engaging interviews and actionable insights.
Location:
United States
Description:
Join hosts Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan for intimate conversations with leading vegan activists, animal rights advocates, and changemakers transforming our world. Each week, Our Hen House brings you inspiring stories from the frontlines of animal liberation, practical activism strategies, and the latest developments in the fight for animal rights. Whether you’re a seasoned activist or newly vegan, discover how to make a difference for animals through engaging interviews and actionable insights.
Twitter:
@ourhenhouse
Language:
English
Website:
http://www.ourhenhouse.org/
Email:
info@ourhenhouse.org
Episodes
Forget the Judgment, Remember the Bond: Carol Mithers on “Rethinking Rescue”
9/5/2025
In her eye-opening book, Rethinking Rescue, journalist Carol Mithers examines how poverty and economic inequality create impossible choices for pet owners who love their animals but lack resources to keep them. Through the remarkable story of Lori Wiese, who pioneered community-based animal care in Los Angeles’ most underserved neighborhoods, Mithers demonstrates not only that we can’t adopt our way out of…
Duration:00:55:26
The Hen Report: “It’s the Cow, Not the How” | Media Critique & Food System Myths
9/4/2025
In this eye-opening episode of The Hen Report, hosts Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan welcome back Jan Dutkiewicz, professor of political science at Pratt Institute and co-author of the forthcoming book Feed the People: Why Industrial Food is Good and How to Make it Even Better. The conversation centers on a problematic New York Times article about animal rights activism in…
Duration:00:44:27
Rising Anxieties: Shareholder Activism, Cultivated Meat, and Media Bias
9/2/2025
In this week’s episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan examines several developments causing concern within the meat industry. From evolving shareholder activism tactics to questionable comparisons between cultivated meat and lab-grown diamonds, the episode reveals how animal agriculture interests are responding to various challenges while continuing to rely on government support and biased media coverage. This episode explores: The evolution of…
Duration:00:14:16
Animal Law Breakthrough: Court Recognizes Dogs as Family Members with Christopher Berry
8/29/2025
This episode of the Animal Law Podcast features Christopher Berry, Executive Director of the Nonhuman Rights Project, discussing a groundbreaking court case that recognizes companion animals as family members in certain legal contexts. Mariann and Christopher explore how this New York decision challenges decades of precedent that treated beloved pets as mere property rather than family, potentially opening new doors for…
Duration:01:07:16
The Hen Report: “It’s Not Happening” | Protein Myths and Animal Rights Advocacy
8/28/2025
In this week’s Hen Report, Jasmin and Mariann weave through a tapestry of topics with their signature blend of wit and passion. From Rochester’s unseasonably cold August weather to the legal victory against “Alligator Alcatraz,” the conversation takes delightful detours while tackling serious issues like the persistent protein myths still plaguing vegans and the complexities of meat reduction trends worldwide. This…
Duration:00:43:48
Factory Farms are VULNERABLE: Water Scarcity and Activism Are Changing Animal Agriculture | Rising Anxieties
8/26/2025
In this week’s episode of Rising Anxieties, we examine the meat industry’s growing concerns. From water scarcity issues affecting livestock-heavy regions to unexpected anti-vax policy changes impacting animal agriculture, Mariann walks listeners through the headlines that have industry executives worried. The episode covers everything from depleting aquifers in agricultural states to the prosecution of mink liberation activists, while also exploring challenges…
Duration:00:16:44
Little Red Barns: Exposing Factory Farms and Fascism with Will Potter
8/22/2025
This episode explores the powerful connections between factory farming, political repression, and the rise of authoritarianism with award-winning investigative journalist Will Potter. In a thought-provoking conversation about his new book Little Red Barns: Hiding the Truth from Farm to Fable, Potter reveals how his decade-long investigation uncovered the dangerous intersection between industrial agriculture and fascist movements. With authenticity and passion, Mariann…
Duration:00:59:47
The Hen Report: “A Relatively Uncontroversial Proposition” | Animal Rights Strategy with Michael Dorf
8/14/2025
This episode features a conversation with Michael Dorf, Cornell Law School professor and animal advocate, who shares insights from his presentations at Vegan Summerfest. Jasmin and Mariann discuss their upcoming “staycation” plans while reflecting on the early days of Our Hen House. This episode explores: How human rights frameworks can be applied to animal rights advocacy The nationwide shelter crisis and…
Duration:01:30:55
Senior Dog Rescue Champions: A Conversation with Sherri Franklin of Muttville
8/8/2025
In this heartwarming episode, Jasmin and Mariann welcome Sherri Franklin, founder and executive director of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, a groundbreaking organization that has saved over 13,000 senior dogs since 2007. What began with just 27 dogs in Sherri’s kitchen has transformed into a revolutionary cage-free shelter in San Francisco that now rescues more than 27 dogs every week. Through Sherri’s…
Duration:01:04:04
The Hen Report: “YouTube Is Ruining My Personality” | Content Creation Challenges & Animal Rights News
8/7/2025
In this delightfully candid episode of The Hen Report, Jasmin and Mariann dive into a mix of animal rights victories, personal news, and the peculiarities of content creation in the digital age. Episode Highlights: Jasmin’s Big News: Jasmin reveals she’ll be playing Judy Garland in “End of the Rainbow” at Center Stage Theater in Rochester this December. Fur Industry Collapse: Discussion…
Duration:00:36:04
Animal Ag’s Legal Panic: Activism Crackdowns, Banned Dairy Ads, and Perdue’s Fishy Chicken Nuggets | Rising Anxieties
8/5/2025
In this week’s delightfully disturbing dive into animal agriculture’s paranoia, Mariann Sullivan unpacks the industry’s latest pearl-clutching over those pesky activists who have the audacity to…checks notes…document actual conditions on farms. Gasp! From Canadian farmers fretting about undercover investigations to Perdue shaping chicken meat into cute sea creatures while the plant-based industry gets crucified for “confusing” labeling, the hypocrisy reaches ocean…
Duration:00:15:03
Defending Animal Protection Laws: Legislative Strategies Against Big Ag Pushback
8/1/2025
In this collaborative episode with Animal Policy Alliance, Our Hen House explores the critical defensive battles being waged in state legislatures to protect animals from harmful agricultural industry bills. From blocking anti-drone legislation in Missouri to defeating rabbit farming expansion in Connecticut, our guests share their strategies for legislative success despite being outspent and outmaneuvered by powerful industry interests. Successfully blocked…
Duration:01:04:03
The Hen Report: “Lie, lie, lie. Deny, deny, deny” | Fairlife Dairy Investigation Shutters Factory Farm
7/31/2025
In this episode of The Hen Report, Mariann and Jasmin welcome back Richard “Kudo” Couto of Animal Recovery Mission (ARM) for a crucial follow-up to his interview from episode 819. When Kudo first appeared on the show, his major investigation into Woodcrest Dairy was just breaking, and he couldn’t share all the details. Now he returns to reveal how ARM’s…
Duration:00:29:26
Trump’s Egg-scuses, Pork Politics, and Farmers’ Crocodile Tears: This Week in Animal Ag Absurdity | Rising Anxieties
7/29/2025
In this week’s Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan dives into the theater of the absurd that is animal agriculture politics. From the Trump administration’s laughable attempt to blame California’s cage-free egg laws for nationwide price hikes (spoiler alert: it’s actually bird flu), to pork industry lobbyists desperately trying to justify their existence by fighting animal welfare laws nobody asked them to fight.…
Duration:00:17:15
Challenging “Alligator Alcatraz”: The Legal Fight to Protect the Everglades with Elise Bennett
7/25/2025
In this compelling episode, Mariann Sullivan speaks with Elise Bennett, Senior Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, about the lawsuit challenging the controversial immigration detention facility in Florida’s Everglades. Bennett details how this hastily constructed center in Big Cypress National Preserve threatens endangered species, water quality, and the integrity of a crucial ecosystem that has received billions in restoration funding…
Duration:00:55:19
The Hen Report: “Corporate Greenwashing at Industrial Scale” | Methane Digesters, Dairy Industry Spin, Bird Flu Updates
7/24/2025
In this compelling episode, Mariann Sullivan speaks with Elise Bennett, Senior Attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, about the lawsuit challenging the controversial immigration detention facility in Florida’s Everglades. Bennett details how this hastily constructed center in Big Cypress National Preserve threatens endangered species, water quality, and the integrity of a crucial ecosystem that has received billions in restoration funding…
Duration:00:37:07
Agricultural Absurdities: From Edited Screams to Forced Labor | Rising Anxieties
7/22/2025
In this episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan dives into the agricultural industry’s latest pearl-clutching moments. From state fair organizers panicking over PETA’s “Hell on Wheels” truck to a farmer claiming slaughterhouse screams are “edited,” this episode exposes the absurd lengths the animal agriculture industry will go to avoid confronting reality. Meanwhile, Trader Joe’s is suing activists, and politicians are suggesting…
Duration:00:16:57
Can Fungi Save Us? with Aishwarya Veerabahu
7/18/2025
This week we dive into the mysterious kingdom of fungi with infectious enthusiasm and scientific precision. Our conversation with ecologist Aishwarya Veerabahu takes us on a journey from underground mycelial networks to the emerging world of mushroom-based alternatives to animal products. The unique perspective bridges the gap between ecological understanding and animal rights, demonstrating how our relationship with the fungal world…
Duration:00:45:53
The Hen Report: “People Don’t Want This” | Good News for Animals in a Sordid World
7/17/2025
In a world seemingly drowning in sordid headlines, Jasmin and Mariann take a refreshing dive into some genuinely positive developments for animals. From chimpanzees finally escaping laboratory confinement to plant-based milk options becoming more accessible in schools, this episode serves up a welcome plate of good news with just enough irreverent commentary to keep it real. The hosts navigate through victories…
Duration:00:25:21
Egg Lawsuits, Salmonella Deaths, and Dairy Delusions: Animal Ag’s Anxiety Spiral | Rising Anxieties
7/15/2025
In this delightfully sardonic edition of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan takes us on a whirlwind tour through the landscape of animal agriculture’s latest woes. From the Trump administration’s absurd lawsuit blaming California’s modest animal welfare laws (not bird flu!) for egg price hikes, to the stomach-turning news of deadly salmonella outbreaks from those same eggs, this episode showcases the industry’s spectacular…
Duration:00:19:38