Our Hen House

How did humans’ relationship with the other animals go so completely awry? The incomparable Jim Mason – author, lawyer, thinker, and animal rights OG – joins us to discuss his seminal work, An Unnatural Order: The Roots of Our Destruction of Nature, for a discussion about where humanity went wrong, why it matters now more than ever, and how we can…

Rescued animals at some sanctuaries are now facing a new hurdle before they can be truly safe: climate change. We are joined this week by Kathy Stevens of Catskill Animal Sanctuary to discuss this new challenge. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Kathy Stevens is the co-founder and executive director of Catskill Animal Sanctuary. Since then, Catskill has saved more than 5,000 non-human individuals…

Humans’ relationships with the other creatures on this planet range from deep love to dreadful cruelty and everything in between. What are the roots of this confused and contradictory reality? This week, we are joined by Dr Pia Salk to discuss the mysteries of human psychology as it relates to animals. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Pia Salk is a clinical psychologist and…

What does a night out at the theater (or theatre, in this case) have to do with activism? A whole lot if it’s up to Anastasia Bunce & Grace Howarth, who join us this week to discuss Patch Plays, the vegan troupe that is producing theater that pays attention to the lives, and deaths, of animals. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Grace Joy…

Everyone who lives with an animal would think it rather obvious that they dream, but believe it or not, this is not an accepted fact in the scientific community. This week, we speak with David Peña-Guzmán about his book When Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness. ABOUT OUR GUEST David M. Peña-Guzmán is an associate professor of humanities at…

Horseracing’s popularity has declined over the years, so how is this industry still alive? This week we are joined by Patrick Battuello of Horseracing Wrongs, who sheds light on the brutality and corruption that is the horseracing industry. ABOUT OUR GUEST Patrick Battuello has been writing on animal rights issues since 2009, when he launched the Animal Rights blog for the…

Have you ever thought, “Animals are suffering, I have to DO something!!! But what?” Kimberly Carroll of Animal Justice Academy joins us to discuss the amazing, free, online program designed to help people who care about animals turn themselves into people who are doing something about it. ABOUT OUR GUEST Kimberly Carroll is a coach for changemakers, campaigns strategist with Animal…

The work of activists brought the use of ventilation shutdown as a “depopulation” method during avian flu and COVID slowdowns to light, but what is the status of this cruel method of killing? Dr. Crystal Heath joins us once again to discuss the use of heat stroke in factory farms and the campaigns to combat this cruelty. ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr.…

Every once in a while, someone comes up with a brand new idea for getting people to try and love delicious vegan food. Nil Zacharias joins us to talk about how he is making his brilliant idea a reality with Plantega, a ready-to-launch vegan menu that has been adopted by bodegas across New York City and is getting ready to take…

When animals are neglected or abused, whose responsibility is it to respond? Kendra Coulter, author of Defending Animals, joins us to discuss her book’s deep dive into the patchwork of governmental and non-profit organizations that make up animal response teams. ABOUT OUR GUEST Kendra Coulter is a Professor in Management and Organizational Studies at Huron University College at Western University and…

What do animal rights and veganism have to do with hip hop? So much more than you might think! Keith Tucker of Hip Hop is Green joins us this week to discuss the organization’s extraordinary work spreading the word in the hip hop community. ABOUT OUR GUEST Keith Tucker founded the nonprofit Hip Hop is Green, the first hip hop organization…

There is so much animal activism going on around the world, but how does it all get funded? Jessika Ava joins us to discuss the work of Thrive Philanthropy, a global grantmaker that accelerates alternatives to industrial animal agriculture and amplifies just, sustainable, plant-based food systems across the world. ABOUT OUR GUEST Jessika Ava, MS, MPA is one of the first…

When it comes to food, taking away people’s choices generally won’t work, but it’s entirely possible to help them make better ones. Greener By Default’s Katie Cantrell & Ilana Braverman join us this week to discuss their successes in making the plant-based choice the obvious one on event menus and in cafeterias and dining halls around the world. ABOUT OUR GUEST…

Molly Elwood joins us to discuss how Elwood’s Organic Dog Meat has brilliantly channeled repulsion into activism that gets people thinking about who they might have on their plate. ABOUT OUR GUEST Molly Elwood is a writer, copywriter, storyteller, and creative strategist. Between creative agencies and in-house creative teams, she has spent more than ten years writing and humanizing for her…

Billboards. They’re everywhere, whether you like it or not, so why not use them to help animals? Jane Casteline & Shannon Johnstone join us this week to discuss their project, Picturing Pigs, and the challenges they had to overcome to get their message onto billboards in the home of factory farming and why this is a form of activism that we…

We all know that China is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to vegan advocacy, but what is the status of advocacy there? Join us as Jian Yi sheds light on his work with The Good Food Fund and China Vegan Society. ABOUT OUR GUEST JIAN Yi (简艺/簡藝) is an independent filmmaker and food activist. He is currently…

Factory farms destroy lives, both animal and human. Jamie Berger joins us this week to discuss the making of the documentary The Smell of Money and the devastation caused to eastern North Carolina and its residents by this evil industry. ABOUT OUR GUEST Jamie Berger is a writer and filmmaker born and raised in North Carolina. Her writing has been featured…

Are you excited about ChatGPT? Do you hate the very thought of Chat GPT? Have you never heard of ChatGPT? No matter, you need to listen to this episode to find out how generative AI can help activists get more done for animals in less time. Join us as Tom Conger reveals all about new tools to help us help animals.…

Recently, we had a very special excursion that we cannot wait to share with you. Land that used to be a farm is now overflowing with native plants, which, of course, draw in native insects. So then the native birds move in, and suddenly, it’s heaven! And did we mention the beavers??? Join us for this guided tour with Matt Perry,…

It isn’t easy to write about animals, especially if the goal is to actually portray them as they are and not just use them, as so often happens, as symbols, metaphors, and mirrors. In order to confront these difficulties, Sangamithra Iyer recently launched The Literary Animal Project to bring writers and readers into conversation to explore the many quandaries in writing…