Better Life for Animals

What does it really take to create a no-kill community and save more animals in shelters?

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, Cheryl Moss talks with Tawny Hammond of Best Friends Animal Society about the leadership, policies, partnerships, and community involvement needed to transform animal shelters and save lives.

Tawny shares lessons from decades in public service and animal services leadership, including her experience in Austin, Texas, where the city achieved a 98 percent save rate for more than 17,000 animals in a single year.

Cheryl and Tawny explore what no-kill actually means, why nonprofits and animal shelters need to work together, innovative foster programs for dogs struggling in shelter environments, and the connection between animal welfare, social justice, and underserved communities.

They also discuss why all animals matter, the complexities of working with people from different backgrounds and perspectives, and how each of us can help create meaningful change for animals.

This conversation offers a deeper look at the road to no-kill and why lasting change requires leadership, collaboration, better systems, and communities willing to get involved.

Listen and learn more:

https://www.betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/075-Tawny-Hammond

What happens when you meet a pig and begin to see someone instead of something?

Suki Player, founder of Little Pigs at Home Animal Sanctuary in West Wales, shares how one pig changed the direction of her life and led to a mission of rescue, education, and changing hearts one pig at a time.

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, Suki talks with Cheryl Moss about the intelligence, emotional lives, and distinct personalities of pigs. She shares stories of pigs who arrived frightened, grieving, disabled, overweight, in pain, or simply unwanted, and what it takes to help them feel safe and learn to trust again.

Suki also reveals a reality few people know about. Because pigs are primarily classified as food animals, access to specialized medications, procedures, and emergency veterinary care can be extremely limited.

The conversation explores the truth behind the micro pig myth, what it really takes to care for a pig, daily life at the sanctuary, and the financial challenges of providing lifelong care for animals with specialized needs.

You will also hear how meeting pigs face to face can change perceptions, challenge long-held assumptions, and sometimes change the choices people make.

Because changing how people see animals often begins with something very simple: meeting them.

Learn more about the episode and Suki's work:

https://www.BetterLifeForAnimals.com/podcast/074-suki-player

Why do an estimated 95% of drugs that pass animal testing fail in human clinical trials? If animal experimentation often produces poor results for people, why is it still widely used in medical research?

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, Cheryl Moss speaks with Meredith Blanchard, Senior Manager of Advocacy and Policy at the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), about the science, ethics, and future of replacing animal testing with human-based research methods.

Meredith explains why animal models frequently fail to predict human outcomes and discusses innovative alternatives that are already transforming biomedical research. These include organ-on-a-chip technology, organoids, artificial intelligence, computational modeling, and other human-relevant research methods designed to improve both scientific accuracy and animal welfare.

The conversation also explores why change has been slow despite advances in technology, how legislation and public policy can accelerate the transition away from animal experimentation, and what individuals can do to support more humane, effective science.

Whether you care about ending animal cruelty, improving medical research, or advancing innovative scientific methods, this episode provides valuable insight into one of the most important shifts happening in modern medicine.

Listen now: https://BetterLifeForAnimals.com/podcast/073-meredith-blanchard

Topics discussed include:

• Why animal testing continues despite its limitations • The 95% failure rate of drugs that pass animal tests • Human-based research methods and non-animal testing alternatives • Organ-on-a-chip technology and organoids • Artificial intelligence in medical research • The role of the National Anti-Vivisection Society • Humane science and biomedical innovation • Legislative efforts to reduce animal experimentation • How students, parents, scientists, and advocates can help end animal testing

Foxes are intelligent, emotional individuals who form bonds, experience grief, express joy, and have unique personalities. Yet foxes continue to be bred and exploited for the fur industry and exotic pet trade.

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals podcast, host Cheryl Moss talks with Nicole Navarro, founder and executive director of Pawsitive Beginnings, a fox sanctuary in Key Largo, Florida.

Nicole shares how meeting two surrendered foxes changed the direction of her life and eventually led her to create a sanctuary for foxes rescued from fur farms and the exotic pet industry. She discusses the hidden reality of fur farming in the United States, the complex emotional lives of foxes, and why these animals deserve to be seen as individuals rather than products.

Nicole also shares moving stories about the sanctuary's work with children and adults recovering from trauma and the powerful connections that can form between people and rescued animals.

This conversation explores fox rescue, fur farming, the exotic pet trade, sanctuary care, animal advocacy, ethical consumer choices, and the simple actions each of us can take to help protect foxes.

Listen and learn more: https://www.BetterLifeForAnimals.com/podcast/072-Nicole-Navarro

For more than four decades, Gail Eisnitz has gone where few people are willing to go. As Chief Investigator for the Humane Farming Association, she has spent her career documenting the hidden realities of factory farms and slaughterhouses, exposing cruelty that most consumers never see and many industries would prefer remain hidden.

In this powerful episode of Better Life for Animals, host Cheryl Moss sits down with Gail to discuss her extraordinary journey, the emotional cost of bearing witness to animal suffering, and the resilience that has allowed her to continue fighting for animals despite enormous personal challenges.

As Chief Investigator for the Humane Farming Association (HFA), Gail has spent decades exposing cruelty within industrial animal agriculture. Through investigations, public education, and advocacy efforts, HFA has worked to shine a light on conditions inside factory farms and slaughterhouses while promoting greater accountability and compassion for farmed animals.

The organization is also home to Suwanna Ranch, a 7,000-acre sanctuary in Northern California that provides lifelong care to more than 1,000 rescued farm animals. For Gail, the sanctuary serves as a reminder that while exposing cruelty is essential, creating safe and loving environments for animals is equally important.

More at: www.BetterLifeForAnimals.com/podcast/071-Gail-Eisnitz

Most people never see what happens behind the walls of animal testing facilities. In this powerful episode of Better Life for Animals, host Cheryl Moss sits down with animal advocate Pamela Smith to discuss her involvement in the widely publicized open rescue at Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin facility that breeds beagles for laboratory testing.

Pamela shares her personal journey from becoming an ethical vegan to taking direct action on behalf of animals. She offers a firsthand account of the rescue effort, the emotional reality of helping beagles destined for experimentation, and why she believes public awareness is one of the most powerful tools for creating change.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why beagles are commonly used in laboratory testing • What an open rescue is and how it differs from other forms of activism • What Pamela experienced during the Ridglan Farms rescue effort • Why many animal advocates believe animal testing is outdated • How modern alternatives to animal experimentation are changing the conversation • The importance of public awareness in advancing animal welfare • How Compassion Without Borders helps street dogs and families in Mexico • Practical ways individuals can get involved in animal advocacy

This conversation is both educational and inspiring, offering a closer look at the realities of animal testing while highlighting the growing movement working toward a more compassionate future for animals.

Learn more:

https://www.betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/070-Pamela-Smith

Most people think animal advocacy begins and ends with awareness. But according to Amit Dhuleshia, lasting change for animals requires something much bigger: political action, grassroots organizing, and long-term strategy.

In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Cheryl Moss sits down with Amit Dhuleshia, co-founder of Strategic Action for Animals and creator of the Action for Animals app, to discuss how advocates can move beyond reacting to crises and begin building systems that create lasting protections for animals.

Amit shares his journey from the software industry into animal advocacy and explains why he believes local political engagement may be one of the most overlooked tools in the movement today. Together, Cheryl and Amit discuss the importance of influencing legislation, organizing communities, building relationships with elected officials, and empowering people to take meaningful action for animals.

The conversation also explores current issues impacting animal welfare, including opposition to the EATS Act, protecting Proposition 12, local ballot initiatives, and creating scalable grassroots models that communities across the country can replicate.

Amit also discusses the Action for Animals app, a platform designed to make advocacy simple and accessible by helping users quickly contact elected officials and stay informed on important animal protection issues.

This episode is both inspiring and practical for anyone who wants to create real change for animals through organized, strategic action.

Listen and learn more: https://www.betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/069-Amit-Dhuleshia

What if the animals in our lives are here to teach us how to heal? In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Cheryl Moss welcomes author, animal communicator, Reiki practitioner, and podcast host Stephanie Stephan for a powerful conversation about the emotional wisdom animals carry and the lessons humans can learn from them. Stephanie shares deeply personal stories about rescue animals, sanctuary experiences, energy healing, and the profound impact animals have had on her spiritual and emotional journey. Through her work and her book, The Path to Unconditional Love: Lessons in Heart-Centered Living from Our Animal Teachers, Stephanie explores how animals naturally embody presence, gratitude, empathy, resilience, and unconditional love. During this inspiring discussion, listeners will learn: • Why animals may be more emotionally present than humans • How sanctuary animals teach resilience and healing • What heart-centered living really means • The role of Reiki and energy healing with animals • How humans can deepen communication with animals • Why slowing down and listening matters • The healing power of unconditional love Stephanie also shares moving stories involving her rescue dog Spikey, traumatized sanctuary animals who found healing through compassion, and her experience helping an injured deer transition peacefully through loving presence and Reiki. This episode is a beautiful reminder that animals are not beneath us. They are alongside us, helping guide humanity back toward compassion, connection, and healing. Learn more and listen to the full episode: https://betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/068-Stephanie-Stephan

Can what we eat really influence the future of the planet?

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, Cheryl Moss speaks with Matthew Dominguez, U.S. Executive Director of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), about the far-reaching consequences of factory farming and why transforming our food systems has become one of the most urgent issues of our time.

Matthew shares how growing up on a cattle ranch shaped his understanding of animals and how his path through environmental law ultimately led him into animal advocacy. Today, he works at the forefront of efforts to end factory farming by 2040.

The discussion explores the deep connection between climate change, food production, animal suffering, public health, and global food insecurity. Matthew explains why factory farming is not only an animal welfare issue but also one of the largest contributors to environmental destruction and resource depletion.

Cheryl and Matthew also discuss:

• Why food choices matter more than many people realize • The role consumers play in driving change • Corporate commitments and accountability • The "Food Not Feed" campaign • Why reducing animal consumption can dramatically reduce suffering • How advocacy movements create momentum over time • The emotional and psychological barriers surrounding these conversations

This episode is both informative and inspiring, offering listeners a grounded look at how individual actions, collective awareness, and systemic change can help create a better future for animals, people, and the planet.

Most people move through life without questioning the systems around them.

Then something changes.

Maybe it's watching footage from a factory farm. Maybe it's meeting a rescued animal and realizing they are far more emotionally complex than we were taught to believe. Or maybe it's the unsettling realization that the products we once consumed without thought are connected to immense suffering hidden behind closed doors.

For many vegans, that moment creates a profound psychological shift. The world no longer looks the same.

In this deeply thought-provoking episode of the Better Life for Animals podcast, Cheryl Moss sits down with vegan psychologist, author, and speaker Clare Mann to explore the emotional reality of awakening to animal suffering while living in a society that continues to normalize it.

Clare coined the term vystopia to describe the emotional distress, grief, and isolation many ethical vegans experience after becoming aware of the disconnect between society's stated love for animals and its participation in systems of exploitation.

This conversation goes far beyond food choices.

Together, Cheryl and Clare unpack the hidden psychology behind why people resist changing their behavior, even when they genuinely care about animals. They explore cognitive dissonance, denial, emotional self-protection, social conditioning, cultural traditions, and the powerful influence of conformity.

You'll also hear practical guidance for becoming a more effective advocate without burning out emotionally.

Rather than relying solely on facts, Clare explains why compassionate communication, emotional connection, and thoughtful questions often create far more meaningful conversations than confrontation or debate.

Throughout the episode, Cheryl and Clare role-play real-world conversations many vegans encounter with family members, coworkers, and friends. Clare shares strategies designed to reduce defensiveness while helping people feel safe enough to reflect on their own beliefs and behaviors.

This episode is especially important for: • Vegans navigating feelings of grief, frustration, or isolation • Animal advocates seeking healthier ways to communicate • Anyone curious about the psychology behind resistance to veganism • People interested in cognitive dissonance and human behavior • Those searching for hope in the movement for animals

The conversation also shines a light on the healing role animal sanctuaries play in helping people reconnect with animals as individuals instead of commodities.

Despite the emotional weight of the topic, the episode ultimately delivers a message of hope: meaningful change is possible, and it often begins with one honest, compassionate conversation at a time.

https://betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/066-Clare-Mann

About Clare Mann Clare Mann is a vegan psychologist, speaker, communications coach, and author known internationally for her work on the psychological impacts of living ethically in a non-vegan world. Her groundbreaking work on vystopia has helped countless vegans better understand the emotional challenges that can arise after awakening to the realities of animal exploitation.