Philosopher and researcher Bob Fischer joins us to explore the fascinating and complex world of insect consciousness. From fruit flies being used as depression models to bees playing with marbles, discover how new science is challenging everything we thought we knew about sentience. Through candid discussion about the scale of insect farming, the evidence for insect consciousness, and the practical implications for animal advocates, Bob helps us navigate these challenging ethical waters with both wisdom and humility.

Key Discussion Points:

Bob Fischer is a senior researcher at Rethink Priorities and associate professor of philosophy at Texas State University, where he specializes in animal ethics and applied ethics. As director of the Society for the Study of Ethics and Animals, he has published extensively on animal rights, ethics, and epistemology. His current research focuses on insect sentience and the moral implications of emerging science about animal consciousness.

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Step inside Toronto’s Wishbone Animal Rights Lab, an innovative 1,270-square-foot activist hub providing everything from recording equipment to fake blood (yes, really) for animal advocates. This groundbreaking community space serves as a prototype for activist centers worldwide, combining practical resources with a strict “no drama” policy and the occasional karaoke night to create sustainable, accessible advocacy.

Key Discussion Points:

Sue Spahr is the co-founder and Lab Director of Wishbone Animal Rights Lab, an innovative community space in downtown Toronto dedicated to developing strategies for animal liberation. With over four decades of animal advocacy experience, Spahr brings her ‘Mad Scientist’ approach to reimagining activism and challenging systemic animal exploitation. Alongside co-founders Sharon Spahr and Alec Bosse, she creates collaborative spaces for activists to think critically, share ideas, and develop effective approaches to animal advocacy. Having advocated for all species – from insects to farm animals – since 1980, Spahr brings determination and strategic thinking to the movement for animal liberation.

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Science journalist and author Brandon Keim joins us to discuss his groundbreaking book “Meet the Neighbors,” exploring how recognizing animals as thinking, feeling beings transforms our relationship with nature. From urban wildlife to conservation ethics, Keim bridges the gap between scientific research and public understanding of animal intelligence, while offering hope for meaningful change in how we interact with the creatures around us.

Key Discussion Points:

Brandon Keim, contributing editor at Nautilus and acclaimed science journalist, explores animal consciousness and human-wildlife relationships in his work. His latest book, ‘Meet the Neighbors,’ investigates animal personhood and cognitive abilities, examining how recognizing animals as thinking, feeling beings transforms our relationship with nature. His groundbreaking reporting on animal intelligence, wildlife conservation, and environmental science appears in The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Atlantic. Based in Maine, Keim bridges the gap between scientific research and public understanding of animal sentience.

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this special year-end episode, Jasmin and Mariann reflect on Our Hen House’s journey through 2024 while looking ahead to 2025. From discussing standout interviews and emerging food technology to examining media coverage of animal issues, our hosts provide their unique perspectives on the state of animal advocacy. Their candid conversation balances hope with realism, offering insights into how activists maintain resilience while working toward progress.

Key Discussion Points:

To Our Amazing Listeners:

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or X (formerly Twitter).

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Whistleblower and animal rights advocate Maddie Krasno exposes the dark reality of animal experimentation in university research facilities. After caring for 500+ primates at UW-Madison’s testing laboratories, Krasno reveals how the industry systematically silences workers while continuing questionable experiments with taxpayer funding. Now, as co-founder of Justify, she’s building a groundbreaking support network for former lab workers while advocating for ethical, non-animal research methods.

• Inside look at primate research facilities and animal testing laboratories

Madeline Krasno, Executive Director of Justify and former primate lab worker, advocates for transparency and ethical scientific practices without animal experimentation. Her groundbreaking free speech lawsuits against the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Institutes of Health, featured in The Washington Post, expose the reality of animal research while supporting laboratory whistleblowers. Through Justify, she creates safe spaces for current and former lab workers to share their stories and advance animal-free science. Madeline holds a master’s in Humane Education from Valparaiso University and degrees in Zoology and Child Development from UW-Madison.

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Undercover investigator Pete Paxton and attorney Cailen LaBarge from Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development (SEED) discuss their groundbreaking investigation of livestock auctions across America. After infiltrating 17 auctions in 10 states, they reveal how these largely overlooked facilities serve as crucial links in industrial animal agriculture while fostering systematic abuse. The conversation explores how cultural dynamics perpetuate cruelty, SEED’s innovative environmental litigation strategy against factory farms, and the importance of understanding rural communities in creating lasting change.

This episode explores:

Pete Paxton, Director of Investigations at SEED, has conducted groundbreaking undercover investigations exposing animal cruelty across multiple countries since 2001. His work, featured in HBO documentaries “Dealing Dogs” and “Death on a Factory Farm,” has unveiled abuse in puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, and beyond. A recipient of the US Attorney’s Office Coin of Excellence and co-author of “Rescue Dogs,” Paxton’s investigations have not only exposed animal cruelty but also highlighted the exploitation of undocumented workers in industrial agriculture.

Cailen LaBarge is an attorney, animal activist, and founder of Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development (SEED), where she works at the intersection of animal protection, environmental justice, and human rights. A member of Sentient’s Board of Directors and admitted to practice law in New York and Massachusetts, LaBarge focuses on challenging industrial animal agriculture’s impact on animals, people, and the planet through legal advocacy and strategic development.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Vegan pioneer Victoria Moran discusses her new book “Age Like a Yogi” and explores how yoga’s principle of non-violence (ahimsa) connects with animal advocacy. Drawing from 40 years of activism, Victoria shares how spiritual practices can sustain long-term advocacy while preventing burnout.

Key topics include:

Victoria also updates us on Main Street Vegan Academy’s advocate training program and her groundbreaking vegan podcast. Pre-order “Age Like a Yogi” (releasing January 2025) for exclusive access to Victoria’s activism webinar and plant-based cookbook at victoriamoran.com.

Victoria Moran, featured twice on Oprah and named among VegNews Magazine’s “Top 10 Living Vegetarian Authors,” has authored fourteen groundbreaking books including “Creating a Charmed Life,” “Main Street Vegan,” and her latest, “Age Like a Yogi.” A pioneering voice in veganism since authoring the first traditionally published book on vegan philosophy in 1985, she founded Main Street Vegan Academy and hosts the Main Street Vegan Podcast. Recently inducted into the Vegan Hall of Fame (2023), Victoria is currently co-writing “Miss Liberty,” a feature film about a cow’s escape from a slaughterhouse, and lives in New York City with Thunder, her rescued visually impaired pigeon companion.

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Join Our Hen House for an illuminating conversation with Benny Andersson, CEO of Project 1882 (aka Djurens Rätt), Sweden’s largest animal rights organization. Learn how this groundbreaking organization combines grassroots vegan activism with corporate outreach and legislative advocacy to create meaningful change for animals across Europe.

Benny Andersson is the CEO of Project 1882, an animal rights organization based in Sweden. He became involved in the animal rights movement in the late 1990s and joined Project 1882 as a volunteer in 1997. After more than a decade of working with campaigns, vegan outreach, digital communication, and fundraising, he became the CEO of Project 1882 in 2010.

Before joining Project 1882, Benny worked within the banking sector and moved to Gothenburg, Sweden, the melodic death metal capital of the world, to study history. That’s where he and a dedicated team began to reform an old and somewhat dysfunctional organization to align with the new millennium. Project 1882 has since 2013 doubled its number of donors and staff. He’s also currently on the boards of Eurogroup for Animals and World Federation for Animals.

Fun or not, but a fact; he daily macrodoses coffee and energy drinks and eats vegan tacos every Friday.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

We are thrilled to present this very special holiday episode of Sanctuary: A Radio Play, an annual Thanksgiving tradition at Our Hen House! This special performance marks the world premiere of John Yunker’s Sanctuary at New York City’s Symphony Space during the Culture & Animals Foundation’s Compassion Arts Festival.

A dark comedy by John Yunker, Sanctuary tells the story of Richard (John Frusciante) and Lisa (Mariann Sullivan), a happily married couple whose blissful retirement to small-town Oregon is thrown into disarray when Lisa suddenly decides to go vegan and insists on celebrating Thanksgiving without a turkey AND alongside her new friend and animal activist, Meg (Jasmin Singer). Husband Richard invites his unsuspecting buddy Charley (Michael Harren), who also happens to be the local exterminator, in the hopes of forcing Lisa to stick with the traditional meal. The resulting tensions soon push relationships over the edge. Sanctuary tells the story behind the struggles and joys of navigating vegan ethics around loved ones who don’t quite understand. (Sound effects are by Emmy winner Eric Milano.)

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or X (formerly Twitter).

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Misinformation, disinformation, fake news, outright lies. When it comes to the horrific harms caused by factory farms, the truth can be hard to come by. This week, we are joined by Robbie Lockie to discuss The Freedom Food Alliance, which is helping both consumers and policymakers get the real story.

Robbie Lockie is the founder and CEO of The Freedom Food Alliance, which spearheads initiatives to combat misinformation in the food system. Through the Alliance’s flagship platform, foodfacts.org, the volunteer-led team empowers consumers with fact-checked insights on nutrition, environmental sustainability, and ethics, countering deceptive narratives in both social and mainstream media. Robbie is also the co-founder of Plant Based News, one of the most influential platforms for plant-based and sustainable living, with a community of nearly 4 million followers across social platforms and a monthly reach of 85 million people, and has also been one of the hosts of the Plant Based News Podcast.

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Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or X (formerly Twitter).

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.