Talking Animals

Tim Hetzner—Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) President/CEO and founder of the K-9 Ministry—provides a brief overview of the LCC, including the earliest days, which involved just Hetzner and one half-time employee. But in answer to my question about where the idea for the Comfort Dog Ministry came from, Hetzner chuckles and launches into a string of anecdotes describing accidental opportunities and some low-wattage lightbulb moments, including, when LCC deployed to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina hit (this was when LCC was strictly doing conventional crisis response) FEMA asked them to help rescue animals, which gave Hetzner the seedling of an idea…in LCC’s next disaster relief effort, Hetzner suggested they bring a few pet Golden Retrievers belonging to friends, and see how that affected the victims on scene. Now, about 13 years later, the LCC K-9 Ministry has 130 Comfort Dogs, living across 27 states. Hetzner addresses the program’s unwavering commitment to all Comfort Dogs being AKC Purebred Golden Retrievers, and explains why they wouldn’t consider using shelter dogs, even ones who’d been found to have an ideal temperament. He also explains the extensive training the dogs undergo, as do the handlers—one distinctive trait in the Comfort Dog realm, as compared with other service dogs, is that these canines are trained to work with multiple handlers. Given that most dog people think of them as sensitive animals highly attuned to humans and their emotions, I inquire whether there’s a certain concern about how much grief and suffering the Comfort Dogs can absorb. Hetzner is quick to point out they have clear protocols designed to address that concern, adhering to time limits, and once those limit are reached, the vest comes off, and the ball comes out; it’s break time and play time. He speaks about some of the more notable deployments, both recent (the condominium collapse at Surfside), and longer ago (Sandy Hook) [Photos: Lutheran Church Charities] (http://k9comfort.org, https://www.facebook.com/k9comfort, https://www.instagram.com/comfortdogs/)

COMEDY CORNER: Sean Donnelly’s “I Love My Bulldog” (https://seandonnellycomedy.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Colleen Green’s “I Wanna Be A Dog,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Part 1:

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Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/TASept8Part2.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Diane Delano—founder of the Wild Horse Rescue Center, a Webster, Florida facility that rescues, rehabilitates, and finds new homes for wild horses—recalls growing up amidst a family of horse lovers, and she started riding at age three. This was in the Catskills, where Delano says, she was frequently playing outside and tending to various wild animals, including baby woodchuck named Peanut. A few years after the family moved to Central Florida, a pivotal thing happened for Delano when she was 13: Her father gave her a horse, named Raindrop, who went on to be part of Delano’s life for 34 years. It’s hard to imagine someone whose youth—whose childhood, really–more directly foreshadowed their life’s work. Especially once Delano encountered her first wild horse. She describes her longstanding relationship with the Bureau of Land Management, which includes Delano being selected by the BLM to serve as a Compliance Officer, for which her duties included investigating reports of places where horses were being neglected or mistreated—and sometimes seizing the animal. She discusses the Wild Horse Rescue Center, both by the numbers (currently, 64 horses across 42 acres), as well as some specific horse residents, past and present, and how a new brand of volunteer—residents of The Villages, a nearby, noted retirement community—stepped up and stepped in when Covid-associated restrictions forced suspension of the Center’s major International Volunteer Program. (http://www.wildhorserescuecenter.org, https://www.facebook.com/wildhorserescuecenter, https://www.instagram.com/wildhorserescuecenter/)

 

ALSO: I also spoke briefly with Aja Nikiya, founder of Compassion Kind, a multifaceted animal welfare organization–one of their major missions involves traveling to the sites of disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, and rescuing the animals there. Nikiya explained that in the wake of the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Ida, she and her colleagues arrived in Louisiana on Aug. 31, initially setting up in Lafayette, to assess the power outages, flooding and other obstacles in various areas that would help them determine where they could immediately deploy, and where they should wait. Nikiya outlined ways people can support Compassion Kind’s efforts, including monetary donations (via Venmo: @compassionkind, PayPal/zelle: [email protected], Cashapp: $compassionkindorg), as well as food—dry and wet–and animal supplies. She also asks that people periodically check the Compassion Kind website and social media pages for requests for folks who can foster rescued animals, and other updates. (https://www.compassionkind.org, https://www.facebook.com/compassionkindfoundation,              https://www.instagram.com/compassionkind/)

COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Horse Whisperer” (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Rolling Stones’ “Monkey Man” (R.I.P., Charlie Watts)

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Part 1

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/TASept1Part1.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

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Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/TASept1Part2.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Michael Webber—director of the new documentary, “The Conservation Game,” which explores the realm of people who bring animals on late-night talk shows and morning news programs, and may be secretly participating in the exotic pet trade—discusses how his career (which included working on numerous studio features and other films, television shows and other projects) forever changed when he made his 2011 doc, “The Elephant In The Living Room.” That film, which also delved into the black market commerce involving big cats and other exotic animals, won rave reviews and several Best Documentary awards and was otherwise intensely gratifying for Webber, he recalls. That movie also had Tim Harrison, a retired policeman (and former fireman/paramedic) at the center of it—Webber had been drawn to the subject by Harrison’s two books about the exotic pet trade—as does “The Conservation Game.” Webber recalls the reaction he felt in reading the two Harrison books, while on location in Poland, and enthuses about the man himself.  Webber addresses the discovery Harrison made while checking out an exotic animal auction (Webber accompanied him, shooting footage with a hidden camera), and how this epiphany—that so-called “celebrity conservationists” who bring animals on TV programs, most famously: Jack Hanna, directly participate in the exotic pet trade—which launches Harrison’s investigation that forms a core narrative of  “The Conservation Game.” Webber touches on the film’s parallel narrative: the effort to lobby for the Big Cat Safety Act, a bill that revises and significantly tightens laws governing the trade of big cats, including onscreen appearances by longtime advocates of such strengthened legislation, Howard and Carole Baskin of Tampa’s Big Cat Rescue. Webber speaks to one place the two narratives intersect—that Hanna and The Columbus Zoo were quietly but insistently working against the passage of the bill. This represents just one element of a Hanna portrait that emerges—viewers of “The Conservation Game” might never look at Jack Hanna the same way.   (https://www.theconservationgame.com, https://www.facebook.com/BigCatMovie, https://www.instagram.com/bigcatmovie/)

ALSO: I also spoke briefly with Maddie Stone, Marketing Manager at Great Explorations Children’s Museum in Saint Petersburg, about the Museum’s then-forthcoming “Pet Day With SPCA Tampa Bay,” slated for Aug. 27. Stone provided a brief overview of the facility, what kind of programming they typically offer, a bit about their special events—and a number of details about “Pet Day,” such as an assortment of animal-themed activities, including a Critter Corner and a rabbit to meet and greet.    .  (https://greatex.org, https://www.facebook.com/GreatExKids/, https://www.instagram.com/great_explorations/          )

 COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Pepitone’s “Dog Therapy” (https://www.eddiepepitone.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Steely Dan’s “Black Cow”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

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Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/TAAug25Part1.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

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As we did in May, in what was then an experimental effort, on today’s show we jettisoned the regular “Talking Animals” format, presenting a still semi-new extended feature, “Ask The Trainer,” in which listeners are invited to call or email questions or concerns about their dogs, particularly involving behavioral issues. That experiment in May was deemed a big success, thanks expressly to the “Trainer” in question: Glen Hatchell, the Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, who’s also an accomplished dog trainer and behavior expert, having held the Certified Professional Dog Trainer certification since 2014. (He’s also formerly a longtime programmer at WMNF.)  Hatchell graciously agreed to return for another session of “Ask The Trainer.”  Today’s edition involved a wide array of listener questions and canine concerns. Including Sid, who wondered—while having a “party” of petting and vigorous affection with his dog—if there’s a good command or other way to signal to the dog that the party is over…a man, whose name I didn’t catch, seeking help with a flea problem, despite regularly giving his dog flea baths…Cathy, whose Labradoodle has noise sensitivity issues, and wanted guidance on how to mitigate those issues…Donna, whose 18-month-old Goldendoodle tends to bite her heels anytime she’s holding something in her hands…there were two sets of inquiries about two pairs of pit bull type dogs…A texter named Susan who asked if it was possible to teach her seven-year-old dog new commands (Glen & I both pointed out there’s a cliché that covers this scenario)…In a somewhat similar vein, an emailer by the name of Bert inquired about attempting to train his cats, 3 and 5 years old, to go outside on walks…there was more—all adding up to another successful “Ask The Trainer.”   (https://humanesocietytampa.org, https://www.facebook.com/glen.hatchell)

COMEDY CORNER: We didn’t step into the Comedy Corner today.

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/TAAug18Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

David Crawford—co-founder and executive director of Animal Help Now, a Boulder, Colorado-based national organization considered the 911 of wildlife emergencies, a somewhat glib, though not inaccurate, description—observes that he didn’t have a particularly profound bond with animals as a kid, but developed that connection as a young man. Crawford relates some of the pivotal moments in forging that connection, including witnessing a deer getting hit by a car, and taking a job in a slaughterhouse. Other steps in that direction include Crawford’s participation in Rocky Mountain Animal Defense, an animal rights organization that, he says, dissolved after a 10-12 year run. Crawford recalls that the end of that organization loosely evolved into an effort by some former members to catalog every species in that area, which in turn, evolved into a precursor of the Animal Help Now website, though with information provided about domestic animals, including pets and farmed animals. The further transformation, Crawford recounts, was deciding to de-emphasize domestic animals in favor of concentrating on wildlife and expanding the scope of this deep resource nationwide. He responds to my real-time description of visiting the Animal Help Now website on my laptop in the studio, and the numerous, two-tiered list of Tampa resources this yields, and explains how he arrived at the criteria to determine which resources would be included—how they’re vetted initially, and how they’re updated subsequently. We also touch on the virtues of using this information on the Animal Help Now website, or app, in a scenario where there’s, say, a mother raccoon and her babies are in you’re attic—there’s a good, humane way to proceed, and ways that for some people, unwittingly, are not. (https://ahnow.org/#/, https://www.facebook.com/AnimalHelpNow, https://www.instagram.com/animalhelpnowapp/)

COMEDY CORNER:  Joe Zimmerman’s “Animal Attacks” (http://www.zimmermancomedy.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Carrie Newcomer’s “My Dog,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

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Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/TAAug11Part1.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

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Melanie Sue Bowles—founder and director of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, who alongside her husband, Jim, has shepherded the sanctuary through nearly 30 years of challenges, changes, and relocations, in service of rescuing horses and providing them refuge—recalls helping her very first horse, when they were decidedly not horse people. Although she didn’t grow up riding, or even spending time with horses, Bowles observes that she believes everyone has a “superpower”—the tricky part is discovering what yours is—and realized, by horse #2, that her superpower is “helping horses who are hurting.” She describes how one of those earliest horses, Tuxedo, had been a racehorse whose training and overall existence involved concrete, and upon arriving at Proud Spirit, was so unfamiliar with grass that he was initially bothered by walking on it. (The good news: Tuxedo became accustomed to grass, otherwise healed, and is a current member of the Proud Spirit herd.) Bowles charts the Sanctuary’s evolution, and movement: Five acres in Myakka, FL, then 50 acres there, then 320 in Mena, AR, 180 in Lincolnton, GA, and finally, mere weeks ago, landing on 50 acres in Wilkesboro, NC. She explains that she and Jim always hoped to wind up in North Carolina, and with the herd being its smallest (20 horses) in years, it was now practical to settle once when they found that parcel of land in Wilkesoboro. We revisit a conversation Melanie and I had on the show five years ago, when she frankly addressed a certain level of exhaustion, if not exasperation, with the fundraising requirements of Proud Spirit, as well as the demands of rescue and advocacy—and decided to stop taking in horses, while continuing to care for those already living at the Sanctuary. They embarked on a quest, she notes, to find someone to take over running Proud Spirit, pointing out she and Jim and are still relatively young (having started rescuing horses as very young adults) and healthy, but recognizing that they won’t always be in a position to do this work. Still looking…(https://horsesofproudspirit.org, https://www.facebook.com/Proud-Spirit-Horse-Sanctuary-181176672272

ALSO: I also spoke briefly with Jonathan Carlucci, Vice President of Content at CardioCast, an audio fitness app offering nearly 2000 on-demand fitness classes, and recently introduced a series of new workouts under the title “Walk & Jog With Your Dog.” Carlucci devised the workouts specifically for people to enjoy with their canine companions, and explained how he approached creating them, so that both dog and human would benefit and enjoy the sessions. He recalled how he was ably assisted in this process by his dog, Benji, noting the initial three workouts were so enthusiastically embraced by CardioCast users that the app not only added additional classes, but also has brought on another trainer, alongside Carlucci, to create even more “Walk & Jog With Your Dog” sessions. (https://web.cardiocast.app/dog-workouts/)

COMEDY CORNER:  Martha Kelly’s “Horses Hate That We Ride Them”   (https://www.instagram.com/mkellyatx/?hl=en)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Part One:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/TAAug4Part1.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

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Kristen Hassen—a highly-respected figure in the animal shelter world, owing to her accomplishments and innovations during major stints leading or helping lead animal facilities, and now Director of American Pets Alive!, through which she oversees other projects and initiatives, including Human Animal Support Services—recounts the dreadful circumstances that led to her forging a profound bond with animals as a kid. She explains how, consequently, working in animal welfare called to her early—at 19—resulting in her starting her first shelter-related position…but the large component of euthanasia prompted what her to exit that job. She then went back to school, she remembers, attended graduate school, and begin working in the parks system. Then, Hassen recalls, she re-entered the shelter world, including stretches at facilities in Virginia, Austin, and Tucson, experiences that helped shape her vision of what she calls “the current crisis in sheltering”–and how, with Human Animal Support Services (HASS), she aims to not just improve, but fundamentally reinvent animal services and sheltering. Hassen outlines the serious shortcomings of shelters, how HASS seeks to mitigate those shortcomings—for example, when a family hits a financial snag, it might conclude it needs to surrender their dog, yet HASS might be able to intervene and help arrange for assistance, thereby enabling the dog to stay with the family—and notes how shelters, or even individuals, can support the HASS mission, while touching on the HASS Coalition’s pilot shelters that are embracing the organization’s mission and implementing its major strategies. Hassen responded to listener emails and calls, including one from a caller who has adopted two pit bull type dogs and was urging others to do the same, and another caller who was challenging the practice of some shelters that indicate a prospective adoptive dog is “good with kids.” We also discussed how HASS is funded, and a good deal more.  (https://www.humananimalsupportservices.org, https://www.facebook.com/humananimalsupportservices, https://www.instagram.com/thehasslife/)

ALSO: I also spoke briefly with Scott Trebatoski, Director of Hillsborough County Pet Resources Center, seeking his perspective on SB60, a bill Governor DeSantis recently signed into law that appears to remove the cloak of anonymity from code enforcement reports—which would seem to raise questions about the extent to which the new law will prevent anonymous reporting of animal abuse; whether animal abusers could readily locate the name and address of those who report them, thereby significantly discouraging such reporting. Trebatoski explains that the way he and his Pet Resources Center colleagues are interpreting the new law is that complaints about, for example, a neighbor’s dog barking excessively or pooping on your yard could not be delivered anonymously. But reports about things that pose a threat to the life of an animal—like neglect or abuse—can still be reported anonymously. He also notes that there may be differences in the interpretation of the new law—when it comes to animal issues–from county to county, but predicts there will likely be growing consistency in that regard across counties over time. (https://www.wsh-law.com/news-updates/florida-law-update-senate-bill-60-county-and-municipal-code-enforcement/)

COMEDY CORNER:  Max Rosenblum’s “Dog People”  (http://maxrosenblum.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TAJuly28Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Dani McVety—the veterinarian, and Tampa native, who co-founded Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice in 2009—recounts the circumstances behind launching what has since become the nation’s largest network dedicated to end of life veterinary care, operating in 36 states. McVety provides an overview of how Lap of Love works, describing how and when one of their veterinarians (they work with nearly 200) would come to the house of someone whose pet had been deemed—usually by their regular vet, in consultation with the owner—to be at the end of his or her life. In addressing how the limitations of COVID affected the normal routines–and multiple virtues– of Lap of Love’s in-home care, McVety notes that the company was not only unhampered by those restrictions, but business soared: For much of the pandemic period, examinations and more serious procedures were done by the veterinarians or staff members meeting the patients and their humans outside the office or hospital, taking the animal inside, but—owing to Covid protocols—the owners were required to stay outside. Even when their animals were contending with terminal conditions, and might be reaching the crushing moment when euthanasia was called for—no one was willing to be separated from their animal, when there was the option, through Lap of Love, to carry out that sad deed at home, hugging that animal. McVety explains what may be the counterintuitive scenario of Lap of Love veterinarians generally not experiencing burn out, pointing out that many in their ranks were formerly vets working in conventional practices, where it was not uncommon for those docs to be overcome with burnout, before going to work at Lap of Love. Throughout the interview, she fields a number of listener emails, texts and calls, most recounting highly favorable, poignant experiences with Lap of Love, some asking questions, one relating a hair-raising saga about a Lap of Love competitor who came to the caller’s home to euthanize her cat and, apparently, was stylistically inappropriate every step of the way. (https://www.lapoflove.com, https://www.facebook.com/lapoflove, https://www.instagram.com/lapofloveveterinaryhospice/)

ALSO: I also spoke briefly with Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, about the recently announced sentence—15 months in prison, and 10 years of probation—for the felony fraud charges against Albert Adams, the former CEO of the nonprofit organization Soaring Paws. State Attorney Warren outlines the forms of fraud that Adams perpetrated on dog owners initially, how that led to Adams being on probation, until newly committed fraudulent acts resulted in the prison term and probation. Noting that he himself is a dog lover, and owner, Warren explained that anyone who does anything to harm dogs or dog owners—if it involves criminal wrongdoing—will be running afoul of him, and will likely be prosecuted. (https://www.sao13th.com, https://www.facebook.com/sao13th/)

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Josh Gondelman’s “We Adopted A Pug”  (http://www.joshgondelman.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TAJuly21Final-1.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Julie Castle—the CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, the national animal welfare organization, founded in 1984, and based in Kanab, Utah—describes the organization currently in broad strokes, offering notable contrasts to when she scrapped plans for law school and began working there some 25 years ago, as just the 17th employee of this now-sprawling entity. Castle addresses the philosophy underpinning Best Friends’ major initiative, “Save Them All,” a central piece of the organization’s messaging for a number of years, whose guiding principle is to end the killing of animals in shelters. This naturally leads into a discussion of “No Kill 2025,” a campaign by which Best Friends aims, in 2025, for every animal shelter across the country to embrace a “no kill” policy. That means, Castle explains, that under this policy, 90% of any shelter’s animals are to remain alive as a national benchmark–no more than 10% of shelter animals would ever be euthanized, pointing out that this figure acknowledges there may always be a small cadre of cats and dogs who are so severely ill or behaviorally incapacitated that it would be inhumane to unnecessarily preserve their lives. In response to my observation that all kinds of animal organizations, large and small, highlight the importance of “no kill,” but that it’s exceedingly rare for an organization to commit to a deadline, Castle notes that she decided on the 2025 cut-off date, moving it five years earlier than the original master plan had called for. She goes on to speak to the importance of employing science and research in formulating Best Friends policy and making decisions, while heeding the organization’s underlying ethos: “Do the right thing.” (https://bestfriends.org, https://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety?ref=ts, https://www.facebook.com/BleeckerStFilms, https://www.instagram.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety/)

 

ALSO: I also spoke briefly with Dr. Sandhu, a veterinarian who primarily practices at Companion Pet Hospital in Thonotosassa, but every other Saturday, additionally offers his services at multiple locations through his Mobile Pet Hospital. We highlighted the location at Leo & Lucky’s, at 8943 US Highway 301 North in Parrish, Florida, where the Mobile Pet Hospital was slated to be parked from 1-3pm on July 17. (They’re scheduled to return on July 31.) Dr. Sandhu explains that for the mobile clinic patients, he provides a basic exam, often at no charge, and that the primary purpose is to provide vaccinations and other measures to maintain good health and prevent illness. Sandhu does not see ill animals at the Mobile Pet Hospital, and if one turns up there, he and his staff refer the owner to full-service veterinary hospitals.  The list of Mobile Pet Hospital clinic locations, dates, and other information, can be found at: https://www.mobilepethospital.org

COMEDY CORNER:  Nick Turner’s “Rescue Dogs”   (https://www.instagram.com/nicksturners/?hl=en)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Genesis’s “A Trick of the Tail”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TAJuly14FInal.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Joshua Zeman—the director of  “The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52,” a feature-length documentary chronicling the science-oriented pursuit of a whale that experts think has spent his whole life in solitude because, they believe, he’s communicating at a frequency no other whale can understand—addresses the observation that this film represents a departure from his past work, noting he makes mysteries, and “The Loneliest Whale” is surely a mystery.Zeman explains the factors about 52 Hertz Whale (aka 52) that he found so irresistibly compelling that he managed to fend off obstacle after obstacle, such that he says the effort to make this movie stretched over a decade. Prompted by the reference to 52 as an esoteric critter, known by a small but mighty group of oceanographers, whale experts—including those who specialize

in whale communication—and other scientists, as well as a slew of civilians, among them numerous folks on social media, he offers a more detailed description of “52” and muses about why this whale has captured so many people’s imagination. The core of “The Loneliest Whale” involves a seven-day expedition undertaken by a slew of hotshot whale experts and other scientists—with the specific aim to find 52—and Zeman recalls how excited he felt as more and more first-tier whale people signed on, and offers his observations about the smooth, respectful way this dream team functioned. He touches on what happened as the expedition neared its end, but we were careful to sidestep any spoilers. Executive Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52” opens in theaters July 9, and can be seen On Demand July 16. (Photos courtesy of Bleecker Street)   (https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/the-loneliest-whale, https://www.facebook.com/BleeckerStFilms, https://www.instagram.com/BleeckerStFilms/

 

 

ALSO: I also spoke briefly with Lloyd Schiller, a Jupiter Farms resident who recounted a story about spotting the turtle, Maureen (nee Morris) who lives in his backyard pond, with a fish hook in her mouth. This was in 2006, over Thanksgiving weekend—Black Friday, specifically—and he lamented having to head to WalMart, to shop for a fishing net with a long net, in hopes of capturing Maureen. Eventually having done so, Schiller took the turtle to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, where they removed the hook, otherwise treated Maureen, and released her back to Schiller. Fifteen years later, he remains deeply appreciative. And, Schiller explained, that gratitude went from being reflected in a section in his will, to—in light of the news that Busch Wildlife Sanctuary lost its lease and will relocate to a new site in Jupiter Farms, mindful of a ticking clock driving the move—giving the gift now, which he announced a few weeks ago: It’s a walloping sum, and if you’re curious to know just how walloping, we invite you to listen to this interview!  (https://www.buschwildlife.org, https://www.facebook.com/BuschWildlife/, https://www.instagram.com/buschwildlife/?hl=en)

COMEDY CORNER:  Jim Gaffigan’s “Whales” (portion) (https://www.jimgaffigan.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Tom Waits’ “Get Behind The Mule”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/TAJuly7Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window