Talking Animals

Kevin Nealon–the veteran comedian, longtime animal advocate, former “Saturday Night Live” star (amidst a long list of TV and film credits), and host of the YouTube  series, “Hiking with Kevin”—explains why his animal advocacy and championing of certain animal welfare organizations has receded in recent years. He clarifies that his objection to the animal abuse […]

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Lenore Braford and Paul Drake–co-founders of Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, a highly-innovative animal sanctuary in North Carolina; owing to Drake being an architectural designer, each structure is uniquely tailored to the species housed there, reflecting their behavioral inclinations and preferences—discuss “Forever Home,” the new documentary by award-winning filmmaker Allison Argo profiling the Refuge.In addressing the […]

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As we’ve done 15 times before—spanning Just shy of the five-year mark-–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.”  In each session of ATT, listeners are invited to call or email (or text) questions about their dogs or cats. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to […]

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Stan Kroh– whose broad scope of duties at Tampa Electric Company includes overseeing the company’s Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, spanning the 26 years he’s worked there—describes the history of the Viewing Center, which is approaching its 40th anniversary. Kroh charts the evolution of the Manatee Viewing Center, from the earliest days, when the […]

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Dr. Bonita Bergin, who, in 1975, invented the concept of the service dog to assist people with mobility limitations—then launched Canine Companions for Independence, later founded the Assistance Dog Institute, now called the Bergin College of Canine Studies–recalls the scenes of disabled people improvising she’d observed while traveling in Pakistan, India, Turkey, and other countries […]

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NOTE ABOUT THIS SHOW: I’ve had better mornings. As many know, each Wednesday, around dawn, I drive from my home on the east coast of Florida to the west coast, landing at WMNF in Tampa, where I broadcast “Talking Animals.” The trek is long (later, I reverse course, and drive home), but usually uneventful. Today, […]

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Gene Baur–president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, considered the world’s first farm animal sanctuary and advocacy organization, now marking its 40th anniversary—is nice enough, at my request, to recount the Sanctuary’s origin story for the umpteenth time, incorporating (also at my request!) where the Grateful Dead figures into the narrative, partly in a nod to […]

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Michael San Juan, a veteran Animal Control Officer with Hillsborough County Animal Control—his career spans 22 years, including initiating it in New Jersey—recalls that animals played a huge role in his life starting when he was a kid, when he regularly tended to sick and injured wildlife and other critters. San Juan continued traveling on […]

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Max Chesnes–the award-winning environment reporter for the Tampa Bay Times—a lifelong Floridian, recalls growing up in Jupiter, where he developed an almost religious fervor for nature, spending endless days in (and on) the water, hiking across the terrific parks, and otherwise unwittingly building the foundation of becoming a masterly environment-minded writer. Indeed, in this conversation—I’m […]

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Amy Munns–named the 2026 Pet Sitter of the Year by Pet Sitters International, (PSI), considered the world’s leading educational association for professional pet sitters and dog walkers—recalls that animals were always around while she was growing up in San Antonio, yet reflecting a cultural and generational propensity, their dog wasn’t allowed inside the house. That […]

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