Talking Animals

For this edition of “Talking Animals,” I presented a special show devoted to greyhounds, and specifically, Amendment 13, the ballot measure that, if it passes on Nov. 6, would end greyhound racing in Florida by 2020. I held this in-studio discussion with Carey Theil, executive director of Grey2K USA Worldwide, a national greyhound protection organization, and Don Goldstein, Talking Animals’ longtime greyhound correspondent. While nowhere near as vocal, there were two others in studio: two retired racing greyhounds, Mira and Jazzy, both members of the Goldstein family. Theil and Goldstein outlined their history with greyhounds, which in Theil’s case involves a great deal of advocacy and political campaigns around dog racing, while Goldstein explains how he and his wife began adopting greyhounds 26 years ago, currently live with four (the population at their house typically ranges from four to six), and have fostered some 50 greyhounds. The pair provide a bit of Greyhound Racing 101, included the faded interest and decreased revenues (the Florida tracks are estimated to lose about $30 million per year on dog racing), and the screwy Florida law that requires the tracks to offer racing in order to operate the lucrative card rooms. But much of the conversation revolved around Amendment 13, which Theil, Goldstein, and myself—and, probably, Mira & Jazzy—are squarely in favor of, but we did field calls from listeners with assorted viewpoints, including some decidedly members of No On 13 camp. Part of this was addressing the impact—on the dogs, on the tracks, the greyhound adoption groups—as well as the timetable, and more, if the Amendment were to pass, which requires 60% voter support on Nov. 6. (https://www.grey2kusa.org/index.php, https://protectdogs.org)

The entire show streamed on Facebook Live, which can be accessed here: https://www.facebook.com/duncan.strauss/videos/10157193603349218/ 

 

COMEDY CORNER: We skipped 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/2018/10/TAOct24-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Captain Paul Watson—the founder, president, and executive director of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the marine conservation organization he launched in 1977, and whose profile rose dramatically in the wake of the Animal Planet series “Whale Wars”—discusses his recent period of exile in France, and the international legal troubles that led to it. Watson explains these troubles involved a highly unusual circumstance: Not one, but two Red Notices (akin to an international arrest warrant) were issued against him, one by Costa Rica and the other by Japan. While exiled, Watson relinquished his duties—or, at least, titles—at Sea Shepherd, but notes he has now resumed roles as president and executive director. He addresses how, while he had stepped away, Sea Shepherd has mutated from “an organization to a movement” and as part of that transformation, has diversified and forged partnerships with various entities; some of those alliances allow for the enforcement of laws, whereas Sea Shepherd was previously limited to raising awareness of crimes against marine animals and the environment—and, often, disrupting such crimes, like Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. Another by-product of Sea Shepherd’s evolution is they’re now undertaking an enormous number of campaigns, almost too many for Watson to keep track of—though he does describe many of them in this interview. He comments on the International Panel on Climate Change’s report, which had been released the day before the interview was recorded, and goes on to compare Trump’s and Trudeau’s track record on environmental policies—making it clear that, for different reasons, he’s no fan of either. Captain Watson will speak at the Tampa Bay Veg Fest, on Nov. 3 at Perry Harvey, Sr. Park, in Tampa. (https://seashepherd.org)

 

ALSO: I spoke with Loretta Williams, event coordinator of St. Francis Society Animal Rescue’s “KittyCon Tampa Bay,” which they’ve billed, among other descriptions, as “A Fan Convention For People Crazy About Cats.” Williams outlined some of the cat-centric celebs and special guests who will participate in meet-and-greets at the event, as well as other activities offered throughout the day, from a cat costume contest to panel discussions. (https://www.kittycontampabay.org)

COMEDY CORNER: David Huntsberger’s   “The God of Ants”    (https://www.davidhuntsberger.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Smashing Pumpkins’  “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TAOct17.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Sy Montgomery—the author of numerous acclaimed books about animals, including bestsellers “The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood” and “The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness”—discusses the inspiration for her new book, a departure from the others, in that it’s an autobiography, though with a suitably Sy twist: “How to Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals.” As the title suggests, this book tells Montgomery’s life story by way of recounting the animals that were important to her along the way, personally and professionally. That involved a more complex story line  than this description, or Montgomery’s past books would presage: She recalls (in both the book and this interview) how, after her pig Chris died at 14, followed not long thereafter by the passing of  her 16-year-old border collie, Tess, she descended into a dark depression, and for a time, was haunted by suicidal thoughts. She’s very frank in acknowledging how close she came to acting on those thoughts, and would’ve were it not for two commitments she had made, including writing “The Good Good Pig” (which she described as a wrenching experience). Tied to another commitment to write a children’s book, she embarked on an expedition to Papua New Guinea, where after some grueling hiking, she saw two mating tree kangaroos—a transcendent experience that lifted her out of that dark period. Montgomery also addresses her childhood, her first dog, Molly, the growing estrangement with her parents (her mother, in particular), the profound experiences she had while researching and writing “The Soul of an Octopus”—which became a surprise bestseller, and a National Book Award nominee—and more, including responding to some keen questions and comments from listeners. (http://symontgomery.com, https://www.facebook.com/sy.montgomery.3)

 

ALSO: I spoke with Dina Athanassie, outreach & events manager at Animal Coalition of Tampa, about its then-forthcoming 18th Annual Stride for Strays, slated to take place Oct. 7 at Al Lopez Park in Tampa.      (http://actampa.org/event/strideforstrays/https://www.facebook.com/actampa/)

COMEDY CORNER: Harland Williams’   “Animals And Corn”  (portion) (http://www.harlandwilliams.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Dave Matthews Band’s “Ants Marching”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/TAOct3-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Kinky Friedman—the singer-songwriter-author-satirist-animal rescuer and veteran cigar-chomping wag—describes how his longtime friend and sometimes advisor Willie Nelson, upon hearing in a 3am phone call that Friedman was watching “Matlock,” decided his friend was in the throes of depression, and admonished Kinky to start writing songs. Kinky recalls how he took Nelson’s advice to heart, and about a month and half later, he’d written a dozen new songs, which make up “Circus of Life,” Friedman’s first album in 40 years, featuring a sweet salute to Nelson, “Autographs in the Rain (Song to Willie).” Kinky discusses the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, the rescue and adoption facility in Medina, TX that he co-founded in 1998, the reason it closed its doors earlier this year, after two decades–and the inspiration Utopia served for others, including Emmylou Harris, who created Bonaparte’s Retreat, which houses adoptable dogs after their time at a given shelter has expired.  Kinky underlines his soft spot for strays, noting that just a couple of weeks ago, he adopted “a big red dog” that he found on the side of the road. We revisit some aspects of his campaign for Governor of Texas about a dozen years ago, including that one plank of his platform was making it illegal to declaw cats, and that a gubernatorial bid many at first thought was jokey, ultimately generated upwards of 700,000 votes for Kinky, and spurred many young adults to cast their very first vote.  A hall of fame raconteur, Kinky covers all sorts of other ground (including the distinction between important and significant, that his song “Ride ‘Em Jewboy” had become a favorite of Nelson Mandela while imprisoned and regularly played it for other Robben Island residents, etc.)–conversational journeys that resist summaries of this kind. Probably best that you listen to the archive—we’re pretty sure you’ll be glad you did. (https://www.kinkyfriedman.com, https://www.facebook.com/kinkyfriedmanofficial/)

ALSO: I spoke with Jenna Bardrof, event coordinator at St. Pete Health Fest, a new plant-based festival to celebrate health and sustainability, taking place on Oct. 6. She outlined some of the elements of the event, and acknowledged that while it seems highly similar to a Veg Fest, noted the factors that distinguish St. Pete Health Fest from such enterprises. (http://www.solutionaryfestival.org/stpete/, https://www.facebook.com/events/229521190986973/)

COMEDY CORNER: Hari Kondabolu’s  “A Vegan Long Con”  (http://www.harikondabolu.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/TASept26-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Don Hardy—co-director of the new documentary feature, “Pick of the Litter,” which tracks a litter of puppies from birth as they travel the challenging path in pursuit of becoming a guide dogs for the blind — recalls the pre-film history he and co-director Dana Nachman had with Guide Dogs for the Blind, having done brief news pieces covering the organization. Then, some years later—while kicking around full-length film ideas, Hardy says– someone came up with the notion of chronicling the story of one litter as they undergo the long journey from prospective guide dogs to (in some cases) those who end up paired with a blind or visually impaired person. Hardy outlines the key story lines that propel “Pick of the Litter,” noting that while dogs were the film’s focus, humans—including puppy raisers, trainers, and assorted Guide Dogs for the Blind staffers—sometimes occupy the center of the narrative. Hardy discusses breeding: Guide Dogs for the Blind puppies are carefully bred, as the film makes clear, and I ask Hardy to address the topic that often surfaces on “Talking Animals”: with the shelters overflowing and countless dogs available for adoption, some wonder why guide dogs, Canine Companions for Independence and others—who meticulously breed dogs for that work, yet only see a success rate of around 40-50%…why couldn’t they select a segment of carefully-screened shelter dogs (particularly Labs) undertake the same kind of training, and perhaps fare just as well? The conversation also touches on “intelligent disobedience”—wherein these highly-trained dogs possess the judgment to ignorea command, like when a car unexpectedly rolls through a crosswalk that a guide dog and its human were about to step into—the process of naming a litter, like the one depicted in the film (and, specifically, how the relaxed, folksy traits attributed to a person named “Phil” materialized in the dog with that name), and how the documentary has generated highly positive reviews in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and other prominent publications. “Pick of the Litter” has been screening at an increasing number of theaters across the country; it’s due at the Tampa Theatre on Sept 29. (https://www.pickofthelittermovie.com, https://www.facebook.com/PickOfTheLitterDoc/)

COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s   “Animal Attacks”  (http://www.zimmermancomedy.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/2018/09/TASept19.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Marco Adda—part of a team of researchers who conducted a recently-published study of so-called “free-ranging dogs” and pet dogs in Bali, Indonesia—recalls his early years, including being born in Milan, and growing up in Naples, where there were packs of stray dogs.In some ways, this proved to be a formative experience (and foreshadowed, as it turns out, the study of Bali dogs), and Adda remembers feeling a profound kinship with these strays, sometimes leaving behind his buddies who were playing soccer to spend time with these homeless canines, instinctively understanding how to behave around them and the importance of projecting calm. Hearing him discuss those experiences, it’s little wonder that Adda went on to become a canine researcher, a dog trainer, a dog behavior consultant, and educator. Adda explains the mission and focus of the International Society of Anthrozoology, of which he’s a member. Addressing the Bali dog study, he outlines the history of free-ranging dogs on the island, which appears to date back no less than 3000 years, describing the types of dogs that have long inhabited the area, and how over the last three decades, in particular, there has been an influx of other dogs (Labs, German Shepherds, etc.) brought by humans moving there. Adda notes that the study initially involved 112 dogs’ owners or caretakers filling out questionnaires, a number that was winnowed down (some dogs were too young, others were not purely Bali dogs, etc.) to 75: 60 free-ranging and 15 pets/companion animals. The findings suggest that a change in lifestyle—in this case, being adopted and living in a confined environment—has negative consequences on some dog characteristics, including making them more excitable, more aggressive, and elevating their prey drive. Adda was careful to point out that the dogs’ adjustment to the new environment (that is, free-ranging dogs to being pets or companion animals) likely takes longer, and that if the study were repeated with the same dogs in 5-10 years, the results would likely be quite different. (http://marcoadda.com, https://www.facebook.com/marco.adda.7, https://www.facebook.com/Marco-Adda-Anthrozoology-Education-and-Canines-537490186297659/)

ALSO: I spoke with Emily Kapes, curator at The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, in St. Petersburg.  Kapes described the history and mission of this new museum, highlighting its current exhibition, “Art and the Animal,” which features 125 paintings and sculptures depicting a wide array of animals. (https://thejamesmuseum.org)

 

 

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: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/TASept12.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Cameron O’Steen—a photographer who created the Yoga Animalia Project, which involves traveling to farm animal sanctuaries across the country, and shooting portraits of the animal residents there—recalls his earliest experiences with farmed animals, as a kid growing up on his grandparents’ ranch, north of Los Angeles. The first real friendship he forged with one of these animals, he remembers, was with a donkey named Eeyore. Over the years, O’Steen has worked as an animal caretaker at a handful of farm animal sanctuaries, and was speaking for this interview from Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in Mehoopany, PA—his home base, of sorts, for part of the year; other parts of the year, he travels to Veg Fests and, of course, to the sanctuaries he visits to photograph for the Yoga Animalia Project. The photography side of the equation, O’Steen explains, began in a highly different realm: He started helping a good friend who owned a wedding photography, and proved to have a good eye and a real gift. He started applying his new skill to shooting pictures at animal sanctuaries, including one in Salt Lake City, where he didn’t really know the animals—yet it worked, and he O’Steen captured some good images. He was encouraged by this, had a bit of a light bulb moment, and decided to keep going; he’s shot at 70 sanctuaries thus far. (As he was recounting all this, it should be noted, a rooster named Dharma, at Indraloka, was crowing up a storm. Loved it—Talking Animals, indeed!)  O’Steen discusses the criteria for including a sanctuary in the Yoga Animalia Project, plans for a coffee table book of these photos, and more. [Photos/Animals: O’Steen with Madalitso, from Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, in PA; Luna from Kindred Spirits Sanctuary, in FL; Little Dude, from Barn Sanctuary, in MI;  Flower, from Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, in NC.] (http://www.yogaanimalia.com)

ALSO: I spoke with Gracie Grieshop, of Pet Pal Animal Shelter about an unusual fundraiser that was then on the horizon (Sept. 7), called “Diamonds in the Ruff,” offering new and used jewelry for purchase, by way of supporting Pet Pal. (https://petpalanimalshelter.com)

 

COMEDY CORNER: Demetri Martin’s “Pets to Cats”  (http://live.demetrimartin.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Joni Mitchell’s  “Black Crow”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/TASept5.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Kerry Kriger—the founder of Save The Frogs!, which describes itself as the world’s leading amphibian conservation organization—reconstructs the distinctive path he traveled academically and geographically (including a mechanical engineering undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia; studying endangered birds in Hawaii, alongside PhD students; earning his own PhD in environmental science at a university in Australia) en route to launching Save The Frogs! Kriger discusses the dramatically dwindling amphibian population, and the reasons for it, chiefly habitat destruction, but noting another significant cause is Chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease that has knocked out entire amphibian species (the topic of Kriger’s doctoral dissertation). Kriger also addresses the geographic and other factors that influence the scope, or existence at all, of species going extinct, noting an enormously detrimental element is the enterprise of having amphibians as pets, and everything that goes with that. Offsetting a bit the bleak news that upwards of 200 species have disappeared altogether since 1980, Kriger points out that new amphibian species are discovered regularly. Partly spurred by one of the listener calls, Kriger also spends a few minutes talking about Bufo toads, also known as cane toads, which have become the scourge of many parts of the world, including Florida (which Kriger called “the invasive species capitol of the world”) He outlines some of the resources and services Save The Frogs! offers, including eco-tours in 2019 to Ecuador, Costa Rica and New Orleans. (https://www.savethefrogs.com)

ALSO: I spoke with Fred Eppsteiner about a panel discussion to be held from 7:30-9pm on Sept. 7 at the Florida Community of Mindfulness in Tampa. The panel is entitled “Healing Your Body, Healing The Earth: Transitioning to a Plant-based Diet” and will feature Dr. Koushik Reddy, a cardiologist; Isabelle Tassi, an attorney and founder of the Tampa Bay Veg Fest; and Eppsteiner himself, a Buddhist teacher, retired therapist, and longtime vegetarian/vegan. (https://www.floridamindfulness.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Mitch Hedberg’s  “Smackie The Frog”  (portion)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Rolf Harris’ “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TAAug29.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Bryna Donnelly—the co-founder of Rescue Rebuild, an animal shelter renovation program that travels nationally (sometimes, internationally), remodeling and renovating shelters in need—discusses her academic life that preceded going full-time rehabbing shelters. She recounts working as a college biology professor—her field was molecular biology–at a small school, Delaware Valley University, in Pennsylvania, and one day got recruited by a friend to help out at an animal shelter in West Virginia, about an hour’s drive away. Donnelly describes the shelter in the earliest days, when it was quite primitive—dogs were chained, there was no protection from the elements, and so on. The significant improvements that Donnelly, her friend, and others made to the shelter did not go unnoticed by those running other nearby shelters, who asked them to give their facilities a facelift, too. They said “yes,” and thus Rescue Rebuild was born, in 2007. Since then, Donnelly says, the program has averaged three to five renovations (‘builds,” in the lingo) for most of those years, but as of 2015—when Rescue Rebuild aligned itself with Greater Good, and now operates under that organization’s umbrella—that figure has increased to 11-15 builds per year. Far more than that number of shelters seek the Rescue Rebuild treatment each year, and Donnelly explains the criteria they apply for deciding who will be awarded a build, including that government-run facilities are generally favored over mom-and-pop places, chiefly because owning the property is central, owing to its implications for the long-term viability and stability of the operation. Donnelly mentions a project undertook this year (before & after photos are included here), revamping a Cat Colony Room in Pensacola, opening up what had been a cramped, dreary space and transforming it into a warm, inviting, colorful chamber, which you could imagine humans of all ages happily spending extended periods of time, thereby boosting the prospects for more adoptions.  (http://rescuerebuild.greatergood.org)

ALSO: I spoke with Kelly Van Nevel, of Heidi’s Legacy Dog Rescue, about a “Dogust” adoption event happening in Tampa on Saturday Aug. 25, at the Pet Supermarket on N. Dale Mabry Highway. She also explains a bit about Heidi’s mission and history, including how it ended up with “Legacy” in its name. (http://heidislegacydogrescue.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Bigfoot Enthusiast”  (portion) (http://www.zimmermancomedy.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/2018/08/TAAug22.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jim. Oesterle—an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, who, earlier this summer, served as a faculty member for a two-week course on Combating Illegal Wildlife Trafficking at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Gaborone, Botswana–describes what’s involved in leading the office’s environmental crimes working group, and prosecuting offenses under all the environmental statues. Oesterle traces his academic and professional path, including earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in Resource Management, attending law school, afterward heading first into private practice, then working for the Environmental Protection Agency for 12 years, before landing in the U.S. Attorney’s office. Noting that Seattle is an international port, Oesterle discusses some of the cases his office has handled, dealing with illegal wildlife trafficking, including one involving narwhal tusks (prized because they’re ivory and can grow to seven or eight feet long) and another involving exotic and other turtles, some smuggled by being largely wrapped in medical tape (to immobilize the animals) and then placed in socks. He recounts how he received an invitation to be part of the teaching staff for the course in Botswana, how the two-week session was structured, what topics he taught, what he learned along the way. Oesterle underscores the surprising-to-many fact that, in Africa, the most trafficked animal is not the elephant, and not the rhino, but is the pangolin, which looks like an anteater covered in scales. (They are poached for their scales and for their meat.) He also addresses the not infrequent use of armed squads in national parks and elsewhere to help protect the animals from poaching.

 

 

ALSO: I spoke with Don Goldstein, Talking Animals’ “Greyhound Correspondent,” who helped us sort out—and call attention to—some machinations that recently enveloped Amendment 13, which, if passed, would end greyhound racing in Florida over the next three years. The Amendment landed on the ballot, with voters determining the outcome on Election Day, Nov. 6. But the Florida Greyhound Association, which represents breeders, owners, and trained, filed a lawsuit, arguing that Amendment 13 should be removed from the ballot, because it would be misleading to voters. Judge Karen Gievers, in an Aug. 1 ruling, agreed. The state has appealed that decision, and the state Supreme Court is hearing that appeal on Aug. 29.

COMEDY CORNER: Tom Papa’s “Fake Service Dogs”   (http://tompapa.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  Bob Dylan’s “Man Gave Names To All The Animals”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TAAug15-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window