Talking Animals

Jo-Anne McArthur—the acclaimed photojournalist who specializes in documenting animals and their stories—explains how her work, compared with that of most other photographers with similar specialties, is informed by more than just a love for animals, but a profound concern for them. As part of this distinction, McArthur discusses how, just as she sees animals differently, she aims to present a different narrative with the images she shoots, hoping to educate, in one way or another, those viewing her photographs. She recounts how the idea for “Captive”—her new book exploring the interaction between humans and animals in captivity, featuring 148 images she shot in zoos and aquaria in more than 20 countries, along with some bits of text she wrote—came about (a request from the Born Free Foundation), and how the project went from that Born Free inquiry to published book within a year. She elaborates on an observation she makes in the book that most zoo visitors, on average, spend one to three hours there, but in carrying out the shooting for “Captive,” McArthur spent multiple hours—in some cases, multiple days—at zoos, which presented a much more sweeping, profound perspective on the boredom, inactivity and stereotypic behaviors that characterize the days of zoo animals. As much as “Captive” clearly reflects a critical look at zoos and comparable facilities, McArthur addresses a notable exception she briefly proifles in the book: Ron Kagan, longtime Executive Director of the Detroit Zoo, has run that park with a distinctive (some might say: visionary) approach, most notably when he decided about a dozen years ago that it was inhumane to continue displaying the zoo’s two elephants—given the attributes of their enclosure and elephants’ fundamental needs for space and to roam, not to mention the challenges of Detroit’s climate for pachyderms—and relocated them to the ARK 2000 sanctuary in Northern California operated by PAWS. Additionally, McArthur spoke to other topics—including a special video piece, “Promises,” released that day–and fielded some listener calls. (www.weanimals.org, www.facebook.com/WeAnimals)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Ali MacLean, a writer-producer who, with her writing partner, Tony Camin, has created a new TV program, “Wags To Riches,” a comedy series about dogs. It stars dogs, as well as comedians and actors like Mark Fite and Samm Levine, while other comics—and their dogs—have said they will make guest appearances if “Wags” goes to series. MacLean and Camin have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to shoot the pilot, and some proceeds are earmarked to go to Best Friends NKLA, the no-kill shelter in Los Angeles. (www.facebook.com/wagstorichesshow/)

COMEDY CORNER: Jeremy Hotz’s “Bronx Zoo” (portion) (www.jeremyhotz.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/TAAug23.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jason Meltzer—co-founder and Chief Dog Officer of Wag, the on-demand dog walking app—describes being a dog guy since childhood, growing with dogs around and, foreshadowing his later adult careers, making a few bucks walking the neighbor dogs during junior high. Meltzer recounts how, after first holding some post-college corporate positions, he launched a dog-walking business, Surfdog LA, which became a thriving enterprise, with multiple walkers working for him, and earning various kudos. He explains how the Surfdog LA success story segued into the first part of the Wag narrative: He was contacted by Joshua Viner, a super-swamped tech entrepreneur, who’d taken notice of Surfdog LA’s achievements and popularity, while having pangs about his childhood dog, yet his family felt his punishing work schedule precluded him from owning a dog. Viner proposed an-demand, Uber-like app that would help provide dog walking and sitting services for folks like him that would otherwise be too busy for a canine companion. A few months later, Meltzer and Viner launched Wag in the L.A., expanded slowly into San Francisco, then New York, and earlier this summer, rolling out to 25 additional markets. Meltzer also provides a step-by-step description of how it works booking a dog walk through the Wag app, and the prices. He also notes that the client can access a GPS feature enabling her to track exactly where the walker took the dog, plus there’s a report that includes whether the dog peed or pooped and other important information. While Wag began as a dog walking business, and that remains the focus, Meltzer noted they also offer sitting services. (https://wagwalking.com)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Jamie Katz, a Fort Lauderdale-based private investigator specializing in finding missing pets—yes, she’s a pet detective—who’s become increasingly concerned about the way county code enforcement throughout Florida tends to remove Lost Pet signs not long after they’re posted. This greatly reduces the prospects of all pets being returned, so Katz has started an online petition, hoping a bill can be introduced in the next legislative session to remedy this problem. (www.jamiekatzpetdetective.com)

 

COMEDY CORNER: Matt Braunger’s “Owls/Dalmatians” (portion) (www.mattbraunger.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Kid Creole & The Coconuts’ “Stool Pigeon”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/TAAug16-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Yuan Wang—co-founder of American Marine Research Company, essentially a quartet of young engineers (recent graduates from M.I.T., Cornell, and Olin College of Engineering; Wang is a young mathematician from Princeton) who are in Pensacola developing underwater drones to target lionfish, a rampant invasive species in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, with no natural predator—discusses how he became intrigued by the lionfish problem, and how he recruited his three colleagues to tackle it. As part of this process, Wang notes, after his initial stages of reading and research about lionfish and the challenges they present, he recognized that his effort was not suited to be a hobbyist project—hence, founding American Marine Research Company, enlisting the three co-workers, and settling in Pensacola. The conversation with Wang was notable in a few ways, including that it was one of the rare instances where a “Talking Animals” guest may have learned as much from the interview as the listeners and host did. This revelation and re-examination was sparked by Wang commenting—in response to a listener email wondering if there was a way to solve the lionfish problem without killing them—that as a Christian, he views human life as sacred, but not so animal life. This elicited at least one listener call and some email. Beyond that, he describes important traits about lionfish, including that a female can lay as many as 2.3 million eggs per year, which combined with facing no predator to speak of, accounts for the species’ unchecked population growth. Wang also provides some general information about the drones he and his colleagues have been developing, and explains how the drone identifies a lionfish and distinguishes it from a grouper, red snapper or other fish commonly found in those waters. (https://americanmarineresearch.org)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Carlos Munoz, a staff writer at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, who’s been covering the controversy that’s erupted over the drowning death of Snooty, the 69-year-old, much-beloved manatee, who died July 23rd after becoming trapped in a maintenance area at the South Florida Museum’s Parker Manatee aquarium. (www.southfloridamuseum.org, www.heraldtribune.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Parrots” (www.eddieizzard.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/2017/08/TAAug9.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Shawn Flynn—author of “THE KITTY Who Rescued Me After I Rescued Him”—recalls growing up in a household that had dogs, but not cats, and how he really didn’t have prolonged exposure to any cats, until forging a relationship with the titular feline of his book. Flynn discusses the market-research career he maintained for more than a quarter century—chiefly in the insurance industry–and what it involved, before deciding to step away from that work order to pursue writing, including various efforts to promote “THE KITTY.” He recounts how the relationship with Kitty was built slowly—they were both a bit wary—but how a confluence of factors, including growing fondness and colder temperatures in Connecticut, sparked a breakthrough: Kitty moved all the way in. Flynn also describes how, after writing an account of the transformative impact Kitty had on his life, chronicling the other cats he took in after him, he opted to self-publish the manuscript—doing so twice, to better reflect the lessons he’d learned about more effectively publishing and marketing your own book. It’s worked out pretty well, Flynn explains, including “KITTY” drawing enthusiastic reviews and being selected as an award-winning finalist in the “animals/pets: narrative non-fiction” category of the 2017 International Book Awards. He says he plans to write more books, noting he has plenty more cat stories to tell. Flynn also addresses the more profound lessons he has learned from Kitty and his cat colleagues. (www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014654500859&ref=br_rs)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Claire Wray, of Friends of Strays, about the organization’s multi-faceted event Aug. 19 to mark International Homeless Animals Day, at the Flying Boat Brewing Company in St. Petersburg. One notable element of this event, Wray explains, is that—in conjunction with 24PetWatch—Friends of Strays is offering a free microchip clinic, chipping the first 50 pets at no cost. (www.friendsofstrays.com, www.facebook.com/FriendsofStraysAnimalShelter)

 

COMEDY CORNER: Ellen DeGeneres’ “Cat In Heat” (www.ellentv.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Pink Floyd’s “Dogs”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/TAAug2.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Fern Levitt—the director of “Sled Dogs,” a documentary that provides a behind-the-scenes examination of both the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and commercial operations in Canada and the U.S. that provide opportunities for recreational dog sledding—recalls how one of those recreational outings she took with her husband, including seeing that the dogs are kept outside and chained nearly 24/7, planted the seeds of the film. An experienced filmmaker, Levitt recalls embarking on a careful journey of research into the dog sled world, an undertaking that dovetailed with the grim news breaking about a sledding operation in Whistler that decided the solution to being severely financially strapped at the end of the season was to kill 100 dogs. Levitt explains that she settled on four interweaving story lines—a puppy being trained as a sled dog in Ontario, a novice musher preparing for Iditarod, the aftermath of that Whistler, and a dog sledding enterprise in Snowmass, Colorado—to drive the narrative of “Sled Dogs.” Across those four storylines, Levitt notes, a key theme emerges: the horrors accompanying laws that dictate that animals can be considered “property” and, therefore, can be treated any way their owners and handlers see fit. “Sled Dogs” has generated some controversy and criticism (including from the novice musher), partly related to the way Levitt has framed her storytelling—she observes that her mission was to present an eye-opening glimpse into the dark world of sled dog operations and the Iditarod, seeking to free the dogs from their chains and get them into homes. She balks at my suggestion that the way she executed this mission constitutes advocacy filmmaking, maintaining that she simply made a documentary. Whatever way “Sled Dogs” can be categorized, it’s already achieved significant results with the spotlight it shone on the dark corners of the Iditarod: Both Wells Fargo and State Farm announced they were pulling their sponsorship of the famous race. (http://sleddogsfilm.com, www.facebook.com/SledDogsFilm)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Don Goldstein—the “Talking Animals” official greyhound correspondent–about a surprising decision made last week by Florida gambling regulators that allows a Miami dog track to halt greyhound racing while continuing to operate their lucrative card rooms and slot machines. Unfortunately, as Goldstein explains, this decision results from a singular confluences of laws and geography, and does not carry broader implications for ending dog racing in Florida.

COMEDY CORNER: Jim Gaffigan’s “Animal Lover” (www.jimgaffigan.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/2017/07/TAJuly26-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Ronnie Lee—the veteran British animal rights activist, who in 1976, founded the Animal Liberation Front (ALF)—muses about how to reconcile a lad whose childhood, in its basic contours, resembled many people’s childhood, yet he went on to become a firebrand activist. The subject of a new book, “The Animals’ Freedom Fighter: A Biography of Ronnie Lee, Founder of the Animal Liberation Front,” Lee addresses the way intense anger—fundamentally, over the injustice at how animals are treated– fueled much of his work as a young zealot. And how he strove to direct that rage in the most focused, effective manner to achieve the goals of ALF and other organizations he was affiliated with at the time of that direct action or other deed. Observing that ALF is minimally active currently, at least in the U.K., and that he no longer maintains much of a relationship with the organization he founded, he does point proudly to what he views as two of ALF’s most significant accomplishments: Drastically reducing the fur trade in the U.K., and dramatically reducing experimentation on animals. (Asked about the portrayal of an ALF crew in the acclaimed new Netflix film, “Okja,” answers that he hasn’t seen the film, adding that he tends not to watch films or television.) Lee also described how, in widening out his activism in the post-ALF era, and after he and his wife adopted two former racing greyhounds, he devoted considerable time and energy to greyhound education and advocacy, while emphasizing that his fundamental remains (www.facebook.com/generalronnielee,  www.animalliberationfront.com)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Alexandra Crockett, the photographer who, three years ago, assembled “Metal Cats,” a book featuring a wide array of images of metal musicians with their cats. She’s just released a variation of that book, converting it into an coloring book, entitled, fittingly enough, “Metal Cats Coloring Book”–which connects smoothly to the adult coloring trend, which shows no sign of diminishing.

 

COMEDY CORNER: Nick DiPaolo’s “Animal Activists” (www.nickdip.com/)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Beatles’ “Dig A Pony”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/TAJuly19-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Denice Heatherly—co-founder of Music City Animal Advocates, a non-profit organization whose stated goal is “to create an animal-saving culture in greater Nashville and surrounding counties” —describes her formative years, when her grandmother was a serious animal lover, and always had a dog, whereas Heatherly’s mother didn’t want animals in their house. She recalls moving to Nashville in 1980, and participating in a campaign to persuade the city to allow dog parks (at this point, there were none), which she marked as the beginning of her activism. Providing an instructive case study for how activists can work to reform a municipal animal shelter that’s dogged (sorry) by old-school policies, ineffective leadership, too low of an adoption rate/too high of a kill rate, and other problems, Heatherly details how she and her partner, Leslie Rouffe, and other individuals and organizations mounted a well-researched, well-organized effort to implement reforms at Nashville’s Metro Animal Care & Control—ultimately centered around a petition that generated tremendous response, buttressed by social media support from such artists as Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert, and ultimately garnered more signatures than required. This led, she recalls, to sweeping reforms, including ending some of the shelters antiquated policies, the director retiring and being replaced by a fantastic, widely applauded new one—and a kill rate that dropped from 78% to about 11% today (www.musiccityanimaladvocates.org, www.facebook.com/StandbyyourMACC)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Erica Sirotich, a St. Petersburg author-illustrator whose first book wearing both those hats, “Found Dogs,” presents a positive look at adoption and shelters in a picture book intended for young readers, age 2-6. “Found Dogs” will be unveiled in an event on July 22 at Inkwood Books, in Tampa, where The Humane Society of Tampa Bay will provide adoptable dogs. (www.ericasirotich.com, www.facebook.com/ericasirotich)

COMEDY CORNER: Greg Fitzsimmons’ “Adopting A Dog” (www.gregfitzsimmons.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elton John’s “Grey Seal”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/TAJuly12-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Priscilla Feral—the president of Friends of Animals, an international animal advocacy organization founded in 1957—discusses FoA’s late founder, Alice Herrington, outlining the characteristics that helped account for her pioneering inroads. Feral also addresses her circumstances, as a young woman, that deposited her at the Friends of Animals offices in 1974 (when she commuted each day from Connecticut to New York and back), meaning she’s about to mark 43 years working there. After Herrington retired in 1986, she recalls, Feral was appointed president—much to her surprise—and describes she adjustments her elevation required for Feral and her colleagues as the organization moved forward in the post-Herrington era. Feral explains how she approached widening out the Friends of Animals portfolio of issues and campaigns, from various animal rights concerns, to veganism, to a Chimpanzee project in Gambia, and the calculus of deciding to adding ones that other organizations—including high-profile ones such as the Humane Society of The United States or PETA—have been working on. Feral surveys notable FoA successful campaign triumphs, domestically and internationally, and points with particular pride to the launching in 2013 of the Wildlife Law Program, in which a small squad of attorneys are using courtroom efforts to affect change and achieve improved lives for animals. As someone who’s worked in this field for more than four decades, Feral responds to questions about how she’s mitigated compassion burn-out (or general burn-out). She relates the story behind her surname, which carries more history and dimension than you might think. (www.friendsofanimals.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Crows ” (www.zimmermancomedy.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Shemekia Copeland’s version of “Black Crow,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/TAJuly5.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jessica Rubin—a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law who’s at the forefront of a new law in that state, allowing judges to appoint legal advocates for abused animals in criminal cases—recalls her strong kinship with animals growing up, including that her mother ran a small rescue out of their home. Rubin notes that she became an activist early on, working in college alongside such major figures as Peter Singer and Steven Wise, and decided to attend law school, in part, so as to be able to work more effectively on animals’ behalf. After a stint working for a law firm, she began teaching at the UConn law school, and boosting her animal-related pro bono efforts. Increasingly concerned that animal cruelty cases were often failing to result in convictions—and further inspired by the horrors of a case involving a dog named Desmond, who was starved, beaten and strangled to death by a vengeful boyfriend, yet under the state’s accelerated rehabilitation provision, the perpetrator’s criminal record was later wiped clean–she and Connecticut State Representative Diana Urban began fashioning the bill that eventually became this new law. Rubin explains how it works, including that she (well, actually the law school, so that she can “staff” it with her law students) occupies one of eight positions as selected volunteer advocates, who are able to interview witnesses and experts, write briefs, make recommendation to a judge, and speak in court. In the first case under the law, Rubin recounts, her student, Taylor Hansen (pictured standing next to Rubin,  speaking into the microphone) served as the advocate. This is the first such law in the country, Rubin knows it’s being closely watched by legal communities and animal activists in other states, and hopes others in the country will enact comparable laws of their own.

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Ted Koran, co-founder of The Critter Place, a 30-year-old sanctuary in Weeki Wachi, Florida, where he’s caring for nearly 70 animals, pretty much singlehandedly. He’s facing some formidable challenges, including a recent medical diagnosis, and would certainly welcome help of one kind or another—people heading out to the sanctuary to volunteer, making donations, adopting some of The Critter Place animals, etc. (www.facebook.com/TheCritterPlace, www.facebook.com/tedkoran)

 

COMEDY CORNER: Paul F. Tompkins’ “Alternative Pets ” (http://paulftompkins.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/2017/07/TAJune28.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Stacy LeBaron—a veteran animal welfare advocate (felines, in particular) who hosts The Community Cats Podcast—recalls her first memory of a cat…who happened to be named Duncan! Still, she allows that her powerful passion for cats was cultivated cumulatively; over the course of several kitties she’s known and loved. LeBaron explains what it is she finds so appealing about cats, what traits speak to her so strongly. She describes joining the then-nascent Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Newburyport Massachusetts, then ultimately leading the organization as the longtime president. She recounts some of the key accomplishments MRFRS reached under her tenure, including a feral cat colony near the waterfront that went from 300-plus residents winnowed down through their efforts over several years to the end of that colony. She points to other programs and innovations MRFRS implemented under her watch, including a mentoring-consulting operation, by which leaders of shelters and other advocates could seek LeBaron’s counsel on their own strategies and solutions for community cats, trap/neuter/return (TNR) programs, adoption promotions, and more. Owing to a confluence of factors—an elephantine waiting list for her mentoring services, nearly 20 years at MRFRS and time for a new challenge, LeBaron and her family relocating to Vermont—she left MRFRS and launched The Community Cats Podcast, exactly a year ago as of the day of our interview. During the first five or six months, LeBaron remembers, she produced five programs per week. She’s now settled into a thrice-weekly production schedule, but the fundamental premise is the same: She interviews an array of experts regarding the topics of cat overpopulation issue and various aspects of cat welfare—holding conversations not unlike what her mentoring consultations were like. Under The Community Cats Podcast umbrella, LeBaron also provides grants to organizations for free-roaming cat or spay/neuter programs of their own, periodically offers webinars featuring key cat experts. (www.communitycatspodcast.com)

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Gina Kaiser, the Tampa area representative for Paws With A Cause, the Michigan-based organization that provides assistance dogs across 30 states, customizing the canines’ training for the individual needs of a given client. Kaiser outlines the Paws With A Cause services, her duties as a local rep, and the benefit for the organization scheduled for June 30 at Palm Harbor Dance Studio in Palm Harbor, FL (www.pawswithacause.org, http://palmharbordancestudio.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Marc Maron’s “Masturbating Among The Animals ” (www.wtfpod.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/TAJune21-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window