Talking Animals

Gene Baur—co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, and author of “Living The Farm Sanctuary Life: The Ultimate Guide To Eating Mindfully, Living Longer and Feeling Better Every Day”—provides an overview of Farm Sanctuary since he helped launch it in 1986 and its current mission, sort of Farm Sanctuary 101. Baur addresses the conversations he and co-author Gene Stone (author of “Forks Over Knives” and other books) had in deciding the approach and format of “Living The Farm Sanctuary Life,” which is notable for a tone that is gentle, kind and inclusive, without a hint of being judgmental or remotely; a full-on carnivore could feel as welcome passing through the pages as could a veteran vegan. He outlines “The Five Tenets Of Farm Sanctuary Living,” while explaining the virtues of adhering to that philosophy, from one’s temperament and health to protecting the environment and staving off climate change. We touch on how visiting Farm Sanctuary can be a magical, transformative experience, and I mention my family had visited the Glen Watkins location about six years ago. (This photo shows me and my son Mike during that visit, with a recently-rescued mother pig nursing her piglets.) Baur discusses the book’s second part, which functions as elegant cookbook (the entire book is laced with gorgeous photography), laying out 100 recipes for soups, entrees, desserts and more, contributed by some high-profile Farm Sanctuary fans &/or notable culinary figures. This discussion also serves to underscore how far vegan food has come in recent years. Commenting on his April appearance on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”—and asked if Stewart and his wife, Tracey, had consulted him before buying the farm in New Jersey they planned to turn into a farm animal sanctuary, Baur notes that the couple had already purchased the farm well before meeting Baur, adding that Tracey is a passionate animal person who’s written a book, “Do Unto Others,” due out in October. (www.farmsanctuary.org)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Father Bill Yanson, of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Safety Harbor, about the Church’s then-impending Community Pet Fair. (www.holyspiritecc.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Flipper & Gentle Ben” (http://brianregan.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Snake Farm,” instrumentals

 NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Police’s “Canary In A Coalmine”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TAmay13.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Darlene Arden— author, pet expert and certified animal behavior consultant —discusses some of the many books she’s written over her long career. She also explains what it means to be a certified animal behavior consultant, and the training she underwent. Speaking to the core topic of today’s show, Arden recalls how she first became interested in medical marijuana for pets. This leads to some of the salient points of the issue at the moment, including that there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of the virtues of treats, biscuits, cookies and other items featuring cannabis compounds for elderly pets and/or those suffering from chronic pain…that this topic inhabits a giant swatch of grey area legally and, perhaps, ethically…that unlike edible items for humans, products for pets aren’t made from marijuana but from hemp, the stem of the cannabis plant that carries little or no THC, which produces the feeling of getting high…that veterinarians aren’t currently allowed to prescribe cannabis to pets…that the FDA appears to be closely monitoring the website and other marketing platforms of the companies that are selling cannabis-oriented pet products… There are callers and emailers weighing in, widening out the discussion in meaningful ways, including a caller with a dog she reports had seemed to be at death’s door, began giving the dog cannabis-oriented treats pretty much as a last resort—her dog has rallied and is doing well. (www.darlenearden.com)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Andrea Ciesluk, of Pasco County Animal Services, about its then-forthcoming Woofstock event, designed to raise money for the agency’s medical fund. (http://www.pascocountyfl.net/index.aspx?NID=408)

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

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Sweet’s “Fox On The Run”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TAMay6-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Chris Gug—an innovative and heralded underwater photographer—recalls growing up “landlocked” in Connecticut, enchanted by the sea and dreaming of becoming an underwater photographer, but meanwhile shooting all sorts of pictures locally, until, at 15, having purchased scuba gear and an underwater camera, he fulfilled his dream with his first ocean adventure.

Acknowledging that he launched his career without any formal photography training or education, Gug describes components of his self-taught path, notably marked early on by a seven-year stint in the Turks and Caicos, where he lived on a boat in order to dive and shoot photos every day. He explains the learning and experimenting that occurred during that period and in subsequent years, and how he arrived at a signature style. Gug also addresses some of the more disturbing things he’s seen in his extensive travels above and below the sea—he’s now shot in some 40 countries—including instances of shark finning and the horrors of gill netting, spurring him to endeavor to use his images to help spread a marine-conservation message, and seize educational opportunities whenever he can. Partly in response to a listener’s question, Gug explains how digital technology has altered his methods from the film-only days, noting that while he’s been steeped in Photoshop for numerous years, none of the images displayed on the Gug Underwater website have been manipulated that way. He spends a few minutes chronicling the details behind a few of his images I singled out, including “Jumping For Joy,” (below) “Shark In The Dark,” (bottom image) and “Turtle In Motion” (above). Photos by Chris Gug/Gug Underwater  (www.gugunderwater.com)

                                                                                                                                         

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Chris Rusnak, of Nature’s Classroom in Thonotosassa, FL, about its then-forthcoming “Woods, Water and Wildlife” open house, featuring art displays, live music, children’s activities, animal handling, and more.

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

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Who’s “Boris The Spider”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/TAapril15-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Helen Macdonald—author of “H is for Hawk,” a wildly-acclaimed, multifaceted memoir that recounts Macdonald’s struggle with the debilitating grief spawned by her father’s sudden death, and her singular solution to that struggle: training a goshawk, a large and particularly fierce bird of prey—explains that at 37, she had not yet experienced profound loss, so her dad’s passing generated an extra emotional wallop. Macdonald describes the earliest days of that sadness and how she arrived at the conclusion that the best way to ease her grief would be training and flying a goshawk. Too, she acknowledges that she settled on a goshawk precisely because they are so complicated and high strung—that any less challenging a bird would’ve failed to provide the sweeping diversion she sought. Responding to the part of “H is for Hawk”—which has received Samuel Johnson Prize, the UK’s most prestigious non-fiction award, and a long string of rave reviews (The New Yorker critic called it “perhaps the finest nonfiction I read in the last year”)—that chronicles first meeting her goshawk, whom she decided to call Mabel; she elaborates on purchasing Mabel through the internet, and the superstition of not giving your goshawk a sinister-sounding name, which often yields a meek and disappointing bird, whereas selecting a goofier moniker virtually assures the desired menacing creature. Macdonald reads the poetic pages in “H is for Hawk” that depict her reaction upon first laying eyes on Mabel. She discusses the abridged biography of author T. H. White that constitutes a through-line of the book, speaking to why White (and “The Goshawk,” his account as a neophyte in falconry) became such a prominent presence in her book. Noting that Mabel turned out to be surprisingly playful when they were at home (where they also watched a lot of bad TV together), Macdonald observes that some of her falconry colleagues who fly goshawks—decidedly a male bastion—were sheepish about confessing that they, too, played with their goshawks. A secret shame of sorts! She also contemplates aloud, some years after the deaths of her father and (spoiler alert!) Mabel, what she knows now about loss and how to deal with it. (www.groveatlantic.com/?isbn=9780802123411)

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Twila Cole, of the Humane Society of Pinellas County, about their then-forthcoming Spring Pet Fest. (http://humanesocietyofpinellas.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Rocky Laporte’s “The Zoo” (portion) (http://rockylaporte.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Sons Of Hippies’ “Ladyhawk,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Bill Haley & His Comets’ “See You Later, Alligator”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/TAapril8-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Nathan Runkle—founder and president of Mercy For Animals—recounts the horrific incident (a fellow high school student that Runkle said slammed a baby piglet on a concrete floor during class) that prompted him to create the organization in 1999. He discusses Mercy For Animals’ early years and early achievements, as well as the evolution of the organization and what’s become their four-pronged mission. Regarding the Education facet, in response to a question about how Mercy For Animals folks seek to dissolve the cognitive dissonance of people who would passionate declaim they’re huge animal lovers—between bites of their cheeseburger—Runkle describes the organization’s “Why Love One But Eat The Other” campaign. But, really, undercover video investigations constitute the lifeblood of the Mercy For Animals operation, and Runkle addresses a select few and the significant–occasionally world-wide–impact they generated, affecting such corporate behemoths at Nestle and Costco. As part of that discussion, he speaks to the growing challenges of placing a Mercy For Animal investigator inside a factory farming enterprise, and the philosophical tenets shaping the release of video footage from those investigations—how long a clip, how graphic the footage, and so on. Runkle talks about the so-called “Ag-Gag” laws, and the sort of chilling effect they can have on such investigations. (www.mercyforanimals.org)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Joan Jett, the rocker and lifelong animal advocate who, with her band, The Blackhearts, about her opening for The Who April 15 in Tampa–first date on “The Who Hits 50” North American tour; Jett opens all shows. We also discussed Jett being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 18, her longstanding love of animals and advocacy on their behalf, and other topics, including Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (www.joanjett.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Myq Kaplan’s “Meat and Robots”  (http://myqkaplan.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Lake Street Dive’s “Rabid Animals,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We did not play Name That Animal Tune today

AUDIO ARCHIVE

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/TAapril1-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Cat Warren—author of “What The Dog Knows: Scent, Science, And The Amazing Ways Dog Perceive The World”—discusses how she approached writing the book, which, it’s observed in the interview, is so skillfully sprawling, it constitutes multiple books, and probably a few magazine pieces, too. She also addresses changes she’s experienced since writing the book and now, its paperback release, including initially feeling disinclined to mention in her university world (she’s an associate professor at North Carolina State University) that her avocation was working with cadaver dogs, while in the cadaver dog realm, she was sheepish about mentioning she was an academic. That’s different now: “My cover was blown” by publication of the book, she notes in this conversation. Warren traces the arc of her cadaver dog, Solo, from his first days at the house, explaining the implications of his status as a “singleton” (a puppy born without an littermates) through her decision to retire him, and beyond. She outlines some aspects of the training she undertook with Solo, and the importance of ongoing training even several years into the career of a cadaver dog team—and how this structured learning, combined with the years of experience, yields a dog who can successfully execute searches in, say, Year 8 that would be beyond his capability in Year 2. (There’s a parallel in her own seasoning and ongoing training as a handler.) This dovetails with little details and nuances in the search world, gleaned over time—for example, how a right-handed person who gets lost tends to move, contrasting that with the movements of a person suffering from Alzheimers or dementia. Warren discusses the impact on Solo, and herself, of looking for–and often finding–dead bodies. (http://catwarren.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Jody Jorgenson, Executive Director of InStride Therapy, a Nokomis nonprofit that provides therapeutic horseback riding to a variety of young riders with a variety of disabilities. The conversation was specifically tied to InStride then-looming big fundraiser, The Mane Event, to be held Saturday March 28. (www.instridetherapy.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Dog Barking”  (http://brianregan.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Antsy McClain’s “What I’ve Learned From Dogs,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like The Wolf”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TAMarch25-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Scott Sims—a veterinarian based on Kauai who travels across all the Hawaiian islands, treating a huge array of animals, often piloting his own plane to reach these clients, and is at the center of “Aloha Vet,” a new TV series on the Nat Geo Wild network—recounts what attracted him so potently to Kauai that he closed his Marin County practice, packed up and moved to the island. He discusses how his new, Kauai-based practice took off immediately, in part because his background as an equine vet (when there wasn’t another in the area) made his services seriously sought after. Noting that he received his pilot’s license upon graduating from high school, Dr. Sims also explains how he began incorporating the flying of his plane into the practice while living in Northern California, as a way to expand, geographically, the number of animals he could treat, which has proven to be an even more defining trait of how Sims functions now. Indeed, in the initial episode of “Aloha Vet,” Dr. Sims–dubbed “The Barefoot Vet”–is shown looking after critters on Kauai, Molokai, Oahu and Maui. Not unrelated to the vast ground he covers by plane, Dr. Sims acknowledges that it’s not uncommon for him to see a wide (and wild) variety of species—on that debut episode, he treated a guinea pig, a horse, a dog, a pot-bellied pig (named Pablo Pigcasso), a goat, another dog, some rescue birds, and a deer. He also describes the steps that led to the creation of “Aloha Vet,” and what he hopes viewers take away from watching episodes of the show. (http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/aloha-vet/)

COMEDY CORNER: Richard Jeni’s “Fred Robster”   (www.richardjeni.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Lisa Mills’ version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” (http://lisamills.com), Booker T.’s version of Tom Waits’ “Get Behind The Mule,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: My Morning Jacket’s cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TAMarch18-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Don Anthony–Communications Director of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF), which, since 1989, has been speaking and acting on behalf of animals in a multitude of ways—traces the history of the organization, including the impetus for its founding. He discusses ARFF’s initial campaigns, and initial victories, including helping persuade the city of Hollywood, FL to pass its animal display ban in 1990. Anthony also describes, given the very broad slate of campaigns and other efforts, how ARFF apportions its time and resources amongst those campaigns, affirming my suggestion that it’s not unlike a triage scenario. Given that the organization has been particularly active in protesting circuses that use animals, seeking to educate the public about the cruelty routinely visited on elephants and other animals forced to perform under the big top, we devote a considerable slice of time to Ringling Bros’ announcement (made only the week before) that its three touring circuses would phase out elephant acts by 2018. That discussion wonders about Ringling’s rationale, including whether the current crop of elephants might be sold to other circuses or zoos, and notes that Feld Entertainment (the corporate entity that operates the Ringling Bros circus, among several other touring shows and enterprises) has made no commitment to removing any of the other animals that perform in the circus. Anthony also touches on single-elephant attractions by way of recounting—and updating–the story of Nosey, a well-known solo elephant in Florida. (www.arff.org)

ALSO: We remembered Curtis, a female cat and significant member of the McGarr-Strauss family for some 15 years, who had to be euthanized—quite unexpectedly—mere days before this broadcast. We note that everything about her was special, starting with the way she entered our lives, as a feral kitten she wandered into our garage in Costa Mesa, CA. We took her to our veterinarian, who fixed Curtis and treated her, but warned us there was no chance of domesticating her, as a feral cat (note her tipped ear). We delighted in proving that vet wrong, and Curtis became a pivotal–and magical–member of the family, enjoying a happy and long life. Just not long enough…

 

COMEDY CORNER: Bob & Ray’s “Elephant Protest”   (www.bobandray.com)

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

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

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TAMarch11-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Brean Cunningham and Douglas Seirup—co-directors of “Dogs On The Inside,” a feature-length documentary that examines a program whereby prison inmates at North Central Correctional Institution in Gardner, MA foster neglected & abused stray dogs—discuss what drew them to this realm and, specifically, the “Don’t Throw Us Away” program to be explored as a documentary, and how they received permission to film at the Institution. The pair (Cunningham is at left, Seirup to the right) explains the sort of ground rules that accompanied that permission, including vetting of their questions for the inmates, and being granted only a total of three days of shooting at the prison. Cunningham and Seirup address what I describe as the 360-degree view of   “Don’t Throw Us Away” their doc provides, noting how many folks contribute to this kind of program (rescuers, transporters, trainers, the inmates, prison officials, adoption people, and others) and the ripple effect that transforms them all. (It also makes for some unlikely comrades: A prison guard, Sergeant Lutz, emerges as an enormously kind and philosophical figure, describing the inmates in generous terms and offering hands-on help with the dogs.) The directing duo each identify their picks for which of the dogs and inmate dog handlers constitute the emotional center of the film, and why. (Let’s just say Sadie the dog and Candido the inmate came out on top.) Cunningham and Seirup speak to what sort of impression or message they wanted viewers of the film to leave with. (www.dogsontheinside.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Karen Hubby, of the Animal Coalition of Tampa, or ACT, about a new challenge facing this organization that provides low-cost spay/neuter surgeries and other medical services to dogs and cats. About a year ago, an arsonist set their building on fire, causing significant damage and claiming the lives of three cats who lived there. They relocated to a new building, but the owner of that building has now informed ACT they need to move out by April 1. So they’re seeking help in finding a new space, or any suggested solution. (http://actampa.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Dana Gould’s “Animal Aftercare (Part Two)”   (www.danagould.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Royal Guardsmen’s “Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/TAMarch4.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

We continue here with the second half of the interview I conducted Feb. 7 with Temple Grandin onstage at the 1200-seat Paramount Theatre in Austin, also including the audience question-and-answer segment that followed our conversation that night. gAs with the first portion, in this second half of the conversation, Dr. Grandin and I cover a wide array of topics, although this time there’s a greater emphasis on animal-oriented subjects. These include addressing some specifics of her designs for more humane handling of livestock at slaughter plants, and additional measures she’s introduced to prevent careless—much less abusive—treatment of the cattle in those facilities…the kinship she feels with other animals…some techniques she employed to improve the day-to-day life of some zoo antelopes. Other topics touched on include fear and other drives in animal brains and anxiety for people on the spectrum, and different ways to mitigate it, the horrors of over selecting for certain traits in animal breeding (dog breeding, in particular). The queries raised in the audience Q&A range from questions about graduate programs in psychology and autism, the individual characteristics among certain dog breeds, public education standards and testing, what to do about a 10-year-old autistic boy who still has no speech, and more. As a measure of Grandin’s tireless efforts amidst a grueling travel schedule of lectures and other appearances, she had a pre-show meet-and-greet with an Austin-based autistic organization, chatting with everyone who wanted to, and posing for countless photos. Before and after the show, she signed books and spoke one-on-one with a long line of folks. (Photography: Mandy/Birdsong Imaging)  (www.templegrandin.com, http://www.grandin.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Don Goldstein, of Greyhound Rescue Adoptions of Tampa Bay, Inc. (GREAT), about a report recently-released by GREY2KUSA and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, documenting nearly 12,000 injuries to racing greyhounds and 900+ deaths, from 2008 to 2014, across the states that still allow greyhound racing. More than half of the nation’s 21 remaining tracks; Florida is also one of two states (the other is Alabama) that don’t require reporting of greyhound injuries, so that 12,000 figure falls well below the actual tally. We also discussed the implications of this report for new legislative efforts. (www.great-greyhound.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Pet Snakes (Part Two)”   (www.zimmermancomedy.com)

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

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

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TAFeb25-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window