By Duncan Strauss
A radio show about animals & animal issues
Matt Hamilton–writer-director of “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers,” an unusual two-part edition of the PBS series, “Nature,” which premiered April 10, while the second episode debuts on April 17—recalls the impetus for creating this double-shot of cinematic raptor mania. Part...
Deborah Howard—founder-president of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS), self-described, you may recall, as “the only national nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops and puppy/kitten mills”—returns for a conversational sequel to our January...
Ed Stewart, co-founder, president and CEO of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)—which blazed a trail in animal rescue, welfare, education, and legislation, and this year, marks its 40th anniversary—recalls what she and co-founder Pat Derby were doing in the...
In what might be called The Sequel, this represents the second portion of the interview I conducted on Feb. 12 with Temple Grandin, onstage at the Paramount Theatre in Austin. We covered a wide range of topics last week, though...
Temple Grandin–sometimes referred to as the world’s most famous autistic person, amidst several ways to describe her, including expert on animal behavior, prolific author, longtime professor of animal science at Colorado State University, fervent activist for autistic people, and tireless...
Josh Fox–founder of the Brady Hunter Foundation, a Miami-based nonprofit whose mission reflects a commitment to helping end animal cruelty, protecting wildlife, and making a positive impact in the lives of children—observes his love of animals is truly lifelong, citing...
Deborah Howard, founder of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS)–self-described as “the only national nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops and puppy/kitten mills”—recalls how, in 1989, her disgust upon visiting an Atlanta pet...
Dr. Daniel Promislow–a biogerontologist, professor at the University of Washington, and principal investigator of The Dog Aging Project, a long-term study of health and longevity in dogs—recounts the genesis of the Project. **NOTE: There is static on the line during...
Jessica Kelly—who, along with Sue Rountree, runs Cat Trap Fever, a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of feral cats, chiefly in Pinellas County—recounts the “hodgepodge” of jobs she held before devoting herself to long days of TNVR: Trap, Neuter,...
As we’ve done eight times prior—spanning the better part of three years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are invited to call or email questions...
I once again set aside the customary “Talking Animals” format to deliver the Annual Holiday Animal Song special—that is, a show almost entirely devoted to Holiday-oriented animal tunes. As has been required in the past, and as I acknowledged...
Jason Schramm–a web developer and founder of Veg Groups, where he creates websites intended to help people go vegan, stay vegan, or become informed on vegan-oriented events, or films, on his VegMovies site—notes that he got deeply into computers as...
Mark E. Hauber—professor, ornithologist, and author of “Bird Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives”—recalls becoming seriously interested in birds at age four or five. This was in his native Hungary, where, as that little boy, he...
Jill Horstmann–founder of Squirrelly AF Rescue, a squirrel-focused rescue and rehabilitation operation she runs at her St. Petersburg home—recalls growing up in Wisconsin, where she was that neighborhood kid who tended to injured or ill critters. But it’s hardly been...
Dr. Justin Perrault–vice president of research at Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC), a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education, and conservation operation in Juno Beach, FL—recalls the early, pioneering work on sea turtles performed by Juno resident Eleanor Fletcher, establishing the...
Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K USA Worldwide, the largest greyhound protection organization in the world, and Rory Goree, who for many years ran the largest industry-funded greyhound adoption group, Greyhound Pets of America, explain how–as former enemies in the...
Dr. Faraz Harsini–biomedical scientist and speaker at the 2023 Tampa Bay Veg Fest—remembers growing up in Iran, including a possible foreshadowing of his future activism, when participating in a student protest of the country’s leadership resulted in his being chased...
Pete Walsh–who lives in Tasmania, where he found himself becoming deeply concerned about the plight of local platypuses in the capital city of Hobart, part of narrative that unfolds in “The Platypus Guardian,” a documentary kicking off the new season...
Ann Paul–an organizer of the Florida Birding and Nature Festival, a multifaceted, multi-day extravaganza, scheduled to take place Oct. 12-15, in and around Apollo Beach, Florida—revisits, at my request, the story of her first real foray into birding, and how...
RaeAnna Saks–founder and CEO of The Little Cats’ Rescue, the New Port Richey cat rescue and sanctuary—recalls the first cat she loved and felt truly connected with. But, Saks points out, she grew up with dogs: her family always had...
Today’s program was unusual in a few ways, not least that I interviewed more guests than usual—and that those guests consisted of family (Karen Allanson, my wife’s cousin) and friends (Kathryn & Kevin Szalasny, whose son and our son were...
As we’ve done seven times prior—spanning about two years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs...
Mark Meyers–founder and executive director of Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, the largest donkey rescue operation in the U.S.—recalls how it all began, when he and his wife brought home a donkey named Izzy as a companion for their horse. That...
Dr. Catherine Macdonald–a marine conservation biologist and assistant professor at the University of Miami, who conducts, and oversees, research on sharks—recalls a childhood less enamored of the sea, at first, than of mud. This, Macdonald says, was part of being...
Scott Blais–co-founder of the Global Sanctuary for Elephants, whose initial facility is the Elephant Sanctuary Brazil (ESB); he also co-founded The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee—starts by attempting to field my curveball opening question: what makes elephants special? Drawing on 35...
Dr. Temple Grandin–who truly wears multiple hats: fervent activist for autistic people, longtime professor of animal science at Colorado State University, expert on animal behavior, prolific author, tireless lecturer—discusses her forthcoming book, “The Grandin Papers.” Grandin explains that this new...
Kim Caswell–president of the Skyway Cats Inc., a nonprofit operated by a cadre of volunteers who feed and care for a feral cat colony in a distinctive location, the South Skyway Fishing Pier, in Tampa Bay—notes that, as a longtime...
Gene Baur–co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, which Baur helped launch in 1986—responds to the observation that, nearly 40 years later, he could be excused if some days felt “same old, old,” recounting some of the activities that currently most...
Susan Hanus–executive director of Cat Depot, a unique feline-only shelter in Sarasota—recalls when she first became a cat person. Hanus has remained staunchly feline-friendly ever since, though, she explains, she stopped living with them when it turned out one of...
Kathy Finelli–the director of Gainesville Rabbit Rescue (GRR), a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by two University of Florida students—recalls how her involvement with GRR began 20-plus years ago, when she sought their help after finding a domestic rabbit outside...
Valerie Benka–the Director of Programs for the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D)—recalls being someone who was nuts about animals from the time she was a kid, growing up in a family amidst a veritable menagerie. This early...
pattrice jones–co-founder of VINE Sanctuary, sprawling across 100 acres in Springfield, Vermont, and a self-described “LGBTQ-led farmed animal sanctuary”—spontaneously describes instances of talking animals’ activity by resident roosters that very morning. jones explains rooster’s crowing goes far beyond the stereotypical...
Donna Kalil–a python removal contractor (aka “python hunter”)—recalls growing up in Venezuela, with close proximity to the jungle helping cultivate a lifelong passion for snakes and other wildlife. In 1969, Kalil explains, the family moved to Florida, landing initially in...
Jane O’Hara, the animal advocate and artist–whose paintings tend to celebrate animals or explore animal issues—recalls a regular upbringing, amidst conventional companion animals. Only some years later, O’Hara adds, did she start researching animals, reading some influential books, becoming steeped...
Susan Tellem–executive director of American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), a nonprofit established in 1990 for the protection of all species of turtles and tortoises—recalls that she began helping animals in cat rescue. Some years later, she recounts, she and her husband...
Diana Goodrich–co-director of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, located not far from Seattle, and housing 15 chimps—says she can’t recall a time she didn’t want to work with animals. Goodrich traces the winding path, academically and professionally, that led her to...
Eleanor Spicer Rice, PhD–an entomologist by training, and the author of multiple books, focused on ants and spiders—recounts how she came to write a book about microbes, “Unseen Jungle: The Microbes That Secretly Control Our World.” Spicer Rice explains that...
As we’ve done six times prior—spanning nearly two years–today’s show involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the extended feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or...
Dr. Jane Goodall–the ethologist, activist, and conservationist who rose to international attention in the 1960s, propelled by her pioneering work studying chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania—offers her current impressions of young people’s attitudes about animals and the environment. She recalls the beginnings...
John Di Leonardo–president of Humane Long Island, an animal advocacy organization there, where he also oversees its international Duck Defenders project—recalls growing up without family pets, but deeply fascinated by all types of insects. Di Leonardo explains that he had...
Miyoko Chu– senior director of communications at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology—recalls an outing at age 10 or so with her father, to San Francisco’s Chinatown, where they performed a spontaneous rescue of two pigeons, a transformative experience that was...
Rick Yocum–executive director of the Humane Society of Manatee County (HSMC), established more than 50 years ago, and now a truly multifaceted operation—traces his career path to his current job, which he’s held for seven years. In answer to a...
Alene Anello–founder and president of Legal Impact for Chickens (LIC), a nonprofit dedicated to bringing lawsuits that benefit chickens—recalls growing up in a family with plenty of animals, mostly dogs. However, when at age 11, she asked for her very...
Amy P. Kight–executive director of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, a multifaceted operation in Jupiter, Florida serving as wildlife refuge, veterinary hospital, rehabilitation facility, and education center—discusses the recent deadly alligator attack in Fort Pierce. Kight, whose expertise about the gator attack...
Annette Wrubleski–founder and president of the Laughing Pig Sanctuary, a refuge in Bartow, Florida providing a permanent home for elderly and abused pigs—recalls moving to her six-acre spread there, with “a menagerie,” and adding a piglet. But, back then, she...
Kelly Crandall–a graduate student at Southern Illinois University (SIU) whose research focusing on one type of animal (raccoons and opossums) inadvertently yielded results about an entirely different animal: the Burmese python, a rampant invasive species in south Florida—recalls growing up...
Captain Paul Watson–a major figure for decades in the realm of animal rights, he founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 1977—describes what he sees as the initial events that led to his ouster from his own organization. Watson recalls...
Kate Benjamin–whom I suggested you could call a cat lady while noting, in this case, the term would be strictly intended as a compliment, given the scope of her expertise and the two feline-oriented bestselling books she’s co-written, as well...
April Goodwin—an attorney and founder of Largo-based The Goodwin Firm, a law firm specializing in pet law services—recalls what animals meant to her growing up in a small town in Western Ohio. Goodwin remembers feeling protective of animals back then,...
Today’s show involved reconfiguring the usual “Talking Animals” format: We still delivered a long-form interview—in this case, with singer-songwriter-animal champion Kathleen Edwards. But we broke that conversation into episodic hunks, presented around four songs Edwards performed in-studio over the course...
