Talking Animals

Janet Vorwald Dohner—an author whose specialized books, including “Farm Dogs,” “Livestock Guardians,” and her new one, “The Encyclopedia of Animal Predators,” reflect 35-plus years experience on her small family farm —discusses her formative years in Indiana, before settling with her husband into their 10-acre homestead farm in Michigan. At my prompting—after confessing that my longstanding interest in the Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) was initially sparked by the Looney Tunes cartoons featuring Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog—she explains various aspects of LGDs, how they live while protecting their flock, how they differ from herding dogs and other dogs that live more directly with humans, dos and don’ts for approaching LGDs, and more. Dohner also addresses a small sampling of the predators featured in “The Encyclopedia of Animal Predators,” starting with the increasingly ubiquitous coyote and precautions that individuals and neighborhoods can take to protect against coyote visits, and discourage them. She touches on bears, particularly black bears, whose U.S. population has grown dramatically—as reflected in the periodic online videos of bears swimming in people’s pools or otherwise visiting homes—and steps to take to blunt the animals’ attraction to residential areas. Dohner responds to my noting that, among the things I learned from the “Encyclopedia,” is that bears are near sighted, which is why they stand on their hind legs—to catch the scent of something in their distant vision. She also shares what, in the course of conducting research for the “Encyclopedia,” were the biggest surprises she uncovered about these animals. (www.facebook.com/JanetVorwaldDohner)

ALSO: I remember Ray Villadonga, a larger-than-life sweet soul who was claimed Saturday by cancer. Ray was an enormously important member of the WMNF family (for 30 years, he hosted “A Step Outside”), of the music community (a fantastic musician-bassist extraordinaire), and the community at large. He was also an animal guy. In fact, with one of his bands, Rayzilla’s PBS, he performed at multiple Talking Animals events, and we hear one of those performances—from the 2011 Talking Animals Festival at the Lowry Park Bandshell. (www.facebook.com/rvilladonga)

COMEDY CORNER: Sarah Silverman’s “Squirrels” (www.facebook.com/SarahSilverman)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Rayzilla’s PBS’s “Bhanchucho Galaxy/Alley Cat,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Rayzilla’s PBS’s version of “Alley Cat”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/TAJune14.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Did you know prairie dogs have their own language? Sam Litzinger learns more about these rural rodents. Plus -- a look at how shelter dogs are helping kids who can't seem to stay out of trouble.

How much money would you spend to take care of an ailing animal? Plus -- are dogs smarter than we think. Sam Litzinger learns more on this week's "Talking Animals."

What does it take to be a hero dog -- a canine companion to war veterans. Chip Reid finds out. Plus -- Sam Litzinger learns more about the Silver Muzzle Cottage - Michigan's only hospice for aging animals.

Britain's Prince William is not just in line for the the most powerful throne in the world -- he is also an animal rights activist. Sam Litzinger has his story. Plus -- Don Dahler shares the story of an unlikely friendship between a dog and very big cats.

Dr. Dani McVety—a Tampa native and veterinarian who co-founded Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice in 2009, and it’s since become the nation’s largest network dedicated solely to end of life veterinary care–recounts the history of the enterprise, launching Lap of Love mere months after graduating from vet school, the name deriving from an early case where the client asked McVety if her dog could remain on her lap while the animal was euthanized. Recalling that she was previously on the show five years ago, when Lap Of Love was still a budding business, McVety explains that the company now features 100 veterinarians, across 26 states. McVety responds to the specifics of the recent loss of a dog our family experienced, my mother-in-law’s beloved Yorkie, Monty, she lived with for 16 years, including that some of the signals that the end has arrived weren’t present. She outlines the signs and symptoms she looks for, and consequently, the kind of coaching she provides for the humans. McVety lays out tips for how someone—particularly someone facing losing their first pet—should prepare, and the importance of allowing a vet like McVety or one of her colleagues guide the process, because the humans are often so distraught they’re not “emotionally sober.” She also addresses why she’s unconcerned about this work taking an emotional toll on her.    (www.lapoflove.com)

NOTE: This interview was streamed on Facebook Live and can be watched here www.facebook.com/duncan.strauss

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Paul Knapp about the humpback whales’ sounds—singing—he records each year in the Caribbean. During the course of the interview, we heard a recording of some choruses of whale singing. .

COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Boo Sailboat—Pt. 1” (portion) (http://brianregan.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Paul Knapp’s “Chorus of Whales,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Midnight Oil’s “Bullroarer”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/TAMay31-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

How is human noise pollution impacting an animal's environment? Plus How would you feel about seeing a dog in the work place? Sam Litzinger finds out on this week's Talking Animals

CBS News Correspondent Sam Litzinger reports on Tampa's Big Cat Rescue. Plus -- a look at separation anxiety in animals.

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Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald—a veterinarian for 35 years, featured on Animal Planet’s “Emergency Vets,” which aired for 11 seasons—recounts his pre-vet, 25-year stint working security for Rolling Stones tours, and how that period ended when Keith Richards urged him to get on with his life, maybe go back to school. Fitzgerald explains how, in heeding Richards’ advice, he decided to do something as challenging and ambitious as going to veterinary school. He addresses what drew him to practicing emergency medicine, and outlines how the opportunity for the long-running “Emergency Vets” came about, adding he never felt hampered treating all those animals at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital while the TV cameras were running. (He touches on a more recent Animal Planet series he also starred in, “E-Vet Interns.”). A veteran comedian who performs upwards of 100 shows a year, Fitzgerald describes how he wandered into the stand-up world, and sharing bills with such stalwarts as Joan Rivers, Norm Macdonald and Kevin Nealon. Fitzgerald talks about the scope of his conservation-related work, affiliated with the Denver Zoo, agreeing with my observation that many zoos’ conservation efforts amount to gussied-up propaganda or outright baloney—while providing details of big tracts of land in Mongolia and elsewhere that the Zoo has acquired for its conservation campaigns, which Fitzgerald has contributed to over the course of multiple visits. He also examines the climate change-produced challenges that polar bears face, offering details based on his trips to Churchill, Canada. (http://drkevinfitzgerald.com)

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Adam Sugalski, executive director of One Protest—perhaps best known for their significant role in helping halt the Florida bear hunt—who has, for more than a decade protested the Ringling Bros. circus, and offers his reflections on the end of Ringling, which had given its final performance a few days prior. Among his observations: that many media outlets, in their Farewell Ringling coverage, had generally given the circus a pass on its chronic mistreatment of animals. (www.oneprotest.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Aziz Ansari’s “Lady With The Puppies” (http://azizansari.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Beatles’ “Blackbird”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TAMay24.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Service dogs can give people who are physically or emotionally impaired invaluable help, but many people use untrained pets to receive privileges they are not entitled to. CBS's Don Dahler has the story. Plus -- the fight continues to save the cheetah population. Chip Reid reports. Sam Litzinger learns more on this week's Talking Animals.