The Animal Wellness Podcast

For more than 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has served as America’s most effective law for preventing extinction. At its core is a simple idea: protecting wildlife means protecting the habitats they depend upon.

But a major policy change by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could fundamentally alter that principle.

In this episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove examines the administration’s decision to rescind the longstanding regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act—a change critics say weakens one of the law’s most important conservation tools by removing habitat destruction from its traditional interpretation.

Joining the discussion are four leading voices in conservation, environmental law, and wildlife protection who explore what this policy change could mean for endangered species, private landowners, public lands, and one of the most controversial wildlife-management programs in recent memory: the federal plan to kill as many as 450,000 barred owls over the next 30 years.

You’ll hear from:

This episode examines:

The debate over endangered species has never been simply about individual animals. It has always been about whether we are willing to protect the places that sustain life itself. This episode explores what may be at stake if that commitment begins to erode.

Listen now to learn why many conservationists believe this may be one of the most consequential changes to the Endangered Species Act in decades—and what it could mean for America’s wildlife future.

Take action!

The Animal Wellness Podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. The show focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and around the world through stronger public policy, scientific innovation, and corporate responsibility. Hosted by veteran journalist and animal advocate Joseph Grove.

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Animal Wellness Action: https://animalwellnessaction.org

Center for a Humane Economy: https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org

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Two recent deaths—a carriage horse named Deniz and an 18-year-old tourist named Romanch Mahajan—have reignited one of New York City's longest-running animal welfare debates. As momentum builds to end horse-drawn carriage rides in Manhattan, host Joseph Grove sits down with two of the movement's leading voices to discuss what may be the industry's defining moment.

For generations, horse-drawn carriages have been one of New York City's most recognizable attractions, carrying millions of tourists through Central Park beneath the Manhattan skyline. Supporters call them a cherished tradition. Critics see something very different: horses forced to navigate one of the busiest and most chaotic urban environments in the world.

Now, two recent tragedies have transformed a long-running debate into a defining moment.

In this episode of The Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove examines the growing movement to end New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry and the legislation that could finally bring it to a close.

Joining the program are Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action, and Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS, one of the nation's leading organizations working to end the use of carriage horses in New York City.

Together they discuss the deaths of Deniz, a carriage horse who died after consuming poisonous Japanese yew leaves, and Romanch Mahajan, the 18-year-old tourist killed after a carriage horse bolted through Central Park. They examine how those tragedies have reshaped public opinion, accelerated political momentum, and placed Intro. 943—the bill to phase out horse-drawn carriage rides—closer to passage than ever before.

The conversation explores:

Edita Birnkrant also reflects on nearly two decades of advocacy and what it would mean personally to see New York finally retire its carriage horses after years of public education, political organizing, and legislative work.

Whether you're interested in animal welfare, public policy, urban history, or the future of horses in America, this episode provides an inside look at one of the nation's most consequential animal-protection campaigns—and why many believe New York City now stands at a historic crossroads.

Guests

Wayne Pacelle

Edita Birnkrant

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Animal Wellness Action

Center for a Humane Economy

NYCLASS

"Horses Deserve Better"

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If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with friends and colleagues. Your support helps us continue bringing you conversations about the people, policies, and campaigns advancing animal protection around the world.

The Animal Wellness Podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. The show explores the people, policies, and campaigns working to improve the lives of animals in the United States and around the world through legislation, corporate reform, and public engagement. Hosted by veteran journalist and animal advocate Joseph Grove.

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For decades, the world’s top soccer players laced up boots made from the skins of wild kangaroos. Manufacturers claimed kangaroo leather offered unmatched performance, and millions of kangaroos were commercially killed across Australia each year to supply the global athletic footwear industry.

That story has changed dramatically.

In this episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove examines one of the most successful corporate animal-protection campaigns of recent years: the effort to eliminate kangaroo leather from elite soccer.

Joining the program are Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy, and Ryan Luterman-Sevel, director of social media and the campaign’s resident numbers guy.

Ryan’s detailed research tracked every player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, documenting which boots they wore throughout the tournament. The results were striking. Just four years after kangaroo leather was already beginning to decline, only one player initially appeared to be wearing kangaroo-leather boots at the 2026 World Cup—and by the tournament’s later rounds, even that player had switched to synthetic footwear.

The conversation explores:

The episode also discusses the science of modern performance materials, the myths surrounding kangaroo leather, and how sustained advocacy can produce measurable, global change—even within industries long considered resistant to reform.

Whether you’re a soccer fan, an advocate for wildlife, or simply interested in how campaigns influence major corporations, this episode offers an inside look at how persistence, data and strategic advocacy helped transform one of the world’s most recognizable sporting traditions.

Guests

Wayne Pacelle

Ryan Luterman-Sevel

Learn More

Subscribe

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with friends and colleagues. Your support helps us continue bringing you conversations about the people and campaigns advancing animal protection around the world.

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove. 

www.animalwellnessaction.org

www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumaneCenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellnessaction/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-wellness-action/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_6FxM4hD6oS5VSUwsCnNQ 

What began as one of the largest dog rescue efforts in American history may become a turning point in the movement to end animal testing.

In this special episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove takes listeners inside the remarkable rescue of approximately 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin, a commercial breeding facility that supplied dogs for laboratory experimentation.

Drawn from a record-setting national webinar, this episode features the voices of the people who helped make the rescue possible — including advocates, rescuers, policymakers, and public figures who are now working to ensure fewer animals ever enter laboratories in the first place.

You'll hear from:

Together, they explore the rescue itself, the challenges of rehabilitating animals who have never experienced normal life, and the growing scientific and political movement to replace outdated animal testing with modern technologies.

This episode examines:

The rescue of these beagles captured national attention. But as our guests make clear, the larger mission is just beginning.

Listen now to hear how compassion, science, and public policy are converging to challenge a system that has remained largely unchanged for decades.

Take action! Visit this link today to tell your elected officials in Washington that you want an end to the use of taxpayer dollars spent on tests on dogs and cats.

Subscribe, rate, and share the Animal Wellness Podcast to help amplify the movement for a more humane future.

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove.

 ABOUT

www.animalwellnessaction.org

www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumaneCenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellnessaction/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-wellness-action/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_6FxM4hD6oS5VSUwsCnNQ 

Ten years ago, Wayne Pacelle, head of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, made a disruptive case in “The Humane Economy: How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals.” He argued that the biggest gains for animals would come not just from laws, but from the marketplace—through corporate pressure, consumer demand, and economic incentives.

Today, that vision is being tested in a far more adversarial landscape.

In this episode, host Joseph Grove speaks with Pacelle about the state of the “humane economy” amid intensifying political and corporate pushback. While companies have made high-profile commitments on cage-free systems and alternatives to animal testing, powerful industry interests are now working to unwind those gains.

At the center of the fight: federal efforts to override state laws like California’s Prop 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3—voter-approved measures designed to curb extreme confinement of farm animals. These battles raise a critical question: can market-driven progress endure when political forces intervene to reverse it?

They discuss:

Pacelle also addresses a central tension: if the humane economy is working, why are we seeing such aggressive efforts to dismantle its gains?

This is a candid, high-stakes conversation about power, policy, and the future of animal protection in an era of competing economic interests.

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove.

www.animalwellnessaction.org

www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumaneCenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellnessaction/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-wellness-action/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_6FxM4hD6oS5VSUwsCnNQ 

What if the idea that humans stand above all other animals isn’t a scientific truth—but a cultural myth?

In this episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove is joined by primatologist and NYU professor Christine Webb, author of “The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters,” for a wide-ranging conversation about how deeply ingrained beliefs about human superiority shape our relationship with animals—and the consequences of getting that relationship wrong.

Drawing on her research into the cognitive, emotional, and social lives of nonhuman animals, Webb challenges the notion that humans are categorically different from other species. Instead, she makes the case for “continuity”—the idea that differences between humans and other animals are differences of degree, not kind.

Together, they explore:

If we are to build a more humane and sustainable future, it may begin with a simple but profound shift: seeing ourselves not above the animal world, but within it.

LEARN MORE

The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters is available for purchase here and wherever books are sold. To learn more about Christine Webb, visit her website here.

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove. 

www.animalwellnessaction.org

www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumaneCenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellnessaction/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-wellness-action/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_6FxM4hD6oS5VSUwsCnNQ

Military working dogs are among the most highly trained and loyal members of America’s armed forces. They detect explosives, patrol bases, and protect U.S. service members in some of the world’s most dangerous environments. Their work saves lives.

But what happens when these animals, who serve alongside our troops, are failed by the very system responsible for their care?

In this episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove examines troubling findings from a new investigation by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, raising serious concerns about lapses in veterinary care, oversight failures, and reports of preventable suffering and deaths among military working dogs on U.S. bases.

Joseph is joined by two leading experts who bring a critical perspective to this issue:

Dr. Thomas Pool, a veterinarian and former commander of the U.S. Army Veterinary Command, draws on decades of experience to explain the role of military working dogs, the standards of care they require, and where systemic breakdowns may be occurring within military veterinary systems.

Kate Chupka Schultz, an experienced animal cruelty prosecutor and attorney, provides a legal lens — examining accountability gaps, the evolving status of military working dogs under the law, and what reforms may be necessary to ensure these animals are treated as sentient partners, not expendable equipment.

Together, they explore urgent questions about responsibility, transparency, and reform — and what it means to honor the service of animals who serve in uniform.

To learn more, read the full report and press release at Helping Animals Helps Us All.

ABOUT

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove. 

www.animalwellnessaction.org

www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumaneCenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellnessaction/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-wellness-action/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_6FxM4hD6oS5VSUwsCnNQ 

In this episode of The Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove examines the rapidly changing landscape of American horse racing—an industry facing growing scrutiny over safety, doping, and the welfare of racehorses. A series of high-profile breakdowns and medication scandals, including the troubling spike in horse deaths at Churchill Downs during the 2023 Kentucky Derby week, intensified national concern about the sport’s oversight and long-term viability.

Joseph explores how the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) — the most sweeping regulatory reform the sport has seen in generations — created a national authority to enforce uniform safety and anti-doping rules across Thoroughbred racing. But major tensions remain. A high-stakes dispute between regulators and Churchill Downs Incorporated, a company operating roughly 30 racing and gaming properties across 14 states, raises questions about compliance, enforcement, and the future of interstate wagering.

Joining the program is Fred Hudson, CEO of the U.S. Harness Racing Alumni Association and director of equine protection for Animal Wellness Action. Hudson provides an insider’s perspective on whether HISA’s reforms are improving horse welfare, the persistent challenges facing the sport, and what additional protections are still needed for racehorses during and after their racing careers.

Together, they discuss the causes of fatal breakdowns, the culture of medication in racing, the implications of industry resistance to federal oversight, and what meaningful reform could look like over the next decade.

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove. 

www.animalwellnessaction.org

www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumaneCenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellnessaction/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-wellness-action/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_6FxM4hD6oS5VSUwsCnNQ 

In this episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove examines the mounting scientific and policy concerns surrounding lead ammunition — a persistent environmental toxin with consequences that extend far beyond the hunt.

Each year, tons of lead from spent bullets and shotgun pellets are discharged into America’s landscapes. On impact, that lead fragments into carcasses and gut piles, where scavenging wildlife — including bald eagles, golden eagles, condors, hawks, ravens, and foxes — ingest toxic shards. The results are often acute poisoning, neurological impairment, reproductive failure, and death.

But this is not solely a wildlife conservation issue. Lead is a potent neurotoxin with no safe level of exposure. It does not biodegrade, and it can contaminate meat intended for human consumption while persisting in soil and ecosystems for decades.

Joseph is joined by two leading voices at the intersection of science and policy.

Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, discusses the documented toll of lead poisoning on raptors and other wildlife, federal policy debates surrounding National Wildlife Refuges, and the proposed LEAD Act — legislation aimed at reducing toxic ammunition on public lands.

Dr. Aisha S. Dickerson, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, brings critical scientific insight into how lead behaves biologically, why even low-level exposure can cause lasting neurological harm, and what environmental neuroepidemiology tells us about risks to both wildlife and humans.

Together, they explore:

This episode challenges listeners to consider tradition, science, and stewardship — and the responsibility we share in protecting both wildlife and public health.

TAKE ACTION

Go here to learn more about the effects of lead ammunition and to support the LEAD Act referred to in the show.

ABOUT

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove. 

www.animalwellnessaction.org

www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumaneCenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellnessaction/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-wellness-action/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_6FxM4hD6oS5VSUwsCnNQ 

Dogfighting is often misunderstood as a relic of the past — or as a cruelty confined to the margins of society. In reality, organized fighting networks continue to operate across the United States, leaving behind a pipeline of animals who are brutalized, discarded, and in urgent need of highly specialized care.

In this episode of The Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove examines the continuum between federal policy and frontline rescue work — and why both are essential to ending organized animal cruelty.

He is joined by Rochelle Steffen, founder of Mac’s Mission, a Missouri-based nonprofit rescue whose work “specializes in special.” Her organization focuses on dogs in severe medical crisis: neonatal puppies with congenital defects, survivors of extreme abuse, and animals whose injuries or conditions place them beyond the capacity of traditional shelters.

The conversation also explores the policy dimension of this work, including Animal Wellness Action’s advocacy for the FIGHT Act — federal legislation designed to strengthen enforcement against dogfighting, increase penalties, and disrupt trafficking of fighting paraphernalia.

Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of:

Listeners may learn more at Animal Wellness Action and by visiting Mac’s Mission online.

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove.

www.animalwellnessaction.org

www.centerforahumaneeconomy.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumaneCenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellnessaction/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-wellness-action/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI_6FxM4hD6oS5VSUwsCnNQ