The Other Animals

In honor of Tax Day, we thought you might find it enlightening to know just what the government is getting for your hard-earned buck. From mudskippers and bears on treadmills to torturing beagle puppies, federally funded animal experimentation is a treadmill unto itself that is almost self-perpetuating. Justin Goodman from the White Coat Waste Project looks at the dark side of government spending, and what you can do about it.

From conspiracy theorists to extreme polarization to dealing with Crazy Uncle Dave, sit back and enjoy a far-ranging conversation with the world's foremost authority on living with and among those who haven't yet come to terms with their own cognitive dissonance! Dr. Clare Mann offers brilliant and insightful tips that you'll be able to use as soon as Covid lets us get back together again..

Will Disney's forthcoming film adaptation of "Aloha Rodeo" end up glorifying the undeniable misery that goes along with rodeo, or will the film attempt to simply skirt that reality in favor of the feel-good underdog story? An all-star panel of Eric Mills, Steve Hindi, Rebecca Rose Stanton, and Josh Steinhouse look at the project and come up with original suggestions. Disney, are you listening?

While the animal rights movement tends to focus on animal exploitation for food, the garment and fashion industries impose a misery of their own. Emma Håkansson, founder of Collective Fashion Justice and successful model, discusses this overlooked problem and what can be done about it. Also veterinarian Dr. Tom Pickard looks at vaccinations for our pets.

When someone concerned with animal welfare enters the supermarket, do their choices really make a difference in the lives of the animals they'll never see? We're told they do, but just what is the impact and is it necessarily positive? F. Bailey Norwood, who literally co-authored the book on this issue, Compassion by the Pound, joins us to discuss. Plus, veterinarian Tom Pickard takes us into the world of reptile husbandry!

Cultured, clean, cell-based, lab-grown, whatever you'd like to call it -- the production of "real meat" without the "real animal" on the surface seems to be a promising technology offering abundant food on a global level, repair of the environment, and oh yes, reduction of animal suffering. The largest meat corporations in the world are investing heavily in it -- should we be suspicious? Dr. John Sanbonmatsu explores the issues in a candid and revealing interview. Plus, veterinarian Dr. Tom Pickard helps pet owners understand bloodwork lab results.

Karen Davis, president of United Poultry Concerns explains why she stopped saying "meat" (let alone stopped eating it), and offers intriguing alternatives. Plus veterinarian Dr. Tom Pickard helps us keep birds and other backyard visitors safe.

Can vegans and meat eaters truly find love? Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat considers the perils and rewards of romance, dating, and even friendship between partners with conflicting moral convictions. Plus, if you're really committed to your partner, you'll let them dine on your wings... and vice versa. And veterinarian Dr. Tom Pickard looks at unexpected Valentine's Day hazards confronting your pets. 

We launch the program with a look at how animals fit into religious traditions like Easter and Passover.  Guests include Paul Waldau, Ph. D. and Jeffrey Spitz-Cohan from JewishVeg.