The Petcast

By Steve Friess and Emily RichmondSociety & Culture Kids & Family

The Petcast episodes

September 16, 2008 No. 171: Fake Limbs For Animals
When it comes to prosthetic limbs, today’s guest is on the cutting edge. But you won’t find him at a major research hospital, and his patients include Cassidy the German Shepard, Pez the beagle and a cat named George Bailey. Dr. Denis Marcellin-Little is associate professor of orthopedics in the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, where his groundbreaking techniques are offering promising results that could eventually mean better prosthetics for human patients, as well.
Plus, more discussion about how to deal with problems with other people’s animals.
Website: www.thepetcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone number: 206-203-1010
30 min
September 12, 2008 No. 170: Pet Welfare Around The World
From Cambodian ponies to Japanese dolphins, animals around the globe depend on people like today’s guest to help protect them from harm, and to educate the public at large to their plight. The World Society for the Protection of Animals has spent the past quarter-century promoting a united global animal welfare movement, focusing on everything from the proper care of domestic pets to humane treatment of commercial livestock. Joining us today is the society’s program manager.
Plus, Steve talks about an extremely upsetting experience on his dogwalk in his neighborhood.
Website: www.thepetcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone number: 206-203-1010
32 min
September 08, 2008 No. 169: The Tiger-Mothering Dog
When a white tiger rejected its three newborn cubs at the Safari Zoological
Park outside Carney, Kansas, it was golden retriever Isabella to the rescue. Isabella, who recently had a litter of her own pups, has been successfully nursing the orphaned cubs. It's all taking place under the watchful eye of Isabella's owner Allie Harvey. Her husband inherited the park, and they now run it together. The inter-species nursing has attracted international attention, but Harvey said it's more common than many people might realize.
Plus, Emily discusses the Christian-the-lion, waterskiing squirrels and panda sneezes videos on YouTube. See the links at ThePetcast.Com.
Web: ThePetcast.Com
Email: [email protected]
25 min
September 05, 2008 No. 168: Rescuing The Dog Next Door
How many times on your daily commute have you passed that dog chained to a tree, barrel or fence? How many times have you thought about stopping the car, getting out and doing something? Today's guest did exactly that, nothing only saving the lives of several desperate dogs but launching herself on a new path as an animal advocate. Tamira Ci Thayne is founder of Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit organization that seeks to end the practice of chaining dogs. She talks with the Petcast about the roots of her own advocacy, as well as misconceptions people have about dogs' needs.
Web: ThePetcast.Com
Email: [email protected]
31 min
August 31, 2008 No. 167: Cats Have a Winn
Since 1968, the Winn Feline Foundation has been funding research to help
better understand the health challenges facing housecats, from nutritional
needs to cancer. The New Jersey-based foundation's executive director, Janet Wolf, spoke with the Petcast about some of the most recent grants awarded by the foundation, as well as the bias many cat researchers face when they apply for funding. The Winn Feline Foundation has also launched a fund-raising campaign in partnership with HomeAgain pet microchips.
Web: ThePetcast.Com
Email: [email protected]
29 min
August 26, 2008 NO. 166: The Pulitzer-winning Pet Blogger
No. 166: The Pulitzer-winning Pet Blogger
After 35 years in the news business and a Pulitzer for investigative reporting and coverage of such serious matters as prisons and mental institutions to education, John Woestendiek shows his personal side. The former Baltimore Sun reporter wrote the newspaper’s pet blog, Mutts, and now has one of his own since he lost his job in a round of layoffs.
Plus, an analysis of animals in the funnies.
New blog will be ohmidog.com, muttsblog.com
Site: ThePetcast.Com
Email: [email protected]
23 min
August 22, 2008 No. 165: An Entertaining Entertainment Kibbitz
Our guest stood us up, so the Petcasters mull a wide range of animal-related pop-culture matters, from that wacky “Greatest American Dog” competition to the dog killing in Batman. Also referenced: No Country For Old Men, The Golden Compass, It’s Me Or My Dog, Meercat Manor.
Site: ThePetcast.Com
Email: [email protected]
23 min
August 17, 2008 No. 164: Fido's Masseuse
The benefits of massage therapy have long been known to people, especially athletes, dancers and those lucky enough to frequent high-end spas. So it should come as no surprise that our pets could probably use a good rubdown every now and then. Joining the Petcasters this show is Patti Moran, a certified animal massage therapist from Santa Cruz, Calif.
Plus: The Obama dog is a match between poodles and Wheaten Terrier and Steve – yes, Steve – takes a shot at English bulldogs.
Web: ThePetcast.Com
E-mail: [email protected]
29 min
August 09, 2008 No. 163: Anti-Feline Cultural Bias
They’re beautiful, agile, and often aloof. We love when they purr but hate when they scratch. And to some of us, cats are second-class animals that don’t deserve or need the same protection as our canine friends. Joining the Petcasters is Dr. Valerie Creighton, president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Plus, what kind of dog should the Obamas get?
27 min
August 04, 2008 No. 162: The Shelter's Fancy Boarding Center
The Animal Humane Society is the local Minneapolis-area shelter and, in what may be a first in the U.S., they’ve opened a pet hotel called Now Boarding at the MSP airport. The shelter also recently rescued over 100 rats, a dozen golden retriever puppies surrendered by an unscrupulous breeder and opened a brand-new boarding facility for local pets.
Joining the Petcasters is the society’s president and chief executive. Janelle Dixon.
Plus, pet voters on Obama v McCain.
27 min