Animal Radio®

Comedian Paula Poundstone (Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!) is back to explain why she’s not a “crazy cat lady,” despite her menagerie of 14 cats. While there aren’t a lot of “sure-things” in this world, Paula is pretty sure she won’t be getting her deposit back when she moves out. Also, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, and wife of Michael McDonald, Amy Holland is our special guest along with her pup, “Tulip.” Ladybug The Animal Radio Studio Stunt Dog loves her new album with David Crosby and her hubby. You will too.

Iconic TV host and Animal Advocate Bob Barker is back for his 15th appearance on Animal Radio. Bob is still helping animals live better lives. He’s been instrumental in unshackling elephants from circus acts; even relocating several to sanctuaries. Now he’s rescuing orphan bears in Canada. Also, dogs prefer Reggae over Heavy Metal. When you leave the house, do you leave the TV or radio on for your pets? New research indicates that when it comes to music, dogs like variety. The results make a very strong case for music as a calming technique, especially in shelters where the high stress levels can cause dogs to cower, bark loudly, jump at people for attention and behave in ways that make them less likely to be adopted.

Ventriloquist Jay Johnson (SOAP) brings his witty banter to the show this week to talk about his connection with his dog and his involvement with Actors and Others for Animals. Also, Emma Higgins hasn’t paid rent in three years. To boot, she’s been traveling throughout Europe. How does she pull this off? She’s a live-in pet sitter. She takes care of animals and house sits for extended periods all over the world. She has tips to help you give up your 9 to 5 and start traveling rent-free.

Are people harming their pet for drugs? A lady in Kentucky was charged with fraud and torture after she cut her dog multiple times to get the opioid and pain-killer Tramadol. Is this just the tip of the iceberg? Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald is back to chime in on the national opioid crisis and how it affects our pets. Also, Mindy Tenenbaum has joined the ranks of the increasingly popular pet DNA testing industry. Her company, DNA My Dog uses a sophisticated, yet easy to use cheek swab test that reveals your dog’s genetic make-up. This information can be used to moderate your pet’s health and understanding its behavior.

The Trap King Sterling Davis spreads the word about Trap-Neuter-Release and his approach to educating and engaging different demographics while ending the “crazy cat lady” stereotype! “Gotta let the fellas know, you don’t lose cool points for compassion.” Also, could your pet’s GPS leak sensitive information? Smart collars and other devices for animals that track their locations are very popular now. However, the problem, according to Kaspersky Lab, is that these tracking devices can leak sensitive information. The pet-tracker class of connected gadgets adds one more layer of vulnerability, but calling attention to the flaws could be a wake-up call to the manufacturers.

Actress Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) is our guest. She divulges her obsession with “Root Beer,” her Maltese/Poodle mutt. Natasha joins Will Arnett, Stanley Tucci and Shaq for the new movie Show Dogs. She says it’s much easier to work with dog actors than human actors. Also. Dr. Lisa Radosta explains the use of common human behavioral medicines, including Prozac, for use with anxiety-ridden dogs and cats. She says veterinarians are more eager to prescribe psychotropic drugs to help our pets live a Fear Free life. And Christian Savalas, son of Kojak star Telly Savalas, has just finished designing a smartphone gaming app revolving around his mother’s dog. He joins us to share the inspiration behind “Wild Wiener,” the wildly addictive dachshund game.

James Guiliani was the head mob enforcer in Brooklyn for over 20 years. He said his used to get a high inflicting violence on behalf of John Gotti. Now he gets high saving animals after a dog changed his evil ways. James is our guest and he explains how he got out of the mafia and into pet rescue. Oh, he also has a brand new show on the Oprah Network. Also, The Internet Cat Video Festival is selling out and attracting huge audiences nationwide. It’s not a bunch of single cat-women that are attending these feline festivities. William Braden, winner of the Golden Kitty Award for his viral videos, is hosting the event. He joins us and explains this strange phenomenon and our unquenchable desire for cat videos.

Olaf Danielson has made a hobby out of birding without any clothes. Olaf is an author, religious scholar, storyteller and adventurer. He will share some of his favorite stories of seeking out rare and exotic avian wildlife… while naked as a jaybird. Also, Jeff Jenkins is the ringleader for the Midnight Circus, a pit-bull agility performance that shows the often-misunderstood dogs in a positive light. He’s helping youngsters train their pit-bulls to do tricks instead of fighting.

Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady on The Brady Bunch) is one of the few child actors that DIDN’T cross to the dark side. And in fact, she’s a model citizen, animal advocate and foster parent. She seems like a normal gal until she tells you about her hobby making candy-poop with her hands. She’ll also divulge behind-the-scenes stories about The Brady Bunch. Also, Comedian Paul Reiser guests this week. He’s witty, multi-talented and guaranteed to make you laugh so hard you’ll blow coffee out of your nose. And he speaks up for the first time publicly about his dog “Bosco.”

Snake-Whisperer Brian Barczyk loves reptiles. He has 30,000 snakes. Brian breeds them and sends them all over the globe to his snake-lovin’ brethren. He’s been bit 100,000 times he estimates and his colorful life is ripe for a TV reality series. Are you listening NatGeo? Oh, and no, he’s not single. In fact, the chicks dig it. AlsoFollowing the Sandy Hook tragedy, Mark Gomer got the idea to put Canine Protection Dogs into schools to sniff-out firearms and diffuse violent situations. At $50,000 per dog, Mark is trying to convince schools to purchase one of these full-time K9’s to protect their students.

Delivered from obscurity by NatGeo’s Taboo, Boomer is a dog in a man’s body. Some have issues with a grown man dressing up as a dog, eating dog food, and barking out commands. Boomer was inspired by Disney’s Shaggy DA movie and hasn’t been the same since. Boomer explains his world in this special Animal Radio interview. Also, David Beart is building his house especially for his dog. He’s teamed up with many manufacturers to stock his pet-friendly dwelling. While this may not seem like a big deal, David may be onto something. Also, Scambook’s Miranda Perry lists off the top scams directed at the very-delicate and vulnerable pet-lover. These include Craigslist scams for pure-breed puppies to Western Union fraud. She even tells us about a guy who impersonated an animal control officer to bilk money out of noisy neighbors. Be listening so you won’t be a victim.

We welcome back Comedian Victoria Jackson (SNL – The Tonight Show) and Singer/Songwriter Kimberly Dahme (rock super-group “Boston”). They’ve co-written a song about a special dog. Victoria just battled stage 3 cancer and won, with the help of “Daisy,” her four-legged medicine. Also, do you want that cute doggie in the window so much that you would lease it if you couldn’t afford it? You might be in for a shock when a $1,200 dog turns into almost $5,000 in payments. And if you miss a payment, they can come and repossess your dog, because pets are ‘property’ in the eyes of the law. Adopt. Don’t Lease. Also, around 33,000 pooches enter the L.A.’s animal shelters each year. They’re currently fed kibble composed mostly of turkey, chicken and lamb byproducts. But food for LA’s shelter dogs might soon be swapped out for a plant-based food under a new. If they approve the switch, it would make the Los Angeles shelter system the first in the nation to feed its canine residents a vegan diet.

Rare Earth Keyboardist Mike Bruner is our “Hero Person of the Week.” He fell into a frozen lake while rescuing a dog that had also fallen in. Mike tells the whole story and even yaps about his menagerie at home. Also, Lauren Drabble is pitching her new smartphone app. The software allows you to easily find rescue and resources for injured wildlife. The next time you run into a wild animal that’s hurt, you’ll know exactly who to contact to help. Also, imagine a short film that highlights your relationship between you and your pet. Franck Tabouring comes to your house and creates a documentary video featuring your pet as the star. A great keepsake!

Brother Christopher of the Monks of New Skete is our special guest. He says we’re treating our animals too much like humans. He’ll teach us to respect the true nature of dogs and become a pack leader. He’ll also help us deal with the Holidays, a truly troublesome time for many dogs. Also, Dr. Debbie says it’s important to learn how to “baby talk” to your pets. She uses baby talk for her patients and it makes a big difference. She’ll teach us the nuances behind this special conversation. If you don’t know how to talk like a baby to your pet, today is your lucky day!

Joy Behar has strong opinions, especially when it comes to letting her pets in bed with her. The View’s Joy Behar is our special guest and she tells all about her furry family. She’s a talented comedian and writer, and she couldn’t care less what trainers say about sleeping with your dog. She loves it! Also, a parasite commonly found in kitty litter boxes could increase a person’s risk for suicide. A new study shows the Toxoplasma Gondii parasite causes changes in the brain of an infected person that make them more likely to attempt or commit suicide.