Talking Animals

For today’s edition of Talking Animals, I jettisoned the usual format and convened a panel discussion about the end of the Ringling Bros. circus. I was inspired to present the panel because I was struck by the array of reactions in the wake of the announcement by Feld Entertainment that it was shutting down the circus in May. As you might expect, longtime activists were thrilled by the news, but there were also great expressions of ambivalence, sadness, disappointment, nostalgia, and so on. And central questions hovered: What will become of the animals? What will become of the nearly 400 Ringling employees who will find themselves out of come work come May? There are other issues and concerns, and with the panelists I invited, I sought to represent at least some of the many perspectives I’d seen surface on social media and elsewhere. They were, in alphabetical order: Dr. Janet Davis: a professor at the University of Texas in Austin and historian, who’s done extensive research and writing about circuses (one of her books is The Circus Age: Culture And Society Under The American Big Top), and was in a position to offer a scholarly view of how the significant demise of Ringling can be placed within the history and evolution of circuses Arin Greenwood: A non-practicing lawyer, former animal welfare editor at The Huffington Post and journalist who’s contributed to The Washington Post’s Animalia blog, The Dodo–and on social media had articulated a decidedly ambivalent, nuanced view of the Ringling news.   Stephen Payne: is the Vice-President of Corporate Communications at Feld Entertainment, and in that capacity, he’s served as the longtime spokesman for the Ringling Bros. circus.     Adam Sugalski: the executive director of OneProtest, the Florida-based advocacy organization known for its successful effort to help halt the Florida bear hunt, has long protested the Ringling circus—he did so days prior to the panel discussion, in Jacksonville, FL–and is thrilled about the news that the Ringling circus is ending.   We covered a great deal of ground, addressing topics ranging from the uncertainty over where the current Ringling animals will wind up, to the virtues and limitations of the Cirque de Soleil model, to the breeding and cancer research taking place at the 200-acre Center For Elephant Conservation in Polk City, Florida. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TAJan25-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon—the husband-wife team who wrote the screenplay for A Dog’s Purpose, a film starring Dennis Quaid, based on Cameron’s bestselling novel of the same name—discuss how the book has yet again become a New York Times bestseller (this time, recently reaching #1 on both the Paperback Trade Fiction and Mass-Market Fiction lists). A Dog’s Purpose, the book and the film, tells the story of a dog who’s reincarnated through several lives, and how he’s seeking to sort out his purpose through each of those lives. The couple recall how a pivotal moment while they were dating—Michon had explained that she was so crushed by the loss of her dog, Ellie, that she couldn’t envision ever getting another dog, while lifelong canine lover couldn’t envision life without a dog—led Cameron to spin the Purpose yarn while he and Michon were on a drive, with his own purpose to erode her resistance to resuming dog ownership by suggesting dogs we lose may be reincarnated into dogs we meet later in our lives. It worked! They now share their lives with an ultra-cute dog named Tucker. And the tale from that drive went on to become the core saga of the book, and then of the film—and they addressed the differences of writing the screenplay, given that so much of the breadth and depth of the book necessarily must be jettisoned. They also spoke to the movie studio’s sweeping promotional support of A Dog’s Purpose, the dogs appearing in the movie (the TMZ clip was posted a few hours after this interview, so we did not discuss it, but Cameron, director Lasse Hallstrom, producer Gavin Pallone and the studio have all released statements about the situation), Josh Gad’s work as the voice of the dogs’ soul, how they approached collaborating on this project, and more. (www.adogspurposemovie.com) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Alana Rogers, of Pig Advocates League (PAL), who provided an update on the so-called “Polk Pigs”—the 100-plus pigs that were seized in August from a Polk City facility, where the proprietors were charged with 138 counts of animal neglect and three counts of felony animal abuse. Most have found homes, but 30 still need homes, and meanwhile, remain temporarily housed at Rooterville, a sanctuary in Melrose, FL. (www.pigadvocates.com, https://rooterville.org/ ) COMEDY CORNER: Matt Braunger’s “Panda Butler” (www.mattbraunger.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The TV Theme Players’ “The Green Hornet Theme” (aka “Flight Of The Bumblebee”) AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TAJan18-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon—the husband-wife team who wrote the screenplay for A Dog’s Purpose, a film starring Dennis Quaid, based on Cameron’s bestselling novel of the same name—discuss how the book has yet again become a New York Times bestseller (this time, recently reaching #1 on both the Paperback Trade Fiction and Mass-Market Fiction lists). A Dog’s Purpose, the book and the film, tells the story of a dog who’s reincarnated through several lives, and how he’s seeking to sort out his purpose through each of those lives. The couple recall how a pivotal moment while they were dating—Michon had explained that she was so crushed by the loss of her dog, Ellie, that she couldn’t envision ever getting another dog, while lifelong canine lover couldn’t envision life without a dog—led Cameron to spin the Purpose yarn while he and Michon were on a drive, with his own purpose to erode her resistance to resuming dog ownership by suggesting dogs we lose may be reincarnated into dogs we meet later in our lives. It worked! They now share their lives with an ultra-cute dog named Tucker. And the tale from that drive went on to become the core saga of the book, and then of the film—and they addressed the differences of writing the screenplay, given that so much of the breadth and depth of the book necessarily must be jettisoned. They also spoke to the movie studio’s sweeping promotional support of A Dog’s Purpose, the dogs appearing in the movie (the TMZ clip was posted a few hours after this interview, so we did not discuss it, but Cameron, director Lasse Hallstrom, producer Gavin Pallone and the studio have all released statements about the situation), Josh Gad’s work as the voice of the dogs’ soul, how they approached collaborating on this project, and more. (www.adogspurposemovie.com) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Alana Rogers, of Pig Advocates League (PAL), who provided an update on the so-called “Polk Pigs”—the 100-plus pigs that were seized in August from a Polk City facility, where the proprietors were charged with 138 counts of animal neglect and three counts of felony animal abuse. Most have found homes, but 30 still need homes, and meanwhile, remain temporarily housed at Rooterville, a sanctuary in Melrose, FL. (www.pigadvocates.com, https://rooterville.org/ ) COMEDY CORNER: Matt Braunger’s “Panda Butler” (www.mattbraunger.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The TV Theme Players’ “The Green Hornet Theme” (aka “Flight Of The Bumblebee”) AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TAJan18-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Paul Solotaroff—Rolling Stone contributing editor who wrote a wide-ranging, high-profile exposé about the netherworld of puppy mills in the then-new issue of the magazine—discusses how he came to write the piece, sort of goaded into it by Humane Society of The United States CEO Wayne Pacelle, after Solotaroff completed another Rolling Stone investigative opus about factory farming. Solotaroff recounts the birth and development of puppy mills, chiefly outgrowths of family farms that evolved into dog-breeding operations. When asked, in reporting the puppy mills story, to what extent he anticipated just how dark and depraved a universe he was descending into, Solotaroff allows that he was steeped in horrors—of both the animal and human variety—from working on the factory farming piece, but was still struck by the cruelty visited on these canines consigned to the puppy mill biz. He addresses how these operations flourish because laws in the states where the operations are based tend to be weak, toothless or nonexistent—and even where there are stronger laws in place, there’s still the other major factor in allowing puppy mills to churn out dogs unchecked: Far too few USDA inspectors to monitor them, much less enforce the Animal Welfare Act, or any statewide statute. Solotaroff speaks to a section of his article that engendered a great deal of chatter on Facebook and elsewhere online: The current status of the Hunte Corporation, the largest of the puppy brokers, which, near as his reporting—and the stonewalling of repeated phone calls and emails from Solotaroff to Hunte—could assess, appeared to be “now-defunct,” but Solotaroff notes in our interview, has downsized and renamed itself Choice Puppies. (www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/the-dog-factory-inside-the-sickening-world-of-puppy-mills-w457673) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Joe Capozzi, a staff writer at The Palm Beach Post (and, full disclosure, a friend of mine), who was biking in Big Cypress National Preserve, when he came upon an astounding scene: A python attacking, and ultimately strangling, an alligator. He videotaped the battle with his iPhone, a dramatic video that’s since gone viral, and become an important document for those who study wildlife in that region. (www.palmbeachpost.com/news/video-big-cypress-bike-ride-watched-python-wrestle-alligator/YmShcrbLaGlyXpIFJyiUlM/) COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman “Pet Snakes” (www.zimmermancomedy.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play Name That Animal Tune today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TAJan11-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Paul Solotaroff—Rolling Stone contributing editor who wrote a wide-ranging, high-profile exposé about the netherworld of puppy mills in the then-new issue of the magazine—discusses how he came to write the piece, sort of goaded into it by Humane Society of The United States CEO Wayne Pacelle, after Solotaroff completed another Rolling Stone investigative opus about factory farming. Solotaroff recounts the birth and development of puppy mills, chiefly outgrowths of family farms that evolved into dog-breeding operations. When asked, in reporting the puppy mills story, to what extent he anticipated just how dark and depraved a universe he was descending into, Solotaroff allows that he was steeped in horrors—of both the animal and human variety—from working on the factory farming piece, but was still struck by the cruelty visited on these canines consigned to the puppy mill biz. He addresses how these operations flourish because laws in the states where the operations are based tend to be weak, toothless or nonexistent—and even where there are stronger laws in place, there’s still the other major factor in allowing puppy mills to churn out dogs unchecked: Far too few USDA inspectors to monitor them, much less enforce the Animal Welfare Act, or any statewide statute. Solotaroff speaks to a section of his article that engendered a great deal of chatter on Facebook and elsewhere online: The current status of the Hunte Corporation, the largest of the puppy brokers, which, near as his reporting—and the stonewalling of repeated phone calls and emails from Solotaroff to Hunte—could assess, appeared to be “now-defunct,” but Solotaroff notes in our interview, has downsized and renamed itself Choice Puppies. (www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/the-dog-factory-inside-the-sickening-world-of-puppy-mills-w457673) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Joe Capozzi, a staff writer at The Palm Beach Post (and, full disclosure, a friend of mine), who was biking in Big Cypress National Preserve, when he came upon an astounding scene: A python attacking, and ultimately strangling, an alligator. He videotaped the battle with his iPhone, a dramatic video that’s since gone viral, and become an important document for those who study wildlife in that region. (www.palmbeachpost.com/news/video-big-cypress-bike-ride-watched-python-wrestle-alligator/YmShcrbLaGlyXpIFJyiUlM/) COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman “Pet Snakes” (www.zimmermancomedy.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play Name That Animal Tune today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TAJan11-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Sarah Baeckler Davis—a primatologist and lawyer who is president and CEO of Project Chimps, a relatively new chimpanzee sanctuary in Northern Georgia—discusses how, at eight years old, reading a book about Jane Goodall absolutely fascinated her, and she decided right then that she wanted to do the same kind of work. That objective, and the passion to realize it, never wavered, Davis explains, including attending Central Washington University, the only U.S. college where undergraduates could learn how to take care of captive chimps, and receive hands-on experience doing so. She went on to get a graduate degree in primatology at the same institution. Davis’ educational path continued, but not quite in the direction you might anticipate, if you’ve been closely following the saga so far—she went to law school! This move, she notes, was chiefly to make herself more effective as a chimp advocate, and an offshoot of participating in an undercover investigation of the chimp training industry. Davis also recalls working for five years at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, as its first executive director. She speaks about her subsequent stint leading the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA), which she co-founded. In 2014, much as she initially felt reluctant to lead another chimp sanctuary, she did accept the president/CEO position at Project Chimps—about which she addresses converting the facility from a defunct gorilla sanctuary, how to bring in chimps, test them in pairs for compatibility to create a group that can peacefully coexist, and more. (http://projectchimps.org) COMEDY CORNER: Kevin Nealon’s “Chimp Fear” (http://kevinnealon.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Harry Hmura’s “I Am, I Am” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TADec28.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Sarah Baeckler Davis—a primatologist and lawyer who is president and CEO of Project Chimps, a relatively new chimpanzee sanctuary in Northern Georgia—discusses how, at eight years old, reading a book about Jane Goodall absolutely fascinated her, and she decided right then that she wanted to do the same kind of work. That objective, and the passion to realize it, never wavered, Davis explains, including attending Central Washington University, the only U.S. college where undergraduates could learn how to take care of captive chimps, and receive hands-on experience doing so. She went on to get a graduate degree in primatology at the same institution. Davis’ educational path continued, but not quite in the direction you might anticipate, if you’ve been closely following the saga so far—she went to law school! This move, she notes, was chiefly to make herself more effective as a chimp advocate, and an offshoot of participating in an undercover investigation of the chimp training industry. Davis also recalls working for five years at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, as its first executive director. She speaks about her subsequent stint leading the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA), which she co-founded. In 2014, much as she initially felt reluctant to lead another chimp sanctuary, she did accept the president/CEO position at Project Chimps—about which she addresses converting the facility from a defunct gorilla sanctuary, how to bring in chimps, test them in pairs for compatibility to create a group that can peacefully coexist, and more. (http://projectchimps.org) COMEDY CORNER: Kevin Nealon’s “Chimp Fear” (http://kevinnealon.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Harry Hmura’s “I Am, I Am” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TADec28.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

This morning, I once again set aside the usual “Talking Animals” format to present my Annual Christmas Animal Song special—that is, a show entirely devoted to Christmas-oriented animal tunes. Sure, as in the past, to pull off this conceit, I fashioned the program with a liberal sprinkling of “Rudolph” songs, from The Brian Setzer Orchestera’s peppy  offering, “Rockabilly Rudolph” to Keith Richards’ classic fiery take on “Run Rudolph Run.” I also played some far less obvious nuggets and possible future classics, including Kacey Musgraves’ new rendition of “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas,” and delightful fresh oddity “Snails Christmas (I Want A New Shell)” by The Snails. We extended another tradition when I took a brief break from playing the yuletide animal songs to read what I refer to as the Dorothy Strauss Christmas Poem. Happy Holidays to you and yours. Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TADec21-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

This morning, I once again set aside the usual “Talking Animals” format to present my Annual Christmas Animal Song special—that is, a show entirely devoted to Christmas-oriented animal tunes. Sure, as in the past, to pull off this conceit, I fashioned the program with a liberal sprinkling of “Rudolph” songs, from The Brian Setzer Orchestera’s peppy  offering, “Rockabilly Rudolph” to Keith Richards’ classic fiery take on “Run Rudolph Run.” I also played some far less obvious nuggets and possible future classics, including Kacey Musgraves’ new rendition of “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas,” and delightful fresh oddity “Snails Christmas (I Want A New Shell)” by The Snails. We extended another tradition when I took a brief break from playing the yuletide animal songs to read what I refer to as the Dorothy Strauss Christmas Poem. Happy Holidays to you and yours. Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TADec21-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Tippi Hedren—the actress and longtime animal advocate, who recently published her memoir, “Tippi: A Memoir”—discusses Shambala Preserve, her sanctuary for rescued lions, tigers and other big cats that she established in 1972, and where Hedren, now 86 years old, still lives. She addresses the background and experiences animals of the who live there, and how the animal population of Shambala has evolved to where it now houses only big cats—in the past, two African elephants lived there. Curiously, despite the ongoing need for homes for tigers and other big cats that are the product of tiger cub photo/petting businesses, roadside zoos and various black market animal enterprises, Hedren notes that she is never contacted about taking in such animals at Shambala. She touches on the making of “Roar”—a cinematic undertaking that spanned more than a decade (and occupied a substantial portion of the memoir), beset with a long string of disasters, including escaped lions, numerous injuries to cast and crew, fires, floods and more; “Roar” was long ago called “the most dangerous movie ever made,” and when given the chance in this interview, Hedren chooses not to dispute that description. While the section about the misadventures of “Roar,” constitutes by far the largest section of “Tippi,” yet nearly every review and story about the book has focused part she devoted to discussing her work and relationship with Alfred Hitchcock—understandable, given Hitchcock’s stature and, especially, that she alleges that director sexually assaulted her. Yet, when I bring that up in our interview, she laughs it off, dismissing its importance each time I try to follow-up on. We talk about other topics, including legislation to protect big cats, and her thoughts on how to respond to Ringling Bros., which has suspended the use of elephants in its circus, but still presents other animals, including tigers and lions. (www.shambala.org) ALSO: I spoke with Joe Waltman, co-founder of VetPronto, a relatively new company that offers house-call veterinary services for dogs and cats. VetPronto was launched in San Francisco, and is now expanding to seven new cities, including New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Tampa. (www.vetpronto.com) COMEDY CORNER: Nate Bergatze’s “Thinking About Buying A Home Security System? Consider A Tiger” (www.natebargatze.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Van Morrison’s “The Lion This Time,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Tokens’ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TADec14.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Tippi Hedren—the actress and longtime animal advocate, who recently published her memoir, “Tippi: A Memoir”—discusses Shambala Preserve, her sanctuary for rescued lions, tigers and other big cats that she established in 1972, and where Hedren, now 86 years old, still lives. She addresses the background and experiences animals of the who live there, and how the animal population of Shambala has evolved to where it now houses only big cats—in the past, two African elephants lived there. Curiously, despite the ongoing need for homes for tigers and other big cats that are the product of tiger cub photo/petting businesses, roadside zoos and various black market animal enterprises, Hedren notes that she is never contacted about taking in such animals at Shambala. She touches on the making of “Roar”—a cinematic undertaking that spanned more than a decade (and occupied a substantial portion of the memoir), beset with a long string of disasters, including escaped lions, numerous injuries to cast and crew, fires, floods and more; “Roar” was long ago called “the most dangerous movie ever made,” and when given the chance in this interview, Hedren chooses not to dispute that description. While the section about the misadventures of “Roar,” constitutes by far the largest section of “Tippi,” yet nearly every review and story about the book has focused part she devoted to discussing her work and relationship with Alfred Hitchcock—understandable, given Hitchcock’s stature and, especially, that she alleges that director sexually assaulted her. Yet, when I bring that up in our interview, she laughs it off, dismissing its importance each time I try to follow-up on. We talk about other topics, including legislation to protect big cats, and her thoughts on how to respond to Ringling Bros., which has suspended the use of elephants in its circus, but still presents other animals, including tigers and lions. (www.shambala.org) ALSO: I spoke with Joe Waltman, co-founder of VetPronto, a relatively new company that offers house-call veterinary services for dogs and cats. VetPronto was launched in San Francisco, and is now expanding to seven new cities, including New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Tampa. (www.vetpronto.com) COMEDY CORNER: Nate Bergatze’s “Thinking About Buying A Home Security System? Consider A Tiger” (www.natebargatze.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Van Morrison’s “The Lion This Time,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Tokens’ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TADec14.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Jennifer Conrad—the veterinarian and founder of The Paw Project, which has long educated the public about the painful and crippling effects of feline declawing, and who, as of this interview, has made more appearances on “Talking Animals” than any other guest–reviews what exactly the feline declaw procedure involves. She notes that the term is a misnomer, that it more aptly should be called “de-knuckling,” as it really is an amputation. Conrad discusses the impact on the cat, starting with the intense pain caused by the procedure—which most owners never recognize, because cats are notoriously stoic—and which also include significant problems using the litter box (their paws hurt them and can no longer dig) and, because they no longer can scratch to protect themselves, they often start biting. These two developments, Conrad points out, frequently lead to the cat being surrendered to a shelter or otherwise removed from the house. She also addresses the financial motives for veterinarians performing the declaw procedure (a $1 billion industry), since there is no legitimate medical reason, for either the cat or any humans in the household, carry out declaw. Among the resources on The Paw Project website is a list of veterinarians across the country who do not perform the declaw procedure. Conrad recounts her earliest legislative efforts to help impose declaw bans, beginning in West Hollywood, later followed by seven more California cities (including Los Angeles and San Francisco). She details the current legislative status in New York and New Jersey, which both appear to be within striking distance of imposing statewide declaw bands. (www.pawproject.org) COMEDY CORNER: Jake Johannsen’s “Whale Watching” (www.jakethis.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Jethro Tull’s “Mother Goose” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TADec7-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Jennifer Conrad—the veterinarian and founder of The Paw Project, which has long educated the public about the painful and crippling effects of feline declawing, and who, as of this interview, has made more appearances on “Talking Animals” than any other guest–reviews what exactly the feline declaw procedure involves. She notes that the term is a misnomer, that it more aptly should be called “de-knuckling,” as it really is an amputation. Conrad discusses the impact on the cat, starting with the intense pain caused by the procedure—which most owners never recognize, because cats are notoriously stoic—and which also include significant problems using the litter box (their paws hurt them and can no longer dig) and, because they no longer can scratch to protect themselves, they often start biting. These two developments, Conrad points out, frequently lead to the cat being surrendered to a shelter or otherwise removed from the house. She also addresses the financial motives for veterinarians performing the declaw procedure (a $1 billion industry), since there is no legitimate medical reason, for either the cat or any humans in the household, carry out declaw. Among the resources on The Paw Project website is a list of veterinarians across the country who do not perform the declaw procedure. Conrad recounts her earliest legislative efforts to help impose declaw bans, beginning in West Hollywood, later followed by seven more California cities (including Los Angeles and San Francisco). She details the current legislative status in New York and New Jersey, which both appear to be within striking distance of imposing statewide declaw bands. (www.pawproject.org) COMEDY CORNER: Jake Johannsen’s “Whale Watching” (www.jakethis.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Jethro Tull’s “Mother Goose” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TADec7-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Cheri Vandersluis—co-founder and director of the Maple Farm Sanctuary, and featured in the award-winning documentary, “Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home”—discusses her reaction upon learning she was a new recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award, presented by The Peace Abbey Foundation, and whose past recipients include Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi. Vandersluis allows that she was unfamiliar with the Award before hearing she was to receive it, but thrilled and humbled once she became steeped in its mission, history and past awardees. Because her Award honored her life and devotion to animal advocacy–including inspiring active compassion in others–we trace her career path, starting with, as a very young woman with a scientific bent, working for a pharmaceutical company in a role that placed her in close proximity to beagles that were being tested on then euthanized (Vandersluis was often doing the euthanizing.) Vandersluis also recalls an unhappy stint working at Mystic Aquarium, in Mystic, Connecticut, which put her off in profound ways operations that feature animals performing or otherwise being used for entertainment. She also recounts the supreme challenges of joining his husband, Jim, on his dairy farm (he was a third generation diary farmer), and after becoming increasingly troubled by what their dairy business represented for the cows, they altered their focus to raising goats. Over time, Vandersluis remembers, that, too, proved to be too difficult on their emotional constitutions. This period, and the feelings they arrived at, yielded some significant changes, including embracing a vegan lifestyle, and opening the Maple Farm Sanctuary, a 120-acre animal sanctuary in Mendon, Massachusetts. (www.peaceabbey.org/courage-of-conscience-award/, www.maplefarmsanctuary.org, www.peaceablekingdomfilm.org) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Gina Knepp, director of the Front Street animal shelter in Sacramento, which is in the midst of a remarkable situation, owing to a realtor there who pledged to pay for every adoption at the shelter through the end of December. This pledge kicked in just before Thanksgiving, and in the first five days, more than 330 cats and dogs were adopted. We should note that, the name notwithstanding, Front Street is Sacramento’s city shelter. (www.cityofsacramento.org/general-services/animal-care) COMEDY CORNER: Tom Papa’s “Fake Service Dogs” (http://tompapa.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play Name That Animal Tune today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TANov30-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window  

Cheri Vandersluis—co-founder and director of the Maple Farm Sanctuary, and featured in the award-winning documentary, “Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home”—discusses her reaction upon learning she was a new recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award, presented by The Peace Abbey Foundation, and whose past recipients include Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi. Vandersluis allows that she was unfamiliar with the Award before hearing she was to receive it, but thrilled and humbled once she became steeped in its mission, history and past awardees. Because her Award honored her life and devotion to animal advocacy–including inspiring active compassion in others–we trace her career path, starting with, as a very young woman with a scientific bent, working for a pharmaceutical company in a role that placed her in close proximity to beagles that were being tested on then euthanized (Vandersluis was often doing the euthanizing.) Vandersluis also recalls an unhappy stint working at Mystic Aquarium, in Mystic, Connecticut, which put her off in profound ways operations that feature animals performing or otherwise being used for entertainment. She also recounts the supreme challenges of joining his husband, Jim, on his dairy farm (he was a third generation diary farmer), and after becoming increasingly troubled by what their dairy business represented for the cows, they altered their focus to raising goats. Over time, Vandersluis remembers, that, too, proved to be too difficult on their emotional constitutions. This period, and the feelings they arrived at, yielded some significant changes, including embracing a vegan lifestyle, and opening the Maple Farm Sanctuary, a 120-acre animal sanctuary in Mendon, Massachusetts. (www.peaceabbey.org/courage-of-conscience-award/, www.maplefarmsanctuary.org, www.peaceablekingdomfilm.org) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Gina Knepp, director of the Front Street animal shelter in Sacramento, which is in the midst of a remarkable situation, owing to a realtor there who pledged to pay for every adoption at the shelter through the end of December. This pledge kicked in just before Thanksgiving, and in the first five days, more than 330 cats and dogs were adopted. We should note that, the name notwithstanding, Front Street is Sacramento’s city shelter. (www.cityofsacramento.org/general-services/animal-care) COMEDY CORNER: Tom Papa’s “Fake Service Dogs” (http://tompapa.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play Name That Animal Tune today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TANov30-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window