Talking Animals

Mary Finelli, founder and president of Fish Feel, traces her professional path working in animal welfare–including stints at PETA, the Humane Society of The United States, Animal Place (where she launched Farmed Animal Watch)—before launching Fish Feel, which describes itself as “the sole organization devoted to promoting the recognition of fish as sentient beings deserving of respect and protection.” Her impetus for making the shift, she explains, was the staggering quantity of fish wild caught for food, dwarfing the number of chickens, turkeys, pigs and cows killed annually for food in the U.S., the farm animal welfare issues she had dealt with in her previous jobs. Acknowledging that our “Talking Animals” conversation is unlikely to make many fishermen discard their roads and reels, I ask Finelli to outline some facts that have emerged from research about fish that might give fishermen, and the rest of us, pause. As part of her response, Finelli mentions statistics and books, such as Victoria Braithwaite’s “Do Fish Feel Pain” and Jonathan Balcombe’s “What A Fish Knows.” She also discusses findings showing that some fish have been observed using rocks as tools, fields listener calls—most, from fishermen politely disagreeing with her assertions about fish—and touches on advances in vegan seafood, in terms of both taste and affordability (http://fishfeel.org) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Jason Flatt, founder of Friends to the Forlorn (FTTF) Pitbull Rescue, a Georgia-based organization with a national reputation, developed in part through Flatt’s philosophy of rescuing all manner of pit bulls, very much including ones who’ve endured the most horrific circumstances and others who were right on the cusp of being euthanized. As he explains, Friends to the Forlorn “want the unwanted.” He also explains a major fundraising contest FTTF is competing in.(www.friendstotheforlorn.org, https://www.crowdrise.com/friends-to-the-forlorn-pitbull-rescue-sp2016/fundraiser/jasonflatt1) COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Horse Whisperer” (www.eddieizzard.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Marvelettes’ “Too Many Fish In The Sea” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/TAJuly13-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Mary Finelli, founder and president of Fish Feel, traces her professional path working in animal welfare–including stints at PETA, the Humane Society of The United States, Animal Place (where she launched Farmed Animal Watch)—before launching Fish Feel, which describes itself as “the sole organization devoted to promoting the recognition of fish as sentient beings deserving of respect and protection.” Her impetus for making the shift, she explains, was the staggering quantity of fish wild caught for food, dwarfing the number of chickens, turkeys, pigs and cows killed annually for food in the U.S., the farm animal welfare issues she had dealt with in her previous jobs. Acknowledging that our “Talking Animals” conversation is unlikely to make many fishermen discard their roads and reels, I ask Finelli to outline some facts that have emerged from research about fish that might give fishermen, and the rest of us, pause. As part of her response, Finelli mentions statistics and books, such as Victoria Braithwaite’s “Do Fish Feel Pain” and Jonathan Balcombe’s “What A Fish Knows.” She also discusses findings showing that some fish have been observed using rocks as tools, fields listener calls—most, from fishermen politely disagreeing with her assertions about fish—and touches on advances in vegan seafood, in terms of both taste and affordability (http://fishfeel.org) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Jason Flatt, founder of Friends to the Forlorn (FTTF) Pitbull Rescue, a Georgia-based organization with a national reputation, developed in part through Flatt’s philosophy of rescuing all manner of pit bulls, very much including ones who’ve endured the most horrific circumstances and others who were right on the cusp of being euthanized. As he explains, Friends to the Forlorn “want the unwanted.” He also explains a major fundraising contest FTTF is competing in.(www.friendstotheforlorn.org, https://www.crowdrise.com/friends-to-the-forlorn-pitbull-rescue-sp2016/fundraiser/jasonflatt1) COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Horse Whisperer” (www.eddieizzard.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Marvelettes’ “Too Many Fish In The Sea” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/TAJuly13-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jamie Katz — who runs the only licensed private investigation agency in Florida that specializes in locating pets (so, yes, she’s a pet detective)—discusses growing up with a passion for animals, how during her childhood there was just one dog and two cats in her family, but in her teen years, her exposure to animals widened out considerably, and her love for them deepened. Katz discusses her foray into becoming a private investigator, training to find missing pets, and opening her own firm. She recalls the details of her first case after hanging out her own shingle, and notes that her practice does not only search for cats and dogs, providing details of her first ferret case. Katz explains how she works with her tracking dogs, addresses how she typically collaborates with a client to bring home their missing pet, and outlines definite strategies she feels are essential to successfully finding those animals. (Clear, effective signs versus the hastily-assembled flyers many of us use when a pet goes missing is a key aspect of her modus operandi.) Katz presents a handful of tips to help prevent one’s animal from going missing in the first place. She also issues a cautionary tale about offering a pet, via “Free Cat” or “Free Dog” notices on Craig’s List, social media and the like. (http://pijamiekatz.com) COMEDY CORNER: Daniel Sloss’ “Gay Penguins” (http://danielsloss.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Paul Simon’s “The Werewolf,” Neko Case’s “Maybe Sparrow,” Booker T’s version of Tom Waits’ Version of “Get Behind The Mule,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/TAJuly6.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jamie Katz — who runs the only licensed private investigation agency in Florida that specializes in locating pets (so, yes, she’s a pet detective)—discusses growing up with a passion for animals, how during her childhood there was just one dog and two cats in her family, but in her teen years, her exposure to animals widened out considerably, and her love for them deepened. Katz discusses her foray into becoming a private investigator, training to find missing pets, and opening her own firm. She recalls the details of her first case after hanging out her own shingle, and notes that her practice does not only search for cats and dogs, providing details of her first ferret case. Katz explains how she works with her tracking dogs, addresses how she typically collaborates with a client to bring home their missing pet, and outlines definite strategies she feels are essential to successfully finding those animals. (Clear, effective signs versus the hastily-assembled flyers many of us use when a pet goes missing is a key aspect of her modus operandi.) Katz presents a handful of tips to help prevent one’s animal from going missing in the first place. She also issues a cautionary tale about offering a pet, via “Free Cat” or “Free Dog” notices on Craig’s List, social media and the like. (http://pijamiekatz.com) COMEDY CORNER: Daniel Sloss’ “Gay Penguins” (http://danielsloss.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Paul Simon’s “The Werewolf,” Neko Case’s “Maybe Sparrow,” Booker T’s version of Tom Waits’ Version of “Get Behind The Mule,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/TAJuly6.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. James Keen—a veterinarian and scientist, and surely one of this era’s most significant whistle blowers in the animal welfare realm–describes the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), a 55 square-mile livestock research facility in Nebraska, where Keen had been directly employed from 1991-2007, before moving over to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s veterinary clinic. Dr. Keen recounts that he was initially hired at USMARC as a clinical veterinarian—his first job out of vet school—then the facility underwrote his obtaining a PhD. Given his long tenure at USMARC, I ask Dr. Keen what changed about the research being conducted there that began troubling him to the extent he decided to act as a whistle blower, and he replies that work at the Center didn’t really change—he did. Noting that many of the USMARC experiments spanned 30 years, there wasn’t much that shifted in the design or focus of the research, but Dr. Keen was shifting his position on these matters, tracing his movement from “atheist to agnostic to whistle blower to activist.” By way of example, in one study cows, who ordinarily have just one calf, were manipulated to have two or three calves, many of whom were weak and unhealthy, and died shortly after birth. Likewise, pigs, who normally would give birth to six to eight offspring were having up to 15 piglets—so many that it was common for the mother to roll on some, killing them. Explaining that he mentioned his growing discomfort with these experiments to his superiors in annual reviews and meetings—to no avail—he ultimately decided his whistle blowing would take the form of contacting Michael Moss, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter at The New York Times. Providing Moss information, access to the facility, documents and more yielded a major, front page Times expose which in turn, led to a federal investigation, a bill being introduced, reforms, and the halting of some of the research projects at the Center. Dr. Keen also addresses the repercussions he experienced for his whistle blowing.(www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=30-40-05-00) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Lynda Barhorst, founder of Sky Harbor Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, a Pasco County facility that’s been rehabbing and releasing wildlife for more than two decades, but has recently suffered serious setbacks, which threaten to shut down the operation. These include myriad financial challenges—for which there’s a GoFundMe campaign—and the need for volunteers to assist with projects on the Sky Harbor grounds. (http://skyharborwildlife.org) COMEDY CORNER: Myq Kaplan’s “Meats and Robots” (http://myqkaplan.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Sweet’s “Fox On The Run” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/TAJune29-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. James Keen—a veterinarian and scientist, and surely one of this era’s most significant whistle blowers in the animal welfare realm–describes the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), a 55 square-mile livestock research facility in Nebraska, where Keen had been directly employed from 1991-2007, before moving over to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s veterinary clinic. Dr. Keen recounts that he was initially hired at USMARC as a clinical veterinarian—his first job out of vet school—then the facility underwrote his obtaining a PhD. Given his long tenure at USMARC, I ask Dr. Keen what changed about the research being conducted there that began troubling him to the extent he decided to act as a whistle blower, and he replies that work at the Center didn’t really change—he did. Noting that many of the USMARC experiments spanned 30 years, there wasn’t much that shifted in the design or focus of the research, but Dr. Keen was shifting his position on these matters, tracing his movement from “atheist to agnostic to whistle blower to activist.” By way of example, in one study cows, who ordinarily have just one calf, were manipulated to have two or three calves, many of whom were weak and unhealthy, and died shortly after birth. Likewise, pigs, who normally would give birth to six to eight offspring were having up to 15 piglets—so many that it was common for the mother to roll on some, killing them. Explaining that he mentioned his growing discomfort with these experiments to his superiors in annual reviews and meetings—to no avail—he ultimately decided his whistle blowing would take the form of contacting Michael Moss, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter at The New York Times. Providing Moss information, access to the facility, documents and more yielded a major, front page Times expose which in turn, led to a federal investigation, a bill being introduced, reforms, and the halting of some of the research projects at the Center. Dr. Keen also addresses the repercussions he experienced for his whistle blowing.(www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=30-40-05-00) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Lynda Barhorst, founder of Sky Harbor Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, a Pasco County facility that’s been rehabbing and releasing wildlife for more than two decades, but has recently suffered serious setbacks, which threaten to shut down the operation. These include myriad financial challenges—for which there’s a GoFundMe campaign—and the need for volunteers to assist with projects on the Sky Harbor grounds. (http://skyharborwildlife.org) COMEDY CORNER: Myq Kaplan’s “Meats and Robots” (http://myqkaplan.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Sweet’s “Fox On The Run” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/TAJune29-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Thomas Ponce—the 15-year-old activist and founder (at age 12) of Florida-based Lobby For Animals—recalls the circumstances that triggered his precocious interest in animal activism, as well as how hearing about the importance of lobbying at an animal rights conference in Washington, DC inspired his focus on that action. Ponce describes the mechanics of launching Lobby For Animals, noting some of the obstacles along that path, including the difficulties being taken seriously as a pre-teen founder of this sort of organization, and the supreme challenges of achieving 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status. He reports on taking an online class offered by the Humane Society of the United States, as part of collecting information to be presented on the Lobby For Animals website, and deciding to make his own training videos about lobbying for the site. Ponce explains his reasons for why he feels lobbying is the most effective method to affect true, meaningful change for animal welfare. Ponce also outlines the roles he plays at other organizations, including regional coordinator at Fin Free FL, which raises awareness about the plight of the shark and about shark finning, and an advisory capacity at The Pollination Project, which provides seed grants to fund “individual change makers.” Ponce has been recognized for his work by such national entities as PETA and the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM). (www.LobbyForAnimals.org, www.facebook.com/Lobby.For.Animals/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Alex Blunt, who under the auspices of PETA, has been on an extended tour, visiting schools—and, now, summer camps—to deliver presentations about elephants in circuses and other performance settings…joined by Ellie, a six-foot robotic elephant that moves and talks (voiced by actress Priyanka Chopra). This conversation was in advance of a tour stop in St. Petersburg, and a number of other Florida locations. (www.peta.org/blog/meet-ellie-ex-captive-elephant-and-anti-circus-crusader/)   COMEDY CORNER: Drew Hastings’ “Farming 101” (part two) (http://drewhastings.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TAJune22.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Thomas Ponce—the 15-year-old activist and founder (at age 12) of Florida-based Lobby For Animals—recalls the circumstances that triggered his precocious interest in animal activism, as well as how hearing about the importance of lobbying at an animal rights conference in Washington, DC inspired his focus on that action. Ponce describes the mechanics of launching Lobby For Animals, noting some of the obstacles along that path, including the difficulties being taken seriously as a pre-teen founder of this sort of organization, and the supreme challenges of achieving 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status. He reports on taking an online class offered by the Humane Society of the United States, as part of collecting information to be presented on the Lobby For Animals website, and deciding to make his own training videos about lobbying for the site. Ponce explains his reasons for why he feels lobbying is the most effective method to affect true, meaningful change for animal welfare. Ponce also outlines the roles he plays at other organizations, including regional coordinator at Fin Free FL, which raises awareness about the plight of the shark and about shark finning, and an advisory capacity at The Pollination Project, which provides seed grants to fund “individual change makers.” Ponce has been recognized for his work by such national entities as PETA and the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM). (www.LobbyForAnimals.org, www.facebook.com/Lobby.For.Animals/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Alex Blunt, who under the auspices of PETA, has been on an extended tour, visiting schools—and, now, summer camps—to deliver presentations about elephants in circuses and other performance settings…joined by Ellie, a six-foot robotic elephant that moves and talks (voiced by actress Priyanka Chopra). This conversation was in advance of a tour stop in St. Petersburg, and a number of other Florida locations. (www.peta.org/blog/meet-ellie-ex-captive-elephant-and-anti-circus-crusader/)   COMEDY CORNER: Drew Hastings’ “Farming 101” (part two) (http://drewhastings.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TAJune22.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Caitlin O’Connell—one of the elephant experts featured in “Mind of a Giant,” a Nat Geo Wild documentary special premiering June 19—recalls how she did not grow up with a particular fascination or love for elephants, noting her earlier academic work was in entomology. But a research job with the Namibian government trying to help address an elephant issue (they were invading farms and eating the corn crops), launched her down the path, though it really was more a matter of galvanizing a longstanding interest O’Connell had developed in animal communication, especially long-distance communication. She has since spent some 25 years studying elephants in the wild, with one focus being how acutely sensitive elephants are to underground vibrations, part of a communication system that helps them detect potential threats over great distances. To help illustrate this, there’s a segment of “Mind of a Giant” wherein O’Connell and her colleagues issues a simulated subsonic warning call, alerting elephants that there is a lion in the area; before long, the elephants decide to leave. O’Connell explains in our conversation why only that herd responded that way, relative to how a herd further away might react—and, in response to my question about whether these sounds are different from herd to herd, like dialects—she draws a parallel to how we might respond if a stranger yelled “fire,” compared with how we’d react if, say, our aunt yelled the warning. O’Connell also discusses another emphasis of her research: the behavior of bull elephants, and the virtues of young ones being mentored by elder bulls. She touches on other aspects of “Mind of a Giant,” including how African elephants fare in mirror recognition tests, part of an ongoing study by researcher Josh Plotnik. (www.caitlineoconnell.com, http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/destination-wild/episodes/mind-of-a-giant/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Jessica Young, founder of InFURno!, an iPhone app that assists users in buying cruelty free products, and provides an array of related information. For those without iPhones, there’s also a corresponding Facebook page, and Young noted this is largely a solo and self-funded effort—so to develop the app for other devices and add further elements, she would welcome financial contributions. (www.facebook.com/inFURno.Live.To.Choose/?fref=ts, www.infurnocrueltyfree.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Paul F. Tomkins’ “Alternative Pets” (http://paulftompkins.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Adrian Belew’s “Elephants,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: James Taylor’s “Mona” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TAJune15-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window  

Steve Jenkins—co-author, with Derek Walter and Caprice Crane, of “Esther The Wonder Pig: Changing The World One Heart At A Time”—discusses how Esther entered his and Walter’s world: He got duped into adopting her when she was a baby, having been told she was a micro-pig. This “micro-pig” grew to 650 pounds. Jenkins recalls some of the initial challenges of raising Esther, as detailed in the book—due out May 31, but available for pre-order—very much including housetraining her, a very different enterprise, it turns out, than housetraining a dog. And much more difficult. Especially when you start using treats to train a certain pig to do her business outside, and that ultra-smart pig games the process to score more treats. Jenkins also seeks to explain why Esther has ignited such a passionate response on social media–her Facebook page has more than 700,000 followers, and the multiple posts there each day typically generate a few thousand likes: While there are some very tangible elements of the narrative—Jenkins and Walter created the page simply as a means to communicate with friends and family about Esther (it was illegal for her to live in their house), the page quickly engendered interest outside of their circle, some of the initial supporters were members of the animal rights community, etc.—he acknowledges that this represents a phenomenon that defies a full explanation. Jenkins recounts how life with Esther prompted he and Walter to make significant changes in diet and lifestyle, first giving up bacon, then all pork, then ultimately going vegan. He also notes that their posts on the Esther Facebook page reflecting these changes—and others’ posts who’d embraced similar changes—touched off some contentious threads, whereby some non-vegans were critical of those changes, and some vegans were critical that the mentioned changes weren’t more wholesale; and how they resolved that conflict, including forgoing the word “vegan” in favor of “Esther approved.” Jenkins briefly touches on the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, where he, Walter and Esther now live, along with 40 animals…and concludes the interview by putting Esther on the phone! (www.estherthewonderpig.com, www.facebook.com/estherthewonderpig/?fref=nf www.happilyeveresther.ca) COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Pet Snakes” (part two) (www.zimmermancomedy.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals  NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Hit Crew’s version of “Mr. Ed’s Theme (A Horse Is A Horse)” R.I.P. Alan Young (Wilbur) AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/TAMay25.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

John Doe—co-founder of punk band extraordinaire X, the singer-songwriter released a new solo album, “The Westerner,” and just published his first book, “Under The Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk”—starts our conversation addressing what horses mean to him: “They mean that I don’t think with the left side of my brain when I’m with them.” Doe discusses the other virtues of spending time with horses, a realm introduced to him some 30 years ago by his late friend Michael Blake (the author who wrote the novel “Dances With Wolves,” for which he wrote the screenplay of the Oscar-winning film). He also expounds on Protect Mustangs, the horse organization he most explicitly supports these days, while criticizing the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Roundup program. He goes on to explain how he decided his first book would be “Under The Big Black Sun,” which interweaves his accounts of the nascent Los Angeles punk scene with recollections of that time from such key figures as Doe’s X-mate Exene Cervenka, Henry Rollins (Black Flag), Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go’s), and Dave Alvin (The Blasters), and comments on the impact and observations of some contributors’ pieces. In speaking about “The Westerner,” he recalls that the material and lean, open sound on this acclaimed new record were largely the product of Doe’s dovetailing objectives to spend time with his ailing dear friend Blake, who lived in New Mexico, and to record with Howie Gelb, the singer-songwriter-mainstay of Giant Sand and noted producer, based in Tucson. He talks about using Blake as a character in a few of “The Westerner” songs, and songwriting more generally (www.theejohndoe.com/ www.facebook.com/theejohndoe, http://protectmustangs.org, www.change.org/p/defund-and-stop-the-wild-horse-burro-roundups) COMEDY CORNER: Kevin Hart “Phobias” (portion) (http://kevinhartnation.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” John Doe’s “Get On Board,” instrumentals   NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: X’s “Hungry Wolf”     AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/TAMay18-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Bronwen Dickey—author of “Pit Bull: The Battle Over An American Icon”— shares, in response to my observation about the already-lauded breadth and depth of the book (which had only come out the day before), how discoveries of notable information she made during the research phase spurred an unexpected, dramatic widening of her fact-finding process. She also recounts that, as a journalist, she had become interested in exploring the realm of the pit bull—including how the dogs became so demonized—before spending time with Nola, the pit she and her husband adopted, but living with and observing Nola galvanized her fascination. Emblematic of some of the very issues that make identifying pit bull dogs murky and difficult, Dickey recalls that she had Nola DNA tested and the results suggested the dog was not quite the pit she seemed, including being one quarter Australian Shepherd. Dickey addresses some of the significant revelations in “Pit Bull,” among them, the more profound role that race has played in the story of the pit bull, especially placed within a historical framework. Reacting to my comments that we learn from the book that the history of the pit bull reflects a number of cycles, wherein pit bulls are embraced and loved, then villianized, then viewed quite warmly, then demonized again, Dickey notes that she was surprised by this, and believes we’re on the cusp of another pro-pit bull phase. She also responds to portions of the stream of anti-pit bull email comments and questions that poured into the studio. Dickey discusses the influence her father, James Dickey—the late poet and novelist, perhaps best known for writing “Deliverance”—had on her work ethic and approach to writing, while pointing out she initially figured she would not become a writer, given the large shadow cast by her dad’s literary stature. If I may, I’d like to suggest Dad would be proud: “Pit Bull” is a towering journalistic achievement of shoe-leather reporting, dogged (sorry) research and eloquent writing. (www.bronwendickey.com, www.facebook.com/BronwenDickey1/?fref=ts) ALSO: I was scheduled to speak briefly with Linda Hamilton, Executive Director of Animal Coalition of Tampa (ACT), in advance of ACT’s 9th Annual Spay-ghetti Dinner & Anniversary Fundraiser, slated for May 14—she was unavailable for the interview, but I was able to announce the news that the event’s emcee would be WMNF’s fabulous Flee (Lee Courtney)  (www.actampa.org) COMEDY CORNER: Bill Burr’s “Pit Bull” (www.billburr.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals  NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves In London” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/TAMay11-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Nicole Green—director of Animalearn, an organization that promotes humane science education, and helps educational institutions, from elementary school through medical and veterinary school—recounts the history and evolution of Animalearn, launched in 1990 by the American Anti-Vivisection Society. Reacting to the observation that, for many, dissecting a frog in science or biology class is an experience they had first hand, or—at the very least—a widely understood cliché, Green explains that in 2016, it’s still a very common practice. She outlines some of the outreach efforts Animalearn pursues at teacher conferences and other events, and the importance of one or more teachers from a given school or district evidencing a strong interest in embracing a modern, humane curriculum who can serve as an emissary for that school or district to more broadly embrace and implement that curriculum. Green describes The Science Bank, the program through which Animalearn provides schools cutting-edge software and other educational products, and these materials are loaned to the participating institutions at no cost. She points out that a growing majority of veterinary schools are incorporating Science Bank (and similar) programs, as opposed to training on animal cadavers or live animals. Green recalls her own path, growing up loving animals, becoming an animal activist as a college student and beyond—including writing a regular column and hosting a radio show, “Speak Out For Animals,” and eventually deciding her interests, passions and commitments could be best served at Aniamalearn, where she’s worked for 15 years. (www.animalearn.org, http://thesciencebank.org) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Gracie Grieshop, who described various aspects of Pet Pal Animal Shelter, the animals they look after and make available for adoption, the services the offer, and array of events they presents.  (www.petpalanimalshelter.com)     COMEDY CORNER: D.C. Benny’s “German Shepard” (sic) (www.dcbenny.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Stray Cats’ “Stray Cat Strut” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/TAMay4-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Tibet and Brenda Kocher—respectively, Florida’s first courthouse dog and the Guardian ad Litem volunteer who serves as Tibet’s handler, under the auspices of Voices for Children of Tampa Bay—outline the extensive training Tibet underwent, in keeping with the dogs provided by Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). Actually, despite my high hopes, and the show being called “Talking Animals,” I couldn’t get a word out of Tibet. She was silent the entire time, leaving Kocher to do all the talking. Kocher explains CCI’s typical breeding of its dogs (75% Labrador Retriever, 25% Golden Retriever), and the rationale behind that breeding, as opposed to using shelter dogs. She also describes the rigorous process by which she was evaluated and interviewed before being selected to be Tibet’s handler, and the intense training she herself underwent, conducted on the CCI Southeast campus in Orlando. Kocher explains what courthouse dogs do, noting that she and Tibet ordinarily volunteer about 24 hours per week, and that the work they do, and where they do it, varies considerably from week to week. She reports some of the specific duties that Tibet performs, including making children more comfortable when testifying or being interviewed about sexual assaults or other emotionally upsetting crimes. Acknowledging that Tibet’s work involves spending time with kids who are enormously upset and emotional, Kocher says she monitors how the dog is feeling and when she sees Tibet exhibiting signs of stress, she aims to wrap up the work they’re doing then, and maybe take the next day off. She also touts the virtues of becoming a Guardian ad Litem. (http://vfcgal.org, www.cci.org/site/c.cdKGIRNqEmG/b.3978475/k.BED8/Home.htm www.facebook.com/TibetTampaBay/?fref=ts)   ALSO: I spoke briefly with Carla Wilson, who is spearheading a grassroots effort to place an initiative tied to The Greyhound Protection Act on the ballot in Seminole County. While one must be a registered voter in Seminole County to sign the petition, Wilson explains, anyone from anywhere can secure signatures for the measure, which, among other facets, would require the greyhound track there to report injuries sustained by the dogs. (www.protectdogs.org) COMEDY CORNER: Jackie Kashian’s “Animals” (www.jackiekashian.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Prince’s “When Doves Cry” R.I.P., Prince AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/TAApril27-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Robert Clark—an award-winning photographer for National Geographic and other major magazines, who’s just published a book, “Feathers: Displays of Brilliant Plumage”—recounts key milestones of his career, including starting to shoot as a young kid, later winding up as a staff photographer at the Philadelphia Inquirer, then leaving that paper to join his Inquirer colleague (and Pulitzer winner) Buzz Bissinger in a project that became a little book called “Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream.” Clark charts his professional path from Odessa, TX (the location of Permian High School, whose football team is at the center of “Friday Night Lights”) to New York City, where he relocated afterwards and began working for National Geographic. Some of those National Geographic assignments—which, he explains, initially tended to have an emphasis on science, paleontology and archeology–spurred his interest in feathers, notably including “Feather Evolution: The Long, Curious, and Extravagant History of Feathers,” written by Carl Zimmer, author of The New York Times’ weekly “Matter” column, and who wrote the preface of Clark’s new book. Clark explains what fascinated him about feathers, how the publisher, ChronicleBooks, proposed the idea for “Feathers,” and how he determined a structure and set of guiding principles for the images included in the book. This veers into enthusing about the work of Charles Darwin, very much including Darwin’s efforts in breeding pigeons as a way to test out his then-developing theory of evolution—and the important role biologist Alfred Russel Wallace played in helping Darwin advance his work, as a long-distance collaborator. Clark touches on other topics, from the likely audience for “Feathers,” to the state of photography in journalism. Photos by Robert Clark. (www.robertclark.com,  www.instagram.com/robertclarkphoto/)   ALSO: I spoke briefly with Carole Baskin, founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, the Tampa non-profit educational sanctuary that houses abused and abandoned big cats, who offers some observations about the incident days earlier in which a tiger killed his keeper at The Palm Beach Zoo.(http://bigcatrescue.org) COMEDY CORNER: Paula Poundstone’s “Cats Puff Up” (www.paulapoundstone.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like An Eagle” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/TAApril20-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window