Talking Animals

For this edition of “Talking Animals,” I scrapped the usual format to present two discussions about sexism, sexual harassment and misconduct within the animal welfare world—against the backdrop of what seems like an endless flurry of disturbing reports about this sort of misbehavior emerging from multiple fields (showbiz, media, comedy, politics, sports, etc.) First, I spoke with Dr. Lisa Kemmerer, a philosopher-activist and professor of philosophy and religions at Montana State University Billings, who’s written or edited nine books, including “Sister Species: Women, Animals, and Social Justice.” We talked about why these topics are not being discussed (publicly) within the animal welfare movement when it’s otherwise become a red-hot topic of national discussion…the implications and impact of the preponderance of women in animal welfare–Kemmerer estimates about 75%-25% female/male gender ratio…We discussed the CANHAD (Coalition Against Nonprofit Harassment And Discrimination) website, who submits to it and how, and I read a sampling of the testimonials…her view of why sexism and male privilege are key factors underlying this problem…what needs to change to address the problem, and more. The second conversation was with Carol J. Adams, a feminist-vegan advocate, activist, and the author of numerous books, including the landmark work, “The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory.” In August, Adams wrote a paper relevant to this topic, and the day before this show, wrote a two-part blog post entitled, “How Should We Respond To Sexual Harassment And Sexual Exploitation In The Animal Rights Movement.” We talked about the long history of the problem, that for 30 years victimized women in the movement have contacted her with their stories…She touches on Part 1 of the blog post from the previous day, expanding on the term she invokes, “vulnerability of inequality”…She outlines various facets of the supreme importance of forging greater accountability in the movement (an element of Part 2), describing Tofurky’s guidelines for what policies need to be in place at an organization before the company would consider donations …She places in the context of this conversation the germane-anew national discussion about Trump having admitted to sexually assaulting at least one woman, and there’s more than a dozen women who have accused him of sexual misconduct (and the day before, he’d all but endorsed Roy Moore), noting that a sizable contingent of male Trump supporters like it that he views women this way…She offers some suggestions for what steps a victim survivor might take, in addition to visiting CANHAD.org, and more. (http://lisakemmerer.com, http://caroljadams.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Consolidated’s “The Sexual Politics Of Meat,” instrumentals Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TANov22-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window  

For this edition of “Talking Animals,” I scrapped the usual format to present two discussions about sexism, sexual harassment and misconduct within the animal welfare world—against the backdrop of what seems like an endless flurry of disturbing reports about this sort of misbehavior emerging from multiple fields (showbiz, media, comedy, politics, sports, etc.) First, I spoke with Dr. Lisa Kemmerer, a philosopher-activist and professor of philosophy and religions at Montana State University Billings, who’s written or edited nine books, including “Sister Species: Women, Animals, and Social Justice.” We talked about why these topics are not being discussed (publicly) within the animal welfare movement when it’s otherwise become a red-hot topic of national discussion…the implications and impact of the preponderance of women in animal welfare–Kemmerer estimates about 75%-25% female/male gender ratio…We discussed the CANHAD (Coalition Against Nonprofit Harassment And Discrimination) website, who submits to it and how, and I read a sampling of the testimonials…her view of why sexism and male privilege are key factors underlying this problem…what needs to change to address the problem, and more. The second conversation was with Carol J. Adams, a feminist-vegan advocate, activist, and the author of numerous books, including the landmark work, “The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory.” In August, Adams wrote a paper relevant to this topic, and the day before this show, wrote a two-part blog post entitled, “How Should We Respond To Sexual Harassment And Sexual Exploitation In The Animal Rights Movement.” We talked about the long history of the problem, that for 30 years victimized women in the movement have contacted her with their stories…She touches on Part 1 of the blog post from the previous day, expanding on the term she invokes, “vulnerability of inequality”…She outlines various facets of the supreme importance of forging greater accountability in the movement (an element of Part 2), describing Tofurky’s guidelines for what policies need to be in place at an organization before the company would consider donations …She places in the context of this conversation the germane-anew national discussion about Trump having admitted to sexually assaulting at least one woman, and there’s more than a dozen women who have accused him of sexual misconduct (and the day before, he’d all but endorsed Roy Moore), noting that a sizable contingent of male Trump supporters like it that he views women this way…She offers some suggestions for what steps a victim survivor might take, in addition to visiting CANHAD.org, and more. (http://lisakemmerer.com, http://caroljadams.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Consolidated’s “The Sexual Politics Of Meat,” instrumentals Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TANov22-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window  

Arin Greenwood and Lee Greenwood—siblings who are both lawyers, skillful writers, and engaged in promoting animal welfare, from different platforms—recount growing up in a house that was, unsurprisingly, brimming with animals (though Arin notes a difficult six-year stretch, start when she was 6, when the family went dog-less). The Greenwoods agreed there was no predict they would both end up with jobs involving animals—he’s a legislative attorney for Best Friends Animal Society; she was the animal welfare editor for The Huffington Post, and now writes about animals for The Today Show, The Washington Post, and The Dodo, among others—because these sorts of jobs didn’t exist when they were younger, or if they did, they were unaware of them. Lee describes what his job entails–including wearing the hats of advocate and lobbyist–and cites a recent successful effort in Delaware that he contributed to: outlawing Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) in that state. This leads to a conversation with the Greenwoods about the family complications and other problems associated with BSL in various areas, including Miami-Dade County and Ontario Canada. Arin recounts her career path, including the five years she spent working as a lawyer on the Mariana Islands, near Guam, ultimately moving to Washington, DC, and took on an assortment of freelance writing gigs—something she’d begun while in law school—starting contributing to The Huffington Post, and pretty soon got hired on there. She enthuses about the range of stories she has the opportunity to write, covering the animal beat, and now writing for an array of publications. Arin’s also a novelist, and her third book, “Your Robot Dog Will Die,” will be published in April—she offers a brief synopsis of the story. (www.facebook.com/aringreenwood, www.facebook.com/lee.greenwood.1217, https://bestfriends.org) Greenwood Interview on Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/duncan.strauss/videos/10156176992304218/ ALSO: I spoke briefly with Don Goldstein, who, as Talking Animals’ “Greyhound Correspondent,” has kept us well informed about various matters regarding greyhound racing, including proposed bills and other legislative developments. Today, Don speaks to us about the recent move by Senator Tom Lee, seeking to end greyhound racing by way of filing a constitutional amendment that—if it passes—would outlaw dog racing starting in 2021. He points out that the way for citizens to voice their support for the amendment making it on to the ballot is via the General Provisions Committee: www.flcrc.gov/Committees/GP/ COMEDY CORNER: Drew Hastings’ “Farming 101” (portion) (www.drewhastings.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/2017/11/TANov15-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Arin Greenwood and Lee Greenwood—siblings who are both lawyers, skillful writers, and engaged in promoting animal welfare, from different platforms—recount growing up in a house that was, unsurprisingly, brimming with animals (though Arin notes a difficult six-year stretch, start when she was 6, when the family went dog-less). The Greenwoods agreed there was no predict they would both end up with jobs involving animals—he’s a legislative attorney for Best Friends Animal Society; she was the animal welfare editor for The Huffington Post, and now writes about animals for The Today Show, The Washington Post, and The Dodo, among others—because these sorts of jobs didn’t exist when they were younger, or if they did, they were unaware of them. Lee describes what his job entails–including wearing the hats of advocate and lobbyist–and cites a recent successful effort in Delaware that he contributed to: outlawing Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) in that state. This leads to a conversation with the Greenwoods about the family complications and other problems associated with BSL in various areas, including Miami-Dade County and Ontario Canada. Arin recounts her career path, including the five years she spent working as a lawyer on the Mariana Islands, near Guam, ultimately moving to Washington, DC, and took on an assortment of freelance writing gigs—something she’d begun while in law school—starting contributing to The Huffington Post, and pretty soon got hired on there. She enthuses about the range of stories she has the opportunity to write, covering the animal beat, and now writing for an array of publications. Arin’s also a novelist, and her third book, “Your Robot Dog Will Die,” will be published in April—she offers a brief synopsis of the story. (www.facebook.com/aringreenwood, www.facebook.com/lee.greenwood.1217, https://bestfriends.org) Greenwood Interview on Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/duncan.strauss/videos/10156176992304218/ ALSO: I spoke briefly with Don Goldstein, who, as Talking Animals’ “Greyhound Correspondent,” has kept us well informed about various matters regarding greyhound racing, including proposed bills and other legislative developments. Today, Don speaks to us about the recent move by Senator Tom Lee, seeking to end greyhound racing by way of filing a constitutional amendment that—if it passes—would outlaw dog racing starting in 2021. He points out that the way for citizens to voice their support for the amendment making it on to the ballot is via the General Provisions Committee: www.flcrc.gov/Committees/GP/ COMEDY CORNER: Drew Hastings’ “Farming 101” (portion) (www.drewhastings.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/2017/11/TANov15-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Gregory Berns—author of multiple books, including The New York Times bestseller “How Dogs Love Us”—discusses his new book, “What It’s Like To Be A Dog: And Other Adventures In Animal Neuroscience.” A professor of psychology at Emory University (and an M.D.), Berns explains that a confluence of factors—chiefly missing his beloved pug, Newton, who had recently passed away, as well as being struck by the news that there was a dog who participated in the Bin Laden raid–prompted him to adapt his longstanding research involving MRI scanners with humans and expanding it to dogs, seeking to assess what they think and feel, figuring that if dogs could be trained to function amidst the noise of a military helicopter, they could be trained to enter an MRI scanner. He notes that dogs don’t have any preconceptions or dread about MRIs the way humans do and, once trained, not only became comfortable with the machine, but also in some cases, become eager to get back in. Berns summarizes some of the findings, including how the dogs responded to food versus praise, and their ability to recognize faces. He also spends some time explaining his quest to learn more about the thylacine, a marsupial also known as the “Tasmanian tiger,” which is considered extinct, though there are many people, particularly in Tasmania, who maintain the animal still lives (a few claim to have seen a thylacine in recent in recent years, though no recent photograph or other documentation exists). Dr. Berns says in this interview “I became obsessed” with the thylacine, in no small measure because it looks like a dog, arranging to borrow not one but two preserved thylacine brains to scan. He goes on to describe the work he did assessing the brains of sea lions that have been stranding themselves in record numbers on California beaches and shorelines; turns out there’s a toxic algae that fish in those areas consume, and those fish are in turn eaten by the sea lions, who become stricken, and can no longer navigate….(http://gregoryberns.com) ALSO: I spoke briefly with VeganEvan, a seven-year-old advocate who is slated to appear at the 8th Annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest, Saturday Nov. 4, speaking and rapping at the event, and also serving an emcee for some of the other Veg Fest speakers. He recounts how he became vegan, and describes some other hats he wears, including co-president and spokesperson for Animal Hero Kids and spokesperson for Solutionary Species. (www.facebook.com/VeganEvan, www.tampabayvegfest.com, https://animalherokids.org, www.solutionaryspecies.com)   COMEDY CORNER: Kyle Kinane’s “Cat Sneeze” (http://kylekinane.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TANov1-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Gregory Berns—author of multiple books, including The New York Times bestseller “How Dogs Love Us”—discusses his new book, “What It’s Like To Be A Dog: And Other Adventures In Animal Neuroscience.” A professor of psychology at Emory University (and an M.D.), Berns explains that a confluence of factors—chiefly missing his beloved pug, Newton, who had recently passed away, as well as being struck by the news that there was a dog who participated in the Bin Laden raid–prompted him to adapt his longstanding research involving MRI scanners with humans and expanding it to dogs, seeking to assess what they think and feel, figuring that if dogs could be trained to function amidst the noise of a military helicopter, they could be trained to enter an MRI scanner. He notes that dogs don’t have any preconceptions or dread about MRIs the way humans do and, once trained, not only became comfortable with the machine, but also in some cases, become eager to get back in. Berns summarizes some of the findings, including how the dogs responded to food versus praise, and their ability to recognize faces. He also spends some time explaining his quest to learn more about the thylacine, a marsupial also known as the “Tasmanian tiger,” which is considered extinct, though there are many people, particularly in Tasmania, who maintain the animal still lives (a few claim to have seen a thylacine in recent in recent years, though no recent photograph or other documentation exists). Dr. Berns says in this interview “I became obsessed” with the thylacine, in no small measure because it looks like a dog, arranging to borrow not one but two preserved thylacine brains to scan. He goes on to describe the work he did assessing the brains of sea lions that have been stranding themselves in record numbers on California beaches and shorelines; turns out there’s a toxic algae that fish in those areas consume, and those fish are in turn eaten by the sea lions, who become stricken, and can no longer navigate….(http://gregoryberns.com) ALSO: I spoke briefly with VeganEvan, a seven-year-old advocate who is slated to appear at the 8th Annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest, Saturday Nov. 4, speaking and rapping at the event, and also serving an emcee for some of the other Veg Fest speakers. He recounts how he became vegan, and describes some other hats he wears, including co-president and spokesperson for Animal Hero Kids and spokesperson for Solutionary Species. (www.facebook.com/VeganEvan, www.tampabayvegfest.com, https://animalherokids.org, www.solutionaryspecies.com)   COMEDY CORNER: Kyle Kinane’s “Cat Sneeze” (http://kylekinane.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TANov1-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

John Corry—a veteran filmmaker and producer whose credits include “Forks Over Knives”; he also produced “PlantPure Nation,” a documentary screening at the 8th Annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest, Nov. 4 at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park—recalls how he began his career shepherding TV and film projects. He explains how he became involved with “Forks Over Knives,” and acknowledges that his work on that acclaimed movie felt different—more meaningful—than past projects. Corry describes being invited to work on “PlantPure Nation,” and when he saw an early version, recommended that the film’s story be bolstered and broadened. The resulting doc chronicles what happens after T. Colin Campbell, the revered scientist and author of the influential “The China Study,” delivers a powerful speech on the floor of the Kentucky State Representatives: Campbell, his son, Nelson, and a Kentucky State Representative named Tom Riner team up on a pilot program documenting the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Corry notes that “PlantPure Nation” filmmakers are considering adding a postscript to the movie—which was completed in 2015, and is available on Netflix—to update the viewer on what’s changed, including some of the key legislators spotlighted. Meanwhile, the film has served as a jumping off point for everything from a grassroots movement to a full-fledged commercial enterprise: PlantPure Health & Weight Loss, which Corry characterizes as the first weight-loss program providing meals that are plant-based—the company trumpets its arrival with a high-octane eight-person panel, including Dr. Campbell, Nelson Campbell, Kim Campbell, Dr. Michael Greger, and Corry, convened Nov. 15 as part of Et Cultural Festival, a nascent SXSW-like event in St. Petersburg, Florida. (www.plantpurenation.com, www.tampabayvegfest.com, https://etcultura.com) COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman “Animal Attacks” (www.zimmermancomedy.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TAOct25-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

John Corry—a veteran filmmaker and producer whose credits include “Forks Over Knives”; he also produced “PlantPure Nation,” a documentary screening at the 8th Annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest, Nov. 4 at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park—recalls how he began his career shepherding TV and film projects. He explains how he became involved with “Forks Over Knives,” and acknowledges that his work on that acclaimed movie felt different—more meaningful—than past projects. Corry describes being invited to work on “PlantPure Nation,” and when he saw an early version, recommended that the film’s story be bolstered and broadened. The resulting doc chronicles what happens after T. Colin Campbell, the revered scientist and author of the influential “The China Study,” delivers a powerful speech on the floor of the Kentucky State Representatives: Campbell, his son, Nelson, and a Kentucky State Representative named Tom Riner team up on a pilot program documenting the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Corry notes that “PlantPure Nation” filmmakers are considering adding a postscript to the movie—which was completed in 2015, and is available on Netflix—to update the viewer on what’s changed, including some of the key legislators spotlighted. Meanwhile, the film has served as a jumping off point for everything from a grassroots movement to a full-fledged commercial enterprise: PlantPure Health & Weight Loss, which Corry characterizes as the first weight-loss program providing meals that are plant-based—the company trumpets its arrival with a high-octane eight-person panel, including Dr. Campbell, Nelson Campbell, Kim Campbell, Dr. Michael Greger, and Corry, convened Nov. 15 as part of Et Cultural Festival, a nascent SXSW-like event in St. Petersburg, Florida. (www.plantpurenation.com, www.tampabayvegfest.com, https://etcultura.com) COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman “Animal Attacks” (www.zimmermancomedy.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TAOct25-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Jillian Johnson—a chiropractor and owner of Farmhouse Chiropractic, a Tampa-based mobile practice that involves treating humans and animals (her slogan is “chiropractic care for you and the horse you rode in on”)—recalls being a fervent animal lover since she was a kid, first getting on a horse at age 2, and how crucial animals of all kinds were during a childhood marked by her family moving every two to three years because of her Dad’s construction business. Johnson (aka Dr. J) recounts what became a pivotal experience when she was nine and her horse was struggling with a nagging injury: her Dad’s chiropractor heard about the problem, adjusted the horse, who instantly showed improvement. In Johnson’s telling, even at that tender age, she decided she might like to become a medical professional that treats animals, though up until pretty deep into her college career, she had thought this would mean becoming a veterinarian. She describes switching gears to be schooled as a chiropractor, then subsequently undergoing training in animal chiropractic–she is one of only about 1300 doctors who are board certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA), a national certification only veterinarians and chiropractors are eligible for. Despite the rigorous training and exacting standards behind Johnson’s rather rarefied occupation, she expresses frustrations with this being a field that’s poorly regulated, noting many people exploit the system, sometimes brandishing “certifications” that bear various degrees of legitimacy. Regarding some of the details of her practice, she observes that it’s commonplace when adjusting a horse to also adjust its rider, and that in the course of her career, she’s additionally treated dogs, cats, pigs and rabbits. (www.farmhousechiropractic.com) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Jaime Manfra, owner of Service Learning Micro-School, in Palm Harbor, FL. She outlined a bit about the school’s academic philosophy, including its emphasis on cultivating students’ community engagement and public service. Toward that end, Manfra described how the school and its students have organized a Halloween-theme event on October 20 in Palm Harbor, as a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Pinellas, for the second year running. (www.servicelearningschool.com)   COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Animals” (http://brianregan.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Nashville Cats” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TAOct11-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Jillian Johnson—a chiropractor and owner of Farmhouse Chiropractic, a Tampa-based mobile practice that involves treating humans and animals (her slogan is “chiropractic care for you and the horse you rode in on”)—recalls being a fervent animal lover since she was a kid, first getting on a horse at age 2, and how crucial animals of all kinds were during a childhood marked by her family moving every two to three years because of her Dad’s construction business. Johnson (aka Dr. J) recounts what became a pivotal experience when she was nine and her horse was struggling with a nagging injury: her Dad’s chiropractor heard about the problem, adjusted the horse, who instantly showed improvement. In Johnson’s telling, even at that tender age, she decided she might like to become a medical professional that treats animals, though up until pretty deep into her college career, she had thought this would mean becoming a veterinarian. She describes switching gears to be schooled as a chiropractor, then subsequently undergoing training in animal chiropractic–she is one of only about 1300 doctors who are board certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA), a national certification only veterinarians and chiropractors are eligible for. Despite the rigorous training and exacting standards behind Johnson’s rather rarefied occupation, she expresses frustrations with this being a field that’s poorly regulated, noting many people exploit the system, sometimes brandishing “certifications” that bear various degrees of legitimacy. Regarding some of the details of her practice, she observes that it’s commonplace when adjusting a horse to also adjust its rider, and that in the course of her career, she’s additionally treated dogs, cats, pigs and rabbits. (www.farmhousechiropractic.com) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Jaime Manfra, owner of Service Learning Micro-School, in Palm Harbor, FL. She outlined a bit about the school’s academic philosophy, including its emphasis on cultivating students’ community engagement and public service. Toward that end, Manfra described how the school and its students have organized a Halloween-theme event on October 20 in Palm Harbor, as a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Pinellas, for the second year running. (www.servicelearningschool.com)   COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Animals” (http://brianregan.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Nashville Cats” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TAOct11-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice—an entomologist and writer who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and who just published four new guides on ants—recalls growing up having a fascination with ants (and other insects), but unlike most kids, she never lost that for bugs. Spicer Rice addresses what she’s found so enchanting about ants over all these years that most of us may have missed, mentioning as an aside that Florida has 200 species of ants, and noting that she also had an academic and personal interest in bees. Part of what made the conversation with Dr. Spicer Rice so fun and entertaining—and illuminating—was that a large number of listeners participated, calling or emailing with questions or comments. Including a Buddhist gentleman who observed that contractors and workmen coming to his home were incredulous to learn he doesn’t kill any ants, wasps or other bugs or critters there…and recalled a stint at a Buddhist monastery where a visiting woman who had a horrible history with mosquito bites was told there’d be no killing anything at the monastery, was worried she’d wind up covered in bites—and was, magically, totally left alone by the mosquitos. Another caller, Warren, was seeking remedies for a swarm of bees that had collected on his FPL meter, and wanted to remove the bees without harming them; multiple listeners called in with suggested solutions. But the interview was ostensibly about ants, and did draw on the first of Spicer Rice’s guides, “Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants”: She spoke about Pavement Ants, Odorous House Ants—and fire ants. As in the Red Imported Fire Ant, an invasive species notorious for its painful sting—and an insect that became a part of the news coverage of Hurricane Harvey, with a number of stories reporting that clumps of fire ants were floating in floodwaters in and around Houston. Dr. Spicer Rice explains how fire ants interlink their legs and bodies, allowing great numbers of them to “raft” in the water. COMEDY CORNER: David Huntsberger’s “The God of Ants” (portion) (www.davidhuntsberger.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Steely Dan’s “Monkey In Your Soul.” R.I.P., Walter Becker. AUDIO Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/TASept27-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice—an entomologist and writer who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and who just published four new guides on ants—recalls growing up having a fascination with ants (and other insects), but unlike most kids, she never lost that for bugs. Spicer Rice addresses what she’s found so enchanting about ants over all these years that most of us may have missed, mentioning as an aside that Florida has 200 species of ants, and noting that she also had an academic and personal interest in bees. Part of what made the conversation with Dr. Spicer Rice so fun and entertaining—and illuminating—was that a large number of listeners participated, calling or emailing with questions or comments. Including a Buddhist gentleman who observed that contractors and workmen coming to his home were incredulous to learn he doesn’t kill any ants, wasps or other bugs or critters there…and recalled a stint at a Buddhist monastery where a visiting woman who had a horrible history with mosquito bites was told there’d be no killing anything at the monastery, was worried she’d wind up covered in bites—and was, magically, totally left alone by the mosquitos. Another caller, Warren, was seeking remedies for a swarm of bees that had collected on his FPL meter, and wanted to remove the bees without harming them; multiple listeners called in with suggested solutions. But the interview was ostensibly about ants, and did draw on the first of Spicer Rice’s guides, “Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants”: She spoke about Pavement Ants, Odorous House Ants—and fire ants. As in the Red Imported Fire Ant, an invasive species notorious for its painful sting—and an insect that became a part of the news coverage of Hurricane Harvey, with a number of stories reporting that clumps of fire ants were floating in floodwaters in and around Houston. Dr. Spicer Rice explains how fire ants interlink their legs and bodies, allowing great numbers of them to “raft” in the water. COMEDY CORNER: David Huntsberger’s “The God of Ants” (portion) (www.davidhuntsberger.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Steely Dan’s “Monkey In Your Soul.” R.I.P., Walter Becker. AUDIO Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/TASept27-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Tracy Voss—the co-founder of TracysDogs, a San Antonio, Texas-based organization that pulls dogs from high-kill shelters, rehabilitates them, then adopts them out to families across the country, transporting the dogs in their 32-foot trailer—discusses growing up as a dog devotee, and how a beloved black Lab significantly helped her navigate through a somewhat awkward, isolated childhood. Voss recounts being laid off from her job several years ago, and seeking to do a kind act that would make her feel better, spurred her to visit her local animal shelter, use her iPhone to videotape dogs that were slated to be euthanized, then post the clips on Facebook and elsewhere, urging folks to adopt those dogs. She subsequently was re-hired by the company who laid her off, and while her time to help dogs consequently became more limited, TracysDogs still follows largely the same procedure—but on a larger scale. Voss describes how there are monthly adoption events, typically held at PetSmart locations in various parts of the country, and in the run-up to those events, she and her colleagues post pictures and videos of the dogs available for adoption, interested parties submit their applications—some dogs elicit numerous applications, some none, but TracysDogs adoptions managers and General Manager/Adoptions Counselor Kerrie Bell Nelson, whom Voss swears has magical matchmaking powers, pair up the humans and the canines. Even though people don’t meet their new dogs until the day they adopt them (a source of some trepidation), this approach appears to be quite successful: For instance, the most recent event—the Saturday before this interview, the event in Secaucus, New Jersey yielded 49 adoptions—and Voss says they have an overall return rate of less than 2%. (www.tracysdogs.com, www.facebook.com/TracysDogs/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Amy Jesse, Public Policy Manager for the Puppy Mills Campaign at the Humane Society of the United States, about AB-485, a bill that places California on the cusp of being the first state to ban the sale of puppy mill dogs in pet stores. The bill requires the signature of Governor Jerry Brown to become law. (www.humanesociety.org) COMEDY CORNER: Paul F. Tompkins’ “Apologize For Your Dog” (portion) (http://paulftompkins.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/2017/09/TASept20.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Tracy Voss—the co-founder of TracysDogs, a San Antonio, Texas-based organization that pulls dogs from high-kill shelters, rehabilitates them, then adopts them out to families across the country, transporting the dogs in their 32-foot trailer—discusses growing up as a dog devotee, and how a beloved black Lab significantly helped her navigate through a somewhat awkward, isolated childhood. Voss recounts being laid off from her job several years ago, and seeking to do a kind act that would make her feel better, spurred her to visit her local animal shelter, use her iPhone to videotape dogs that were slated to be euthanized, then post the clips on Facebook and elsewhere, urging folks to adopt those dogs. She subsequently was re-hired by the company who laid her off, and while her time to help dogs consequently became more limited, TracysDogs still follows largely the same procedure—but on a larger scale. Voss describes how there are monthly adoption events, typically held at PetSmart locations in various parts of the country, and in the run-up to those events, she and her colleagues post pictures and videos of the dogs available for adoption, interested parties submit their applications—some dogs elicit numerous applications, some none, but TracysDogs adoptions managers and General Manager/Adoptions Counselor Kerrie Bell Nelson, whom Voss swears has magical matchmaking powers, pair up the humans and the canines. Even though people don’t meet their new dogs until the day they adopt them (a source of some trepidation), this approach appears to be quite successful: For instance, the most recent event—the Saturday before this interview, the event in Secaucus, New Jersey yielded 49 adoptions—and Voss says they have an overall return rate of less than 2%. (www.tracysdogs.com, www.facebook.com/TracysDogs/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Amy Jesse, Public Policy Manager for the Puppy Mills Campaign at the Humane Society of the United States, about AB-485, a bill that places California on the cusp of being the first state to ban the sale of puppy mill dogs in pet stores. The bill requires the signature of Governor Jerry Brown to become law. (www.humanesociety.org) COMEDY CORNER: Paul F. Tompkins’ “Apologize For Your Dog” (portion) (http://paulftompkins.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/2017/09/TASept20.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

For this edition of “Talking Animals,” we broke format and did something a little different: Setting aside our customary approach of a long-form guest interview and, often, a shorter second interview, I opened the phone lines and invited listeners to Call In To Discuss Hurricane Irma & Animals. I urged people to weigh in on such questions as: If you evacuated, what shelter did you and your pet(s) head to? And how was that experience? If you stayed put, how was that for the animals? Made it clear I was also interested in hearing about animals beyond cats and dogs—horses, exotic pets, wildlife, etc. And any unusual or poignant rescue stories, and so on. This yielded an array of calls, emails and texts, including from Larry who began tending to a baby squirrel who was orphaned as a result of the storm, and was seeking a squirrel rehab expert who could take over caring for the infant…a woman who inquired about the most effective way to place a cat into a front-loading carrier (this elicited multiple tips, perhaps none as ingenious as the woman who suggested putting catnip in the carrier), and several tales of “hunkering down” at home, relocating with animals to friends or family members’ houses (or moving horses to the barn of someone they didn’t know), very positive shelter experiences, and more. COMEDY CORNER: Jim Gaffigan’s  “Eat Vegetarian” (portion) (www.jimgaffigan.com) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Michael Jackson’s “Rocking Robin,” Norah Jones’ “Man Of The Hour,” 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/2017/09/TASept13.mp3 | Open Player in New Window