Humane Talk

This episode explores the disturbing practice of "horse soring," using painful methods to make show horses have an exaggerated, high-stepping gait. Tracie shares her personal experiences with show horses. *Please note: some descriptions are graphic.*

Tracie and Wayne chat about fur-free fashion and the great news about O, the Oprah Magazine, embracing fur-free alternatives. More people are recognizing that fur is cruel and unnecessary with so many modern alternatives for consumers.

Learn more about how intensive factory farming is not only inhumane for animals, but contributes to contagious diseases that threaten people. Wayne and Tracie discuss the new movie "Contagion" and how our treatment of animals affects human health.

Did you know that the choices you make when you sit down to eat can make the biggest difference to help animals? Hear how campaigns like Meatless Mondays and cage-free eggs can benefit millions of farm animals.

Wayne describes how the anti-wrinkle treatment Botox has used an infamous animal testing method to make batches of the product. But recently, Botox maker Allergan announced that it has developed a new, alternative test that doesn't use animals.

Hear the unique story of a new pet shelter inside the Dixon Correctional Institute in Louisiana, which takes in homeless animals and offers them for adoption. This project is helping inmates, pets, and the community.

Hear about some of the latest books that celebrate animals, including "The Art of Racing in the Rain," "Alex and Me," Pacelle's book, "The Bond," and a wide variety of fascinating reads.

Learn more about the issue of horse slaughter, including the closure of U.S. slaughter plants in recent years and the continuing efforts to stop the export of American horses to Canada and Mexico to be killed for human consumption.

Tracie and Wayne talk about the idea of a "humane economy" where businesses reflect humane values--such as whale watching instead of whale hunting, pet stores supporting adoption instead of puppy mills, or ecotourism instead of seal killing.

Get the latest on the important agreement between The HSUS and United Egg Producers to phase out barren battery cages, give egg-laying hens more space, and improve labeling to help consumers make informed decisions.

Hear more about a rescued puppy mill dog recently adopted by a U.S. Congressman, and why pet adoption is so important. Tracie and Wayne also talk about new federal legislation to crack down on puppy mills.

Learn more about puppy mills, where breeding dogs typically live in small cages for their whole lives without proper care. These mills sell puppies through pet stores and over the Internet. Tracie and Wayne discuss the campaign to help these dogs.

Wayne and Tracie talk about the intense controversy over GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons' killing of an African elephant in Zimbabwe. Learn more about the issue of wasteful trophy hunting, and how to support companies that are friendly to animals.

In the first episode of Humane Talk, hear Wayne Pacelle and Tracie Hotchner discuss the day-to-day work of animal protection. Wayne shares how he became an animal advocate and what motivates him as president of The Humane Society of the United States.