Talking Animals

Gretchen Primack–the poet, teacher, and animal activist who first appeared on “Talking Animals” a dozen years ago, discussing her animal-focused collection of poetry, Kind—catches me up on her undertakings in recent years, including the prison education program she’d decided to step away from after 20 years of teaching, so as to have time for other pursuits. She also discussed her longstanding stint as a bookseller at The Golden Notebook, an independent bookstore in Woodstock, NY, with a storied past, and present. Primack enthused about the store, underscoring that an indie book shop is a rare bird these days (and noting she was doing the interview from her boss’s office.) A longtime activist, Primack recounts an April trip she made to Wisconsin, to participate in a large protest of Ridglan Farms, a commercial beagle breeding and research facility, long notorious for being nefarious. The upshot of the protest was that Ridglan was shut down, and animal rescue groups relocated the huge number of beagles from the operation to adoptive homes. The Ridglan action and results were powerful, and transformative. And: a lightbulb moment for Primack. To continue that kind of work—and outcome—Primack (joined by co-director Ella Magers) conceived The March To Abolish Animal Testing. Starting Sept. 12, and spanning two weeks, their plan calls for people from all over the country to join a 207-mile march from the state capitol building in Albany, NY to the biggest lab dog breeding facility in the country, Marshall BioResources in North Rose, NY. Marshall has over 16,000 beagles in cages, along with around 30,000 cats, mini-pigs, and ferrets. All of them exist in what Primack calls “deeply disturbing conditions.” We discuss the meticulously-planned March, Primack acknowledging that many participants may have schedules that only allow them to join the March for a day or two, while others have already signed on for the full two weeks.I marvel at the March’s website, particularly the section that helps people plan when and how they would like to participate (https://www.marchforanimals.org/plan-your-march/), detailing the schedule, route and number of miles for each day, and lodging options (offering discounted rates where available, pet policies, and more). She describes what’s planned for the first day in Albany—the night before, there’s a free screening of the new documentary “The New Gold Standard: Cutting Edge Science That’s Replacing Animal Testing”)—and what will happen two weeks later, Saturday, Sept. 26, upon arriving at Marshall BioResources. At Marshall headquarters, the March To Abolish Animal Testing coalition will assemble for a peaceful rally at the gates—never entering Marshall property–with additional protests and events unfolding into the evening. Onward! Did I mention the fantastic website? https://www.marchforanimals.org/   ALSO: I spoke with Dr. Betsy Coville, a Tampa veterinarian who’s part of a coalition of concerned citizens and animal lovers urging the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners to build a new, modern animal shelter…to replace the current facility, the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center. Toward that end, they’re circulating a Change.org petition https://www.change.org/p/build-a-new-humane-pet-resource-center-for-hillsborough-county-fl-6532cf43-2695-4185-8661-da8768d3f64f?source_location=search. Coville outlines the significant shortcomings of the present Pet Resource Center, including its “open admission” policy, which dictates that it must accept animals regardless of size, breed, or medical condition. This leads to the PRC regularly operating well over the intended capacity. But at least equally problematic is that the facility is 40 years old, with outdated infrastructure and equipment. Coville believes the BOCC may allot $30 million for a new shelter, which is certainly a significant sum, though she points out, by contrast, Orange [...]

Ron King, co-founder of Oscar’s Place—a California-based nonprofit which rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes donkeys—discusses not being an animal fan earlier in his life, but having transformed into a veritable donkey zealot, a point underscored by King nuzzling a pair of donkeys: 5-day-old Sherlock and his Mom, Maisy. Tranformation of lives—or, maybe more precisely, reinvented lives—is an essential motif of the Oscar’s Place saga. As the operation’s major domo, King routinely reinvents the lives of unfortunate donkeys that have been neglected, mistreated, or on a path to an auction house  in Bowie, Texas (and likely eventual slaughter)—swooping in, plucking them out, and depositing them at Oscar’s Place. In just over five years since he launched the operation, King has helped rescue the better part of 500 donkeys, and re-homed 200. But King was only able to reinvent these donkeys’ lives because of the way he reinvented his own life. He recalls working as a high-flying media/magazine maven—running several publications, including InStyle, flying first class to Italian fashion shows (and everywhere else), living a big, glossy life. But then, through a confluence of factors (King cited leaving his job, a little too confident he could land a comparable one; the shifting media landscape; COVID) that whole fabulous scenario unraveled. Unclear how to proceed, King happened to see a TikTok that revealed that up to five million donkeys are slaughtered every year, chiefly for their hides. Deeply affected by the TikTok, while continuing to re-assess his next move, his professional pondering helped King realize that his most satisfying moments of joy resulted when he had the most impact. A close friend and champion of King (and experiencing true joy) happened to have a big piece of land in Hopland, CA, suitable to serve as an animal sanctuary. I think you see where this is headed. Right, it wasn’t too long before Oscar’s Place was born. At this point, Oscar’s Place collectively refers to two facilities: The ranch in Hopland constitutes the main headquarters, housing about 160 donkeys, and a sister sanctuary in nearby Potter Valley, where another 60 reside. A wide array of action at Hopland is captured in “Donkey King,” a 17-episode reality TV series—it’s immensely entertaining, illuminating and periodically-poignant. I learned a lot about donkeys’ emotional complexity, and how their ears or lips might move to signal how they’re feeling at that moment. King and assorted donkeys occupy the center of the show, rounded out by some donkey owners who need help (some have decided to surrender their animals), and various Oscar’s Place staff, including Kenneth, a young, preternaturally-gifted donkey whisperer. (You can access the TV series here: https://www.oscarsplace.org/donkey-king )  A core element of the Oscar’s Place operation involves King making regular trips to the livestock auction in Bowie, Texas, and outbidding as many “kill buyers” as his budget allows for that day’s available donkeys. Ordinarily, those donkeys are then trailered to Hopland to begin their reinvented lives. However, King explains, they realized this practice was spreading—or causing—illness amongst some of those traveling donkeys. The solution: the first-ever donkey hospital, in Collinsville, Texas, where the donkeys secured at the auction will be examined and treated, if necessary. And then, with a clean bill of health, they’ll be transported to Hopland. The hospital is slated to open Sept. 5, 2026, King says—named after Dr. Kate Schoenhals, the Oscar’s Place full-time, on-site veterinarian– with the first herd of patients due to arrive Sept. 6. Here’s  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVX40LtiuVM)  the YouTube clip of the interview, though there’s no video of the Duncan side of the conversation. But the other side features video of Ron King, and donkeys Maisy and her then 5-day-old baby, [...]

Marc Bekoff–professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who’s written or co-written more than 30 books; his latest, “Love in Their Hearts: A Celebration of Animal Emotions and a Guide to Compassionate Action,” features a foreword by the late Jane Goodall—recounts his long friendship and various professional collaborations with Dr. Goodall. Mentioning he and “Jane” co-wrote a book for young readers, “Every Elephant Has A Name,” to be published in early February, Bekoff enthuses about Goodall as a scientist, as a collaborator—possessed of a rigorous work ethic and meticulous attention to detail—noting her research and observations on chimpanzees in Gombe were both pioneering and still stand as an industry standard six decades later. He also points to Goodall’s lighter, more whimsical side–unseen by most people—and we discuss her fascinating (to me, at least) ritual of enjoying a nightly swig of Scotch. It began as a toast to her mother when Goodall’s travel schedule kept them apart, and later expanded to friends and colleagues, including Bekoff, sometimes carrying out the ritual over Zoom. We moved into discussing his new book, “Love in Their Hearts”– co-written by Jeff Campbell—prompted in part by Bekoff’s longstanding work in the realm of animal emotions, and his increasingly solidified perspective that nonhuman animals are sentient beings. (This overlaps work, and at least one book, he collaborated on with Jane Goodall.) In the hope of addressing a random selection of the animal emotions featured in “Love in Their Heart”—later, owing to substantial discussions, fruitful tangents, and wonderful listener calls, it turns out we didn’t get very far into the book—we start with the emotions explored in the first chapter: Joy, Delight, and Playfulness.These being feelings commonly witnessed among animals, both those living in our homes and in the wild, we briefly touched on a handful of animals who exhibit Playfulness. Then, at my request, Bekoff eased into a rumination on the playfulness of two perhaps-unlikely ones: zebras and bees. Bees playing….We moved on to another section of the book, dealing with Sadness, Grief, and Depression. I pointed out that among the reasons I’ve been a card-carrying Elephant Nut for many years is that they are emotionally-sophisticated animals, who exhibit grief when a fellow elephant dies—observing funeral-like rituals to say Goodbye. Not surprisingly, elephants constitute a major element of that chapter. Bekoff weighs in on elephants, partly by recounting an experience in Africa, shared with Iain Douglas-Hamilton (considered, he says, the elephant equivalent of Jane Goodall), encountering a herd of elephants just after their matriarch had died, and acting notably odd. He shares comparable rituals he’s observed in other animals, including a handful of magpies interacting with—mostly covering with leaves—a magpie corpse. And so on. There’s plenty of compelling conversation here, laced with sparkling caller comments. What are you waiting for? Cue up the archive.   ALSO: I spoke with Sarah Richardson, Communications Associate at The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, about “Menagerie at The Museum 2026,” the fourth edition of the Museum’s animal-oriented extravaganza, slated to happen Aug. 15, from 10am-4pm. First, Richardson provided a brief overview of The James and the various kinds of art exhibited there. She then describes “Menagerie,” which gathers an assortment of live animals and representatives from several of Pinellas County’s animal rescue and wildlife conservation organizations. The event, she notes, also provides an opportunity to learn about wild wolves in the special exhibition, “Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan,” a collection of Donovan’s stunning wolf photos, which also serves as a cultural study of two distinctly different packs of [...]

As we’ve done 17 times before—spanning five-plus years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.”  In each session of ATT, listeners are invited to call or email (or text) questions about their dogs or cats, mainly behavior or training issues. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult is Glen Hatchell, the retired Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and veteran, accomplished dog trainer and behaviorist. He is also a former WMNF programmer, and occasionally guest hosts “Talking Animals.”  In today’s edition, before responding to the first listener question, Glen focused his opening segment on cats, outlining the ways working with felines tend to be similar to–and different from—working with dogs. The first listener question came from an insider of sort—David “White Pepper” Bryant, co-host of “Da Soul Kitchen,” airing Fridays on WMNF, 8-10pm—asking why cats like to “make biscuits” and about cats walking in a harness… another emailer writes in, saying his stepson moved in with them, bringing a dog that bites, and seeking Glen’s counsel…Suzanne emailed with a recommended procedure for getting a cat accustomed to walking in a harness…a caller (disproportionately few of those today) says that when they take their dog for a walk, their cat often chooses to join them, wondering if that’s unusual. (Glen: “Not if it’s an indoor/outdoor cat—not at all.”)…”The Commuter,” a WMNF alum, mentions he and his wife have had three Schipperkes in a row, marveling at the dogs’ resolute devotion to observing a precise schedule for walks, meals, and more…There were back-to-back emails, companion pieces that inquired about her cat attacking the emailer in bed while she tried to sleep, while the other missive described being attacked by her cat at night, before bedtime… COMEDY CORNER: There was no Comedy Corner today. MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Squeeze’s “Cool For Cats,” 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/2026/08/TAAug5Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Laurie Sumiye–the artist-filmmaker who directed the striking documentary “A Paradise Lost,” a live action/animation hybrid telling the story of the Palila, a small, yellow bird, found only on the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii, and for whom a landmark lawsuit was filed in 1978 to prevent its extinction—recalls growing up in Hawaii, more interested in drawing birds than interacting with them. She enthuses about a variety of birds, but more as an artist sketching them than as any kind of aspiring birder. We discuss “Struggle For Existence,” her thesis film made to graduate from Hunter College. It was a short doc that ended up being a precursor to “A Paradise Lost,” including the melding of live action and animation, and a focus on the Palila. Sumiye recounts being informed that she needed to continue the “Struggle For Existence” storytelling—there was a good deal more to address about the still-unfolding Palila saga. So, she evaluated everything from pending storylines that would sustain a feature-length film, to what kind of financial resources were available to underwrite that kind of project. (The Corporation for Public Broadcasting [CPB] provided funding–“A Paradise Lost” airs on PBS, nationally, on Sept. 3.) And once all those pieces were in place, she got to work making the innovative, feature-length “A Paradise Lost,” which was slated for a limited theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles, starting on July 31. Sumiye outlined special interviews on assorted topics in the Q&As that were scheduled with certain New York screenings, presented at Firehouse, DCTV’s Cinema for Documentary Film (https://www.dctvny.org/s/firehouse-film/a-paradise-lost-MCMXKMSQCYI5FVJCCAS77CZ2BT4E) Sumiye addresses the virtues of her now-longstanding filmmaking proclivity to employ animation—the way it adds a broader dimension to the storytelling, as well as how it can flesh out pivotal portions of a film that might lack compelling live-action footage. We proceed to touching on another inventive storytelling method that courses through “A Paradise Lost”: having the (stuffed) Palila—that sat on the table during the original trial–serve as narrator, directly representing the Palilas’ point of view. We conclude the conversation with Sumiye responding to my observation that many people who see the film will likely be surprised by the degree to which Hawaii is home to so many endangered species and more than a few that are on the cusp of becoming extinct. Indeed, one expert interviewed in the film says, “Hawaii is the endangered species capital of the world,” while another says, “People don’t realize Hawaii is in an extinction crisis.” She speaks to the various facets of the fragility of species in Hawaii, citing as one example a Palila-related bird, highly endangered, found only in an upper elevation on the island of Kauai, immensely vulnerable to the bite of a particular mosquito, which would be fatal. Clearly, Hawaii involves a complex, frail ecosystem—expertly depicted here as the film goes about tracing the notable, gripping tale of this historic yellow bird. (https://www.aparadiselostmovie.com/) ALSO: I spoke with Kathy Hofstad, whose cat, Bentley, was recently honored with a special award for the work he does as a volunteer therapy cat at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview. A 14-year-old Chinchilla Persian, Bentley received the Animal Law Section’s 2026 Rikki Mitchell Memorial Animal Achievement Award, during the section’s Florida Bar Convention meeting in June. We only heard about this a few days ago, and wanted to congratulate Bentley—and his human, Kathy—with this chat, where we learned a bit about this award-winning cat. For example, he sauntered into the therapy animal realm in the Fall of 2024, prompted by Kathy feeling he had just the right temperament for that work. Bentley, Kathy explains, reports to the hospital on Tuesday mornings, putting in a two [...]

Dr. Edie Dopking–founder of Quantum Leap Farm, an Odessa, FL-based facility that, for 25 years, has offered an array of equestrian therapy programs, addressing a wide range of conditions, serving constituents who “range from age 2 to 92”—describes her lifelong passion for horses, growing up in Bowling Green, KY, and escalating when her Dad bought her a horse when she was 11. Horses have remained central to Dopking’s world. And the profound realization that these beautiful animals could assist in different types of healing came by way of the Bakas Equestrian Center a therapeutic riding program in Tampa, specializing in helping children with various disabilities. Dopking volunteered at Bakas, and struck by their good work–and wanting to provide comparable help to adults, given her “soft spot” for veterans (both her dad and husband are veterans), while pursuing her PhD in Aging Studies—the idea for Quantum Leap Farm took hold. Conveniently, she had a parcel of land to devote to it, she had some dough (from the sale of an MRI business she was part of), and she had some freed-up time. So, beginning modestly, with three horses, she launched Quantum Leap Farm in 2000. Dopking kept the enterprise small initially, in part mindful that the first five years constitutes a pivotal period for the IRS to evaluate the status (and ostensible status) of a particular nonprofit. This point leads us into a discussion of how the operation of Quantum Leap Farm is financed—just the care and feeding of horses is a significant expense, not counting veterinary bills, and that’s just for starters—widening out to a highly detailed account of Quantum Leap’s major fundraising events each year. Noting that I’ve long thought horses are magical in all kinds of ways, including the way they appear to be capable of healing various afflictions and broken souls, I ask Dopking about a few conditions common to Quantum Leap clients, and how the horse interaction helps. She addresses children on the autism spectrum, describing the typical impact of equine encounters at Quantum Leap.  A bit later, she does the same regarding veterans with PTSD. We conclude our conversation (only because the clock ran out) acknowledging that Quantum Leap Farm enthusiastically welcomes volunteers to assist the operation in a variety of capacities. To learn more: https://www.quantumleapfarm.org/ ALSO: I spoke with Laura Weiss, of Florida Voices for Animals,  the veteran Tampa-based animal advocacy organization pursuing a broad portfolio of protests, campaigns and other projects, such as producing the annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest, set for Nov. 14, 2026. She explained they’re also coordinating a three-day protest of the Loomis Brothers Circus stint at Robarts Arena in Sarasota, starting July 31—and the related effort to persuade the circus to stop using Okha, an Asian elephant, thought to be about 56, captured from the wild in India as a baby. Weiss notes that FVA provides signs and other materials to those who choose to join them in this Sarasota protest, which corresponds to the show times: Friday, July 31, from 6:30pm-8 pm, Saturday, August 1, from 12:30pm-2pm.; 3:30-5pm.; 6:30-8pm  Robarts Arena at Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34237 (https://www.floridavoicesforanimals.org/) COMEDY CORNER: Gary Gulman’s “Walrus” [excerpt]  (https://garygulman.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/2026/07/TAJULY22final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Bill Berloni–renowned for training rescue animals for stage, film, and television in a storied career spanning 50 years—recounts how, as a teenage aspiring theater kid in Connecticut, he was given the opportunity to prepare the dog as the Goodspeed Opera House there launched a then-new musical, “Annie.” Berloni had zero experience training animals, but went to the Connecticut Humane Society, adopted a dog that was slated to be euthanized the next day, and did his best figuring out how to ready the pooch for his stage debut That production didn’t go great, yet no less a figure than Mike Nichols took it over, moving “Annie” to Broadway, Berloni and the dog moved with it, the show became a huge hit—and Berloni’s career as an animal trainer extraordinaire was born. Five decades later, Berloni addresses the animal training challenges unique to the theater as compared with movies and television. As part of that exchange, and perhaps counterintuitively, he notes that a dog who’s learned the role for a play has an easier time than a film hound because the patterns (and the delivery of treats) remain the same from performance to performance, even over a long run. We touched on understudies: every animal in every Broadway play or musical has an understudy, and shows periodically rehearse—enabling understudies, animal and human, to remain sharp in their command of their production. We also discussed “Broadway Barks,” the venerable event (the 28th edition, hosted by Bernadette Peters and Andrew Rannells had taken place a few days before this interview), featuring adoptable animals from New York City area rescue groups, along with Broadway’s biggest names, who use their star power to help the animals find homes. Berloni explained the history of “Broadway Barks”—he’s been involved since the inception—and how the rescue groups set-up tents and tables in the area adjacent to Times Square, known as Shubert Alley, where stars of Broadway shows introduce the adoptable animals (cats, too, now). Berloni mentions writing an autobiography, “Broadway Tales: Heartfelt Stories OF Rescued Dogs Who Became Showbiz Superstars,” that he’s continued to expand as his career has continued to unspool toward the 50 year mark. Fittingly, he’s found a new Sandy for the 50th anniversary production of “Annie.” Which may bring us full circle on the Bill Berloni saga. (https://theatricalanimals.com/, https://broadwaycares.org/pre-event/broadway-barks-2026/)   ALSO: I spoke with Patrick Kelly, the General Manager–and one of the owners–of Barks and Brews Taphouse, a dog bar/dog park combo in Largo, spanning 7000 square feet, indoors and out. This sprawling venue enables the canine contingent to run, and meet-and-greet, and play—off-leash—while their humans can sample a huge selection of craft beers and wines, maybe munch on something from their menu of snacks, sandwiches, and burgers. Kelly recounted how he and two buddies were struck by the idea of a dog bar—being fans of dogs and beers—and after research and legwork, found the location in Peach Plaza, and opened for business in November of 2024. He outlined the steps necessary to bring your dog to Barks and Brews—basically, documenting key vaccinations, noting they have an app that simplifies that process. Kelly described some of the establishment’s weekly activities and special events, including their first Bark’s Luau, slated for July 25. (https://barkstaphouse.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Robert Mac’s “National Zoo” (https://robertmac.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/2026/07/TAJuly15Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Owing primarily to Holiday weekend-related snags in booking guests—and retaining guests that had seemed booked–we set aside our typical format, operating guest-free in something of a throwback to the earlier days of “Talking Animals,” when Animal News segments and multiple animal songs were the order of the day. So, we returned to our fabled Rip-&-Read Newsroom, reading various stories large and small: Including about the possible fate of Patty, the only remaining elephant at The Bronx Zoo, following the recent death of Happy, the Bronx Zoo elephant at the center of a high-profile legal challenge brought by the Nonhuman Rights Projects, which filed a petition of habeas corpus, part of the organization’s effort to establish Happy qualified as a “person” under the law. Officials with the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the Bronx Zoo, are contemplating sending Patty to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. In a time of the year where people often take Alaskan cruises, this sad story noted that residents of Seward, Alaska, assembled to honor the life of an endangered pregnant fin whale who died as a result of being struck by a cruise ship, while issuing calls to the cruise industry to put measures in place to help prevent such tragedies in the future. I aired some pieces produced by the WMNF News Department, including a story about local animal shelters being overcrowded, and steps to mitigate this problem, including renewed encouragement for people to foster shelter animals. Of course, this being in the midst of World Cup commotion, we felt compelled to read a brief story chronicling the online sensation known as Merlin, the duck sporting the Team Mexico jersey while waddling around his home of Mexico City. Merlin landed a meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. And so on…   COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Fishing on T.V.” (https://brianregan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Dog or Wolf,” Chuck Prophet’s “What Makes the Monkey Dance,” Tom Waits’ “Get Behind The Mule,” Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Snake Farm,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/TAJuly8Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Deni Elliott–author of the new memoir, “Catching Sight: How A Guide Dog Helped Me See Myself,” and writer or editor of ten previous books—explains the impetus for penning the new one. Befitting a longtime teacher—she’s professor emerita in the Department of Journalism and Digital Communication at the University of South Florida—Elliott emphasizes her desire to educate folks about guide dogs, including ways you should (and shouldn’t) react when encountering these animals. One possibly-surprising tip: don’t ask the dog’s name. Too, I’ve long been intrigued by a striking aspect in the realm of guide dogs: for all their training, and the enormous importance of adhering to their handlers’ commands, these canines are smart enough to override a command when they recognize it would be problematic—maybe dangerous—to follow that command. Noting the official term for this is “intelligent disobedience,” Elliott describes her own experience with this phenomenon, which amounts to guide dog as problem solver. We discuss a singular aspect of “Catching Sight”: the element of ethics. For starters, Elliott is a retired ethics professor. Also, she was born with limited vision, and over the years, the condition progressed until she was rendered legally blind. She makes clear in the book that she grappled with the ethics of concealing her diminishing vision amidst the ambitions of cultivating a significant career in academia. She recounts a long string of dogs that marked her life, starting with Marty, a Newfoundland who towered over the newborn Elliott, and was highly protective, alerting Elliott’s mother when the child was crying, up from a nap, otherwise needed something. She also recalls grabbing tufts of Marty’s fur, and then he’d lead baby Deni into a different room of the house; some might suggest this foreshadows her guide dog scenario that would materialize decades later. Indeed, the first genuine guide dog she’s paired with—in a transformative development–is Alberta, a yellow lab deemed a good fit with Elliott in part because they were both viewed as overachievers. That matchmaking was done by Graham Buck, a trainer and instructor at Guiding Eyes for the Blind. “Catching Sight” is written with Buck, who’s led a fascinating, canine-centric life, literally growing up amongst dogs—Elliott explains Buck’s mom bred and raised Great Danes, while his dad was the first professional dog walker.  (Photo of Deni Elliott by Kristine Paulsen Photography)   ALSO: I spoke with Dr. Carol Osborne–a veterinarian, author, and educator–who offered some tips on how to keep your cats and dogs safe and calm during the 4th of July weekend. Based in Ohio, where she runs her own practice, Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center and Pet Clinic, Dr. Osborne had compiled a list of tips designed to reduce the stress of what’s intended to be a joyous celebration. She began with the number-one topic on everyone’s mind—not fireworks, in this case, but the record-setting heatwave blazing across huge swaths of the country, and how best to protect pets against the effects of those soaring temperatures. She also urged pet owners to double-check collars and tags, since so many animals—frightened by fireworks—escape their homes. Additionally, Dr. Osborne suggested soothing pets amidst the noise by giving them homeopathic calming remedies, which she likened to pouring them “a glass of wine.” (https://www.chagrinfallspetclinic.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Tom Papa’s “Fake Service Dogs” (https://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/2026/07/TAJuly1editing.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Kevin S. Fridy–Professor of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Tampa, and slated after this interview to deliver a talk, “Human Bycatch in a West African Wildlife Corridor,” as part of the Pints of Science lecture series offered monthly at venerable Tampa concert venue New World Brewery—traces his path from kid growing up in Palatka, FL to accomplished academic. Explaining there was just one high school in Palatka, and characterizing it as “rough”—he noted a jarring attrition rate: 700-800 students would start attending, and four years later, only 300 would remain—he recalls almost an intuitive inclination to study hard and excel academically. It worked. He earned a scholarship, attending George Washington University, and when an opportunity arose to study abroad, Fridy selected Ghana. This, it turns out, launched a long, professionally and personally fruitful relationship—Fridy estimates he’s traveled to the West African country more than two dozen times. He recounts how his first trip there, in 1997, as a 20-year-old who’d never traveled internationally, shaped him in multiple ways. Fridy really took to Ghana, finding some notable parallels between the country and his native Palatka. Amidst return journeys to Ghana, and further strides down the road of academia—he’d followed his B.A. in International Relations by securing a Master’s in the same field—a mentor advised him to get a Ph.D. As it happens, the University of Florida, in Gainesville—about 40 miles from Palatka—runs the largest collegiate African Studies program. Fridy did indeed get his Ph.D from UF, in Political Science. (At one point in our conversation, he describes himself as a “mainstream political scientist.”) In something of a sneak preview of that night’s Pints of Science lecture, he outlines how he and various colleagues came to formulate a slice of research anchored in Ghana’s Red Volta’s Forest Reserve. They recognized it as a significant wildlife corridor, but wondered what else might be learned by setting up 20 camera traps in that area for a year. Fridy says that yearlong assemblage of images documented the expected heavy elephant traffic—the Reserve serves as a wildlife corridor for more than 90 percent of West Africa’s elephants (though chiefly in the “dry season,” Nov. to March)—but also an enormous presence of cattle, and comparatively little human activity: a handful of hunters, gold miners, and so on. Given the procession of pachyderms, I was struck—and delighted—that there seemed to be no evidence of poaching. Fridy explains that he and others involved in this camera trap exploration of the corridor plan to publish a paper on the endeavor. He observes that the animal emphasis here marks a shift in the direction of his work as a political scientist, and he anticipates he’ll move further in that direction. (https://www.ut.edu/directory/fridy-kevin-s, https://fridy.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Nate Bargatze’s “Eagles” (https://nateland.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  King Crimson’s “Elephant Talk” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/TAJune10Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

A.J. Sanjar–a field biologist who’s conducted research with significant implications for reducing the Florida population of the Burmese python, often-massive snakes with few natural predators, an apex invasive species in areas like the Florida Everglades. He recalls growing up in Austin, loving to be outside amidst nature and animals. Recognizing that, over the years, Sanjar clearly reflected an ongoing passion for spending time in the wilderness, and exploring critters of all kinds, his older brother recommended he apply to Texas State University, known for its field biology program. He did, got accepted, and loved it. Research projects quickly followed. Including a trek to Ecuador, where he participated in a fascinating study of frogs and if/when the species transforms at various altitudes. Yet another project, he said, examined snake fungal disease. But his chief research project—he did his Master’s Thesis on it, as a grad student at Southern Illinois University—involves Sanjar and his colleagues using possums fitted with VHF collars to track, then locate the elusive pythons. (This was an extension, Sanjar explains, of a research project by another SIU grad student, Kelly Crandall, who in a study more focused on raccoons and opossums, yielded inadvertent results involving the opossums being consumed by pythons.) The team can follow the signals when an opossum is swallowed whole by a python, leading team members or others to the location of these massive snakes, which can then be removed. The research continues presently, beyond Sanjar’s work that resulted in his Master’s, and he indicates that he’ll be publishing his thesis soon. Burmese Pythons certainly continue to capture people’s imagination, the snakes’ capture remains the focus of all kinds of efforts, small and large. We’re a little over a month away from the annual Florida Python Challenge, a competition whereby contestants capture and kill pythons—following strict guidelines—for prize money! COMEDY CORNER: Dusty Slay’s “Trailer Park Pets” (https://dustyslay.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Junk’s “Burmese Python,” 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/2026/05/May27Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Laura Hagen–managing director of wildlife at Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States)—explains the rationale behind the organization changing its name some 70 years after its inception. Hagen addresses the effectiveness of the re-branding, including erasing the longstanding confusion that was triggered by, for example, donations to HSUS when the donor might’ve meant one of numerous local organizations with “humane society” in their name. Or vice versa. An attorney and veteran animal advocate, Hagen traces the path of her 20-plus year career. That path generally traveled along public policy lines—pausing that journey to fortify those skills by going to law school at Lewis and Clark in Portland, OR, with an emphasis on animal and environmental law. After undertaking other campaigns and jobs, Hagen settled into the employ of HSUS/Humane World for Animals, where she’s now managing director of wildlife. In that capacity, she recently assembled information identifying a circumstance that even those who pay close attention to animal welfare matters may find startling: exactly a decade after Ringling Bros. halted the use of elephants in their shows, it turns out 14 elephants are still regularly forced to hit the road and perform in other circuses. Making the situation even more egregious, most of these elephants are in their mid to late 50s In our conversation, Hagen described some of the exhibitors who own the elephants, and rent these animals (again, these are animals, not equipment to be rented for a weekend home project) for circuses, fairs, Renaissance festivals, and other events where elephants serve as a drawing card. Hagen’s description included the story of Betty, a 57-year-old elephant owned by Carden Circus. Her tale includes lameness exacerbated both by performing and having to give rides, and that even after being cited by the USDA, Carden wouldn’t retire Betty, instead sending her to a roadside zoo in Indiana. Hagen reviewed the ongoing efforts by states and municipalities to pass legislation preventing wild animals from performing within their borders—currently, 12 states and dozens of municipalities have enacted such bans. To see, and support, Humane World for Animals’ work in this regard and otherwise on behalf of captive wildlife, visit this section of their website: https://www.humaneworld.org/en/issue/helping-captive-wildlife   ALSO: I spoke with Doll Stanley, Justice for Animals Senior Campaigner for the longtime animal welfare organization In Defense of Animals (IDA), regarding some pointed criticism IDA voiced of the sentencing a judge recently handed down in a high-profile Florida cruelty case. This case involved the poaching of 13 alligators—authorities originally charged the key defendant, Jacob Latreille, with 14 felony counts of the illegal killing, possessing or capturing of alligators. By the time this case reached its completion, Latreille was, somehow, essentially sentenced to probation. Stanley observed that in this legal realm of animal cruelty, not only are the laws often toothless, but so, too, is the enforcement of those laws—the sentencing. (https://www.idausa.org/)     COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Talk To The Animals” (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en) 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/2026/05/TAMay20Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Ronan Donovan–a wildlife biologist turned visual storyteller, whose work is featured in an exhibition, Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan, on display at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, in St. Petersburg—recalls a lifelong love of animals, and exploring the wilderness, that he forged growing up in rural Vermont. Give or take a detail, these passions represent the Donovan narrative thru-line coursing through all phases of his life, up through the present moment, where he’s living in Montana, participating in this interview while outside, occasionally noting when he spots a sandhill crane, or a fox runs by. This storyline runs so deep that even when he got into some criminal trouble as a teenager, he says, racking up two felonies for stealing, his punishment involved being sent to wilderness therapy (in southeast Oregon). For youngsters who are struggling and a bit lost, like he was, Donovan recommends The Student Conservation Association, touting the organization two different times during our conversation. And most of the key episodes of his life seem to involve working (a) outside and (b) with fauna of one kind or another. So, for example, there was a stint lobstering in Maine, and another stint, post-college, helping a PhD student carry out research in California on spotted owls. Somewhere along this path, during the spotted-owls stint, Donovan picked up a camera and started shooting. Which, it’s safe to say, widened out, so to speak, and re-directed his narrative. A subsequent research tour-of-duty, studying chimps in Uganda, led to some profound experiences with those great apes—and inroads as a photographer. Those chimp images constituted a turning point in his career, later yielding various projects in print and on screen…notably including the exhibition Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan, which continues through Sept. 7 at the James Museum, in St. Pete. (https://www.ronandonovan.com/, https://thejamesmuseum.org/) Photos by Ronan Donovan ALSO: I spoke with H. H. German, the creator of “Calico,” the first comic-book hero dedicated to fighting animal abuse. I’ve spoken with German periodically since he launched the first “Calico” series about six years ago—extending the “Talking Animals’’ commitment to spotlight and support the first comic-book hero who battles animal cruelty. In this chat, German provides a brief overview of the series, including what prompted him to create “Calico.”  He also addresses the virtues of launching each installment by way of Kickstarter campaigns, going on to offer a description of the new entry to the “Calico” canon: “Calico Unwanted Men.”  German assesses the enthusiastic reaction “Calico” has elicited in various quarters, including the comic book world, the realm of comic conventions, and the general field of animal welfare. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sigmacomics/calico-book-3?ref=backertracker&utm_medium=web&utm_source=backerkit, https://sigmacomics.com/, https://www.instagram.com/sigma_comics, https://www.facebook.com/sigmacomicsgroup   COMEDY CORNER: Nate Fridson’s “Horse Racing” (excerpt) (https://www.instagram.com/fridskins/, https://astrecords.com/pages/nate-fridson) 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/2026/05/TAMAY6Finalmp3.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Tammy Thies–founder and executive director of The Wildcat Sanctuary, a nonprofit rescue refuge in Minnesota specializing in exploited, aging, and illegally-owned wild cats—recalls how her work in advertising (an earlier career) took her to a photo shoot featuring two Bengal tiger cubs, where she found the cats’ mistreatment concerning, spurring her to volunteer at some sanctuaries. What Thies saw during those stints upset her even more, including breeding and selling wild cats, amidst often deplorable conditions, and an array of abused animals. This ignited the transformation of Thies into ambitious wildcat crusader. This metamorphosis flourished under the tutelage of celebrated actress and big cat advocate Tippi Hedren, whom Thies had read about in a Parade magazine profile addressing Shambala, Hedren’s sanctuary for rescued big cats. Thies dialed the number for Shambala listed in the Parade piece, and Hedren answered! Wait, the story gets better! Having never met, Hedren invited Thies to come visit her at Shambala, where she closely observed the workings of the sanctuary, talking constantly, peppering Hedren with questions–receiving a serious education in how to run a refuge for rescued big cats. Armed with that knowledge, and her volunteer experiences, Thies launched her first sanctuary, starting small—a coupla acres around Atlanta—then kept expanding the parcels of land and numbers of animals, eventually reaching The Wildcat Sanctuary’s current count of caring for 150 wild cats across 220 acres. Often intertwining the narrative of West Coast Game Park—a freshly current news story, involving an egregious roadside attraction in Oregon, now closed down nearly a year after authorities seized 300 animals (as well as large amounts of cash, drugs, and guns)—Thies described how The Wildcat Sanctuary functions when asked by authorities to assist after a raid like West Coast Game Park, or otherwise shutting down a nefarious animal operation. What happens next? What happens to the animals? Theis explains they take in the animals they can accommodate (in the West Coast case,  they took four) and look into available spaces for animals at other legitimate facilities. We also touch on the fundamental importance of fundraising and possessing financial acumen in operating a rescue animal sanctuary, and likewise the profound risk of compassion fatigue, and the attendant requirement to engage in ongoing self-care. (https://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/) ALSO: In an interview recorded the day before the show, I spoke with Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who represents Florida’s 10th District, which includes Orlando. Orlando is where a horrific story played out recently involving an entity called Sloth World, where Peter Bandre—the would-be entrepreneur behind this enterprise–purchased and shipped a few dozen sloths in seemingly haphazard fashion, resulting in the death of well over 30 sloths. Representative Frost and his team dove into researching the relevant animal welfare laws and violations thereof, he recalled, playing a vital role in authorities becoming aware of this Sloth World debacle, employing full-throttle efforts in media, social media, and other means. Congressman Frost wanted to ensure Bandre wouldn’t receive the permit required to proceed with his “attraction,” forcing him to abandon plans for Sloth World. Thirteen surviving sloths—12 at last count, one of those 13 having died–were subsequently taken in by the Central Florida Zoo. (https://frost.house.gov/) COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Flipper & Gentle Ben” (excerpt) (https://brianregan.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/2026/04/TAApril29Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Mike Birkhead–longtime producer-director of wildlife documentaries (grounded by no less than a doctorate in zoology from Oxford), who served as co-director, co-producer, and co-writer of  “Legendary Tigers Of India,” an episode of Nature that premiered on Earth Day—seems disinclined to highlight the credentials populating his long résumé. Rather, he spends much of this interview enthusiastically touting Valmik Thapar, a monumental, lifelong tiger expert whose protective passion for the cats manifested in endlessly observing, photographing and filming them (The films were often in collaboration with Birkhead.) The conversation echoed the film, which ends up profiling Thapar nearly to the degree it ends up documenting the history of India’s Ranthambore’s National Park, and the rising and falling fortunes of the tigers who’ve lived there. Protracted decades of hunting had decimated the tiger population there, prompting the animals to become reclusive, and flipping their internal clocks to become nocturnal. But owing to the protection afforded by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s ban on hunting in the early 1970s, the numbers rebounded, expanding  a group of about a dozen tigers into a coterie of 70-plus cats. However, Birkhead explained the Ranthambore realm was defined by a cyclical pattern for its tiger tenants, noting that “things went wrong” again in the 1980s—another plunge in the population. The clear culprit was horrifically pervasive poaching—rendered particularly horrific by the tigers, now having become habituated to humans getting quite close, were shot at point blank range. Thapar mentions this detail in a voive-over in the film; Birkhead mentions it in our interview, underscoring how badly Thapar felt about it, and that he blamed himself. Seeking to clarify critical chronology, I ask Birkhead about the making of “Legendary Tigers Of India” relative to Thapar before he passed away in May of 2025. Birkhead confirms that Thapar was not only around for all the filmmaking, but also saw—and loved—the finished documentary. We conclude by chatting about pivotal Ranthambore tigers, including Padmini, Machli, Noor, and Arrowhead.  (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature, https://mikebirkhead.com/) [Photos: Birkhead by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images…Noor & cubs by Valmik Thapar…Padmini by Valmik Thapar… Valmik Thapar by Mike Birkhead Associates] COMEDY CORNER: Jim Gaffigan’s “Animal Lover”  (https://www.jimgaffigan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Greg Roy’s “Mother Nature” (Happy Earth Day!...Tropical Heatwave!), 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/2026/04/TAApril22Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Melanie Sue Bowles–co-founder of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, who alongside her husband, Jim, has shepherded the sanctuary through nearly 35 years of challenges, changes, and relocations, in service of rescuing horses and providing them refuge–recalls the unlikely beginning, when they were decidedly not horse people. Bowles explained that having bought a home on a five-acre parcel of land (in Myakka FL), while settling into their new digs, they realized that all their neighbors had horses. This may have foreshadowed what would become multiple occurrences of contending with horse-owner group think. She recounts rescuing their first horse, Cody, a troubled soul that posed formidable challenges for first-timers, then—knowing that even a healthy horse needs companionship—began the search for the second one. I observe that even caring for multiple healthy horses would be rigorous for newbies, but many of these animals arrived at Proud Spirit having experienced trauma—at least, neglect, and in some cases, overt abuse. Plus, she notes, the difficult journey of traveling the learning curve was compounded by the ongoing dogma of her neighboring horse people, who criticized Bowles’ methods while recommending practices she found confounding, such as weaning foals from their mothers at three months. While fielding an array of listener questions, including her views on doing business with auction houses/slaughterhouses (opposed) and rodeos (ditto), Bowles addresses the all-encompassing nature of rescue work and running a sanctuary. By way of example, she said she and her husband haven’t been on a vacation in 20 years. This dovetailed with examining the relentless, wearying element of fundraising, an essential enterprise in that realm—to buy food, to pay veterinarians, to cover a myriad of other expenses—that can’t be neglected in the least or the operation is compromised. Or folds. In a way, Bowles and I were revisiting part of an entire program we did in 2015 (https://talkinganimals.net/2015/11/melanie-sue-bowles-founder-director-of-proud-spirit-horse-sanctuary-2/), largely devoted to discussing fundraising in the rescue/sanctuary world, and the stakes of not consistently performing at a certain level. We conclude by touching on her work as an accomplished author, writing three nonfiction books about various aspects (and horses) of Proud Spirit, before turning her attention to writing novels for young readers, aged 8 and up, including “Liberty Biscuit” and “Little Pearl.” (https://horsesofproudspirit.org/)   ALSO: I spoke with Doug Booher, owner of Roxy’s Coffee, longtime animal advocate, and one of the organizers of “Stand Up for Dogs,” an event pegged to National Dog Fighting Awareness Day, slated to happen that night—April 8—at The Dog Bar in St. Pete. Booher briefly describes the current landscape of dog fighting, an under-the-radar, dark enterprise that’s somehow managed to become more nefarious, he noted, owing to the development of a more prominent betting component. He stresses the importance of generating wider support for the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Animal Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, a bipartisan federal bill (H.R. 3946/S. 1454), designed to strengthen laws against dog fighting and cockfighting. Booher outlined the activities expected to be included across the “Stand Up for Dogs evening, including guest speakers, adoptable rescue dogs, raffles and prizes—and citing the organizations receiving the monies raised that night—as well as coffee from Roxy’s Coffee. (https://baristasblendcoffee.com/pages/events)   COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Pet Snakes (DS edit, Part 1) (https://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/2026/04/TAApril8Final.mp3 | Open [...]

Armando Ubeda–primarily appearing in his guise as a shark expert, although his CV is notably long and wide, having studied marine fauna ranging from coral reefs in Nicaragua to crocodiles in Florida—recalls being first intrigued by the ocean as a young boy, corroborating my observation that being in the sea, and researching its inhabitants, seem to be a prominent thru-line of his narrative. The sea has also long served Ubeda as a source of pleasure and recreation, swimming and diving, he affirms, acknowledging that consequently he feels more connected—maybe even more protective—of the ocean, as a scientist. This brings us to recounting his stint as a coral reef researcher in his native Nicaragua, drawing comparison to more recent investigations of coral issues in Florida, noting the pivotal role that climate change plays. He also addresses one of his postgraduate courses that particularly caught my eye—crocodile ecology…describing the challenges of sexing crocodiles, and we acknowledge that it’s not uncommon for many people to find it surprising that crocodiles exist in Florida, such is the powerful association, apparently, of the mighty alligator. As the conversation darts into shark territory, Armando exudes infectious enthusiasm. Probably not all that surprising, given that he’s a Ph.D. candidate whose thesis is about sharks…with his research focusing on shark reproductive behavior and population structure. That latter element of his research provides a portal into a debate that’s emerged in recent years: Are there more shark attacks these days, or just more reports of shark attacks? Armando resides unequivocally in the more-reports camp, where he believes his fellow scientists also land, citing the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), described as the world’s only scientifically documented, comprehensive database of all known shark attacks. It’s housed at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Armando offers a sneak preview of his talk, “Coastal Sharks of Florida,” he’s delivering on April 10,  part of the Florida Birding & Nature Festival, April 9-12, in and around Apollo Beach. (https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/, https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/author/aubeda/) ALSO: I spoke with Ann Paul, a longtime organizer of the Florida Birding and Nature Festival—again, a multifaceted, multi-day extravaganza, scheduled to take place April 9-12, in and around Apollo Beach. Ann reviewed the history and mission of the Festival, and its important changes over the years—notably including shifting the event from October to April: The migration travels the other direction, but with minimal risk now of the Festival proceedings being disrupted by  a hurricane. We know, of course, that Armando Ubeda will be giving a talk about sharks on April 10, but Ann outlined a number of additional lectures, field trips, boat outings, and other activities the Festival is offering across the four days. Some of these, she added, are free to attend, and some require tickets,  (https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/)     COMEDY CORNER: Robert Schimmel’s “Punching A Shark In The Nose” MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Joni Mitchell’s “Black Crow” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TAApril1EDITING.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Kevin Nealon–the veteran comedian, longtime animal advocate, former “Saturday Night Live” star (amidst a long list of TV and film credits), and host of the YouTube  series, “Hiking with Kevin”—explains why his animal advocacy and championing of certain animal welfare organizations has receded in recent years. He clarifies that his objection to the animal abuse endemic to factory farming and across other industries remains unwavering, alongside his support of Farm Sanctuary, PETA, and Best Friends Animal Society–entities with which he participated in high-profile campaigns and other undertakings, such as hosting Farm Sanctuary’s 30th Anniversary Gala. Nealon points out this shift in his involvement is chiefly the by-product of changing demands on his time—including widening career opportunities, while he and his wife, Susan Yeagley, have been raising their son. In our interview, Nealon notes that he has become a vocal supporter of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, describing the Trail and its singular importance. He adds that he’s offered his services to the Conservancy, helping implement the organization’s campaign to revamp the snarky phrase “Take a hike” into an upbeat, friendly suggestion to partake in a trek enjoying the healing properties of being outdoors amidst nature. This brings us, quite naturally, to “Hiking With Kevin.” This is the YouTube series he’s hosted for several years, featuring Nealon taking celebrity guests—like Conan O’Brien, Sarah Silverman, and Martin Short—on casual hikes, with occasionally-breathless conversations on boundless topics unfolding on the trails. Nealon recalls the genesis of the series came accidentally, in the wake of a hike with his friend, actor-filmmaker Matthew Modine. All these years later, the show’s going strong, with the element of being engaged in a hike, Nealon observes, seeming to foster notable candor amongst many of the guests. On occasion, the location of the hike can prove significant, like when Lin-Manuel Miranda showed Nealon on their hike key areas where he wrote “Hamilton.” He outlines four films he appears in that will be released in the coming weeks and months, and addresses his role, with Yeagley, as executive producers of “Come See Me In The Good Light,” a beautiful, enormously poignant documentary that was nominated for an Oscar (https://kevinnealon.com/) You can see this interview–at least the Kevin Nealon side of the conversation–here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvY57sECL2g   ALSO:  I spoke with Emiliana Fuger, a Wellington FL resident, sea turtle advocate, and author of the new book, Anatomy Under the Sea: The Adventures of Luna the Loggerhead. She’s also a popular lecturer, visiting schools and other locations, delivering her “Turtle Talks.” Perhaps most significant amongst these details, Emiliana Fuger is nine years old. She recounts that in wanting to research sea turtle anatomy for her science fair project, she was stymied by discovering there were no children’s book on that topic—all she could find was a college textbook. The best way to solve this problem, Emiliana decided, was to write an anatomy book herself. So, she did! Related to that enterprise, she created a sea turtle model, fashioned from paper mache and other materials. In our interview, Emiliana gave a guided tour of her model, describing the location and function of key organs, after cheerfully noting the top, protective shell is called the “carapace.” She revealed that her next book will be a Spanish version of her first one, and she knows she wants to write about a baby turtle’s life cycle for her third book. Emiliana also shares her delight in giving “Turtle Talks,” pointing out that she recently began incorporating three jokes into each presentation. (https://www.lunatheloggerhead.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Tim Harmston’s “Seagull” (https://www.timharmston.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking [...]

Lenore Braford and Paul Drake–co-founders of Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, a highly-innovative animal sanctuary in North Carolina; owing to Drake being an architectural designer, each structure is uniquely tailored to the species housed there, reflecting their behavioral inclinations and preferences—discuss “Forever Home,” the new documentary by award-winning filmmaker Allison Argo profiling the Refuge.In addressing the genesis of “Forever Home,” Drake recalls attending a screening of an earlier Argo documentary, “The Last Pig,” gushing to her afterwards, noting the film’s deft capturing of “pigness”—and briefly describing to Argo the animal-centered design he and Braford had cultivated at the Refuge. She instantly replied that maybe she should make a film about that. About nine years later, she did–and it’s out. “Forever Home” presents a rich profile of the Refuge, as well as Braford and Drake, a couple with contrasting, yet complementary personalities—in broad strokes, he’s a creative dreamer, she’s a disciplined realist—and neither comes across as an extrovert eager to land a big hunk of screen time. In our interview, they confirm that impression, noting they’re pleased with the movie’s portrayal of them—they absolutely recognize themselves in the Big Screen Lenore and Paul. They’re a pair whose history dates back to meeting on their first day of school at Oberlin College, sitting shyly at a table, and a memorable encounter when Paul’s parents plopped down. Post-Oberlin, Lenore recalls how a budding interest in launching an animal sanctuary put her on the path to securing internships and other opportunities at assorted sanctuaries—to learn, to get experience, to assess if she liked that kind of work. She threw herself into this, with an overachiever’s zeal, including early in her stint at Farm Sanctuary, memorizing the names of all 300 or more animals living there. Meanwhile, Paul began pursuing a Master’s Degree in architecture at North Carolina State, and as Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge was starting to take shape, he was receiving academic credit towards his degree for the Refuge structures he was designing. When he describes in “Forever Home” why, let’s say, the goat house has vertical spaces, or why the chicken house bears large “wings,” of all things, (they fold down at night to protect against predators)—and shares some similar explanations in our interview regarding positioning and temperatures of these structures—you quickly recognize Paul as a creative mastermind. We conclude our conversation by discussing how, in an echo of Lenore’s experience traveling the shelter learning curve, folks who work at shelters—or aim to start one—reach out to the Braford-Drake team to seek help, exchange ideas, arrange internships, and so on. They also explain they’ve helped establish the “Sanctuary Swap,” whereby the staff of the Refuge annually switches places with the staff of another sanctuary—and all kinds of learning, analysis, insights, and new practices ensue. (https://www.piedmontrefuge.org/) ALSO: I spoke with Christina Antoniou, Director of Community Engagement at Animal Rescue Coalition, or ARC (aka ARC Spay & Neuter Specialists), a longtime Sarasota organization, Antoniou explained, devoted to reducing pet overpopulation—fervently committed to spay/neuter as the means to achieve that—while also providing other forms of animal care, and helping place adoptable animals in homes. In service of its mission, ARC holds events to raise awareness—and, ideally, funds—such as the ARC Walk slated to happen May 3, from 9am to 12:30pm, at Payne Park, in downtown Sarasota. Key elements of the morning, she noted, include the titular walk (participants can take their dog, or not, as well as choose to run or walk the route), food trucks, t-shirts made specially for the Walk, free dog treats, and raffle baskets geared for both dogs and [...]

As we’ve done 15 times before—spanning Just shy of the five-year mark-–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.”  In each session of ATT, listeners are invited to call or email (or text) questions about their dogs or cats. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult is Glen Hatchell, the retired Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and veteran, accomplished dog trainer and behaviorist. He is also a former WMNF programmer, and occasionally guest hosts “Talking Animals.” In today’s edition, before responding to the first listener question, Glen shared some of the experiences he and his “significant other,” Kelly, have had since welcoming a new dog to their household—Millie, a former stray that had been wandering through the Florida Panhandle before landing with Kelly and Glen…The first listener question arrived by email, from an occasional “Talking Animals” guest, Melanie Sue Bowles, founder of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, in Wiilkesboro, NC. She’s nearly as experienced with dogs as she is with horses, yet was stymied and deeply frustrated by the adopted terrier, Henry, and his ongoing habit of marking inside the house…Wendy and Bob wrote in, submitting back-to-back—and somewhat overlapping—questions regarding reactive barking…Among other inquiries—and returning to update the Millie saga–there was a rare cat question, not entirely unrelated to Melanie’s concern: this was regarding an older, adopted cat who “sprays everywhere”…And so on. We present “Ask The Trainer” every two to three months, and you’re welcome to submit a question for Glen ahead of the next show—probably in July–via this website. COMEDY CORNER: There was no Comedy Corner today. 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/2026/03/TAMarch11Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Stan Kroh– whose broad scope of duties at Tampa Electric Company includes overseeing the company’s Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, spanning the 26 years he’s worked there—describes the history of the Viewing Center, which is approaching its 40th anniversary. Kroh charts the evolution of the Manatee Viewing Center, from the earliest days, when the Big Bend Power Station began discharging warm water—which attracted manatees, in turn attracting human viewers peering through the fence—right up through the lavish observatory deck and amenities that currently occupy that space. He proudly notes that across the entire four decades of the Viewing Center’s existence, it’s been free to get in, and free to park. These serve as just one example of the myriad ways Tampa Electric Company has demonstrated a deep, longstanding commitment to manatees, and to the public who want to see and learn about these benign creatures. Kroh says they welcome some 500,000 visitors in a given season. (The Power Station’s discharge canal is a state and federally-designated sanctuary.) In keeping with that ethos, Kroh is clearly a longtime manatee ally (I’m told he’s very popular in sea cow circles) and expert. Although, interestingly, as a native Floridian who grew up in West Palm Beach, he recalls that he didn’t have much awareness of manatees in those formative years—until he moved to the other coast for college. Other examples of Tampa Electric Company unwavering devotion to manatees and their well-being, Kroh mentions, include additionally heating the water discharged from the Power Station when cold snaps hit, bringing chillier water and the risk of potentially lethal cold-stress syndrome. Another notable example was the company planting multiple acres of seagrass, the primary manatee food—Kroh also explains they typically eat 10% of their bodyweight in seagrass each day—which can be destroyed by water pollution and other perils. We also discuss that Kroh will be a speaker at The Florida Birding and Nature Festival, which runs April 9-12, in and around Apollo Beach, featuring field and boat trips, expert seminars, keynote speakers, a nature expo, and more.Kroh’s talk, slated for April 10 at 11am, and entitled “Manatees and Mankind,” is expected to recount his experiences with manatees at the Viewing Center, review manatee biology and behaviors, and address population numbers and preferred habitats. (https://www.tampaelectric.com/manatee/,  https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/)   ALSO: I spoke with Courtney Scott, the Elephant Consultant with In Defense of Animals, the longtime (40+ years) animal protection organization, which—amidst its ongoing campaigns and efforts–publishes an annual list of the “10 Worst Zoos For Elephants.” We did spend a moment or two discussing that 20-year-old list, including what different factors shape it from year to year, and what changes have been evidenced at some zoos that have made the list. But we chiefly address the Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City, Florida, which once again was featuring an elephant, and offering elephant rides for both kids and adults. Scott observes that internationally, even in countries not exactly celebrated for its animal welfare—like Indonesia—have banned elephant riding, lamenting that it continues to be offered in settings like this Renaissance Festival. Two years ago, when Scott and I spoke on this topic, the fest was promoting the elephant rides (and performances) more prominently; now prices of the rides are still listed on the Festival website, we suggest the lower profile info may represent progress. She underscores the damage that rides can cause to the elephant, noting that their spine is near the top of the animal (unlike a horse), not to mention the emotional toll these rides can take. Scott urges contacting the Festival organizers, to voice objections by calling 352-999-5946 or emailing [...]

Dr. Bonita Bergin, who, in 1975, invented the concept of the service dog to assist people with mobility limitations—then launched Canine Companions for Independence, later founded the Assistance Dog Institute, now called the Bergin College of Canine Studies–recalls the scenes of disabled people improvising she’d observed while traveling in Pakistan, India, Turkey, and other countries with her husband (after they taught abroad) that helped shape her innovation. After returning home to Northern California, and starting a Master’s program in Early Childhood Education, Bergin and her classmates were told that folks with all manner of disabilities were then commonly housed in state hospitals, with no differentiation for type of disability. When the instructor asked the students to ponder how to address those circumstances, and images of her global trek rolled through her mind– a prelude to her lightbulb moment of conceiving the notion of service dogs to assist people with mobility limitations. Bergin chronicles the naysayers she encountered in attempting to present her service-dog concept—it truly provides a glimpse into the wall of resistance a pioneer can face in introducing a true innovation—eventually deciding to call the CEO of a local organization that worked with disabled individuals. The woman answering the phone there wouldn’t put through the call to the CEO without first hearing Bergin’s proposal. So Bergin outlined the idea, to which the woman responded: “I’ll do it!” Turns out the woman was a quadriplegic named Kerry Knaus, who—teaming with Abdul, a puppy then living with Bergin—helped carry out Bergin’s vision, carving out a historic role, as her basic needs and desire for independence were realized. For example, when her attendant left her place for errands or other outings, and didn’t return before nighttime, Knaus was left sitting in the dark. Could Abdul, she asked Bergin, be trained to turn on the light switch? She immediately replied “yes,” as she did each time Knaus raised a comparable question about a new skill she was hoping Abdul could help with. “Retrieve” wasn’t far behind. And owing to Bergin’s intuitive prowess—she notes that studying early childhood education made her uniquely equipped to train Abdul (“the same methods training kids”)—and Abdul being a very bright, eager-to-please canine, Knaus’ string of requests to make her life more independent spawned the first service dog and attendant field…and, not long ago, marked its 50th anniversary. (https://www.berginu.edu/) COMEDY CORNER: Josh Johnson’s “Emotional Support Dog vs Service Dog” (https://www.joshjohnsoncomedy.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/2026/02/TAFeb25Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

NOTE ABOUT THIS SHOW: I’ve had better mornings. As many know, each Wednesday, around dawn, I drive from my home on the east coast of Florida to the west coast, landing at WMNF in Tampa, where I broadcast “Talking Animals.” The trek is long (later, I reverse course, and drive home), but usually uneventful. Today, while tooling along Highway 60, an often two-lane, mostly-rural route teeming with trucks, something flew out of the back of the truck in front of me, I couldn’t avoid running over it, and—BAM!—blow-out in my right, front tire. By the time I could find a safe place to exit, the tire was shredded, the car undriveable. (It’s a Prius, with no spare tire.) So the next few hours involved AAA calls, buying a new tire over the phone, getting towed to the place that eventually would take delivery of the new tire, and install it. And, wondering if there’d still be any way to do “Talking Animals,” recognizing that traveling to WMNF in time was already ruled out. But thanks to good luck and great help from WMNF colleagues Jessica Greene—deftly juggling guests, Zooms, phone calls, texts from me, and more—with additional assistance from Joe Remo, and Sean Kinane, the show did go on: Live From Johnny’s Automotive in Lake Wales! (Sure, it was jagged around the edges, lacking the usual music beds and bumpers, and fundamental features, like the Comedy Corner and Name That Animal Tune—but we did the best we could, without access to those audio elements, and flying by the seat of our proverbial pants!)   Comedian Paula Poundstone–who’s elevated improvisational whimsy to a high art, is a longtime panelist on NPR’s quiz show “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me,” and hosts her own weekly podcast, “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone,” amidst a zillion notable credits—seems all too happy to play along when I mention, in hosting this animal show, I’m constitutionally obligated to ask about her cats. She jumps right in, providing the current cat count at her house: 11 (last time I interviewed her, it was 16), launching into a wonderful story about how the feline populace had dipped into single digits, but started to rise again. As a tonic for feeling blue about “the Presidential election Kamala Harris didn’t win,” Poundstone headed to her local shelter, and adopted a kitten. She figured you can’t stay in a bad mood around a kitten, and that proved correct. She recounts that sometime later, she thought to herself, if one kitten made her feel this much better, what would two kittens do? Back to the shelter! In short order, she segues into the portion of the new-kitty-occupant narrative where Larry is introduced, starting at the shelter, where, Poundstone recalled, this cat “waddled” out of his enclosure. Although decidedly not a kitten, Larry—”the biggest cat I’d ever seen”– -appealed to Paula in some profound way (probably that his stoutness put him in peril), and she adopted him, too…with a clear goal to help him lose weight; the result when she first weighed him: 23.9 pounds! She offers an account of Larry’s weight-loss regimen, including rigging a tin pie plate so she could put food in, and tow it—and Larry would run, chasing the plate. Much of Larry’s tale is chronicled in short video clips on Poundstone’s website, collectively entitled “The Larry Experience.” (https://paulapoundstone.com/rx-laughter-videos/) We also spend a few minutes discussing “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me,” where Poundstone has appeared as a panelist for a quarter century. She tells the story of receiving a cassette tape from the show—hoping to interest her in participating—noting the tape sat untouched on her kitchen’s island for a long time. But one day, the guy working as the family’s nanny spotted the tape, raved about “Wait, Wait,” exhorting her to do it. Thus, a 25-year relationship with the show was born. The final portion of our conversation involved my [...]

Gene Baur–president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, considered the world’s first farm animal sanctuary and advocacy organization, now marking its 40th anniversary—is nice enough, at my request, to recount the Sanctuary’s origin story for the umpteenth time, incorporating (also at my request!) where the Grateful Dead figures into the narrative, partly in a nod to Bob Weir’s recent passing. So Baur describes the earliest days of Farm Sanctuary, in 1986, the impetus for coming together, the chief objectives propelling them, and so on—detailing how they funded those initial efforts: by selling vegan hot dogs from the Sanctuary’s VW van at Grateful Dead concerts. In fact, Baur adds, that the slogan on Farm Sanctuary’s very first bumper sticker—”If you love animals called pets, why do you eat animals called dinner?”—came from a Deadhead who was buying a veggie dog. He went on to explain that the Sanctuary/Dead relationship continued over the years, with there being a particularly friendly alliance amongst Baur and Weir (and Weir’s wife Natascha). In 2015, Baur remembers, gearing up for the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary tour, he and the Weirs teamed to lead efforts in persuading concert venues to serve veggie dogs. Just like those mid-80s days. Baur offers a warm remembrance of Bob Weir, noting the way the musician re-framed the well-worn hippie phrase, “if it feels good, do it” by instead saying “if it feels right, do it” –and it was clear to Baur that the word change underscored the towering importance of kindness. In other parts of the conversation, using the 40th anniversary milestone as a jumping off point, we address Farm Sanctuary’s monumental influence, starting with all the farm animal sanctuaries that have sprung up in its wake. Baur figures there’s now the better part of a thousand such facilities. His considerable progeny. Baur observes it’s not uncommon for the folks running these sanctuaries to seek his counsel about one issue or another. And in recent years, when he travels, he tries to visit farm sanctuaries. This segment segued into Baur sharing his concern that many veterinary schools are so cavalier and harsh in their treatment of animals that it’s seriously affecting—and sometimes alienating—many students. Exceptions exist, of course. Baur cited one: Western University College of Veterinary Medicine, in California. But inroads toward reform in curriculum—or, more broadly, teaching philosophy—are moving very slowly, he says, at many vet schools because they receive subsidies, or other forms of financial support, from factory farming entities. Those entities aren’t in any hurry to see improvements in the care the animals are receiving at the hands of the vet students assigned to treat them. We touch on a number of other subjects, ranging from whether these 40 years have gone fast or slow (or both), to presenting a sneak preview of the talk he’s slated to deliver in Tampa–“Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food”— on Feb. 22, at Florida Voices for Animals’ 31st Annual Have A Heart for the Animals Awards Dinner Fundraiser, at Carrollwood Recreation Center, at 1:30 pm. (Tickets are available here.)  [Photos: Courtesy of Farm Sanctuary] ALSO: I spoke with Jason Cowen, executive director of Friends of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. Cowen offered a description and overview of the Preserve, citing some of its notable attributes. But the real reason we’d gathered on the radio was to discuss Raptor Fest–slated to happen Feb. 7, it’s the Preserve’s biggest event, an annual, all-day (10 a,m. to 4 p.m.) extravaganza. He mentions the array of activities planned for the day, including watching trained raptors in free flight, bird walks, environmental exhibitors, photo opportunities, food and drink vendors, and so on. And Cowen explains the “Raptor Raffle”—involving several baskets filled with trinket, gifts, and [...]

Michael San Juan, a veteran Animal Control Officer with Hillsborough County Animal Control—his career spans 22 years, including initiating it in New Jersey—recalls that animals played a huge role in his life starting when he was a kid, when he regularly tended to sick and injured wildlife and other critters. San Juan continued traveling on this path, naturally gravitating toward becoming an animal control officer–essentially recruited, he says, by many of those who’d benefitted from, or observed, his aptitude for rescuing animals and tending to them; they wanted him to be their animal control officer. Turns out neither San Juan, nor anyone he knew, had any kind of encounter with an animal control officer during his formative year, but he instinctively understood it was the right profession for him—not just because of his inherent passion for animals. And, more than two decades since he first slipped on the uniform, San Juan is brimming with enthusiasm—this is a person who clearly loves their job. It’s immediately apparent talking with him before our interview, as well as during our on-air conversation, and in a half-hour video piece recently produced by the Hillsborough County Media Relations department: “Animal Control: Unleashed”—which also offers a glimpse of San Juan’s problem-solving talent. The piece is posted here.  Given this multitude of attributes and experience, it’s hardly surprising that San Juan’s job includes serving in a supervisorial capacity. Or that he mentors newer animal control officers, just as, he remembers, he was generously mentored by senior colleagues early in his career. San Juan describes the traits required for aspiring animal control officers to be hired in Hillsborough County, and the array of training regimens new hires undergo before heading into the field. He discusses some elements of the job he loves most (and likes least), and…responds to my assertion that we’ve come a long way from the days of the so-called “dog catcher,” and the attendant attitudes—and I wonder how he thinks animal control officers are perceived these days. San Juan replies to an intentionally scattershot list of questions I’d assembled–interspersed with fielding listener queries, some regarding feral cat protocols—including: –What should you do if you see a dog locked in a car on a hot day? –Can you report suspected animal neglect or cruelty, and remain anonymous? –What safety risks does San Juan face in carrying out his duties? –Given a job that involves encountering hoarding situations, cases of neglect and cruelty, and other emotionally-challenging scenarios, what measures does he take to protect himself from burn-out or other conditions? Hillsborough County Animal Control Website:  https://hcfl.gov/locations/animal-control   ALSO: I spoke with Karen Schuenemann, an award-winning nature and wildlife photographer whose work has appeared in the London Natural History Museum and Audubon Magazine. Also a longtime instructor, Schuenemann will be teaching a Bird and Wildlife Photography class on Feb. 15 at The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, in Tampa. She provided an overview of the Museum, the kinds of exhibits it displays, the kinds of instruction it offers, and so on. With my prompting, Schuenemann then eased into an elevator pitch of sorts about her background (including that she and her husband are recent transplants from California), and her notable accolades as a photographer. She describes some of the topics to be covered in the Feb. 15 class, noting that iPhone photographers are welcome. (https://www.fmopa.org/learn/) COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Animals” (https://brianregan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TAJan28Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Amy Munns–named the 2026 Pet Sitter of the Year by Pet Sitters International, (PSI), considered the world’s leading educational association for professional pet sitters and dog walkers—recalls that animals were always around while she was growing up in San Antonio, yet reflecting a cultural and generational propensity, their dog wasn’t allowed inside the house. That situation evolved, and Munns and her sister were soon looking after family dogs—that had a full run of the Munns house, where Amy continued to live while attending college. She majored in Business, noting that core courses in accounting, marketing, and other disciplines later proved instrumental when, in 2001, she launched her pet sitting business, Leash4Lease, Inc. In the initial years of Leash4Lease, she was flying solo, handling all facets of the nascent enterprise by herself, Munns says, but well-equipped to do so, owing to her academic training. Those formative years of Leash4Lease (the name was her husband’s idea) can serve as a sharp reminder of how far and fast technology has developed, and what Munns may have been up against compared to now in a then largely non-digital world: Most people didn’t have cell phones. Ditto, email. One of the first steps she took was becoming a member of Pet Sitters International, explaining that an immediate major perk was PSI providing Leash4Lease business insurance coverage. Munns goes on to offer a detailed account of the careful process by which she was considered for—and, ultimately, selected–Pet Sitter of the Year. She muses on what sort of benefits she and her company may reap in the wake of being accorded this monumental accolade. (https://www.leash4lease.com/, https://www.facebook.com/Leash4Lease, https://www.instagram.com/leash4leasepetcare)   ALSO:  I spoke with Natalie Conner, the owner of Mutts & Martinis, a dog-friendly sports bar in Saint Petersburg, with a waterpark and four off-leash play zones—and 28 TVs. She outlined the required vaccinations dogs need for admittance to the bar. Conner observes that Mutts & Martinis regularly hosts an array of events, usually aimed at dogs and/or humans that can be enjoyed with a cocktail in hand (humans only; they frown on dogs boozing), including the Small Dog Race Weekend, happening Jan. 24 & 25. And she unveiled a weekend-long Olympics extravaganza, Feb. 14 & 15, tied to the actual games in Italy. She circles back to describe more about Small Dog Race Weekend, including elaborating on  the size limitation of the canine contestants, whereas pooches of all sizes are eligible to participate in the M&M Olympics. (https://muttsandmartinisoncentral.com/, https://www.instagram.com/muttsmartiniscentral/) COMEDY CORNER: Demetri Martin’s  “Pets To Cats”  (DS edit)  (https://demetrimartin.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme” NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TAJAN14Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Allison Argo–, and writer-producer of “Tusker: Brotherhood of Elephants,” a new episode of the PBS series Nature—recounts how her background in the family business of theater (on Cape Cod) may have made her uniquely equipped to launch a filmmaking career. Her first film, “The Urban Gorilla,” made quite a splash—it was narrated by Glenn Close, broadcast by National Geographic, accorded all kinds of awards and acclaim. And the life of Ivan–the titular “Gorilla”—became vastly improved. Thus began a long string of Argo-made documentaries, almost without exception telling animal stories and stories about animals (not the same thing), fulfilling a decades-long commitment, as stated on the Argo Films website, “to provide a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.” That figures into the ethos of her sizable body of work, whether a film is a project she created and developed under the Argo Films banner, or a documentary such as “Tusker: Brotherhood of Elephants,” which she explained, resulted from a conversation with Nature executive producer Fred Kaufman, and a subsequent collaboration. Argo elaborates on the genesis of “Tusker,” having earlier noted that she’s a longtime, passionate elephant enthusiast. We discuss how, filmed in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, the doc chronicles the lives of a trio of so-called super tuskers—Craig, Pascal, and Esau—who were different ages, and at different phases of life, facing different challenges, tribulations, and changes. A few days before this interview–long after filming was completed—word came that the much-beloved Craig had died, at age 54. I asked Argo for a remembrance of the popular pachyderm—labeled in the film, with what became sad irony, “a living legend”—and she added to the chorus of voices who rhapsodized about Craig, noting this truly gentle giant evidenced a fundamental kindness and projected a certain calm when being filmed, photographed, and otherwise. Craig also served as a generous mentor to younger male elephants, a towering figure in multiple senses, including that, as a super tusker, he sported monstrous tusks that weighed 100 pounds each. We touched on how most articles, shows, and docs about elephants tend to focus on the animals living in matriarchal societies, led by the oldest, wisest female, who guides the family, including mothers, daughters, sisters, and others—a pachyderm sisterhood. In contrast, we remark on how “Tusker” arrived as if seeking equal time to present the other side of the story, including a similarly singular glimpse into the annual cycle of musth, a period of heightened hormones that male African elephants experience for breeding and asserting dominance. We wrap up by circling back to Argo Films, focusing on its next release, “Forever Home,” which Argo says examines a farm animal sanctuary, and the innovative “Animal Centered Design” with which the founders created living spaces for the animals, based on the fundamental traits and preferences of a given species. (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/, https://www.argofilms.com/) ALSO: I spoke with Diane Emery, owner of Whiskers Workplace, an enterprise in Saint Petersburg that rents out workspaces of various sizes, furnished with an assortment of equipment and furniture—and also furnished with varying numbers of adoptable cats! The feline population wandering the Workplace involve at least the (temporary) residents of  CJPaws, a Saint Pete cat rescue, which just happens to be housed in the same building as Whiskers Workplace. Emery describes clicker training—how it works, its virtues, what it can accomplish, etc.—and places it in the context of  “Clicker Training For Cats,” a series of classes they’re offering Tuesday evenings through January, plus Feb. 3. People can benefit from participating in one or more session—it’s not essential to attend them all, Emery said. The classes are taught by “Cat Man [...]

‘Tis the season: This morning, I yet again set aside the customary show format to deliver the “Talking Animals Annual Holiday Animal Song Special.”  I noted the title is intentionally unwieldy, which I enjoy in an odd way, mostly because it reflects the tongue-in-cheek, nutty nature of the show. On the other hand, this year, I did not over-explain the premise (a show almost exclusively devoted to playing Holiday-oriented animal tunes), typically a fundamental component of these yearly programs. I did place a greater emphasis on playing new songs—or, at least, touting that I did so! From the get-go: The opening tune I played was “Krampus Night,” from the new Old Crow Medicine Show, OCMS XMAS. Other new releases I sprinkled throughout the hour included “Lion Inna Di Manger,” a selection from Ras Dave’s album, Christmas Inna Babylon, and a barn-burner from feisty fiddlers Mark & Maggie O’Connor, “Hold That Tiger Rudolph”—arguably, two animal songs. We also heard our share of “Rudolph”  numbers, including a racing take by Beatles doppelgänger The Fab Four. We also continued our crusade to generate attention for the non-Rudolph contingent of reindeer, and not just confined to the Original Eight. For instance, in one set, we presented Otis Gibbs’ “Lloyd The Reindeer,” followed by “Listen I’m Blitzen,” from Marion & Martin (the Marion being Marion Gwizdala, a  past guest on “Talking Animals” https://talkinganimals.net/2024/09/marion-gwizdala-ceo-of-advocates-for-service-animal-partners-inc-asap/. Toward the end of  this edition, I explained–and engaged in—the traditional reading of what I call the Dorothy Strauss Christmas message, basically a poignant, inspirational prose poem in the form of a wall hanging that formed the centerpiece of my Mom’s Christmas decorations. The piece was credited to “author unknown” in those days. I later learned it was written by –who briefly served as the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints–in the form of a Holiday speech he delivered. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TAdec17Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dawn Barbone–founder of Samadhi Wildlife, a nonprofit refuge in Ormond Beach that rehabilitates sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife native to Florida—explains that she hasn’t merely loved animals since she was a child, but has also loved healing them since then. It’s not uncommon in the animal welfare world to encounter someone who was that kid in the neighborhood, tending to sick or injured critters. But it’s exceptionally rare to meet someone who knew at that early age they were meant to care for ill or wounded animals as their life’s work—as a calling. In this conversation, though, that’s exactly the ambition Barbone described, running as a thru-line across her formative years, into adulthood–always focused on wildlife—never losing sight of her dream, even while circumstances, like being a single mom raising her son, deferred realizing that dream. But Barbone volunteered at wildlife rehab places when she could, learning the ropes, teaching herself some healing skills, confirming her sense that she was an empath–sharing a particularly profound connection with animals. Then, Barbone recalls, when she was injured in 2018, sort of making lemonade from that lemon, she began to lay the groundwork for what became Samadhi Wildlife. (The name, suggested by her husband, Jesse, refers to a state of intense concentration achieved through meditation; in Hindu yoga, it’s regarded as the final stage, when you encounter God.) Barbone notes that the first week Samadhi Wildlife threw open its doors, the place was deluged with animals, a pace that’s largely continued to this day, and if anything, has probably grown busier. Samadhi is licensed through the state, so Barbone receives calls—and animals in need of care—directly from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Between this and widening awareness amongst people and rescues, sanctuaries, and other organizations, Barbone and company maintain a relentless pace of treating raccoons, opossums, rabbits, deer, coyotes, bobcats, and other critters. She calls Samadhi an “E.R. for wildlife.” This furious tempo maintains something of an inverse relationship with income. For example, the FWC supplies Samadhi Wildlife endless patients, but zero finances. Likewise, though more broadly, Samadhi receives no government funding of any kind. A nonprofit, this operation is funded entirely by donations. That’s your cue: https://samadhiwildlife.org/ ALSO: I spoke with R-J Vida, a co-founder & CEO of the PURE Initiative, which aims to clean, maintain, and revive Tampa Bay’s waters. The acronym PURE stands for Preserve, Uphold, Revive, Educate.  Vida outlined PURE Initiative’s history and mission, including that they convene monthly for a major clean-up undertaking—the second Sunday of the month, including Dec. 14, meeting at 8am, in this case at the Davis Island boat ramp. At this point, Vida said, 40-50 folks typically turn up at these monthly Clean-Ups, which are focused on removing plastics and other trash from Tampa’s waters and shores. Those wanting to join these efforts are welcome, though Vida explained that PURE asks that all volunteers RSVP via its website (https://pureinitiative.org/clean-ups/), so as to generate a headcount that’s important for providing everyone work gloves and other Clean-Up gear, not to mention doughnuts and swag.   COMEDY CORNER: Sebastian Maniscalco’s “Opossum Problem” (DS edit)  (https://www.sebastianlive.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme” NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TADec10Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Artist-photographer-writer Claire Rosen—who’s cultivated a long, lauded career, with much of her work reflecting a longstanding passion for animals, and celebrated for its sense of whimsy—traces the shaping of this sensibility back to her childhood, reading Beatrix Potter, regularly visiting the American Museum of Natural History, and going to the zoo and the circus whenever possible. Not that Rosen’s home was an animal-free zone in her formative years. Hardly. She recalls a house full of critters—dogs, cats, ferrets, parakeets—and feeling a profound connection. She loved animals then, and she loves animals now. And that lifelong love has been expressed in her work, while seemingly mindful to not take herself, or the animals she depicts, too seriously. Indeed, Rosen and I spent a chunk of time discussing whimsy—how she feels about whimsical work, the role whimsy plays in her creations, to what extent whimsy can facilitate communication between artist and viewer, and so on. This led, quite naturally, to chewing over “Fantastical Feasts,” Rosen’s serries involving whimsical (there’s that word again!) panoramic photos portraying a large group of particular animals—for example, just cheetahs, or just elephants, or cobras, or bullfrogs, or hyenas—gathered around long, enormous tables brimming with food. Soon, we excused ourselves from those tables, fluttering on to “Birds of a Feather,” her just published photobook, an elegant, extraordinary collection offering 120 portraits of birds, presented against an array of vintage pieces of wallpaper as backdrops. Rounded out by essays written by Rosen–plus notable contributors Femke Speelberg, Curator of Historic Ornament, Design and Architecture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and Joel Sartore, a renowned National Geographic photographer and creator of the Photo Ark, billed as “the world’s largest collection of animal studio portraits”–“Birds of a Feather” could sound at first like a coffee table book. But, as I observed in this conversation, it has much grander ambitions, and much grander virtues. We discuss the “Birds”  extended gestation period, and the multiple phases during which she generated particular types of bird photos. Notably, while recounting the early history of the project—photographing parakeets and other pet birds in a makeshift studio at the local pet store—Rosen explains that while mostly receiving acclaim for these images, she drew some harsh criticism from animal rights activists for using feathered friends from the pet industry. This was enormously upsetting to her, she says, but upon serious contemplation, profoundly transformative in her perspective on captive animals and pets—and how she approached photographing critters in the future. It was around this time when she described how she landed on the idea of using vintage wallpaper as the backdrops for this aviary art, and gathered the many pieces of wallpaper to do so. Finally, Rosen responded to my closing couple of questions, including “Who is this book for?”—asking how she would characterize her perceived audiences for “Birds of a Feather”…and, given this sprawling, singular tome, how would she characterize the book itself? (https://claire-rosen.com/) [Photos by Claire Rosen]   ALSO: I spoke with Jess Yingst, of Rescue Me Tampa, who first filled us in on the organization’s full name (Rescue Me Tampa – Shelter Dogs), en route to describing their mission—facilitating adoptions of the 400 dogs and cats she said are currently housed at the Pet Resource Center, 440 Falkenburg Road, Tampa—and their membership: animal lovers with full-time jobs and families, who make the time to find homes for these shelter animals. Toward that end, they organize events aimed at spurring adoptions, with a case in point being their multifaceted Pawliday, set for Dec. 13, noon-5pm, at the Pet Resource Center. Jess outlines some of the [...]

As we’ve done 14 times before—spanning the better part of five years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.”  In each session of ATT, listeners are invited to call or email (or text) questions about their dogs or cats. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult is Glen Hatchell, the retired Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and veteran, accomplished dog trainer and behaviorist. He is also a former WMNF programmer, and occasionally guest hosts “Talking Animals.” In today’s edition, before taking the first listener question, Glen started to speak about the importance of eye contact with your dog(s), how to establish, cultivate, and reward it—and its virtues. It wasn’t long before  the first listener call arrived—Cindy from Palm Harbor, regarding her Malinois–touching off a steady stream of calls (and emails)…Cindy’s question about the Malinois involved biting issues, to which Glen recommended seeing their veterinarian for labs, in case there’s medical reason behind the biting; he also suggested connecting with a certified trainer to help mitigate the biting…Other questions for Glen included a woman who wanted to find a playmate for her one-year-old Chihuahua, and was seeking an array of ideas for how to go about doing so… And a guy who’d adopted a dog he’d been looking after since the owner fell ill—then later died—asking about three incidents (spanning four years) in which the dog attacked someone: the mailman, a worker cutting through their yard, and so on. Glen didn’t seem overly concerned, given the infrequency of the episodes, though thought consulting with their vet and or a behaviorist might be wise….in what represented the only cat question of the day, a listener texted, inquiring if it’s still “a thing to put cats on Prozac or some other psychiatric drug or maybe a sedative to calm them due to an incessant need to escape the house”… We present Ask The Trainer every two to three months, and you’re welcome to submit a question ahead of the next show via this website. COMEDY CORNER: There was no Comedy Corner today. 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/2025/11/TANov26Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Holly Dutton–Medical Director at the Tampa and Clearwater locations of VEG ER for Pets, a national operation specializing in around-the-clock emergency care for pets—reviews some of the VEG ER distinguishing traits we covered in her June 2025 appearance on “Talking Animals,” as a prelude to today’s discussion focusing on Holiday-related emergency vet visits, and how to prevent them. Touching on one of those traits–the policy that enables someone calling a VEG ER location to immediately speak with a veterinarian–leads to a more extended re-exploration than anticipated. That was spurred, in part, by a caller who appreciated that policy, and experienced it while fostering a kitten, but was concerned that in calling a VEG ER hospital, she received a quote of $8000-$10,000 to treat the kitty. There’s further conversation about this, including medical scenarios that would yield that sort of estimate. Moving on to the core of today’s conversation, I ask Dr. Dutton to identify the most common issue that brings an animal to a vet hospital during the Holidays. Not surprisingly, she responds, that’s after the animals have eaten something they shouldn’t have, triggering an ill  reaction—and the visit to the vet hospital. This falls under the category “Food Toxicity & GI,” which revolved partly around dogs eating chocolate, clarifying the risks and misunderstandings surrounding the topic. She noted that if your dog consumes chocolate, the emergency vet will want to know how much, what kind (dark chocolate vs milk, etc.), and when. Other elements we explored in this particular realm included consuming fatty foods by way of snagging table scraps, sometimes developing pancreatitis as a result…Getting into discarded items pulled from the trash—bones, cooking twine, foil, etc.—and the perils of pets swallowing Xylitol, the ingredient in many sugar-free desserts, gum, and baked goods. We spend some time talking about Toxic Plants, including that munching on Poinsettias—the flowering plant commonly used as Christmas decoration in homes and elsewhere—can be poisonous for cats, though Dr. Dutton adds that the severity of their toxicity is mild. By sharp contrast, she emphasizes that Lilies—also frequently incorporated into Holiday décor—are enormously dangerous for cats, even just exposure to their pollen, and ingesting them can lead to severe kidney failure. We go on to consider other Holiday pet emergencies, including fireworks-induced trauma and panic-induced seizures—and in all instances of these emergencies, what measures can be undertaken to prevent them. (https://www.veg.com/) ALSO: I spoke with Ellen Jaffe Jones–the successful athlete, running coach, personal trainer, cooking instructor, realtor, and author of multiple books, including “Eat Vegan On $4 A Day”—who was slated to deliver a talk on Sunday, Nov. 23, entitled “The Vegan Edge—In Competition And Life.” A longtime master of wearing many hats, she outlined the current batch of hats she’s wearing, then offered something of a sneak preview of her then-upcoming lecture. We underscored how, in addition to her lecture, the Sunday afternoon extravaganza–held at Lotus Vegan Restaurant, in St Petersburg–would also include a sumptuous vegan buffet. (https://www.vegcoach.com/, https://www.lotusvegan.us/)     COMEDY CORNER: Martha Kelly’s “Horses Hate That We Ride Them”  (https://www.instagram.com/mkellyatx/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme” NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/TANov19Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Jennifer Conrad—veterinarian, founder of The Paw Project, tireless crusader against declawing cats for a quarter century—recalls the initial impetus for her anti-declaw advocacy: her work, as a newly-minted veterinarian, with declawed big cats at a wildlife sanctuary. Conrad’s own history ended up dovetailing with answering my question about the history of feline declaw itself, “pioneered” (that may be too lofty a word) by Grant Meisner, in 1952, elevated and promoted by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), gradually becoming a common procedure performed at vet clinics and hospitals. A lucrative one, too. Conrad figures that these days, vets make around $900 per declaw, part of what she calls a “billion dollar a year industry.” That’s a lot of dough, especially when those unaware learn that declaw—while the term might conjure a gentle image of someone using the clippers from a manicure kit to simply trim the kitty’s nail– is actually an amputation of a cat’s toes at the last joint. Deknuckling. That’s truly horrific for the cat, of course, but, Conrad reminds us, the by-products of the procedure ensure there are more horrors to come, including chronic pain, infection, and lameness….and behavioral problems like biting, refusing to use the litter box (commonly leading to the animal being surrendered to a shelter, often followed by being euthanised), and a reduced ability to defend themselves. She discusses her reasons for creating The Paw Project, a multifaceted entity that aims to, among other objectives, educate the public about feline declawing, and play a pivotal role in guiding legislative efforts to outlaw the declaw procedure. We note that, mere weeks before this conversation, California passed an anti-declaw law–the largest state to implement such a ban, and the fifth, after Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Donning her prognosticator’s hat, Conrad predicts the next states to follow suit may be Washington and Oregon. Naturally, I feel compelled to ask her thoughts about what it would take for Florida to join the ranks of the no-declaw states. She outlines the steps involved, underscoring the importance of enlisting a sympathetic legislator to serve as author of the declaw ban bill, someone truly committed, who would remain vigilant about repelling loopholes or other language that would kill the bill. (https://pawproject.org/) ALSO: l spoke with Rick Chaboudy, president of Suncoast Animal League, who filled us in on the triumphant return of Dogtoberfest—Suncoast’s longtime major fundraising event that’s been often-derailed in recent years, first by the pandemic, then by havoc wreaked by last year’s hurricanes—outlining some of the activities and offerings planned for the day (Nov. 15) at Highlander Park, in Dunedin: vendors, beer & food trucks, games, pet blessing, dog adoptions, alumni parade (a procession of dogs that were adopted from Suncoast), Santa photos, and more. Plus, Chaboudy describes the popular event-within-the-event: Ride 4 The Animals, a fundraising cycling event, in which participants can elect to undertake one of four rides ranging from 12 to 62 miles. (https://www.dogtoberfest.info/, https://ride4theanimals.raceroster.com/, https://www.suncoastanimalleague.org/)   COMEDY CORNER: Brian Simpson’s “Missing Pets” (DS edit) (https://www.briansimpsoncomedy.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/2025/11/TANOV12Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Joshua Lisbon–a researcher/educator/storyteller at the center of a new PBS/Nature documentary, “Willow: Diary of a Mountain Lion”—describes his background and experience (and academic training) before working on the 10-year study that formed the core content of this doc.Tongue partly in cheek, Lisbon tried to dismiss his education-heavy history as “wrong” for this project. But given how illuminating—often revelatory—the film is, it’s hard not to view Lisbon’s pedagogy-oriented resume as pivotal to the stellar outcome. We discuss one notable trait of the study that quickly emerges in the film: how noninvasive, “hands off,” the research was— early in the documentary, Lisbon says he and his colleagues “don’t handle cats, don’t collar cats, don’t want to disturb them in any way.” We explore how they decided on that approach, who made that decision, and why. I ask Lisbon if the results generated through this method strike him as more pure than employing more intrusive techniques….These animals sporting no collars, or other tracking devices, brings us to an intriguing question: To what extent are there research challenges posed by many mountain lions looking very much alike—at least, to a layman like myself? Which is to say: With these cats lacking distinguishing traits—like spots or stripes—how do you identify one mountain lion from another? Lisbon responds that it revolves around closely scrutinizing footage, testing genetic material, and other variables. I observe that a major factor in what makes the film so magical is the often-dazzling footage—with remarkable access and proximity chiefly to Willow and her kittens, but also presenting up-close looks at other animals, including foxes, bears, wolves, elk, bobcats, skunks, and wolverines. This visual bonanza is the product of numerous cameras…as if someone had mused aloud, “if five cameras are good, 50 are better—and 150 cameras are even better than that….” Lisbon points out that he and his colleagues consider the study—again, 10 years in the making—now complete, and that the results won’t be published in a journal; in this case, “Willow: Diary of a Mountain Lion” serves as the journal. (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/about-willow-diary-of-a-mountain-lion/33397/) [Photos by Colin Ruggiero] ALSO: I spoke with Myriam Parham, the co-founder and president of Florida Voices for Animals, which amongst a broad portfolio of protests, campaigns and other objectives, produces the annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest. This year’s Veg Fest–the 13th annual edition—is set to take place Nov. 8, from 11am to 5pm, at Perry Harvey Sr. Park. Parham outlines the impetus for launching Florida Voices for Animals, and the reasons the organization created, and continues to present, Veg Fest. She emphasizes that one guiding principle is the fundamental importance of supporting vegan restaurants and other businesses—both those operating as vendors at Veg Fest, and those located elsewhere. Parham highlights an array of this year’s other Veg Fest offerings, including live music, speakers (among them, Dr. Crystal Heath, my guest on the Oct. 15 “Talking Animals”), yoga, cooking demos, and more. (https://www.tampabayvegfest.com/)   COMEDY CORNER: Myles Anderson’s “Mountain Lion” (DS edit) (https://www.mylesandersoncomedy.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme” NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/TAoct29Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Andria Gibbon–founder and president of Protecting Paws for Life, a nonprofit Florida organization dedicated to helping more domestic violence shelters become pet-friendly–recalls, as a young woman in New Jersey, her transformative first foray into animal rescue, never imagining she’d still be doing it 27 years later. In a conversation pegged to October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Gibbon elaborates on her rescue experiences over the course of those years, undertaking various aspects of that enterprise as she relocated to Texas, back to New Jersey, then to Florida—noting that during the Texas stint, she briefly ran her own rescue. She answers inquiries about what rescue policies or philosophies have changed most significantly over her 27 years—and what she likes best about working in rescue. Recounting the arc of her rescue history dovetails with Gibbon’s endeavors to formalize her canine connection and expanding expertise with studies: Becoming a Certified Advanced Canine Trainer and Behavior Specialist. Gibbon discusses yet another related hat she wears, owner of Heart Canine Care, an entity described as “focused on keeping families together that are facing behavior challenges with their dogs.” This eases into a more detailed exchange about Protecting Paws for Life, noting that fewer than 20% of domestic violence shelters nationwide accept pets. This presents a serious obstacle for survivors, who often won’t relocate to such a shelter without their pets, and feel just as strongly about not leaving the animals at the home where the abuse takes place. I review with Gibbon that, in 2018, I reported and co-wrote a Washington Post story on this topic, optimistically suggesting in the article a growing trend nationally toward more domestic violence shelters permitting pets. Heck, the headline on the Post piece was: “Little by little, domestic violence shelters become pet friendly.” And the headline was certainly true at the time. However, what Gibbon and I were lamenting, seven-plus years later, was how slowly that progress is moving. Still, as Gibbon outlines, Protecting Paws is putting its best foot (paw?) forward seeking to mitigate this hurdle, extending its support–during its relatively brief existence—into shelters across eight Florida counties, and forging alliances with entities such as Harmony Vet Care, BestyBnB, and Pinellas County Animal Services. Other inroads that we talked about include creating foster arrangements for survivors and their animals—implemented with protections that prevent the parties from knowing identifying details—and holding supply drives, like the one running through October—aiming to collect a variety of pet items, including food, bedding, crates, dog and cat toys, and litter. (https://protectingpawsforlife.org/)   ALSO: I spoke with Jennifer Langston, founder of Golden Ears Sanctuary and Rescue, a specialized refuge for senior, hospice, and disabled dogs, located in Wesley Chapel, FL. Langston provided a brief overview of Golden Ears, including launching the sanctuary in 2019 in her home, where she continues to operate Golden Ears. She acknowledges that she’s regularly approached about prospective new residents, and with limited space, outlines the criteria she employs for deciding when to take in these canine candidates. She clearly loves her work, loves these dogs, while facing a steady string of veterinary bills, food bills, and other expenses. She explains that Golden Ears is funded by private donations, and the occasional fundraiser—like the upcoming 7th Annual Barks, Bags n’ Brews cornhole tournament, slated for Nov. 8, at Tiki Cove, 2700 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in . Langston recognizes not everyone plays cornhole, but makes clear that this non-playing contingent is still very much invited to participate by enjoying the food and drink on hand, and watching the tournament. To register for Barks, Bags n’ Brews and/or donate to Golden [...]

Dr. Crystal Heath–a veterinarian who’s bristled at inhumane treatment of animals throughout her career, and before, dating back to her childhood as a 4-H kid discovering the goats she’d raised would be slaughtered—recalls growing up in a rural part of Northern California, adoring animals and riding horses. Dr. Heath, a speaker at the Tampa Bay Veg Fest, Nov. 8–delivering a 1pm talk entitled, “Bridging the Divide Between Activists and Veterinarians”–observes that her 4-H experience, alongside some early exposure to some PETA literature, and members, helped shape her outlook and sensibility regarding animal welfare. Horses were a particular passion in her formative years, and she recounts that, at age 17, she moved out of the family home, relocating to Carmel, to train horses, and had two horses while in college. Over time, Dr. Heath says, her feelings about horses shifted, and she no longer owns or rides them (though she remains involved in horse rescue.) She opines on the defects of veterinary school education, hers and others’, where the current curriculum even at top vet schools—including Heath’s alma mater, UC Davis—involve dissection and killing animals. During her time as a vet student, Dr. Heath declined to participate in those activities. Part of her slate of advocacy seeks to eliminate those elements from vet schools’ curriculum, aiming to keep pace with medical schools, which have phased out procedures on animals in favor of digital modules. Having put in stints as a shelter veterinarian, as well as at small animal practices, Dr. Heath explains that she’s currently devoting her practicing time to performing spay/neuter surgeries, reflecting her belief that concentrating on implementing those procedures as widely as possible, to help mitigate overcrowded shelters, or pet overpopulation overall. We also touch on, among many other topics…Our Honor, a nonprofit supporting veterinary professionals in promoting ethical practices for which she serves as executive director…how she would react to being described as a “whistleblower” and what those using that term were referring to…and a sneak preview of the lecture she’ll deliver at Tampa Bay Veg Fest. (https://www.instagram.com/dr.crystalheath/?hl=en, https://www.ourhonor.org/, https://www.tampabayvegfest.com/) ALSO: I spoke with Leah Biery, Executive Director of Education at Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, which is presenting an event this Saturday, Oct. 18, called “Boo On The Bay,” described as a Halloween-themed event where science meets seasonal fun.” Biery offers an overview of the Discovery Center, an educational facility on the St. Pete Pier that features interactive exhibits, a touch tank with live animals, and educational programs about various aspects of Tampa Bay. She notes the Center is heading into the portion of the year when they present several events, including “Boo On The Bay,” slated to take place on Oct. 18, 11am to 3pm, at the Center, replete with an array of activities—among them, encounters with animal ambassadors about which Biery is mysterious, in what sounds like a fun-filled day. (https://www.tbwdiscoverycenter.org/) COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Doctors & Veterinarians” (https://brianregan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme” NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/TAOct15Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Kirk Johnson—paleontologist, Sant Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and onscreen narrator of “Walrus: Life on Thin Ice,” a documentary that airs Oct. 22 in the season premiere of the PBS series “Nature”—recalls a research opportunity as a grad student some 40 years ago, involving walruses. It was, he says in the film, “love at first sight.” It’s clear, as “Walrus: Life on Thin Ice” unspools, that Johnson remains smitten with these tusked mammals, an affection that viewers are likely to find contagious. While the doc functions as a love letter of sorts, it can be seen fundamentally as an exploration of the impact of climate change on walruses–particularly shrinking sea ice, given the way they rely on that ice for feeding, breeding and more. We discuss how, for many years, we’ve heard various concerns expressed about polar bears and diminishing ice, but I wonder to what extent he feels walruses’ similar plight may be flying under the radar. Johnson agrees with that assertion, while noting that polar bears and walruses are notably different creatures with differing abilities to adapt to diminishing ice. Indeed, when I later speak to the segments of the movie cumulatively addressing the global warming influence on the walruses’ existence suggest we’re heading for a dire scenario, he gently counters that assertion. Weighing in, of course, from the perspective of a paleontologist—where the long view is often measured in millions of years—Johnson explains that there were a number of previous walrus species, including one that lived in warm water in San Diego. So, with a walrus having history living without ice, Johnson contends they conceivably could do it again—so would not characterize the animals’ future prospects as “dire.”  We touched on some of the other elements of “Walrus: Life on Thin Ice”– which I consider a cinematic mosaic—including walruses’ prodigious clam consumption and impressive technique for doing so (no clam shells were broken in the making of this meal)…the rescue and rehabilitation of an orphaned pup, dubbed “Little Miss Walrus,”…we’re introduced to two wardens who spend the Spring and Summer on Round Island (the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Alaska), conducting a daily census of walrus arrivals and departures, and so on….(https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/season-44/) [Photos: PBS Nature] ALSO: I spoke with Amy Crosby of St. Francis Society Animal Rescue, who described the rescue’s history, dating back to its founding in 1997, as well as its mission, citing some eye-popping yearly figures regarding number of cats St. Francis has fostered (1700) and feral cats the organization has Trap-Neutered-Returned (1500). Operating without a brick-and-mortar facility, Crosby explained how St. Francis maintains arrangements with an array of pet stores across the Tampa Bay Area, from which to offer their fostered cats for adoption. She notes St. Francis Society Animal Rescue is a strictly volunteer operation, and is currently served by 200 active volunteers. Crosby also outlines the key elements and details of “Life Amplified: PURRRFECT—A Night of Music, Laughter, and Pawsitive Vibes,”an event Life Amplified is producing Nov. 1 at The Studio at Carrollwood Cultural Center, with all proceeds going to St. Francis Society Animal Rescue. Attendees are invited to wear their finest cat-inspired or black-and-white attire. (https://lifeamplifiedshowcase.com/, https://www.stfrancisrescue.org/)   COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Birdwatching” (https://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/2025/10/TAOct1Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Stephanie Boydston–founder and director of Love Life Animal Rescue & Sanctuary, a refuge in Myakka City, FL devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing farmed animals—recalls a childhood in Long Island, NY amidst a string of foster animals, reflecting her father’s belief that family members should become accustomed to saying goodbye to animals. These were mostly cats and dogs, which Boydston enthusiastically remembers loving equally—though eventually, begrudgingly, reveals a senior feline named Willow was her fave in those days. A pivotal part of the Stephanie Boydston narrative was, while still going to school in NY, she began snowbirding, bouncing back and forth from Fort Lauderdale and other parts of Florida. While some of those stints involved bartending or other food & bev gigs, she ultimately landed her “dream job”: working in development for Make-A-Wish, the well-known, national nonprofit based in south Florida. Boydston was initially drawn to Make-A-Wish tied to a close friend who became seriously ill, and later died. But her work for the organization yielded fundraising experience, nonprofit knowledge, financial acumen, and other skills—all rather singular in the realm of those who run rescues and/or sanctuaries. Another central element of the Stephanie Boydston story was starting to volunteer at Good Karma Pet Rescue, in Fort Lauderdale, and while there, a litter of 10 potbellied pigs arrived. She found homes for eight of those pigs, but the other two ended up living with Boydston, setting in motion a transformative experience that–some years and many, many animals later—led to the launching of Love Life Animal Rescue & Sanctuary. The Sanctuary spans 10 acres, and currently houses 211 animals, including goats, chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats, and pigs. Lots and lots of pigs. That’s quite a menagerie, the care and feeding of which Boydston chiefly handles solo. She says her monthly nut to look after those 211 animals, and other expenses, runs $6200. To contribute to that ongoing outlay, inquire about volunteering, look into adopting a current resident, meet those animals, and so on, you can visit the website: https://www.lovelifeanimalrescue.org/ ALSO: I spoke with Kris Porter, founder of Owl’s Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife, an Odessa, FL-based rescue and rehabilitation organization that tends to sick, injured, or orphaned wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, and more. A former zoologist at Busch Garden, Porter explains she launched Owl’s Nest Sanctuary in her home, has since relocated to its own freestanding facility, and is fast approaching its 10th anniversary. The demand for help with injured or ill wildlife is relentless, with calls and messages pouring in throughout each day. Porter notes that the operation is funded strictly by donations. On a related note, she also discusses Echoes of the Wild, Owl’s Nest’s first-ever Gala, benefitting the Sanctuary—and taking place Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Italian Club of Tampa. (https://www.owlsnestsanctuaryforwildlife.com/, https://www.facebook.com/owlsnestsanctuaryforwildlife/) COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Horse Whisperer” (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme” NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TASept24Final-1.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Father Andrew Heyes, Rector of St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Tampa—a uniquely canine-centric man of the cloth, rarely going anywhere without his Doberman, Humphrey, at his side, sometimes including the altar—recalls growing up in Northwest England with the first of a lifelong string of dogs. He remembers a decidedly pro-animal ethos amidst his family (he notes that relatives bred dogs) that he absorbed and then projected as he moved forward—school, seminary, churches he worked at before landing at St. Clement’s in 2006. He describes in glowing terms what he encountered at St. Clement’s upon that arrival, emphasizing how welcoming, warm, and friendly everyone was, and even then—the better part of 20 years ago—many of those working and worshipping there were clearly animal people. Still, even a whip-smart pooch like Humphrey (whom Father Heyes enlisted to write a periodic blog for the church website) might not have predicted that St. Clement’s would evolve into the singularly fauna-friendly church that Heyes leads today. Toward that end, while many churches offer a Blessing of the Animals, St. Clement’s version, slated for Oct. 4, amounts to a full-blown production—as Father Heyes describes it–more like a festival, with assorted booths and tables, offering various products and services, animals available for adoption, all kinds of food, pet CPR training, face painting, and more. This Blessing is, in no way, limited to dogs and cats, but welcomes all of God’s creatures–Father Heyes says he’s blessed critters ranging from stick insects to skunks. We go on to discuss other St. Clement’s components that distinguish it as a safe haven for animals and their humans, including the People and Pets Ministry, which seeks to keep people and their pets together, even under financially-challenging circumstances, including providing pet food (and some veterinary care) to at-risk families. Plus, “Bring Your People to Church,” in which, on the third Sunday of each month, St. Clement’s invite parishioners to bring their animals to attend services, affording people the opportunity to worship alongside their pets. Under the watchful eye of Humphrey, lounging at Father Heyes’ side in the WMNF studio, we talk about his love of Dobermans—including Humphrey’s predecessors. And how when parishioners seek his counsel, for grief or other significant matters, he’s learned those sessions tend to be most effective when both he and the parishioner direct their comments through the dog. Lastly, we explore Father Heyes’ previous life as a rocker, serving as lead singer and guitarist for a Genesis-like progressive rock band; this was before he attended seminary. During this part of the conversation, for the first and only time, Humphrey looked genuinely befuddled….(https://stclement.net/)   ALSO: I spoke with Fluffy Cazalas, the President of Full of Cattitude, a cat rescue in Ruskin, Florida. She described some of the work Full of Cattitude undertakes, including remaining undeterred by major (and expensive) veterinary procedures for one of its feline charges. She noted that she’s a lifelong rescuer—not just of cats, but any animal needing help. And she confirms that as the leader of a cat rescue, her name is not too good to be true—her legal name is Fluffy. Additionally, she touches on CATstravaganza St. Petersburg, the sprawling feline-minded event slated to happen that Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Coliseum in St. Pete–Full of Cattitude planned to participate. Cazalas observed that the cat show component doesn’t just feature the expected purebred contestants, but also makes room in the competition for rescue kittys. (https://www.fullofcattitude.org/, https://lovingcatsworldwide.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Amir K’s “My Dog Talked To Me” (https://amircomedy.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme” NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO [...]

Dr. Melissa Miller–a wearer of multiple University of Florida hats: research scientist, wildlife ecologist with the school’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, lead investigator on a project that employs Artificial Intelligence technology seeking to halt the growing population of yet another invasive species, the Argentine Black and White Tegu—describes some of the tasks associated with each of those hats. Miller also outlines some of the research projects she’d undertaken before tackling the Tegu investigation, noting she began specializing over the years in studying invasive species. She mentions she’s held a longtime passion for reptiles, dating back to her fascination for snakes—catching them in coffee cans–while growing up in Ohio. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Miller later shares that she currently  keeps snakes at her home: It was an aside, really, while commenting on people who’ve obtained–often through the exotic pet trade–a young Burmese Python or Tegu, and decided their companion had become too big or too aggressive or too scary to continue living with, releasing them into the wild, commonly in or around the Everglades. This group largely constitutes folk who entered the realm of reptile ownership largely unencumbered by significant information or preparation. They’re caught off-guard by the challenges their pets start to present, and then they dump them—adding to the population of invasive species—whereas hobby-herpetologists like Miller, are fully knowledgeable about their reptilian charges, remaining unfazed by the animals growing larger or more hostile. Miller further traces the story of the Tegu status as an invasive species in south Florida, noting that efforts to contain that expanding population were initially undertaken with traditional traps. To advance beyond that limited place, she recalls, her team began pursuing aa collaboration with Wild Vision Systems, a company that specializes in creating AI-powered smart traps for invasive species. After some trial-and-error refinements, the trap at the center of the current UF project for which Miller serves as lead investigator works this way: details and images of the distinctive-looking Argentine Black and White Tegu are fed into the AI technology that’s paired with the trap (it loosely resembles the device used to capture feral cats)…it recognizes when a Tegu is inside—and clamps shut! The trap sends a message, along with a picture to Miller’s group, indicating an animal has been caught, and showing whether it’s the intended tegu or another critter, which can be released remotely. Miller brings the conversation to a close addressing the virtues and long-term implications of this smart trap. (https://www.wildvision.ai/, https://crocdoc.ifas.ufl.edu/projects/Argentineblackandwhitetegus/) (Photo credits: University of Florida IFAS, Wild Vision Systems)   ALSO: I spoke with Marion Gwizdala, CEO of Advocates for Service Animal Partners Inc. (ASAP). Gwizdala explained that Tampa-based ASAP is a national nonprofit dedicated to securing, protecting, and advancing the rights and responsibilities of service animal handlers and the businesses they patronizeTampa-based. Gwizdala outlines the new resources for businesses—table tents and other materials—ASAP was rolling out on its website (https://serviceanimals.info/) that very day, tied to September being Service Dog Awareness Month. He mentions other ways ASAP can help disabled individuals and businesses sort out their respective rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, including its Hotline: 855-ASAP211. COMEDY CORNER: Greer Barnes’ “We Gotta Save The Bees” (https://www.instagram.com/greerbarnes)  MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme” NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Please Note: Owing to a major accident that closed down Highway 60—a central route I take in commuting to WMNF each Wednesday—I was unable to make it to the radio station to broadcast ‘Talking Animals,” having to deliver an improvised version of this show from my car, with enormous (& much-appreciated!) production assistance from Jessica Greene. That’s why today’s program is missing certain elements, and otherwise sounds a bit rough around the edges. Patrick Hardy–the founder of Bee Platoon, described as the first all-volunteer disaster response team that assists beekeepers, first responders, and the public when dealing with honeybee swarms, evacuating or sheltering bees, and more—recounts how he first became intrigued by disaster response and, even then, had ideas for improving the discipline. In elaborating, Hardy recalls that he worked as a first responder—EMT—while in college, where he majored in political science, observing that many poli sci majors seemed to harbor ambitions to shift the landscape in a given field. As Hardy did with disaster response, as well as having a preternatural talent for it, alongside the gumption to, for instance, write a letter to the governor of Louisiana, after watching the reaction to Hurricane Katrina, offering to come assist the state formulate its disaster response planning. (The governor’s office responded, and Hardy went to work there for a time.) Because of this kind of potent aspiration, and what appear to be catholic interests that have propelled him into an array of fields, he began making himself available to consult when certain areas experienced bee swarms (that’s when a hive splits or relocates, he explains), leading him to—once again—conclude there’s a better way for the honeybee/beekeeping realm to operate. So, he enrolled in the U.C. Davis-based California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMPB), and for his capstone project, Hardy designed—you guessed it—a honeybee disaster response team, the Bee Platoon, what’s thought to be the first, and maybe only, such response team. This was also partly the outgrowth of discovering that scientific literature about bees was woefully outdated, with the most recent paper Hardy could find on bee evacuations published in 1991. Of course, he then set out to mitigate that scenario, saying he expects to publish his paper on relocating bees early next year. Hardy offers perspectives on disaster response strategies across a range of industries, including outdoor hospitality, which involves campgrounds and RV parks—and the importance of multiple forms of warning notifications. Responding to my inquiry, he peels off briefly to address the horrific flooding in Central Texas earlier this summer—noting the deep value of having responders “pre-deploy,” whenever possible, in various settings.  (https://www.beeplatoon.com/, https://disasterpatrick.com/) ALSO: I spoke with Alicia Duval, president of Dachshund Adoption Rescue & Education—or DARE—who initially outlines some key details about that organization. But mainly, on this day, she was speaking in her capacity as the chief organizer of Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, an event slated  to take place on Aug. 28, in Clearwater. Duval recounts how the passing of her longtime canine companion, Forrest Gump, was devastating, a deeply painful loss, exacerbated by non-animal lovers who made assorted comments of the “get over it—it was just a dog” variety. So, teaming with The New Barker editor Anna Cooke, Duval created the multifaceted Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, highlighted by a performance by Nashville singer-songwriter Brittany Moore, whose poignant song about losing a dog, “Give A Girl,” profoundly touched Duval. As Duval explains, the Moore concert constituted just one of many of the free event’s elements aiming to offer comfort for those grieving the loss of a pet. (https://thenewbarker.com/home.html, [...]

Joshua Zeman–award-winning filmmaker whose new documentary, “Checkpoint Zoo,” arrives in timely fashion, providing a distinctive window into the Russian-Ukraine war, chronicling efforts to care for, then evacuate, some 5000 animals at a Ukrainian zoo called Feldman Ecopark, while bombing was underway—recounts the path from his previous doc, “The Loneliest Whale” to his new film. Zeman observes that one through line of his work is exploring “the mysteries of animals,” and quickly assents when I suggest he’d been interested in making a war film, but was unsure what form that should take. Then he spotted the front-page New York Times story about Chichi. Chichi is a  chimpanzee in Ukraine who busted out of the Kharkiv Zoo for a few hours before a zookeeper persuaded Chichi to return to the zoo–aboard the zookeeper’s bicycle. Reading The Times account, Zeman recalls, he was struck by how much Chichi’s on-the-lam antics delighted everyone who witnessed them—no small feat in a war-torn country—while the article noted the chimp and other animals had been evacuated months earlier from Feldman Ecopark…and, crucially, the piece also mentioned multiple videos of Chichi eluding capture, that they “were shared widely on social media.’” So, these elements in Ukraine coalesced in a way that not only gave Zeman his sought-after war film, but served as a catalyst for rapidly launching what would become “Checkpoint Zoo”: In our “Talking Animals” conversation, he describes cold-calling Feldman Ecopark, requesting—and receiving—a treasure trove of video clips featuring the zoo’s animals in various scenarios, many at a TikTok-friendly 30-second length. He says he ended up acquiring some 3000 clips. He outlines the unusual challenges of sifting through and assembling an enormous number of pieces into what would become “a Joshua Zeman Film.” Zeman also addresses how the spirited squad of volunteers—that help feed and care for the Feldman Ecopark animals, later assist in evacuating them—form a pivotal facet of the film. Toward the end of our conversation, Zeman weighs in on how working on  “Checkpoint Zoo” affected his thinking about war, and his thinking about zoos and other settings where animals are held in captivity. “Checkpoint Zoo” is now playing in select theaters; information on those theaters and more: https://checkpointzoo.com/              Photo of Zeman: Jennifer Manville Other photos: Nesterov, Hume I paid tribute to Rob Lorei, WMNF’s co-founder and the station’s longtime News & Public Affairs Director, who passed away on Aug. 17–and put “Talking Animals” on the WMNF broadcast schedule for the first time, starting in 2005. ALSO: I spoke with Adam Sugalski, a veteran animal activist who leads the efforts of Bear Defenders, a coalition dedicated to ending bear hunting across the United States–their singular focus in recent months was opposing the bear hunt that the FWC voted to approve last Wednesday, Aug. 13, in a meeting in Havana, Florida. Sugalski was at that meeting, so he briefly described the scene there, noting the dark cloud hanging above the session, and puzzling pre-meeting circumstance of some FWC Commissioners being curiously MIA (on vacation, attending a wedding, etc.). That sense of foreboding continued, as the Commissioners on hand voted unanimously in favor of proceeding with a regulated bear hunt, beginning with a 23-day hunting season in December—willfully ignoring, Sugalski and I observe, the will of nearly 80 percent of Floridians, who’d expressed opposition to the hunt. We also discuss next steps for those unwilling to accept that outcome, and the importance of exhausted, disappointed activists practicing self-care. (https://www.beardefenders.org/) COMEDY CORNER: Jeremy Hotz’s  “Bronx Zoo” (DS edit) (https://jeremyhotz.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL [...]

Elaine West–the founder of Rooterville Animal Sanctuary, a refuge housing rescued farm animals she launched in Melrose, Florida, more than two decades ago—explains the origin of her lifelong love of pigs. West pinpoints a particular pig that a local Humane Society was about to send home with “adopters” she felt certain were planning to eat the animal, so she intervened and rescued the pig…a pivotal episode that effectively spawned Rooterville. She recalls the early years of Rooterville, facing relentless challenges, traveling a tricky learning curve on how to run a sanctuary and how to care for assorted farm animals—many of whom had experienced neglect or abuse. In response to my specific inquiry, she addresses the extent to which she looks at her work at Rooterville as a calling, West allows that it is a calling—but, perhaps viewed through the lens of decades of experience—wishes that it weren’t a calling. More than once during our conversation, she acknowledged with a sigh of resignation that she’s older, and disabled, and figured she’d be retired by now. On a related note, she mentions she no longer takes in rescued pigs or other animals when approached to do so, after many years of saying “yes” to nearly all such entreaties. She concurs when I observe that her work guiding Rooterville feels like it’s propelled by a sort of spirituality. West recounts the unpleasant chapter of Rooterville history, in which she decided to relocate after a foundation–whose funding had helped sustain the organization since 2011—ended the support of Rooterville, and other sanctuaries, in 2021. This necessarily led to a fairly singular development amongst animal sanctuaries: reinvention. West describes the measures she implemented, some of which involved embracing agritourism (for example, you can stay at Rooterville in a covered wagon or the farmhouse, pitch a tent and camp there, or park your RV on site. Heck, you can even hold your wedding at Rooterville! West says only one couple has gotten married there so far, but hopes others will follow suit. She adds that she shifted gears in this direction—including making part of Rooterville available to rent for parties or other events, and daily enterprises, like cow cuddling–aiming to revise the sanctuary’s fundraising model, recognizing that merely relying on donations is no longer viable. West also points out that visitors to Rooterville are afforded more freedom than those visiting other sanctuaries, where the tour is often regimented in terms of where and when the sightseers may travel. That flexibility is mirrored by most of the animals, regardless of breed,  having the freedom to roam amongst each other and interact.  (https://www.rooterville.org/)   ALSO: I spoke with Emily Kapes, chief curator at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, the Saint Petersburg repository of various types of art, often including fauna-oriented work. Kapes briefly described the James Museum, but was chiefly there to discuss “Rare Air: Endangered Birds, Bats, Butterflies & Bees,” a current exhibition on view at the James through Sept. 14. She describes “Rare Air”: detailed illustrations of endangered North American species who fly, noting the intricate drawings of artist Sarah Kaizar—this is a solo exhibition by Kaizar—and the show’s underlying message to protect these at-risk species against further harm, so we don’t lose them altogether. She also underscores the rarity of art pieces depicting bats! (https://thejamesmuseum.org/special-exhibitions/) COMEDY CORNER: Kevin Nealon’s “Cows on the Roof” (https://kevinnealon.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Rolling Stones’ “Monkey Man” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TAAug13Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

As we’ve done 13 times prior—spanning more than four years now!-–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.”  In each session of ATT, listeners are invited to call or email (or text) questions about their dogs or cats. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult is Glen Hatchell, the now-retired Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, and a veteran, accomplished dog trainer and behaviorist. He is also a former WMNF programmer, and occasionally guest hosts “Talking Animals.” In today’s edition, before taking the first listener question, Glen started to speak about the virtue, in some cases, of going back to basics when addressing behavioral issues in dogs.  He had nary a moment to elaborate—because the first listener call came very early in the show, and a steady stream of calls (and emails) followed…starting with Sara (from Bradenton), inquiring about her dog Cowboy—born and raised in a tough, abusive hoarding situation—now, having lived with Sara’s family for a year and a half, is very skittish around other dogs…Sheryl (from St. Pete), asking about Jed—her red coonhound/pit bull mix, weighing about 75 pounds—and his practice of jumping on people, “humping” them, and nipping at their clothes…Others included a rare international inquiry, from Karen in Toronto, seeking guidance regarding her seven-year-old Golden Retriever, Jake, and his anxiety in the car—a condition that’s worsened over the past year, as illustrated by Karen’s anecdote about a recent drive from Toronto to Montreal…We offer Ask The Trainer every two to three months, and you’re welcome to submit a question ahead of the next show via this website. COMEDY CORNER: There was no Comedy Corner today. 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/2025/08/TAAug6Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice–an entomologist by training, and author whose books have tackled topics ranging from spiders to microbes—responds to my observation that her new set of books, “The Deadliest Series,” appears to represent a redoubling of her commitment to writing for young readers. It felt worth exploring, in part because Spicer Rice holds a PhD, is an accomplished science writer, and has written a number of books geared for adult audiences—her first appearance on this show, in 2017, was discussing her just-published four guides on ants…for adult readers. This leads us to a conversational detour, addressing the extent to which being the mother of two young boys plays a role here, and she allows that, indeed, the boys’ interests (and concerns) drive much of what she writes. And like many authors toiling in the YA realm, Spicer Rice says she hopes her work will inspire youngsters who tend to be non-readers to flip their status, adding that one of her sons is a reader, and the other, not so much. Spicer Rice recounts how the opportunity to write “The Deadliest Series” came her way, pitching the idea for one book, parenthetically proposing other titles that could round out a potential series. Once she received the greenlight for the series—“The Deadliest Snake… Spider….Big Cat… Insect…Sea Creature… Flower”—she proceeded with the proverbial deep dive into research, poring over 50-150 peer-reviewed studies in preparation for each book. That’s part of the work ethic that involved Spicer Rice putting in 14-hour days, she explains, elaborating on details of the process, including where artist Max Temescu—whose extraordinary, vibrant illustrations give the books visual pizzazz—entered the picture (so to speak). Given all the time, energy, and work she invests in these projects, I ask what she’s seeking to achieve—what does success look like?“More kids wanting to go outside,” articulating that her ongoing objective is to have her young readers (and older readers, too) share her profound sense of wonder and enthusiasm for the great outdoors, and all the wondrous creatures who live there.     ALSO: I spoke with Anita Camacho, President and Founder of the Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation, who initially described the Foundation’s history and mission. She countered my suggestion that butterflies are under-appreciated, saying people often take a dim view of them in their caterpillar stage, because they munch on—and damage—plants. Camacho goes on to note the misunderstanding this reflects of how pollinators function, the dark detriment of pesticides, and so on—explaining that the number of moth species (150,000) dwarfs that of butterfly species (17,5000). She outlines what is expected to be offered at the event slated for Saturday July 26, including access to insects and reptiles housed on-site, the use of a blacklight to attract moths, and a presentation, “Gardening For Moths,” taking place at the Bug Zoo, Nature Center and Butterfly Garden, 4113 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, FL, 33629. (https://butterflytampa.com/, https://www.facebook.com/ButterflyTampa, https://www.instagram.com/tampabaybutterflyfoundation/) COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Pet Snakes, Part 2” (DS edit) (https://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/2025/07/TAJuly23Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Marsha Panuce—founder of Donte’s Den, a distinctive sanctuary in multiple ways, including that it extends across 50 acres (in Myakka City, FL), and primarily houses dogs—recalls growing up loving dogs, including pilgrimages with her Dad every Father’s Day to the local shelter, to adopt a dog. This passion for pooches traversed her formative years and her professional life, including a career as a concert pianist and a stint in the fashion biz, which involved living in Italy. Panuce remembers that even at points where it was impractical to live with a dog—like her Italian residency—she made sojourns to the local shelter for her canine fix. But all those shelter visits over all those years was equipping Panuce with knowledge and insights (criteria, really) for what traits she would like her facility to have, and not have, once she opened her own sanctuary—a dream she says she began nurturing as far back as college. Opened in 2014, Donte’s Den reflects Panuce’s long-marinating vision, unique in a myriad of ways—starting with that sprawling parcel of land. 50 acres! Primarily to house dogs! By comparison, for instance, Big Cat Rescue—home to numerous tigers, lions, and other sizable felines—was, I believe, not all that much bigger, at 67 acres. We discuss other distinctive traits that Panuce incorporated into the operation of Donte’s Den range from no leashes and no kennels (rather, they reside in large, air-conditioned so-called “dens”), to a fully-equipped vet hospital, along with a bone-shaped hydrotherapy pool. No less unusual is when she explains that Donte’s Den eschews volunteers, relying instead on a dozen full-time paid staff members to look after the animals, and everything else, around the clock. She describes some of the dogs residing at Donte’s Den, as well as the sanctuary’s overarching ethos: “Dogs need to be respected.” We conclude the conversation noting The Dog Bar St. Pete is opening a new location in Sarasota, and Donte’s Den has been selected the fundraising recipient of the Dog Bar’s Grand Opening on Saturday, July 19. (https://www.dontesden.org/, https://www.facebook.com/DontesDenFoundation/, https://www.instagram.com/dontes_den1/)   ALSO: I spoke with Myriam Parham, the co-founder and president of Florida Voices For Animals (FVA). She first provides a brief overview of FVA’s mission and some central elements and campaigns of that mission. Among other components of the organization’s agenda, FVA produces the annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest, the highly-regarded, multifaceted day-long event, about which she recalled the first year (2010), and the impetus for creating the festival. Parham also recalled the deeply unfortunate scenario impelling the FVA to cancel the 2024 Veg Fest, owing to the destruction and numerous other problems brought by the devastating hurricanes. But she joined me on today’s show chiefly to deliver the exciting news that Tampa Bay Veg Fest is returning! Specifically, for Save The Date purposes: Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, 11am-5pm, at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, 1000 E Harrison St, Tampa, FL 33602. While there’s much work to do and arrangements to be made, Parham says the forthcoming Veg Fest will feature the components fest-goers have come to expect and enjoy, including food vendors, speakers (she says two of the speakers slated for the cancelled Fest, Tim Kaufman and Dr. Crystal Heath, will speak at this forthcoming fest), cooking demos, live music, kids fun zone, and more. (https://www.tampabayvegfest.com/, https://www.floridavoicesforanimals.org/)  COMEDY CORNER: Zoltan Kaszas’ “Cats Pt. 1” (DS edit) (https://www.zoltancomedy.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Nicci Wright–co-founder and co-chairperson of the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG), dedicated to the protection and the conservation of the pangolin, the world’s most trafficked animal—recalls her first encounter with a pangolin more than two decades ago. Echoing a response commonly experienced after individuals are introduced to these striking-looking animals, Wright felt compelled to help them. Indeed, as Wright recounted her history, citing others like her who care deeply about pangolins, toiling on their behalf–but back then, mostly doing so independently–the narrative dovetailed with the birth of the APWG: A spur-of-the-moment conversation with Ray Jansen, an academic holding a PhD in zoology—and another person toiling rather independently on pangolins’ behalf—spawned the idea of those individuals, and others, joining forces, and thereby spawning the creation of APWG. Members’ shared objectives would involve a dedication for understanding and protecting pangolins in Africa. Wright indulges my request to present a brief tutorial—Pangolins 101, of sorts—laying out an array of remedial information, morsels aimed at the constituency of folks new, or relatively new, to the pangolin world. We discuss a similar effort, this one cinematic: “Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey,” a Netflix documentary released earlier this year, directed by Pippa Ehrlich (co-director of the 2020 doc, “My Octopus Teacher”), chronicling the story of APWG Ambassador, Gareth Thomas, who rescues, rehabilitates, and releases a trafficked baby pangolin. That’s Kulu. As the film unspools, a few experts–including Nicci Wright and Ray Jansen–weigh in on the pangolins’ plight and the challenges faced in rehabilitating rescued pangolins to the degree they can be liberated back into the wild. Having been part of the filmmaking, Wright provides an assessment of “Kulu’s Journey”–as both participant and expert viewer—including the kind of impact it had on APWG and the work it does. We touch on a handful of other topics, yet don’t get to all the ones I’d hoped to discuss. For example, the Pangolarium, a cutting-edge pangolin veterinary treatment, care and rehabilitation facility for Temminick’s pangolin, the most widespread of the four African pangolin species (there are four Asian species) and the type on which APWG focuses its efforts. Unveiled earlier this year, the Pangolarium is nestled in South Africa’s Lapalala Wilderness Reserve. Her final comment, in this interview, expresses bright optimism about what the future holds for the pangolin. (https://africanpangolin.org/, https://www.netflix.com/title/81708252) [photos: Gareth Thomas, Simon Needham, APWG] ALSO: I spoke with George L. Heinrich, a field biologist and environmental educator specializing in Florida reptiles, who was slated to deliver a presentation entitled “Why Snakes Are Cool,” on Saturday, July 12, at Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center in Tarpon Springs. Heinrich first briefly addressed the various professional hats he wears, including giving lectures, running summer camps, conducting research, and leading the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust, as Executive Director. Heinrich offers a sneak preview of his presentation, outlining the case he would be making for why, indeed, snakes are cool. He also explains that this serpet-minded presentation would conclude with an opportunity for attendees to see and handle snakes. Admission to “Why Snakes Are Cool,” which starts at 10:30am, is free. (https://www.brookercreekpreserve.org/, https://www.heinrichecologicalservices.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Max Rosenblum’s “Dog People” (https://maxrosenblum.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Echo & The Bunnymen’s “Crocodiles” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TAJuly9Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Adam Sugalski–who leads the efforts of Bear Defenders, a coalition dedicated to ending bear hunting across the United States; their singular focus currently is opposing the bear hunt that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has proposed for 2025—recalls how information imparted in high school prompted some unexpected contemplation, and a life change, presaging a passion for advocacy. This triggers an anecdote about Sugalski’s experiences some 20 years ago, participating in—then later, leading—protests of the Ringling Bros. circus. Which, in turn, triggered a memory of a panel discussion I’d convened on “Talking Animals” in early 2017, after Feld Entertainment announced it was shutting down the circus—Sugalski, a member of that panel, laughed at the recollection that the Feld panelist, the VP of Corporate Communications, wouldn’t let him get a word in edgewise. But we had gathered for this interview to discuss the proposed bear hunt, so after noting that there had been multiple interviews (and one song) on “Talking Animal” addressing the hunt—and that Sugalski has commented about the topic in numerous forums—we nonetheless agree it’s unwise to assume all listeners are familiar with the details, so we should start out on a remedial level: Why, I ask Sugalski, is there a proposed bear hunt? As one measure of the absurd absence of justification for this pending action, Sugalski didn’t feel there was a good answer to this question, even while attempting to contort himself into the shoes of FWC Commissioners to reply. We touch on how disquieting this lack of rationale or explanation feels, especially when the outcome is on the immediate horizon: the FWC is slated to meet Aug. 13-14 in Havana, FL for a final vote on the hunt. Acknowledging the recent fatal black bear attack in Collier County—an 89-year-old man and his dog were killed–naturally, I ask Sugalski to consider how this horrific incident has altered the bear hunt conversation. He observes that some members of the pro-hunt faction point to the attack as validation for proceeding with the hunt, while himself repudiating that perspective because this fatal bear attack stands as the only one in Florida’s recorded history. We cover how—despite several indications of widespread public opposition, including a commissioned survey showing more than 70% of respondents giving the hunt a thumbs-down—it feels like a foregone conclusion the FWC will approve the hunt in those August meetings. And with fewer safeguards, plus provisions more onerous than what characterized the bear hunt of a decade ago, including the “Honor System” for hunters to self-report their kills, allowing hounding (using packs of dogs to chase bears through the woods), Bows Over Bait (Bears are lured into kill zones with piles of sweets and then ambushed at close range).  Among other topics, we pinpointed measures can people take to speak out against the hunt: Attend the FWC Commission meeting: Date: August 13–14, 2025 Time: Arrive by 7:30 AM to sign up to speak Location: Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy 75 College Ave, Havana, FL 32333 Call and Email Governor DeSantis Tell him you oppose the hunt and support protecting black bears. Phone Number: (850) 717-9337 Email: GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com Email the FWC Subject: I Oppose the Florida Black Bear Hunt Send to: BearComments@MyFWC.com You can simply write: “I oppose the Florida black bear hunt.” For more info, to sign a petition, to access flyers, and more–all tied to the bear hunt–please visit: https://www.beardefenders.org/ (Photos by Bill Lea, Adam Sugalski, Bear Defenders, et al.)   ALSO: I spoke with Jennifer Higgins, owner of The Spice & Tea Exchange of Dunedin about “Dog Days of Summer,” a multi-day event she created with the specific aim of raising funds for the Humane Society of Pinellas County. Higgins first provides a nickel tour [...]

C. Annie Peters, president and CEO of Pet Partners—a Bellevue, Wash.-based national therapy animal organization focusing on improving human health and well-being through the human-animal bond—traces her path from once-aspiring engineer (who realized she didn’t really like engineering), venturing into an extended stint in the non-profit world, working at Special Olympics International before landing at the helm of Pet Partners 11 years ago. But Peters notes that one thruline across this narrative is her love of animals. So when I observe that someone might not see a connection between the work of Special Olympics International and one focused on various aspects of therapy animals, she explains in this Pet Partners employment opportunity, she identified three components that spoke to her in a meaningful way. It concentrated on (1) health; (2) volunteers; (3) pets. Peters responds to my query, wondering how she would describe Pet Partners in significant ways—both pluses and minuses—when she arrived there a decade-plus ago, relative to how she would characterize the organization now, very much including the changes and improvements she’s introduced. We broach the important distinction between therapy dogs and service dogs—a confusing difference for many. And I mention that some folks cultivate that confusion by buying a phony therapy-dog vest and putting it on their non-therapy dog—and BOOM!, instant access on airplanes, restaurants, and elsewhere. She says there’s nothing much Pet Partners can do to mitigate that deception, but if the organization learns a Pet Partners team has engaged in any such fraudulent behavior, they’re dismissed. For Peters’ part, she emphasizes the Pet Partners’ distinction between therapy dogs and service dogs comes down to this: service dogs involve a one-to-one relationship with humans, while therapy dogs’ relationship involves one to many.  Pet Partners deals strictly in the realm of therapy animals, and among the resources they offer is evaluating potential teams. It’s not uncommon for people to think their warm, gregarious dog could possibly have the makings of a therapy dog who could be helpful by visiting a nearby school or hospital. Peters explained they have evaluators spread across the country who can make that very assessment. Likewise, Pet Partners is equipped to provide training to aspiring therapy animals team, and once that training is successfully completed, that team is insured by Pet Partners, and reflects a top-tier credibility to institutions considering taking on a new team. We touched on a number of other topics, from the sister organization Peters helped create a little over two years ago, the Association of Animal Assisted Intervention Professionals (AAAIP)—geared for an array of individuals (physical therapists, social workers, animal trainers, et al) interested in incorporating therapy animals into their professional work—to the range of animals Pet Partners recognizes as therapy animals, beyond dogs, including cats, horses, rabbits, and llamas. (https://petpartners.org/, https://www.aaaiponline.org/) ALSO: I spoke with Devon Francke, Education Program Coordinator at Keep Pinellas Beautiful, who was slated to deliver a talk entitled “Sea Turtle Nesting, Conservation, and You!,” on June 26th at Moccasin Lake Park in Clearwater. Francke first provided a brief overview of Keep Pinellas Beautiful, and what his responsibilities—as one of the organization’s two Education Program Coordinators—typically entail. A then-looming example was the lecture about sea turtles Francke would be presenting the next day. He was kind enough to share a sneak preview of that lecture, including noting an important motto for protecting nesting sea turtles and their babies is “Clean, Dark, Flat”—meaning leave the beach free of trash and other debris…avoid using flashlights or other sources of light at night that could confuse the turtles’ [...]

Dr. Holly Dutton, Medical Director at the Tampa and Clearwater locations of VEG ER for Pets–a national enterprise that specializes in providing around-the-clock emergency and critical care services for pets—flips the script on my mention of the countless guests who work with animals in some capacity, grew up wanting to be a veterinarian, but for one reason or another, their plans changed. Dutton–clearly not only a veterinarian, but overseeing two emergency vet hospitals–explains that she did not grow up with those aspirations, only becoming interested in traveling the veterinary path as an undergrad pursuing human medicine, particularly research projects involving animals. Now, Dutton says she has been practicing for 11 years, absolutely loves the work of being an emergency vet, and perhaps not coincidentally, feels “it’s a calling.” She outlines some of what she loves most about her day-to-day VEG ER life…and what she doesn’t love so much. We discuss some of the traits that help distinguish VEG ER as emergency vet hospitals go; some are structural—like the open floor plan, providing the animals and humans an unobstructed view across all sections of the hospital—and some are philosophical. For example, when you first call a VEG ER location, you can immediately speak with a veterinarian—any time of day or night…When you bring your animal in, you can opt to stay with that pet every step of the way …you can hold your pet during treatment (Dutton said they’ll even teach an owner how to do a blood draw on their pet, if interested)…These and other measures—like sometimes sitting on the floor in the hospital, and inviting the pet and owner to do so, too—are designed to reduce the stress of the ER experience, for animal and human alike. Noting the blazing temperatures outside, and that Summer reportedly yields an increase in pet ER visits, I ask Dutton about the most common afflictions associated with Summer, after she establishes the fundamental causal factors are the season’s elevated heat and humidity. She offers some precautions pet parents can take to reduce the prospects of such Summer setbacks. While fielding a large handful of listener calls and emails, we touched on various other topics, from the number of VEG ER locations nationwide (100+), to the firm’s blood bank, to the wide array of animals VEG ER is prepared to treat, including sugar gliders, iguanas, and, yes, hedgehogs. (https://www.veterinaryemergencygroup.com/locations/florida/tampa, https://www.veterinaryemergencygroup.com/locations/florida/clearwater) ALSO: I presented the broadcast premiere of “Don’t Kill Those Bears,” a new song—a catchy op-ed, you might say—written and recorded by singer-songwriter Marty Fouts, offering his clear opposition to the bear hunt proposed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). We’ve discussed the bear hunt multiple times on the show, viewing Fouts’ song as another opportunity to call attention to the issue, including noting the FWC meets for a final vote in meetings August 13-14 (Visit MyFWC.com/About/Commission/Commission Meetings for agendas and details) and if approved, the bear hunt would take place in December. So, it’s imperative that animal lovers voice their opposition as soon as possible: You can email your comments directly to the FWC at BearComments@MyFWC.com     COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Doctors & Veterinarians” (https://brianregan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Marty Fouts’ “Don’t Kill Those Bears,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TAJune18Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Tanya Smith–Founder and President of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, a 459-acre sanctuary in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, chiefly housing abused, abandoned, and neglected big cats—recalls a precocious first foray into big cat rescue…at age 11. She explains that this was the outgrowth of her parents—inveterate animal lovers—intervening in an odd, colorful situation where a lion cub was provided as a form of payment on a debt to a friend of theirs. In the ensuing years, another lion ended up in the family’s back yard. And then, Smith remembers, they were thrust into action when Catherine Twiss—a notorious, nefarious breeder and dealer—rolled into the nearby area with 42 big cats stuffed into three cattle cars. The family had for years been eying the sprawling parcel of land that became Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, and the arrival of the Twiss animals served as a catalyst (sorry!) for them to buy the land and build the sanctuary. From those beginnings, and spanning multiple decades, Smith truly reflects a lifelong commitment when it comes to caring for big cats and other animals. I was curious: it’s one thing to follow the lead of your folks when you’re a young kid, but she had plenty of opportunities over the years to peel off and pursue a different profession—but didn’t. Why? By way of response, she describes the rewards of providing a safe, happy life to animals who’ve often previously lived in horrific conditions, and witnessing their transformation as they settle in at the sanctuary. More tellingly, perhaps, she says doing this kind of work “is in my blood.”  At this point, the animal population at Turpentine Creek stands at upwards of 125, predominantly tigers, but also including lions, cougars, bobcats, hybrids (ligers, etc.), and leopards, among other cats—and several bears! This fauna citizenry increased significantly in 2023, when in an arrangement struck with Howard and Carole Baskin, some 30 Big Cat Rescue cats relocated to Turpentine Creek. This was a pivotal part of the Baskins’ plan to effectively put themselves “out of business,” finding an excellent new home for the animals, shutting down the Tampa facility, and selling the property. Howard Baskin discussed portions of this plan, including some facets of the BCR animals moving to Turpentine Creek, on the Feb. 12 edition of this show. I was interested in hearing her perspective on what clearly was a monumental undertaking that bolstered one longstanding animal sanctuary, while helping another achieve its objective of closing down. The Baskins and the Smiths–Tanya’s husband is Scott–knew each other, not only from being in the same rarefied line of work, but also collaborating—along with many others—for years on trying to help pass a formidable piece of legislation in their realm, The Big Cat Public Safety Act (which did pass, and was signed into law, in 2022). But in recounting the conversation, Smith made it clear the request to take the BCR cats was unexpected. It’s not exactly a spoiler to indicate the Smiths ultimately said “Yes.” We touched on a number of other topics, including a description of tours that Turpentine Creek offers, lodging options (Smith noted that just one virtue of staying overnight is the early-morning roars of the lions—called “caroling”), hybrid big cats, what the future holds at the sanctuary, and more. (https://www.turpentinecreek.org/, https://www.facebook.com/TurpentineCreekWildlifeRefuge, https://www.instagram.com/turpentinecreek/, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCscyqhelSt4npmCr8neSwoQ) ALSO: I spoke with Breck Pribyl, founder of Acutienamedstewieinc.nonprofit, a St. Petersburg-based nonprofit that helps dog rescues, by organizing or promoting assorted events, earmarking the monies raised for one or more pre-selected rescue. The next such event was slated to be Paws For Pride: Wings of Love, on Saturday, June 14, at The Dog Bar in Saint Pete—with all proceeds [...]

As we’ve done 12 times prior—spanning just over four years now!–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.”  In each session of ATT, listeners are invited to call or email (or text) questions about their dogs or cats, particularly . The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult is Glen Hatchell, the now-retired Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, and a veteran, accomplished dog trainer and behaviorist. He is also a former WMNF programmer, and occasionally guest hosts “Talking Animals.” In today’s edition, before taking the first listener question, Glen spoke about the scenario whereby dogs seem inconsistent about what they should be doing—that is, responding to a command or other behavioral expectation—often because they are overcome by a distraction of one kind or another (noise, weather, traffic, another dog, etc.), not unlike the way humans can be waylaid by assorted stresses. But humans can more readily articulate what’s bothering them—and what might prove calming–whereas a dog’s owner or handler has to employ different measures to discern what’s wrong, and how to help that dog reset. Glen expanded on this notion, before responding to an array of calls and emails, starting with a listener who called about their recently-adopted Belgian Malinois who had nipped a few people—not biting anyone, the caller noted, but concerning nonetheless, including her dog’s reaction to a neighboring dog on the other side of the fence. Among Glen’s recommendations was to visit the website for The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers: https://www.ccpdt.org Another caller described her 15-month-old Wolfhound who “pancakes” every time she attempts to put a leash on. Glen raised some questions, including “What’s he avoiding?,” and offered some suggestions—later supporting the idea proposed by a subsequent caller to switch to a 25- or 30-foot leash…A listener from St. Petersburg emailed about the American English coonhound/pit mix she adopted when he was a year old. In the two years since, she explains, the dog has reflected multiple behavior issue, and she’s worked with two trainer/behavior modification specialists. The dog has come a long, she wrote. but the current issue is that when someone comes to the house, the dog jumps on them from behind—or worse—if the visitor doesn’t pay attention to him…Another emailer wrote in with some inquiries: Do dogs get ADHD? Are there meds they can take for this? She went on to mention that this dog has barking fits and meltdowns that the trainers can’t figure out, adding the dog does have seizures infrequently, and is five years old. Upon hearing about the seizures, Glen said the very first step should be a consultation with a veterinarian…. COMEDY CORNER: There was no Comedy Corner today. 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/2025/06/TAJune4Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jamie Katz–who’s worked as a Fort Lauderdale-based real-life pet detective for a decade—recalls growing up amidst a family that always lived with cats and dogs, as well as her initial efforts helping animals while regularly driving along a prescribed route. Katz notes that around this time, she thought to herself that an ideal professorial path would involve working with animals combined with investigation. Over time, she manifested this vision by becoming a private investigator, then—after a nutty, disappointing experience she shared when her friend hired a pet detective who was lackluster and flaky–Katz re-shaped her career as a pet detective. Often assisted by tracking dogs. She enthuses about her scent specific tracking dogs, longtime assistants Fletcher (a Terrier mix) and Gable (Brittany Spaniel)—and newest member of the team, Lois (English Springer Spaniel)— describing how, and when, she deploys them on cases. When I asked what difference breed seems to make for tracking dogs, Katz emphatically responds that while she believes there are key attributes—including: is the dog happy? Food motivated?—breed is not pivotal. She outlines how she approaches a new case, drawing on a call she received earlier that day, adding that it’s impractical to initially estimate the time she’ll need to solve a case—there are simply too many variables. Katz unveils “Rosie,” the app she created to find missing pets. Noting the name refers to an important black Lab, she suggests “Rosie” may be the last app needed to locate lost pets. It stands as one map for all lost and found pets in the world, a global central location, obviating the need to search through endless lost pet pages, groups, platforms websites and other online locations. To use Rosie, it’s free to post found pets in the world, while it costs $10 to post a lost pet. For now, to save the $10, you may use the promo code KATZ (all caps). https://jamiekatzpetdetective.com/ROSIE/  Katz reports on some notable recent cases, including that of Susi, a brown toy poodle who went missing in Hollywood, FL, and unfolded into a wild and wooly narrative. It included Susi escaping her family’s business, being stolen from the Good Samaritan who first found her, Katz spending hours engaged in meticulous detective work, and (spoiler alert!), the case is solved by the jerk who snatched Susi being arrested for domestic violence. (https://jamiekatzpetdetective.com, https://www.facebook.com/pijamiekatz)   ALSO: I spoke with Susan Tellem, founder (with her husband Marshall Thompson) of American Tortoise Rescue, which, she explains, is a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of all species of turtles and tortoises. This conversation came on the eve of American Tortoise Rescue marking its 25th annual international World Turtle Day—officially  “shellebrated” on Friday, May 23. Tellem outlines some of the various ways that World Turtle Day activities can be enjoyed, whether by kids or adults, in general observance of the occasion, carrying the theme “Dancing Turtles Rock.” I note that it may be difficult for some folks to picture turtles dancing…except, of course, slow dancing. (https://www.worldturtleday.org, http://www.tortoise.com)  COMEDY CORNER: Nate Fridson’s “Horseracing” (DS edit) (https://www.instagram.com/fridskins/) 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/2025/05/TAMay21FINAL.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Katrina Shadix–founder and executive director of Bear Warriors United (BWU), whose stated mission is to preserve and protect bears, and all of Florida’s natural resources and wildlife—recalls, as a second generation Floridian, the formative joys of growing up in rural Seminole County.Shadix explains how that experience forged a profound connection with Florida wildlife—very much including Florida Black Bears—that propels her advocacy while remaining a resident of Seminole County, noting she’s downhearted by the rampant development in that area. She discusses the experiences that served as catalysts for inspiring her to protect Florida Black Bears (which, she later notes, is a subspecies of the Black Bear): Hearing now-former Seminole County Commissioner John Horan declare at a meeting that there were “too many bears.” Shadix also recounts a pivotal period in 2015, early in the last bear hunt, when back surgery had confined her to bed. She was scrolling through Facebook, horrified to see posts about the hunt–called a friend to drive her to witness the ursine carnage; she shares a scene in which she encountered a female bear (pointing out those killed in the slaughter were 60% female), promising the bear she would never allow another hunt to happen. Clearly, Shadix is doing her level best to make good on that promise, educating gatherings about the critical numbers–once, the Florida Black Bear population was 11,000; it’s now 4000…20% die annually, owing to habitat change and being hit by vehicles. And she underscored the importance of voicing opposition to the hunt through comments emailed to BearComments@MyFWC.com  (additionally, there was a commenting portal available on the FWC website, but it closed on May 16) or, in person, at the FWC meeting on May 21 in Ocala, starting at 8:30 a.m. [College of Central Florida, The Ewers Century Center, Klein Conference Center, Building 40, 3001 S.W. College Rd. Ocala, FL 34474.] Shadix said plenty more, including offering some observations about some FWC commissioners, described her recent major victory on behalf of manatees, winning its federal lawsuit against the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), declaring the FDEP violated the Endangered Species Act–and tipping her hand that Bear Warriors United plans to file a lawsuit against the FWC. (https://bearwarriorsunited.com) ALSO: I spoke with Dara Worthington, CEO of Friends of Strays. In providing something of an elevator pitch, she explains that Friends of Strays is St. Petersburg’s oldest no-kill animal shelter, and outlines the organization’s mission. Acknowledging that Friends of Strays offers a steady slate of events, Worthington touches on the rationale for producing so many, chiefly their value in cultivating a sense of community. She previews some of the imminent events, including Cats & Mats Yoga, Barks & Brews, the Puppy Pride Party, and their Catsino Night—a major extravaganza, Friends of Strays’ first casino event, slated for June 14. (https://www.friendsofstrays.org/, https://www.friendsofstrays.org/catsino-night-2025) COMEDY CORNER: Mike Birbiglia’s “I’m A Bear” (DS edit) (https://www.birbigs.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/2025/05/TAMay14Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Occasionally, I jettison the chief component of the “Talking Animals” format–a long form interview with a single guest–to give voice to a broader array of animal organizations and leaders, concerned animal advocates, and others who simply care about animals. That’s what happened today, when I invited listeners to call in (or email) and briefly serve as the show’s guest, eliciting an array of responses. Including from Melanie Bowles, founder of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, who noted the nearly 35-year history of the facility (now based in Lincolnton, GA), and touches on her work as an author, including the books Liberty Biscuit and Little Pearl…after I read a news account of an 88-year-old man in Collier County, FL—and his dog—who were both apparently killed by a black bear, reportedly the first fatal mauling in Florida’s history, a handful of listeners commented on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s, or FWC’s, proposed bear hunt (https://myfwc.com/hunting/bear/), including the opportunity for residents to offer their viewpoints on the hunt on May 21-22 in Ocala, when the FWC meets there at the College of Central Florida, The Ewers Century Center, Klein Conference Center, Building 40, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala, FL 34474. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. each day and is open to the public. https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/comm-meeting-525/…Suzanne emailed with a fervent plea for people to volunteer to foster cats for Saint Francis Society Animal Rescue (https://stfrancisrescue.org/#/rescue-ui/volunteer) as a crucial way to assist the organization’s efforts (including TNVR at feral colonies) to mitigate Tampa’s humongous feline population…Bob in Melbourne phoned in to mention that he read that the EPA is relaxing its rules, so that some animals listed under the Endangered Species Act will no longer be afforded the same protection they once were…a caller from Michigan (a regular listener, as it turns out) pointed out his state holds a bear hunt, though this one happens annually and on a much larger scale: He said the Michigan hunt results in about 2000 dead bears annually. (Also, I noticed later, the state publishes a 50-page bear hunting guide.). As another measure of the Michigan bear hunt functioning as a major enterprise, the caller added that there are laws against harassing hunters… COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Talk To The Animals” (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Norma Tanega’s “Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog,” 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/2025/05/TAMay7Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Veteran science journalist Stephen S. Hall–the author of several books, most recently, Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World—recounts how he approached writing Slither, a strategy seeking to beckon even those amidst the sizable contingent of people who are creeped out by snakes, hate snakes, or are afraid of snakes. And while only time will tell the results he’s elicited, Hall’s a masterful writer–his breezy, conversational style makes reading Slither a far more winning experience than even the I-don’t-like-snakes crowd would likely have anticipated. Plus, in a tour de force of research and reporting, Hall delivers a bracing treatise on serpents that itself slithers deftly through history, religion, literature, mythology, and plenty of science, of course, making a compelling case for reassessing our view of snakes. Hall lards the book with startling scenes and revelations aplenty, so many, I point out, that we can’t possibly cover them all in our allotted on-air time. So, we hopscotch across many, among them two significant instances that pythons surface in Slither, including, Hall describes, how humongous their rare meals might be—such that not only can the snake’s body change shape, but its organs can change shape, too. Hall goes on to address the medical implications for us humans regarding such diseases as diabetes. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, we also discussed the problem of pythons rife in the Everglades, a problem so monumental in scope, Hall reports, that even experts closest to the situation are unable to reliably estimate the python population there. He also recalls searching for the snakes with Donna Kalil, a veteran python hunter and colorful figure in south Florida python circles (and a “Talking Animals” guest in May of 2023). I observe that as the chapters unspool in Slither, animated by Hall’s stellar reporting and research, an unstated thesis emerges: Snakes Are Marvels. We light on a handful of examples, such as the realm of locomotion, particularly striking for Sidewinders, an engineering sensation…segueing to an experiment in which researchers wondered about the behavior of various snakes when they approached a road, and how they’d react if a pick-up truck zoomed by: every snake that crossed the road did so at a 90-degree angle…they understood the shortest distance to the other side—and took that path. And so on. Marvels. (Photo of Stephen S. Hall by Mindy Levine) ALSO: I spoke with H. H. German, the creator of “Calico,” the first comic-book hero dedicated to fighting animal abuse. I’ve spoken with German periodically since he launched the first “Calico” series about five years ago—I think “Talking Animals’’ should spotlight and support the first comic-book hero who battles animal abuse, don’t you? German is unveiling a new “Calico” chapter book, “Morality Play,” featuring the work of two major figures in the comic book world, Mike Baron and Klaus Janson. This conversation was on the eve of a Kickstarter campaign for “Morality Play,” that runs throughout the month of May: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sigmacomics/calico-morality-play/ (https://sigmacomics.com/, https://www.instagram.com/sigma_comics, https://www.facebook.com/sigmacomicsgroup) COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s Pet Snakes Part One (DS edit) (https://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/2025/05/TAApril30Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Kate MacFall and Katherine McGill—longtime wildlife experts joining me for a discussion devoted to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), specifically, the FWC’s current effort to evaluate existing rules for wildlife trapping—address what for many may be the surprising prevalence of trapping in Florida. McGill and MacFall go on to speak to the extent to which Florida trapping divides along regional lines, while noting some of the reasons for trapping—legitimate reasons for trapping. As part of this exchange, McGill mentions that, in sharp contrast to some of these commercial enterprises that trap and haul away wildlife, she co-founded the 411 Wildlife Organization, a new nationwide free public assistance hotline for mitigating wildlife conflicts with assistance from industry experts. That hotline number is 877-WILD-411. I inquire if there’s a certain cycle or timetable–constitutionally or otherwise–by which the FWC periodically reassesses trapping regulations? Especially given that it’s been 50+ years since the trapping rules last changed. There is not a proscribed period by which the FWC examines trapping regulations—indeed, this current reevaluation session has already extended long enough that MacFall, McGill, and I did a radio show on the early stages of this very process nearly three years ago. We explored the official role that MacFall and McGill have stepped into, becoming members of the FWC trap rules reform Technical Advisory Group (TAG), representing the humane wildlife control industry. They touched on important proposals they made during the TAG procedure, including the need for a so-called “Public Take Permit,” and the rationale behind it. This proposal elicited favorable response from the TAG, but being embraced initially didn’t hold up over time, as “senior staff opted not to pursue it.” McGill and MacFall described measures by which interested citizens learn more about possible changes in trapping rules –-and weigh in. These include a Webinar/Zoom hosted by Alicia from the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and Kate MacFall, the Humane World for Animals Director, on April 30 at 6 pm ET. Here’s the link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81225275599?pwd=3sKnXgpVnIWWZqqwK6dakiQ3xfkBHB.1 The FWC will offer virtual public meetings/webinars/Zooms of their own, to review proposed Trapping Rules changes: Tuesday, May 6th from noon to 3pm. Thursday, May 8th from 6pm to 9pm, Saturday, May 10th from 9am to noon. Search “FWC Trapping Rules 2025” for links to each ZOOM mtg. ALSO: I spoke with Bella Perkins, Development Specialist at Great Explorations Children’s Museum, the longstanding, highly-regarded children’s museum located in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Perkins provides an overview of Great Explorations, a non-profit museum and school, which has served children (and their parents) in and around the Tampa Bay Area for the better part of four decades. She goes on to explain that on April 30, in an alliance with Paws for Friendship, the Museum will be celebrating National Therapy Animal Day. This involves assembling a small group of therapy and service animals at the Museum, Perkins says, and explaining to the families on hand the valuable work these animals do to help an array of humans. Perkins adds that their National Therapy Animal Day is slated to begin at 10:30am and run until 4pm, noting that arriving earlier may be better from the standpoint of visiting with the animals. No sign-up or registration in advance is required, and there’s no additional cost beyond museum admission. (https://greatex.org/event/national-therapy-animal-day/, https://www.instagram.com/great_explorations/, https://www.facebook.com/GreatExKids) COMEDY CORNER: John Mulaney’s “There’s A Horse In The Hospital” (https://www.johnmulaney.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” [...]

Kari Bagnall–founder and executive director of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, which offers permanent care to nearly 200 monkeys retired from laboratory research, who are former pets, or have been confiscated by the authorities—recalls the first monkey that entered her world, and forever altered her life. As part of this account, Bagnall describes creating the earliest iteration of Jungle Friends, located in Gainesville, FL, and we go on to discuss the array of challenges faced by those who run animal sanctuaries. These involve enormous commitments, and enormous sacrifices—often including having your home on the premises, endless hours (always being on duty), dealing around the clock with animal illness —and these things don’t begin to address the enormous financial burden of food and veterinary care, and the related, relentless demands for fundraising. Some challenges are unique to the animals housed at a given sanctuary, and to that end, Bagnall underscores the difficulty of keeping Jungle Friends fully staffed, noting she’s currently hiring, and outlining the multi-day interview/job tryout protocol—across three of the facility’s monkey sections (Munchkin Land, Emerald City, Kansas)–that prospective employees undergo. Bagnall mentions that anyone interested in applying for a job there is invited to send an email to Applicant@JungleFriends.org. She explains how particular monkeys—and in some cases, groups of monkeys—came to live at Jungle Friends, noting that animals formerly used in research tend to arrive in bunches. She confirms that this activity over the years accounts for the monkey population reaching nearly 200, about double the number when I previously interviewed Bagnall in 2013. Nonetheless, Bagnall says Jungle Friends is not tapped out on space—indeed, their property spans some 42 acres, so there’s plenty of land left. Still, there are constraints to expanding the primate populace, owing to limitations of staffing and funding. She spells out there are multiple ways to support Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, including via The Amazing Give, an annual fundraising gambit based in and around Gainesville, FL, slated for April 24 (https://www.theamazinggive.org/), or donating directly from the Jungle Friends website: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=junglefriends&id=6 COMEDY CORNER: David Spade’s “Evicting A Bird” (https://davidspade.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/2025/04/TAApril9Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Kelly McCormick and Glenn Maresca–co-founders of Florida Rescue Farm, a sanctuary in Duette, FL, devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating, and housing pigs, goats, geese, chickens, ducks, cattle, other critters, and no less devoted to cultivating a strong educational presence—described the remote community of Duette, and what prompted them to settle there. They make clear their original intention in relocating there (and leaving city life behind) was to homestead on the five and a half acre parcel they occupy. But those plans were scuttled when Maresca rescued an orphaned calf named Moobee. This turned out to be a pivotal moment that not only transformed Moobee’s life, but McCormick and Maresca’s life, too (including that they went fully vegan), as well as the lives of dozens of farmed animals that the pair has subsequently rescued. In turn, Maresca recalls, Moobee (perhaps feeling a debt of gratitude) engaged in an unusual behavior—joined in short order by the other resident cows, encircling Maresca–protecting him, he realized, from two coyotes ambling through the sanctuary grounds. Yet another major, transformative episode for Maresca and McCormick, part of the duo’s arrival at their revised gameplan for the property—turning it into a vegan homestead. They also address the parallel priority at Florida Rescue Farm: McCormick and Maresca have cultivated a substantial educational predilection, both implied, in the sensibility of the sanctuary—to oversimplify, the ethos is: animals are our friends, not our food—and directly, in the educational tours they regularly offer, and other related experiences.So, they explain, not just volunteers, but also visitors to the sanctuary are inculcated with the Rescue Farm philosophy, implementing a central facet of the sanctuary’s mission, improving the lives of all creatures who reside or spend time at the Duette facility. (https://floridarescuefarm.org/, https://www.facebook.com/floridarescuefarm, https://www.instagram.com/floridarescuefarm) ALSO: I spoke with Laura Pennington, a Florida Voices For Animals board member who’s been closely tracking the efforts by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to exploring the possibility of sanctioning another bear hunt—what they call “highly regulated black bear hunting.” Pennington reviews the relevant history, including the last FWC bear hunt in 2015, when 304 bears were killed. (In one of the more horrific euphemisms around, the FWC uses the term “harvested.”) This latest proposed hunt seems to fall under “a Florida black bear management plan approved in 2019,” and the FWC is in the midst of measures to both communicate key tenets of the current proposed hunt, and seeking feedback from Floridians—indeed, this interview with Pennington was scheduled expressly to call attention to virtual meetings (basically, Zoom calls) for this purpose then slated for April 2, April 3, and April 5. There is a section on the FWC website devoted to information about the proposed hunt, and a way to submit a comment—and, Pennington noted, there will be an opportunity to offer input in person on May 21 in Ocala– https://myfwc.com/hunting/bear/ COMEDY CORNER: Drew Hastings’ “Farming 101” (DS edit) (https://www.drewhastings.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elton John’s “Grey Seal” A nod to WMNF’s Then-Upcoming Tribute To Elton John, April 5 at Skipper’s Smokehouse (https://www.wmnf.org/wmnf_events/wmnf-presents-rocket-man-a-tribute-to-sir-elton-john/) AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TAApril2Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jocelyn Stokes and Katie Schuler—co-creators of “In Her Nature,” a new digital series carried on the YouTube channel for the longstanding PBS program, “Nature”—retrace the path that led each of them toward their present filmmaking careers, specializing in natural history documentaries. Over the course of sharing their histories, they each recount a pivotal project early in their movie-making trajectory: For Stokes, it was in the rainforest of Borneo shooting a film about sun bears, while for Schuler, it was an enormously emotional flick about a spider, featuring Philip Glass music. This dovetailed with my tongue-in-cheek assertion that folks don’t go into documentary filmmaking as a get-rich scheme—and responding to my companion observation that, instead, they’re typically driven by a passion to tell a story they think needs to be told, expose an injustice, give voice to the voiceless, shine a light on an underappreciated person, or organization, or cause….An observation that clearly applies to Stokes and Schuler, and the work they’ve done. In terms of their collaboration on “In Her Nature,” Stokes recalled that she conceived the series, and one of her first steps was inviting Schuler to join her eon the project. The pair address how they located the extraordinary women profiled in “In Her Nature,” telling their stories of protecting wildlife across the globe, often involving species that are endangered or whose population is in peril. One notable example, featured in the first episode: As viewers, we find ourselves in Chitwan National Park, in Nepal, where we’re introduced to Doma Paudel, the country’s first female nature guide. Her duties include helping to significantly increase the wild tiger population in Nepal, while additionally protecting rhinos there. (That’s part of Paudel’s complex, personal storyline—no spoilers!) And, “In Her Nature” makes clear that Paudel has influenced a number of other women to become nature guides. Stokes and Schuler, leading an all-female production team, indicate they identified so many exceptional women—cut from much the same cloth as Doma Paudel—that there could easily be a second season of “In Her Nature,” and there will be! (Photos: Jocelyn Stokes, Melanie Lippert, Peter Mangolds) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjRiuRqTgtQ&ab_channel=NatureonPBS, pbs.org/inhernature) ALSO: I spoke with Peyton Davis, Marketing Manager at the Humane Society of Pinellas, who described “Bark Back On The Bay,” an all-day extravaganza, April 5 in St. Petersburg, that’s part music festival (5 bands!)  and part animal adoption event, rounded out by food and drink, and more. Davis explained that “Bark Back” is an offshoot of an event with the same name that’s been held on the other coast, in Lake Worth, for a decade. The St. Pete iteration takes place at 3 Daughters Brewing (222 22nd Street South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33712), runs from 1pm-11pm, with pre-sale general admission tickets priced at $10, while VIP tickets are available for $50. Davis predicted that there will be 15-20 animals available for adoption at the festival, noting a likely highlight of the day will be a runway walk with the adoptable animals strolling alongside first responders. Proceeds from this event benefit the Humane Society of Pinellas and Pet Pal Animal Shelter in St. Pete.  (https://www.barkbackbenefit.com/, https://petpalanimalshelter.com/events/, https://3dbrewing.com/events/, https://www.facebook.com/events/1152478013254319/)   COMEDY CORNER: Al Madrigal’s  “El Raton” (https://www.almadrigal.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elton John’s “Honky Cat” Catch WMNF’s Tribute To Elton John, April 5 at Skipper’s Smokehouse (https://www.wmnf.org/wmnf_events/wmnf-presents-rocket-man-a-tribute-to-sir-elton-john/) AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: [...]

Michael Schneider, a pilot and founder of Pilots To The Rescue—which flies animals from shelters plagued by low rates of adoption (and, often, high rates of euthanasia), to rescues where foster or forever homes have been arranged—describes the career reinvention that preceded his taking flying lessons. Schneider remembers that, back then, like most new pilots, he was perennially seeking opportunities to fly—hours in the air—and some of those opportunities involved transporting shelter animals. It might be too glib to characterize those as a collective lightbulb moment, but it’s probably not wrong to suggest this presaged the creation of Pilots To The Rescue. (PTTR) He recalls—sliding behind the controls of PTTR’s 1976 Piper Lance—his very first experiences relocating animals, including a dog with cerebral palsy who clearly touched Schneider profoundly. Schneider discusses the phenomenon that underpins Pilots To The Rescue’s mission, confirming that it’s largely about geography, with the troubled shelters often located in the South—North Carolina is a frequent pick-up site—with the transported dogs and cats typically landing in the Northeast. Pilots To The Rescue is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary—there are now 10 pilots–and has similarly broadened its mission over that decade, applying its aircraft and expertise to other types of undertakings, including disaster relief efforts. Another example of a project straying somewhat from Pilots To The Rescue’s original premise is a current collaboration with Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of The United States) which rescued more than 250 animals from a fur and urine farm operation in Ohio—Schneider and his team to transport wolf-dog hybrids seized there, transporting them to Sarasota, where they’ll be cared for. (https://www.pilotstotherescue.org/)   ALSO: I spoke with Danielle Jolly, a volunteer at HorsePower for Kids, the nonprofit farm in Tampa that offers interaction with goats, guinea pigs & other animals—including a friendly zebra, she said–plus horseback riding, among other activities. She specifically highlighted HorsePower for Kids’ upcoming Spring Horse/Critter Camp–a Spring Break option for kiddos ages 7 to 12, running March 17-21. Jolly outlines the activities that Critter Campers should expect during that week, including horseback riding, other animal interaction and care (Jolly notes they’ll even be taught to muck out stalls), games, arts, and crafts. The Horse/Critter Camp is offered in additional parts of the year, including throughout June. (https://www.horsepowerforkids.com/)   COMEDY CORNER: Nate Bargatze’s “How To Get Bitten By A Snake” (https://natebargatze.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock” Catch WMNF’s Tribute To Elton John, April 5 at Skipper’s Smokehouse (https://www.wmnf.org/wmnf_events/wmnf-presents-rocket-man-a-tribute-to-sir-elton-john/) AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TAMarch12Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

As we’ve done 11 times prior—spanning nearly four years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.”  In each instance, listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or cats, particularly involving behavioral issues or training concerns. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult is Glen Hatchell, the now-retired Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, and an accomplished dog trainer and behaviorist. He is also a former WMNF programmer, and occasionally guest hosts “Talking Animals”—as he’ll do on March 26. In today’s edition, before taking the first listener question, Glen spoke about the importance of socialization for dogs, drawing partly on three books by authors/behaviorists he admires to cobble together a definition, and go on to broadly discuss the concept. From there, Glen responded to an array of calls and emails, starting with a listener who emailed about the female dog she had adopted, 3-5 year-old bully mix—an “owner surrender due to aggression,” according to the shelter, Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center. When the dog arrived at her new home, “she barely made a sound,” but has since become a frequent, puzzling barker…Suggesting that heavy barking was a theme, the second caller (with a Shih Tzu and a teacup poodle) described a morning ritual involving a walk in Crestlake Park in Clearwater with her dogs, and others, when one of them (in a pram!) starts barking, touching off a chorus of barking…The next caller outlined an instance of conflict—and periodic aggression—amongst her two dogs, with an odd catalyst: her partner’s son, who collects skulls, brought into the house a skull that still had “meat” on it. This set off some ongoing ugliness between the pair of pooches, with one apparently holding a grudge about the skull, and often looking to start a fight. Glen recommended she visit https://aggressivedog.com/, the website of renowned expert on dog aggression, Michael Shikashio…There was a cat question! It involved a young feral cat that the emailers had been feeding outside, had decided to bring the feral inside, where their five-year-old rescued cat was living—who was immensely unhappy about this development. The emailer implemented the standard protocols for introducing a new cat to a household, and had some success giving them Temptation treats, placing the treats closer and closer together. So, progress, but limited progress—they still squabble when in close proximity, if there’s no treats around. Noting that cats aren’t as likely to defuse a situation as dog, Glen urges the emailer not to eliminate the treats. Resources include The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) https://www.ccpdt.org/, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) https://iaabc.org/ COMEDY CORNER: There was no “Comedy Corner” today. 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/2025/03/TAMarch5Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Alex Travis–director of Cornell Public Health and chair of the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health in the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine—explains exactly what his extended job title involves, noting that he brings being both a veterinarian and PhD scientist to discharging his duties. Joining me on “Talking Animals” to discuss bird flu and the Avian Flu Resource Center–an online portal Cornell recently launched, designed to provide timely and accurate information about bird flu, amidst ongoing rumors and misinformation—Travis describes the current strain, and why it’s become so nefarious. As part of that description, he outlines how the current flu–also known  as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI—is transmitted, and how it’s so deadly, and contagious, that huge flocks of poultry have had to be euthanized. Meaning that, since the current strain reached the U.S. in 2022, some 150 million birds have been destroyed. Travis mentions that this iteration of bird flu has crossed species to some mammals, including domestic cats—particularly farm cats who have ready access to infected birds and raw milk. Some of those exposed cats have become so sick that they died, Travis says. Thus far, this flu does not appear to infect dogs. Asked about the genesis of the Avian Flu Resource Center—including who first proposed the concept, how the notion took hold and evolved—Travis sheepishly responded that “unfortunately,” the idea was primarily his. When I inquired why “unfortunately,” Travis explained that creating the Avian Flu Resource Center was an enormous undertaking, as is regularly updating it to reflect new outbreaks and other relevant recent developments. But it seemed like the right thing for them to do, as a noted Public Health entity. There was a segment of the conversation devoted to the topic of the moment—eggs—with a heightened emphasis from both Travis and a recent New York Times piece on the importance of thoroughly cooking any eggs to be consumed, especially against the backdrop of this current bird flu episode.   ALSO: I spoke with I spoke with Kathleen Carroll Mason, who will be teaching “Guided by Animal Angels: 3 Steps to Find Peace After Animal Loss,”  an online course–with no registration fee—that she is offering on March 12. Most of us have lost an animal—or, sadly, will lose one—and this session is designed to help attendees better understand, and cope with, that kind of Loss. Mason touches on why she believes animal Loss is different from other types, and provides a bit of a sneak preview of the course, suggesting what the titular “3 Steps” allude to. She also explains how to register for the class: Visit https://clearlyblissful.com/ and click on the banner for “Guided by Animal Angels.” COMEDY CORNER: Dusty Slay’s “Trailer Park Pets” (https://www.dustyslay.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Brad Mehldau Trio’s version of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TAFeb26Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Howard Baskin—often identified as Advisory Board Chairman of Big Cat Rescue, and spouse of Carole Baskin, the founder of the sanctuary that operated in Tampa for more than three decades—recalls, as a savvy businessman wielding a Harvard MBA, his reaction upon first  getting a close look at the details of Big Cat’s financial operation: He shouted “Yikes!” Just kidding. He didn’t shout “Yikes!” But he was deeply concerned. The sanctuary was spending several times what it was earning, losing money for 11 years running. So, Baskin recounts, he and Carole sat down for a “kitchen table strategy” session, not unlike those he’d conducted for years as a management consultant, helping struggling small companies reconfigure key elements of their operations, to boost their financial health. One upshot of the Baskin/Baskin confab: offering tours of Big Cat Rescue, which generated income, and cultivated both an educational component and a politically-active one via a simple method that sanctuary visitors could contact their legislators. He discusses the Big Cat Public Safety Act, a critical piece of legislation he and Carole (and many others) worked on tirelessly for years, with it passing in 2022—significantly altering the captive big cat landscape, notably halting the “cub petting” trade, a lucrative enterprise that requires a steady stream of new tiger cubs, and discarding the cats who age out of the gig. Baskin notes the population of cats at Big Cat Rescue had gradually diminished during this period, making it more feasible that they could achieve a long-held goal: the need for rescuing and caring for big cats would experience such a reduction, they could effectively put themselves “out of business.” He explains that with this new scenario moving within reach, they rather quickly arrived at the answer of where to send the remaining cats: Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, Howard citing such Turpentine Creek virtues as spanning 440 acres (vs Big Cat’s 60), providing space to build much bigger enclosures for the relocating Big Cat animals, the Arkansas facility was also run by a couple, and  they were amenable to the Baskin’s proposal. Eventually, all the cats having been moved to Turpentine Creek, the Baskins sold the Big Cat Rescue property—for nearly $20 million–to two developers, who plan to turn it into apartments and townhouses. But all this reinvention hardly means the Baskins have stopped caring for cats or engaging in cat rescue. Indeed, Howard outlined their global cat-oriented plans currently, and as they look ahead to the future. (https://bigcatrescue.org/) ALSO: I spoke with Myriam Parham, the co-founder and president of Florida Voices For Animals, the Tampa-based animal advocacy organization that seeks to raise awareness of–and affect change on—an assortment of animal issues. We primarily discussed the organization’s 30th Annual Have-A-Heart Dinner & Silent Auction Fundraiser, to be held on Feb. 22, in Tarpon Springs. The event will feature keynote speaker Kari Bagnall, founder of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary in Gainesville FL, and will honor as-yet unannounced local activists. Partly through the Silent Auction, the Have-A-Heart extravaganza also seeks to raise money for Florida Voices For Animals to support the work they do, which includes their myriad advocacy and education efforts throughout the year—most notably, the acclaimed Tampa Bay Veg Fest, cancelled in 2024 (owing to the impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton on Veg Fest vendors, volunteers, organizers and others), but are working hard to resume producing the festival in 2025. (https://www.floridavoicesforanimals.org/, https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2025-have-a-heart) COMEDY CORNER: Kyle Kinane’s “Cat Sneeze” (https://kylekinane.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” [...]

Jessica Farrer–a marine biologist who serves as Research Director at The Whale Museum, and part of the team of scientists working temporarily in Antarctica Peninsula, profiled in “Expedition Killer Whale,” a new installment of the PBS series “Nature”—recalls growing up landlocked in Colorado, moving as soon as possible to Washington state. Speaking in a “Talking Animals” interview from aboard a ship while crossing the Drake Passage en route to Antarctica, Farrer recounts the genesis of her passion for creatures of the sea (in an Instagram post, she wrote “I’ve always been a fish nerd”), noting a pivotal, early scientific experience was analyzing the scat of harbor seals, while another early job was assessing catches at an Alaskan fishery. Mentioning that she began traveling to Antarctica in 2009, Farrer outlines the various types of killer whales found in the area, notably including the B1 Killer Whales (also known as pack-ice killer whales) that constitute the focus of “Expedition Killer Whale.” Unique to Antarctica, with a population numbering about 100 whales—a figure that’s dwindling each year—Farrer describes how pack-ice killer whales are singular, particularly for the way they hunt, capture, and share their prey:  a small group of them join forces and carry out what appears to be a pre-determined strategy (and often revised on the fly), swimming in formation to create huge, precise waves that can wash a seal off floating hunks of ice. This is called “wave washing.” Scientists have long been fascinated by this hunting technique, and “Expedition Killer Whale” represents the first footage documenting this unusual behavior. Her aim in joining this odyssey was a desire to learn more about Antarctica’s top predator, its prey and the ecosystem. She shares her experiences having done so in a distinctive way: collecting and analyzing the whales’ poop, in order to help determine information about their health and environment, including what impact climate change may be having. Farrer provides an overview of The Whale Museum, a 40-year-old, multifaceted nonprofit organization in Friday Harbor, Washington for which she serves as Research Director. (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/, https://whalemuseum.org/) Photos by Juliette Hennequin, Leigh Hickmott ALSO: I spoke with Suzanne King, longtime organizer of Get Rescued, the annual rescue and adoption event that spreads across Gulfport, on Saturday, Feb. 22, marking its 21st anniversary. For most of those years, the event was known as Gulfport Get Rescued, but King explained the truncated version allows them to plug in any city’s name in front of the “Get Rescued” phrase for comparable events in those other locales. She outlined some of the activities in store for this year’s Gulfport iteration, including 30-plus rescue groups (who King said not only table at the festival for free, but walk away with a portion of the day’s proceeds), offering a large number of adoptable pets, and—probably the day’s signature attraction—the Wiener Dog Derby, which is as nutty and entertaining as it sounds. (https://www.facebook.com/Getrescued) COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Whale Noises” (https://brianregan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Beatles’  “Blackbird” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TAFeb5Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Hannah Shaw–recognized as an influential humane educator, her specialty is providing instruction in caring for neonatal kittens; she’s also a NYT bestselling author whose latest book “Cats Of The World,” is a collaboration with her husband, photographer Andrew Marttila—recounts how she developed the expertise in caring for neonatal kittens and, along the way, built a humongous social media following in her “Kitten Lady” guise. This account includes Shaw acknowledging that many well- meaning folks have what proves to be counterproductive response when they see a young, tiny kitten—taking it to the local, which typically is  not equipped with the resources or expertise or hours on end to care for these fragile felines. But now, especially compared to past periods, that hypothetical person has access to a vast array of guidance from Shaw herself, including a library of instructional videos, books, webinars, workshops and more. An animal lover and advocate since she was a kid, explains how she veered into kitten care, led by a random encounter with a little black cat peering out of a treetop. She rescued that five-week-old kitty, made her a family member, named her Coconut (plucked from the tree like one) or Coco, and they were virtually inseparable until the cat died in 2024 at 15. From that first meeting with Coco, Shaw applied what she learned caring for her new friend, and kept learning. And kept going. We touched on some of the educational efforts this evolved to within the Kitten Lady juggernaut, including the workshops she now leads. (https://www.kittenlady.org/events) We moved on to discussing “Cats Of The World,” for which she and Marttila traveled to 30 countries, reporting on cat denizens they found in each locale, highlighting unusual rescue or shelter operations functioning in some sites—some of the most impressive sanctuaries were converted homes, housing 400-plus cats–while Marttila captures the myriad scenes with a sprawling array of gorgeous photographs. It’s a coffee table book with a lot on its mind. One point that’s on Shaw’s mind—as noted in “Cats Of The World,” and amplified in our conversation—her feline-oriented globe-trotting prompted her to re-examine her own country’s philosophy and policies when it comes to animal sheltering and related issues.  In a follow-up to a half-serious aside, I close out the interview asking Shaw, if she were a cat, which country she’d choose to live in. Her answer: England, particularly in the countryside. Her second choice was Nepal. [Photos by Andrew Marttila] (https://www.kittenlady.org/, https://www.youtube.com/kittenlady, https://www.instagram.com/kittenxlady, https://www.facebook.com/kittenxlady, https://www.tiktok.com/@officialkittenlady) ALSO: I spoke with Jason Cowen, executive director of Friends of Boyd Hill Nature Preserve— the Preserve is a 245-acre, award-winning property in St. Petersburg, featuring six miles of trails and boardwalks through a variety of habitats. This conversation was in advance of the Preserve’s Raptor Fest, slated to take place Saturday, Feb. 1, from 10am to 4pm. This event—which Cowen explains is free to attend, yet through donation opportunities and sponsorships, turns out to be one of the Friends’ biggest fundraisers– will feature demonstrations of trained raptors flying, opportunities to learn about Florida’s native raptor species, photos can be taken with live birds of prey, about 25 environmental and other exhibitors, assorted activities for children and families, and more. (https://www.stpeteparksrec.org/parks___facilities/boyd_hill.php) COMEDY CORNER: Paula Poundstone’s “12 Cats” (https://paulapoundstone.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/2025/01/TAJan29Final.mp3 | Open [...]

Steve Nesbitt–a retired Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wildlife biologist, who over a FWC stint of some 35 years, developed a reputation for extensive knowledge about a slew of species—recalls his interest in birds was cultivated as a kid by his grandfather, a passionate birder. Nesbitt elaborates, noting that his childhood was marked by frequent forays exploring nature, including regular camping trips, as well as going hunting and fishing. These activities continued into adulthood, and he explains that, especially after he’d launched his FWC career as a wildlife biologist, hunting—killing—a wild animal provided the only practical opportunity to safely observe a given critter up close. Nesbitt adds that later in life, he quit hunting, preferring to enjoy examining an animal’s beauty and behavior from a safe distance, while doing no harm. As the chief focus of this conversation was Sandhill Cranes, Nesbitt recounted a work project early on that, not by design, ended up including Sandhill Cranes. He offers a vivid description of the first time he laid eyes on these birds, moving into a section of the discussion that I suggested we call “Cranes 101.” Indeed, he covers Crane fundamentals, like how many species there are worldwide (15), narrowing quickly to how many species there are in North America: two—Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes. Nesbitt corrects the common misconception that Sandhill Cranes mate for life. And he notes that, physically, adult males and females are enormously difficult to tell apart, and ultimately can only be definitively distinguished by sound: the so-called Unison Call. Asked after a lifetime of loving and working with birds, I ask about his 2-3 favorites. No spoilers here…   ALSO: I spoke with Fred Metzler, owner of The Dog Bar in St. Petersburg–essentially, a dog park with a full bar which often arranges to serve food through a rotating line-up of food trucks—outlines the basic criteria for pooch admittance to the tavern, including being spayed or neutered, providing proof of current vaccinations, and no retractable leashes. Metzler also describes The Dog Bar’s Gasparilla-themed event: Barks of the Bay, slated to take place Friday, Jan. 24, at the Dog Bar, perhaps highlighted by the dogs dressed in pirate gear for the costume pawrade. (Yes, pawrade.) Barks of the Bay was to additionally feature drinks, of course, music for dancing, food, and multiple means to raise funds for Safe Paws Rescue (https://safepawsrescue.com/), the small Tampa rescue, one of many organizations The Dog Bar supports through its numerous events. (https://dogbarstpete.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DogBarStPete, https://www.instagram.com/dogbarstpete/) COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Birdwatching” (DS edit) (https://www.zimmermancomedy.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Kathleen Edwards’ “Who Rescued Who,” 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/2025/01/TAJan22Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Marcie Fallek–a veteran veterinarian and author of the memoir, “Little Miracles Everywhere: My Unorthodox Path to Holistic Veterinary Medicine”—recalls what prompted her to attend veterinary school in Italy. Fallek enumerates the significant challenges of being a vet student there, most notably that she didn’t speak any Italian when she started—meaning that studying her notes involved translating every word. Addressing yet another formidable challenge of attending vet school there, she describes how the exams, covering an entire course–across the entire term—amounted to just three oral questions asked by the professor. One motif that materializes in “Little Miracles Everywhere” is Fallek’s ongoing quest—for knowledge of one kind or another, for answers about spiritual matters, for an examination of whether, for her, there’s a God. Not coincidentally, she relates in the book, and in this conversation, that she embarked on a pivotal trip to India (the first of many), describing the people and conditions she encountered and how traveling there influenced her, and that quest. Fallek speaks to another central storyline that threads through the book: Her disheartening discovery–once she became a full-fledged veterinarian, and started working in various offices and clinics—that a number of vets she observed up close appeared to be driven more by dollars than a genuine desire to heal animals. Moreover, beyond the financial priority, but not unrelated to it, Fallek became concerned that many traditional vets might be providing care that was counterproductive to healing—for example, dispensing certain antibiotics and other meds. Thus began, or furthered initially, her evolution from conventionally-trained vet to one embracing holistic veterinary medicine. Fittingly, this part of our chat dealt with her opposition to many vaccinations, and her growing support for—and training in—accupuncture. Licensed to practice in New York, Connecticut, and Florida, Dr. Fallek offers consultations by telephone and videoconference, and said she plans to launch a concierge practice. (https://www.holisticvet.us/)   ALSO: I spoke with Claudia Otis, a co-founder of The Little Lion Foundation, a Long Beach, California organization that has offered an array of assistance to cats and their humans who’ve been affected by the L.A. Wildfires. Otis first outlined The Little Lion Foundation’s fundamental mission under conventional circumstances—that is, when not providing various forms of disaster relief to victims of the fires—before explaining what assistance the organization has offered, or is prepared to offer, including temporary housing, food, litter, medical care, and more. They also have volunteers willing to foster cats displaced by the fires or otherwise needing foster care—and Otis indicated they anticipate needing additional volunteers who could help with fostering. To otherwise help The Little Lion Foundation provide its help, Otis noted, they would welcome donations of money, cat food, litter, and other supplies, and the best way to do so is by visiting their website: https://www.littlelionfoundation.org/ COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Doctors And Veterinarians” (https://brianregan.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/2025/01/TAJan15Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

This morning, I once again set aside the customary show format to deliver the “Talking Animals Annual Holiday Animal Song Special.” I noted the title is intentionally unwieldy, which I enjoy in an odd way, in the same way I enjoy over-explaining the premise on-aIr: a show entirely devoted to Holiday-oriented animal tunes. Elaborating, I acknowledged the only way to effectively pull off this conceit is to fashion the special with a liberal sprinkling of “Rudolph”-related songs. Sure enough, that sprinkling in today’s installment included Cher—recently back in the spotlight—and her spirited reading of “Run Rudolph Run,” and Beatles doppelgänger The Fab Four blasting through “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.” But in today’s edition, I really sought to represent the non-Rudolph contingent—alt-reindeer, if you will—starting with “The Reindeer Stomp,” a rootsy barn-burner from John Calvin Brewer. And by again giving others the musical spotlight, we did acknowledge not all prominent reindeer are named Rudolph. We made  that point by opening one set with “Listen I’m Blitzen” by Marion & Martin (the Marion being Marion Gwizdala, a September guest on “Talking Animals” https://talkinganimals.net/2024/09/marion-gwizdala-ceo-of-advocates-for-service-animal-partners-inc-asap/), followed by Otis Gibbs’ “Lloyd The Reindeer” back-to-back with Joe Diffie’s “Leroy The Redneck Reindeer.” I think we learn that not all reindeer are created equal. And I played a few longtime staples, including “Dominick, The Italian Christmas Donkey,” “The Christmas Crocodile,” and I’m practically constitutionally obligated to spin the Eels’ “Christmas Is Going To The Dogs.” I took a brief break from playing cool yule songs for the traditional reading of what I call the Dorothy Strauss Christmas message, basically a poignant, inspirational prose poem in the form of a wall hanging that formed the centerpiece of my Mom’s Christmas decorations. The piece was credited to “author unknown” in those days, I later learned it was written by Howard W. Hunter. Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TADec18HolidayAnimalSongs.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Bobbi Brink–founder and director of Lions, Tigers & Bears (LT&B), a 140-acre animal sanctuary in east San Diego she launched in 2002—recalls living in Texas, planning to open a restaurant (she’s from San Diego), and seeing her first advertisement offering the sale of big cats. She responded to the ad, she explained, not to make a purchase, but to step into the realm of the illegal wildlife trade. She was aiming to learn about it–in order to help undermine it–chiefly by volunteering at pseudo-sanctuaries and other operations such as the one that placed the ad. After putting in stints at a few of those places, closely observing how they work, learning what they do—and learning what not to do–Brink returned to San Diego, having rescued tigers Raja and Natasha, and started LT&B. (The name is intended less as a reference to “Wizard of Oz” than as a tribute to what her dying father-in-law shouted to Brink and her husband before they embarked on their regular hikes.) She describes her ongoing efforts to rescue big cats, bears, and animals from cub petting businesses (in which customers pay to hold, pet, and have their pictures taken with the babies of wild animals), roadside zoos (which tend to display their animals in small, horrid enclosures) and other nefarious operations that exploit and often abuse  animals for profit. Brink also describes the monumental challenges she and her colleagues face in trying to halt these operations. Including that the laws governing the sale and housing of exotic wildlife vary significantly from state to state—and a fundamental federal law defines animals as property, affording them no rights.This means that even when an official investigation of, say, a cub petting business or roadside zoo reveals criminal-level animal exploitation or abuse, the wheels of justice turn very slowly, delaying when the affected animals can be rescued or seized, and placed in Brink’s care. Noting that big cat sanctuaries have become common across the country, while facilities providing refuge to bears are relatively rare—and that Lions, Tigers & Bears, of course, does both—I asked her about the unique challenges of caring for bears. Brink’s response noted that bears tend to be busier, sleep less, need more space. Basically, she said, bears require more enrichment, elaborating on my follow-up question about how bear care at LT&B might vary by species, like a Himalayan Black Bear versus a Grizzly Bear. (https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/, https://www.facebook.com/lionstigerandbears, https://www.instagram.com/lionstigers_andbears/, https://www.tiktok.com/@lionstigers_andbears)   ALSO: I spoke with Elliot Ross, a celebrated photographer whose new book, “Crows Ascending,” reflects his work during the pandemic, when he was in lockdown. Fortunately, during that period—from a roof adjacent to his San Francisco apartment—he was able to observe a murder of crows routinely took flight, and Ross photographed the birds in take-off mode. Ross recalls being struck by the way the crows’ appearance transformed when they started to soar, noting he adjusted his camera’s shutter speed to represent this, yielding the 20 images that constitute “Crows Ascending.” Presented as a small but mighty coffee table book, this collection of poignant photos feels like an eloquent meditation, in no small measure because it’s dedicated to Ross’s late brother, Michael, who traveled a tough path medically and otherwise. [Photos: © Elliot Ross / Schilt Publishing & Gallery] (https://www.schiltpublishing.com/shop/books/new-releases/crows-ascending/) COMEDY CORNER: Mike Birbiglia’s “I’m A Bear” (https://www.birbigs.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/2024/12/TADec11Final.mp3 | [...]

Michael Hingson–blind since birth,  acclaimed speaker, and best-selling author whose new book is “Live Like A Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and His Dogs about Being Brave, Overcoming Adversity, and Moving Forward in Faith”—recounts how the pandemic precluded his then-regular routine of traveling and lecturing, spurring the idea for writing the new book.` As the title suggests, the new book draws on Hingson’s first-hand knowledge living with guide dogs over his lifetime. What’s not immediately suggested is this involves living with eight guide dogs over the years, which Hingson affirms is an atypically large number of canine companions. In addressing how these dogs taught him important lessons about being brave in various challenging scenarios, he pointed out that “Dogs don’t do ‘What if?,’ adding that us humans commonly ask what if, often thereby erecting obstacles in our own path. Hingson touts the virtues of preparation as a gambit for fear reduction, as well as more efficient functioning day-to-day. I connect this to observations about how his parents—and his upbringing, really—were distinctly devoted to cultivating confidence, effectively preempting a great deal of fear from even developing. (For specific examples of this, I mention his folks not only encouraging Hingson to ride a bike around the neighborhood, but his Dad dismissing a local jerk who called to complain about it. And also when he was a kid, about to attend a new school, his Mom took him to the campus several times before school started, so he could “map out” the locations of your classrooms, where he’d eat lunch, and so on.) We discuss “mapping” in a different sense, enabling him to find his way around new neighborhoods—or commute by subway—and Hingson’s gifted mind for such mapping; not coincidentally, he holds a Master’s Degree in physics. And he notes in this part of the conversation the importance of paying attention to details. Realizing the question was probably akin to asking which child is your favorite, I inquire which of his eight guide dogs did he learn the most from—which one influenced him the most. He invokes multiple dogs, probably giving the bulk of the kudos to Roselle, the guide at his side on 9/11, when Hingson famously led them, and others, from the 78th floor of the North Tower to safety. We also touched on “Unstoppable Mindset,” the podcast that Hingson hosts, noting that we have intersecting experiences (though in different periods) at KUCI, the student/community radio station where I launched “Talking Animals. (https://michaelhingson.com/, https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/,  https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson, https://twitter.com/mhingson COMEDY CORNER: Paul F. Tompkins’ “Apologize For Your Dog” (https://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/2024/12/TADec4Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Justin Barker–an anti-captivity activist with a compelling narrative, starting with launching his first organization, Citizens Lobbying for Animals in Zoos, at age 13—recalls the family culture his parents cultivated that yielded a teen activist particularly empathetic to zoo animals and other captive wildlife. Barker further notes that a key step in his journey toward becoming a precocious animal activist was a serendipitous visit to a used bookstore, where he picked up a copy of “Kids Can Save the Animals: 101 Easy Things to Do,” written by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk. The book served Barker as an instructional manual of sorts. He recounts cajoling his Dad to take him to the Sacramento Zoo on a summer’s day. Upon arrival, even as a young kid, Barker observed a number of things that felt wrong about the facility, from the quality of the enclosures to the condition of, and types of, animals exhibited—particularly struck by the polar bear on display amidst 105-degree temperatures. I inquired why he thought—as an early teen—he was upset by what he witnessed during his visits to the Sacramento Zoo, but compelled to take action against those upsetting sights. Especially when so many people of various ages and backgrounds are charmed by zoos, finding the animals—and how they’re presented—enchanting. On a related note, he discusses a separate campaign to rescue and relocate two bears, Brutus and Ursula, who were living in what was left of a largely-defunct, ramshackle zoo that often flooded. Horrific conditions. Years later, he wrote a book, a YA memoir, chronicling those experiences, “Bear Boy: The True Story of a Boy, Two Bears, and the Fight to be Free.” The book was published a few years ago, yet just days prior to the interview, someone identifying himself as a blind person contacted Barker, asking if could make “Bear Boy” available as an audio book. Because he’s a tech wiz, he’d found a way to produce the audio book by the next day, and it was officially released Nov. 26, the day before this interview; we aired a brief audio clip. We touched on his current campaign: San Francisco Zoo Watch, which chronicles the years-long string of animal deaths—plus at least one patron death—and various other forms of alleged mismanagement at the San Francisco Zoo. [Photo of Barker: by Robin Weir…Bear by Tom Myers…Zoo protest by In Defense of Animals] (https://justinbarker.tv/, https://www.sfzoo.watch/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Nadia Tenouri, an organizer of ThanksVegan, the 15th annual potluck extravaganza–arranged by Florida Voices for Animals–held on Thanksgiving Day. In this case, that was slated to be Nov. 28, and held, as always, at Unitarian Universalist of Tampa. In briefly describing the key traits of ThanksVegan, Tenouri drops something of a bombshell, mentioning this year may mark the final year of the event. As for why, she explained the core organizers feeling increasingly challenged by an array of factors, including some fellow organizers having moved out of the area, rising rental fees on the facility, and other complications. She outlined the basic criteria to participate—bringing a vegan dish that serves eight (16, if you’re part of a couple), ideally with an ingredient list and serving utensil—and paying a certain fee, depending on the size of a dish one brings, or if no dish was brought. Other questions could be posed to ThanksVegan@gmail.com or probably found on the website: https://www.floridavoicesforanimals.org/thanksvegan COMEDY CORNER: Jim Gaffigan’s  “Happy Thanksgiving” (https://jimgaffigan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog” (https://georgeclinton.com/) AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TANov27Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Max Chesnes–the award-winning environment reporter for the Tampa Bay Times—a lifelong Floridian, recalls growing up in Jupiter, where he developed an almost religious fervor for nature, spending endless days in (and on) the water, hiking across the terrific parks, and otherwise unwittingly building the foundation of becoming a masterly environment-minded writer. Indeed, in this conversation—I’m a Chesnes admirer; I invited him on the show to discuss some major stories he covered in 2025, and stories he anticipates will be significant in 2026—he noted that when a proposal was unveiled to build golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, sparking huge outrage, he was uniquely conversant with the Park and key sources, placing his reporting at the forefront of that story. In addition to addressing recent notable articles he’s written, I wove in some Chesnes biographical questions, wondering, for example, how he gravitated toward journalism. Though he’s clearly been long drawn to communicating—he wrote for his high school newspaper, worked for the high school TV station, and so on—but the most succinct explanation for why he pursued journalism? Cynthia Barnett. Chesnes’s longtime role model and inspiration, Barnett is a Senior Lecturer in the University of Florida’s Department of Journalism…and an award-winning environmental journalist (sound familiar?). Chesnes is effusive in recounting how Barnett’s class, her pieces in National Geographic—her career, really—collectively constituted a lightbulb moment: “I want to do what Cynthia does!” And he did. And, does. One of his 2025 pieces we discussed told the inspiring tale of a retired woman, Maggie Serus who, upon hearing about a significant surge in gopher tortoise road kills on Honeymoon Island, decided to take matters into her own hands—literally—holding a handmade sign for days on end, urging visitors to slow down and alerting them to the presence of the tortoises. The tortoise-saving results were dramatic, underscoring a theme we also discussed: that one dedicated person can make a significant difference to people and/or animals. That theme certainly animated another notable Chesnes story we discussed: about a pod of dolphins who learned to hunt alongside a Florida bow fisherman, Justin Dymond—it was a striking narrative on multiple levels, including that Captain Dymond is someone who’s uncovered an animal phenomenon, wanted to see it be recognized—and may merit becoming the focus of a research study. There’s plenty more where those Max Chesnes stories came from, easily located online. Likewise, story ideas, tips, and other info can be sent to him via mchesnes@tampabay.com   ALSO:  I spoke with Jessica Salmond, Communications & Marketing Director at Friends of Strays, St. Petersburg’s oldest no-kill animal shelter. She provided an overview of Friends of Strays, including the shelter’s history, mission, and impressive recent adoption figures. Salmond also gave us the lowdown on some upcoming FOS events, including the next edition of their regularly-offered “Cats & Mats Yoga”—slated for this Saturday, Jan 24, at the shelter’s Cat Box Community Room. Salmond highlights Wags & Whiskers Cheshire Cat Ball, the 2026 edition of Friends of Strays’ big, annual fundraising gala. The Ball is set to take place March 14, from 7-11pm, at Lealman Exchange Community Center. The gala theme is based on the colorful, classic book, Alice in Wonderland, and attendees are invited to dress for the theme—either way, folks can avail themselves of activities and fun aplenty, including the silent auction, drinks, dancing, and more, she explained (https://www.friendsofstrays.org/)   COMEDY CORNER: Drew Lynch’s “Touchin’ Turtles” (DS edit) (https://drewlynch.com/)  MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO [...]