That’s what Che Green had in mind when he founded the Humane Research Council. The HRC does research for animal advocacy organizations large and small (sometimes even for free!) and vegan-oriented businesses. Their tools include surveys, focus groups, and before-and-after assessment of campaigns’ impact.

How can research like this help animals? Green has some stories for us, like the survey that convinced tour companies to fund spay & neuter programs at their tour destinations. What are some of the current trends in fur sales, meat consumption, and vegetarians “backsliding” into meat-eating? What should you study in school if you want to do this kind of work? Green will answer these questions and more in this interview!

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Check out some of HRC’s free resources for activists: HumaneSpot.org, a treasure trove of research papers and data, Humane Trends, a “barometer of the status of animal protection in the United States”, and the Animal Tracker Graphing Tool.

Along the way, Robinson will tackle questions like: Does authenticity require that a culture be frozen in time? Is awareness of dietary control of diseases and food justice issues reversing the notion that vegetarian food is just for the wealthy and white? Robinson asserts that “we can be visible as modern native people, and we get to decide what that looks like”. With meat, cheese, and other animal products featuring so prominently in traditional foods around the world, Robinson’s words will resonate with anyone who has felt a tension between their vegan values and their culture.

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You can read more of Robinson’s writings on her website.

Ryder, whose animal activism résumé spans 40 years, notes that we usually weigh the goodness or badness of actions using two theories: utilitarianism (often expressed as “the greatest good for the greatest number”) and individual rights. But does “good for the greatest number” make sense? The pain a cow feels is not increased or diminished by whether there are a dozen, or a billion, other cows suffering just like her. Therefore, argues Ryder, we should always help the animals who are in the most pain, without regard to how many of them there are.

This simple notion suggests radical changes of direction for a movement where the number of animals suffering — or spared from suffering — is often emphasized. Ryder discusses it at length in his book Speciesism, Painism, and Happiness, and will chat with us about both the philosophical and practical consequences of the idea.

Incidentally, Dr. Ryder invented the term “speciesism”, and he once leafletted some guy named Peter Singer and got him interested in animal liberation. Ryder will share his reminiscences from the animal rights community in Oxford in the 1970s.

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Listen right now:

or download an mp3 of the show.

Listen right now:

or download an mp3 of the show.

Whether you’re a Christian trying to reconcile your compassion for animals with your faith, an animal activist trying to engage with Christians, or just fascinated by religious history and the nuances of Christian scripture, this interview is sure to captivate!

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Last year, Ireland came within a hair’s breadth of banning fur farms, only to see the national government suddenly replaced by one friendly to fur farming. Undeterred, NARA is preparing for a busy year ahead. Building on impressive successes in Dublin — convincing stores to stop selling fur and convincing the city council to ban fur sales at its own fairs and markets — NARA will be taking the fight to the countryside: protesting and lobbying in the counties where mink farms exist, and pressuring the farms’ suppliers to quit dealings with them.

Broxson will also tell us about NARA’s work on circuses and vivisection, and share her best tips for staying safe while doing activist work.

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Inspired by the Primate Freedom Tours of the 1990s, Open The Cages is “a travelling animal rights fest” featuring art, music, workshops for activists, and screenings of the documentary Maximum Tolerated Dose. The tour combines education with action: after learning about animal experimentation, people can immediately attend a protest at a local laboratory.

Join us as Jenny and Mike discuss highlights and lessons from the successful 2012 west coast tour, getting past the secrecy surrounding animal experimentation, and bucking the trend of exploitive elements in demonstrations. And after you listen, visit openthecagestour.com to find out how you can participate in the tour stop nearest you.

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Are some nutrients harder to absorb from supplements or certain kinds of foods? Will taking EFAs make you smarter? Is fasting good for you? Does soy do weird things to sexual development? (And does cows’ milk?) Should everyone be on a low-fat diet? What are good foods for vegan kids? And what foods should you add to your diet right now, if you aren’t already eating them? (Some of them may surprise you!)

Norris has a gift for boiling down the latest research into easily digestible advice. If you’re interested in improving your own diet, or in becoming better at fielding others’ questions about vegan diets, don’t miss this interview!

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About Jack Norris: A co-founder of Vegan Outreach, Norris decided to become educated on the science of nutrition to help those who had tried to be veg but for health reasons didn’t believe they could. Now as a Registered Dietitian, Norris helps people navigate the often bewildering world of nutrition information through his sites VeganHealth.org and JackNorrisRD.com and the book Vegan for Life (co-authored with Ginny Messina, R.D.)

If you haven’t attended a screening yet, tune in to find out about the film’s unique (and non-gory) approach to the subject matter. If you have seen it, here’s your chance to hear some of the stories behind the film, like what it’s like to go undercover as an animal dealer in Laos. Even viewers with extensive knowledge of the vivisection industry are likely to find something new to think about in this challenging documentary.

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P.S. You might also be interested in these past interviews with some of the people whose voices were featured in the film: Dr. John J. Pippin, Dr. Erika Sullivan, and Dr. Lynda Birke.

Today, Animal Voices gets an hour to pick Matt’s brain about the lessons he has learned from 20+ years of activism — lessons he summarizes in The Animal Activist’s Handbook (co-authored with Bruce Friedrich).

Matt co-founded Vegan Outreach, an organization with a simple focus: they hand out leaflets and talk to people. This may be “not sexy” work (his words, not ours!) but there’s a lot involved in doing it well. Matt will tell us about the psychology behind the leaflets’ message, and about conversational techniques he has practiced for overcoming skepticism, defusing hostility, and saving a discussion from getting derailed or sidetracked.

Matt will also touch on the subjects of “financial activism”, what can be learned from corporate advertising, and why he doesn’t talk about health benefits of veganism. Don’t miss this chance to hear an animal rights hall-of-famer share all the things he wishes he’d known from the get-go.

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Photo © Gary Simmons

2012 was a tough year for Marineland. The Toronto Star ran a series of damning articles in which former Marineland employees told of neglect, chronic water quality problems that caused pain and even blindness in the animals, and mass graves on site. The revelations bolstered public opposition to the embattled park, culminating in an 800-person demonstration in which chanting protesters spontaneously flooded into the park.

Now, Marineland has lashed back by filing two $1 million-plus lawsuits: one against Dylan Powell, longtime community organizer and a major voice in Marineland Animal Defense, and another against Christine Santos, a former Marineland trainer whose criticism of the treatment of killer whale Kiska was featured in the Star.

Tune in as Powell talks SLAPP lawsuits and legal strategy. (SLAPP = Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, a lawsuit designed to intimidate and silence critics.) Powell will also reflect on the activism successes of 2012, and tip us off about what Niagara activists have planned for 2013, including a speaking tour about Marineland and an anti-vivisection campaign at Brock University.

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(P.S. Longtime listeners may be experiencing a bit of déjà vu right now.)

Fast-forward to 2007, when Roberts and others formed the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. With input from veterinarians, IFAW, HSUS, and AAVS, the group works to define very specific standards covering all aspects of animal care. Sanctuaries that meet the standards can be accredited — assuring rescuers and donors that the animals receive top-level care — and sanctuaries working towards meeting the standards can access mentorship and grants.

Join us as Roberts discusses GFAS’s animal-centered approach to defining quality care, how GFAS is extending its reach through international partnerships, and the tough questions around breeding, euthanasia, and where fundraising activities cross the line into exploitation.

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© iStockphoto.com / A-S-L

If you made a New Year’s resolution to catch up on your podcasts, then we have a treat for you! In this show, we feature highlights from the past year of interviews. Hear about life on board a Sea Shepherd vessel from Shannon Mann, and learn what it’s like to run a farm animal sanctuary from Jenny Brown. Let Morgan Lance fill you in on how Animals Asia’s Vietnam bear sanctuary is fighting an unjust eviction, and hear about the lessons Jennifer Cox brought to her animal activism from her work on queer, gender, and feminist issues. Find out how Mercy for Animals Canada brought the plight of pigs in Manitoba to a nation-wide TV audience, and finally, let motivational speaker (and hardcore singer!) Greg Bennick inspire you to wade deeper into activism in 2013!

2012 was Animal Voices’ 17th year on the air. The dedication, heart, and hard work of animal advocates everywhere continues to inspire us. It has been our honour to bring you their stories, and we hope you will continue to tune in for more in 2013!

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Photo from JackNorrisRD.com

Listen right now:

or download an mp3 of the show.

About Jack Norris: A co-founder of Vegan Outreach, Norris decided to become educated on the science of nutrition to help those who had tried to be veg but for health reasons didn’t believe they could. Now as a Registered Dietitian, Norris helps people navigate the often bewildering world of nutrition information through his sites VeganHealth.org and JackNorrisRD.com and the book Vegan for Life (co-authored with Ginny Messina, R.D.)

Photo from Mercy For Animals Canada website

From the big-picture statistics to the stories of individual pigs — like 21401, who would run over to play when called by a whistle, but was shipped off to her death for taking too long to come into heat — Francois takes us inside a world where regulations are vague and suffering is accepted as the norm. She asks that listeners consider signing a petition to ask Canada’s largest grocery chains to refuse to sell meat from companies that use the practices seen in the video, and try going veg too!

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Kymlicka and co-author Sue Donaldson hope to remedy that with their book Zoopolis. They examine how concepts like sovereignty and citizenship can be used to think about the responsibilities we owe to different groups of animals — domesticated, wild, and those like raccoons and pigeons, who live in our cities but not with us.

In this interview, we will find out what we can learn from the disability rights movement, which works to enable people to communicate and express themselves in whatever way they best can, and from indigenous rights movements, which expose the dangers of “protection” vs. true sovereignty. We will hear about why some groups like the Amish elect to opt out of certain aspects of citizenship, even as others fight hard for full inclusion.

Join us for a fascinating discussion as Kymlicka shows us a vision of human-animal relations that brings new meaning to the term “political animal”.

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Photo from BanBloodSports.com

The pro-animal campaigners have some powerful allies, such as politicians Maureen O’Sullivan and Clare Davy, and even Prime Minister Enda Kenny has admitted a personal dislike of hare coursing. The pro-blood sports lobby, however, is well-funded and has attracted a range of allies from hunters to Spanish bullfighters, who fear that their practices may be the next to go if hare coursing and fox hunting are outlawed. Visit BanBloodSports.com for updates, petitions, and more!

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Listen right now:

or download an mp3 of the show.

Join us as Roth discusses the books, her gentle but truthful approach to difficult topics, and her observations of the different reactions the books evoke from children and grownups. (And school cafeterias and TV news hosts!) Roth also shares her thoughts on how to give children the confidence to handle tricky social situations and how to approach talking about veganism with non-vegetarian partners, relatives, and friends.

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UT-ARC also works to bring guest speakers to campus, to lobby for vegan food options, and to inform science students about their right to refuse to experiment on animals and assist them in adopting out animals instead of killing them at the end of a study. Just recently, 8 mice made their way from a lab to caring homes through UT-ARC’s efforts.

As further reading, York recommends David Sztybel’s critique of the Canadian Council on Animal Care’s ethics code.

Next, we speak with the multi-talented Greg Bennick: keynote speaker, filmmaker, singer for the bands Trial and Between Earth & Sky, and founder of the relief organization One Hundred For Haiti. Bennick shares insights about violence that he gleaned while working on two projects: Flight From Death and the Legacy Project. The film Flight From Death explored the psychological roots of aggression and domination, while the Legacy Project, which involves taking student groups to sites of atrocities, explores means of healing and leaving violence behind. Bennick also discusses how veganism fuels his work, how we can all listen more effectively, and the importance of getting out a message with integrity and sincerity that people can connect with.

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Pepper, 1970-2012

Since its establishment in 1997, the Fauna Foundation has fought to end chimpanzee research and provided sanctuary to ex-research chimps. Founder Gloria Grow tells us about the early years of the sanctuary, from her first meeting with some of the chimps at a lab in New York, to her last moments with her beloved Pepper who passed away this year.

With the insight that she’s gained from years of daily interaction with the Fauna chimps, Gloria shares stories that are at once amazing and heartbreaking — from an unforgettable meeting between two elder chimps and a heartbroken young orphan named Toby, to Tom’s jaw-dropping experiment with a tub of black paint. Gloria also discusses the importance of honesty in the relationships between traumatized chimps and their caregivers, and the recent controversy over whether the U.S. government’s decision to retire 100 ex-research chimps to a lab rather than a sanctuary contravenes the intentions of the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act (CHIMP Act) of 2000.

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After five years on board with Sea Shepherd, Shannon has diligently devoted her time to connecting the local and the global with the organization Backyard Activist, which she founded with a dedicated team, including SHAC 7 member Jake Conroy. “Backyard Activist is a social media site for activism that will make it easy for like-minded individuals to connect, create projects, volunteer, and get involved. We want to build a global community of activists that feel empowered and supported, and provide them with a valuable tool to accomplish their goals.”

In this interview, we catch up with Shannon and her birds to discuss sailing the Antarctic, seeing herself and her crew on television, and what lies ahead for Backyard Activist.

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Seven years ago, Jenny Brown and Doug Abel opened the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary near Woodstock, New York. In her new book, The Lucky Ones: My Passionate Fight for Farm Animals, Jenny recounts — in candid and often hilarious style — her journey from her meat-and-dairy-heavy childhood in Kentucky to finding her life’s work as sanctuary director. Along the way, she educates readers about the ugly realities of modern animal agriculture, and invites us to meet the animals — the “lucky ones” — who have found a life-long home with her in Woodstock.

Beyond the heartwarming stories of Dylan the steer and Beatrice the turkey, though, Jenny gives us a glimpse into the hard work of running a sanctuary: the rigorous preparation (she lived and worked at Farm Sanctuary for a year, taking copious notes on every aspect of the operation), being strategic about everything from location to fundraising, and what it’s like to face the hard choices when a sanctuary must say “no” to taking in more animals than it can responsibly care for.

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It may sound like an unlikely recipe for success, but Chris and Jon, creators of The Vegan Zombie, have combined years of cooking experience with top-notch videography and makeup to produce a bona fide hit. It’s fun, scary, suspenseful, and delivers inspiration and tips for novice and seasoned vegan chefs alike.

Tune in to hear how Chris and Jon develop their all-original recipes, what it takes to put together a zombie-filled film shoot, and how the “Zombie Crew” keeps expanding as other vegan celebs get in on the fun and guest-star in Jon’s adventures in a nightmare world of flesh-eaters.

Follow the story and try the recipes at theveganzombie.com.

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