Talking Couch Potatoes

This fortnight we're talking about a tiny parasite causing a very big problem 🪱🔬 We're joined by Dr James Routledge, a veterinarian in northern New South Wales who is helping local rescue Friends of The Hound tackle treatment-resistant hookworm in their rescued greyhounds. James has been caring for greyhounds for decades 🩺 from a vet practice in Auckland in the '80s, to the Gold Coa...

We're back 🙌 ...and what a guest to return with! Kayley is a graphic designer, content creator and founder of The Long Dog Club, a creative advocacy community celebrating greyhounds as companions. She's also mum to Chilli 🌶️, the good boy whose online antics have inspired people to adopt a greyhound of their own 🥹 In this episode: 🤩 Adopting Chilli...love at first sight! And how he beca...

A very personal episode. We sit down with Dr Ann Hakara Holdsworth, veterinarian and founder of Pets at Peace - Home Vet , a gentle home euthanasia and palliative care service for our furry family members 🕊️ Dr Ann is the vet who came to Matt's home the day he said goodbye to his beloved Princess, Bunny. Her first words at the door were "do you need a hug?" and honestly, that tells y...

Seventy episodes in, and we've marked it with one of the most remarkable conversations we've had! Michelle Carr first joined us back in Episode 48, sitting firmly on the other side of the fence. A welder by trade, dog enthusiast by nature, deep into ethology, breed history and genetics...she came on to make the case for racing. Then she reflected. Listened back. Started examining her argum...

We are thrilled to bring you Stephen Walters - independent economist with Optimal Economics, and author of the very first Cost-Benefit Analysis of Greyhound Racing in WA (2026), commissioned by Animals Australia 📊 Perth-raised and now Sydney-based, Stephen started with a blank sheet of paper 📄, trawled through budget papers, audited annual reports and ABS data, followed the money trail 💰... and...

The New Zealand people have been heard, and greyhound racing will permanently end on August 1st 2026! So this week we sit down with one of the people who helped make it happen: Emily Robertson, a spokesperson and volunteer for The Greyhound Protection League of New Zealand for over a decade. 🇳🇿✊Emily's not just an advocate, she's also a lawyer and has FIVE gorgeous hounds (Luigi, Niji, Ca...

We are beyond excited to bring you a conversation that had us completely losing track of time...meet Carey Theil, Executive Director of GREY2K USA Worldwide, calling in all the way from Boston, Massachusetts, USA! Carey is co-founder of the most powerful greyhound advocacy organisation on the planet. His organisation played a key role in shutting down 46 greyhound racing tracks in the US, and 44 s...

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you a conversation with one of Australia's most respected animal welfare advocates, Dr Jed Goodfellow, Co-Founder and Director of Policy and Government Relations at the Australian Alliance for Animals🦮⚖️Jed has spent over 20 years fighting for animals in courtrooms, parliamentary inquiries, and the media. He played a key role in campaigns to end live export...

This week, Matt & Mel welcome back veterinary physiotherapist Susan Yuen 🐕 from Physio For Pets ( https://physioforpets.com.au/ ) to dig deeper into chronic pain, corns, and the hidden injuries many greyhounds carry long after racing ends. 👀🐾💥From shoulder instability to toe injuries, hip pain, spinal issues, and long-term compensation. This episode uncovers why corns are often just the sy...

After the WA greyhound racing inquiry hearings… we needed a moment. A breather. A debrief. A bit of honesty. 💭 In this episode, we talk about: 🐾 What it was actually like being in the hearing room 💔 The emotional toll behind the scenes ❓ The questions that mattered (and the obfuscation!) ⚠️ The reality that can’t be avoided: dogs WILL be injured and killed racing. We also reflect on the people...

This week, Matt & Mel chat with Bec – long term foster carer, cat tester, and all-round legend, who has helped over 50 greyhounds transition from racing life into loving homes. With the help of her cat Lynx, Bec also tests greyhounds for prospective adoptive families with cats. This episode is equal parts eye-opening, heartwarming, and inspiring. ✨ What you’ll learn: 🐈Why many greyhounds can...

This week on Talking Couch Potatoes, Matt & Mel are joined by an absolute legend in greyhound rescue - Lisa White, founder of Friends of the Hound, operating in Northern NSW and Queensland. 🐶💙 https://friendsofthehound.org.au/ What started with one greyhound she couldn’t forget, Zada, turned into more than 20 years of rescue… and thousands of lives saved! 🏆In this episode we talk about:👀 w...

🚨EP61 of Talking Couch Potatoes is one of the most powerful conversations we’ve ever had.⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains discussion of the psychological impact of greyhound racing, including trauma to greyhounds. Take care listening ❤️‍🩹In this episode of Talking Couch Potatoes, we speak with Mark Layton, who grew up in a greyhound racing family and spent his childhood around kennels a...

We’ve hit the big 6-0… and we’re still raging (respectfully) 💅🔥 In this milestone episode of Talking Couch Potatoes, we sit down with Dr Liam Clay – PhD-qualified canine behaviour consultant and Director of AABA Consultants & Future Proof Training Academy – to unpack the science of greyhound behaviour: ❓ What actually happens when a greyhound leaves racing and enters a home? 🤔Why the “3-3-...

This episode is a big one! Not loud. Not shouty. But important . 👀 We sat down with Deb King , Animal Welfare Policy Research Officer at RSPCA WA , to unpack one of the most common (and most misunderstood) arguments we see on our posts 👇 👉 “What about how many dogs the RSPCA euthanises?” So let’s be crystal clear. 💔 RSPCA is not causing the crisis...they are dealing with the fallout. They care...

🎉 EP58 | Happy New Year 🎉 We’re back for 2026 with a short check-in episode to ease into the year - just us, a bit of reflection, and some important updates. 🐾 We touch on recent Free The Hounds happenings... 📊 And unpack the newly announced financial review of WA racing... including the timing with the WA Parliamentary Inquiry and what it could mean. This one’s brief, but the year ahead is an...

🎄✨ Episode 57 is here! ✨🎄 In our final episode for the year, Talking Couch Potatoes brings you a story that is not just a conversation...it’s a journey. This episode features Kim Whiting , author of Simba’s Story - a deeply moving account of a traumatised greyhound who went missing for 16 days in the Dandenong Ranges, and the extraordinary community that refused to give up on him. ❤️ Simba’s s...

This week, we sit down with life and mindset coach, former veterinarian and long-time animal advocate, Anita Marriott and this conversation is one every advocate needs to hear! ✨ Anita breaks down the difference between empathy fatigue and compassion fatigue (or burnout), and why knowing the difference can keep you in the fight longer. ✨ She shares tools for sustainable advocacy , including prac...

🐾 EP55 is here – and it’s a BIG one! 🎙️💥 We’re joined once again by powerhouse advocate, MP Georgie Purcell, leader in the fight to protect greyhounds and push for an end to the racing industry. 💬 Georgie dives into: 📉 How transparency wins in Victoria are forcing truthful reporting on deaths & injuries 🐕 How public opinion has shifted from dogs as commodities to beloved companions 📊 The...

In this powerful episode, Matt & Mel discuss the fast-approaching deadline for submissions to the WA Parliamentary Inquiry into Greyhound Racing — closing 17th November . 🗓️ Special guest Honi Rawlings , a former on-track vet nurse, opens up about her confronting experiences inside the industry - from the emotional toll of euthanising injured dogs 💔 to the joy of adopting her own greyhounds...

Artist Elliott Fox joins Matt and Mel to discuss his powerful exhibition, Saint Grey - a breathtaking tribute to greyhounds and a call for compassion through art. 🎨🐕 Elliott shares how his muse, rescue greyhound Adam Barker , inspired him to create Saint Grey , a life-size sculpture with angelic wings symbolising hope, protection, and the spirit of every dog who’s ever needed saving. 🕊️ Together...

This episode, we’re diving headfirst into the WA Greyhound Racing Inquiry 🐕 Join Matt & Mel as they unpack what this monumental inquiry means for greyhounds in WA and how YOU can get involved before November 17th 🗓️ https://freethehounds.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d87f42ca4948157c6be5559a1&id=07c947f9e1 ✨ Special guest Fran Chambers, founder of Let Greyhounds Run Free , joins us fr...

In this episode, Matt & Mel welcome Cecilia, founder of Rainy Day Pets 🐾 Cecilia shares how her beloved greyhound Archie 🐕‍🦺, her childhood dog Rein 🐶, and the many greyhounds she has fostered inspired her to create a proudly anti-racing business. From supporting charities 💙 to designing products that bring comfort, Cecilia’s work is rooted in compassion. Her hero product , the cuddlepill...

🎉🐾 Talking Couch Potatoes has hit Episode 50! 🐾🎉 In this milestone episode, we’re joined by Sian from Snooter Brown 💜 Sian’s passion for greyhound rescue, advocacy, and her unique training approach takes centre stage as she shares her inspiring journey. ✨ What’s inside: 🐕 The challenges & rewards of rehoming greyhounds 💔 The tough realities of the racing industry 💖 The resilience of t...

In this episode of Talking Couch Potatoes , we chat with young author Hannah ✨ and her mum Jess 💜 about Hannah’s beautiful book Georgia the Grey Comes Home to Stay 🐾📚. This heartwarming story follows Georgia, a rescued greyhound 🐶, while also shining a light on the cruel realities of greyhound racing 💔. 💡 Hear how Hannah went from idea ➡️ publishing, and how she’s using her 9 yr old voice (...