Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation

In this delightful episode of The Hen Report, Jasmin and Mariann welcome back vegan comedian Myq Kaplan for a conversation that seamlessly weaves humor with compassion. Myq, whose comedy special “Rini” premieres on YouTube November 19th, shares profound insights on how comedy can help bridge the cognitive dissonance many experience around animal consumption. With his characteristic tho...

In this episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan unpacks the bewildering world of selective animal concern, from the bizarre Canadian ostrich saga that attracted celebrity saviors to the dairy industry’s reluctant admission that cows might actually have “preferred associates” (heaven forbid we call them friends). The episode dives into slaughterhouse-linked antibiotic resist...

In this compelling episode, Mariann Sullivan speaks with three passionate advocates working to protect farmed animals through legislative action. Brian Hackett (Director of Government Relations at Associated Humane Societies), Amit Dhuleshia (co-founder of Strategic Action for Animals), and Hannah Truxell (Senior Policy Counsel with The Humane League) share their experiences fighting against the E...

In this powerful episode of The Hen Report, Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer speak with Steffen Seitz, a Yale Law School graduate and fellow with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project at the University of Denver, about critical legal developments affecting animal rights activism across the United States. This episode explores: The recent conviction of activist Zoe Rosenberg on felony and&#82...

In this week’s episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan unpacks the absurdity of a Brazilian chef throwing a culinary hissy fit over preparing an all-vegan menu for Prince William’s sustainability event (comparing it to Iron Maiden playing jazz, which honestly sounds amazing). She also dives into the poultry industry’s shocking revelation that factory farming might gasp bree...

Attorneys Will Lowrey (Animal Partisan) and Jessica Blome (Greenfire Law) join Mariann to discuss their battle to use California’s century-old animal protection laws to help dairy calves confined in tiny hutches. Despite having clear evidence that a dairy farm was violating Penal Code Section 597t by denying calves adequate exercise, they encountered a frustrating maze of procedural obstacle...

In this episode of The Hen Report, Jasmin (celebrating her birthday) and Mariann deliver a delightfully chaotic news roundup featuring animals who seem to be staging their own revolution. From escaped lab monkeys to surfboard-stealing sea otters in Santa Cruz, the duo explores these wild and emotional stories alongside significant animal rights victories. Between Broadway tangents and birthday cel...

This week on Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan dives headfirst into the media’s convenient climate amnesia, where apparently animal agriculture’s massive emissions are just too spicy for mainstream coverage. A mere 3.8% of climate articles dare mention meat production—shocking absolutely no one who’s been paying attention. Meanwhile, the agricultural industry clutches its pearls...

In this enlightening conversation, Mariann Sullivan speaks with Jessica Culpepper, Executive Director of FarmSTAND, about their unique approach to dismantling industrial animal agriculture through legal advocacy that unites multiple stakeholders. Culpepper shares how FarmSTAND strategically challenges the systems that enable animal exploitation by representing workers, communities, and animals sim...

In this thought-provoking interview, Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan speak with Liv Baker and Kristin Stewart from PAN Works about their groundbreaking “animal trusteeship” framework – a new approach that transforms how we advocate for wild animals in decision-making processes that affect their lives. Key Points: Wildlife Representation Framework: Pan Works has developed an in...

In this week’s episode of The Hen Report, Jasmin and Mariann balance the melancholy of fall with a lively rundown of animal rights news. Between linguistic deep dives and Jasmin’s theatrical preparations (complete with “lozengers” of questionable etymology), the duo delivers updates that actually matter for animals. They discuss the USDA’s increasingly toothless enfor...

In this week’s sardonic serving of Rising Anxieties, Mariann dives into the absurdist theater that is animal agriculture PR. From a tone-deaf defense of “necessary” mutilations (apparently clipping animals’ teeth is just like childproofing your home—who knew?), to some flattering paranoia about our movement’s supposed wealth and power, to the truly disturbing footage...

In this powerful episode, we speak with legendary investigator Gail Eisnitz about her new memoir, Out of Sight: An Undercover Investigator’s Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival. Eisnitz shares her remarkable journey from HSUS writer to becoming their only female national investigator, and ultimately chief investigator for the Humane Farming Association, all while battling an undiagn...

In this episode of The Hen Report, Jimmy Videle joins the hens to discuss veganic farming at his Québec farm where he grows food without animal inputs, introduces his new book “Preserving Our Sacred Lands,” and shares details about the upcoming Veganic Summit (November 7-9). The hosts also cover Zoe Rosenberg’s animal rescue trial receiving coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle...

In this revealing episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan peels back the paper-thin veneer of PR to expose what’s really making Big Meat break into a sweat. From industry giants simultaneously fighting and adopting plant-based alternatives to the hilariously transparent attempts to convince consumers that dairy cows don’t actually care about their calves (spoiler alert: they abso...

This episode explores the vision and priorities of Tracy Reiman, PETA‘s new president with over three decades of experience in animal advocacy. In this compelling conversation, Reiman shares insights into PETA’s evolving strategies to reach younger generations through innovative technology, while continuing their groundbreaking work through investigations, campaigns, and legal action....

In this week’s episode of The Hen Report, Jasmin and Mariann navigate everything from protein powder debates to theories of change in animal activism with their signature blend of warmth and wit. The duo shares breaking news about Jane Goodall’s passing at 91—reflecting on her revolutionary approach to animal research and advocacy—while lamenting environmental organizations’ persistent...

In this spirited episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan ditches the intro song and dives headfirst into the media’s maddening blind spots around animal agriculture. With her trademark blend of righteous indignation and sharp wit, Mariann unpacks how mainstream outlets consistently fail to connect the dots between soy production, deforestation, and animal feed—all while industry spin d...

In this thought-provoking episode of the Animal Law Podcast, we dive into a First Amendment case that cuts straight to the heart of animal advocacy: can the government prevent activists from showing the public what actually happens to animals in industrial agriculture? Mariann speaks with Sara Berinhout of FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) and John Greil of the University&#823...

From horse-drawn carriages finally facing political opposition in NYC to innovative cultivated meat farms in the Netherlands, this week’s Hen Report serves up a feast of animal rights news with a side of irreverent commentary. Jasmin and Mariann dive into Kenny Torrella’s eye-opening Vox article quantifying chicken suffering (spoiler alert: it’s worse than you think), celebrate a...

In this week’s episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan dives headfirst into the meat industry’s surveillance state that would make Big Brother blush. From the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s creepy database of 2,400 activists (complete with tracking their romantic partners) to their direct line to the FBI, we discover that taking photos of farm conditions is now considered &#...

Our Hen House presents an eye-opening conversation about the growing movement to limit factory farming through state legislation, focusing on New York’s efforts while exploring the broader national implications. This episode explores how advocates are working to address the environmental devastation and animal suffering caused by industrial animal agriculture through policy change. This epis...

In this candid conversation, Jasmin and Mariann explore how animal advocates maintain their focus during politically challenging times, reminding listeners that their commitment to changing the world for animals remains central even when everything else feels overwhelming. This episode explores: How animal rights activism provides perspective during politically tumultuous times Zoe Rosenberg&#8217...

In this episode of Rising Anxieties, we go on a whirlwind tour through the meat industry’s latest absurdities. From a meat industry writer’s hilariously misguided claim about “the first real science fiction movie” to the EPA’s disturbing rollback of slaughterhouse waste regulations (because nothing says “unleashing prosperity” like animal blood in the wate...

What happens when a casual vegan dinner leads to one of the most significant open rescue cases in US animal rights history? This week, we’re joined by Adam Durand, who went from rule-following citizen to jailbird activist after exposing conditions at Wegmans Egg Farm back in 2004. Adam shares the wild journey of sneaking into a factory farm with a ragtag…