The Animal Wellness Podcast

Animal Wellness Action has been pressuring Nike, Adidas and other retailers of "k-leather" soccer shoes to discontinue the models. More than 2 million kangaroos a year are slaughtered, including joeys, just so athletes can don prestige shoes with no performance-enhancing value. Natasha Dolezal, deputy director of campaigns, and Scott Edwards, general counsel, update listeners on our work for kanga...

Monty Roberts, "The Man Who Listens to Horses," talks whipping horses in races, the wild ride of Rich Strike, and the Queen   Monty Roberts is one of the most celebrated and admired horse trainers ever to take the reins. Not only has he sold more than 6 million copies of his blockbusting "The Man Who Listens to Horses" and published hundreds of training videos, he has been repeatedly called in for...

Statistics show a strong correlation between animal abuse and the perpetration of violence on humans. Both of the teens involved in the Buffalo and Uvalde massacres, for example, had previously tortured and killed cats, with the latter assailant even boasting about it on social media. Wayne Pacelle , founder and president of Animal Wellness Action , calls a history of animal abuse " the reddest of...

When it comes to telling the truth about wild horses, the Bureau of Land Management comes up short. Leadership there seems determine to subjugate the well-being of the U.S.'s most iconic animal to the interests of cattle ranchers and sheep farmers. Scott Beckstead, our director of campaigns, and Vickery Eckhoff, an investigative journalist who writes on western public land issues and politics and...

After the thrill and spectacle of Thoroughbred races, the athletes themselves too often face a cruel, horrific fate. One Kentucky Derby winner, Ferdinand, was actually sold for human slaughter. Before the races, they are likely to experience doping to mask their pain, resulting in on-track breakdowns that are lethal for them and dangerous for jockeys.   Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron has becom...

Jennifer Skiff and Zach Skow, representing Animal Wellness Action and other groups, have worked in the face of daunting bureaucratic and logistical challenges to reunite dogs of U.S. military and diplomatic personnel with their humans. Enemy No. 1? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Skiff and Skow share their stories. In addition, Marty Irby , executive director of  Animal Wellness Action , pro...

Carole Baskin rocketed to global stardom after Netflix released "The Tiger King" in 2020. Rather than capitalizing on her frame for personal success, however, she has worked harder than ever for legal protections for lions, tigers and other big cats. In this episode, she shares a little about her personal adventures and digs deep into the legislation she is fighting so hard to make become law. Mar...

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is a rising star in the House and in her party. The fight for animals, she says, is one means for a divided Congress to find common ground and to do good together. In this episode, she talks about a variety of animal topics, including the potential ban against mink farms, farm check-offs and her work to protect beagles from scientific experimentation. Marty Irby , executiv...

Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states, yet thousands of birds are shipped every year via the U.S. postal service to overseas locations where the bloodsport remains a cruel cultural staple. Fortunately, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) decided to act. He discusses his work on the issue and the steps he and other legislators are taking to ensure existing postal regulations are enforced. We also ta...

The U.S government pays to dump millions of gallons of milk down the drain every year. Worse, the drink is foisted upon our school children, most of whom experience digestive issues and resultant academic hindrances if they consume it. All the while, diary cows face lives of suffering and exploitation that exceeds even those experienced by beef cattle. In this shocking episode, Dr. Martin Mills an...

The report on the Biden administration from the perspective of animal welfare isn't good, according to Wayne Pacelle and Marty Irby from Animal Wellness Action . Not enough is being done to undo or curtail Trump administration policies, and little—if anything—is being initiated to realize the hopes of many advocates. "I'm disappointed in that they're largely indifferent to animal issues," Pacelle...

Mink captivity for human consumption is among the most cruel, and it represents real and present danger to people. The animals--captive wild, not domesticated--suffer terribly, and their unique vulnerability to the Corona virus and ability to communicate it back to human makes them an existential threat to efforts to eradicate the virus. This episode features Dr. Jim Keen, co-author of a new repor...

In her new book, Enter the Animal , Teya Brooks Pribac examines academic and popular discourse on animals’ experiences of grief and spirituality, which are rooted in our intrinsic capacity and propensity for connections and relations, and highlights important ethical implications of humans’ treatment of other species. She shares her firsthand experiences and research on the complex, little underst...

While horse slaughter does not currently occur on U.S. soil, more than 70,000 domestic and wild horses are rounded up each year to be shipped to Mexico and Canada for processing and human consumption in other parts of the world. Guest Carol Walker is a fierce advocate for wild horses and partners with Animal Wellness Action for legislative and regulatory protections.   She joins Marty Irby and Sco...

Our guest is Joe Gorajec, former head of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission and the founder of Horse Racing Integrity Consulting. The panel discusses Bob Baffert, the 2021 Kentucky Derby doping scandal and the need for additional reforms and enforcement in Thoroughbred racing.  Wayne Pacelle  and  Marty Irby  from  Animal Wellness Action  join host  Joseph Grove .   Music from  https://filmmusic....

Oregon first-responder Gene Davies took an unusual call on April 7: A young bear was playing on a rural road in Greensville, where Davies is fire chief. After Davies arrived, the friendly animal insisted on staying with him, so to make sure the bear would be safe, he took it home while arrangements were made with a rescue agency. Enter the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and yet more proof...

David Brooks is an Australian author, poet and essayist who visited The Animal Wellness Podcast to discuss his newest book, "Animal Dreams." The collection of essays examines what non-human animals think of other animals and, by extension, how they treat them.   Wayne Pacelle  and  Marty Irby  from  Animal Wellness Action  are joined by host  Joseph Grove .   Music from  https://filmmusic.io:  "Fe...

Kangaroos are the No. 1 commercially slaughtered mammal in the world. Hunted in the dark of night, their offspring pulled from lifeless mothers only to be beaten to death by clubs, kangaroos are killed in horrific numbers to make leather for soccer shoes. A new micro-documentary produced by guest Gavin Polone shows how athletic wear is made from among nature's most fascinating and unique creatures...

Not since FDR swept Herbert Hoover from office in 1932 has there been such a seismic shift in the nation's government. What does that mean for animals as their advocates prepare to navigate a new political landscape? Wayne Pacelle and Marty Irby from Animal Wellness Action join host Joseph Grove to look ahead, as well as to review some accomplishments and disappointments in their work with the out...

Scott Beckstead, the newly appointed director of campaigns for Animal Wellness Action , discusses his childhood experiences on a mink farm as well as the mink's extraordinary ability to catch, mutate and re-lease the Corona virus to humans. Will we ever learn? Executive director Marty Irby provides news on the Big Cat Safety Act and the Horse Racing Integrity Act, and founder Wayne Pacelle talks s...

As Congress prepares to adjourn ahead of the January 2021 inauguration, Animal Wellness Action finds its PAST Act momentum challenged by groups inside the animal-welfare community. Anti-soring grassroots organizer Clant Seay , a.k.a. Billy Go Boy, makes an impassioned appeal to get the bill voted and signed into law. Wayne Pacelle and Marty Irby from Animal Wellness Action join host Joseph Grove....

Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action , shares big news for the PAST Act. In addition, host Joseph Grove continues the conversation with horse-trainer Monty Roberts, who is recognized globally for his pioneering methods in violence-free training as well as his work with sufferers of PTSD.   Music from  https://filmmusic.io:  "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod ( https://incompetec...

Monty Roberts is recognized globally for his pioneering methods in violence-free training for horses as well as his work with sufferers of PTSD. In this first of two parts, Roberts talks about how he overcame horrific child abuse to eventually become the horse-trainer for Queen Elizabeth II. Also: Marty Irby, himself recently recognized by Her Majesty, shares exciting news from the Hill on legisla...

Dr. Ernest Freeberg talks about his latest work of history, " A Traitor to His Species: Henry Bergh and the Birth of the Animal Rights Movement ." It explores the volatile, groundbreaking advocacy of the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Host Joseph Grove  is joined by Wayne Pacelle, founder of Animal Wellness Action and the bestselling author of "T he Human...

Until recent laws at last banned human-on-animal sex and gave veterinarians protection to report suspected abuse, Kentucky was 11 years running at the bottom of all states concerning animal welfare. It’s still dead-last when it comes to child welfare. In this episode, host Joseph Grove talks to Kathryn Callahan, the former director for Kentucky for the Humane Society of the United States. She is j...