Talking Animals

Rebecca Reid–Director of Education at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, a multifaceted operation (wildlife refuge, veterinary hospital, rehabilitation facility, education center) in Jupiter Farms, Florida—discusses the readily observable love for her job, and its probable roots in her passion for animals, and being outdoors, while growing up in New Jersey. Reid recalls it was a childhood joyously replete […] The post Rebecca Reid, Director of Education at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary first appeared on Talking Animals.

Journalist Joshua Hammer–author of a captivating piece in the current issue of Smithsonian Magazine, entitled “Pablo Escobar’s Abandoned Hippos are Wreaking Havoc in the Columbian Jungle”—recalls how, having been casually aware of the Escobar/hippo situation, he decided to deeply delve into what turned out to be a more complex, colorful saga than anyone could’ve reasonably […] The post Journalist Joshua Hammer, author of the Smithsonian Magazine piece, “Pablo Escobar’s Abandoned Hippos are Wreaking Havoc in the Columbian Jungle” first appeared on Talking Animals.

Tracey Callahan Molnar–handler and chief human of Beacon, the therapy dog who’s become increasingly beloved across the U.S.A. Gymnastics world and beyond, emerging as a media sensation along the way—recounts her own career as a gymnast and coach, specializing in rhythmic gymnastics. A fundamental narrative of this conversation reflects the intersection of gymnasts and therapy […] The post Tracey Callahan Molnar, handler and chief human of therapy dog Beacon first appeared on Talking Animals.

Dr. Mikel Delgado–a certified cat behavior consultant and author, most recently, of “Play With Your Cat! The Essential Guide to Interactive Play for a Happier, Healthier Feline”—traces the path that preceded her status as a cat expert with a PhD, including dropping out of school and playing bass in punk bands, sharing stages with such […] The post Dr. Mikel Delgado, author of “Play With Your Cat! The Essential Guide to Interactive Play for a Happier, Healthier Feline” first appeared on Talking Animals.

Dara Eckart–CEO of Friends of Strays, St. Petersburg’s oldest no-kill animal shelter, currently undergoing a significant transformation, including opening a cats-only adoption center, The Cat Box on July 1—outlines the shelter’s history, citing key milestones of the early years. Eckart explains that Friends of Strays began in 1978, when co-founder Jean Bomonti, who’d been volunteering […] The post Dara Eckart, CEO of Friends of Strays first appeared on Talking Animals.

This was a truly distinctive edition of “Talking Animals”: For starters, the show was part of WMNF’s full day of special programming devoted to celebrating Juneteenth. Second, my two (in-studio!) guests were both stellar, veteran WMNF programmers: Harrison Nash, the universally-beloved DJ, in his 36th year at MNF, currently the host of “It’s The Music, […] The post Harrison Nash & Glen Hatchell: 10th “Ask The Trainer” on Juneteenth first appeared on Talking Animals.

Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice–an entomologist by training who’s appeared on the show multiple times, discussing ants, spiders, homing pigeons, and microbes (often tied to a book she’s written on the topic)—acknowledges that writing for young readers has officially become a trend for her, primarily discussing her second, just-published book in this series, while also briefly […] The post Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice, author of “Your Pets’ Secret Lives: The Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors” first appeared on Talking Animals.

Rhonda Eldridge–Executive Director of The Community Pet Project, which provides pet food and several other resources to homeless and at-risk communities throughout Hillsborough County—discusses the organization’s origin story, beginning in 2017 as an offshoot of a local rescue, before peeling off as a separate entity with 501c3 nonprofit status. The Community Pet Project was launched […] The post Rhonda Eldridge, Executive Director of The Community Pet Project first appeared on Talking Animals.

Anton Ptushkin–director of the PBS Nature documentary profiling the efforts of Ukrainian citizens to rescue animals amidst the destruction of the war—describes the sort of travel pieces he produced as a YouTuber, before he morphed into a war correspondent. Ptushkin notes that this transformation wasn’t the product of a specific ambition, but rather, reflected an […] The post Anton Ptushkin, director of “Saving the Animals of Ukraine” first appeared on Talking Animals.

Jennifer Langston–founder of Golden Ears Sanctuary and Rescue, a specialized refuge for senior and hospice dogs in Wesley Chapel, FL—recalls growing up in a house where dogs were always present, whether they be fosters, newly-adopted, or the family pooch. Notably, for the canine establishment she would create later in life, she recounts that her Mom […] The post Jennifer Langston, founder of Golden Ears Sanctuary and Rescue first appeared on Talking Animals.

Arin Greenwood–a wearer of many hats, mostly animal-related, including Director of Philanthropy Communications at Austin Pets Alive! former animal journalist extraordinaire (HuffPost, Washington Post, The Today Show website, et al), and novelist–maintains a sizable social media presence, posting regularly on Facebook, which in a way, spawned this interview. That is, I was struck by the […] The post Arin Greenwood on loving & living with dogs first appeared on Talking Animals.

Lee Asher–a staunch advocate of dog adoption whose profile has risen dramatically in recent years, owing to a handful of factors, including multiple compelling stories: his ADHD and attendant childhood isolation prompted him to regularly visit his local animal shelter as a kid, years later crisscrossing the country in an RV, traveling to animal shelters, […] The post Lee Asher, dog adoption champion, social media juggernaut first appeared on Talking Animals.

Matt Hamilton–writer-director of “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers,” an unusual two-part edition of the PBS series, “Nature,” which premiered April 10, while the second episode debuts on April 17—recalls the impetus for creating this double-shot of cinematic raptor mania. Part of his explanation involved not having seen a documentary that delved deeply into the realm […] The post Matt Hamilton–writer-director of “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers” first appeared on Talking Animals.

Deborah Howard—founder-president of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS), self-described, you may recall, as “the only national nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops and puppy/kitten mills”—returns for a conversational sequel to our January interview, because we didn’t have time to discuss the ways CAPS has broadened its mission […] The post Deborah Howard, President of Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) first appeared on Talking Animals.

Ed Stewart, co-founder, president and CEO of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)—which blazed a trail in animal rescue, welfare, education, and legislation, and this year, marks its 40th anniversary—recalls what she and co-founder Pat Derby were doing in the earliest days of PAWS. Stewart notes that Derby, his longtime partner who died in 2013–and […] The post Ed Stewart, co-founder, president and CEO of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) first appeared on Talking Animals.

In what might be called The Sequel, this represents the second portion of the interview I conducted on Feb. 12 with Temple Grandin, onstage at the Paramount Theatre in Austin. We covered a wide range of topics last week, though that discussion featured a preponderance of autism talk, hardly surprising given Grandin’s expertise, personal experience […] The post Temple Grandin, autistic animal scientist and author–The Sequel first appeared on Talking Animals.

Temple Grandin–sometimes referred to as the world’s most famous autistic person, amidst several ways to describe her, including expert on animal behavior, prolific author, longtime professor of animal science at Colorado State University, fervent activist for autistic people, and tireless lecturer—sat with me onstage at the Paramount Theatre in Austin for what became a truly […] The post Temple Grandin, autistic animal scientist and author first appeared on Talking Animals.

Josh Fox–founder of the Brady Hunter Foundation, a Miami-based nonprofit whose mission reflects a commitment to helping end animal cruelty, protecting wildlife, and making a positive impact in the lives of children—observes his love of animals is truly lifelong, citing a photo of Fox as an infant in his crib being happily licked by the […] The post Josh Fox, founder of The Brady Hunter Foundation first appeared on Talking Animals.

Deborah Howard, founder of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS)–self-described as “the only national nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops and puppy/kitten mills”—recalls how, in 1989, her disgust upon visiting an Atlanta pet store, and her ensuing examination of the deplorable conditions, led to launching CAPS. Howard recounts […] The post Deborah Howard, founder of the Companion Animal Protection Society first appeared on Talking Animals.

Dr. Daniel Promislow–a biogerontologist, professor at the University of Washington, and principal investigator of The Dog Aging Project, a long-term study of health and longevity in dogs—recounts the genesis of the Project. **NOTE: There is static on the line during the first portion of the interview; it does clear up. He explains that it was […] The post Dr. Daniel Promislow, principal investigator of The Dog Aging Project first appeared on Talking Animals.