Talking Animals

Jessica Kelly—who, along with Sue Rountree, runs Cat Trap Fever, a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of feral cats, chiefly in Pinellas County—recounts the “hodgepodge” of jobs she held before devoting herself to long days of TNVR:  Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return. Kelly’s jobs included teenage waitress, traveling with the carnival, and ballet instructor. But […] The post Jessica Kelly, co-leader of Cat Trap Fever first appeared on Talking Animals.

As we’ve done eight times prior—spanning the better part of three years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or cats, particularly involving behavioral issues or training concerns. The Trainer these listeners have an […] The post Glen Hatchell: dog trainer, behaviorist–“Ask The Trainer” 9th Edition first appeared on Talking Animals.

I once again set aside the customary “Talking Animals” format to deliver the Annual Holiday Animal Song special—that is, a show almost entirely devoted to Holiday-oriented animal tunes. As has been required in the past, and as I acknowledged while over-explaining this program’s premise (over-explaining the premise has become its own tradition—one of this show’s […] The post The Annual Holiday Animal Song special first appeared on Talking Animals.

Jason Schramm–a web developer and founder of Veg Groups, where he creates websites intended to help people go vegan, stay vegan, or become informed on vegan-oriented events, or films, on his VegMovies site—notes that he got deeply into computers as a seventh grader. While he was drawn as a youngster to exploring some aspects of […] The post Jason Schramm, founder of VegMovies first appeared on Talking Animals.

Mark E. Hauber—professor, ornithologist, and author of “Bird Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives”—recalls becoming seriously interested in birds at age four or five. This was in his native Hungary, where, as that little boy, he dragged his mother to view the Spring Migration. His passion for birds was precocious and […] The post Mark E. Hauber, ornithologist & author of “Bird Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives” first appeared on Talking Animals.

Jill Horstmann–founder of Squirrelly AF Rescue, a squirrel-focused rescue and rehabilitation operation she runs at her St. Petersburg home—recalls growing up in Wisconsin, where she was that neighborhood kid who tended to injured or ill critters. But it’s hardly been a straight line from Jill Horstmann, Kid Animal Rescuer to Jill Horstmann, Adult Animal Rescuer—though […] The post Jill Horstmann, founder of Squirrelly AF Rescue first appeared on Talking Animals.

Dr. Justin Perrault–vice president of research at Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC), a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education, and conservation operation in Juno Beach, FL—recalls the early, pioneering work on sea turtles performed by Juno resident Eleanor Fletcher, establishing the beginnings of what became LMC. Perrault unspools what became an overlapping narrative of his academic […] The post Dr. Justin Perrault, VP of research, Loggerhead Marinelife Center first appeared on Talking Animals.

Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K USA Worldwide, the largest greyhound protection organization in the world, and Rory Goree, who for many years ran the largest industry-funded greyhound adoption group, Greyhound Pets of America, explain how–as former enemies in the battle to end greyhound racing–they transformed into allies. Goree and Theil (co-author–with Christine Dorchak, GREY2K […] The post Carey Theil & Rory Goree, greyhound devotees first appeared on Talking Animals.

Dr. Faraz Harsini–biomedical scientist and speaker at the 2023 Tampa Bay Veg Fest—remembers growing up in Iran, including a possible foreshadowing of his future activism, when participating in a student protest of the country’s leadership resulted in his being chased by someone wielding a machete. Harsini left the country at 22, recalling being mystified and […] The post Dr. Faraz Harsini, biomedical scientist and veganism advocate first appeared on Talking Animals.

Pete Walsh–who lives in Tasmania, where he found himself becoming deeply concerned about the plight of local platypuses in the capital city of Hobart, part of narrative that unfolds in […] The post Pete Walsh, platypus partisan first appeared on Talking Animals.

Ann Paul–an organizer of the Florida Birding and Nature Festival, a multifaceted, multi-day extravaganza, scheduled to take place Oct. 12-15, in and around Apollo Beach, Florida—revisits, at my request, the […] The post Ann Paul, an organizer of the 2023 Florida Birding and Nature Festival first appeared on Talking Animals.

RaeAnna Saks–founder and CEO of The Little Cats’ Rescue, the New Port Richey cat rescue and sanctuary—recalls the first cat she loved and felt truly connected with. But, Saks points […] The post RaeAnna Saks, founder of The Little Cats’ Rescue first appeared on Talking Animals.

As we’ve done seven times prior—spanning about two years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are […] The post Glen Hatchell: dog trainer, behaviorist–“Ask The Trainer” 8th Edition first appeared on Talking Animals.