Gretchen Primack–the poet, teacher, and animal activist who first appeared on “Talking Animals” a dozen years ago, discussing her animal-focused collection of poetry, Kind—catches me up on her undertakings in recent years, including the prison education program she’d decided to step away from after 20 years of teaching, so as to have time for other pursuits. 
She also discussed her longstanding stint as a bookseller at The Golden Notebook, an independent bookstore in
Woodstock, NY, with a storied past, and present. Primack enthused about the store, underscoring that an indie book shop is a rare bird these days (and noting she was doing the interview from her boss’s office.) A longtime activist, Primack recounts an April trip she made to Wisconsin, to participate in a large protest of Ridglan Farms, a commercial beagle breeding and research facility, long notorious for being nefarious. The upshot of the protest was that Ridglan was shut down, and animal rescue groups relocated the huge number of beagles from the operation to adoptive homes. The Ridglan action and results were powerful, and transformative. And: a lightbulb moment for Primack. To continue that kind of work—and outcome—Primack (joined by co-director Ella Magers) conceived The March To Abolish Animal Testing. Starting Sept. 12, and spanning two weeks, their plan calls for people from all over the country to join a 207-mile march from the state capitol building in Albany, NY to the biggest lab dog breeding facility in the country, Marshall BioResources in North Rose, NY. Marshall has over 16,000 
beagles in cages, along with around 30,000 cats, mini-pigs, and ferrets. All of them exist in what Primack calls “deeply disturbing conditions.” We discuss the meticulously-planned March, Primack acknowledging that many participants may have schedules that only allow them to join the March for a day or two, while others have already signed on for the full two weeks.I marvel at the March’s website, particularly the section that helps people plan
when and how they would like to participate (https://www.marchforanimals.org/plan-your-march/), detailing the schedule, route and number of miles for each day, and lodging options (offering discounted rates where available, pet policies, and more). She describes what’s planned for the first day in Albany—the night before, there’s a free screening of the new documentary “The New Gold Standard: Cutting Edge Science That’s Replacing Animal Testing”)—and what will happen two weeks later, Saturday, Sept. 26, upon arriving at Marshall BioResources. At Marshall headquarters, the March To Abolish Animal Testing coalition will assemble for a peaceful rally at the gates—never entering Marshall property–with additional protests and events unfolding into the evening. Onward! Did I mention the fantastic website? https://www.marchforanimals.org/
ALSO: I spoke with Dr. Betty Coville, a Tampa veterinarian who’s part of a coalition of concerned citizens and animal lovers urging the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners to build a new, modern animal shelter…to replace the current facility, the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center. Toward that end, they’re circulating a Change.org petition https://www.change.org/p/build-a-new-humane-pet-resource-center-for-hillsborough-county-fl-6532cf43-2695-4185-8661-da8768d3f64f?source_location=search. Coville outlines the significant shortcomings of the present Pet Resource Center, including its “open admission” policy, which dictates that it must accept animals regardless of size, breed, or medical condition. This leads to the PRC regularly operating well over the intended capacity. But at least equally problematic is that the facility is 40 years old, with outdated infrastructure and equipment. Coville believes the BOCC may allot $30 million for a new shelter, which is certainly a significant sum, though she points out, by contrast, Orange County, Fl has a $49 facility. Beyond signing the petition, Coville encourages interested parties to speak at two upcoming budget meetings for the BOCC, signing up two days before either meeting. The first sign up date is Sept 8th to speak at the Sept 10 meeting, the second sign up date is Sept 22nd for the Sept 24th meeting. Here is the link:
COMEDY CORNER: Derrick Stroup’s “Rescue Dog” (https://www.derrickstroup.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
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