Steve Jenkins—co-author, with Derek Walter and Caprice Crane, of “Esther The Wonder Pig: Changing The World One Heart At A Time”—discusses how Esther entered his and Walter’s world: He got duped into adopting her when she was a baby, having been told she was a...
Helena Kriel—founder of Baby Rhino Rescue, which seeks to raise awareness of the rhino poaching crisis, and raise money for the care of baby rhinos who’ve become orphaned through that poaching—recalls her formative years in South Africa, growing up with a strong...
Darcy Dennett—the director of “The Champions,” a documentary chiefly about the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick’s dog-fighting ring—outlines her professional experience that served as a prelude to this, her feature film debut. She explains the passion that...
Laura T. Coffey—the author of “MY OLD DOG: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts,” which touts the virtues of adopting senior shelter dogs—recounts going to school (including college) in the Tampa Bay area and her extended stints at what’s now The Tampa Bay...
Dr. Lori Marino—founder and executive director of the Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy, as well as a neuroscientist and expert in animal behavior and intelligence—explains exactly what a neuroscientist is, and how that academic orientation informs her thinking...
Ron King— co-founder of Ruff Ranch Sanctuary, which seeks to find homes for aging or other hard-to-place dogs while aiming to help military veterans, who will become the chief caretakers of the dogs—explains how his lifelong kinship with dogs began as a kid. He...
Melanie Sue Bowles— founder-director of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary and the author of three books—provides a brief overview of the work she’s done at the sanctuary for nearly 25 years, as a prelude for discussing a momentous Facebook she had recently written. That...
Richard Couto— founder, chief executive director and lead investigator of the Animal Recovery Mission (ARM), the Miami-based organization that made international news recently by leading what’s been called “the largest tactical strike on extreme animal cruelty...
Once in a while, I set aside the chief element of the “Talking Animals” format—a long form interview with a single guest—to offer a debate or some other multi-guest panel discussion. As part of that effort, and a parallel desire to give voice to a broader array of...
Avalon Theisen—the 14-year-old Tampa environmentalist, animal advocate, and founder of Conserve It Forward—describes what Conserve It Forward is and does, and what prompted her to launch it 2010 (at age nine). She explains how the organization has evolved,...
