David Crawford—co-founder and executive director of Animal Help Now, a Boulder, Colorado-based national organization considered the 911 of wildlife emergencies, a somewhat glib, though not inaccurate, description—observes that he didn’t have a particularly profound...
Kristen Hassen—a highly-respected figure in the animal shelter world, owing to her accomplishments and innovations during major stints leading or helping lead animal facilities, and now Director of American Pets Alive!, through which she oversees other projects and...
Julie Castle—the CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, the national animal welfare organization, founded in 1984, and based in Kanab, Utah—describes the organization currently in broad strokes, offering notable contrasts to when she scrapped plans for law school and...
Glen Zipper—executive producer of the Netflix documentary series “Dogs,” whose second season begins airing July 7; Zipper also oversees a new feline-minded Netflix series, “Cat People,” which premieres July 7—describes the reaction from viewers to the first season...
Dr. Valarie Tynes—Veterinary Services Specialist at CEVA Animal Health Limited, in Kansas, and a veterinarian slated to deliver two lectures at VMX, the then-forthcoming gigantic veterinary education conference held in Orlando (and virtually) June 5-9—traces the...
William Finnegan—a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1987, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of extended exploration of horse racing in the current (May 24) issue of the magazine—describes how he ended up with the assignment to do the story, and the array of...
Caleb Smith—who, at 16 years old, is already an accomplished entrepreneur and the author of a memoir of sorts, “Peacebunny Island: the Extraordinary Journey of A Boy And His Comfort Rabbits and How They’re Teaching Us about Hope & Kindness—shares what it’s like...
Periodically, I table the chief component 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 occasional effort to temporarily reconfigure the program, and a...
Carlton Ward, Jr.—a Florida native, conservationist, and celebrated photographer whose striking photos of the Florida Panther are featured in the April edition of National Geographic—recalls how growing up in Florida first spurred his love of nature and wildlife....
Trish McMillan—an extensively educated, highly experienced behaviorist with a long, varied resume involving training and otherwise helping animals shape (or re-shape) their behavior—recalls growing up loving animals, feeling a kinship with them, both as a kid in...
