Kathy Finelli--the director of Gainesville Rabbit Rescue (GRR), a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by two University of Florida students—recalls how her involvement with GRR began 20-plus years ago, when she sought their help after finding a domestic rabbit...
We did things a little differently on today’s show—an understated, somewhat belated, acknowledgment that June marks the 20th anniversary of “Talking Animals.” I launched the program in June of 2003 at KUCI in Irvine, CA, moving to WMNF not quite three years later....
Valerie Benka--the Director of Programs for the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D)—recalls being someone who was nuts about animals from the time she was a kid, growing up in a family amidst a veritable menagerie. This early pet passion created...
Jane O’Hara, the animal advocate and artist--whose paintings tend to celebrate animals or explore animal issues—recalls a regular upbringing, amidst conventional companion animals. Only some years later, O’Hara adds, did she start researching animals, reading some...
Susan Tellem--executive director of American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), a nonprofit established in 1990 for the protection of all species of turtles and tortoises—recalls that she began helping animals in cat rescue. Some years later, she recounts, she and her husband...
Eleanor Spicer Rice, PhD--an entomologist by training, and the author of multiple books, focused on ants and spiders—recounts how she came to write a book about microbes, “Unseen Jungle: The Microbes That Secretly Control Our World.” Spicer Rice explains that a...
As we’ve done six times prior—spanning nearly two years--today’s show involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the extended feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or cats,...
Dr. Jane Goodall--the ethologist, activist, and conservationist who rose to international attention in the 1960s, propelled by her pioneering work studying chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania—offers her current impressions of young people’s attitudes about animals and...
Rick Yocum--executive director of the Humane Society of Manatee County (HSMC), established more than 50 years ago, and now a truly multifaceted operation—traces his career path to his current job, which he’s held for seven years. In answer to a question of mine,...
Kate Benjamin--whom I suggested you could call a cat lady while noting, in this case, the term would be strictly intended as a compliment, given the scope of her expertise and the two feline-oriented bestselling books she’s co-written, as well as the 13 cats she...
