PETA | Talking Animals

Kevin Nealon, veteran comedian, animal advocate, YouTube hiker

Duncan — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:12:04 +0000

Kevin Nealon–the veteran comedian, longtime animal advocate, former “Saturday Night Live” star (amidst a long list of TV and film credits), and host of the YouTube series, “Hiking with Kevin”—explains why his animal advocacy and championing of certain animal welfare organizations has receded in recent years. He clarifies that his objection to the animal abuse […]

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John Di Leonardo, president of Humane Long Island

Duncan — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 04:00:48 +0000

John Di Leonardo–president of Humane Long Island, an animal advocacy organization there, where he also oversees its international Duck Defenders project—recalls growing up without family pets, but deeply fascinated by all types of insects. Di Leonardo explains that he had been on an academic path to become a school psychologist, with his training emphasizing students […]

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Alene Anello, founder and president of Legal Impact for Chickens

Duncan — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 05:00:02 +0000

Alene Anello–founder and president of Legal Impact for Chickens (LIC), a nonprofit dedicated to bringing lawsuits that benefit chickens—recalls growing up in a family with plenty of animals, mostly dogs. However, when at age 11, she asked for her very own animal, her parents gave her a cockatiel, Conrad. Anello says that Conrad lived for […]

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Kitty Block, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States

Duncan — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 04:00:21 +0000

Kitty Block—President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), as well as CEO of Humane Society International, HSUS’ global division—discusses getting a precocious start working in animal welfare, in that her Mom was an animal activist. Block recalls how, as a second grader, she went on a school field trip to […]

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Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder & president of PETA

Duncan — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 05:00:31 +0000

Ingrid Newkirk—the co-founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and co-author (with Gene Stone) of “animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries about Animals and Revolutionary New Ways to Show Them Compassion”—recalls how she decided on the book’s format. Newkirk outlines some of the things she learned over the course of working on “animalkind. […]

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Bruce Friedrich, co-founder & executive director of The Good Food Institute

Duncan — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 04:00:49 +0000

Bruce Friedrich—the co-founder and executive director of The Good Food Institute (GFI), which promotes plant-based dairy, eggs, and so-called clean meat, as alternatives to those items as produced by animal agriculture (factory farming)—outlines how, starting at age 12, he toiled on behalf of the homeless, inspired by an influential pastor and his faith. In response […]

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Arin Greenwood, journalist and author of “Your Robot Dog Will Die”

Duncan — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 04:00:34 +0000

Arin Greenwood—a journalist who specializes in writing about animal welfare, and whose sterling new novel, “Your Robot Dog Will Die,” was published Tuesday (April 17)—offers her synopsis of the book, and recalls key elements of the setting, story, and fundamental themes that she arrived at while in the formative stages of writing “Your Robot Dog […]

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W. Bruce Cameron, bestselling author, most recently of “A Dog’s Way Home”

Duncan — Wed, 10 May 2017 04:00:40 +0000

W. Bruce Cameron — the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including “A Dog’s Purpose,” made into a feature film starring Dennis Quaid —discusses how he decided to make Breed Specific Legislation, or BSL (in this case, Denver’s ban on pit bulls) a core element of his new novel, “A Dog’s Way Home.” Cameron […]

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Kristie Middleton, author of Meatless: Transform the Way You Eat and Live—One Meal at a Time”

Duncan — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 04:00:35 +0000

Kristie Middleton—the Senior Director of Food Policy for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and author of the new book “Meatless: Transform the Way You Eat and Live—One Meal at a Time”–discusses her job at HSUS, and what the duties entail. Middleton, who’s done animal rights/welfare work for many years, and earlier in […]

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Dr. Lisa Kemmerer, professor of philosophy and religions, editor of “Bear Necessities” anthology

Duncan — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 04:00:24 +0000

Dr. Lisa Kemmerer—a professor of philosophy and religions at Montana State University Billings, who has written and/or edited none books—discusses her unusual, stop-start path as an academic, including what drew her to Harvard Divinity School, where she earned her Masters degree. Kemmerer addresses her prolific writing career, and the conceptual (and actual) wanderlust that has driven […]

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Mary Finelli, founder of Fish Feel

Duncan — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 04:00:57 +0000

Mary Finelli, founder and president of Fish Feel, traces her professional path working in animal welfare–including stints at PETA, the Humane Society of The United States, Animal Place (where she launched Farmed Animal Watch)—before launching Fish Feel, which describes itself as “the sole organization devoted to promoting the recognition of fish as sentient beings deserving of […]

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Thomas Ponce, 15-year-old activist & founder of Lobby For Animals

Duncan — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 04:00:06 +0000

Thomas Ponce—the 15-year-old activist and founder (at age 12) of Florida-based Lobby For Animals—recalls the circumstances that triggered his precocious interest in animal activism, as well as how hearing about the importance of lobbying at an animal rights conference in Washington, DC inspired his focus on that action. Ponce describes the mechanics of launching Lobby […]

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Dr. Steven Tauber, author of “Navigating The Jungle: Law, Politics, and the Animal Advocacy Movement”

Duncan — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 04:00:41 +0000

Dr. Steven Tauber–Associate Professor and the Chair of the Department of Government & International Affairs at the University of South Florida, whose just-published book is “Navigating The Jungle: Law, Politics, and the Animal Advocacy Movement”—discusses how, because he experienced allergies and asthma as a child, he did not grow up with any animals. As an […]

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Alex Blount, PETA Tour Administrator: “I, Orca”

Duncan — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 04:00:09 +0000

Alex Blount, PETA Tour Administrator—in this case, the tour in question is PETA’s “I, Orca” empathy project, which involves using Google virtual reality goggles to immerse participants in a world where they can swim freely in the ocean with their orca family—recounts what drew him to working for PETA. He notes that touring with “I, […]

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Mark Devries, director of “Speciesism: The Movie”

Duncan — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 05:00:36 +0000

Mark Devries—director of the new documentary, “Speciesism: The Movie”—discusses how the film came about, and how he first became interested in factory farming. He traces the genesis of “Speciesism” to encountering some PETA protests, spurring an interest in learning more about what truly goes on behind the walls of factory farming operations, at about the […]

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Jane Wiedlin, The Go-Go’s singer-guitarist & veteran animal advocate

Duncan — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:00:24 +0000

Jane Wiedlin–The Go-Go’s singer-songwriter-guitarist and longtime animal advocate–discusses the forthcoming film, “Doggie Boogie,” which she stars in and for which she wrote the title song (which we heard at the top of the show). She also recounts her history as an animal activist, and how she was a lifelong animal lover who thought she was […]

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Alec Baldwin, Actor-Animal Advocate

Duncan — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:09:55 +0000

Alec Baldwin–the Oscar-nominated, Tony-nominated, Emmy-winning actor, currently starring in NBC’s “30 Rock,” frequent guest host on “Saturday Night Live,” and veteran animal rights advocate–discusses his path into animal advocacy some 20 years ago; addresses the appeal and importance for him of organizations with long-term stability of leadership and his relationship with those leaders (Ingrid Newkirk […]

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Michael Mountain of Best Friends Animal Society–Special, Show 2

Duncan — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:00:01 +0000

This represents a special one-hour edition of “Talking Animals” that aired on July 9 at 1pm, in addition to the regularly-scheduled half-hour edition that aired earlier in the day at 11:30am… GUEST: Michael Mountain–president and one of the founders of Best Friends Animal Society, which operates the nation’s largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals–discusses […]

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Kevin Nealon of “Saturday Night Live”

libby — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:30:27 +0000

Comedian-actor and veteran animal advocate Kevin Nealon–perhaps best known for his lengthy stint on “Saturday Night Live” (1986-1995), but who’s more recently earned some of the best reviews of his career in his role as Doug Wilson, the pot-loving and increasingly conniving accountant on the acclaimed Showtime series “Weeds”–discusses the animal issues he considers most […]

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Dan Mathews–Vice-president of PETA

libby — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:30:27 +0000

Dan Mathews–the vice-president of PETA and the figure responsible for bringing Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Morrissey, Pamela Anderson and others into the PETA fold, and for many of the more attention-grabbing campaigns–discusses his fabulous, fascinating, fun and funny new autobiography, “Committed: A Rabble-Rouser’s Memoir” (which chronicles his 20+ years at PETA starting as a receptionist, […]

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RaeLeann Smith–of People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals

libby — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:30:15 +0000

RaeLeann Smith–who works for People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as a full-time circus specialist–discusses The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus (three units of which had engagements in various parts of Florida pending, and had just completed other Florida stints) and the cruelty routinely visited upon their animals, documented anew in […]

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Ingrid Newkirk–co-founder & president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

libby — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 14:00:30 +0000

Ingrid Newkirk–the co-founder & president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)–discusses some of the organization’s high-profile campaigns over its nearly 25-year history, her take on the pros and cons of its more controversial tactics, a handful of the group’s victories, the interviewer’s perception that PETA has somewhat softened its M.O. (Ingrid agreed!), […]

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Dan Mathews–Vice-President of PETA

libby — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 14:00:31 +0000

Dan Mathews, Vice-President of PETA–an 18-year veteran of the organization and the chief strategist behind its high-profile campaigns–discusses his evolution as an animal activist, pivotal developments in PETA’s history and the organization’s feelings about how it’s perceived by the public and other animal rights organizations. [www.peta.org] COMEDY CORNER: Bill Cosby “Froofie The Dog” MUSIC: Nina […]

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