Thank You! And goodbye.

I took over as host of Animal Matters over five years ago and slowly the program evolved into into what it has become. Every week, a new guest was brought onto the program to talk about the topic at hand, be it puppy mills, factory farms, books about cats or child and adult slavery. What a fantastic way to get the word out and ultimately make people more aware of the world around them.

For me, the bonus was hearing from you, the listener. Someone once called me and told me that they would no longer consume dairy because of what they had heard that day on the program. Another listener said they forced themselves to listen to it even though it was really hard to, and their lives were forever changed by my program. I could not ask for a bigger benefit than that.

It is with a heavy heart that I hang my hat and say goodbye as host of Sentients. After much contemplation, it has become time for me to focus on other aspects of my life.

Thank you, dear listeners, for five wonderful years and lending  your ear from time to time.

Keep an eye on this website. I may use it to actually write something!

December 3, 2013 – Guest: Jo-Anne McArthur, Topic: The Ghosts In Our Machine/We Animals

The Ghosts In Our Machine is a new award-winning documentary that illuminates the lives of individual animals living within and rescued from the machine of our modern world. My guest on today’s program is Jo-Anne McArthur, the film’s protagonist and photographer. Through the lens of her photographs, we become intimately familiar with a cast of animal subjects. Each story and photograph is a window into global animal industries: Food, Fashion, Entertainment and Research. All part of an epic photo project called We Animals, Jo-Anne McArthur has documented the lives of animals around the world with heart-breaking empathic vividness.

Tune in today at 5:30 pm PST at FM 90.1KZFR in Chico or online at www,kzfr.org to hear my conversation with Jo-Anne.

November 12, 2013 – Topic: Typhoon Haiyan and Animal Rescue Efforts

In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which has left tens of thousands feared dead, animal rescue organizations are at the scene helping animals and families in distress. On today’s program, my guest will be Kelly O’ meara, Director of Companion Animals and Engagement with Humane Society International, to discuss the rescue efforts that are now underway.

Tune in today at FM 90.1 KZFR in Chico or online at http://www.kzfr.org at 5:30 pm PST.

 

November 5th, 2013 – Guest: Anthony Bellotti – Topic: Animal Research Spending

The White Coat Waste Project – a new pro-taxpayer group – is informing the public how much the government is spending on animal research each year. White Coat Waste seeks to expose the staggering waste, fraud, and abuse in the estimated $14.5 billion spent on animal experiments by the National Institute of Health, and attracting the support of political moderates and fiscal conservatives. My guest on today’s program will be Anthony Bellotti, founder of White Coast Waste.

Tune in today at 5:30 pm PST at FM 90.1 KZFR in Chico or online at http://www.kzfr.org.

October 8, 2013 – Guest: Becky Robinson, President and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies – Topic: Trap-Neuter-Release

Trap-Neuter-Release, a program designed to Trap, Neuter and Release feral cats to their existing colonies has been both controversial as well as beneficial to the cats involved. Alley Cat Allies, the nation’s leading advocacy organization and recognized authority on feral cats, leads the movement to protect and improve the lives of all domestic cats. My guest on today’s program is Becky Robinson, President and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies.

Tune in today at FM 90.1 KZFR in Chico or online at http://www.kzfr.org.

To find out more information on how you can help locally, please visit http://www.neighborhoodcatadvocates.org

Thanks for tuning in!

October 1, 2013 – Guest, Dr. Will Tuttle

Dr. Will Tuttle, educator, author, and composer, has lectured and performed widely throughout North America and Europe. He is the author of the #1 Amazon best-selling book The World Peace Diet and is a recipient of The Peace Abbey’s Courage of Conscience Award. In his book, Dr. Tuttle makes explicit the invisible connections between our culture, our food, and the source of our broad range of problems—and the way to a positive transformation in our individual and collective lives. He will be my guest on this week’s program.

Tune in today at FM 90.1 KZFR in Chico or online at www.kzfr.org at 5:30 pm PST.

 

September 24th, 2013 – Guest, Kathleen Summers – Topic, Puppy Mills

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a monumental victory for puppy mill dogs and those who advocate on their behalf. The rule will subject thousands of unlicensed puppy mills that sell dogs over the Internet to federal inspections and regulations for the first time. This rule is expected to improve the welfare of tens of thousands of animals across the country. The Humane Society of the United States has been pushing for this change for more than two decades. My guest on today’s program will be Kathleen Summers, Director of Outreach and Research for The HSUS’s Stop Puppy Mills campaign. Kathleen has worked with The HSUS’s Stop Puppy Mills campaign since 2006 and is currently Director of Outreach and Research for the campaign.

Tune in today at 5:30 pm PST at FM 90.1 KZFR in Chico or online at http://www.kzfr.org.

To see video footage of the latest rescue performed by Animal Rescue League, please follow the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KufKYhny4LI&feature=youtu.be

September 10th, 2013 – Guest: David Phinney, Topic: 3,000 egg-laying hens rescued

Late July, farm animal sanctuary Animal Place secured the release of 3,000 hens from a California “egg laying” hen farm. Over the course of two days, Animal Place staff, interns, and volunteers pulled hens from their cages and transported them to their Vacaville sanctuary where they received around-the-clock care. On the phone with me today to talk about this rescue and give us an update is David Phinney, animal care coordinator for all animals who end up at Animal Place’s Rescue Ranch facility in Vacaville.  Animal Place also operates a sanctuary out of Grass Valley.

Tune in today at FM 90.1 KZFR in Chico or online at http://www.kzfr.org.

Overgrown nails.

August 27th, 2013 – Guest, Amaroq Weiss – Topic: Wolves

Recently, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has released its proposal to strip federal protections from wolves in most of the Lower 48.  The public comment period on that proposal closes Sept 11th.  The USFWS held secret meetings with state agencies 3 years ago to come up with this proposal, and recently blacklisted several scientists from being peer reviewers of the proposal because those scientists had written to USFWS with their concerns that the proposal to delist is premature and that the proposal inaccurately characterized their own research. My guest on today’s program will be Amaroq Weiss, West coast wolf organizer with the Center for Biological Diversity to talk about this issue.

UPDATE: The comment period has been extended to October 28^th.  Also, there will be a public hearing on the wolf delisting proposal in Sacramento, on October 2^nd. The Center for Biological Diversity and allies will be organizing a pro-wolf rally to take place that day in Sacramento, and engaging the public to participate in the daytime rally and attend the evening hearing to testify on behalf of continued wolf protections.

As mentioned on the program, here is the link to take action to protect wolves:

http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/o/2167/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=13725

Thanks for tuning in!

(click the play button below to listen to my conversation with Amaroq)

August 20, 2013: Guest, John Hargrove – Topic, “Blackfish” and SeaWorld

My guest on this week’s edition of Sentients will be John Hargrove, a leading cast member in the documentary “Blackfish,” a new film that takes a behind-the-scenes look at the history and consequences of keeping Killer whales in captivity, including Tilikum, the 12,000 lb killer whale that has been involved in the deaths of three people. John Hargrove has 14 years of experience as a killer whale trainer. His vast experience includes both SeaWorld of California and SeaWorld of Texas where he was promoted to the highest ranking Senior Trainer called a Senior 1. Trainers at this level must be considered specialists in some area, his being waterwork and knowledge and application of behavior. This skill set and reputation earned John the privilege of working with and swimming with the corporation’s most dangerous killer whales. He resigned his position with SeaWorld in August 2012.

Click the audio button below to listen to my conversation with John, recorded on August 20th, 2013.