Scientist Dr. Rachel Mason joins us to break down her groundbreaking research on dismantling industrial animal agriculture through systems thinking. From her work with Animal Charity Evaluators to her current research using AI to track factory farms globally, Dr. Mason reveals how different forms of activism can work together for maximum impact in challenging factory farming.

This episode explores:

• How the mechanisms supporting factory farming extend beyond the farms themselves
• Why coordinated activism across different approaches creates more effective change
• The role of emerging technologies in tracking and challenging industrial agriculture
• How local initiatives like Denmark’s plant-based food plan demonstrate systems thinking in action
• Ways activists can contribute to systemic change from their individual positions

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Rachel Mason is a multidisciplinary scientist whose research bridges agriculture, data science, and sustainable food systems. After earning her PhD in Astronomy and working at leading observatories worldwide, she redirected her focus to address urgent environmental challenges on Earth. Through her MS in Plant & Soil Science, she specialized in sustainable agriculture and food system transformation. Dr. Mason’s groundbreaking research examines the environmental impact of animal agriculture, sustainable farming practices, and food system sustainability through innovative approaches including machine learning and remote sensing. As an independent researcher, she tackles complex intersectional issues in food justice, agricultural systems, and animal welfare, applying her unique scientific perspective to advance more ethical and sustainable food production methods.

RESOURCES 

• • Factory Farm Pollution Can Be Seen From Space, Scientists Say
  • The Friend on Bookshop.org
  • A System-Focused Approach To Industrial Food Animal Production
  • Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy website
  • Seed the Commons website
  • New Roots Institute website
  • Rachel Mason on Linkedin

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this engaging episode, documentary filmmaker Austin Meyer and sanctuary director Zoe Novic share how improvisation techniques can revolutionize animal advocacy. From their work leading “Advocacy Playground” workshops at the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit to Austin’s compelling animal-focused documentaries, the couple demonstrates how creativity and playfulness can strengthen activism while building essential skills like listening and adaptability. Their unique approach combines professional expertise with a deep commitment to animal protection, offering fresh perspectives on advocacy techniques.

This episode explores:

• How improv principles like “Yes, and” can enhance activist communication and campaign planning
• The importance of incorporating play and creativity into serious advocacy work
• Strategies for telling compelling animal stories through documentary filmmaking
• Ways to build connection and trust within animal advocacy organizations
• The value of bringing National Geographic-style storytelling to farm animal narratives

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Zoe is the Executive Director of the Center for Animal Protection and Education (CAPE). By day, she combines her passion for animal advocacy, public health, and education at the CAPE animal sanctuary. By night, Zoe can be found playing music, performing in live theater, or leading improv-based leadership workshops with her partner, Austin.

Austin is a documentary filmmaker, National Geographic Explorer, and theatrical improviser. By day, he takes the chaos around him and tries to arrange it into meaningful stories, both with his camera and on stage. By night, Austin can be found running in the mountains, playing mandolin, and wondering how he got so lucky to call Zoe his partner in crime and in life.

RESOURCES 

• • Water Bear documentary
  • Center for Animal Protection & Education (CAPE) website
  • Collective Capital website
  • Austin Meyer Films website
  • CAPE on Linkedin
  • CAPE on Instagram
  • CAPE on Facebook
  • Austin Meyer on Instagram
  • Austin Meyer Youtube

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this eye-opening episode, conservation scientist Dr. Bec Gooley challenges our perceptions of one of the most maligned animals – rats. From debunking disease myths to exposing the devastating environmental impact of rodenticides, Dr. Gooley shares groundbreaking research about how rat poisons are affecting entire ecosystems. As both a scientist and policy advocate, she discusses California’s landmark legislation restricting anticoagulant rodenticides and explores compassionate alternatives for human-wildlife coexistence.

This episode explores:
• The truth about rats’ intelligence, social behavior, and role in ecosystems
• How rodenticides impact wildlife, with over 90% of mountain lions testing positive for rat poison
• California’s groundbreaking legislation restricting anticoagulant rodenticides
• Science-based, humane alternatives to lethal rat control
• The One Health approach to human-wildlife conflict resolution

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Bec Gooley is a conservation scientist specializing in wildlife disease ecology and environmental toxicology, with groundbreaking work on rodenticide impacts on ecosystems. After completing her Ph.D. at the University of Sydney and postdoctoral research at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, she now serves as a David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow at UC Davis. Her research on rat poison’s devastating effects on wildlife led to landmark legislation prohibiting anticoagulant rodenticides in California. Combining scientific expertise with advocacy, she champions compassionate coexistence strategies and develops innovative solutions for human-wildlife conflict, particularly focusing on ethical approaches to rodent populations.

•  Contact her at [email protected]

RESOURCES 

• • How hospitals are tackling the environmental crisis in health care
  • How U.S. Taxpayers Bailed Out the Poultry Industry, and Helped Entrench Avian Flu
  • Insisting on Cheaper Eggs Is a Huge Mistake
  • Exclusive: New healthy drink guidelines for kids say no caffeine before age 19
  • n meat- and fish-loving Japan, veganism is making a comeback
  • ‘Insanely tasty green food’: how the meaty Danes embraced a world-first plant-based plan
  • How Trader Joe’s got caught up in a farmgirl TikTok beef
  • A Well Fed World: Climate-friendly food guide
  • Dr Bec Gooley on Instagram
  • WISDOM Good Works website

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

The Learn Veganic Online Gardening Course is starting on February 12th, 2025. You’ll learn how to grow a thriving fruit and veggie garden using fully vegan techniques, without any animal byproducts like bonemeal or manure. You can save $15 with the code OURHENHOUSE at https://learnveganic.com/

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this essential episode for animal advocates, environmental experts Jennifer Molidor (Center for Biological Diversity) and Ashley Capps (A Well Fed World) expose how the meat industry uses “regenerative grazing” claims to greenwash factory farming. From debunking myths about grass-fed beef to revealing the devastating impact of cattle grazing on wildlife and climate change, this conversation equips our flock with science-backed responses to common pro-meat environmental claims.

This episode explores:
• The scientific evidence debunking regenerative grazing as a climate solution
• Why grass-fed beef requires more land and produces more methane than factory farming
• How the meat industry co-opts environmental terminology to mislead consumers
• The connection between cattle grazing and global deforestation
• Plant-based solutions for genuine environmental sustainability

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Dr. Jennifer Molidor is Senior Food Campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity, where she leads the “Take Extinction Off Your Plate” campaign and drives Population and Sustainability program initiatives addressing industrial agriculture’s impact on wildlife conservation and climate change. With expertise in sustainable food systems and environmental policy, she previously served at the Animal Legal Defense Fund and as an assistant professor at Kansas State University. Dr. Molidor, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, focuses on the intersection of food choices, farming practices, biodiversity protection, and environmental sustainability.

Ashley Capps is a writer, researcher, and poet who combines her creative background with animal rights advocacy at A Well-Fed World, where she focuses on food justice and climate solutions. As founder of the Mothers Against Dairy campaign and a frequent contributor to Free from Harm, she brings a unique perspective to environmental and animal rights activism. An NEA fellowship recipient and published poet, Ashley leverages her creative writing expertise to advocate for plant-based solutions and animal welfare. She currently lives in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where she continues her work in animal advocacy while co-editing an upcoming animal poetry anthology for Trinity University Press.

RESOURCES 

• • Animal Law Podcast 116 The Case of the Thirsty Elk
  • The Animal Industry Has No Chance to Survive
  • ‘A Dangerous Virus’: Bird Flu Enters a New Phase
  • The Media Is Obsessed with Ultra-Processed Foods in 2025 — but Coverage Is Missing the Forest for the (Broccoli) Trees
  • China Opens $11M Cultivated Meat Centre with Support From Local Govt & Businesses
  • USDA pushing beans over meat is music to our ears
  • Submit a comment on the dietary guidelines
  • Learn Veganic Online Gardening Course
  • Jennifer Molidor’s website
  • Jennifer’s FoodX Newsletter
  • Ashley Capps’ website
  • Grazing Facts website
  • Center for Biological Diversity’s regenerative agriculture campaign page
  • Regenerative Agriculture policy primer
  • A Guide to the Impact of Beef Production on Wildlife and Biodiversity
  • Cows and Climate Change Factsheet
  • The Problem with Regenerative Beef Factsheet
  • Slaughterhouse Factsheet
  • Climate Friendly Food Guide
  • The New Sent(i)ence anthology’s Facebook
  • The New Sent(i)ence Anthology’s Instagram

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

The Learn Veganic Online Gardening Course is starting on February 12th, 2025. You’ll learn how to grow a thriving fruit and veggie garden using fully vegan techniques, without any animal byproducts like bonemeal or manure. You can save $15 with the code OURHENHOUSE at https://learnveganic.com/

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with family physician Dr. Zach Burns about transforming healthcare through plant-based nutrition. From examining the pharmaceutical industry’s influence on medical education to exploring practical solutions for chronic disease prevention, discover how integrating lifestyle medicine could revolutionize our approach to health. Through candid discussion about medical training, patient care, and systemic change, Dr. Burns shares insights about creating a more compassionate and effective healthcare system.

Key Discussion Points:
• The pharmaceutical industry’s impact on healthcare
• Integrating plant-based nutrition into medical education
• Making lifestyle medicine accessible to all patients
• Balancing ethics and medicine in clinical practice
• The future of preventive healthcare
• Breaking down barriers to healthy eating

ABOUT OUR GUEST

A plant-based nutrition advocate, Zach Burns, DO, MPH practices medicine to improve the lives of human and non-human beings. He is an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester as well as associate director for Moving Medicine Forward, a non-profit led by the pioneering plantrician Michael Klaper to cultivate a new generation of health professionals who have the nutritional literacy to tackle chronic disease. His writing and blog can be found at www.herbivores.life.

• Dr Zach Burns’s website
• Moving Medicine Forward website

RESOURCES

• Jan Dutkiewicz on Bluesky
• Meatpacking Companies to Pay $8 Million for U.S. Child Labor Violations
• Peter Kalmus on Bluesky
• Herbivore on Bluesky
• Ridglan: Cruelty May Be Illegal, Unless It’s Called Research
• Animal Law Podcast episode 109
• Earthlings (3 book series)

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Philosopher and researcher Bob Fischer joins us to explore the fascinating and complex world of insect consciousness. From fruit flies being used as depression models to bees playing with marbles, discover how new science is challenging everything we thought we knew about sentience. Through candid discussion about the scale of insect farming, the evidence for insect consciousness, and the practical implications for animal advocates, Bob helps us navigate these challenging ethical waters with both wisdom and humility.

Key Discussion Points:
• Current scientific evidence for insect sentience
• The scale and scope of insect farming
• Practical implications for animal advocates
• Balancing different forms of animal advocacy
• The future of insect welfare science
• Navigating moral uncertainty

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Bob Fischer is a senior researcher at Rethink Priorities and associate professor of philosophy at Texas State University, where he specializes in animal ethics and applied ethics. As director of the Society for the Study of Ethics and Animals, he has published extensively on animal rights, ethics, and epistemology. His current research focuses on insect sentience and the moral implications of emerging science about animal consciousness.

• Bob Fischer’s website

RESOURCES

• The art of normalizing (and boycotting) violence
• As Bird Flu Concerns Increase, Don’t Forget About Normalcy Bias
• Antibiotic emergency ‘could claim 40 million lives in next 25 years’
• The US Chains Still Charging Extra For Dairy-Free Milk
• What the headlines missed about alt proteins in 2024
• I Might Go to Prison in 2025. I Need Your Help More Than Ever.
• The Barrett Lab

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Step inside Toronto’s Wishbone Animal Rights Lab, an innovative 1,270-square-foot activist hub providing everything from recording equipment to fake blood (yes, really) for animal advocates. This groundbreaking community space serves as a prototype for activist centers worldwide, combining practical resources with a strict “no drama” policy and the occasional karaoke night to create sustainable, accessible advocacy.

Key Discussion Points:
• Creating and managing sustainable spaces for animal rights activism
• Building bridges between activist communities and the general public
• Developing replicable models for community organizing
• Using arts and entertainment to advance animal advocacy

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Sue Spahr is the co-founder and Lab Director of Wishbone Animal Rights Lab, an innovative community space in downtown Toronto dedicated to developing strategies for animal liberation. With over four decades of animal advocacy experience, Spahr brings her ‘Mad Scientist’ approach to reimagining activism and challenging systemic animal exploitation. Alongside co-founders Sharon Spahr and Alec Bosse, she creates collaborative spaces for activists to think critically, share ideas, and develop effective approaches to animal advocacy. Having advocated for all species – from insects to farm animals – since 1980, Spahr brings determination and strategic thinking to the movement for animal liberation.

RESOURCES

• Mexico’s President Supports Constitutional Reforms Against Animal Cruelty
• Pioneering the future of egg production with In OVO sexing technology
• The First US Bird Flu Death Is a Stark Warning
• How Big Meat Worked to Rebrand in 2024 — Using Disinformation
• I Could Never Go Vegan
• Despite claims, chicken not the most affordable protein
• David Graeber Institute on Bluesky
• Wishbone AR Lab
• Wishbone AR Lab on Instagram
• Wishbone AR Lab on Facebook

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Science journalist and author Brandon Keim joins us to discuss his groundbreaking book “Meet the Neighbors,” exploring how recognizing animals as thinking, feeling beings transforms our relationship with nature. From urban wildlife to conservation ethics, Keim bridges the gap between scientific research and public understanding of animal intelligence, while offering hope for meaningful change in how we interact with the creatures around us.

Key Discussion Points:
• How scientific understanding of animal intelligence has evolved
• The intersection of journalism, activism, and animal advocacy
• Indigenous perspectives on wildlife and conservation
• Creating change at both systemic and personal levels
• Finding hope for animals in uncertain times

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Brandon Keim, contributing editor at Nautilus and acclaimed science journalist, explores animal consciousness and human-wildlife relationships in his work. His latest book, ‘Meet the Neighbors,’ investigates animal personhood and cognitive abilities, examining how recognizing animals as thinking, feeling beings transforms our relationship with nature. His groundbreaking reporting on animal intelligence, wildlife conservation, and environmental science appears in The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Atlantic. Based in Maine, Keim bridges the gap between scientific research and public understanding of animal sentience.

RESOURCES

• 20 big cats die from bird flu at Washington wildlife sanctuary
• Liv Boeree Finishes Fourth For the Biggest Ever Female Player Score!
• Episode 491: Garrett Greer is Betting on Everyone Going Vegan
• Experts Recommend US Dietary Guidelines Prioritize Plant-Based Proteins
• Veganuary website
• Animal Journalism with Jessica Scott-Reid
• How Easy Is It to Get a Humane Label for Meat? Very
• Brandon Keim’s website
• The Catbird Seat: Brandon Keim’s Substack

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this special year-end episode, Jasmin and Mariann reflect on Our Hen House’s journey through 2024 while looking ahead to 2025. From discussing standout interviews and emerging food technology to examining media coverage of animal issues, our hosts provide their unique perspectives on the state of animal advocacy. Their candid conversation balances hope with realism, offering insights into how activists maintain resilience while working toward progress.

Key Discussion Points:
• Memorable guest interviews from 2024, including sanctuary founders and whistleblowers
• Analysis of cultivated meat developments and state restrictions
• Media coverage of animal agriculture and food innovation
• The growing impact of local animal advocacy initiatives
• Reflections on maintaining activist energy and hope

To Our Amazing Listeners:
As we wrap up another year of changing the world for animals, thank you for being part of these crucial conversations. Your engagement and support help keep these important discussions going.

RESOURCES

• Steve Wise remembrance
• The Goat Conspiracy episode 772
• Lancaster Farm Sanctuary on episode 767
• Tom Harris on episode 769
• Tom Conger on episode 730
• Patch Plays on episode 744
• Animal Policy Alliance episode 748
• Jim Mason on episode 747
• Animal Law Podcast episode 115
• Cultivated Meat Is Now Available In Hong Kong
• US has first severe bird flu case. When should we start to worry?
• How did Elphaba become wicked? There’s a hidden message people keep missing.
• King Charles Gives Up Red Meat Following Cancer Diagnosis
• You’re being lied to about “ultra-processed” foods
• The Year Dairy Milk Won — or Did It?
• US animal lab from which monkeys escaped accused of widespread abuse
• Backyard Breeding is Now Illegal in NYC!
• Veganuary website
• Meat-eaters more likely to be disgusted by meat after taking part in Veganuary, study reveals
• Castillo Animal Vegan Vet
• Daniela Castillo on episode 720
• Animal Place website
• Kim Sturla on episode 154
• Devil’s Island
• John Yunker & Midge Raymond on episode 768
• Pakistan’s International Animal and Environmental Rights Conference
• Tickets for Pakistan’s 1st International Animal and Environmental Rights Conference

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or X (formerly Twitter).

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Whistleblower and animal rights advocate Maddie Krasno exposes the dark reality of animal experimentation in university research facilities. After caring for 500+ primates at UW-Madison’s testing laboratories, Krasno reveals how the industry systematically silences workers while continuing questionable experiments with taxpayer funding. Now, as co-founder of Justify, she’s building a groundbreaking support network for former lab workers while advocating for ethical, non-animal research methods.

• Inside look at primate research facilities and animal testing laboratories
• How NIH-funded animal experiments waste taxpayer dollars while suppressing criticism
• Why the “Three Rs” (Reduce, Refine, Replace) fail to protect research animals
• Landmark legal victories challenging research facility censorship
• Building Justify: supporting whistleblowers and advancing animal-free science

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Madeline Krasno, Executive Director of Justify and former primate lab worker, advocates for transparency and ethical scientific practices without animal experimentation. Her groundbreaking free speech lawsuits against the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Institutes of Health, featured in The Washington Post, expose the reality of animal research while supporting laboratory whistleblowers. Through Justify, she creates safe spaces for current and former lab workers to share their stories and advance animal-free science. Madeline holds a master’s in Humane Education from Valparaiso University and degrees in Zoology and Child Development from UW-Madison.

RESOURCES

• For Wild Animals, the Bird Flu Disaster Is Already Here
• Cheetah, mountain lion, and kookaburra die in H5N1 outbreak at Arizona zoo
• Sorry, but This Is the Future of Food
• Whaling activist Paul Watson celebrates release from jail after Denmark refuses extradition to Japan
• Scientists fear big cuts to animal research under Trump 2.0
• Justify’s website
• Justify on Network for Good

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.

The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Undercover investigator Pete Paxton and attorney Cailen LaBarge from Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development (SEED) discuss their groundbreaking investigation of livestock auctions across America. After infiltrating 17 auctions in 10 states, they reveal how these largely overlooked facilities serve as crucial links in industrial animal agriculture while fostering systematic abuse. The conversation explores how cultural dynamics perpetuate cruelty, SEED’s innovative environmental litigation strategy against factory farms, and the importance of understanding rural communities in creating lasting change.

This episode explores:
• How livestock auctions serve as a crucial but overlooked link in industrial animal agriculture
• The cultural dynamics that perpetuate animal cruelty in rural communities
• SEED’s innovative approach to environmental litigation against factory farms
• The intersection of worker exploitation and animal abuse
• Strategies for building alliances with rural communities to create lasting change

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Pete Paxton, Director of Investigations at SEED, has conducted groundbreaking undercover investigations exposing animal cruelty across multiple countries since 2001. His work, featured in HBO documentaries “Dealing Dogs” and “Death on a Factory Farm,” has unveiled abuse in puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, and beyond. A recipient of the US Attorney’s Office Coin of Excellence and co-author of “Rescue Dogs,” Paxton’s investigations have not only exposed animal cruelty but also highlighted the exploitation of undocumented workers in industrial agriculture.

Cailen LaBarge is an attorney, animal activist, and founder of Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development (SEED), where she works at the intersection of animal protection, environmental justice, and human rights. A member of Sentient’s Board of Directors and admitted to practice law in New York and Massachusetts, LaBarge focuses on challenging industrial animal agriculture’s impact on animals, people, and the planet through legal advocacy and strategic development.

RESOURCES

• Sick animals suggest COVID pandemic started in Wuhan market
• Sally Rooney: When are we going to have the courage to stop the climate crisis?
• Is Milk Safe? Your Questions About Bird Flu and Dairy, Answered.
• Bird Flu Virus Is One Mutation Away from Binding More Efficiently to Human Cells
• Sentientism on Bluesky
• Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development website
• SEED Livestock Auction Investigation
• SEED on Instagram
• SEED on Facebook

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

_____________________________________________

Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Between now and December 31, all donations will be TRIPLED up to $20,000! Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!

Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

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The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.