Episode 490: Lorin Lindner on the Therapeutic Bond Between Birds and Veterans

This week, Mariann talks to Dr. Lorin Lindner of Lockwood Animal Rescue Center about the similarities in how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects parrots and military veterans and the touching recover results her organization is achieving by pairing them together. She also discusses the hidden horrors birds experience in “birdie mills.” Lockwood’s co-founder Matt Simmons to tell us more about how the overlap between animals and military veterans and his co-creation of the WolfGuard Program.



Dr. Lindner is a clinical psychologist who helped to start programs for both traumatized veterans and traumatized animals.  Her book, Birds of a Feather: A True Story of Love, Hope and the Healing Power of Animals published by St Martin’s Press in May 2018 tells of how she got her start as an animal activist and then started her sanctuaries, first for parrots and then for wolves and wolfdogs. Having worked with Veterans for over 30 years she and her US Navy veteran husband started the Wolves and Warriors program for combat veterans who care for the animals at the wolf sanctuary and the WolfGuard Campaign for veterans who go into the mountains of North America to defend wild wolves.

In the intro to this episode, Jasmin tells us her email self-care hack, we recount our recent food truck experinces–good and bad, and we take Anne Hathaway to task for her reprehensible story of “caving” and giving up being vegan. Mariann also tells us the surprising and horrible part of animal anatomy being substituted for calamari. After the interview, Mariann brings us some Rising Anxieties. More info in the show notes!

As always, the award-winning weekly Our Hen House podcast is hosted by Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer.



This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.

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The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren, who is also OHH’s Director of Communications! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast.