The Open Sanctuary Podcast 57 - Agency-Centered Animal Sanctuary Education Webinar With Dr. Emily Tronetti
Oct 30, 2025
Dr. Emily Tronetti, a humane educator specializing in animal agency, joins Andie to discuss how to nurture farmed animal agency and consent in sanctuary education. They define key characteristics of animal agency and conduct exercises to better observe animal body language. The duo emphasizes the importance of consent, illustrating how to respect animals' choices through practical interaction strategies. They also discuss the consequences of ignoring consent and advocate for agency-centered practices to foster empathy between humans and animals.
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What Agency Really Means
- Agency is the capacity to engage with environments and make choices based on preferences, needs, and desires.
- Agency is relational, dynamic, shared across species, and vital to well-being.
Agency Affects Health And Freedom
- Suppressing an individual's agency harms their social, emotional, and physical well-being.
- Agency must be changeable so individuals can say no and have that choice respected.
Ask Animals For Consent First
- Give animals the chance to approach and request the type of engagement they want rather than approaching them first.
- Pause frequently during interactions to check ongoing consent and allow animals to stop or ask for more.
