Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation

In this eye-opening episode, Mariann Sullivan speaks with three pioneering advocates who are successfully preventing octopus factory farming across the United States. Amanda Fox (Executive Director of Animal Rights Initiative), Allie Taylor (President of Voters for Animal Rights), and Brenna Anderst (Senior Policy Advisor at The Humane League) share how their coalition has already secured bans in Washington and California, with legislation pending in seven more coastal states. The conversation reveals why octopuses – highly intelligent, venomous, escape-prone animals who require live prey – are particularly unsuited for aquaculture, and how preventing new forms of animal exploitation before they become entrenched is a powerful strategy for animal protection. This episode explores: How the Animal Policy Alliance is connecting local advocacy groups across the country to share resources and strategies for legislative success The ecological dangers of octopus farming, including massive consumption of wild-caught crustaceans and potential parasite spread Why preemptively banning harmful practices before they become economically established is more effective than trying to regulate existing industries The growing opposition from aquaculture interests as more states consider octopus farming bans How grassroots legislative campaigns can achieve meaningful victories for animals even when federal action seems unlikely ABOUT OUR GUESTS Amanda Fox is a dynamic leader serving as the Executive Director of the Animal Rights Initiative, where she pioneers legislative advocacy efforts and orchestrates impactful campaigns. With a keen eye for strategy and a passion for social change, Amanda navigates the complexities of lobbying while also coordinating engaging educational events, cementing her reputation as a dedicated advocate for animal liberation and social justice. Brenna Anderst is the Senior Policy Advisor at The Humane League, where she provides support to members of the Animal Policy Alliance through local, state, and federal policy research, model legislation drafting, and legislative and campaign strategy development. Prior to joining The Humane League, Brenna directed the legislative campaigns, lobbying efforts, and educational initiatives of an animal protection organization and farmed animal sanctuary in Washington state and was a founding member of the Animal Policy Alliance. In this role, Brenna led or was involved in the advancement of 20+ state and local-level laws protecting animals. Her extensive policy experience includes working with organizations and advocates locally and across the country on issues related to companion and farmed animal protections, animal cruelty enforcement reform, retail pet sales regulations, plant-based food procurement, and more. Allie Taylor is the president of Voters For Animal Rights (VFAR). She has led numerous legislative campaigns in New York City, including efforts to ban foie gras, end the sale of guinea pigs, prohibit the use of wild animals in circuses, crack down on backyard breeders, and eliminate the sale of fur. 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 Animal Policy Alliance, established by The Humane League, is a powerful collective of local and state-level animal advocacy groups throughout the United States. We serve as a trusted resource, providing knowledge, strategies, connection opportunities, and grants to our member organizations. We lead with purpose, empowering alliance members to build toward our shared vision of a world without animal abuse. _____________________________________________ 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, YouTube, 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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this Hen Report, Jasmin recounts her adventures at a vegan-friendly baby shower (complete with vegan trivia!), while Mariann contemplates deep philosophical questions. From air-fried apples with caramel salt to the explosion of pistachio milk in mainstream grocery stores, the duo weaves serious animal rights discussions with their trademark humor and warmth, proving once again that changing the world for animals can include both righteous indignation and genuine joy. This episode explores: How factory farming contamination reaches far beyond animal suffering, with “fugitive dust” from industrial operations causing salmonella outbreaks in produce like peaches The shocking yet routine practice of mailing live chicks through postal services, resulting in the deaths of thousands of birds New York City’s groundbreaking plant-based hospital food initiative that has served over 1.2 million vegetarian meals as the default option The exciting explosion of plant-based milk alternatives, from pistachio to sunflower seed, showing how normalized dairy alternatives have become RESOURCES Last year’s salmonella outbreak linked to peaches may have been caused by “fugitive dust” 4,000 chicks died in the mail. They expose a darker truth about the meat industry. NYC Hospitals Are Nudging Patients Toward Plant-Based Meals. It’s Working. A New Generation of Non-Dairy Milks Is on the Rise “Free Bird”, an Illustrated Children’s Book with a Very Vegan Message Free Bird on Bookshop.org The Meatless Meats of the Future Baby Loves Vegan: An ABC of Plant Food Podcast Eat For The Planet: Ethan Brown’s Fight to Reclaim the Beyond Meat Story 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. 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, YouTube, 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 Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann serves up a buffet of agricultural catastrophes that have the industry shaking in their boots. From parasitic invasions to explosive grain silos to the pork industry’s bizarre meltdown over a health report that barely mentions them, it’s a masterclass in how industrial animal agriculture consistently creates its own problems—then demands taxpayers foot the bill to solve them. Pour yourself something strong and enjoy this tour of an industry on the verge of a collective nervous breakdown. This episode explores: The New World Screwworm outbreak creeping toward the US border, threatening cattle operations and prompting a taxpayer-funded “sterile fly” breeding program ADM’s shocking history of preventable grain explosions causing third-degree burns and life-changing injuries despite known safety protocols Why the “Make America Healthy Again” report has the pork industry frantically promoting “filling the protein gap” for infants How drone footage of farms has the industry demanding government protection from the terrifying prospect of transparency The recurring theme of industrial animal agriculture’s self-created disasters requiring public bailouts while animal suffering remains an afterthought   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, YouTube, 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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, Mariann Sullivan welcomes back Will Lowrey, legal counsel for Animal Partisan, alongside David Rosengard, managing attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund‘s Criminal Justice Program. They dive into an obscure but potentially game-changing legal tool: laws in certain states that allow private citizens to obtain search warrants when they have evidence of animal cruelty. While their recent attempt to use this procedure against Jenny O Turkey for its “ventilation shutdown plus” practices (which essentially slow-cooks birds to death during bird flu outbreaks) hit a roadblock in Minnesota, the team isn’t giving up. Factory farm cruelty meets legal loopholes: The guests explain how animal cruelty laws technically apply to farmed animals in all 50 states, despite industry claims to the contrary, and why they refuse to give up on using these laws despite frequent agricultural exemptions. What exactly is “ventilation shutdown plus”?: Prepare to be horrified as David Rosengard explains this USDA-approved depopulation method that seals barns, cuts off airflow, and pumps in heat, essentially cooking birds alive while they simultaneously suffocate. The government approval dodge: The court dismissed their case partly because federal agencies approved the practice, but as Will points out, “There’s no statute that Congress has passed that says you may overheat birds to 104 degrees for four hours and kill them.” California, here they come: Despite the setback, Animal Partisan is already preparing to test similar private warrant laws in California, where they’ve discovered another untapped legal tool that could help expose factory farm cruelty. The public doesn’t know: As David notes, when polled, people consistently say farm animals should be treated humanely and would pay more for better treatment – they just drastically underestimate what’s actually happening behind closed doors. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Will Lowrey is the Legal Counsel for Animal Partisan, a legal advocacy organization focused on challenging unlawful conduct at farms, slaughterhouses, and laboratories. Will previously spent several years as Legal Counsel for Animal Outlook, a national nonprofit farmed animal protectionorganization, where he divided his time between civil litigation and undercover investigations. Will has engaged in numerous lawsuits, as well as criminal and administrative enforcement actions against the government, industrial agriculture, and research laboratories, including cases involving federal slaughter laws, public records, false advertising, public nuisance, animal cruelty, and others. Will has taught Animal Law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Vermont Law and Graduate School, and the University of St. Thomas School of Law.  As Managing Attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund‘s Criminal Justice Program, David Rosengard champions justice for animal cruelty victims through groundbreaking legal strategies, including pioneering work to establish animals as legal crime victims and expand Courtroom Animal Advocate Programs. A Lewis & Clark Law School honors graduate who teaches animal law at his alma mater, David has contributed to significant publications on animal law while advancing constitutional arguments that recognize animal sentience in the legal system. 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. ********** You can listen to the Animal Law Podcast directly on our website (at the top of this page) or you can listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment! Of course, we would be thrilled if you would consider making a donation or becoming a member of our flock (especially if you’re a regular listener). 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! Don’t forget to also listen to the award-winning,  weekly signature OHH podcast — now in its fifteenth glorious year!

In this thought-provoking episode, Jasmin and Mariann welcome back Our Hen House’s “wingman” Michael Dorf to discuss a recent Daily Show segment that mockingly covered efforts to improve shrimp welfare. The conversation delves into the challenges of advocating for less charismatic animals, the complexities of welfare reforms, and the surprising effectiveness of humor in introducing animal suffering to mainstream audiences. Later, Jasmin shares key insights from the recent Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit, while Vicki reviews Ben Goldfarb’s eye-opening book “Crossings,” revealing how road ecology impacts wildlife. This episode explores: How comedy and satire can inadvertently highlight important animal rights issues, even when attempting to mock them The evolution of the animal rights movement toward including previously overlooked species like insects and aquatic animals Jasmin’s “top 10” observations about the current state of animal advocacy from the AVA Summit The shocking environmental impact of roads on wildlife and potential solutions from the emerging field of road ecology The importance of grassroots activism in building a more effective and inclusive animal rights movement RESOURCES Charity for Shrimps? Ronny Chieng Explores the Limits of Effective Altruism | The Daily Show Effective Altruism As It Relates to Animal Rights: An Open Ended Approach to Advocacy Animal Agriculture Land Buyout 9 US dietary guidelines should emphasize beans and lentils as protein, new proposal says MEDIA RELEASE: Michigan Cancels Goose Gassing After Receiving Pressure From Advocates New Bill Would Reveal How Many Animals Are Used in Government-Funded Experiments! The massive stakes of the Trump administration’s plans to end animal testing Recent Graduates Were Told They Were Coming to the U.S. for Cultural Exchange. They Ended Up Trapped in a Factory Farm. Crossings by Ben Goldfarb on Bookshop.org Episode 468: Ben Goldfarb 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. 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, YouTube, 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.

In this episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan examines current developments in animal agriculture and political food policies so you don’t have to. From RFK Jr.’s contradictory stances on vaccines and ultra-processed foods to industry insiders acknowledging that cultivated protein may replace conventional meat production in the future, this episode dives into the contradictions and potential changes within the food system.  This episode explores: How industry insiders are predicting a future shift away from conventional animal agriculture toward cultivated protein technologies Emerging debates around the classification of plant-based alternatives as “ultra-processed” Agricultural communication strategies being developed by industry Proposed budget changes that would redirect $290 billion from food assistance programs to commodity support and crop insurance   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, YouTube, 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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

Sebastian Joy, founder of Kickstarting for Good, shares his innovative approach to transforming our global food system. Sebastian, who went from leading a tiny vegetarian society to helping build a worldwide movement at ProVeg International, reveals how mentorship has helped launch initiatives raising over $500 million for plant-based innovation. With candid stories about developing B12-fortified toothpaste (when everyone said it was impossible!) and creating the rapidly expanding AVA Summit, Sebastian offers a masterclass in strategic thinking for animal advocates. This episode explores: The three essential pillars for any successful nonprofit initiative How Sebastian’s incubator is helping launch the next generation of vegan advocacy organizations across six continents Why we need both alternative protein companies AND nonprofits to create lasting change in our food system Why we should be working with governments to help farmers transition away from animal agriculture How strategic networking and mentorship can multiply your impact for animals ABOUT OUR GUEST Sebastian Joy is a globally respected changemaker and serial social entrepreneur. He is the founder of Kickstarting For Good, a groundbreaking incubator for nonprofits, which helps impact entrepreneurs working to fix our broken food system. Having had a lifelong passion for creating high-impact initiatives, Sebastian spent two decades at the forefront of the food-change movement as the founding president of ProVeg International, one of the world’s leading food awareness organisations. Under his leadership, ProVeg expanded into more than a dozen countries with over 200 employees, worked with governments and corporations to shift food systems, and launched countless initiatives that have influenced millions of meals and helped shape global food policy. Sebastian is known for both his strategic vision and for building cross-sector bridges – from public institutions and corporations, to grassroots communities and fellow NGOs. He was a lecturer in social entrepreneurship at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, and is a regular speaker at international conferences on sustainability, food innovation, and systems change. Supported by a hand-picked team of experts from the movement, Sebastian is now channeling his decades of experience and relentless energy into mentoring and launching the next wave of mission-driven charity entrepreneurs. He currently lives in Berlin, Germany, with his wife Melanie Joy, a celebrated psychologist, author, and founder of Beyond Carnism. 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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this delightfully loopy episode of The Hen Report (affectionately dubbed “Henry Port” by hosts Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan), the duo spans topics from coast to coast while delivering their signature wit and animal rights commentary. Jasmin checks in from Los Angeles, where she’s attending the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit, reminiscing about her time living in the sprawling city and its vegan food scene. Meanwhile, Mariann dives into how Catholicism’s own teachings on animal welfare contradict modern practices, shares alarming news about Trump administration policies favoring the meat industry, and explores how narcissism affects our collective response to climate change and animal suffering. Jasmin explores LA neighborhoods and visits the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, complete with peacocks and old Hollywood glamour The hosts reflect on their recent visit to Harriet Tubman’s house and her extraordinary heroism Mariann reveals how Catholic doctrine actually states it’s “contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly” They discuss a Vox article detailing six ways the Trump administration has catered to the meat industry, including faster slaughter lines The conversation examines how narcissism impacts animal advocacy RESOURCES Every president is friendly to the meat industry — but Trump is taking it to another level Global narcissistic collapse: A metaphorical lens on humanity’s ecological crisis Meat Industry PR Group Hosts Panel at DC Climate Week Project Drawdown presents: The Climate Crisis on Our Plates: Rethinking Food and Farming Pets on Apple TV+ Ziggy’s Refuge on Instagram 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. 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.

In this episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan exposes how the animal agriculture industry is desperately attempting to rebrand itself while facing mounting environmental and ethical challenges. This episode explores: How factory farming is co-opting “regenerative agriculture” as their newest meaningless buzzword to greenwash industrial practices The meat industry’s shocking new strategy to recruit teenagers aged 16-18 by giving them “hands-on experience” in slaughterhouses. Seriously? How The New York Times misrepresents animal testing by using euphemistic language like “sacrifice” and “euthanasia” New research from Denmark proving we can create sustainable food systems by reducing poultry and pork consumption while ELIMINATING beef entirely   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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with activist Robert Grillo, founder of Free From Harm, who shares his strategic approach to creating systemic change for animals. From disrupting congressional hearings to confronting food industry executives, Robert explains how his organization uses targeted activism to challenge the status quo and push for a transition to a plant-based food system. How Robert evolved from traditional outreach to confrontational activism targeting decision-makers How to create a “moral crisis” to shift public perception about animal agriculture Why focusing on federal policy and corporate leaders creates more leverage than individual outreach The importance of building grassroots momentum alongside policy work for meaningful change Practical strategies for new activists to overcome fear and make an impact in spaces of power ABOUT OUR GUEST Robert Grillo is an activist, author, and speaker working for a transition to a plant-based food system. Since 2009, he has been spearheading the work of the grassroots activism group Free from Harm, organizing actions and events around the country where the highest-level powerholders are making the biggest deals and decisions about our food system, impacting billions of animals, consumers, and the planet. Free From Harm website Free From Harm on Facebook Free From Harm on Instagram Free From Harm on YouTube 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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.