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

Without slaughterhouses, animal agriculture is over. So let’s do it! This week, we are joined by Shannon Blair and Malaina Watts, who both worked tirelessly to block the creation of two new slaughterhouses in Florida and helped put an end to an illegal slaughter operation as well. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Shannon Blair’s journey toward animal liberation began at age nine after she saw footage of animals suffering for food and became an activist on the spot. After years as a vegetarian, she went vegan on the same day as her son, VeganEvan, and since 2017, Shannon and her family have been on a mission to advocate, educate, and activate, traveling across the country to support animal rights. She is a Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator, President of Solutionary Species, co-founder of Animal Activism Mentorship, a co-organizer for Plant Based Treaty Florida, and the Plant Based Community Coordinator for Solid Rock Community School.  Malaina Watts has been dedicated to creating a more compassionate and sustainable world since 2016. A committed vegan, Malaina has also journeyed across the country, immersing herself in activism that bridges the gap between grassroots movements and large-scale institutional change, including pressure campaigns, protests, food giveaways, council meetings, workshops, livestreams, marches, vigils, disruptions, educational events, and more. As a Mentor with Animal Activism Mentorship, Malaina has nurtured the next generation of activists,  and she is also the U.S. Liaison and Campaigner with the Plant Based Treaty, advocating for policies prioritizing sustainability, animal rights, and environmental stewardship. RESOURCES Ellie CG on X (formerly Twitter) Effects of increasing the availability of vegetarian options on main meal choices, meal offer satisfaction and liking: a pre-post analysis in a French university cafeteria No Evidence Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Ducks, Geese or Pets in Springfield, Ohio Plant Based Treaty Florida on Facebook Plant Based Treaty Florida on Instagram Solutionary Species on Facebook Solutionary Species on Instagram Watts Vegan Living on Instagram Malaina Watts on Facebook Shannon Blair on Instagram Shannon Blair 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. 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.

Aidan Kankyoku, co-founder of Pax Fauna and Pro-Animal Future, joins the conversation to discuss innovative strategies in farmed animal advocacy. He reveals a groundbreaking citizens’ initiative in Denver, allowing locals to vote on animal welfare issues. The discussion touches on the complex relationship between climate change and animal rights, highlighting how these issues intersect and the need for unified activism. Aidan also shares insights on grassroots organizing, political dynamics, and the challenges of effective fundraising in the movement.

We are back this week with another Hen Report to bring you up to date on what’s happening in the world of animal rights, as well as what’s going on in the lives of our own two hens. RESOURCES Animal Law Podcast Ep 111 A Whole New Chrissy: Love, laughs and fresh starts on Bondi Beach London Zoo removes Banksy work for ‘safekeeping’ The livestock lobby is waging war on ‘lab-grown meat’. This is why we can’t let them win Our Hen House ep 669: After Meat w/ Karthik Sekar Opinion | U.S. can learn from indigenous tribes in setting nutrition policy FBI Records Reveal Ironic Accusations Against Animal Activists: A recent investigation finds the FBI considering ‘weapons of mass destruction statutes’ against activists. 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. 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.

We all love lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), but is seeing them in captivity really the way people should get to know them? Liz Tyson of Born Free USA joins us to discuss the organization’s goal of #KeepingWildlifeInTheWild, the legislative and policy work they are pursuing, and all about the monkeys of Texas!! ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Liz Tyson is Born Free USA’s Director of Animal Welfare and Advocacy. She helped to establish the very first locally run sterilization program for street dogs in the Middle East; worked with indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon to end the hunting of wild primates; ran a U.K. charity campaigning to end the exploitation of animals in circuses and zoos; and helped design a new rehabilitation complex for rescued monkeys at Ensessa Kotteh, Born Free’s sanctuary in Ethiopia. In 2018, she earned her doctorate in animal welfare law, and in 2023, she completed a master’s in Social Justice and Community Organizing. Now, she heads up Born Free USA’s Primate Sanctuary and leads the organization’s advocacy work. RESOURCES AVMA Passes Resolution Deeming Depopulation ‘Ethical,’ Only One Delegate Abstains Pioneering Cattle Methane Vaccine Project Launched with $9.4M Grant from Bezos Earth Fund North American Veganic Certification Standard Grants and Opportunities Slaughter-free meat hits the grocery shelf California’s Factory Farms Are Perilously Close to Your Produce, New Report Finds Born Free USA website Born Free USA on X (formerly Twitter) Born Free USA on Facebook Born Free USA on Instagram Born Free USA on TikTok Born Free USA on Youtube Born Free USA on LinkedIn Scarlet Spark website Scarlet Spark’s Skill Sparks landing page Scarlet Spark’s free leadership skills workshops Scarlet Spark’s leadership tools 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. 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.

Why do many people see some animals’ deaths as devastating while most animal deaths are considered irrelevant and meaningless? This week, animal chaplain Sarah Bowen joins us to discuss her book, Sacred Sendoffs, and religion and spirituality as they relate to humanity’s treatment of animals. ABOUT OUR GUEST Sarah A. Bowen is co-founder of Compassion Consortium and the executive director of the Consortium’s Animal Chaplaincy Training program, where she teaches evidence-based techniques that support people struggling with animal care or animal protection challenges such as grief, compassion fatigue, moral injury, and burnout. In addition to writing and speaking widely, she is also a columnist on animal/human relationships for Spirituality & Health magazine and the award-winning author of Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Trying to Heal the Planet. RESOURCES Rochester’s animal shelter is at a pivotal moment as new challenges face homeless pets How Factory Farming Ends Sarah Bowen’s website Sarah Bowen on Facebook Sarah Bowen on Instagram Sacred Sendoffs book Sarah Bowen’s articles on Spirituality & Health Magazine Compassion Consortium website Compassion Consortium on Youtube Compassion Consortium on Facebook Compassion Consortium on Instagram Find an Animal Chaplain Become an Animal Chaplain 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. 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.

Vladimir Mićković, Chief Brand Officer of Juicy Marbles, shares his journey from restaurant founder to innovator in the plant-based meat industry. He discusses how humor and creativity can reshape food narratives and engage with the vegan movement. The conversation touches on Slovenia's unique vegan landscape compared to faster-paced cultures, challenges in production, and the ethical dilemmas of traditional livestock farming. Listeners gain insights into promoting a responsible food system and the role of social media in advancing animal rights.

On this week’s Hen Report, Jasmin and Mariann bring you the latest news about animal activism and veganism, along with a few random thoughts on whatever. Then, they are joined by the incomparable Michael Dorf with a special report on this year’s Vegan Summerfest. Plus music! RESOURCES Butch Home Economics on Youtube The Vegan Grocery Store website The bird flu doom loop Study confirms mammal-to-mammal avian flu spread How Livestock Farming Affects Climate Change, Explained Multilab Replication Challenges Long-held Theories on Cognitive Dissonance AI Animal Communication Breakthroughs Could Revolutionize Our Relationship With Animals Elephants Are Doing Something Deeply Human How Two Wandering Cows Started a Culture War Advocates cheer new standards that could save horseshoe crabs from bloodletting The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI Charity and the JAM Band 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. _____________________________________________ 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. 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.

“Why don’t you care about humans?” is an accusatory question that most animal advocates have encountered. This week, we are joined by Poorva Joshipura to discuss her new book, Survival at Stake, which connects the dots between our treatment of animals and the future of humans. ABOUT OUR GUEST Poorva Joshipura is the author of For a Moment of Taste: How What You Eat Impacts Animals, the Planet and Your Health (2020) and ​​Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence (2023). She is the Senior Vice President of International Affairs for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation UK. She has spent over two decades with PETA entities, during which time she has conducted eyewitness investigations and campaigns. She is a regular guest on television news and radio shows and speaks on animal rights at universities and at other events, and can usually be found in London, Mumbai, Delhi or Wadi Musa. RESOURCES Internet warns JD Vance after video resurfaces implying Kamala Harris is childless cat lady Anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson arrested in Greenland. He faces possible extradition to Japan Free Paul Watson – take action now! Urge the International Olympic Committee to Ban All Equestrian Events Caught Repeatedly Whipping a Horse, Top British Rider Is Out of the Olympics Meatly’s Cultivated Chicken for Pets Approved for Sale in the UK, First Products to Hit Shelves This Year PETA UK website PETA UK on Facebook PETA UK on X (formerly Twitter) PETA UK on TikTok PETA UK on Instagram Poorva Joshipura on Twitter Poorva Joshipura on 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. _____________________________________________ 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. 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.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a single place laying out all the information and reasons behind animal rights? Well, now there is! This week, filmmaker Mark Devries joins us to discuss his new film, Humans and Other Animals, which aims to do just that. ABOUT OUR GUEST Mark DeVries is a documentary filmmaker whose award-winning work, including his prior film, Speciesism, has been seen by millions internationally and whose new film, Humans and Other Animals, builds on that work. He also pioneered the use of aerial drones to investigate environmental issues, and he is an attorney licensed to practice law in Washington, DC. Humans and Other Animals website Mark Devries Studio on Facebook Mark Devries Studio on Instagram Mark Devries Studio on X (formerly Twitter) 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. 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.

What happens when you’ve dedicated your life to the family business and suddenly become vegan? This week, we are joined by Farah Shammas, who tells us all about how she has helped make her family’s resort hotel and the restaurants therein into a vegan-friendly oasis. She also dishes on the vegan scene in Cyprus and tells us about her books! ABOUT OUR GUEST Farah Shammas is the Managing Director of the St Raphael Resort and Marina in Cyprus. After learning about the meat and dairy industry, she obtained a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies through eCornell and started to institute vegan changes in the hotel. Her passion has driven her to share her knowledge and recipes via her social media platform ‘Cook Vegan’ and publish 40 Delicious Vegan Recipes, as well as two children’s books, Theo the Pig and A Little Boy Called Noah. RESOURCES Exes and Ohs Substack: Does God actually matter? Should animals care whether you are an atheist or a believer? How public universities hooked America on meat Bird flu: How US states are testing cattle and humans for the virus St Raphael Resort website St Raphael Resort on Facebook St Raphael Resort on Instagram St Raphael Resort on Youtube St Raphael Resort on X (formerly Twitter) Cook Vegan on Youtube Cook Vegan Facebook group Farah’s Club on Instagram Scarlet Spark website Scarlet Spark’s Skill Sparks landing page Scarlet Spark’s free leadership skills workshops Scarlet Spark’s leadership tools 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. 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.