Hope for the Animals

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Gwenna Hunter. Gwenna is the creator of Vegans of LA and Vegans for Black Lives Matter. She also manages several vegan food aid programs that provide local communities in Los Angeles with nutritional support. Gwenna shares with us the growing awareness of veganism in the Black community, her work bringing vegan food to marginalized communities, and her spiritual receptiveness that led her to have a powerful lucid dream of becoming one with a cow. Join us for this important discussion on evolving our activism to include equity and compassion for everyone.Resources:Plant Based Briefing PodcastVegans for Black Lives MatterVegans of LA Compassion Consortium

Microsanctuaries reshape the traditional, large farm sanctuary model and challenge us to rethink how we can provide care for farmed animals. Microsanctuaries demonstrate that almost anyone can offer sanctuary and be a caregiver to animals in need. Our Microsanctuary Series will feature a different small sanctuary each month through the summer of 2021.This episode we are joined by Justin Van Kleeck, co-founder of the Microsanctuary Movement. This grassroots movement broadens the definition of sanctuary to encompass more regions, different properties, a smaller number of animals, and also other species than we might typically find in a sanctuary. Smaller scale rescue gives people access to caregiving who might have smaller spaces, fewer resources, less money, or otherwise can’t or don’t want to mimic the current farm sanctuary model. Justin takes us deep into this exciting new trend in farmed animal rescue and caregiving.Resources:2nd Annual Humane Hoax Chicken WebinarThe Microsanctuary Resource CenterTriangle Chicken AdvocatesEpisode 10: Rooster Rescuer Justin Van Kleeck

 Moving into May, we are celebrating two milestones. This month we recognize International Respect for Chickens Day and also the one-year anniversary of the Hope for the Animals Podcast. One year ago, life was drastically changing and our in-person outreach events were all abruptly cancelled due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the chickens continued to suffer, so we knew we had to do something. We moved our message online and created the Hope for the Animals Podcast. In the past year, our podcast has grown considerably and has reached over 6,000 downloads in at least 15 countries.  To help us celebrate, today on the podcast we have UPC’s founder and president, Karen Davis. Karen dives deep into the ethical philosophies that she has developed over four decades. She talks with Hope about the origin of International Respect for Chickens Day, the importance of being conscious of our language when speaking and writing about farmed animals, UPC’s innovative sanctuary aviary, and the importance of recognizing and promoting Chickens, Earthrights. Happy one-year anniversary to Hope for the Animals Podcast and Happy International Respect for Chickens Month!

We wrap up our Earth Day themed podcasts for April with a conversation with Dr. Tushar Mehta. Dr. Mehta is a practicing emergency medicine physician and co-founder of Plant Based Data, an online database that collects and organizes the most important academic and institutional literature regarding the impacts of a plant-based diet on health, the environment, and food security. Hope and Tushar have an in-depth conversation about the deception of regenerative grazing, how ranchers are manipulating the science, and the extensive inefficiencies of animal products, no matter how they are produced.  Resources:Another Industry Attempt to Greenwash BeefPlant-Based Data

Hope begins with a review of the popular documentary Seaspiracy. This new film on Netflix exposes human impacts on our oceans and all marine lives. Then, we have the first interview in our new series called the Microsanctuary Series. On these podcasts we will explore how animal rescuers are having a large impact in small spaces. Our first featured Microsanctuary is Sweet Peeps Sanctuary in Alabama. Founder Tracy Glover shares how each of the chickens in her care have individual personalities and how she has learned that chickens are incredibly social, gentle, curious, and smart. The Microsanctuary Series will feature a different small sanctuary once a month through the summer of 2021.  Resources:Seaspiracy the Movie Reason for Vegan Series 9: The Fishing Industry ExposedSweet Peeps Sanctuary (Facebook) Chicken Farming in America: A Webinar Series (ARC) Until All Are Free (Film)

In honor of Earth Day, this episode exposes the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the new “sustainable” labels that are becoming more prevalent on meat, dairy, and egg products. On the podcast today, Hope will be flying solo and sharing her knowledge about this issue. She has written a book on humane-washing and greenwashing called The Ultimate Betrayal: Is There Happy Meat? Hope will reveal the truth about labels like local, organic, free-range, and grass-fed.Resources:Countdown to Year ZeroEndGame 2050Reason for Vegan Series 10: The Environmental Impact of Animal AgricultureThe Ultimate Betrayal: Is There Happy Meat?

In the latest episode of UPC’s Hope for the Animals Podcast, we have Andy Tabar joining us to talk about anti-fat biases and veganism. Andy is the co-host of The Bearded Vegans, a podcast in its fifth year dedicated to discussing the ethical grey areas of living a vegan life. Andy is also the owner of Compassion Co, an organic, made in the USA  clothing line.  In Episode 24, Andy educates us about the prevalence of fat phobia in the vegan community and why not addressing it harms activists and hinders animal liberation. He shares how we can support body diversity and fat justice so all are welcome in the vegan space.  Resources:The Bearded Vegans PodcastCompassion CoChelsea Lincoln on Instagram: @FatVeganVoiceFearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, by Sabrina StringsAubrey Gordon-Instagram: @YRFatFriendBook: What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About FatPodcast: Maintenance Phase 

We start off the podcast with Hope offering some perspective and depth into the concept of Ahimsa. This Sanskrit word is being utilized in the vegan community to help consider non-violence and veganism in a deeper context than just food choices. Later in the podcast, we will have long-time animal activist, author, podcaster, and yogi Victoria Moran. Victoria and Hope discuss veganism and spiritualty, training vegan lifestyle educators through Victoria’s Main Street Vegan Academy, and the new Compassion Consortium, which is bringing together people of faith for vegan-focused spiritual services.  We are excited to announce that UPC’s Hope for the Animals Podcast will now air on the Vegan Broadcasting Network (VBN). The podcast will be featured on Sundays at 10:00 AM (PST) and Tuesdays 6:00 PM (PST). Vegan Broadcasting Network (VBN radio) is a webcast radio station that streams both live and automated programming worldwide. VBN was created as a place where listeners can tune in and hear conscious music and the latest news on vegan, animal rights, and social justice issues. Resources:Main Street VeganCompassion ConsortiumVeganism and the Spiritual Life RetreatA Prayer for CompassionVegan Broadcasting Network (VBN) 

Animal advocates have primarily relied on a seemingly simple strategy of reducing the demand for animal products and expecting this will result in fewer and fewer farmed animals bred and killed in animal agriculture. But we are learning that it’s not so simple. Government policies protect animal agribusiness and billions of dollars are given to offset costs and losses to the meat, egg, and dairy producers, as well as to the farmers who grow animal feed. Laura Reese of the Agriculture Fairness Alliance (AFA) has dedicated herself to dismantling this rigged system. Laura breaks down the intricacies of the government subsidies and bailouts that keep animal agriculture doing business as usual even when demand for their product drops, undermining consumer choices and the free market. Laura tells us about AFA’s pilot program called the At-Risk Farmer Incentive that would offer financial assistance to farmers who want to transition away from animal agriculture to plant farming. She also talks about AFA’s plans for the upcoming Farm Bill. Listen to Episode 22 and learn about this important aspect of advocacy so we can shift to plant-forward farming policies and bring a vegan voice to agricultural government programs.  Resources:                                   Agriculture Fairness AllianceLiberation 360State Level Legislation in New York: Voters for Animals RightsState Level Legislation in California: Social Compassion in LegislationPodcast Episode 4: Unjust Farm Subsides with Connie Spence  

In Episode 21 we have a special interview with Mary Finelli, founder and president of Fish Feel. Fish Feel was the first advocacy organization to focus on fishes. Hope and Mary discuss how fishes are caught and killed in the ocean by the trillions every year and how the fishing industry is also notorious for human slavery. Mary talks about aquaculture and the cruelties to the fish in this industry as well as the ecological damage caused by fish farms. She shares her insights into the killing and eating of other marine life such as lobsters, crabs, oysters, and clams and also educates us on the fish oil supplement industry, the caviar industry, and the exciting new trend in advocacy of fish rescue. Listen in for a breadth of knowledge about our underwater relatives and share this episode with those who need to hear it. Resources:Fish FeelVegans with Fishes FaceBook GroupThe Dark Hobby FilmReason for Vegan Series: Fish Podcasts-Sentience, Emotion, and the Latest Science on FishThe Fishing Industry Exposed