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Is breeding dogs unethical? Lori begins with a detailed exploration into the ethics of dog breeding. The purebred dog industry not only creates innumerable animals with genetic defects, causing dogs to have a lifetime of medical problems and diseases, but also interferes with the adoption of healthy dogs confined in shelters by enticing people to […]
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Why is the egg industry cruel? Lori begins the show with a discussion of the substantial cruelty that’s part of modern industrial egg production. France and Germany are leading Europe’s drive to improve industry practices, and we hope other countries will follow. Virtually all chickens start off life at industrial hatcheries. Male chicks, who will […]
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How zoos harm elephants. Lori begins by welcoming back to the show Will Anderson with the elephant program at In Defense of Animals (IDA). Will and Lori discuss IDA’s 2019 review of the worst North American zoos for elephants and the cruel realities of keeping these majestic creatures in captivity. It’s a pretty bleak picture. […]
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Stolen dog reunited with family We begin with animal news from around the world including how a stolen dog is reunited with his family thanks to a 2000 mile volunteer-led transport. This is a genuine heart-warming story of survival, determination and cooperation! Meth in horse racing We reveal the scandalous problems with meth in horse […]
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2019 was an exceptional year for animals, with many achievements promoting the welfare and rights of nonhuman animals around the world. One example is California becoming the first state to go fur free, banning the sale and manufacture of new fur items! In this important Animals Today episode, Lori counts down her list of the […]
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Donald Trump Jr killed rare endangered sheep in Mongolia We begin with animal news stores from around the world including ten grizzlies welcomed at Colorado’s Wild Animal Sanctuary, Donald Trump, Jr. kills protected argali sheep in Mongolia, NY violinist soothes shelter dogs, fallen elderly woman rescued due to actions of pit bull, Simba, and more. […]
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Passing the PACT Act Lori begins with news of President Trump signing and Passing the PACT Act – the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act into law, providing long overdue penalties for animal cruelty and torture on the federal level. The Passage of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act was welcomed by Kitty Block, […]
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Why breed-specific legislation is not the answer Lori begins the show by discussing why breed-specific legislation is not the answer and the various laws and regulations which restrict ownership of certain dog breeds, collectively known as breed-specific legislation (BSL). Many cities and municipalities have enacted such restrictions, believing they will decrease dog bites and promote […]
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Whales released from Russian whale jail Lori’s first guest is Charles Vinick, Executive Director of the Whale Sanctuary Project. Vinick and his colleagues, which included Jean-Michel Cousteau, were instrumental in persuading Russian officials to get 87 whales released from Russian whale facility. Amongst the whales were beluga whales and 10 captive orca whales, all housed […]
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Sea turtle poachers busted! We begin the show with animal news from around the world including NYC establishes its Office of Animal Welfare, the first sighting in decades of the diminutive mammal called the silver chevrotain in Vietnam, turtle poachers arrested in Florida, an endangered lemur stolen from a Santa Ana zoo is recovered, and […]
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Should animals be used in dangerous jobs? The highly publicized raid which resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi again raises the question of whether it is ethical or justifiable to use non-human animals in military and police operations, where the animals face great risks of injury and death. In this instance, Conan, the […]
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Medical testing on animals Lori kicks off the show welcoming Dr. John Pippin, Director of Academic Affairs at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). As part of PCRM’s work to end the use of live animals in medical and veterinary training programs, it recently was informed that so-called terminal surgeries were being used at Tuskegee […]
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The history of the animal rights and welfare movements Lori begins with something any animal advocate ought to know about: the history of the animal rights and welfare movements. From the practices of ancient spiritual teachers of India, to the ideas of modern philosophers, Lori hopes this condensed history will inspire you to continue learning […]
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The ban on trophy hunting of endangered wild animals – has it ended? The Trump administration is allowing the ban on trophy hunting of endangered wild animals to be lifted as an American hunter is allowed to bring body parts of a lion that he shot in Tanzania into the United States. Importing African lions […]
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This show features elephant expert Will Anderson, with In Defense of Animals, who provides the background and events leading up to an important new international agreement to limit the exportation of wild elephants from Africa to the US, China and other countries. Elephants in Captivity Lori begins covering a few key events related to elephants […]
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Risks of blue-green algae to dogs This season, there have been reports of dogs becoming sick and dying after exposure to ponds harboring the so-called blue-green algae. Especially frightening is that even clear ponds can sometimes have the blue-green algae growing in them and that exposure can cause rapidly progressive illness and sometimes death. Veterinarian […]
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Will cruel cyanide bombs be banished? Lori begins the show by welcoming Collette Adkins, Carnivore Conservation Director at the Center for Biological Diversity to talk about the animal killing devices known as “cyanide bombs”. These have been used for decades with the stated purpose of controlling predatory wolves, foxes, coyotes and wild dogs, and the […]
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Lori begins by welcoming Wendy Keefover, Senior Strategist, Carnivore Protection at the Humane Society of the United States to explain the newly announced rule changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the Trump Administration. The ESA became law in 1973 and currently protects 1600 species in the US and its territories. Wendy explains that […]
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Lori welcomes two special guests on this show: Inga Fricke, Director of Shelter Initiatives and Outreach for the Humane Society of the United States. Holly Sizemore, Chief Mission Officer, Best Friends Animal Society. Finding shelter and homes for ALL animals Over the past few decades, we have made great strides in reducing the number of […]
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In defense of pit bulls Lori begins with an impassioned discussion In defense of pit bulls on behalf of her favorite type of dog, the pit bull. More than other dogs these days, pit bulls are often seen in a negative light. This has led towns and communities to enact ordinances against specific dog breeds, […]
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Woman receives jail sentence for feeding cats News of an elderly Ohio woman being sentenced to jail for feeding outdoor cats has become the subject of great interest to animal lovers, the legal community and the general public. We begin today’s show asking legal expert Bob Ferber how this could happen, and if a jail […]
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Almond milk vs: almond beverage. Lori begins speaking about deceptive advertising practices employed by the diary industry, and then moves on to the compelling health reasons for eliminating dairy from our diets. With the large variety of alternatives now available, it has never been easier to drop dairy from our diets. Giving up cheese can […]
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We begin with hot news stories including Japan resumes commercial whaling, a juvenile black bear was shot by authorities after becoming habituated to people who left food for him, a report predicts most of meat consumed by 2040 will be grown in bioreactors and not from slaughtered animals, a 2 year old boy dies from […]
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Why exotic animals should not be pets Private ownership of wild animals like big cats, monkeys and bears typically leads to a life of neglect and cruelty for the animals, as well as presenting risks to the owners and the community. Fortunately, the practice is decreasing, but there remains far too many bad situations around […]
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The cruelty of horse racing Lori begins the show with an extended discussion about the cruelty of horse racing. This season, California’s Santa Anita Park has attracted significant media attention and activity on social media, as the number of horses who have died there keeps growing. Even Senator Diane Feinstein called for an immediate moratorium […]
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National Pet Preparedness Month. Does your emergency plan include your pets? If a natural disaster strikes, like a flood or earthquake, or if you had to be evacuated from your home on short notice, do you have all the supplies your pets need, like their food, medicines, crates and carriers? Have you thought about where […]
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What to do if you see a dog in a hot car As the summer temperatures rise, you may come across a situation where an animal, typically a dog, has been left alone in a car that is too warm for comfort or safety. Even though it’s no secret that leaving dogs in hot cars […]
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Stopping puppy mills President Trump is the first White House occupant who has not had a dog, and Lori begins the show sharing Trumps’ comments about not having a first dog. Then, Lori describes how animal advocate Lara Trump, the President’s daughter-in-law, is working with Congressman Matt Gaetz and Congressman Brian Mast to strengthen the […]
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Lori begins the show with a remembrance of Doris day, who died May 13, 2019 at the age of 97. A Hollywood legend, she was known for her talents as a singer, dancer and as a pioneering advocate for animals. She was an early opponent of animal testing, and persuaded Alfred Hitchcock to ensure humane […]
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Why are so many animals endangered? Up to 1 million of the world’s 8 million plant and animal species now face extinction. We begin with Lori explaining the results of the UN sponsored report just issued by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), titled The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and […]
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Another season of seal killing in Canada is here. Each spring, tens of thousands of baby seals in Canada are brutally killed for their pelts. Even though dozens of countries, including Russia and the members of the EU have banned the sale of seal products, and despite strong worldwide condemnation of the seal hunts, the […]
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The Iditarod sled dog race must end The 2019 version of the Iditarod sled dog race has concluded. Billed as the “Last Great Race on Earth,” it is unfortunate that this race lives on, because the dogs endure tremendous amounts of physical stress during the event, and neglect and cruelty both before and after the […]
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Do rabbits make good pets? To kick off this show, Lori welcomes Anne Martin, PhD., Executive Director of House Rabbit Society. Lori and Anne begin by talking about the many joys of living with one or more pet rabbits. They continue discussing some of the serious rabbit welfare issues including overpopulation (they are the third most […]
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Hot Animal News We begin with animal news including Senator Feinstein takes an interest in horse deaths at Santa Anita Park racetrack, high pesticide residues present in common fruits and vegetables, Ohio’s state animal is now the shelter pet, the USDA ends a toxoplasmosis research program that killed thousands of kittens, and more. High blood […]
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Visual identification of dog breeds We begin with Peter’s interview with Arizona State University Psychology Professor, Clive Wynne, who leads the Canine Science Collaboratory. Its main areas of inquiry are dog welfare at the animal shelter, behavioral problems in the home, human-dog interaction, dogs’ wild relatives, and cognitive aging in canines. Peter and Clive cover […]
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Hot animal news We begin with top news stories including China is taking steps to drop animal testing requirements for cosmetics, continued trouble (horse deaths) at California’s Santa Anita Park racetrack, meals provided in NYC public schools will soon be vegetarian on Mondays, Florida takes up new anti-tethering bill to protect dogs and more. Why […]
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Hot animal news! We begin with animal news including the use of service animals and emotional support animals on airline flights is being further restricted, falsely claiming an animal as a service animal is being criminalized, an animal-free attraction is being considered in the site of the recently shuttered Dolphinaris Arizona, a woman was severely […]
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The illegal trade of African Grey Parrots We begin with Ben Williamson, Programs Director at World Animal Protection. Huge numbers of live wild animals are traded as pets and much of this trade is illegal and involves endangered and protected species. Undercover investigations have shown Turkish Airlines and its cargo carrier Turkish Cargo as […]
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Hot Animal News We begin with this weeks’ top news: Captive beluga whales will be released into a large seaside sanctuary in Iceland, Cuvier’s beaked whale was shown to be the deepest diving whale, Donald Trump, Jr. continues his big game hunting activities, overweight dogs can die 2.5 years earlier than ideal weight dogs, a […]
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Hot animal news. We begin with animal news items from around the world, including the death of the fourth dolphin at Dolphinaris Arizona, salmonella risks posed by pet hedgehogs, new insights into the intelligence of dogs, sleeping with bed, the unremitting Norwegian whaling industry, and more. Suspicious activity at the Safari Club International Hunters’ convention […]
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Is fur losing its popularity? This show features PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk to speak about fur. Lori once again has the pleasure of speaking with one of the most important and visionary figures in the animal rights movement, and Ingrid begins by recalling the early days of PETA’s opposition to fur as a product. They go […]
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Animals in the news. We begin with hot animal news of the week including an airport detection dog finding 5000 leeches in a suitcase, a 22 year old zoo employee killed by a lion in North Carolina, bone cancer in dogs treated with immunotherapy is a new method that might help humans, and the top […]
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Animal News. We begin with stories about the fear of spiders, drug detection dogs, a very special dog adoption, extraordinary measures taken by one woman to keep her cats nearby, Wally the emotional support alligator, and more. Dental issues in dogs. Then Lori talks about dental issues in dogs and shares some memories about one […]
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Hot Animal News! We begin news of a new law in California, where pet stores will only be permitted to sell dogs, cats and rabbits from rescue groups or shelters, and not from breeding facilities. Also, an Iowa ag-gag law was just struck down as a violation of 1st amendment protections, and the demand for […]
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Japan quits International Whaling Commission The government of Japan has announced it will leave the International Whaling Commission, cease whaling in the Southern Ocean, and begin commercial whaling in the Pacific Ocean. To explain the significance of this action, Peter welcomes Kitty Block, President of Humane Society International and Acting President and CEO of the […]
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PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk Lori kicks off this show with Ingrid Newkirk, President and Co-founder of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Founded in 1980, PETA is the worldwide leader advocating for the rights of all living beings, and Newkirk continues to provide strong and unwavering leadership of the organization. They discuss many topics […]
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Resolve to help animals in the New Year As 2018 draws to a close, many of us have begun to consider what we can do to make the New Year better for ourselves, for others, and for the world. So it won’t surprise you that here at Animals Today, we are asking, what can I […]
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Animals and mandatory evacuations in natural disasters We begin focusing on the impact of the recent Southern California fire on animals and their guardians. Known as the Woolsey Fire, this huge, destructive fire killed 3 people, destroyed 1,643 structures and prompted the evacuation of more than 295,000 people. Frequent guest Bob Ferber and his animals […]
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Fur farming in Europe We begin by welcoming Angela Grimes, Acting CEO of Born Free USA to tell us about their new report on fur farming in Europe. There is a very wide range of practices and laws across the continent, with Luxembourg, the UK, Austria, Slovenia Macedonia, and Croatia having total bans. Where farming […]
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Greyhound racing to end in Florida We begin with great news out of Florida! The citizens have voiced their strong desire to end greyhound racing by passing Amendment 13. Peter speaks with Christine Dorchak with Grey2K USA, which has been fighting for greyhounds for 2 decades. Dorchak calls greyhound racing industrialized cruelty, in which the […]
