Mark E. Hauber—professor, ornithologist, and author of “Bird Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives”—recalls becoming seriously interested in birds at age four or five. This was in his native Hungary, where, as that little boy, he dragged his mother to view the Spring Migration. His passion for birds was precocious and unwavering—well, as a young man, there was a brief flirtation with attending vet school (he didn’t)—and along the way, he studied amphibians. And spiders. But in his telling, upon landing a scholarship to Yale, Hauber was firmly on a path to ornithology, and  he appears to have been zooming across that path ever since. And when he discusses pretty much any bird topic—his research, a colleague’s research, 3-D printed bird eggs, kiwis, the permits required to study birds, you name it—it comes out in a torrent of enthusiasm. So, there is zeal a-plenty as he notes that, beyond writing academic papers and other publications involved in being a professor, his desire to reach a mainstream audience prompted him to write “The Book of Eggs: A Life-Size Guide to the Eggs of Six Hundred of the World’s Bird Species,” written in 2014, and the just-published “Bird Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives.” He describes aspects of these high-concept collections books, including the impetus for writing them. We spend more time discussing “Bird Day,” chiefly because it’s new (it came out the day before), including some of the birds profiled. We start with the Brown-Headed Cowbird, cowbirds being a focus of Hauber’s work—also because females are so-called “brood parasitic,” meaning they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, We also touch on the Secretary Bird, the new book’s “cover bird,” also notable for killing their prey (snakes) with their feet. In winding up our conversation, we acknowledge that “Bird Day” features gorgeous illustrations by acclaimed artist Tony Angell. (https://www.cowbirdlab.org/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Matt Shelley, the organizer of Punks For Paws, an all-day extravaganza of punk music—featuring a dozen bands—happening Saturday Dec. 9 at Pinellas Ale Works in St. Petersburg. The proceeds of the concert will go to Friends of Strays Animal Shelter, also located in St. Pete. Shelley outlined the history of Punks For Paws, which he launched in 2019, owing chiefly to he and his wife and members of his band, Arcane Arcade, being animal lovers and fans of no-kill animal shelters, such as Friends of Strays. Shelley explained that Punks For Paws has become an annual event (not counting the pandemic period), and each show has raised between $2000-$4000 for Friends of Strays, with Shelley aiming to generate more dough at next year’s show. This year stands a better chance than usual of reaching that goal, he said, because they’re also selling a Punks For Paws compilation CD at the Dec. 9 show. (https://www.friendsofstrays.org/)   COMEDY CORNER: Hannibal Buress’s “Pigeons Get Murked” (DS edit) (https://hannibalburess.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  Rondellus’s version—in Medieval style—of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/TADec6Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jill Horstmann–founder of Squirrelly AF Rescue, a squirrel-focused rescue and rehabilitation operation she runs at her St. Petersburg home—recalls growing up in Wisconsin, where she was that neighborhood kid who tended to injured or ill critters. But it’s hardly been a straight line from Jill Horstmann, Kid Animal Rescuer to Jill Horstmann, Adult Animal Rescuer—though in her late teens, she did work as a vet tech. That gave way to working in local television in, the fruition of a desire that began as a childhood fascination with making videos. That realm didn’t turn out to meet her expectations, or standards, so she plunged into the bar world, spending years bartending and managing taverns—but Horstmann being Horstmann, during that period she also informally ran a small dog rescue, she notes. She describes the origin of Squirrelly AF—origins, really. That is, the rescue’s history tends to mark 2017 as the official beginning, in the wake of Hurricane Irma, when many people contacted her for help with squirrels that the storm had left injured or orphaned. But the reason they reached out to Horstmann then: Several years prior, she had rescued some squirrels—with no background or experience, not unlike those childhood days in Wisconsin, when she jumped into helping wounded animals—and posted about those instances on social media. And make no mistake, social media is pivotal to Squirrelly AF’s success—Horstmann says the nonprofit recently reached 16,000 followers on Facebook, crucial for outreach and marketing of course, but also significant for connecting her with various resources, including fellow squirrel rescuers and other wildlife rehabbers. (While her focus remains squirrels, she has widened out her services over the last year to additionally care for raccoons and opossums.) She explains that at the beginning, she funded Squirrelly AF with her own money; now, as a 501 (c ) (3) nonprofit organization, she welcomes donations: there are a lot of mouths to feed–the rescue typically houses 50-60-plus animals at any given moment, many of whom require squirrel formula, as well as medicine and other supplies. Horstmann fields several, mostly squirrel-related, questions from callers and emailers. (https://squirrellyaf.org/, https://www.facebook.com/ImSquirrellyAF, https://www.instagram.com/squirrellyaf/, https://www.tiktok.com/@squirrellyaf.247) COMEDY CORNER: Sarah Silverman “Squirrels” (https://sarahsilvermanmerch.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Jimmy Buffett’s “Like My Dog,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TANov29Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Justin Perrault–vice president of research at Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC), a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation, education, and conservation operation in Juno Beach, FL—recalls the early, pioneering work on sea turtles performed by Juno resident Eleanor Fletcher, establishing the beginnings of what became LMC. Perrault unspools what became an overlapping narrative of his academic and professional journey to this pivotal position at LMC, an unlikely arc given that his formative years were spent in landlocked Memphis, TN—though he hastens to point out a photo exists of Perrault at LMC, at age 5, suggesting a precocious interest in sea turtles. There were also Perrault  family roots in south Florida, accounting for trips and visits to  the area over the years, and later earning his PhD there: Integrative Biology from Florida Atlantic University, in Boca Raton. He addresses what serving as vice president at Loggerhead entails, outlining his extensive areas of responsibilities, among them management and other duties across the Research and Conservation department, including the relentlessly-long days (and nights) of nesting season, which runs roughly March to October.  Perrault discusses that he and his team counted a record-setting number of nests (25, 025, to be precise) in the nearly 10-mile expanse of beach–spanning Juno Beach, Jupiter, and Tequesta—which constitutes LMC’s parcel of land for conducting such research, and represents a 38% increase over the number of nests tallied last year. This surge in turtle nests is a phenomenon experienced in other parts of Florida. Perrault shares the prevailing theories about the increase in nests statewide, with some minor exceptions, noting the number of nests will likely decrease next year. Veering off-topic, I ask Perrault about this unusual circumstance reported relatively recently, in a beach on Poipu, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, whereby dozens of greens emerge from the water in the afternoon, ease onto the sand and proceed to nap. This behavior is called “basking,” only engaged in by green turtles, and, Perrault explains, only seen in three or four parts of the world. [Photos by Jeff Beige, Christian Del Rosario, others] (https://marinelife.org/, https://www.facebook.com/loggerheadmarinelifecenter/, https://www.instagram.com/loggerheadmarinelifecenter/)   ALSO: I spoke briefly with Nadia Tenouri, an organizer of ThanksVegan, the 14th annual powerhouse potluck, to be held on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, at Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa. Tenouri outlines the history of ThanksVegan in Tampa, noting when she began attending the event and when she became an organizer. She explains some of the day’s key details (social time at 1:30pm, potluck starts at 2pm, raffle held at 3:30, food table closes at 4, event ends at 5:30), and the formulas by which those attending bring a dish and offer a certain donation to participate in ThanksVegan. Tenouri notes there other requirements for bringing a dish, starting with all food must be vegan, of course. And providing a serving utensil and ingredient list for the dish you bring. Tenouri adds that they’re seeking volunteers to help with various aspects of the event, and to respond to this entreaty, or for any inquiries, folks can email [email protected] (https://www.floridavoicesforanimals.org/thanksvegan) COMEDY CORNER: Drew Lynch’s “Touchin’ Turtles” (https://drewlynch.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TANov15showFinal.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K USA Worldwide, the largest greyhound protection organization in the world, and Rory Goree, who for many years ran the largest industry-funded greyhound adoption group, Greyhound Pets of America, explain how–as former enemies in the battle to end greyhound racing–they transformed into allies. Goree and Theil (co-author–with Christine Dorchak, GREY2K USA Worldwide’s president and general counsel–of the just-published book, “Brooklyn Goes Home: The Rise and Fall of American Greyhound Racing and the Dog that Inspired a Movement”) recall their earliest days of becoming greyhound devotees, and the traits of these dogs they found most appealing. Turns out Theil was raised by a mother who adored dogs of all kinds, while Goree was previously more of a German Shepherd guy. With Theil drawing partly on a truncated account from the book, both men offer their perspectives on why greyhound racing became successful, and when in that rise it became apparent racing was going to be problematic (or worse) for the dogs. Goree weighs in, characterizing those initial years and reconstructing the unfolding battle when Theil and others began efforts to shut down racing. Theil fleshes out that account from the standpoint of an initially-precocious, now veteran activist and political operative. Theil also outlines the saga of Brooklyn, the sweet greyhound occupying the center of the new book, whose key storylines include being born in Australia, a deeply unsuccessful career as a racer, then being consigned to what was widely considered the worst dog track in the world: Yat Yuen Canidrome in Macau, where it was not uncommon for every racing dog there to die. But Brooklyn was spared when that track was shut down, and all surviving dogs were airlifted to safety. He also had the good fortune to be adopted by Theil and Dorchak, who are married. (https://rorygoree.blogspot.com/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorygoree, https://www.grey2kusa.org/index.php) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Representative Lindsay Cross (D-St. Petersburg), who joined by two colleagues, has proposed a bill—SB 272, HB 297—that allows for the discretionary appointment of a volunteer attorney, certified emeritus attorney, or certified legal intern to act as an advocate for the interests of justice in criminal cases of neglect or abuse involving a dog or cat. We discuss how Rep. Cross’s bill is intended to be a parallel to the laws permitting the appointment of guardians ad litem to protect the interests of children and other victims—but there’s no law currently in Florida for animals, who are even more hard-pressed to advocates for themselves. Based on efforts to pass a similar bill a year ago, Cross opines on what kind of resistance she and her colleagues anticipate. (https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4887)   COMEDY CORNER: Tom Shillue’s “Animal Shows” (https://www.tomshillue.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Was (Not Was)’s What Up, Dog?,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  The Rolling Stones’ “Monkey Man” (https://rollingstones.com/) AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TANov8Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Faraz Harsini–biomedical scientist and speaker at the 2023 Tampa Bay Veg Fest—remembers growing up in Iran, including a possible foreshadowing of his future activism, when participating in a student protest of the country’s leadership resulted in his being chased by someone wielding a machete. Harsini left the country at 22, recalling being mystified and mortified by the Iranian New Year’s tradition of displaying live goldfish, many of whom don’t survive. When designing a poster to protest the practice—this is while living in Germany—a friend observed the contradiction in his expressing love for the fish while still eating them. This swiftly resonated with him, prompting him to go vegan, and he recounts the impact of this friend’s observation like it was uttered yesterday. Meanwhile, he noted that in traveling his academic path (Bachelor’s in chemical engineering, Master’s degree in biotechnology and cancer research, PhD in Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics) his concern for animal welfare intersected with his studies and research, most prominently how certain diseases some cancers, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease—can be slowed, in some cases reversed, by following a plant-based diet. Harsini describes Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP), a nonprofit he founded and leads that supports college students who are committed to advocating for animal and environmental protection, public health, and other missions. He adds that ASAP has launched an initiative at Columbia University, urging the campus to become 100% plant-based. He offers a sneak preview of his then-impending Veg Fest lecture, bearing the provocative title, “Is The End Of Modern Medicine Near.” This followed an earlier moment of the conversation in which Harsini lamented that med school curriculum has generally not advanced when it comes to nutrition, neglecting to reflect the virtues of a plant-based diet. (https://farazharsini.com/, https://www.alliedscholars.org/, https://www.instagram.com/dr_faraz_harsini/, https://www.facebook.com/faraz.harsini) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Myriam Parham, one of the organizers (and co-founders) of the Tampa Bay Veg Fest, who provided an overview of the event to be held Saturday, Nov. 4, including noting this year’s Fest will feature upwards of 100 vendors—including many offering an array of food and drink—as well as a handful of cooking demonstrations. Parham notes that, per tradition, there will also be free food samples. She also touched on a reception-cum-fundraiser the night before, a new and multifaceted event that raised a considerable amount of money for two local organizations, Compassion Kind and Mercy Full Projects (whose founder, Aja Nikaya, was recently named Best Activist in Creative Loafing’s “Best Of The Bay” awards.) Parham pointed out that there would be live music, played by local musicians, as well as a varied slate of speakers, including Dr. Harsini, whom I’d just interviewed on the show. (http://www.tampabayvegfest.com/, https://www.compassionkind.org/, https://mercyfullprojects.org/) COMEDY CORNER: Hari Kondabolu’s “A Vegan Long Con” (https://harikondabolu.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/TANov1Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Pete Walsh–who lives in Tasmania, where he found himself becoming deeply concerned about the plight of local platypuses in the capital city of Hobart, part of narrative that unfolds in “The Platypus Guardian,” a documentary kicking off the new season of the PBS series “Nature”—describes his background before becoming a platypus partisan. In doing so, he recounts his formative years, living amidst assorted animals, an important and impactful experience that he re-created when raising his own kids. Clearly a serious and accomplished photographer, Walsh explains that one outlet for his photos is the entity he created (https://hobartrivuletplatypus.org/) to raise awareness of, and help protect, his beloved local platypuses.He seeks to describe the platypus, a singular animal found only in Australia, and one that appears to have been designed by a committee that had considerable trouble agreeing on key characteristics—for starters, it’s a mammal that lays eggs, a furry-coated critter with a duck bill. After touching on the medical condition that’s not an insignificant facet of the film—in that it seems to serve as a catalyst for Walsh spending more time at the body of water (“rivulet”), where he first sees the female platypus that becomes his friend. He named that platypus Zoom, and spends a portion of our conversation tracing the unfolding friendship with her, which he chiefly attributes to the animal’s curiosity, but may well go beyond that, given that she continued to approach him, like she was indeed visiting a friend. We touch on a number of other subjects—while striving to avoid spoilers, with the U.S. premiere “The Platypus Guardian” not offered until the Oct. 18 showing on “Nature”—including how Walsh, a soft-spoken fellow, transformed into a vocal activist and public speaker, guiding efforts to clean up the trash in the waterway, pieces of which can imperil the platypus by wrapping around their bills. In closing, we addressed Walsh’s observation that concluded the film: “I thought I was looking after nature, but, really, it was nature looking after me.” [Photos: Pete Walsh by Wildbear Entertainment…Close-up of platypus by Pete Walsh…Platypus in front of waterfall by Daniel Van Duinkerken…Walsh joined by platypus friend by Wildbear Entertainment] (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/, https://www.facebook.com/PBSNature, https://www.instagram.com/pbsnature) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Sherry Silk, CEO of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, seeking her perspective and analysis of this monumental controversy involving the SPCA Tampa Bay. That organization’s CEO, Martha Boden, recently unveiled a plan whereby the SPCA Tampa Bay will forge an alliance with Pinnacle Pet, a dog breeding operation headquartered in Missouri, and Sunshine Puppies pet stores. This announced alliance has generated outrage from a growing number of local and national animal welfare organizations–including calls for Boden’s ouster—while local and national media outlets have flocked toward covering the story. Silk and I discuss the improbability of such a gambit, and how it flies in the face of the “adopt, don’t shop” philosophy espoused by animal shelters (and SPCA Tampa Bay is an animal shelter), rescues, and animal advocates of various stripes for decades. Silk notes she spoke with Boden, and the conversation did go anywhere fruitful. Indeed, more broadly, despite all the outrage and criticism, it appears SPCA Tampa Bay has doubled down on its puzzling position. Among Silk’s suggestion for taking action on this matter were to contact Boden ([email protected]) &/or the SPCA Tampa Board ([email protected]) and voice your concerns and criticisms. COMEDY CORNER: Richard Jeni’s “Platypus Man” MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT [...]

Ann Paul–an organizer of the Florida Birding and Nature Festival, a multifaceted, multi-day extravaganza, scheduled to take place Oct. 12-15, in and around Apollo Beach, Florida—revisits, at my request, the story of her first real foray into birding, and how arriving late at that outing proved fortuitous. She spotted a black and white warbler, and all these years later, her enthusiasm for the experience—clearly, it was Paul’s “spark bird”—is palpable. For those listeners who aren’t yet birders, Paul describes what she loves so much about birding after decades of doing it. Bridging this topic with outlining some of the programming offered at the Florida Birding and Nature Festival, including a seminar called “Birding 101,” aimed at the novice, the beginning birder. I ask about Christian Cooper–the birder who soared to national recognition in the wake of a famous incident in Central Park, he went on to host a show on the National Geographic channel, “Extraordinary Birder,” and wrote a memoir—and how she would characterize his impact on the birding world? She observed Cooper’s significant influence–as a gay black man–in widening and diversifying the birding community, particularly in hatching new birders. Paul returns to highlighting some Festival offerings (having already noted that the Festival schedule was far too sprawling to cover everything), focusing on one of the two Keynote Talks: Stan Tekiela, delivering a presentation entitled “Bird Migration,” with Paul pointing out this lecture, along with the other Keynote Talk (David Johnson on “The Taxonomy of Burrowing Owls in The Americas”) served a buffet meal, creating a nice opportunity for organizers and attendees to socialize at these lectures. [Photos: Frigate bird by Tom Bell…uncredited photo of Ann Paul…promo image of Stan Tekiela…Spoonbill by Tom Bell] (https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/, https://www.facebook.com/FloridaBirdingNatureFestival/, https://www.instagram.com/fbnfestival/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Gracie Topp, from the Humane Society of Pinellas, giving us the lowdown on the organization’s then-impending big event, “Walk For Whiskers,” slated to happen Saturday, Oct. 14 in Pioneer Park, in Dunedin. Topp—whom longtime WMNF & “Talking Animals” listeners will know by her maiden name: Grieshop…she was formerly Gracie Grieshop, and remains the longtime singer-songwriter fronting the Tampa band Sunset Bridge Band–outlined some key details planned for the third annual “Walk.” This included a pet costume contest, pet-oriented vendors, and the “Walk” itself. Topp also explained an event like “Walk For Whiskers” raises important funds for the Humane Society of Pinellas, underwriting the organization’s ongoing operation, and the construction of a new facility, which she said they hope will be completed by the beginning of 2024. (https://www.humanesocietyofpinellas.org/, https://www.facebook.com/HumanePinellas/, https://www.instagram.com/humanepinellas/) COMEDY CORNER: Andy Ritchie’s “Balthazar” MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/TAOct11Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

RaeAnna Saks–founder and CEO of The Little Cats’ Rescue, the New Port Richey cat rescue and sanctuary—recalls the first cat she loved and felt truly connected with. But, Saks points out, she grew up with dogs: her family always had a dog; never a cat—Saks remains a dog lover, usually living with one, amidst the 50 cats who reside at the Rescue. I asked Saks, having known roughly a zillion more cats than most of us, to name the qualities of kitties she prizes most, and what, in her view, makes them special. (Saks also acknowledges—at the risk of sparking some controversy—that she’s found, in her vast feline experience, that some cats are truly special, while others are nice and cute, and all, but unexceptional.) She traces her migration from the New Jersey/New York area to Florida, with periodic forays to California (which she loves, but finds too expensive), recounting her arrival in the Tampa area, and volunteering at Big Cat Rescue, then known as Wildlife on Easy Street. Presaging that Saks would end up rescuing, and caring for, cats for the better part of 50 years, her stint there, amidst a sanctuary that housed lions, tigers, and other big cats, she was drawn toward ministering to the domestic cats that roamed the property. This flows into explaining the factors—and people, including her Mom—prompting the creation of The Little Cats Rescue, drawn partly to the TLC acronym (though the acronym now seems to encompass all the words: TLCR), launched some 20 years ago, first in a condo, shifting into a home; the residential location dictates the maximum population of 50 cats. We discuss some of the Rescue’s fundamental traits, including that the largely one-woman operation is all volunteer–no paid staff, though the mortgage of the home that houses Saks and the slew of cats is covered—she says there is a Board of Directors, but currently no succession plan if some unforeseen circumstance prevented her from continuing to lead TLCR. She notes there are no longer offsite adoption events—they used to happen regularly at nearby PetSmarts locations—and there’s been minimal adoption activity of late. We also talk about how The Little Cats Rescue is funded (mostly donations and fundraisers), and volunteer opportunities; she would welcome more help. (https://www.thelittlecatsrescue.org/, https://www.facebook.com/TheLittleCatsRescue, https://www.instagram.com/thelittlecatsrescue/) ALSO: I spoke briefly with H. H. German, founder of Sigma comics, and the writer-creator of “Here Comes Calico,” believed to be the first comic-book hero dedicated to fighting animal abuse. We’ve closely tracked “Calico” as it’s unfolded across its eight-issue series, and I’ve periodically talked with German, starting around the publication of the first issue. Now, issue number seven has been launched on Kickstarter, so we’re nearing the end of the series. In today’s conversation, we discussed how the idea for “Here Comes Calico” was born (German recalled that he initially conceived telling the “Calico” story as a novel), and how the relatively new and unquestionably indie series has consistently generated enthusiasm and significant sales at comic book conventions across the country. German revealed that there will be a second “Calico” series, and that he’s already been preparing storylines for the new series. (https://sigmacomics.com/, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sigmacomics/here-comes-calico-issue-7/ https://www.instagram.com/sigma_comics/)   COMEDY CORNER: Sean Cullen’s “Cats” (https://seancullen.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/TASept20Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

As we’ve done seven times prior—spanning about two years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or cats, particularly involving behavioral issues or training concerns. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult is Glen Hatchell, the Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, who’s also an accomplished dog trainer and behavior expert, having obtained the Certified Professional Dog Trainer certification in 2014. He is also a former WMNF programmer. In today’s edition, before taking a listener question, Glen spoke about the idea of giving an animal the choice to do what we want, or not. He explained how this freedom in decision-making cultivates resilience and confidence in the animal for responding to novel situations when they arise. Glen then followed up this notion by weaving facets of it into some of his replies to listener questions. Which included Jimmy from St. Petersburg, with a two-fer, inquiring if it’s easier for dogs to understand a one-syllable name, and asking for an overview on how to approach potty training. An emailer sought “suggestions for getting a dog to come back when highly stimulated? Such as hiking, dog park.” Glen outlined the gradual process for instructing “recall,” starting with getting the dog to come back while still inside the home, then gradually expanding the area from there. Another caller, mentioning she had recently rescued a “little dog, part Yorkie, part Chihuahua,” announced her dog does not like other dogs or men—and asked Glen’s help with both issues. The final call dealt with a four-year-old female Lab, who loves to swim, but is reluctant to go in the pool—gets on the first step, but won’t advance any further. Of course, Glen has ideas….(https://humanesocietytampa.org/, https://www.instagram.com/humanesocietytampa/, https://www.facebook.com/humanesocietytampa/?fref=ts) COMEDY CORNER: There was no Comedy Corner today. MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/TASept6Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Mark Meyers–founder and executive director of Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, the largest donkey rescue operation in the U.S.—recalls how it all began, when he and his wife brought home a donkey named Izzy as a companion for their horse. That was nearly a quarter of a century—and thousands of donkeys—ago. Meyers acknowledges they knew nothing about donkeys when Izzy arrived, but have since become deeply steeped in all facets of these animals. Indeed, their instant affection for Izzy spurred their fast-growing, wide-screen awareness of the plight of donkeys, and a parallel inclination to rapidly rescue members of this bottomless herd of neglected and abused critters. With this high-speed modus operandi, and deep compassion, guiding their actions, Meyers essentially said they looked up one day, and they had acquired 25 donkeys. The next time they looked up, it was 250. Meyers supports my observation that the Peaceful Valley ethos has been to Think Big, then Act Big. So, when most people had managed to rescue 250 donkeys (or 250 of any animals) in about six years’ time, perhaps a common reaction would be to feel satisfied with one’s own effort, and just settle in, caring for those animals. But that’s not how the Meyers roll. Mark Meyers describes how they decided to significantly alter their lives, moving from outside Los Angeles to a sprawling property in San Angelo, TX, with Mark leaving behind his electrical contractor business. Now, in 2023, the better part of 25 years after Izzy entered the picture, Peaceful Valley is a humongous enterprise: The San Angelo facility sits on a 172-acre spread, housing about 1000 donkeys, while Meyers discusses the corporate-like structure and literal flowchart of how rescued donkeys may be transported to its numerous Satellite Adoption Centers or to the organization’s many sanctuaries, depending on their condition or the in-house training they’ve received–or will receive–to enhance their adoption prospects. The Peaceful Valley website tracks the key donkey stats in real time, including “Donkeys Under Our Direct Care: 3,754” and “Locations: 59” Meyers addresses a host of other topics, including the perception of donkeys as stupid and stubborn (and his longstanding efforts to correct that perception), the criteria to adopt a Peaceful Valley donkey, and what lies ahead for Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue and Meyers himself. (https://donkeyrescue.org/, https://www.facebook.com/donkeyadoption, https://www.youtube.com/user/DonkeyRescueTV) ALSO: I spoke briefly with Lisa Ortiz, Director Of Housing and Residence Life at Ferris State University, in Michigan, which has just launched a pilot program allowing students to live in a designated floor of the dorms with their pets. Noting that it’s not uncommon for new college students–most of whom are living away from their homes and families for the first time–to feel homesick, and sometimes experience feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation, Ortiz explained that she and her colleagues felt that inviting a group of FSU students to live with their family dog or cat could be a wonderful way to mitigate those feelings. Ortiz recalls that when they announced the new program, the response was fast and overwhelmingly positive—the rooms on the pet floor quickly filled up. School started this week, and Ortiz said the students moved in a week or so before, and everything with the floor’s pet population (cats and dogs, and one snake) seemed smooth, and off to a good start. Ortiz said they plan to evaluate the pet initiative in December—when housing contracts are finalized for the next semester—deciding whether to continue or expand the program, adding they’ve heard from high school students who are applying to FSU and hopeful they can live on the pet floor. (https://www.ferris.edu/student-life/reslife/homepage.htm) COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Talk To The Animals” (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en) MUSIC: [...]