For the same reason beagles are beloved family members to so many, they are exploited by researchers. Their docile, trusting and forgiving nature makes them the unfortunate targets of a callous industry that regards them as a means to an end. This horrific practice is not known by a large segment of the public, and Fiaz Ahmed is out to change that with his upcoming documentary Born on Death Row.Fiaz is a first-time filmmaker who embodies the spirit championed on this channel of TRY. I find it incredibly inspiring that he had the courage to step up, despite the nagging doubts we all feel such as: am I good enough? I hope this podcast answers that question with a resounding Yes. Fiaz is deeply thoughtful, articulate, and hard-working. And I can't wait what he and his co-director wife Jacqui come up with, and I hope the end product moves us closer to abolishing this barbaric industry.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Support the FilmBODR YouTubeBODR websiteBODR IGReal Media YouTubeReal Media IG
There's been a flurry of wins in the last few weeks for the grassroots animal liberation movement. Most notably: Vogue publisher Condé Nast will no longer promote fur across all their publications. Just days after that monumental win, Omni Hotels announced they will drop foie gras across their vast hotel chain. There are many people to thank for the win, but unquestionably, the main drivers were Animal Activism Collective and the Duck Alliance. That was a great opportunity to bring back to the podcast my buddy Trey at AAC. I'm a huge Trey-head. Not that it's a competition, but I put Trey right in the top tier of animal rights activists. Part of it is that some of our very formative moments in activism were together, but also that I see the huge and growing number of wins that AAC is able to facilitate. It's hugely inspiring and I feel really honored anytime I'm around the guy, much less have him on the podcast. This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:AAC on YouTubeAAC's WebsiteDonate to AACAAC on IGAAC on FBAAC on TikTokDuck Alliance IGDuck Alliance LinktreeCAFTCAFT IGICAWICAW IGWatch DominionWatch Earthlings
The Animal Liberation Front is a fascinating study. The leaderless, amorphous group of mostly young people carrying out raids on laboratories and fur farms, rescuing animals and inflicting economic sabotage, was most active in the 80's and 90's. It's incredible to learn how desperately intense the struggle for animal liberation was since before I was even born. Around 50 years since it was formed, the founder of the ALF, Ronnie Lee, is still fighting for animals. And it was such a joy to speak with him.Ronnie comes across to me as incredibly gregarious, generous and thoughtful. I learned a huge amount from Jon Hochschartner's biography of Ronnie, and what stood out to me the most was his bravery and initiative. Ronnie wasn't waiting around for anyone to organize for the animals, he did it himself. And it was that DIY ethos that was the ALF. Ronnie paid the price of his struggle with 3 prison stints, but he has never let that stop him. Even as others have come and gone through the movement for the animals, Ronnie has stayed on. It was really fascinating to hear Ronnie recount some of those notable moments, and I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Ronnie's FBRonnie's biography"The Animals Film"Ronnie's band Total Attack"Shake Some Action"Watch DominionWatch Earthlings
In a major development, Condé Nast announced they were no longer going to promote new fur in any of their publications, which includes Vogue Magazine. This came after a nearly year long campaign by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT). It could be a major turning point in the culture of fashion and another nail in the coffin of the fur industry.When news of this broke, I reached out to Lauren at CAFT to invite her on the podcast. Lauren and CAFT have been great partners over the last few years to myself and other groups I've been involved with. Something really beautiful has been happening lately in the animal rights movement. A movement that unfortunately is often beset by great divisons, there have been recent sparks of collaboration. One partnership has been especially fruitful: the one between CAFT and Animal Activism Collective, who have teamed up to boost each other's campaigns, and in so doing, scoring dramatic wins against the fur industry. That in turn has sparked collaborations with other groups, notably the International Council for Animal Welfare (ICAW). These collaborations are animal exploitation industry's worst nightmare. When we work together, there is nothing we cannot achieve.Fur is no longer in Vogue. It's because of activists like Lauren and the hundreds of others who took part. Next up: Berluti.
This conversation is also available on YouTube.
Links:
CAFT websiteCAFT newsletterCAFT IGCAFT YouTubeAAC LinktreeAAC YouTubeICAWWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion
It was only recently that I even learned who Gail Eisnitz is. But I had known about her work for years. As the chief investigator at Humane Farming Association, Gail's investigations over more than four decades have been some of the most consequential for animals, leading to changes in law, closing factory farms, and garnering worldwide media attention. Her new memoir, "Out of Sight: An Undercover Investigator’s Fight for Animal Rights & Her Own Survival" takes us behind those investigations, revealing the incredible struggles she had to endure to shine a light in some of the darkest places on earth.And as difficult as it is to investigate a slaughterhouse or factory farm, as difficult as it is get a recalcitrant media to care, as difficult as it is to work in conditions where your own boss is trying to stop you, it was Gail's persistent and undiagnosed health problems that are the drive of this book. We learn how Gail cannot see the world the way most people do. She sees the world in dots. She would become disoriented, overwhelmed and sick, all while visiting places that would disorient, overwhelm and sicken anyone who goes in them. This is a condition doctors couldn't understand. We eventually learn what it is, but we learn it only several years after Gail does, and so she spent her life wondering if she was crazy, or doing it to herself. I find it truly extraordinary that Gail persevered through this to do these harrowing investigations, some documented in her first book "Slaughterhouse" and others that find account now in her memoir. Gail is a true hero to the animals and it was an honor to have her on the podcast.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Gail's website"Out of Sight""Slaughterhouse"Gail's IGGail's FBHumane Farming AssociationHFA IGHFA FBHFA YouTubeSuwanna Ranch"Death on a Factory Farm"Watch DominionWatch Earthlings
Andy Stepanian is best known as a member of the SHAC 7. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty campaign against the contract animal testing laboratory then called Huntingdon Life Sciences began in the UK, before spreading to the US, where Andy became involved. The hugely successful tactics were ultimately cracked down on by both governments leading to draconian arrests and sentencing of those involved. That included, in America, the SHAC 7. Andy would serve 3 years in prison for his role, including time in a top-secret maximum security prison.I realize a 3 hour interview is hard to digest in our busy world. I didn't anticipate it going that long. But the interview surprised me in how much I learned that I didn't know about Andy. We talked about SHAC, the Animal Liberation Front, Andy's time in what's called a Communications Management Unit, a secretive and controversial "prison within a prison" as Andy described it, alongside Earth Liberation Front prisoner Daniel McGowan. Those things I knew about, but many details I didn't. We also talk about Gaza and how that issue has roiled the animal rights movement. We talk about his past trauma and abuse, his PTSD of being there as Heather Heyer was run over by a white supremacist in Charlottesville, Virginia. I had considered breaking this interview into multiple parts, or adding timestamps. I decided I'm not going to do that, even though it may ultimately doom this interview to low views. For that, I'm sorry to Andy. But I think too much of this conversation was informed by the other parts, that I don't want it broken up. I'd rather it be understood in full.I have enormous gratitude for Andy's time and for all he has done for animals. I got a lot from this conversation, and hope you do too.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Andy's IG"The Animal People" trailer"If a Tree Falls"Tom Harris' bookMy interview with Tom"Green is the New Red"Prisoner support: Anarchist Black Cross
Calvin Tasker came onto my radar fairly recently. It was a video from Mel and Steve's channel. They teamed up with long-time investigator Chris Hines to take his brother Colin, who was at that point not even vegan, in the dark of night onto a pig farm. That story was compelling enough that I interviewed all of them. But there was another member of that team, and it was Calvin. And after seeing him there, I started to notice him more and more in the vicinity of well known activists like Joey Carbstrong and Jamie Logan.Calvin gets more impressive the more you know about him. Not only does he courageously go into the dark shadows that only a select few dare to, but he takes from there hard-hitting photographs that linger in your mind long after seeing them. Following the formula from when I asked animal photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur to select photographs for us to pore over, I asked Calvin to do the same. The result is a fascinating look at images that endure for their personal intimacy, their beauty and heartbreak, and the stark, grotesque reality facing animals 24/7. I remember reading a simple but gutting quote once from PETA co-founder Ingrid Newkirk, something along the lines of "we are trying really hard to make the world wake up." I'm convinced that if more people saw images like the ones Calvin has captured and shared here, the world would wake up. I hope that, as small as my channel is, at least a few more people will see them than would have otherwise.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Calvin's IGMultitaskers IGMultitaskers YouTubeMultitaskters FBMel and Steve podcast episodeWatch DominionWatch Earthlings
Rod Coronado's story is one of the wildest I've ever read. As a prominent member of the Animal Liberation Front, Sea Shepherd and the Hunt Saboteurs, he saved thousands of animals and embarked on a campaign against animal exploitation industries that had massive ripple effects. One of his earliest actions was to sink two docked whaling ships in Iceland. That's quite a way to start your activism career. Rod ended up doing around 6 years in prison after a campaign against the fur industry and research laboratories. His incredible story is documented in the book "Operation Bite Back" by Dean Kuipers, through his own words in "Flaming Arrows" and a memoir just about to release called "Memories of Freedom." Releasing this interview on 9/11 seemed strangly poignant, as the government hunted Rod Coronado in a way you would a violent criminal. And indeed, Rod and other radical animal and environmental activists have been deemed "eco-terrorists" many times before, but though Rod engaged in property destruction, he did it to rescue lives, not take them. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to speak with Rod Coronado. Beyond his story, we touch on topics like veganism and infighting in the animal rights movement. I think it's a shame that more younger activists may not be aware of Rod's incredible struggle for animals and I hope this interview at least shares it a little further.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Operation Wolf Patrol documentary"Flaming Arrows" book"Operation Bite Back" book"Memories of Freedom" bookVermont Wildlife Patrol FBTeam Wolf Patrol FBWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion
To be honest, I wasn't that excited to interview Gary Yourofsky. Yes, I admire his advocacy for animals. Yes, I recommend his speech. Yes, I think he is a hero for the animals. Yet...I wasn't stoked. And no, it's not for the reason you think. It's not because of Gary's various controversial statements. It's not because of his views on politics or war. No offense to Gary or any other animal activist, I care about as much about his views on the Middle East as I do about his favorite color. I care about his views on what he's an expert on, animal rights and animal liberation. And Gary knows a lot about it. So why wasn't I revved up?It's because I didn't think I had anything to offer to the conversation. Gary has come back after a years-long hiatus from public advocacy. He was basically out of the spotlight by the time I even went vegan. Since coming back several months back, he's done dozens and dozens of interviews. What could I possibly add to this?Well, I was wrong to think about it this way. I'm going to try to explain why. In texting with Gary and then the few moments we spoke before recording, I don't think I've ever been more at ease in a conversation. Usually there's at least a small moment of familiarization that's needed for a genuine, authentic conversation. Not so with Gary. There is no filter. It doesn't matter what I bring. Or Gary, for that matter. Only so much as Gary is a mouthpiece for the animals. And if I was an animal, I would want someone speaking EXACTLY like Gary Yourofsky. And talking with Gary even briefly, I could see this was going to be easy. I felt like I was talking to an old friend before we even started. So by the time we started recording, I was pretty pumped. So did I clickbait you into reading this? Guilty. Gary is a wrecking ball, a force of nature. You may not agree with him on everything, or like or respect him. That's your right. But if you want to question his effectiveness or dedication, you might direct your questions to Sasha Farm sanctuary, or to the animals he helps care for there or to the animals whose cages he opened. I hope you can overlook the messy signal. We did our best. Just like my conversation with John Curtin of Camp Beagle, some of these old school activists are the amazing people they are exactly because they are so uninterested in things like that, so unpolished. I love it. Despite all of this, I honestly feel this is one of the most beautiful and surprising interviews I've ever conducted, exactly because it was so natural.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Donate to SashaBest Speech You'll Ever HearGary's IGADAPTTWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion
You've probably seen Jo-Anne McArthur's photography, whether you knew it or not. And if you haven't seen any of her thousands of iconic images, you've probably seen some from her many collaborators at the non-profit We Animals that she founded. Jo-Anne is simply one of the most talented and driven photojournalists working today.Shortly before our interview, I asked Jo-Anne to send me some images that stood out to her that we could analyze on the program. Not surprisingly, I had already been well-acquainted with several of them. One, in fact, was the leading image of one of the proudest recent stories facilitated by the Direct Action Everywhere press team, a feature piece about open rescue in National Geographic.To meet Jo-Anne is a treat. To be able to comb through some of the extraordinary images with her and hear the stories behind the images is something else entirely. I'm incredibly grateful to Jo-Anne for the generosity of her time and her amazing work that is changing the world for animals.This conversation is also available on YouTube and may be a more rewarding experience to be able to see her photographs.Links:We AnimalsDonate to We Animals"The Ghosts in Our Machine"Jo-Anne's websiteHer booksHer IGHer FBWe Animals IGFBBlueskyNational Geographic open rescue pieceWatch DominionWatch Earthlings
Dr. Faraz Harsini is making waves in the animal rights movement with his no-nonsense, yet approachable outreach style. His background in biomedical science lends gravitas just as his upbringing in Tehran and immigration to America is moving and inspiring. I've known about Faraz for awhile and wanted to have him on my program. But since we connected, I've learned more about him, and I now find him even more compelling. I could speak a lot about his background and professional resume, but what I admire most about Faraz is his commitment to bringing a vegan message to college campuses through his nonprofit Allied Scholars for Animal Protection. As I mentioned multiple times in this interview, it's something I wish I had come across when I was in college decades ago. This was the first time I've really spoken with Faraz. He shared that he is an introvert and I think that comes across in this interview. I think it's a kind of superpower for him, because it gives him a manner that is very disarming and gentle. I believe this is part of what makes him so effective at communicating. He also has a genuine empathy and curiosity towards others. But you'd be very mistaken if you think that he compromises on the message. He doesn't. He keeps the focus on the animals and speaking for them in the way they would want and deserve. As I said, I have admired Faraz for a while, but after speaking more with him, I'm convinced that he's among our greatest advocates. We are lucky to have him in this movement.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Allied ScholarsDonate to ASAPFaraz's YouTubeFaraz's IGFaraz's FBFaraz's BlueSky
Well, this was unfortunate. I invited Molly Elwood, CEO of Elwood's Organic Dog Meat, for what I hoped would be a cordial debate. It started out well. But things all started to go off the rails after Molly, in true Cruella de Vil style, started to cackle after describing some tragic details of what happens to her dogs. After that moment, and as the questions started to get too intense for her, she started mashing buttons on her keyboard to cause the feed to crash out over and over. I wasn't about to let her sabotage the debate, though. So I've done my best to edit it back into a seamless, watchable debate. Despite Molly's childish behavior, I am considering inviting her back for a part 2. I hesitate whether to give someone as despicable as Molly a platform. But in fairness to her, I will include her links below. However, I would warn people with regards to her website. Under no circumstances should you scroll to the bottom of the page. There's some really horrific stuff down there. If you can bear to see her, this podcast is also available on YouTube.Links:Elwood's websiteElwood's on YouTube
Elwood's IGMolly's IGElwood's FBMolly's FBElwood's TikTokElwood's BlueSkyWatch DominionWatch Earthlings
I'm really fond of this conversation, for the same reason I'm fond of Jake's channel and podcast @plantgeezer . It's raw, honest, and unapologetically vegan AF. And even with the IDGAF attitude (or maybe because of it), Jake IMO comes across really well. It's probably because he has a huge heart for the animals. That is what is making doing all these interviews such a joy. I am seeing the best humanity has to offer, even while my guests' work may be to expose the worst of it. I started this channel with the tentative plan to expose the good in people. They've made my job easy.Jake's channel is one I just discovered, thanks to the YouTube algorithm. And watching video after video, you can see that Jake is skilled as an activist in areas from debate and humor all the way to serious investigative work. I've only just scratched the surface and it seems to me that Plant Geezer is really a channel to watch and follow. Luckily, there are a few activists I have seen at the moment that have about the same energy and drive that Jake does. But not a ton. Jake sets the bar high. We all should strive to reach that bar. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links: Jake's YouTubeJake's IGJake's TikTok"I walked straight in"Calling an abbatoirBrian debateFarmer lady debateWatch DominionWatch Earthlings
Alexandra Paul may be best known as a Hollywood actress starring in Baywatch, but most people in our movement know her for her bold and daring rescue and investigative work around factory farms. My first introduction to Alexandra was during the Sonoma trial of Wayne Hsiung, when Alexandra was one of our witnesses. Watching hours of footage from different angles of the Sunrise demonstration, rescue and civil disobedience, she impressed me with her demeanor and confidence. And why shouldn't Alexandra be confident? She had already been acquitted for rescuing chickens from a slaughterhouse truck and been a long time activist for animal, environmental, and anti-war causes. She's done numerous undercover investigations of factory farms, like the recent expose of Mountaire chicken facilities run by a major donor to Donald Trump. I'm blown away that someone like Alexandra, who could spend her time living in the lap of luxury, instead goes into hellhole factory farms to expose what's being hidden inside, and willing to sit in a jail cell for doing so. I've really enjoyed whenever I've gotten a chance to talk or joke around with Alexandra, but we have never really had a chance to really go in depth about life and activism beyond the immediate task at hand. So this was a joy, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Alexandra on IGOn FBWayne video on Mountaire investigationExtended versionVox articleWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion
Dr. Alka Chandna has for decades worked to expose vivisection laboratories through her work with PETA. Having Alka on my channel is timely as PETA just released new whisteblower footage from Massachusetts General Hospital showing deplorable, horrific experiments being conducted on monkeys. Alka has been a huge help to myself and others during the time I have known her. Whenever we needed something, be it research documents, contacts, whatever it was, she has provided it. That has been my experience with everyone at PETA, by the way: timely, accessible, and professional. In this conversation we talk about the Mass General footage, and how Alka went from writing an article for her student newspaper about animal testing to Vice President of Laboratory Oversight and Special Cases at arguably the most consequential and effective animal rights organizations in the world. The animal rights movement is lucky to have her.This conversation is also available as an audio podcast, wherever you download them. Just search my name.Links:Mass General footageRecent PETA beagle investigationThe CARGO ActTest Subjects short filmThe Failed Experiment docuseriesAlka on Wayne's channelAlka on IG
Alka's FBUndercover. Inside the Bunker on PrimeWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion
Peter Young is one of the most prominent American activists in the Animal Liberation Front, the underground direct action anonymous animal rescuers best known for raiding labs and fur farms. He's one of the most prominent because he's one of the few who are actually known. The reason for that is that he got caught, after rescuing likely in excess of 10,000 minks and foxes from fur farms. After 7 years as a fugitive, he ultimately served two years in prison. Since then, he's been freed up to talk about his life in illuminating ways.Peter's book "Liberate: Stories and Lessons on Animal Liberation Above the Law" had a huge impact on me, and not just because it was about people saving animals. It's because, as we discuss in this conversation, a lot of the book is about overcoming false perceptions and overhyped dangers that often live only in our own heads. This can be applied to any facet of your life, in and outside the animal liberation movement. That book was introduced to me at a time that could have been discouraging as I was seeing friends of mine struggling through the legal system, and in Wayne Hsiung's case, imprisoned for the open rescue of animals. Learning about the deep struggle for animal rights that's been going on for decades and the immense courage shown by Peter and all the anonymous ALF activists was a unique and timely gift of perspective.I am starting to sound like a broken record, but I was deeply honored just to meet Peter, let alone to have him on the channel. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Peter Young's websitePeter on YouTubeBooksPeter's FBPeter on Nancy Grace
It's been a minute since I had Wayne on the podcast. A lot has happened since then. Probably most siginificantly for Wayne is that he's gotten married. I wanted to catch up with Wayne about life, marriage, and the state of the animal rights movement. We also discuss the massive increase in animal agriculture subsidies inside the "Big, Beautiful Bill" that was recently passed by the U.S. Senate, and being haggled over right now in the House.
It's always a joy to chat with Wayne, and I'm really happy that he has found some real bright spots in the world.
You can also watch this on YouTube.
Links:
Dr. Jerry Vlasak has one hell of a resume in the animal liberation movement. From his deep involvement in the legendary Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign, to joining Captain Paul Watson on the high seas to stop whaling and seal hunts, to running the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, few people I know have spent more time and done so much for the animals. I consider myself incredibly lucky to even know him, much less stand side by side with him at demonstrations. In this conversation we talk about his adventures with Watson, going before Senator Jim Inhofe to voice the animal rights position of the SHAC activists, and even the controversial remarks he made about violence that have followed him around during his decades in the movement. As part of the animal liberation press office, Jerry gives voice to the anonymous animal liberationists who are unable to speak. Whether he's giving voice to the activists with no voice or the animals, or performing life-saving surgery during his long medical career, Jerry has spent his time in the service of others. He's a kind, generous man, quite the opposite of how the animal exploitation industries would try to paint him. It's a true honor to have him on my podcast.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Press OfficeIGBooks and merchCAFT websiteCAFT IGAAC IGWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion
Of all the activist content I've reviewed since starting this channel, I probably have watched more of Mel and Steve's videos than anyone else. The reason for that is simple. The quality of their work is matched by the intense passion and energy they bring. And because of that, they are cranking out banger after banger so that every time I go live, there's a new Mel and Steve video to check out. While the channel started and remains a platform for street outreach, Mel and Steve have also begun doing investigations on farms, and bringing viewers directly to slaughterhouses during livestreams. We discuss the time they brought Chris Hines's brother Colin to a pig farm before Colin was vegan. It's been interesting to hear about that experience from Chris, Colin, and now Mel and Steve as well. If it isn't obvious from their commitment to the animals or their street outreach, Mel and Steve are just the loveliest people, and I was truly honored to have them on the program.This conversation is also available on YouTube. Mel and Steve's YouTubeM&S LinktreeM&S IGFBTikTokPart 1 of Colin VideoMy interview with ColinMy interview with Chris HinesWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion
George Martin, Carnism Debunked, joins the channel for a discussion about some of the most harmful things in the vegan movement over the last decade or so. As a self-described centrist, George has been one of the fiercest critics of some on the political left's gatekeeping of animal rights, as well as intersectionalism in the movement. He often takes on topics that others are timid to touch and isn't afraid of the isolation that could bring. I have not always agreed with George's takes, but I agree with him more than not. And I appreciate how willing he is to take on tough topics.Beyond that, I find George to be one of the most articulate and clear when it comes to advocating animal rights. I appreciate his good-natured style in debates, and how he seems to relish in the pursuit of truth. As I told him in the interview, I think we are lucky to have in the movement. We discussed Seaspiracy director Ali Tabrizi failing to navigate the marshmallow minefield (hat tip my friend Felix for that line), the short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" and of course intersectionalism in this episode. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:George's YouTubeGeorge's IGGeorge's FBCarnismdebunked.com"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" videoPodcast with Natalie FultonPodcast with Wayne Hsiung Watch EarthlingsWatch Dominion
