Episodes

Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023

Friday Dec 30, 2022
2023: The year ahead in animal welfare | Episode 50
Friday Dec 30, 2022
Friday Dec 30, 2022
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Passing the Big Cat Public Safety Act
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Passing the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act
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Passing the FDA Modernization Act
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Passing the Reducing Animal Testing Act
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Helping craft and pass a fix to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, so it could survive a court challenge.

Friday Dec 23, 2022
2022: The year in review for animal welfare | Episode 49
Friday Dec 23, 2022
Friday Dec 23, 2022

Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Thanksgiving turkeys. Christmas hams. The holiday season is inextricably linked to these staples of holiday indulgence. While we amble through the darkening days of the year, however, the animals whose lives will be sacrificed to feed us are far worse than they need to be. And that is so because of unnecessarily inhumane conditions on the factory farms where the majority of them are bred, live short, grueling lives, and are slaughtered assembly-line style.
One of the worst aspects of factory-farm life for these doomed sentient creatures is extreme confinement. Pigs are known to receive the worst of it, when pregnant sows are kept in indecently small cages known as gestation crates. The fight against their use is one key focus of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, which battle is now being waged before the Supreme Court.
Another soldier is Jessica Chipkin. She is the founder and president of Crate Free USA, an organization whose mission simply is to reduce the suffering of animals on factory farms. Founded in 2015, the group believes there’s really no difference between cruelty inflicted on a dog, cat, bird, horse, chicken, calf or pig.
They group tries to:
- Create awareness of the extreme and inhumane confinement of hogs, chickens, and cows on factory farms
- Educate consumers on how to purchase from local, sustainable farmers
- Advocate for legislation to eliminate extreme confinement practices
She joins us in this episode to talk about her work with Trader Joe's, Aldi and Costco, as well as her youth-education effort and her mobile app. Also on the show is Scott Beckstead, our director of national campaigns, and Marty Irby, who provides a legislative update. Joseph Grove is the host.

Saturday Nov 26, 2022
Ending the abuse for carriage horses | Episode 47
Saturday Nov 26, 2022
Saturday Nov 26, 2022
On August 10, 2022, a carriage horse named Ryder collapsed on a hot New York City street and instantly became the symbol for a growing movement.
Ryder was found to be a decade older than he should have been according to regulations, when he dropped to his side, requiring a spray of cold water to revivify him. He was emaciated and, it was later discovered, ill with cancer. Liberated at last from having to pull tourists around a crowded metropolis of cars, buses and trucks, he was sent to a privately owned farm. Retirement was short, however, and he had to be euthanized just a couple of weeks ago.
As sad as his fate, however, many former carriage horses face an even worse end. Those who are no longer of use to the industry often are sold for slaughter and must endure a terrifying trip to Canada or Mexico, where they are killed and butchered for their meat.
Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, NYClass, Revolution Philadelphia and other groups are working hard to convince municipalities to do away with carriage-horse rides and the animal-suffering they entail. Part of their argument is that electric carriages are now available, able to preserve the tourist experience of slow, open-air views of cities and the jobs of people driving the carriages. Invest in the e-carriages, say the advocates, and you can preserve the tourist attractions and at the same time eliminate cruelty.
This episode brings together several experts with vast experience advocating for horses and championing solutions to their systemic abuse. Joining host Joseph Grove in this episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast are:
- Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action
- Kate Schultz, senior attorney for the Center for a Humane Economy and a former New York City prosecutor who specialized in animal-abuse cases
- Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYClass, a group that is among leading the movement to ban horse-carriages and in New York and replace them with electric alternatives
- Tiffany Stair, co-founder of Revolution Philadelphia and a vocal antagonist to the city’s carriage-horse industry.
You can learn more about the organizations they represent here:
- Animal Wellness Action
- Center for a Humane Economy
- NYClass website
- NYClass Facebook
- Revolution Philadelphia Facebook
Music from https://filmmusic.io: "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com); License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Saturday Nov 19, 2022
Saturday Nov 19, 2022

Monday Oct 03, 2022
Monday Oct 03, 2022
American horse racing has been in peril for quite some time. As a member of the Coalition for Horseracing Integrity, we’ve been working to stamp out doping and whipping in the sport, and bring an end to horse slaughter as well. With the enactment of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in 2020 that took effect July 1st of this year, we’re finally on the right track.
Unfortunately, rogue operators and horse racing insiders who’ve flouted state laws and regulations for years continue to work against proper implementation and enforcement of the new law. One of the key areas we’ve met the most resistance is in the world of harness racing, a lesser known division of the sport that’s quickly dwindling into obscurity. The U.S. Trotting Association (USTA) and those in the industry who want to keep doping alive and maintain the status quo have gone to great lengths despite the conviction of numerous criminals involved in harness racing.
But there is hope thanks to the good apples in American harness racing like the U.S. Harness Racing Alumni Association and our good friend and coalition partner Freddie Hudson, a retired trainer, author, and founder and CEO of the group. Freddie’s been the key ally that’s made the most difference in this area and is creating awareness and bringing newcomers into the fold with our efforts.
In this episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast, host Joseph Grove and Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action, and editor of www.HISAwatchdog.org interview Hudson and the episode gives listeners some key insight into the latest happenings on this issue.

Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Will the Supreme Court side against animals? The attack on Prop 12 | Episode 44
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022

Friday Jul 22, 2022
The fight to spare animals through FDA Modernization | Episode 43
Friday Jul 22, 2022
Friday Jul 22, 2022

Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
How a California lawsuit may change things for kangaroos | Episode 42
Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
Animal Wellness Action has been pressuring Nike, Adidas and other retailers of "k-leather" soccer shoes to discontinue the models. More than 2 million kangaroos a year are slaughtered, including joeys, just so athletes can don prestige shoes with no performance-enhancing value.
Natasha Dolezal, deputy director of campaigns, and Scott Edwards, general counsel, update listeners on our work for kangaroos, including recent protests and the filing of a lawsuit against California retailer Soccer Warhorse, which we allege has been violating state law by selling kangaroo-sourced soccer shoes.