The Human-Animal Alliance is a hugely impactful organisation that raises funds to grant directly to programs that share their belief in the power and value of the human-animal connection.

Equine-assisted therapy, Pet Pantry programs, support for humans and animals affected by hurricanes or wildfires, summer-camp scholarships, trauma-recovery programs and much more: since 2022 the organisation has raised and granted over $400,000 to programs that they describe as truly exceptional yet often overlooked.

Jackie Ducci - advocate, philanthropist, equestrian - says that animals have provided life-changing support and friendship to her throughout her life and she wants to enable others to feel that same connection.

We talked about her journey to setting up The Human-Animal Alliance and delved into some of the programs they support. We also chatted about Unspoken Bond, a documentary which tells the stories of people whose lives were changed dramatically through their relationships with animals.

The Human-Animal Alliance website:

https://h-aa.org/

List of Past Grants of The Human-Animal Alliance:

https://h-aa.org/our-impact

Jackie's website:

https://www.jackieducci.com/

The Unspoken Bond film - info and trailer.

https://unspokenbondfilm.com/

Links to social media can be found on these websites.

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Hamilton - or Hammy - is a beagle that was rescued from a research laboratory where he'd spent the first four years of his life. Melanie Kaplan adopted him and started on a journey to learn more about his past, as well as the broader world of animal research.

In her book - Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research - she investigates the breeding and the use of beagles for biomedical research, drug and product testing, as well as education.

Throughout the book, she brings us along with her to find answers. How did Hammy end up in a research facility? Why are we still using millions of animals a year in experiments? Are we learning anything from it? Is there another way?

Melanie and I chatted about these questions and she shared her findings about the history of animal research as well as the current state and future direction of using animals in science.

https://www.melaniedgkaplan.com/

Buy it here (free shipping in Ireland):

https://www.kennys.ie/shop/lab-dog-a-beagle-and-his-human-investigate-the-surprising-world-of-animal-research-kaplan-melanie-d-g-9781541604988

Buy it here in UK:

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781541604988?utm_source=Waterstones&utm_medium=pdp&utm_campaign=oos-link

Warm Hearts, Wet Noses, and the Questions We Can't Ignore - Full Webinar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO_LVouCK4k

SynDaver website.

https://syndaver.com/product-category/vet-full-body/

Save the Buns website.

https://www.savethebuns.org/

Rodent Sanctuary Instagram links.

https://www.instagram.com/dr.rebeccagooley/

https://www.instagram.com/rodent.sanctuary/

How 2,000 beagles set the animal rights movement on fire (Marina Bolotnikova, Vox).

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/486973/beagle-rescue-ridglan-animal-testing-research-rights

The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals (Larry Carbone).

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240731347-the-hidden-lives-of-lab-animals

Mickey Mouse - The Mad Doctor (1933)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPW70q4w5pw

Featured music:

https://soundcloud.com/jayjenmusic/sparkle

Track: Sparkle by JayJen
Watch: youtu.be/A7eloLKR-A8
Free Download / Stream: fanlink.to/JayJenSparkle

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Wasseem Emam is the Director and Head of Research at Ethical Seafood Research. He holds advanced degrees in applied aquatic ecology and has spent over 15 years working iwth various organisations across the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Drawing on this background, Wasseem recognised a critical gap: aquatic animals are the most numerically exploited yet the least protected animals in the food systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where aquaculture (fish-farming) is rapidly expanding.

He founded Ethical Seafood Research and their goal is to improve the lives of fish by advancing ethical and sustainable practices in aquatic food systems. From better slaughter methods and water quality monitoring to farmer training and policy advocacy, ESR works to embed animal welfare in aquaculture systems, bridging the gap between animal welfare science and day-to-day practice.

Learn more about their work here:

https://ethicalseafoodresearch.org/

https://ethicalseafoodresearch.org/success-stories/

https://ethicalseafoodresearch.org/underwater-explorers-rescuers/

Clip taken from webinar presentation: Wasseem Emam & John Nyambane (ESR) Assessing fish welfare in Africa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw5HSxmddLE

Featured music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOq2P2DQWpE

Umoja by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Laura Broxson has been deeply involved in Ireland’s animal rights movement for over two decades. They founded NARA – the National Animal Rights Association - in 2007. This is a voluntary, vegan animal rights group, working towards a world where animals are free from use, abuse, and exploitation.

In 2019, they successfully brought about a ban on fur farming in Ireland with a multifaceted strategy which involved undercover investigations, working with politicians to bring about legislative change, and engaging with the public at large to mobilise groundswell of support.

They are now applying the strategy to other campaigns like the banning of blood sports, such as fox-hunting and hare-coursing, as well as seeking to put an end to Ireland’s pig industry.

They actively promote a transition to plant-based agriculture by offering animal farmers a practical path out of the industry (in collaboration with James O’Donovan from Nature Rising).

We covered these topics and more - and the depths and breadth of Laura’s knowledge and enthusiasm became obvious as they responded cheerfully to any question with expert ease. Their calm confidence and determination offers a beacon for all animal rights advocates, and indeed anybody wanting to bring about positive change in the world.

https://www.naracampaigns.org/

Irish Pig Farm videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwmyaHZrjRY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xHFCYxR9pE

Hare-coursing video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQDqLGotOSE

James O’Donovan (Nature Rising) report: Transition to an Irish Vegan Agricultural System.

https://naturerising.ie/transition-to-an-irish-vegan-agriculture-system/

https://naturerising.ie/

Dr. Alice Brough.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alice_thepigvet/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alice_thepigvet/videos

Support Animal Free Research Ireland: https://safrireland.com/

Featured Music:

New Funk by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
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Harper Garrison is a high school student from Austin, Texas. She raised a lamb (who she named Onion!) through the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. They soon formed a bond and Harper began to question Onion's fate; to be returned to the farm at the end of the program where she would be used as a 'breeder' and then sent to slaughter, once she was no longer profitable.

Harper got help from LEAP (Leaders for Ethics, Animals and the Planet), PETA2 and Austin Farm Sanctuary to remove Onion from the program and move her to the farm sanctuary where she now lives, enjoying her days and hanging out with other animals.

Harper tells her story of the rescue, as well as her growing involvement in animal advocacy. She talks about the organisations that helped, and her increasing awareness of the plight of farm animals. We discuss the encouraging growth of organisations that promote empathy and compassion, groups that are facilitating a new way to engage with animals.

Sources:

https://leapforanimals.org

https://leapforanimals.org/saving-onion-the-sheep-from-slaughter/

https://www.peta2.com/culture/harper-onion/

https://www.austinfarmsanctuary.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/showlambpage/posts/9928691373925428/

Dr Crystal Heath on Healthification podcast:

https://strongbodygreenplanet.com/what-vets-arent-taught-about-animal-rights-with-dr-crystal-heath/

FFA website:

https://www.ffa.org/

Further resources:

https://www.teachkind.org/

https://www.teachkind.org/ffa-4h-school-agriculture-programs/

https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Empathy-Now-Guide-for-Schools-8.5x11-PRINT-VERSION-2022_300.pdf

Danielle Hanosh, founder of LEAP, on the Better Life for Animals podcast:

https://betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/024-danielle-hanosh/

Alternatives to 4H:

https://thehumaneleague.org/article/alternatives-to-4-h

Jessica Long – the case of Cedar the goat:

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23669586/goat-girl-4-h-shasta-county-seizure

Featured music:

Another Good Day by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Jack Morley has a background in media and advertising and he is now using those creative skills to illustrate and convey the beauty of Irish nature and wildlife, as well as some of the many challenges facing our native plants, insects, birds, fish and mammals.

He wants to amplify the stories of the people around the country who are making efforts to restore and revitalise our natural environment and he blends history, botany, ecology and humour into an appealing mix that educates and entertains.

In this episode we talk about the different ways in which we communicate about nature and you'll be able to answer questions like: What is Ireland's only legally protected insect? How did wasps help to write the Irish Constitution? Which are some of the butterflies that use nettles as a host plant? What IS a host plant?

...and where did that deer go?

LINKS

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRewildlife

https://www.instagram.com/the_rewildlife/

An Irish Wildlife Haven. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ8Xj2wJLIo

Shifting baseline Syndrome. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ_-IG_Ms8i/

Oak gall wasps. https://www.instagram.com/p/DIUCHvHsfB4/

Mombretia. https://www.instagram.com/p/DMp2xdqMfSx/

Badger. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRNHQPXDEKA/

Fox and deer video. https://www.instagram.com/p/DQnCIEvjJj-/

Marsh Fritillary. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLDZSLvs8tN/

https://iwt.ie/species-of-the-week-marsh-fritillary/

The film Birdsong on RTE Player.

https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/birdsong/506726951986

The film Listers on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo&t=457s

Nature Spy cameras. https://naturespy.org/

Craghoppers fleece with birdsong soundwaves.

https://www.craghoppers.com/ie/CMA1425_1GG/

Featured Music:

San Fran by Schematist | http://www.schematistmusic.com
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Billie Talyn Groom has worked with a wide variety of dogs for over three decades. She is an award-winning behavioural therapist as well as an author, a podcaster, a TEDx speaker and the founder of the Institute of Canine Psychotherapy.

The Institute is an online educational platform which allows anyone to learn Canine Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a method developed by Billie and one which can be applied to any dog over the age of 6 months, especially those dogs that might be termed difficult or challenging.

“With the increased acceptance of animals as sentient beings, CCBT is quickly becoming a recognised method and a sustainable solution in the canine behaviour and animal welfare sectors.”

Billie is highly motivated to spread awareness of her method in an effort to help the high number of dogs in shelters and rescue organisations that are unable to find homes due to behavioural issues. With CCBT exercises, dogs like these can be helped to reset their thought patterns and to self-regulate.

We talked about the evolution of her method as well as the need to consider dogs’ motivations and reasoning, not just their behaviour.

https://www.instituteofcaninepsychotherapy.com/

Why analyzing behaviour is important – Dog Training DisrUPted podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vdd4s8Zi1wYtJPGoHc5nr

Beyond Dog Training: The Movement toward Sentience. (TEDx talk)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avUugazybwc

“Rescued Dogs; the Misunderstood Breed” by Billie Groom.

https://www.amazon.com/Urban-People-Adopted-Rescued-Methodology/dp/1525547283/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1653954372&sr=8-1

Featured Music:

New Funk by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
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Project Wild is a wildlife media company that promotes ethical wildlife tourism by showcasing the organisations that bring tourists and wildlife together in a way that respects the animals’ natural behaviours.

I was delighted to talk to the founder, Connie Needham, about her years of experience in wildlife conservation and her studies in anthrozoology that led her to set up Project Wild.

With thousands of followers and an active social media presence, she is driven to show that wildlife conservation is open to everybody and that we can all make a difference through our actions and the messages we put out to the world.

https://www.projectwild.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/connie.needham

https://www.linkedin.com/in/connie-needham-2031b3240/

For the Love of Monkeys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW_aZl0O1zo&t=7s

Queen of the Primates

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdNcZjXUP_o

Featured Music:

New Funk by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)
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