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Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation
Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan
Recent Episodes
This episode reveals the winning strategies behind successful fur ban legislation, featuring advocates who have convinced communities to ditch cruel fashion! From Massachusetts towns passing bans unanimously to a creative campaign strategies in Washington DC, our guests share how grassroots advocacy, coalition-building, and strategic planning are creating a domino effect of animal protection laws across the country.
This episode explores:
- How Massachusetts advocates built an unstoppable fur sales ban movement that spread from town to town with overwhelming support
- The creative DC campaign that included a sustainable fashion show featuring alternatives to animal fur
- Why fur bans are the perfect “gateway” animal protection legislation that builds momentum for bigger changes
- How coalitions between national organizations and local advocates create the perfect recipe for legislative success
- The economic collapse of the fur industry and why now is the perfect time to push for these bans
ABOUT OUR GUESTS
Conor Lamkin is the Assistant Policy Counsel on the Public Policy team at The Humane League. Conor provides legal and policy research, legislative drafting, and strategy development for the Animal Policy Alliance, focusing on state and federal policies.
Max Broad is the Founder and Executive Director of DC Voters for Animals. As a long-time climate advocate, Max saw how influential a small group of passionate citizens can be in the policy process. He has worked on successful legislation to ban ivory and rhino horn in DC, to require DC buildings to use bird-safe building materials that prevent collisions, to prohibit cat declawing, breed restriction in housing, and pet store sales of animals, and food procurement standards to support climate-forward dining in DC schools, jail, and more. With a master’s in environmental science and management from UC Santa Barbara, Max has worked at the National Wildlife Federation, as a contractor at the US Department of Energy, and AmeriCorps NCCC.
Kara is the Director of Advocacy at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA). She has a law degree from Suffolk University Law School. She has held leadership positions in the Massachusetts Animal Coalition, the Mass. Bar Association’s Animal Law Practice Group and the Link Up Education Network (a group that addresses the link between animal cruelty and human violence). She has worked to pass a wide range of legislation in Massachusetts that protects companion animals, animals used in food production and farming, wildlife, wild animals used in traveling acts, and animals used in research. She also has worked with advocates across the state to pass local measures to ban the sale of animals in pet shops, prevent the use of wild animals in traveling acts, restrict the use of anticoagulant rodenticides, and prohibit the sale of fur. She has also worked on three ballot questions (wildlife trapping, greyhound racing, and the 2016 “Question 3” on the confinement of farmed animals).
RESOURCES
- ALP 188: The Case of the Cows, the Gas, & the Money
- WXXI Environmental Connections: Hot topics — the climate issues affecting Rochesterians today
- WXXI Environmental Connections: Climate action in the face of governmental opposition
- Revolution Philadelphia’s Instagram coverage of SNL
- Cory Booker on Animal Rights, Veganism, and How to Change the World
- Woodstock Farm Sanctuary on Bluesky
- This little-known company is a major funder of right-wing politics. You’ve probably eaten their chicken.
- Trump Uses Taxpayer Money to Fund the Torture of Billions of Animals
- The Flawed Ideology That Unites Grass-Fed Beef Fans and Anti-Vaxxers
- Can Climate-Resilient Chickens Help Fight Poverty?
- Want To Save The Bees? Focus On Habitat, Not Honey Bees
- DC Voters for Animals website
- DC Voters for Animals on Instagram
- DC Voters for Animals on Facebook
- DC Voters for Animals on Bluesky
- DC Voters for Animals on LinkedIn
- MSPCA Advocate for Animals website
- MSPCA on Instagram
- MSPCA on Facebook
- MSPCA Animal Action team on Threads
- Animal Policy Alliance website
- The Humane League website
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview._____________________________________________
The Animal Policy Alliance, established by The Humane League, is a powerful collective of local and state-level animal advocacy groups throughout the United States. We serve as a trusted resource, providing knowledge, strategies, connection opportunities, and grants to our member organizations. We lead with purpose, empowering alliance members to build toward our shared vision of a world without animal abuse.
_____________________________________________
Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!
Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!
Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.
Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.
The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Natalie Ahwesh of Humane Action Pennsylvania and Hannah Truxell of The Animal Policy Alliance about creating effective animal protection legislation at the local level. Learn how grassroots organizations can work with national resources to pass meaningful laws for animals, from foie gras bans to broader farmed animal protections.
This episode explores:
• How to build relationships with local legislators
• Strategic approaches to animal protection legislation
• The importance of language and messaging in animal advocacy
• Building from local victories to state-level change
• Working across different advocacy approaches
• Resources available for grassroots organizations
• Tips for starting local animal protection efforts
ABOUT OUR GUESTS
Natalie Ahwesh monitors and evaluates pending policy, regulatory, and legal action at the federal, state, and local levels that may impact animal protection. She works with local stakeholders, including policymakers, law enforcement, and community members, to ensure current laws and policies are being enforced. As Executive Director, she directs and supervises all campaigns, programs, and personnel at Humane Action Pennsylvania, while also spearheading educational initiatives. Natalie has several awards and accolades, including the 2024 City & State Above and Beyond, 2023 City & State PA Power 100, 2019 Incline’s “Who’s Next” Animal Advocates and PUMP’s and Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40 honorees, 2017 Humane Society District Leader of the Year, and is a founding member of The Humane League’s Animal Policy Alliance. She was also awarded a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship in 2023.
Hannah Truxell is the Senior Policy Counsel with The Humane League, where she leads a team of researchers who focus on providing support to THL’s Animal Policy Alliance. She and her team focus on state, federal, and local policy research, drafting model legislation, and legislative and campaign strategy. Hannah led THL’s internal research and support for the organization’s legal team’s success in defending California’s Proposition 12 before the U.S. Supreme Court. She previously served as Assistant General Counsel of The Humane League, counsel at Farm Sanctuary, and pro bono counsel with the Animal Welfare Institute. Hannah is the current Chair of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Animal Law Section and co-founded a Kentucky grassroots nonprofit, Kentucky Animal Action.
RESOURCES
- Despite Temporary Closures, Avian Flu Spreads in NYC’s Live Animal Markets
- Who’s Afraid of Lab-Grown Meat?
- The Facts About Protein: Why Science Says More Isn’t Always Better
- These vegan meat brands taste almost as good as the real thing. Taste tests prove it.
- Finally Free! Alamogordo Chimps Find Sanctuary at Last
- Turkey farm in Italy suspended after mistreatment caught on camera
- Humane Action PA website
- Animal Policy Alliance website
- The Humane League website
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview._____________________________________________
The Animal Policy Alliance, established by The Humane League, is a powerful collective of local and state-level animal advocacy groups throughout the United States. We serve as a trusted resource, providing knowledge, strategies, connection opportunities, and grants to our member organizations. We lead with purpose, empowering alliance members to build toward our shared vision of a world without animal abuse.
_____________________________________________
Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!
Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!
Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.
Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.
The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.
Leading researchers from the Psychology of Human Animal Intergroup Relations (PHAIR) Society join us to explore the science behind effective animal advocacy. Social psychologists Kristof Dhont and Jared Piazza share evidence-based insights about why people resist changing their behavior toward animals despite claiming to care about them and what this means for vegan advocacy and animal rights activism.
This episode explores:
- Understanding cognitive dissonance and the “meat paradox” – key psychological barriers to veganism
- Research-backed strategies for effective animal rights advocacy and behavior change
- How social identity, masculinity, and food familiarity impact plant-based eating
- Science-based approaches to reducing animal product consumption and promoting veganism
ABOUT OUR GUESTS
Dr Kristof Dhont is a Reader in Psychology at the University of Kent (UK). He is founder and director of SHARKLab and co-founder and President of the PHAIR Society, dedicated to the psychological study of human-animal relations. He investigates the psychological underpinnings and ideological roots of speciesism, racism, and sexism, and the moral psychology of eating and exploiting animals. He has co-edited Why We Love and Exploit Animals (Dhont & Hodson, 2020) and currently serves as Associate Editor for the journal Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations (PHAIR). Previously, he served as Associate Editor for Group Processes & Intergroup Relations (GPIR) and as Consulting Editor for the European Journal of Personality (EJP).
Dr Jared Piazza is a Senior Lecturer of Psychology at Lancaster University (UK). He studies moral decision making as it relates to consumer choices, our treatment of animals, and one another. His research applies perspectives from moral, social, and developmental psychology. He is co-founder and Vice President of the Society for the Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations (PHAIR), serves as an Associate Editor of the PHAIR journal, and chief editor of the PHAIR blog.
RESOURCES
- Some Vegans Were Harmed in the Watching of This Movie
- The animal agriculture industry’s obstruction of campaigns promoting individual climate action
- Rich nations could see ‘double climate dividend’ by switching to plant-based foods
- American Red Cross Working To Provide Plant-Based Options In Shelters
- Goodbye, ‘soy boys.’ Hello, swole vegans.
- Both Democratic And Republican Voters Favor Politicians Who Support Animal Protection
- PHAIR Society website
- PHAIR Animal Advocacy Conference 2025
- Jared R Piazza Publications and In Press Papers
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview._____________________________________________
Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!
Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!
Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.
Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.
The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.
Christine Kim, founder of My Dog is My Home, joins us to discuss the critical intersection of housing justice and animal companionship. This eye-opening conversation explores how homeless services, emergency shelters, and housing policies can better serve people and their companion animals, challenging systemic barriers that often force families to choose between shelter and keeping their pets.
This episode explores:
- The difference between “pet-friendly” and truly “pet-inclusive” housing policies
- How co-sheltering programs successfully keep people and pets together
- The connection between breed restrictions and racial discrimination in housing
- Emergency disaster response protocols for families with companion animals
- Innovative solutions for accessible homeless services
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Christine Kim is a macro social worker with a specialized interest in building programs and policies that recognize the power of the human-animal bond. During her time working in supportive housing, Christine became acutely aware of the barriers people experiencing homelessness with animals face when attempting to access shelter and housing services. Christine’s research and work with human-animal homeless families includes a publication in the pioneering book Animals in Social Work: Why and How They Matter (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), an exhibition for The Animal Museum called My Dog Is My Home and the founding of the non-profit organization by the same name. She served as the first director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare under Mayor Bill de Blasio, and she is the recipient of the ASPCA’s 2021 Public Service Humane Awards for her leadership at the NYC Mayor’s Office during the COVID-19 pandemic. Christine currently serves as Vice Chair of the board of directors for Animal Care Centers of NYC.
RESOURCES
- Elon Musk Should Take a Hard Look at One Agency Truly Wasting Taxpayer Dollars
- Piglets Left to Die in Art Exhibition Are Stolen in Denmark
- We’re being nudged to eat meat. What if the tables were turned?
- More Than Half Of Brits Unaware Cows Must Be Impregnated To Produce Milk, Survey Finds
- My Dog Is My Home website
- My Dog is My Home’s virtual conference takes place March 25-27, 2025. Use code henhouse2025 for $65 off registration.
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview._____________________________________________
Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!
Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!
Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.
Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.
The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.
In this powerful episode, we welcome Frances Gonzalez, founder of Little Logan’s Farm, who shares her inspiring journey of creating a veganic sanctuary and educational space in New York’s Hudson Valley. After experiencing profound personal loss, Frances channeled her grief into building a community space that champions veganic farming and compassionate living. Through innovative farm-to-table events and educational programs, she’s breaking new ground in showing how sustainable, animal-free agriculture can bring people together and heal communities.
This episode explores:
- The story behind Little Logan’s Farm in Gardiner, NY, and how it became a safe haven for both humans and animals
- Biocyclic vegan agriculture and its importance in creating truly cruelty-free farming systems
- How farm-to-table experiences can showcase plant-based cuisine without exploiting animals
- Frances’s work with Puerto Rico VegFest and expanding vegan education globally
- The intersection of sustainable farming, community building, and healing through nature
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Frances Gonzalez is a pioneering force in the vegan movement, serving as both the founder of Vegfest Puerto Rico and co-founder of Little Logan’s Farm, a sustainable sanctuary in New York’s Hudson Valley. At Little Logan’s Farm, she has created an innovative fusion of veganic farming practices and elegant event spaces, offering farm-to-table experiences, sustainable wedding venues, wellness retreats, and educational programming. Through her work in both Puerto Rico and New York, Frances demonstrates how plant-based living, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare can harmoniously combine in modern spaces while maintaining a deep connection to nature.
RESOURCES
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview._____________________________________________
Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content!
Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review!
Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.
Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky.
The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.