Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation

In this episode of the Our Hen House interview, Jasmin and Mariann sit down with animal lawyer, rescuer, and activist Michelle Lerner to discuss her new book A Series of Opinionated Animals (Bancroft Press). Michelle shares how a childhood bond with a rescue horse named Shire set her on the path to Harvard Law School, where she co-founded the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and helped lobby for the school’s first animal law course — despite facing intense hostility from some classmates. The conversation explores how Michelle uses humor and individual animal stories — from a neurologically impaired squirrel named Monster to a bossy chicken named Stephanie — as a Trojan horse for deeper policy issues around wildlife rehabilitation laws, the legal status of animals as property, and the power of recognizing animals as individuals rather than abstract species. The episode also features an Our Hen House exclusive: the never-before-told story of Isaac, Michelle’s 22-pound cat and the elaborate enclosure system she built to keep everyone safe. From Harvard Law to animal law pioneer: Michelle recounts putting an animal rights sticker on her locker at Harvard Law School, the hostile backlash it triggered, and how she channeled that experience into founding one of the first Student Animal Legal Defense Fund chapters — paving the way for what is now the Harvard Animal Law and Policy Program’s 25th anniversary. Storytelling as activism and the case for animal personhood: Michelle explains why she shifted focus from changing animals’ legal status as property to showing readers that animals already possess genuine personhood, using individual biographies — funny, heartbreaking, and specific — to break through in ways that graphic factory farming footage often cannot. Wildlife rescue and the law: The story of Monster, a neurologically impaired squirrel Michelle illegally took in after discovering how state fish and game councils — dominated by hunters and trappers — systematically undercut wildlife rehabilitation, leaving disabled wild animals with nowhere to go. Grief, love, and the cost of caring for animals: Michelle opens up about how losing her horse Shire shaped her understanding of grief, how those experiences informed her novel Ring (longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize), and why the depth of her relationships with animals makes the inevitable loss worth it. Where to find the book: A Series of Opinionated Animals is available in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. Click here to buy the book and Our Hen House will receive $10 per hardcover or $5 per e-book sale! ABOUT OUR GUEST Michelle Lerner is a former public interest attorney, animal law pioneer, and author. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, she co-founded the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, successfully lobbying for Harvard’s first animal law class. She later drafted municipal and state legislation, co-chaired the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee, and founded a local rescue that achieved no-kill status. After a disabling illness, she turned to writing stories. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Ring, was published in 2025 and her latest book, A Series of Opinionated Animals, is available now from Bancroft Press. _____________________________________________ 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. Contributions of any amount are hugely appreciated. 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, YouTube, 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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this episode of The Hen Report from Our Hen House, Jasmin and Mariann cover major developments in animal welfare and the vegan movement, including the Ridglan Farms beagle rescue court updates, Wyoming becoming the sixth no-kill state, the Trump administration’s animal welfare agenda (and its exclusion of farm animals), the upcoming free Veganic Summit, and a heartwarming story of a young Spider-Man who released resort lobsters back into the ocean. Plus, a conversation about bridging the gap between companion animal advocacy and farmed animal rights, and a preview of Friday’s interview with Michelle Lerner, author of A Series of Opinionated Animals. Ridglan Farms Beagle Rescue Court Update: All 47 advocates who rescued beagles from the Wisconsin breeding facility appeared in court, with attorneys arguing they acted as rescuers — not thieves. Rep. Mark Pocan has called on the Dane County DA to drop all charges, and the Beagle Freedom Project reports 85% of the 498 released beagles had abnormal veterinary findings. Wyoming Joins No-Kill States: Wyoming is now the sixth U.S. state to achieve no-kill shelter status (90% live release rate), joining Delaware, Idaho, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont — thanks in part to special-needs cat rescues like Second Chance Sheridan. Trump’s Animal Welfare Agenda & Farm Animals: Jessica Scott-Reid writes in Sentient Media that while the administration is reportedly expanding protections for companion animals through USDA and FDA updates, the new era of animal welfare still excludes nearly all of the 10 billion land animals farmed for food each year. Veganic Summit (Free, Nov 6–8): A free online event teaching how to grow plant foods using vegan, organic techniques — no chemical fertilizers or animal byproducts like manure or bone meal. Register at veganicsummit.com. The Kids Are All Right: A young boy in Mexico donned a Spider-Man mask and released $400 worth of resort lobsters into the ocean, and a bipartisan Michigan bill — inspired by fourth graders — would designate shelter pets as the state’s official pet. RESOURCES Buy A Series of Opinionated Animals & A Portion Will Go To Our Hen House! Ridglan Farms beagles: Animal rights advocates appear in court Wyoming is Now a No-Kill State Trump’s ‘New Era of Animal Welfare’ Excludes Almost All Farm Animals A young boy wearing a Spider-Man mask released approximately $400 worth of live lobsters Thanks, Matthew Bierlein – State Representative for introducing a bill designating shelter pets as Michigan’s official pet. Beyond VegFest: Making Healthy Connections My Dog Is My Home, A Seat at the Table benefit _____________________________________________ The Veganic Summit is a free online event from November 6th-8th, 2026. You’ll learn how plant foods can be grown using techniques that are both vegan and organic, without any chemical fertilizers or any animal byproducts like manure or bonemeal. If you’d like to start your own veganic garden or learn about sustainable plant-based farming, sign up for the Veganic Summit today at https://veganicsummit.com/ _____________________________________________ 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. Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. 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, YouTube, 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, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

This week, Mariann finds herself in a suspiciously good mood despite a roster of horrors: ag-friendly lawmakers are departing Washington, Western states are busy “euthanizing” wolves in the most creative misuse of that word yet, and 2,400 pigs died in a barn fire that somehow produced “no injuries.” On the bright side, Gen Z is apparently ghosting pork, the hog market is in freefall, and a new report confirms what everyone already suspected—Big Beef knew about its climate impact back in the ’90s and chose deception. Also: cancer-causing fire retardant in your fish meal, supermarkets begging governments to stop yanking every last mackerel out of the sea, and your tax dollars hard at work building a dairy industry in a country full of lactose-intolerant people. Plus, a shout-out to Cat Phipps, the grassroots activist proving one person can actually ruin a multi-country live animal export operation. Farm lobby loses its Congressional cheerleaders: Dozens of lawmakers with big ag ties are leaving Washington, and the industry is very sad about it, which is a promising sign for anyone who isn’t a factory farm Shooting wolves is not euthanasia: Colorado and other Western states are reintroducing wolves and then killing them the moment they do what wolves do; calling it euthanasia doesn’t make it euthanasia Gen Z is not buying pork: Hog market hits “historic lows” as younger consumers cut their per-capita pig consumption, and industry veterans find this “puzzling” Big Beef’s ’90s climate disinformation campaign exposed: Newly surfaced documents show the National Cattlemen’s Association knew about livestock’s methane problem decades ago and opted to lie about Cancer-causing fire retardant in fish meal + US dairy expansion in lactose-intolerant Indonesia: Because nothing says “agricultural innovation” like poisoning farmed fish and exporting lactose to a country that can’t digest it 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. Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. 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, YouTube, 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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this episode of Our Hen House, Mariann Sullivan speaks with Cat Phipps of Southampton Animal Action about their remarkable grassroots campaign that convinced Brittany Ferries to end live animal exports between Ireland and France. Cat breaks down the history of live export protests in the UK, how a small local group used consistent, legal, and disruptive tactics over more than a year to force a major ferry company to stop transporting animals on 18-plus-hour journeys, and what this victory means for the broader animal rights movement. They also discuss the resurgence of grassroots campaigning, bridging the gap between welfarist and abolitionist approaches, and what’s next — including a new push against Irish Ferries and ongoing campaigns targeting MBR Acres, Barclays, and pet retailers. The Brittany Ferries campaign: How Southampton Animal Action organized weekly protests at Portsmouth Port, used banner drops and megaphones inside the port, and maintained legal but disruptive pressure to persuade CEO Christophe Mathieu to end the company’s live animal export operations. Live exports explained: The grim reality of live animal transport in Europe, including unweaned calves and sheep shipped for 18+ hours without food or water, and how the UK’s 2024 ban on live exports post-Brexit left EU routes as the remaining battleground. Abolitionist messaging within a welfarist coalition: How a vegan-led grassroots group partnered with Compassion in World Farming while refusing to compromise their demand for a complete end to live exports, proving that welfare-to-abolitionist coalitions can work. The ripple effects: How Brittany Ferries’ decision sent the Irish animal agriculture industry into crisis, triggered political panic among Irish MEPs, and left Irish Ferries as the sole remaining live export operator on the route. Grassroots strategy and what’s next: The role of in-person community building, why small protests can be powerfully effective, how single-species campaigns like MBR Acres can serve as gateways to broader animal rights awareness, and Southampton Animal Action’s upcoming campaigns targeting Barclays, Pets at Home, and more. ABOUT OUR GUEST Cat Phipps is an animal rights activist with Southampton Animal Action (SAA), a grassroots group campaigning for animal freedom across Hampshire, UK. She led SAA’s campaign against Brittany Ferries, who restarted live animal exports in 2025. The campaign included regular protests outside Brittany Ferries in Portsmouth, UK, and culminated in a direct meeting with Brittany Ferries’ CEO, Christophe Matthieu, in July 2026. The following week, Brittany Ferries announced its decision to stop transporting animals. The win demonstrated the impact that persistent grassroots campaigning can have on corporate decisions and animal protection. _____________________________________________ 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. Contributions of any amount are hugely appreciated. 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, YouTube, 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 LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

In this episode of The Hen Report, Jasmin and Mariann discuss groundbreaking news: New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry may finally be coming to an end under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration. They trace the decades-long grassroots fight to ban carriage horses in NYC—from protest carols at Columbus Circle to the strategic political organizing that made this moment possible—while highlighting the activists and organizations, including Voters for Animal Rights and the work of Allie Feldman Taylor, who helped build the political power behind the bill. The conversation also explores the vital role of grassroots activism in the broader animal rights movement, the upcoming City Council vote on October 22nd, and what this iconic victory could mean for animals far beyond New York City. NYC Horse-Drawn Carriage Ban: Mayor Mamdani announced the industry is coming to an end, with the City Council vote expected on October 22nd and a potential phase-out date of June 1, 2028. The bill includes humane disposition requirements for the horses. Decades of Grassroots Organizing: The hosts reflect on their personal history with this campaign, including Christmas carols rewritten as protest songs, and explain why this long-fought battle is a testament to the power of persistent grassroots activism. Key Organizations and Activists: A spotlight on the groups that made this possible—including Voters for Animal Rights, NYCLASS, Equine Advocates, and the ASPCA—with special recognition for Allie Feldman Taylor, who now heads the NYC Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare. The Catalyst and the Context: The tragic death of a young man from India after a carriage accident helped trigger this moment, but it was the years of organizing beforehand that made the movement ready to act when tragedy struck—drawing international press coverage from the UK, Australia, and India. The Broader Grassroots Movement: The discussion expands to celebrate grassroots activism across the animal rights movement, including the upcoming interview with Cat Phipps about live export protests in the UK, the March to End Animal Testing, and a reminder that local, in-person advocacy remains essential to creating lasting change for animals. RESOURCES Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law & Graduate School The Effects Of Digital Advocacy: What A Single Exposure To Digital Animal Advocacy Can (And Can’t) Do New York City’s iconic horse-drawn carriages expected to take their last trot Horse-drawn carriages in New York City expected to be outlawed _____________________________________________ 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. Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. 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, YouTube, 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, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.