“In conservation, the lost causes are the best worth fighting for.” This week, Kathy speaks with Damien Mander, the renowned war veteran and founder of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation. In this informative episode, Kathy and Damien discuss: Damien’s unique path to animal activism after an extensive military career ultimately led to establishing found the IAPF How Damien transitioned to a vegan lifestyle in 2012 after realizing that he “ran out of excuses” for not going plant-based sooner: “I was saving some and eating others.” Why nature is the “best self-regulating system” a ..read more

Kathy takes a few minutes this week to talk about the devastating impact fireworks have on all animals. She shares her personal struggles to keep her rescue Pitbull, Chumbley, calm during Fourth of July fireworks. Connect with Kathy Stevens: Facebook: Kathy Stevens, Catskill Animal Sanctuary Twitter: @CASanctuary Book: Where the Blind Horse Sings Website: CASanctuary.org Instagram: @catskill_animal_sanctuary YouTube: Catskill Animal Sanctuary TikTok: @CASanctuary ..read more

In this re-released episode, Kathy discusses: How an animal who had never known love, kindness, or safety changed her life, and how his lessons inform much of what Catskill Animal Sanctuary is today. The choice to believe in humanity’s goodness, people’s capacity, and their willingness to change. Key Takeaways: All animals want their lives as much as we want ours. Animals have infinitely more capacity than most people understand. Choosing to recognize the disastrous path we are on is the first step to help animals, improve your health dramatically, and reduce your environmental footprint ..read more

In this mouth-watering episode, Kathy is joined by Shenarri Freeman, the superstar executive chef of Cadence. In just a year, Cadence has become one of NYC’s most exclusive reservations and was named one of the Top 50 Restaurants in the U.S. by The New York Times. During their lively conversation, Kathy and Shenarri discuss: Shenarri’s unlikely journey from cooking as part of a large family in Virginia to becoming a James Beard Award semifinalist for her vegan cuisine The important role veganism played in her life after losing her partner in 2018, and her inspiring step forward to attend culi ..read more

While most of us have at least one social media account, we may not be using it as an effective way to advocate for the animals we so dearly love. Today, Kathy is joined by social media professional and vegan activist John Oberg, to talk about: His personal journey to veganism after watching the groundbreaking documentary Earthlings while he was in college How social media’s “share” ability is one of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of online activism The importance of overcoming speciesism on social media in order to help “less cuddly” animals such as chickens, turkeys, and sea cr ..read more

Iowa Farm Sanctuary opened its doors in 2016 as the first farmed animal sanctuary in the state of Iowa. Today, the co-founders of the accredited sanctuary, Shawn and Jered Camp, join Kathy for an inspiring conversation about sticking to your values in the face of adversity. In this episode, they discuss: Jered’s unconventional path to animal advocacy after being raised in a hunting family and as a 4-H member The environmental impact of Iowa’s farming industry - the second largest in the nation - and how the waste produced by livestock is comparable to more than 45x the state’s human populatio ..read more

The End of Medicine is a new film, out May 10th, from BAFTA-winning director Alex Lockwood that could not be more timely. This urgent documentary features medical experts, animal activists, and social justice advocates speaking about the disastrous health effects of factory farming. In this week’s episode, Kathy is joined by Alex and Dr. Alice Brough, the film’s whistleblower and protagonist, to talk about: The all-star team of producers who helped make the film, including Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and activist producer Keegan Kuhn The eerily prescient message of the film, which started p ..read more

In this informative episode, Kathy is joined by Monica Engebretson, the North American Campaign Manager for Cruelty Free International.  What “cruelty free” really means and how you can identify products that haven’t been tested on animals by looking for the Leaping Bunny logo The history of animal testing and why it is not the most accurate way to predict human reactions to chemicals Exciting new legislation, both in New York State and at the federal level, that would ban animal testing and spare millions of animals from needless suffering New humane, non-animal based research that wil ..read more

This year marks the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day - an annual campaign that calls attention to the many threats to our planet from human kind and urges each of us to act as better Earth stewards . This week, Kathy tag teams with her podcast producer, Clare O’Brien, to talk about the connection between factory farming and climate change. Today, the two discuss: How animal agriculture is one of the top causes of climate change - and why it’s so difficult to find exact data of its impact The devastating impact of methane, a greenhouse gas 10x more destructive than carbon dioxide, produced by co ..read more

“Not just dogs…lambs!” Just in time for Easter, Kathy is joined by Brendon Smale - the founder of Saint Beans Animal Sanctuary, the first rescue in New Zealand dedicated solely to the protection of lambs and sheep. During their wonderful conversation, Kathy and Brendon discuss: The life-changing encounter with a newborn lamb that led Brendon to leave his corporate career and pursue animal activism Beans, the adventurous lamb who started it all, and his other sheep friends who serve as “Lambassadors” of the animal sanctuary How animal activists can promote plant-based eating in the face of ho ..read more