In light of recent news that the Trump administration is is scaling back animal experimentation across various levels of government, such as the National Institute of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and even the military, it is time to put to rest this idea that conservatives do not care about animals or have no place in the animal protection movement.

I believe that anyone willing to advance this cause and put an end to the bloody business of animal exploitation, indiscriminately of religion, culture, race, ethnicity or something as trivial as political inclinations, should be welcomed and supported by this movement.

To discuss this topic and more, we are lucky to have Liam Gray, someone who is immersed in the world of politics. He is the founder of the Wilberforce Institute, which is a public policy think tank dedicated to advancing: the recognition of the inherent value and dignity of life; a market freed from corrupt, collusory, and coercive government intrusion; and intellectually diverse policies that benefit human and animal interests.

Learn about the Wilberforce Institute: https://wilberforce.institute/

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In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves - these words spoken by Carl Sagan were inspired by "The Pale Blue Dot" a picture of Earth taken by the Voyager 1 space probe from a distance of 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles).

In the spirit of that insight, I asked today's guest, Rabbi Akiva Gersh, also known as the Vegan Rabbi, "Why does God not intervene to stop the horrors of animal exploitation?" That kicked off a fascinating conversation about religion and its place in the vegan movement, the nature of evil, antisemitism and why does Rabbi Akiva think that the fight for animal rights is.... a holy fight.

I am full of admiration of Rabbi Akiva's tireless work of using religious arguments to promote compassion for animals in the Jewish community.

The Vegan Rabbi Website: https://www.akivagersh.com/

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If you are a dog lover, this episode is for you. because today, we are talking about Brambles, a very special border collie who lived 175 years - that is in dog years - making her one of the top ten longest-living dogs, according to the Guinness World Records.

And what makes this story even more special is that Brambles was vegan. In fact, she is considered to be the first vegan dog in recorded history.

As a treat for all of us, I have today, with me, Bramble's mom, Anne Heritage, who I consider to be a pioneer of the vegan movement. Just think how, nowadays, we have so many vegan dog food brands and products, readily available, and all of that originated with Anne and Bramble's story.

In our time together, we discussed her ground-breaking book "Bramble; The dog who wanted to live forever", which I highly recommend: it's a short yet impactful read. Link to the book in the episode's notes. We also discussed the resurrection of the dire wolves, your local veterinary clinics being acquired by Mars, the chocolate bar conglomerate, cooking for your animals, and much much more.

Order "Bramble; The dog who wanted to live forever. The Somerset notes." : https://a.co/d/dm2LsNg

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This episode is a reminder of why we want others to become vegan. Not just because we care about animals, but also because being vegan is amazing, and we want to share this beautiful life experience with the rest of the world.

And to discuss this topic, I have with me Dr. Angela Crawford, a psychologist who wrote an entire book dedicated to this issue called "The Vegan Transformation", which explores the impact of a vegan lifestyle on our emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Among other things, we discussed if there was a wrong or right way of being vegan, Jordan Peterson and the question of meaning, why vegans can be harsher with fellow vegans than carnists, how veganism is a religion, the resilience of vegans, and much much more.

ORDER THE BOOK HERE: https://angelacrawfordphd.com/book/

Contact Angela with your questions: https://angelacrawfordphd.com/contact/

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This is an intervention. Vegan burnouts are real and I see it all around me, constantly. Stress and anxiety from the carnists around you: boyfriend, girlfriend, in-laws, mom and dad, even your own children. Constant excruciating reminders of the violence of animal cruelty from movies, tv-series, ads, your social media feed. And as an activist, which is a position we are all forced upon at some point, it is a whole other level of hell: hearing the same well-known idiosyncratic arguments again and again, watching painfully horrific slaughterhouse footage, saving and caring for animals despite the financial strains and this is the least of it!

Veganism is not only a fight for the animals, it is also a fight for your sanity. And in my humble opinion, one of the most powerful weapon to guard your peace of mind is meditation, the subject of today's episode.

To discuss this topic, I have with me someone who has dedicated his whole life to the practice and teaching of meditation, a Buddhist Monk called Bhante Sathi. In addition to his passion for meditation, Bhante is vegan and a long-time defender of the animal cause. In fact, he is the president of the organization Dharma Voices For Animals, which we covered in previous episodes.

Now Bhante has recently published a book called the Mind Work Out, which is your chance to launch your meditation practice. This book is the result of decades of experience meditating and it has the ambition to offer you the life of joy and happiness you deserve. Visit the episode notes for more details.

Get The Mind Work Out: https://a.co/d/54qsZvv

If you are experiencing immense distress, please take this episode as your cue to open about your pain. Don't wait. FIND A HELPLINE: https://findahelpline.com/

Learn about Dharma Voices for Animals: https://www.dharmavoicesforanimals.org/

Connect with Bhante Sathi: https://www.triplegem.org/wp/?page_id=658

The Buddha For Veganism. With Bob Isaacson & Ardjani Puig | Ep. 50 https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1669438/

May All Beings Be Happy! A Buddhist Take on Veganism. With Bhikkhu Sunyo | Ep. 30 https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1342993/

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Back in 2016, Sherry Colb and Michael Dorf published one of the most thought provoking book in the animal rights world. It is called beating hearts, and it attempts to resolve a challenging question: How can you condemn hunting, animal farming, and animal experimentation while also favoring legal abortion, which is the deliberate destruction of a human fetus? If you are someone like me who thinks abortion should be legal but goes as far as not to even kill mosquitoes, than this issue hits home.

But more than that, this book is the proof that the secular vegan philosophy and intellectual tradition has enough depth to tackle and appropriate itself some of the most complex and sensitive moral hot button issues of our time.

To discuss the book, I have the honor to welcome the author himself, Michael C. Dorf, a Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell University and long time animal rights advocate.

If you appreciate this conversation and my independent reporting of the animal rights world, then please share this episode with your fellow vegans.

Get the book "Beating Hearts": https://www.amazon.com/Beating-Hearts-Abortion-Critical-Perspectives/dp/0231175140

(From Sherry) Mind If I Order The Cheeseburger?: And Other Questions People Ask Vegans: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Order-Cheeseburger-Questions-15-Feb-2014/dp/B011T6SBAO

(From Sherry) When Sex Counts: Making Babies and Making Law: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/When-Sex-Counts-Making-Babies/dp/0742551504

Follow Michael Dorf's insightful blog entries; https://www.dorfonlaw.org/

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Baby chicks mailed by the national postal service, animal testing lab whistleblowers getting threatened by mysterious powers, polar bears allowed to be hunted, despite being in danger of extinction: this is Canada in 2025, as it faces what could be the most consequential election in its history, fighting an economic war with Trump's United States.

In today's episode, I am joined by the inspiring Liz White, leader of the Animal Protection Party of Canada, for one of the few conversations exploring what is at stake for the billions of animals whose fate will soon be decided at the ballot box.

Learn more About the Animal Protection Party of Canada: https://www.animalprotectionparty.ca/

Learn more about the legal case for proportional voting in Canada: https://www.charterchallenge.ca/

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Bill Rodgers ★ Regan Russel ★ William Sweet ★ Fernando Pereira ★ Bartolomeu Morais da Silva ★ Mike Hill ★ Tom Worby ★ Jill Phipps ★ Karel Van Noppen ★ David “Gypsy” Chain Beth O’Brien ★ Robert “Naya” Bryan ★ Barry Horne

Those are the names of the activists featured in the Fallen Warrior section of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office website, animalliberationpressoffice.org. In other words, those are activists who have payed the ultimate price, their life, for standing up to animal abuse and exploitation.

In today's episode, I invited Dr. Jerry Vlasak, a press officer and long-time animal rights activist, by profession a trauma surgeon, to remember those heroes and reflect upon their sacrifice and legacy. We also remember those who have sacrificed their freedom for the animal cause, most notably Marius Mason and Maxim Plokhoi who are still serving their sentence in prison.

Learn about the prisoners and fallen warriors: https://animalliberationpressoffice.org/NAALPO/prisoners/

Get "Flaming Arrows" https://www.amazon.com/Flaming-Arrows-Writings-Liberation-L-F/dp/1957452099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books

More forbidden books: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AAnimal%2BLiberation%2BFront&s=relevancerank&text=Animal+Liberation+Front&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1

Who is Scared of the Animal Liberation Front? With Dr. Jerry Vlasak | Ep. 26 https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1302932/

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