What do we really know about animals, the beings whom we share much of our living space, DNA, brain structures and abilities with? Would a better understanding of the world through the eyes of an animal change our perception of what it means to be human?
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Should all cats have a loving human home? (00:35:27)
Worldwide, there are a vast number of unowned cats. But is this a bad thing? The cat lovers among us may wish for a world where all these moggies have a loving home and a human lap to purr in. But is this what the cats want?
My guest today is Vicky Halls of International Cat Care, who is an expert in "unowned" cats. She believes that we should be making sure it is the cat that dictates the nature of their relationship with us, something humans are not so great at doing when it comes to animals!
Learn more here: https://icatcare.org/unowned-cats/
Is downplaying animal abuse endangering human lives? (00:31:27)
In the UK, where I'm currently living, you will get 15 years imprisonment for armed robbery, due to the lasting physical and psychological damage to the victim. But abuse, or kill an animal? You'll get away with a maximum of 5 years, but probably less, even if this animal is the companion of a human.
The abuse of companion animals is rife in domestic abuse settings, yet it is rarely spoken about, nor taken as seriously as other crimes. My guest today wants to change that. Maya Badham trains professionals to recognise the link between abuse of animals and abuse of humans, particularly within a domestic setting.
She joins me in this episode to discuss how we often overlook actions that affect the animals present in the home when we investigate domestic abuse.
You can read more about her work on her website: https://sahsda.wixsite.com/sahsda
As our audience is international, we cannot signpost to specific organisations here, but if you, or anyone you know is affected by anything discussed in this episode, please reach out to your local support services as soon as possible.
Are animal rescue organisations barking up the wrong tree? (00:31:58)
A year as a key decision maker in the world of animal rescue showed me just how difficult it is to change mindsets in a highly emotive field. Yet, many of the well-meaning policies rescues employ may actually be doing more harm than good in the long run. So in this episode, I am joined by my guest Dr Karen Griffin of the Dog Rehoming Project to investigate how animal rescues could be using scientific evidence, instead of anecdotes and emotions, to make data-driven decisions and ultimately help more animals in their communities.
Are Feminists required to be Vegan? (00:36:09)
The inspiration from today's episode came from the 2019 paper: The Milkmaid’s Tale: Veganism, Feminism, and Dystopian Food Futures, by Dr Angela Lee. I was lucky enough to have Dr Lee join me to discuss her work on the systemic nature of food, and how our dietary choices are intrinsically linked to social justice issues. I ponder the questions: is it morally admissible for vegetarians and vegans to eat fake meat products? And if you consider yourself a feminist, does this mean that you are morally required to be vegan?
What can our kinship with animals tell us about our relationships with other humans? (00:31:06)
I speak with Maythe Han, a PhD anthropology researcher who has been investigating kinship between humans and their dogs. Despite the project being "a love letter" to her own dog, she has uncovered a dark side to our love for our closest canine companions...
Just how close are we to our Chimpanzee cousins? (00:32:07)
As humans, we love to categorize. But what if these categorizations don't really reflect biological reality? Professor Volker Sommer joins me this week to give us some insight into the history, and the problems with, the taxonomic system, including whether some non-human primates should actually be included in our "human" genus Homo.
Can an elephant be legally recognised as a person? (00:34:39)
Happy, a captive elephant, currently has a petition filed on her behalf for a common law writ of habeas corpus (that is, against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment) in the New York Supreme Court. Those who filed the petition are demanding recognition of Happy’s legal personhood and fundamental right to bodily liberty. But what is legal personhood? What does it mean to be a "person"? To answer these questions I'm joined by Dr Joe Wills of the University of Leicester, expert in human rights, animal rights and legal, political and moral theory.
Why do we use Primates in research? (00:26:54)
A "behind the scenes" look at the history, and current practices of using primates in laboratory research. Why do we use these animals? What are the problems associated with their use? To help answer these questions I am joined by Janire Castellano Bueno, PhD student at Newcastle University, who works on improving welfare for laboratory rhesus macaques.
Do animals play? (00:28:19)
Dr Raoul Schwing of the Kea Lab in Austria joins me to talk about one of his favourite topics, play. Do animals play? Why? And what special purpose does play serve in Kea parrots, one of the smartest and most mischievous birds on the planet?
What does a vet and an environmentalist have in common? (00:34:14)
My guest today is Dr Simon Doherty of Queens University, Belfast. He talks to me about risks of zoonotic diseases, and how the best way to tackle these, and other public health problems is through communication and collaboration across scientific fields.
What is sentience anyway? (00:25:12)
This month, the UK government introduced a Bill to formally recognise animals as sentient beings. But what does this mean? And why is it important? What animals are sentient, and how do we know? To answer (some) of these questions I am joined by Dr Janet Pauketat, research fellow at the Sentience Institute.
Do fish feel pain? (00:34:10)
I am joined by Dr Lynne Sneddon, a fish pain and welfare expert, who explains the research she does on fish pain, her incredible discoveries, and how she is using this research to drive welfare changes for fish everywhere
Is the media brainwashing us? (00:30:59)
Dr. Judith Benz-Schwarzburg, a scholar of human-animal studies at the Messerli Institute, Vienna, joins me to discuss how the media diverts scruitiny from the meat industry, and how advertisers use clever tricks to sooth our conscience and keep us spending our money on their products, guilt-free. This conversation left me wondering... is the media brainwashing us?
Are pets the new kids? (00:33:25)
A brief history of animal law and I have the privilage of speaking to Professor David Favre, a law professor at Michigan University. He sets out his idea for a new category under the law that would give additional protection to companion animals, bringing them closer to the status that children currently have, particularly in areas of divorce and inheritance. But who will and won't be protected?
What is it like to be a bat? (00:30:03)
Evolution has endowed humans and every other living being on earth with a unique set of organs and sensory abilities that allow them to navigate the world. We understand the functions and mechanisms of these attributes better than ever before, but one big question remains, which has baffled scientists and philosophers alike for centuries: where does our sensation of conciousness come from? And do other animals experience conciousness as we do? Do AI computers experience something like conciousness? How do we even know anyone else, besides ourselves, experiences conciousness like we do?
What is an Animal? (00:24:14)
What is an animal? What is it that sets humans apart from other, non-human animals?
Animalistic Intro (00:01:17)
My name is Katharine Creagh. I studied psychology and human-animal interactions. In this series I will be sharing some of the groundbreaking work by scientists and scholars in the fields of biology, psychology, philosophy and law, in an effort to bridge...
