Farmed animal sanctuaries are the heart of the animal advocacy movement. Our guest today, Zoe Novic, Executive Director of CAPE (Center for Animal Protection and Education), knows this well as she grew up on a sanctuary in the Santa Cruz hills. Zoe has a diverse background that includes two years in the Peace Corps in Indonesia, a Master’s in Public Health, and leadership roles at The Humane League, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Greener by Default, Zoe has expertise in grassroots organizing, public health policy, and advocacy.

On the podcast, Zoe discusses the significance of the human-animal connection in comprehending and understanding nonhuman animals. She talks about how sanctuaries serve as acts of resistance, providing physical spaces where we can shape the world as we envision it. She and Hope also discuss how sanctuary and rescue efforts have been devalued in recent years, with current animal advocacy funding and philanthropy philosophies moving away from funding direct animal care and how that is impacting the movement. Zoe emphasizes the importance of emotion in advocacy, highlighting how it can often prompt action more effectively than logic or reason. She further explains how sanctuaries deeply evoke emotions. Additionally, Zoe shares her public health background, underscoring the intricate connections between this sector and animal agriculture.

Resources:

CAPE: Center for Animal Protection and Education

Sonoma County VegFest, September 27, 2025

Film: Called to Rescue

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Some advocates in environmental and animal activism argue that we should solely focus on changing the system through government and corporate campaigns, discouraging grassroots action and personal change. Our guest, Janet O’Shea (informally known as Jay), co-authored an article in Newsweek in response to an environmental author’s piece arguing that going vegan is ineffective. Jay systematically debunks the faulty argumentation and refutes its flawed analogies. She offers insightful perspectives on veganism as a boycott, a social justice issue, and the history of vegetarianism, highlighting its differences from the current context.

Then, continuing the conversation about the importance of individual action, Jay talks about Gandhi and the Kahdi (homespun cotton) movement, comparing the British cotton boycott during the British occupation of India to the boycott of animal products today. Jay is incredibly knowledge and reveals some fascinating insights into this issue, please share this episode!

Full Bio:

Janet (Jay) O’Shea is author of Risk, Failure, Play: What Dance Reveals about Martial Arts Training (2019) and At Home in the World: Bharata Natyam on the Global Stage (2007). She is currently writing a book, entitled Bodies on the Line: Physicality, Sentiment, and Social Justice, which focuses on utility cycling advocacy, border solidary efforts, and farmed animal rescue. She has also written book chapters and articles on veganism, animal rights, and environmentalism. She is part of the teaching team for the freshman cluster course Food as a Lens for the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, is on the advisory board of Climate Diet, and is a board member of New Roots Institute. She is a regular volunteer with animal rights, border solidarity, and food justice organizations. She is a Professor and Chair of the department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA.

RESOUCES:

Jay’s Newsweek Article

Related Podcast: The Cage-Free Conundrum

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www.HopeForTheAnimalsPodcast.org

www.Compassionate-Living.org

Patty Leon and Rich Winograd both grew up as animal lovers…or so they thought. It was during the pandemic that they came across documentaries, books, and articles that removed their blindfolds and led to the light switch moment to make a change for the better. Today they continue to learn and grow, sharing, their insight as animal rights, vegan and social justice activists. They actively volunteer for various organizations and have written a young adult novel titled “True Justice 4 All.” Rich and Patty share with Hope how they awakened to the hypocrisy of our relationship with animals and the detrimental impact of the food production system on animals, humans, and the planet as a whole.

Resources:

Rich and Patty's Book: True Justice 4 All

InstaGram: @truejustice4all

Sonoma County VegFest, September 27, 2025

On this episode we are sharing the recording from the Humane Hoax Project Panel Discussion: Egg Prices Are Not the Only Crisis, The Current Political Situation and Animal Agriculture.

The political climate has left many feeling frustrated as we witness the dismantling of government oversight and structure. This is further compounded by the avian flu crisis and its impact on the food system. Hope Bohanec hosts a panel of experts who will examine the current situation, navigate the political turmoil, and discuss the effects on farmed animals, our advocacy strategies, and the food industry.

Panelists

Vasile Stanescu, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Chair of Communication at Mercer University. He received his Ph.D. in the program of Modern Thought and Literature (MTL) at Stanford University. Stanescu’s research focuses on greenwashing by animal agribusiness, critiques of humane meat, in vitro meat, and consumerist options for social change. He is the author of numerous publications on the study of animals and the environment including publications in the Journal of American Culture, Rhetoric of Health & Medicine, the American Behavioral Scientist and Animal Studies Journal. Stanescu is also the co-founder of the North American Association for Critical Animal Studies (NAACAS).

Kathryn Gillespie, PhD, is a writer and researcher dedicated to uncovering the harms done to animals in industrial and so-called "humane" systems of production. She is VP of Research and Strategy at Farm Forward and Associate Director for the Center for Food Systems Transformations at the University of San Diego. She is the author of The Cow with Ear Tag #1389 (University of Chicago Press, 2018), a book about the lives of cows in the U.S. dairy industry. .

John Sanbonmastsu, PhD, is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and a charismatic, internationally recognized authority in animal ethics. He is the author of The Postmodern Prince and editor of the book Critical Theory and Animal Liberation. His latest book, The Omnivore’s Deception, offers a bold new way of thinking about human purpose in the context of our troubled relations with animals and food.

Resources:

Related Podcasts:

The Cage-Free Conundrum with Hope Bohanec

Greenwashing and Animal Agriculture with Vasile Stanescu

The Omnivore’s Deception with John Sanbonmatsu

Books:

On Effective Altruism: The Good it Promises the Harm It Does

The Omnivore’s Deception by John Sanbonmatsu

Cow with Ear Tag #1389 by Kathryn Gillespie

Article: Trump’s tax bill is a win for Big Ag

On this episode, we switch things up and our host, Hope Bohanec, is interviewed by Michele Granberg of Animal Activism Collective, AAC. Today we are sharing with you a recording of Hope being interviewed by Michele for the Animal Liberation Hour Podcast where they talk about Hope’s activist origin story, why she started her nonprofit Compassionate Living, and her thoughts on exposing humanewashing and speciesism. Hope also gets into the spiritual aspect of veganism and nonviolence revealing parallels to Dharma traditions and she talks about Ahimsa, a Sanskrit term meaning non-harming.

Resources:

Animal Activism Collective

The Animal Liberation Hour Podcast

Humane Hoax Project Online Panel Discussion, July 19, More info and registration here.

Hope’s books:

The Ultimate Betrayal: Is There Happy Meat?

The Humane Hoax: Essays Exposing the Myth of Happy Meat, Humane Dairy, and Ethical Eggs

On this episode Hope talks with author John Sanbonmatsu about his new book The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves. This engaging book covers a variety of philosophical aspects of meat-eating culture, offers insight into our fraught relationship with farmed animal and explores the importance of incorporating love into our ethics. John and Hope discuss humanewashing and the deception around the reality of animal farming, the cognitive dissonance of loving and eating animals, and how eating meat is an aspect of the US culture wars. They also debate a pessimistic vs. optimistic view of the trajectory of the last few decades of vegan and animal activism.

John Sanbonmatsu is a Professor of Philosophy at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, where he teaches ethics and politics, among other topics. He is the author of The Postmodern Prince and editor of the book Critical Theory and Animal Liberation. His new book, The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves (New York University Press) challenges the myth of "enlightened" omnivorism and the idea that we can have our meat and our conscience too.

MUSICAL BONUS:

At the conclusion of the episode, we share with you a new song by vegan musician Brent Ratkovich titled “Trying.” This beautiful song is a heartfelt love letter to farmed animals that conveys a profound vegan message.

Resources:

Book: The Omnivore’s Deception

Humane Hoax Panel Discussion: July 19, information and registration here: https://www.humanehoax.org/upcoming-event

Brent Ratkovich: preview and purchase music: brentratkovich.bandcamp.com

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In this episode, we explore the psychological aspects of living vegan on our social, emotional, and even spiritual psychology. Angela Crawford, the author of “The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World,” shares her research having interviewed hundreds of vegans to uncover common themes related to the benefits and challenges of living vegan. She talks about value alignment, the different stages of readiness for people to hear the vegan message, and the importance of including ourselves in our circle of compassion.

Angela Crawford, Ph.D. is a psychologist, vegan educator, and author of The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World (Lantern, 2025). She holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and previously worked as a psychotherapist for 25 years, empowering clients toward greater holistic well-being. She is certified as a Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator (MSVA), licensed PCRM Food for Life instructor, and Transformational Coach.

Resources:

Angela’s Website

Buy the Book from Lantern

Social media links: @angelacrawfordphd on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn

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Hope for the Animals Podcast

Compassionate Living

Fires, hurricanes, floods—animals are also victims of recent unprecedented natural disasters. Diana Hulet, an environmental writer and animal photojournalist, shares her experience documenting the destruction of the recent LA fires and its impact on animals. She witnessed distressed wildlife, people risking their lives to protect animals, and participated in animal rescues. Diana and Hope discuss the climate crisis and how all these recent “un-natural” disasters are fueled by human actions. Diana also shares her personal contemplative practice, which helps her navigate the difficult subject matter she encounters in her work.

Diana Hulet is a Pacific Northwest and Colorado-based environmental writer, animal photojournalist, and yoga teacher with over three decades of experience in yoga philosophy and contemplative traditions. After establishing her own Yoga studio and leading trainings and retreats internationally, Diana pivoted her attention and received a Bachelor of Science degree at Oregon State University in 2017, focusing on environmental ethics, ecology, and climate change. Diana's growing concern for the well-being of animals prompted her to pick up a camera and begin documenting the details of their lives. Her ongoing project, What if We Saw Them, encourages reflection on our relationship with animals in various contexts, advocating for compassion as a catalyst for systemic change. She is a contributor to two animal photojournalist nonprofits We Animals and Sanctuary Doc, where she also serves as the Board Vice President.

Resources:

Diana Hulet Website

Sanctuary Doc

What If We Saw Them Project

Support this podcast:

Hope for the Animals Podcast

Compassionate Living