Episode 592: Saving Animals ft. Catherine Kelaher

05/15/21 • 76 min

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

Author, animal activist, and founder of Australia’s NSW Hen Rescue Catherine Kelaher joins us today to provide insight into her rescue work, share her most harrowing rescue experience (and the subsequent court case!), and detail how she goes about the rehoming process for rescued hens. She also tells us about her latest book, Saving Animals, a how-to guide for aspiring activists, and just wait till you hear about how Our Hen House helped bring it into existence! (We’re kvelling!!) Catherine and Jasmin also discuss everything from the many problems with hatching programs in schools to the importance of taking care of yourself when caring for others.
Catherine is a vegan animal activist, feminist, and children’s book author who has dedicated her life to liberating caged hens. Catherine’s NSW Hen Rescue works to rehabilitate and rehome hens and other animals from factory farms. Both she and NSW Hen Rescue have received awards for animal activism and rescue. Catherine was born and raised in England and studied English literature and creative writing at Kingston Upon Thames University. She moved to Sydney, Australia, in 2006 and has been rescuing animals and trying to make the world a better place ever since.

“By using your own narrative you can bring about change for animals.”
– Catherine Kelaher

Interview Highlights:

Why Catherine decided to write Saving Animals and some of the amazing young activists she spoke to
Catherine’s best care tips for companion animals
Why we need to be honest with children and young people about what happens to animals
How to introduce children to animal rights and the need for equality
Insights into Catherine’s work at the NSW Hen Rescue, the hens she is currently caring for, and where they have been rescued from
The difficulties and joys of rescuing roosters and how to deal with them as compassionately as possible

Resources:

Saving Animals

Connect with Catherine Kelaher:

Connect with Our Hen House:

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This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.

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Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast.
The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.

“By using your own narrative you can bring about change for animals.”
– Catherine Kelaher

Interview Highlights:

Why Catherine decided to write Saving Animals and some of the amazing young activists she spoke to
Catherine’s best care tips for companion animals
Why we need to be honest with children and young people about what happens to animals
How to introduce children to animal rights and the need for equality
Insights into Catherine’s work at the NSW Hen Rescue, the hens she is currently caring for, and where they have been rescued from
The difficulties and joys of rescuing roosters and how to deal with them as compassionately as possible

Resources:

Saving Animals

Connect with Catherine Kelaher:

Connect with Our Hen House:

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Previous Episode

Episode 591: VegeProject Japan ft. Haruko Kawano and Mian Osumi

We’re thrilled to welcome Haruko Kawano and Mian Osumi of VegeProject Japan to the podcast this week for an informative and fascinating conversation about Japan’s growing vegan movement. Founder of VegeProject Japan, Haruko discusses how she successfully helped implement vegan-friendly options at Kyoto University during her time there as a student and how, after graduation, inspired by her dog, she founded VegeProject to help make vegan-friendly options more accessible throughout Japan. She also shares how a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with Paul McCartney encouraged her to continue doing this critical work. Haruko is joined by Mian Osumi, VegeProject’s International Representative, who gives us a can’t-miss historical overview of how colonialism introduced dairy and beef into the modern Japanese diet.
Haruko’s VegeProject Japan is a non-profit organization that helps industries produce vegan products, issues vegan certifications, collaborates with companies, and works with local administrators on community development. Mian Osumi is a vegan content creator and former Food and Nutrition Intern with The Humane Society of the United States.

“There are many reasons to be vegan: for animals, for the environment, for health. When we start talking to our listeners, we care about what they are most interested in and start there. More and more, we’re able to start talking about animals and environmental issues. We talk about the points that attract them first and talk about how connected the issues are.”
– Haruko Kawano and Mian Osumi

Interview Highlights:

How Haruko initiated a vegan food program within Kyoto University
How dairy and beef were introduced in Japan
How VegeProject Japan is working with corporations and what their long term goals are
The products that VegeProject Japan has been instrumental in getting introduced into supermarkets
The two central purposes of VegeProject Japan
How Haruko plans to popularize vegan products and create more demand
Haruko’s outreach and educational work around the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle
The factory farming situation in Japan and where the majority of the country’s animal products come from
The national VegeMap project and why Haruko was inspired to create an accessible way for vegans to find plant-based restaurant

Resources:

Connect with VegeProject Japan:

Connect with Our Hen House:

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Next Episode

Episode 593: Sinergia Animal ft. Carolina Galvani

Carolina Galvani, founder and CEO of the global animal-advocacy organization Sinergia Animal, joins Mariann on the podcast today for an insightful conversation about animal protection and veganism in the Global South. Carolina shares why she felt the need to launch Sinegeria Animal, how the organization is working to eradicate cruel treatment of animals while promoting plant-based diets, and how she’s helping to convince major dairy industry players to forgo the use of antibiotics and the killing of male calves. She also shares how rising incomes are leading to a rise in meat consumption in the Global South and discusses opportunities to slow down the rising popularity of meat by steering consumers toward vegan alternatives.
Carolina founded Sinergia Animal, an animal protection organization based in Brazil that focuses its efforts on reducing the suffering of farmed animals in the countries of the Global South. Her work on animal welfare has been featured in prominent media outlets including the BBC, The New York Times, and Le Monde. Carolina has worked with several NGOs in 30 countries to highlight animal welfare issues, including serving as Senior Campaign Manager at Humane Society International in Brazil and as the Latin American Campaign Director for farmed animals at Forum Animal, Brazil’s largest animal protection network.

“We face the risk of veganism becoming a trend that only the elite can afford. Our mission should be to make it accessible to everyone.” – Carolina Galvani

Interview Highlights:

Why Carolina founded an organization that exclusively focuses on farmed animals in the Global South
How Carolina is collaborating with Open Wing Alliance on global initiatives
Why Sinergia Animal is working with The Coalition for Aquatic Conservation to highlight the plight of aquatic animals
Carolina highlights the aims of the Cage-Free campaign, explains how Sinergia Animal is approaching corporate players, and when they expect achieve their goals
Whether the Global North has an obligation to help solve climate and other environmental problems facing the Global South
Sinergia Animal’s strategic plan and how they see their work progressing over the next 10 years

Connect with Carolina Galvani:

Connect with Our Hen House:

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