Jeremy Loeb

I got to know the incredible attorney Steffen Seitz when I had the privilege of serving on Wayne Hsiung's legal team during his trial for organizing mass open rescues of animals in Sonoma County, California. Steffen was fresh out of Yale Law School and there to be of assistance in any way he could. And his positive impact was immediately felt, by myself and the whole team. What I found in Steffen was someone extraordinarily bright, insightful and generous. Beyond his enormous help to the team, I will never forget the late nights when I was scrambling to finish something up for court the next day and Steffen staying up late to help me with this thing or that thing when he didn't have to. Steffen is the person who completed what I consider a crazily improbable hail mary pass in getting a special prosecutor appointed to look into beagle breeder Ridglan Farms. At that point, Ridglan had just dropped charges that had been pending on Wayne and his two co-defendants for rescuing dogs from that place, and a petition was filed to appoint a special prosecutor to finally do something about Ridglan. Steffen's successful petition ultimately led to the agreement reached between Tim Gruenke and Ridglan to give up their state breeders license, a massive win, but a win tempered by the refusal by authorities to do anything for the beagles still remaining there, a problem that remains unresolved to this day.Steffen's work, along with his colleagues at the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, is one of the true godsends for the animal rights movement. I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:AALDPAALDP IGAALDP LinkedInVoluntary Prosecution and the Case of Animal RescueConspiracy and Social Movements"This is an Uprising" bookSign up for the April 19 RescueWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion

Alex Hershaft was just a child when he and his family were forced into the Polish Warsaw Ghetto by the Nazis. Fortunately, Alex survived where so many others perished, making his way to America. Years later, while inspecting a slaughterhouse, he was taken back to images he remembered from the Holocaust. He would dedicate his life to saving animals, organizing a national conference in 1981, a huge milestone in the American modern animal rights movement and forming the group Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM).Now 91 years old, I had the honor to speak with Alex for the first time for this podcast. Alex comes across to me as very affable and thoughtful, with loads of insight into the history of the animal rights movement, a major topic of interest for this channel. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Five Decades - One MissionAlex's websiteAlex's blogAlex's IGAlex's FB"Never Again"FARMWatch Earthlings

It would be impossible for me to capture in words the amount of gratitude I feel towards Ingrid Newkirk. The co-founder of PETA is simply a giant of the animal liberation movement. It could be argued that everything I do as an animal rights activist can be traced back in some way to Ingrid laying the groundwork. On August 1st, PETA announced that Ingrid would be stepping aside as president and remaining on as PETA's principal (which she said would change her day-to-day very little). Tracy Reiman was named PETA's new president. PETA and Ingrid are no stranger to criticism. While some of those critiques have some merit to them, I find most of them to be absurd. Speaking for myself, I can only say that Ingrid's dedication is a massive inspiration to me, something to strive to equal or exceed. A question I am constantly asking myself is: Am I making the world a better place for animals? Or: Has my presence on this planet been a net positive or a net negative? I don't know the answer to these questions, but I can confidently say that the world is a better place because of Ingrid Newkirk. Thank you, Ingrid. This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:PETAPETA YouTubePETA IGPETA FBPETA TikTokPETA BlueSky"I Am An Animal"Watch EarthlingsWatch Dominion

You've probably seen Jo-Anne McArthur's photography, whether you knew it or not. And if you haven't seen any of her thousands of iconic images, you've probably seen some from her many collaborators at the non-profit We Animals that she founded. Jo-Anne is simply one of the most talented and driven photojournalists working today.Shortly before our interview, I asked Jo-Anne to send me some images that stood out to her that we could analyze on the program. Not surprisingly, I had already been well-acquainted with several of them. One, in fact, was the leading image of one of the proudest recent stories facilitated by the Direct Action Everywhere press team, a feature piece about open rescue in National Geographic.To meet Jo-Anne is a treat. To be able to comb through some of the extraordinary images with her and hear the stories behind the images is something else entirely. I'm incredibly grateful to Jo-Anne for the generosity of her time and her amazing work that is changing the world for animals.This conversation is also available on YouTube and may be a more rewarding experience to be able to see her photographs.Links:We AnimalsDonate to We Animals"The Ghosts in Our Machine"Jo-Anne's websiteHer booksHer IGHer FBWe Animals IGFBBlueskyNational Geographic open rescue pieceWatch DominionWatch Earthlings

Dr. Alka Chandna has for decades worked to expose vivisection laboratories through her work with PETA. Having Alka on my channel is timely as PETA just released new whisteblower footage from Massachusetts General Hospital showing deplorable, horrific experiments being conducted on monkeys. Alka has been a huge help to myself and others during the time I have known her. Whenever we needed something, be it research documents, contacts, whatever it was, she has provided it. That has been my experience with everyone at PETA, by the way: timely, accessible, and professional. In this conversation we talk about the Mass General footage, and how Alka went from writing an article for her student newspaper about animal testing to Vice President of Laboratory Oversight and Special Cases at arguably the most consequential and effective animal rights organizations in the world. The animal rights movement is lucky to have her.This conversation is also available as an audio podcast, wherever you download them. Just search my name.Links:Mass General footageRecent PETA beagle investigationThe CARGO ActTest Subjects short filmThe Failed Experiment docuseriesAlka on Wayne's channelAlka on IGAlka's FBUndercover. Inside the Bunker on PrimeWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion

Of all the activist content I've reviewed since starting this channel, I probably have watched more of Mel and Steve's videos than anyone else. The reason for that is simple. The quality of their work is matched by the intense passion and energy they bring. And because of that, they are cranking out banger after banger so that every time I go live, there's a new Mel and Steve video to check out. While the channel started and remains a platform for street outreach, Mel and Steve have also begun doing investigations on farms, and bringing viewers directly to slaughterhouses during livestreams. We discuss the time they brought Chris Hines's brother Colin to a pig farm before Colin was vegan. It's been interesting to hear about that experience from Chris, Colin, and now Mel and Steve as well. If it isn't obvious from their commitment to the animals or their street outreach, Mel and Steve are just the loveliest people, and I was truly honored to have them on the program.This conversation is also available on YouTube. Mel and Steve's YouTubeM&S LinktreeM&S IGFBTikTokPart 1 of Colin VideoMy interview with ColinMy interview with Chris HinesWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion

I've been an admirer of Jim Sande's music for decades. Jim makes rich, layered sonic tapestries that are hard to describe in a few words. I was so deeply moved by what I consider his masterpience album "Harvest Bell Ride" that I reached out to him, and he responded with a kind message of his own. This was probably 20 years ago. Since then, I've kept a sporadic, sparse correspondence with him over the years. Finally, I decided why not ask him to be on my program?There are several reasons for doing so. For one, I felt Jim was a hidden gem of sorts, a composer few knew about that more ought to. Another reason was purely selfish: I just wanted to talk to the guy and pick his brain. Remember the old saying "Never meet your heroes"? That didn't apply here. Jim was as kind and gracious and interesting as I expected him to be, if not moreso. Talking to him felt like talking to an old friend, and in a way I was. The way I listen to Jim Sande is oddly specific. I listen to him often while reading Haruki Murakami novels. I've shared with him that they pair so well together that it's as if they collaborated, and that I can't really read Murakami without listening to Sande's music, because it feels incomplete. And to this day, I still don't.I also hear in Jim's music a sensitivity, a kindess that made it feel appropriate to bring him on what is primarily an animal rights channel. And interestingly enough, we did discuss animals quite a bit. Perhaps it's his Buddhist background, his artist sensibility, or some combination, but he seems to hold a deep reverence for animals. I forgot that over the years, his paintings, another passion of his, have largely been of animals, and only recalled that as I looked for photos after the fact for a thumbnail (haha!).In any case, I deeply enjoyed getting to know Jim a bit better, and I hope some of you will discover him and find his music through this conversation. This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Jim's blogJim on SpotifyJim on FacebookJim on IG"Harvest Bell Ride"Jim on YouTubeWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion

Colin Pink-Hines is the brother of Chris Hines, a prolific UK-based animal rights activist. Colin is an animal lover himself, and always admired his brother's work. But it wasn't until Chris invited Colin to join a small team of activists to document conditions on a pig farm that it really hit home for him. That made what Chris had been telling him all those years immediate and real. The team followed up with a visit to a slaughterhouse that solidified in Colin the urgency of the atrocity happening to animals. And now Colin is not only vegan but an animal rights activist. Colin's transformation is really a credit to his openmindedness and courage to take a chance, and also to his close bond with Chris. It was during an interview with Chris that I realized I had questions for Colin he was game to answer. I want to shout out the incredible activists Mel and Steve, whose channel @Itsmelandsteve is where this series appeared on, as well as the investigator Calvin Tasker for doing the incredible work to bring light into the darkness of these horrible places. He took the incredible photo used in the thumbnail. And of course Chris for suggesting the conversation. His Youtube is @chrishinesofficial This conversation is also available on YouTube. Links: Colin's IG The farm visit The vigil The team discusses Chris's IG Mel and Steve IG Calvin's IG My interview with Chris Watch Earthlings Watch Dominion

Tom Harris' book "Your Neighbour Kills Puppies: Inside the Animal Liberation Movement" is a comprehensive firsthand account of the legendary SHAC campaign. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty campaign is one of the most important moments of the animal liberation movement. The campaign showed what was possible for activists to accomplish with enough bravery, ingenuity, and tenaciousness. It also, unfortunately, showed the incredible lengths government and industry will go to to protect the animal exploitation industries. Tom ended up doing several years in prison for his role in the campaign. I'm incredibly grateful to Tom for his sacrifice and continued fight for the animals. One of the most powerful moments from his book, and one he recounts during our interview, is a moment when he had made his way inside what was then Harlan Interfauna, coming face to face with the victims of the vivisection industry. But with no way to free the dogs, and the police bearing down on him, he looked one of them in the eye and made them a promise: "I will never stop fighting to end this industry." And he hasn't. This conversation is also available on YouTube Links: Get Tom's book SHAC Justice Tom's IG Tom's FB Tom's LinkedIn Tom's website MBR Suppliers FB Group

Curtis Vollmar was peacefully protesting foie gras at an Omni Hotel in New Orleans when a man stuck a gun in his face. Luckily no shots were fired. News of the incident quickly reached activist circles and myself and others were incensed at how close such a well-regarded activist had come to getting seriously hurt or worse. The protest was part of a large multi-city campaign to pressure Omni Hotels to stop selling foie gras spearheaded by the Duck Alliance with the support of @AnimalActivismCollective . I urge Omni Hotels to get rid of the foie gras and put an end to the violence, whether it's to ducks or to peaceful protesters who they've ignored. I've known Curtis for awhile now and consider him a good friend. He's one of the many multi-talented, impressive activists associated with @DirectActionEverywhere and Compassionate Bay. Having Curtis on the podcast was something I'd wanted for a long time, but it became suddenly very timely in the wake of that incident. I'm very happy he wasn't hurt and grateful for his incredible work. On this episode, Curtis discusses what happened and the many areas of activism he does, whether it's getting arrested, having guns pulled on him, flying his drone for an investigation, or pushing legislative and ballot box progress for animals. If I was picking my dream team of activists, Curtis would be on it. #animalrights #vegan #animalrightsactivists #gunviolence #gunviolenceawareness #gunviolenceprevention This episode is also available as an audio podcast, wherever you download them. Just search my name. Links: Video of the incident Curtis' IG Register for Zoe's Trial, ALC Duck Alliance IG Animal Activism Collective IG AAC on Youtube DxE Compassionate Bay Smell of Money documentary Gary Yourofsky speech Watch Eartlings Watch Dominion

Elle Fleming, also known as Vegan Gaze, has been one of my favorite activists to follow over the years. There are several reasons for that. One is her no-nonsense, consistent and strong animal rights message. Second is her hilarious and biting wit. I have also appreciated how supportive she has been in directing her viewers to other activists' work, especially smaller channels. But what mainly draws me to Elle is that she lets her guard down enough during her livestreams to show her authentic self. It's why, during this, our first more in-depth conversation, I already felt like I knew her. Elle is someone who is as kind and supportive off the camera as on the camera. She was one of the first guests we booked on Wayne Hsiung's channel when we started it. I came into this conversation, as I usually do, with only a basic idea of what we'd get into, and it was somewhat unexpected in that we got into some really serious and dark topics. But at no point did I not enjoy the conversation, which shows how Elle's real strength is that her true self is someone who can remain likeable, energetic, humorous and versatile even discussing grim topics, something she does on her channel all the time. While my channel is small and cannot offer her much of a bump in viewers, I want to return the favor that she's shown to so many smaller channels, so I hope that anyone watching this will sub to her channel and follow her on social media, because if anyone deserves a bigger following, it's Vegan Gaze. Watch this conversation on YouTube. Links: Elle's YouTube Elle's socials and Patreon links: Vegan F.T.A. IG Animal Liberation Video Game in the works To The Grave deathcore band song namedrops Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) Elle's book recs: Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Mac Thompson spent about three years in the sled dog racing industry, and it took a psychological toll on him. As someone who cares for animals, he struggled with how to process the deplorable conditions the dogs were kept in. He already described some of that to me in our last conversation, but told me we had only scratched the surface, so I invited him back to delve deeper into the topic. Links: Qikiqtani Truth Commission: @qikiqtanitruthcommission4217 The Report Our Dogs No. 1 (1933) Sled Dogs 2016 film (free with ads) Sled Dogs film trailer YouTube playlist on sled dog industry Humanemushing.org Mac Thompson's YouTube Dominion Documentary Earthlings Documentary

Almira Tanner is someone who makes me optimistic that we will achieve animal liberation. Almira is the lead organizer of the global animal rights organization Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), a role she's occupied for around five years. I feel deeply honored to have been able to work alongside her on several occasions, and I personally witnessed how dedicated and hardworking she is. I witnessed Almira working deep into the night, after days of countless meetings, activism events, and signature gathering for a ballot measure in Sonoma County, a person leading by example. Almira has many strengths (organizational skills being one of the more obvious) but what really makes her an impressive leader is her ability to keep focus during tumultuous events. Whether it's facing felonies, answering to cascades of animal industry disinformation, dealing with internal disputes, or simply managing a day-to-day schedule that makes me pale in the face, I have seen Almira as a steady hand with a unique ability to navigate all of this and still make DxE into one of the most potent vehicles of change for animals. It is my humble opinion that DxE is in great hands with Almira Tanner. In this conversation, I find out more about Almira's backstory, how a woman from Canada found herself at the helm of a grassroots animal rights juggernaut that has so disrupted industry and authorities for its ability to draw media attention and pressure the entire structure of the animal exploitation industry, and most notably the broken legal system that, instead of regulating it, is propping it up. I ask Almira about how she has handled the many controversies she's had to address at DxE, and what keeps her going through it all. YouTube video of this conversation. Almira mostly wants people to know about the convergence to end factory farming in Sonoma County, CA. The first link below is a link to register to join that effort on August 23-27 in Petaluma. Register for the convergence The Yes on J website Right to Rescue website DxE's website Almira's IG Almira's X/Twitter Almira's Facebook DxE's IG DxE's X/Twitter DxE's FB DxE's YouTube Dominion Documentary Earthlings Documentary