Kindness is Everything

Law professor and founder of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law & Graduate School, Delcianna Winders, joins Anitha to talk about legally protecting non-human animals.

Delci shares the shocking and sad truth— when it comes to protecting non-human animals from cruelty and abuse, there are very few laws to help them. And though some species may have a few more protections, there is still much work to be done. Fortunately, Delci and her law students are dedicated to fighting to gain protections for those who can’t fight for themselves.

Delci also shares some happ...

Just in time for SHARK WEEK, Carlos Gauna, a photographer, cameraman and FAA certified drone pilot joins Anitha to talk about the incredible marine life he sees, including Great White Sharks.

Carlos shares his journey from photographing weddings to capturing amazing videos of whales and great white sharks.

Carlos and Anitha also talk about the importance of sharks to the ecosystem and how they are not the monsters depicted in such films as Jaws. Carlos often sees white sharks harmlessly swimming by paddle boarders and swimmers.

A perfect episode for anyone who is fascinated w...

Author, vegan, animal advocate and podcast host, Victoria Moran joins Anitha to talk about the many hats she wears to help animals. She also shares a fun story of having a drink with Sir Paul McCartney when she was seventeen!

To learn about Victoria’s wonderful advocacy work, check out her website:

Victoria Moran Website

As a thank you to Victoria for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary. This non-profit founded in 1996 and located in Maryland, USA, is a 400-acre refuge for farm animals and wildlife. Their mission is to of...

Dr. Marc Bekoff, joins Anitha to share his journey into the study of animal behaviour and how humans and non-human animals are not as different as some think. Dr. Bekoff talks about the many emotions, such as love, grief and empathy, that non-human animals show. He also talks about his long time friendship with Dr. Jane Goodall and he shares exciting news of an upcoming picture book he co-wrote with her—

Every Elephant Has a Name, by Jane Goodall and Marc Bekoff  comes out in February of 2027!

To learn more about Dr. Bekoff, check out his webs...

Shaine Kilyun joins Anitha to talk about the many ways she advocates for animals, including making wheelchairs for pets! She also shares being featured in Rebel Girls, a book series all about inspiring young women to chase their dreams!

Such an uplifting episode.

To learn more about Shaine and her work to help animals, check out the following link:

Wheelies for Dogs and Cats on IG

As a thank you to Shaine for sharing her story, Anitha donated to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota. This organization started in 1979 at the University...

Ingrid Smith joins Anitha to talk about how she supports and coaches parents of trans kids. She comes to this career from her own experience of having a transgender child.

Ingrid talks about the biggest concerns parents have, the importance of family and parental support to the person who comes out as LGBTQ+, parents not having to say the right thing all the time, and so much more.

A great episode to celebrate Pride.

To learn more about Ingrid’s coaching services, check out the following links:

The Way Forward on Instagram

Dr. Dale Kalina Samji, a medical physician and infectious disease specialist, joins Anitha to answer questions about two very different viruses which have many folks wondering, COULD HANTAVIRUS  and/or EBOLA be the NEXT PANDEMIC?

Dr. Kalina Samji shares what the medical and scientific communities currently know about these viruses, such as how they spread and how they differ from COVID-19. Should we be concerned the FIFA World Cup is about to start and players from all over the world will be coming to North America?

Dr. Kalina Samji and Anitha also discuss the mistreatment and h...

Animal lover Aliesha Verma joins Anitha to talk about all she does to help stray animals in India, including rescuing a puppy who couldn’t walk.

Aliesha who lives in Canada, regularly returns to India to visit family. Most of her visits are spent helping the many stray animals she comes across. From feeding them to providing shelter to getting them medical care such as spaying and neutering. But on one visit, she came across a puppy who was in such dire condition she knew they wouldn’t survive if she left them behind. So, Aliesha brought Baby Girl...

Jon Seymour, the founder of Tielmour Press, joins Anitha to talk about the world of publishing and how he united his love for the environment and his love of books.

By their very nature, books destroy trees. Books are made from paper and paper is made from trees. As someone who cares about the environment and the preservation of trees, it was important for Jon to find a way to reduce the environmental harm the publishing industry causes. And he has—Every book sold supports reforestation!

Tielmour Press, an independent Canadian publisher, promises that when someone bu...

What would you do if you saw a shark struggling near shore? And not just a shark—a Great White Shark.

Rebecca Puckett joins Anitha to talk about what she did in this exact situation. She and her partner worked for hours to help a Great White shark break free of the sandbar and swim away. Their efforts were captured on video which has gone viral!

Rebecca also talks about her love for all non-human animals and her efforts to help as many individuals as she can.

An incredible conversation of the lengths some fo...

Tom joins Anitha to talk about his Instagram account JustAsking.US.CA, which he created to raise awareness about so many topical issues in the US and Canada. From healthcare to gun violence to racism to LGBTQ+ rights to the environment, Tom asks questions about all of these topics and more, in hopes of initiating healthy and respectful conversations from his followers. 

He and Anitha also talk about the difference between Canada and the US when it comes to healthcare, access to guns, religion in politics and environmental protection.

A fascinating and timely conversation.

To...

Stef Vachon joins Anitha to talk about his life growing up in Montreal, Canada in the 1970’s as a young boy who loved to figure skate and the trauma that followed.

Stef shares how the bullying and hate he endured as a child forced him to stop doing what he loved—skatiWebsiteng, but he also shares how, with the help of his son, he has returned to the ice and reclaimed his joy.

Stef talks about creating his podcast TOGETHER MOVING FORWARD in hopes that others would not have to go through all the struggles he face...

Dean Wyrzykowski joins Anitha to talk about the incredible recent rescue of beagles from Ridglan Farms. Located in Wisconsin, Ridglan Farms is the second largest breeding and lab testing facility in the United States, with 2000 dogs bred and subjected to cruel and inhumane forms of testing without anesthetic. 

Dean takes us back to 2017, when investigators witnessed firsthand the horrible conditions beagles, one of the most docile breeds of dogs, endure—living in cages that are a mere 2 feet by 4 feet in size, never going outside and having painful procedures performed without any anesthetic.

After almost ten yea...

Anitha is so grateful to have Dr. Izzy Hirji back on the show. Izzy talks about becoming a veterinarian, an animal activist, a conservationist and of course a friend to Dr. Jane Goodall. He also shares his journey into spirituality and wellness. 

Anitha and Izzy spend a great deal of the episode talking about their mutual hero, Dr. Jane Goodall. Izzy shares stories of their time together and how he continues to carry Dr. Jane’s light with him.

A perfect way to bring this month-long celebration of Dr. Jane Goodall, who passed on October 1, 2025, to a c...

Comedian Aaron Foster joins Anitha to talk about his journey into comedy, his decision to share his struggles with mental health in his shows AND also reuniting with a dog he fostered twelve years ago!

Aaron and Anitha begin the conversation talking about Aaron’s decision to share his own struggles with mental health in hopes that it will help others who are also struggling. 

The conversation then pivots to a call he received from an animal shelter in January 2026. A dog he had found in a Colorado snowstorm eleven years ago and fostered for three mon...

Kindness Is Caring For Those Left Behind—When someone dies, what happens to their beloved companion animal?

Anitha continues her month-long celebration of her hero Dr. Jane Goodall who passed on October 1, 2025 at the age of 91, by chatting with Lindsay Kirschner. Like Dr. Jane, Lindsay had a close relationship with her mom. Sadly, Lindsay's mom unexpectedly passed away leaving behind a grieving family which included an adorable dog named Coconut.

Despite being devastated by the sudden loss of her mom, Lindsay didn’t hesitate to bring Coconut back home to live with her.

Lindsay talk...

Kindness Is Loving Dogs—From fostering to creating an animal sanctuary

Anitha continues her month-long celebration of her hero Dr. Jane Goodall who passed on October 1, 2025 at the age of 91, by chatting with Alyssa Blackwell. Like Dr. Jane, Alyssa loves dogs. Alyssa has been fostering dogs since she was 16 years old.

For the past 20 years Alyssa has cared for, fallen in love with and had her heart broken each time her foster dog finds their forever family. And now she and her husband are opening their own animal sanctuary called SACRED PAWS DOG SANCTUARY.

An...

Kindness Is Carrying On A Legacy–How the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada continues the work of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Dr. Jane Goodall passed on October 1, 2025 at the age of 91. She was and still is Anitha’s hero. To honour her, Anitha is dedicating the month of April (Dr. Goodall was born on April 3rd) to showcase folks who are helping the animals Dr. Jane loved.

We start off with Bella Lam, the CEO of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. Bella shares memories of Dr. Jane, the legacy she created and of course, the chimps Dr...

Kindness Is From Fauna—Spreading awareness about cultivated meat.

Sixteen-year-old Shimoi Kalra started working with From Fauna when she was 11 years old. She joins Anitha to talk about why she joined this non-profit that shares information about cultivated meats in a way everyone can understand. Apparently, the is a lot of technical jargon behind the science of creating cultivated meats and one of Shiomoi’s jobs is to take in all this information and share it in a way that is much simpler to understand.

Shimoi talks about the many advantages of cultivated meat—from animals no lon...

Kindness Is Food Empowerment—How the power of one’s food choices can create a just & sustainable world.

Lauren Ornelas, the founder of The Food Empowerment Project (FEP) joins Anitha to talk about all the amazing work this organization does. From encouraging healthy, vegan food choices to spotlighting the abuse of farm animals to raising awareness about the unfair working conditions for produce workers and the lack of healthy foods in low-income areas and so much more!

Lauren believes we have great power to bring about a kinder world just by our food choices. At least thre...

Kindness Is The Caregivers Journey—A podcast helping caregivers of Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Nancy Treaster and Sue Ryan join Anitha to talk about their podcast, The Caregivers Journey. Both Nancy and Sue share their personal stories of caring for someone with dementia and how that not only brought them together but inspired them to create a platform for others who are facing the difficult and often lonely ordeal of being a caregiver. Their goal is to help folks who feel overwhelmed caring for a loved one to feel supported on their caregiving journey.

An episode fu...

Kindness Is Blink Now—How a gap year turned into a life dedicated to empowering children & women in Nepal

Humanitarian and CNN Hero of the Year, Maggie Doyne joins Anitha to talk about the incredible initiative she co-founded called BlinkNow Foundation. What started as a gap year for 19-year-old Maggie grew into a love story between her and the children of Nepal. In the past 20 years, she has helped build a children’s home, a school, and a women’s centre.

Maggie shares the many joys from seeing children she helped raise go off to University, find c...

Kindness Is Creating Transfarmation—Helping to build a just & sustainable food system.

Katherine Jernigan, the Director of the Transfarmation Project, joins Anitha to answer a question Anitha has often wondered about—What would it take to transform an animal agricultural farm to a farm that grows vegetables, fruits and other plants for human consumption?

Katherine also talks about the harm to animals AND farmers who raise animals for food, the cost of transforming a farm and the advantages to animals, humans and the environment when a farm becomes more plant-based.

This was such an inte...

Kindness Is Furball Confidential—A podcast all about folks and the adorable animals they share space with.

Jen Moroz has run some of Canada’s largest radio shows, including CBC’s The Current and Q. She has also developed several popular podcasts. Now she has her own podcast called Furball Confidential. She joins Anitha to talk about the inspiration behind the podcast (a lovable dog named Clutch), how it feels to be on the other side of the camera, and she shares conversations she’s had with some of her guests.  

An uplifting episode all about folks and...

Kindness Is Keeping Neighbours Safe—Helping black & brown folks in Minneapolis/St. Paul as ICE descends upon this community.

Mike Hotz joins Anitha to talk about what is happening in the twin cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul as ICE rounds up people of colour. Mike shares stories of law-abiding folks who have been detained by ICE based solely on the colour of their skin. He also talks about how some of his neighbours are afraid to leave their homes and go to work, take their kids to school, shop, walk their dogs . . . and how he and others are do...

Kindness Is Social Media For Good—Using the power of social to advocate for animals

Johnny Oberg is an animal advocate dedicated to making the world a kinder place for animals by utilizing the power of social media. He joins Anitha to talk about his journey to becoming a full-time animal activist, what it means to bear witness as these sentient beings are transported to their death and using the power of social media to advocate for them. Johnny’s posts have been viewed 500 million times and thousands of people have been influenced by his work.

This epis...

Kindness Is Making Poetry—Creating meaningful poems for strangers

Hannah Monsour joins Anitha to talk about creating moving and thoughtful poems almost instantly. Hannah calls herself a typewriter poet. She can be found in Central Park in New York City meeting strangers who share personal parts of their lives. Hannah transforms their words into on-the-spot meaningful poems. She shares some of these encounters, including taking part in wedding proposals. Hannah even creates a poem for Anitha during the episode.

A testament to the healing power of words.

To find out more about Hannah, her po...

Kindness Is Remembering Esther—Continuing the legacy of Esther the Wonder Pig.

Steve Jenkins, often known as one of Esther the Wonder Pig’s dad’s, joins Anitha to talk about his life with Esther, grieving her passing and creating a legacy in her name.

Steve talks about being back at the farm where he lived with Esther and so many other beautiful individuals. He gives a fun update about the animals he currently shares his home with, both inside and outside the house, AND he talks about Operation Angels, his new initiative to help other farm s...

Kindness Is The Vegan Report—A space for all fronts of the animal liberation movement.

Animal activist and podcast host, Rayane Laddi joins Anitha to talk about his wonderful podcast, The Vegan Report. Rayane shares some of his favorite episodes and his guest wish list—Ricky Gervais & Bruce Friedrich, the founder of Good Food Institute!! Rayane also offers tips for anyone considering starting their own podcast!

To follow Rayane and listen to his awesome podcast, click here:
Vegan Report- Podcast

To learn more about Map Your Health, the initiative Rayane spoke about, click here...

Kindness Is The Animal Save Movement—Creating an eco-friendly vegan world, for the animals, the planet, and health.

Bearing witness to a truck full of pigs being carted off to slaughter while walking her dog, drove Anita Krajnc to become an animal activist. Together she and her dog Mr. Bean, co-founded The Animal Save Movement.

Anita talks about the love-based, grassroots approach to activism the organization follows. She shares why it is important to bear witness as the pigs are being driven into the kill facilities. Since its inception in 2010, the organization has grown and includes ch...

Kindness Is Loving Octopuses—A young girl dedicated to helping octopuses.

Eleven-year-old Lily Niederhofer joins Anitha to talk about her favourite animal—the octopus! Lily raises awareness about the plight of octopuses, in particular the horrible conditions they would endure in an octopus farm. As an avid swimmer, she uses her skills to raise money to help protect oceans and the marine life who call it home, including octopuses.

An uplifting episode to say goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026. This one is full of hope and inspires us all to be kind.


To lear...

Kindness Is Queer Brown Vegan—Advocating for diversity & inclusion in environmental education.

Isaias Hernandez, an environmentalist, storyteller and content creator, joins Anitha to talk about advocating for animals, the environment and folks from underrepresented communities.

A timely episode as the holidays remind us to show compassion for all beings.

To learn more about Isaias, the work they do to create a kinder space for all, and follow their social media accounts, check out their website:

QueerBrownVegan

As a thank you to Isaias for being a guest on the podcast, Anitha do...

Kindness Is Bags Without Barriers—Providing essential supplies so all individuals can be successful.

Justin Osei-Dwumoh joins Anitha to talk about his amazing initiative called Bags Without Barriers.

When Justin realized that not everyone has access to essential school supplies—items that are not only necessary to succeed in school, but also can affect one’s self worth, he decided to help.

Partnering with organizations such as Herschel Supply Co., Justin fills backpacks with paper, pencils, markers, and more. Then, he hands them out in areas where the need is great.

In additi...

Mariah Madigan, the founder of Frankie’s World joins Anitha to talk about her journey to creating a sanctuary for rats.

Mariah first fell in love with rats when an adorable rat named Frankie came into her life. Frankie was such a great companion for Mariah and when Frankie passed, Mariah decided to create a sanctuary to honour her soulmate.

Mariah realizes that most folks have negative preconceptions about rats but she also knows that once folks meet a rat their opinions quickly change. Folks realize how smart and clean and affectionate rats truly are. Sadly, ra...

Kindness Is Teachers for Future Turtle Island—Educating on colonialism, equality, climate crisis & more.

Kim Benson wears many hats—teacher, human rights advocates, animal activist, climate activist and all-around kind human. She joins Anitha to talk about Teachers for Future Turtle Island, a group working to dismantle systems of colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy and white supremacy. Kim talks about how these systems have caused and continue to cause ecological collapse, war, genocide & the suffering of all beings, human and non-human alike. Kim believes it is important to teach children about these issues in an age-appropriate manner.

Kim also...

Kindness Is Racing To Zero—Helping sports organizations tackle climate change.

Oliver Scholfield, an Olympic Athlete, joins Anitha to talk about creating a business that combinec his love of sport with his passion for the environment. Racing To Zero is dedicated to addressing the negative impact the sporting world has on the climate AND coming up with solutions to reduce this impact.

Oliver shares some of the simple solutions sporting organizations can implement to minimize their harm on the environment. An episode that makes you believe positive change is possible.

Oliver shares some of th...

Kindness Is Being Anonymous for the Voiceless—Speaking out against history’s largest and longest-standing injustice.

Oliver Loos joins Anitha to talk about his journey into animal activism, veganism and being a part of a group called Anonymous for the Voiceless. This not-for-profit animal rights organisation does all they can to make our world a kinder place for all beings. They specialize in using conversation and standard practice footage of animals in captive situations to enlighten and educate the public about animal exploitation.

For Oliver, it’s very simple, if you were the one suffering, wouldn’t you wa...

Kindness Is Continuing To Fight For Rainbow Spaces—Protecting LGBTQ+ youth 

**This episode does mention suicide and may trigger or be challenging for some listeners. Please be kind to yourself.**

Nadia Kean-Ayub returns to talk to Anitha about her organization called Rainbow Spaces and the current environment in the United States towards folks in the LGBTQ+ community.

It has been just over a year since Nadia was originally on the show and sadly, a lot of communities in the United States feel unsafe, including LGBTQ+. Fortunately, there are people like Nadia who continue to sup...

Kindness Is Being We Animals—Advocating For Animals Through Photojournalism.

Anitha talks with Jo-Anne McArthur, the founder of We Animals. Jo-Anne and the team of photographers at We Animals bravely go into places where animals and the cruelty these sentient beings are forced to endure, is often hidden from the public.

Through their photos, the folks at We Animals show us the suffering but also the "humanity" of the animals we eat and wear, the animals who are used in entertainment or research.

An incredible episode of compassion and discovering the importance of 'seeing' ve...

Kindness Is Elevating Access—Ensuring folks have access to life-saving healthcare, even if it comes at self-risk.

Launched in 2022, Elevated Access is a non-profit that provides pilots and planes at no cost to those seeking access to life-saving healthcare.

Kira from Elevated Access joins Anitha to talk about the devastating healthcare bans in many States throughout the USA which affects those seeking gender affirming and abortion care. Elevated Access was created with the sole purpose of helping folks receive the healthcare they need.

Elevate Access saves lives! But providing this service comes at a ri...