Better Life for Animals

For more than four decades, Gail Eisnitz has gone where few people are willing to go. As Chief Investigator for the Humane Farming Association, she has spent her career documenting the hidden realities of factory farms and slaughterhouses, exposing cruelty that most consumers never see and many industries would prefer remain hidden.

In this powerful episode of Better Life for Animals, host Cheryl Moss sits down with Gail to discuss her extraordinary journey, the emotional cost of bearing witness to animal suffering, and the resilience that has allowed her to continue fighting for animals despite enormous personal...

Most people never see what happens behind the walls of animal testing facilities. In this powerful episode of Better Life for Animals, host Cheryl Moss sits down with animal advocate Pamela Smith to discuss her involvement in the widely publicized open rescue at Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin facility that breeds beagles for laboratory testing.

Pamela shares her personal journey from becoming an ethical vegan to taking direct action on behalf of animals. She offers a firsthand account of the rescue effort, the emotional reality of helping beagles destined for experimentation, and why she believes public awareness is...

Most people think animal advocacy begins and ends with awareness. But according to Amit Dhuleshia, lasting change for animals requires something much bigger: political action, grassroots organizing, and long-term strategy.

In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Cheryl Moss sits down with Amit Dhuleshia, co-founder of Strategic Action for Animals and creator of the Action for Animals app, to discuss how advocates can move beyond reacting to crises and begin building systems that create lasting protections for animals.

Amit shares his journey from the software industry into animal advocacy and explains why he believes...

What if the animals in our lives are here to teach us how to heal?

In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Cheryl Moss welcomes author, animal communicator, Reiki practitioner, and podcast host Stephanie Stephan for a powerful conversation about the emotional wisdom animals carry and the lessons humans can learn from them.

Stephanie shares deeply personal stories about rescue animals, sanctuary experiences, energy healing, and the profound impact animals have had on her spiritual and emotional journey. Through her work and her book, The Path to Unconditional Love: Lessons in Heart-Centered Living from...

Can what we eat really influence the future of the planet?

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, Cheryl Moss speaks with Matthew Dominguez, U.S. Executive Director of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), about the far-reaching consequences of factory farming and why transforming our food systems has become one of the most urgent issues of our time.

Matthew shares how growing up on a cattle ranch shaped his understanding of animals and how his path through environmental law ultimately led him into animal advocacy. Today, he works at the forefront of...

Most people move through life without questioning the systems around them.

Then something changes.

Maybe it's watching footage from a factory farm. Maybe it's meeting a rescued animal and realizing they are far more emotionally complex than we were taught to believe. Or maybe it's the unsettling realization that the products we once consumed without thought are connected to immense suffering hidden behind closed doors.

For many vegans, that moment creates a profound psychological shift. The world no longer looks the same.

In this deeply thought-provoking episode of the Better Life...

Chickens are often overlooked, misunderstood, and treated as commodities. But as Erica Camp of Second Hen'd shares in this powerful episode of Better Life for Animals, spending just a few minutes with a rescued hen can completely change the way people see these intelligent, emotional animals.

In this conversation, Erica discusses the heartbreaking reality facing egg-laying hens, the work of rescuing and rehoming chickens, and why compassion for farmed animals matters more than ever. She also shares how meaningful human connection with rescued animals can inspire lasting change.

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Why do so many people care deeply about animals, yet still struggle to connect the dots when it comes to farmed animals?

In this compelling episode of the Better Life for Animals podcast, Cheryl Moss sits down with Ayelette Robinson for a conversation that goes far beyond veganism and advocacy slogans. Together, they explore the emotional and cultural barriers that shape how society views animals and why connection, not confrontation, is often what creates lasting change.

Ayelette shares her fascinating journey from corporate law and technology into animal advocacy, sanctuary leadership, and storytelling. She opens...

What does it really mean for animals to be safe, respected, and protected for life?

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jessica Harris, Farmed Animal Program Director at the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), to explore what separates true animal sanctuaries from places that simply use the name. If you care about animal welfare, vegan living, or ethical treatment of farmed animals, this is a conversation you don't want to miss.

Most people have never met a pig, a sheep, or a chicken. And that lack of connection is exactly why it's...

Orangutans are facing rapid extinction due to deforestation, palm oil expansion, and habitat loss. In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Cheryl Moss speaks with Leif Cocks, founder of The Orangutan Project, about what it will take to protect orangutans, restore rainforests, and secure a future for wildlife.

Leif shares his journey from working in zoos to becoming a global advocate for orangutan conservation. He explains why captivity is not a solution for saving endangered species and why protecting large, connected rainforest ecosystems is essential for survival.

This conversation covers the impact of palm...

When Anne Dinshah reflects on the state of the world, one number stands out. When her father helped found the American Vegan Society, an estimated 8 billion land animals were killed each year for food. Today, that number exceeds 80 billion.

That staggering shift is exactly why Anne continues her life's work. Not from a place of overwhelm, but from a grounded belief that each of us can do the most good and the least harm, every single day.

On episode 061 of the Better Life for Animals podcast, Anne shares how compassion, consistency, and practical choices can...

2,300 animals rescued. Colombia's first farm animal sanctuary. One woman who decided at just five years old that animals were not food—and never looked back.

In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Juliana Castañeda shares the powerful journey behind building a sanctuary that has saved more than 2,300 animals and continues to care for nearly 200 at any given time. But what stands out most is not just the rescue work—it's her unwavering belief that rescue alone will never be enough.

Juliana explains why education is the only true path to ending animal suffering, and h...

Change for animals does not happen by chance. It happens when people decide to act.

In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Karen Bacon shares her experience working to create real change through focused advocacy efforts. From challenging rodeo practices to mobilizing community support, she breaks down what it takes to move issues forward.

This conversation goes beyond awareness and into action. You will hear how petitions, outreach, and persistence play a role in shifting outcomes for animals, and why individual voices still matter.

If you have ever wondered how to make...

Most businesses start with a plan. Dave Graham's did not.

A weekend stay at a vegan bed and breakfast in Australia turned into an unexpected opportunity when the owner asked if he could build a website. Dave said yes. That one project led to another, and soon he was working with vegan professionals, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses around the world.

What began as a side project quickly evolved into a full-time career. But it was not until Dave began working closely with animal sanctuaries that everything clicked into place.

Why Animal Sanctuaries Became...

When people think about social media growth, they usually talk about algorithms, hashtags, or viral tricks.

Molly Hodgdon has a different philosophy.

People may not remember every post you publish. They may not remember your captions or the details of a campaign. But they will remember how your posts made them feel.

And that simple insight has helped Molly raise more than $100,000 for animals, grow a sanctuary's online following by over 1,000 percent, and turn a hobby account about antique cat photos into a powerful philanthropic engine.

In this episode of the...

Sometimes the shift into veganism doesn't happen all at once. It happens in layers. A documentary. A book. A conversation. And then one day something clicks so deeply that you can never see the world the same way again.

In this special episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, the tables are turned as Kathleen Gage, the producer behind the show and founder of Vegan Visibility, steps in front of the microphone.

Host Cheryl Moss sits down with Kathleen for an honest and deeply reflective conversation about the moment she fully connected the dots...

What happens when a powerful industry operates entirely behind closed doors? Investigative journalist and author Will Potter has spent over a decade answering that question. In this episode of the Better Life for Animals podcast, we dive deep into the legal and political tactics used to shield factory farms from public scrutiny.

Potter, the author of Green Is the New Red and the new investigative work Little Red Barns, explains how the battle over industrial agriculture has evolved into a battle over transparency itself. We discuss the rise of "Ag-Gag" laws, the FBI's labeling of a...

A wild owl spent his entire life in a cage — until he escaped. Flaco, a Eurasian eagle owl born in captivity at the Central Park Zoo, could not fly freely for years.

When he escaped, millions of people followed his story and instinctively rooted for his freedom.

Why did his story resonate so deeply? And what does it reveal about zoos, wildlife captivity, and the state of animal protection laws in the United States? In this episode of the Better Life for

Animals podcast, animal law attorney and award-winning author Christine Mott examines th...

Chickens are intelligent, emotionally complex animals, yet they remain among the most underestimated and commodified beings in modern agriculture. In this episode of Better Life for Animals, host Cheryl Moss speaks with Liz Wheeler, co-founder of Secondhand Stories Chicken Sanctuary, about chicken sentience, sanctuary advocacy, and reshaping cultural narratives around farmed animals.

Liz shares the pivotal moment that led her into sanctuary work — meeting a rescued chicken named Ellen whose personality challenged deeply embedded stereotypes about chickens. That experience ultimately inspired the creation of a sanctuary operating under a capacity-for-care model, prioritizing lifelong quality of life over sc...

Factory farming impacts billions of animals, but the story does not end there. Behind the system are struggling farmers, vulnerable workers, and communities searching for better solutions. In this powerful episode, Leah Garcés shares what more than two decades of advocacy has taught her about transforming one of the most entrenched systems in our world.

From collaborating with farmers to exposing the hidden human cost of industrial agriculture, Leah offers a thoughtful and hopeful perspective on what real change requires and how each of us can help build a more compassionate food system.

Whether y...

What happens when more than 45,000 people connect with rescued farmed animals in a single year? Perspectives shift. Awareness grows. And compassion becomes personal.

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, host Cheryl Moss sits down with Kelly Nix, Executive Director of Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, to explore how sanctuaries are helping reshape the way people see animals and their role in creating a more humane world.

Drawing on her background as a special education teacher and school principal, Kelly explains why compassion is not simply taught. It is modeled and...

Most people say they care about animals. Far fewer are willing to disrupt their own comfort to protect them.

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, host Cheryl Moss speaks with Rose Patterson, Co-Director of Animal Rising, about what it actually takes to challenge systems built on animal suffering and why polite advocacy often fails to create change.

Rose has spent more than a decade on the front lines of animal advocacy, leading some of the most visible and controversial campaigns in the UK. From rescuing beagles from laboratory testing facilities to...

Across the United States, most farmed animal sanctuaries operate with limited staff, inconsistent funding, and an overwhelming daily workload. Many rely almost entirely on donations while carrying the emotional and financial responsibility of caring for animals society has discarded.

As Stephanie Mathers, Founder and CEO of Grants for Animals, says, "The sanctuaries already have 200 percent heart." What is often missing is structure, and that gap is where sustainability is either built or lost.

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, Kathleen Gage talks with Stephanie Mathers about how sanctuaries move from overwhelmed...

Billions of animals suffer each year because of human choices. While rescue saves individual lives, preventing suffering at its source creates lasting change.

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, Cheryl Moss talks with Robin Singh, co founder of Peepal Farm, an animal rescue, veterinary clinic, and awareness organization in India.

Robin shares how his pursuit of happiness after leaving the tech industry led to emptiness, until meeting an elderly woman caring for abandoned dogs shifted his life toward purpose. That experience became the foundation for Peepal Farm's mission.

The...

What would sanctuary life look like if animals were not housed for human convenience, but instead were given environments designed around their instincts, ancestry, and emotional well being?

In this episode, Cheryl Moss speaks with Lenore Braford and Paul Drake of Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge in North Carolina. Lenore is the Founder and Executive Director, and Paul is the architect behind the refuge's innovative approach called animal centered design.

You will discover how studying animal behavior changes everything about how sanctuaries are built. For example:

Cows avoid enclosed barns because they need open...

Why Losing a Pet Hurts So Deeply — with Animal Chaplain Kaleel Sakakeeny

Did you know that more than 20,000 people every month search for help coping with the heartbreak of losing an animal companion? That number tells a powerful story. The grief that follows the loss of a beloved animal is real, intense, and often misunderstood. For many, it is one of the deepest emotional wounds they will ever experience, yet society doesn't always acknowledge the depth of that pain.

This is the life's work of Kaleel Sakakeeny, grief educator, ordained pastor, animal chaplain, and Executive Di...

Ending a 400 Year Tradition of Dancing Bears: How Wildlife SOS is Transforming Animal Protection in India

What happens when someone leaves a long corporate career to follow a calling rooted in compassion for animals? In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, host Cheryl Moss talks with Dana Wilson, Director of Marketing and Communications for Wildlife SOS, about what real animal protection looks like on the ground in India.

Dana shares how his early volunteer work with animals eventually led him into full time nonprofit work. Today, Wildlife SOS operates inside one of...

What if national media coverage for your animal sanctuary did not start with a big pitch or a major publication, but with your local newspaper?

In this episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, host Cheryl Moss sits down with Heather Ripley, founder and CEO of Orange Orchard PR, to unpack what actually works when it comes to media visibility for animal sanctuaries.

Heather shares how a successful career in traditional public relations evolved into purpose driven work after she went vegan and aligned her professional skills with animal advocacy. That shift led her...

Goats can see nearly 340 degrees around them. That single fact alone changes how most people think about goats and farm animals.

In this episode of Better Life for Animals, host Cheryl Moss talks with Deborah Blum, founder of Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary in Sebastopol, California. Deborah shares how her life shifted from the restaurant world to farm animal rescue and what goats have taught her about behavior, trauma, and trust.

In this conversation, you will learn:

• Why goats are browsers, not grazers, and how that shapes sanctuary care
• How rescued animals experience trau...

When the mortgage industry collapsed, Tim Woodward took a hard look at his life and realized something was missing. A volunteer role with In Defense of Animals exposed him to the hidden crisis of animal suffering across the country and set him on a path that would change everything.

Seventeen years later, Tim is the Executive Director of Animal Rescue Corps, a national organization built to serve communities with no shelters, no animal control, and no resources when cruelty strikes. ARC works directly with law enforcement, responds at no cost, and steps in whether the case involves...

Discover how compassionate education is transforming the lives of children and rescued animals in this powerful conversation with Michele Fasnacht, founder of Solid Rock Community School and the Sanctuary at Solid Rock. Michele shares how her personal journey through childhood trauma, chronic illness, and a life changing shift to plant based living shaped an education model unlike anything else in the country.

In this episode, you will learn how rescued pigs, primates, ducks, and other farmed animals have become mentors for students, teaching empathy, responsibility, and emotional awareness through daily connection and hands on care. Michele explains...

What if compassion could change the world again, just like it did more than two thousand years ago?

In this episode, you will meet Rayane Laddi, a Buddhist vegan who is proving that kindness is not an idea. It is a practice. His work shows how ancient teachings can transform modern problems, from animal advocacy to fundraising to environmental health.

This conversation takes you inside Dharma Voices for Animals, the first organization to align Buddhist teachings with vegan living. What started with one simple question has become a global movement grounded in mindfulness, non harming...

What if two rescued goats could change the direction of your life?
That is exactly what happened to Miyoko Schinner.

In this episode, Miyoko walks through the moment she said yes to helping two baby goats and how that single choice grew into Rancho Compasión, a sanctuary now home to more than 100 rescued animals in Northern California. She shares the turning points, the setbacks, and the daily work it takes to build something that matters.

The Birth of Rancho Compasión

Miyoko explains how a short term favor became a long te...

What if the way we live with animals could change everything?

In this episode, Dr. Katherine Baxter, co-founder and CEO of the Alliance for Human-Animal Coexistence (AHAC), shares how she is leading a movement to turn conflict into cooperation, from elephants in Kenya to wolves in North America.

You will hear how a simple idea, planting sunflowers instead of maize, transformed entire communities, stopped crop raids, and created new sources of income. These same lessons are now being applied to predator conservation around the world.

Dr. Baxter brings decades of experience in animal...

Veterinarian and activist Dr. Crystal Heath has built a groundbreaking career rooted in courage, conscience, and compassion. As the executive director of Our Honor, she leads a growing movement of veterinarians who challenge unethical practices in animal testing, factory farming, and education.

In this episode, Dr. Heath discusses her journey from 4-H to animal advocacy, how she stood against ventilation shutdown during the pandemic, and why she believes the veterinary field must confront its moral contradictions. She also shares how Our Honor supports whistleblowers who speak out against cruelty and her vision for a compassionate, cruelty-free future...

If you've ever wondered how one small moment can completely change the course of your life, this episode is for you.

It started with a baby monkey named Samantha riding on the back of a poodle.

That single image changed everything for Kari Bagnall.

She walked away from a successful career in interior design and built a sanctuary that now gives nearly 200 monkeys a safe and loving home.

In today's episode, you'll hear how one act of compassion led to the creation of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary in Gainesville, Florida—
a...

What if the biggest barrier to living our values isn't ignorance, but comfort?

In this eye-opening conversation, longtime activist and author Hope Bohanec joins Kathleen to reveal the truth behind "humane" and "sustainable" labels. These words make us feel better about consuming animal products—but do they actually make a difference?

You'll learn why many so-called ethical food labels are designed to protect consumers' emotions, not animals. Hope shares what she discovered after decades investigating farms that claimed to treat animals humanely—and what she found will challenge everything you think you know.

Hope...

In the heart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where animal agriculture dominates the landscape, Lancaster Farm Sanctuary stands as a beacon of compassion. Co-founders Sarah Salluzzo and Jonina Turzi launched the sanctuary in 2017 with the mission to rescue farmed animals, educate the public, and build a plant-based community grounded in kindness and connection.

What began as a small property with no staff has grown into a thriving nonprofit with nearly 100 rescued residents, 40 volunteers, and a team of dedicated caregivers. Sarah, a social worker and nonprofit professional, and Jonina, a doctor of physical therapy specializing in trauma-informed care, have...

Naomi Alicia-Hallum, CEO of Generation Vegan (Gen V), shares her journey from growing up in a rural English farming village to leading one of the most influential global vegan organizations. Under her leadership, Gen V has delivered over 360,000 vegan meals, guided 160,000 people toward plant-based living, and inspired international campaigns challenging leaders to act for animals, the planet, and humanity.

Naomi discusses compassionate parenting, reaching audiences beyond the vegan community, and how Gen V empowers people to take meaningful first steps—without judgment or perfection. Her story is a reminder that each of us can help shape a ki...

In 1985, only 200 mountain gorillas were left in the wild. Today their numbers are growing thanks to conservation and ecotourism. In this episode, Cheryl welcomes Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, author and founder of Joyful Vegan Trips, to discuss how we can live more compassionately every day.

Colleen shares why labeling food as vegan can sometimes turn people away and how focusing on flavors and ingredients makes plant-based meals inviting to all. She explains how Joyful Vegan Trips creates authentic, satisfying travel experiences with plant-based meals that celebrate local culture.

The conversation also covers the importance of supporting real...