When I first met Taj Uppal, he came across to me as soft-spoken but confident and determined. I remember being unsurprised to later see a video of Taj, now an attorney, attempting to give a police officer animal cruelty evidence of a Meyenberg goat milk factory farm in California. Taj had just helped to rescue emaciated baby goats from the Whole Foods supplier and had returned, along with his fellow rescuers, in the hopes of helping the rest of the animals. Taj was instead arrested, and later charged with felonies. He and three others face over 6 years in prison for their role in the rescue.

Taj is putting an enormous amount on the line for his convictions: specifically a promising law career, and his own freedom. But what so resonates with me is the pain and guilt he feels for the suffering that is shared amongst his loved ones. It's something I share with Taj, when taking on high-risk actions, the idea of causing stress and worry to those closest to me is an enormous weight to carry. I really appreciate that Taj is open and vulnerable enough to share it with the world. I hope that Taj's family sees what a truly remarkable person they raised. He embodies some of the best qualities we can have as people: compassion, kindness, courage, humility, sacrifice. Taj's actions were out of love for suffering animals, and a burning desire to alleviate that suffering. They should be celebrated, not prosecuted.

This conversation is also available on YouTube.

Links:

Taj's substack

Taj's IG

Rescue video

Direct Action Everywhere

Right to Rescue

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Back when I started my podcast two years ago, I'd always ask my guests if they had a channel to recommend. Numerous times, guests brought up That Chip Guy. And it's easy to see why. He's a phenomenal vegan street outreacher and debater who also works collaboratively with other activists. Cip and I have discussed doing a podcast for awhile, but for one reason or another hadn't gotten around to doing one. So I'm thrilled that we finally got to do it.

I already liked Cip before, but even moreso after doing the podcast. He's a very thoughtful, introspective person, constantly evaluating the best way. And in fact, that was what surprised me most about our interview was his sincere questioning of the right path forward. I know that whatever path Cip embarks on next, the animals will benefit from it.

This conversation is also available on YouTube.

Links:

That Chip Guy on YouTube

On IG

On FB

On TikTok

We the Free

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Darius Fullmer had plenty of reason to withdraw from the animal rights movement, having served prison time as one of the SHAC 7. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty campaign against Huntingdon Life Sciences was an inflection point in the movement, notable for the tremendous successes achieved by grassroots activists, ultimately undone by severe government repression. Six activists from the campaign in America, including Darius, served prison sentences for their role. But Darius didn't go away. He's now an attorney with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, helping activists facing repression themselves.I'm fascinated to speak with activists who put the plight of animals above themselves, and Darius surely did that. Similar to my conversations with fellow SHAC 7 prisoner Andy Stepanian and SHAC UK activist and author Tom Harris, this conversation was insightful on many levels and ended up feeling like a quick conversation, not a multiple hour podcast. I'm grateful to Darius for helping the animals and fellow activists in his current work, and I hope you find the conversation as valuable as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:AALDPAALDP IGNational Lawyers Guild'Know Your Rights' workshop"The Animal People"

Logging onto social media as an animal rights activist can be a drag. The algorithm knows what to show you, and oftentimes it's grim photos of animal suffering. That's why I'm grateful for people like Danny Ishay. Over the years, Danny's made me laugh numerous times with his witty satirical takes on common anti-vegan arguments and misinformation. Whether it's another ex-vegan nonsense video or the latest diet fad drivel, I can always count on Danny's videos to offer a humorous and clever response. Underneath all of that is Danny's obvious intelligence. I've watched him over the years in debate and philosophy spaces learning and honing his craft, something he uses to his advantage working with Allied Scholars for Animal Protection, speaking with college students across America. He's even penned many of the common anti-vegan arguments and their debunking in a book. But what I appreciate most about Danny Ishay is his genuine kindness and generosity behind the scenes. He's repeatedly used his platform and spoken in defense of activists facing trial for the rescue of animals. Whether it's the latest iteration of the carnivore diet or the corrupt legal system, Danny exposes it all with his biting satire.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Danny's YouTubeHis IGHis FBDanny's bookAllied ScholarsDanny's video about Ridglan trialWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion

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

I've wanted to have Jeremy Beckham on my podcast for awhile to talk about his deep research into how beagles became the dogs used as lab experiments. Now with there being so much focus on beagle breeder Ridglan Farms due to a March 15 open rescue that got 22 dogs to safety, it's the perfect time to speak with him and look at the big picture. It was likely Jeremy himself who largely put Ridglan under a microscope years ago when, while living in Madison, he happened to learn of a secretive dog breeder nearby that was at that time the 3rd largest breeder of beagles for research in America.Jeremy documented in his harrowing research paper "Radioactive Beagles" how the Cold War-era focus on atomic energy and weapons prompted a surge in studies about how radiation affects the human body. But, as he documents, through a series of decisions of convenience, the beagle was chosen to conduct that research, costing many thousands of dogs a life of suffering which continues to this day. In this episode you'll hear Jeremy's take on what's happening at Ridglan Farms, animal testing and the animal rights movement over his decades advocating for animals, whether with Beagle Freedom Project, PETA, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, or any other of the many roles he's played. I hope you enjoy this insightful conversation as much as I did.This episode is also available on YouTube.Links:Radioactive BeaglesJeremy's LinkedIn"Animal Liberation Now"John Gluck bookJeremy on Wayne's podcastJoin the April 19th Riglan rescueWatch DominionWatch Earthlings

Roger Yates has had so many titles over the years that it's difficult to even know where to begin. So I just settled on introducing Roger as a longtime animal rights advocate. But to dig in a bit more, Roger was once a spokesperson for the Animal Liberation Front, a committee member of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, and founder of numerous groups. He's also a sociologist. Roger is probably most visible these days on his YouTube channel where he also does a podcast called "Still Alive" with ALF founder Ronnie Lee. Roger was there for so many notable moments in animal rights history, some which we talked about here. As he mentioned to me, he also feels very protective of the movement. He has some sharp observations about it that we also got into. He has loads of knowledge and wisdom to draw from. But the main takeaway for me is that Roger is a genuinely enjoyable guy to speak with. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Roger's YouTubeRoger's IGRoger's FBRoger's TikTokTom Regan speech"Defending Animal Rights"Roger on Green Scare PodWatch DominionWatch Earthlings

For my last episode of the holiday season, I thought it would be appropriate to take stock of the incredible achievements of the animal rights movement in 2025. And the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) was a huge part of it. Orchestrating a dizzying number of wins that just keep rolling in, CAFT has shown what a relatively small group of committed activists can achieve with the right amount of focus and determination. CAFT executive director Suzie Stork is a big reason for it. Suzie is an impressive leader of an impressive group that's part of an impressive coalition, along with groups like Animal Activism Collective (AAC) and the International Council for Animal Welfare (ICAW) that have brought big results for animals this year. The latest CAFT win, getting influential designer Rick Owens to go fur free, was won in just five days. I can barely keep track of all the wins. And that's the best holiday gift I could ask for. Thank you for an amazing 2025, and here's to a 2026 that sees the fur industry finished for good.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:CAFT websiteCAFT newsletterCAFT IGAAC LinktreeICAWWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion