The Hen Report: “Depending on Who You Ask” | NAMs, Animal-Free Science & the Future of Lab Research

The Hen Report: “Depending on Who You Ask” | NAMs, Animal-Free Science & the Future of Lab Research

In this episode of The Hen Report, Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan welcome flock member and postdoctoral researcher Neha Nataraj from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Neha attended the Johns Hopkins/PCRM Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science — a free, four-day conference focused on reducing and replacing animal use in biomedical research and toxicology — and shares what she learned about the cutting-edge science, the people driving it, and the complex realities of working toward a world with fewer animals in labs. * Non-animal methods (NAMs) explained: Neha breaks down the three main categories of new approach methodologies — in vitro (cell cultures, organoids, organ-on-a-chip), in chemico (molecular analysis), and in silico (AI and computer modeling) — and where each stands in replacing animal testing. * Federal momentum for animal-free science: The NIH’s newly created Office of Research Innovation Validation and Application (ORIVA) signals growing government investment in NAMs, with a goal of fully replacing animals in preclinical drug testing — though full replacement in basic biomedical research remains a longer-term challenge. * The human side of animal research: A standout panel featuring Maddie Krasno (Executive Director, Justify), Madhu Nag, MBS, PhD (CSO, inSphero), and Alexis Feidler, MS (Neuroscience PhD candidate, University of Rochester). explored the emotional toll animal research takes on scientists, and how some have redirected entire careers toward humane alternatives. * PCRM’s outsized impact: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine was highlighted as a key driver of systemic change, including securing the FDA’s I-STAND program, which allocates dedicated funding for non-animal methods. * Upcoming documentary — “The New Gold Standard”: A brand-new film about cutting-edge science replacing animal testing had its second-ever screening at the conference; watch for its release on PBS this fall. [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/954-OHH-2photos-2quotes-template-360x360.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/954-OHH-2photos-2quotes-template-360x360.png RESOURCES * * * * * 2026 Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science [https://www.pcrm.org/ethical-science/summer-immersion] * Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing [https://caat.publichealth.jhu.edu/] * Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine [https://www.pcrm.org/] * Current Affairs VOL. 10, ISSUE 4 [https://www.currentaffairs.org/hubfs/Issues/CurrentAffairs-55.pdf?hsLang=en] * Losing Our Cruelty [https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/sangamithra-iyer-governing-bodies-memoir-confluence-watershed-interview/] *  We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep954/#pod-transcript] to read this episode's interview. _____________________________________________ Donate Now! [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png [http://ourhenhouse.org/support] Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/support]. Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content! Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-hen-house/id350069146] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ourhenhouse], or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review! Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/animallaw/], The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/cooking/], and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/audio-series/]. Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/OurHenHouse/]Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/ourhenhouse/?hl=en]TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ourhenhouse], or Bluesky. [https://bsky.app/profile/ourhenhouse.org] The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren. [http://michaelharren.com/]

Eggs, Ballots, and Manure Pits: Animal Agriculture’s Worst Week (Again) | Rising Anxieties

[https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/953-RA-QUOTE-TEMPLATE-360x360.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/953-RA-QUOTE-TEMPLATE-360x360.pngIn this episode of Rising Anxieties, Mariann Sullivan tears through the week’s most revealing industry news — from egg producers finally grasping that animal advocates want them gone, to Oregon’s audacious PEACE Act inching toward the ballot, to the toxic gas hazards quietly killing dairy workers. She also covers the Cargill lockout rocking Colorado’s beef industry, the federal government’s creative reinterpretation of H-2A visa law to hand dairy farms a captive labor force, and a truly stunning Memorial Day message from the National Beef Association that somehow forgot what Memorial Day is actually for. * PETA vs. Vital Farms: PETA bought stock and asked a pointed question at the shareholder meeting — Vital Farms declined to answer, proving the point better than any answer could have * Oregon’s PEACE Act: The ballot measure to criminalize ranching, hunting, and fishing has enough signatures; even its own organizers aren’t betting on a win — they just want people talking * Manure gas is killing workers: Cornell published a safety guide for toxic gases on dairy farms, because hydrogen sulfide and ammonia exposure is apparently still treated as a scheduling problem * Cargill lockout in Colorado: 1,700+ workers locked out for weeks, with new allegations of antitrust collusion on labor rates — welcome to Big Meat * H-2A visas for dairy: The Department of Homeland Security quietly opened the door for dairy farms to use guest worker visas, creating exactly the captive, rightless workforce the industry has always wanted We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep953/#pod-transcript] to read this episode's interview. _____________________________________________ Donate Now! [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png [http://ourhenhouse.org/support] Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/support].  Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content! Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-hen-house/id350069146] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ourhenhouse], or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review! Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/animallaw/], The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/cooking/], and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/audio-series/]. Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ourhenhouse/], Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/OurHenHouse/]Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/ourhenhouse/?hl=en]TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ourhenhouse], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@ourhenhouse], or Bluesky. [https://bsky.app/profile/ourhenhouse.bsky.social] The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren. [http://michaelharren.com/]

Can Finance Activism End Factory Farming? AI, Divestment, and Animal Advocacy with Richie Richardson

This episode of the Our Hen House interview features Thomas “Richie” Manandhar Richardson — AI Impact Director at Vegan Hacktivists and former Director of Research at Bryant Research — in a wide-ranging conversation about two urgent frontiers for the animal movement: financial activism targeting factory farming and the growing role of artificial intelligence in animal advocacy. Richie breaks down why divestment campaigns largely fail to cut off funding for factory farming (and the rare exceptions where they can work), how international development banks in the Global South represent a more promising pressure point, and what it means to stigmatize an industry financially— the way coal has been stigmatized. He then shifts to AI, covering how animal organizations can leverage tools like ChatGPT and Claude for research, communications, and even building software — and why those who are producing pro-animal content online may literally be shaping the values of the next generation of AI models. * Financial activism and its limits — Divestment campaigns rarely cut off funding because capital simply flows elsewhere; Richie cites research suggesting 85% of US wealth would need to divest from fossil fuels before companies feel real impact, with similar dynamics in factory farming. * Where financial pressure can work — International development banks (like the World Bank’s IFC) are a more viable target in lower- and middle-income countries, because if they cancel a loan, no commercial bank typically steps in — a tactic that successfully blocked a $200 million loan to Brazilian beef giant Marfrig. * Stigmatizing factory farming as a risky investment — Framing factory farming risks (disease outbreaks, insurance costs, stranded assets) in financial terms — as outlets like FAIRR and the Financial Times already do — can shift how investors perceive the industry over the long term, similar to what happened with coal. * AI as a force multiplier for animal advocates — AI tools can help under-resourced organizations and grassroots activists produce research, build websites, analyze data, and run campaigns at a scale previously impossible; Vegan Hacktivists’ free Amplify for Animals AI course is returning soon. * Shaping the AI models of the future — Publishing pro-animal content on blogs, Substacks, and YouTube may influence how future AI models are trained, and organizations like Sentient Futures and CAML are actively working with AI labs to build benchmarks that increase AI compassion toward animals. ABOUT OUR GUEST [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/952-OHH-quote-template-360x360.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/952-OHH-quote-template-360x360.png Thomas Manandhar-Richardson, also known as Richie, is the AI Impact Director at Vegan Hacktivists. There, he builds AI automations and provides AI education and consulting for organizations to help them have more impact for animals. Previously, he was the Director of Research at Bryant Research, where he conducted research primarily on the economics and finance of factory farming, as well as food security and alternative proteins. * Bryant Research [https://bryantresearch.co.uk/] * Vegan Hacktivists [https://veganhacktivists.org/] * Stop Financing Factory Farming [https://stopfinancingfactoryfarming.com/] * Bank for Nature [https://bankfornature.org/] * Richie’s Substack [https://richiemanandhar.substack.com/] _____________________________________________ Donate Now! [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png [http://ourhenhouse.org/support] Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/support]. Contributions of any amount are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content! Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-hen-house/id350069146] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ourhenhouse/videos], or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review! Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/animallaw/], The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/cooking/], and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/audio-series/]. Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ourhenhouse/], Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/OurHenHouse/]Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/ourhenhouse/?hl=en]TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ourhenhouse], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@ourhenhouse], or Bluesky. [https://bsky.app/profile/ourhenhouse.bsky.social] The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren. [http://michaelharren.com/]

The Hen Report: “We Won” | Ridglan Closes & the March to Marshall BioResources Begins

This episode of The Hen Report celebrates two major animal rights victories — the closure of the notorious Ridglan dog testing facility and Philadelphia’s ban on horse-drawn carriages — then pivots to the next big fight. Hosts Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan are joined by animal advocate and poet Gretchen Primack and Sexy Fit Vegan founder Ella Magers to announce an ambitious 200-mile march from Albany, NY to Marshall BioResources (September 12–26), the largest animal experimentation breeding facility in the country, with over 20,000 animals. * Ridglan Farms closes for good — after years of activism, protests, and open rescues, the notorious beagle-breeding lab is shutting down and sending all dogs to rescue, marking a landmark win for the animal rights movement * Philadelphia bans horse-drawn carriages — Revolution Philadelphia’s years-long campaign pays off, with advocates now setting their sights on New York City * Albany to Marshall March announced — Gretchen Primack and Ella Magers are organizing a 15-mile-per-day, two-week march from Albany to Marshall BioResources (September 12–26) to demand an end to animal experimentation * How to get involved — join as a marcher (full or partial), volunteer on a logistics/outreach committee, or follow updates at savethedogs.io; contact Gretchen (@gretchenprimack) or Ella (@sexyfitvegan) on Instagram * Marshall BioResources is next — with 20,000+ dogs, pigs, ferrets, and cats, this facility dwarfs Ridglan and is now the movement’s primary target as momentum builds post-Ridglan [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/951-OHH-2photos-2quotes-template-360x360.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/951-OHH-2photos-2quotes-template-360x360.png RESOURCES * * * * * Hundreds of dogs to be sent to rescue as US beagle research facility shuts down [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/16/wisconsin-beagle-research-facility-shut-down] * Philadelphia Just Banned Horse-Drawn Carriages [https://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/philadelphia-just-banned-horse-drawn-carriages/] * Now let’s get 20,000+ beagles out of Marshall. [http://savethedogs.io] * Sexy Fit Vegan website [https://sexyfitvegan.com/] * Gretchen Primack’s website [https://gretchenprimack.com/] *  We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep951/#pod-transcript] to read this episode's interview. _____________________________________________ Donate Now! [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png [http://ourhenhouse.org/support] Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/support]. Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content! Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-hen-house/id350069146] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ourhenhouse], or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review! Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/animallaw/], The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/cooking/], and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/audio-series/]. Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/OurHenHouse/]Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/ourhenhouse/?hl=en]TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ourhenhouse], or Bluesky. [https://bsky.app/profile/ourhenhouse.org] The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren. [http://michaelharren.com/]

Screwworms, Spy Drones, and a Ballot Initiative That Could Break the Meat Industry | Rising Anxieties

[https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/950-RA-QUOTE-TEMPLATE-360x360.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/950-RA-QUOTE-TEMPLATE-360x360.pngThis week on Rising Anxieties, Mariann covers the EU’s ongoing (and apparently never-ending) effort to strip plant-based foods of their meat-adjacent vocabulary, the Oregon ballot initiative that has the animal agriculture industry writing fever-dream op-eds, and a Russian company claiming it’s wiring dairy cows’ brains for remote-controlled lactation — which is either the future or a war crime, possibly both. Also: the Save Our Bacon Act is losing sponsors, India’s dairy industry is built on a quiet lie, and America’s dairy farmers can’t find anyone willing to take over their farms.  * EU plant-based food labeling ban: After years of deliberation, the European Parliament banned dozens of meat-adjacent terms for vegan and vegetarian products — while somehow allowing “burger” and “nuggets” — and is now eyeing restrictions on pro-plant-based NGOs * Oregon IP 28: The anti-animal-cruelty ballot initiative would effectively end livestock slaughter, hunting, and fishing in Oregon — and opponents are so scared they’re lying about what it actually does * Save Our Bacon Act update: Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas dropped his co-sponsorship of the farm bill amendment targeting California’s Prop 12, a small but real win for animal welfare advocates * India’s dairy truth: A new report reveals India — widely assumed to protect cows on religious grounds — is actually the world’s single largest beef exporter, thanks to legal loopholes that reclassify most bovines as not-cows * Brain chips for dairy cows: A Russian neurotech company claims to have implanted electrodes into cows’ brains to trigger lactation on demand, because apparently the industry hadn’t yet hit rock bottom We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/ep950/#pod-transcript] to read this episode's interview. _____________________________________________ Donate Now! [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png]https://www.ourhenhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/donate-button2-2-300x111.png [http://ourhenhouse.org/support] Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/support].  Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content! Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-hen-house/id350069146] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ourhenhouse], or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review! Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/animallaw/], The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/cooking/], and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series [https://www.ourhenhouse.org/audio-series/]. Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ourhenhouse/], Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/OurHenHouse/]Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/ourhenhouse/?hl=en]TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ourhenhouse], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@ourhenhouse], or Bluesky. [https://bsky.app/profile/ourhenhouse.bsky.social] The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren. [http://michaelharren.com/]