DOG TALK® (and Kitties Too!) on 
DOG TALK® features Tracie's interviews with authors, pet experts and animal welfare advocates from around the world, discussing practical and philosophical issues regarding our relationships with dogs, cats, other pets, wildlife and the natural world.
The show broadcasts from WLIW FM 88.3 in Southampton, the only NPR station on Long Island, reaching from the East End across Long Island into Southern Connecticut and Westchester.
The show’s theme song is “Mmm My Best Friend” by Sophie B. Hawkins from her album TIMBRE.
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You do Know Your Cat is Not Actually Your Baby, Right?!
#967B: Rebecca Van Laer's memoir “Cat” is a slim little book that speaks volumes about the life the author spent as a child feeling closer to cats than to humans and explores how her relationships with her cats have been the through line in her life. She also shares her opinion that referring to a kitty as your “baby” does a disservice both to cats and human children.
The Miraculous Transformation Wrought by Books in Prisons
#967A: Tracie shares her awe and admiration for Dwayne Betts, who, as a result of being incarcerated as a teenager, discovered the power of reading in prison. He came out to become a lawyer and a published poet, founding Freedom Reads in 2020. The nonprofit has put custom made wooden libraries into over 560 prisons nationwide, transforming the lives of many prisoners. His pandemic puppy Taylor, a little Jack Russell Terrier, became Dwayne’s bridge to connect with people in his community with dogs being their common ground. Tune in to hear what Tracie discovers when she boldly proclaims her belief that Dwayne should win a MacArthur “Genius” Grant. NOTE: Donations to Freedom Reads help finance his ongoing libraries, and purchases of his book of poetry Doggerel allow his publisher WW Norton to send the paperback edition to the libraries.
Early Spay/Neuter — What Would Happen if You Desexed Human Children Before Puberty?
#966B: Dr. Lisa Radosta, one of the rare board certified veterinary animal behaviorists, discusses the issue of early spay/neuter and how it affects both physical and emotional development — and what is lost when a dog does not have the opportunity to fully grow mentally and physically.
A New Way To Be Your Dog’s Best Friend
#966A: Katya Lidsky, author of “Be Your Dog’s Best Friend: the Benefits of Mutual Bonding and Relationship Building,” discusses what we can learn from our bond with dogs to improve our interactions with humans.
We're in the Golden Age of Octopus Appreciation
#965B: Sy Montgomery’s fourth book about octopuses (yes, not “octopi!”) “Secrets of the Octopus,” is filled with stunning National Geographic photographs and brimming with anecdotes and scientific discoveries about the multitude of abilities and superior intelligence of these otherworldly creatures, who are having their moment in the sun.
1,000’s of Beagles Used in Lab Experiments
#965A: Melanie Kaplan wrote “Lab Dog: a Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research” after adopting Hammy, a Beagle “retired” from being a research subject. She wanted to find out how tens of thousands of Beagles were bred for often pointless and cruel experiments — done at University veterinary colleges, funded by US government agencies — and how all humans can contribute to reducing (eliminating?!) the use of dogs in research facilities.
Fly Burgers, Anyone?
#964B: Dustin Crummett is the Executive Director of the Insect Institute and co-author of research that questions the economic, environmental and animal welfare concerns of farming insect protein for pet food.
How the Law Can Help Animals
#964A: Sherrie Hines is an animal welfare lawyer — and professor at the University of Georgia Law and new director of the Practicum in Animal Welfare Skills (PAWS) — discussing legal solutions and remedies in cases involving dogs and how they differ from state to state.
Dogs With “Baby Faces” Are Suffering
#963B: Taylor Waters from the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, who also teaches animal law and policy at the Vermont Law & Graduate School, worries about the "infantilization of animals” and the public desire for breeds like French Bulldogs, chosen for their big round eyes and round, flat faces like human babies — when the health of these overbred dogs has become a serious concern. She wants dog owners to ask themselves why they have chosen a particular dog — and what price is that dog paying for your desire?
An FBI Dog Saving Birds in Hawaii
#963A: Jen Danna — writing "Deadly Trade" as Sara Driscoll — takes the team to Hawaii in her newest thriller in her FBI K-9’ series, which is focused on protecting endangered birds from deadly poachers.