The Hen Report: “Who invited the vegan?” | The Squirrel Who Crossed the Political Divide

Our Hen House: Vegan & Animal Rights Movement | Stories from the Frontlines of Animal Liberation

In this week’s episode of The Hen Report, we welcome back our favorite constitutional law scholar and wingman Michael Dorf to dish about the viral saga of Peanut the Squirrel. What started as a heartbreaking story about a beloved social media star squirrel and his raccoon friend Fred—both killed by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation under troubling circumstances—turned into a fascinating case study of how animal issues can transcend political divides.

Episode Highlights:

• The Peanut Saga: How a rescued squirrel—and social media sensation—was seized and killed by New York authorities, sparking widespread outrage
• The surprising demographic of Peanut supporters who aren’t typically perceived as aligned with animal rights causes
• Activism Opportunities: How animal advocates might reach new audiences through individual animal stories
• Political Divisions: The challenges of building coalitions across political lines for animal causes
• Intersectionality Challenges: The potential costs and benefits of linking animal rights to broader social justice movements
• Philosophical Foundations: The problem with “they were bred for this purpose” arguments

RESOURCES

• • • Dorf on Law blog
    • If we didn’t eat them, they wouldn’t exist
    • The Animals’ Lawsuit Against Humanity

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

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Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

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