Dog Talk ® (and Kitties Too!)

NPR LogoDOG TALK® (and Kitties, Too!) originated on the only NPR station on Long Island, WLIW-88.3, where it has been on the air for 13 years and numerous consecutive shows.  This Gracie® Award-winning show (for “Best entertainment and information program on local public radio”), is produced and hosted by pet wellness advocate Tracie Hotchner. Each show features Tracie’s interviews with authors and pet experts from around the world, discussing far-ranging topics involving practical and philosophical issues regarding our relationships with dogs and cats.

The show broadcasts from the East End and reaches all 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.

Podcast also available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon podcasts, and Audible.

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Returning the Most Lost Kitties to Their People

June 5, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (06-05-2023) #833C: Corrine Bourgoin — adoption supervisor and shelter operations manager at the MSPCA Boston — discusses how the shelter has achieved the highest return-to-owner rate of cats in the whole USA, 10 times higher than the rest of the country!   MP3 Audio [19 MB]DownloadShow URL

Surprise Winner of a MissionMeow Grant

June 5, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (06-05-2023) #833B: Terry Taflinger of the Animal Protection Association talks about the life-changing grant they received from MissionMeow — the crowd-sourcing non profit — and how they are putting the donation to work. MP3 Audio [17 MB]DownloadShow URL

Triple Crown Horses Dying to Run

June 5, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (06-05-2023) #833A: Wayne Pacelle, the founder of Animal Wellness Action, talks about the Belmont Stakes race next weekend and the travesty of young race horses dying needlessly as their owners chase Triple Crown glory and winnings. MP3 Audio [21 MB]DownloadShow URL

Crowd-Sourcing Bigger Donations to Cat Rescue

May 29, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (05-29-2023) #832C: Sally Williams created MissionMeow (in which Tracie is a partner) to accumulate many smaller donations to a cat welfare group so that one larger donation could go farther to make a substantial material difference in their work. MP3 Audio [22 MB]DownloadShow URL

If Cats Are Talking, Who Are They Talking To?

May 29, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (05-29-2023) #832B: Jonathan Losos returns to discuss his book “The Cat’s Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa” and the unanswered question about when cats do talk. Is it to each other? To humans? Do we have any way to recognize what they are saying? MP3 Audio […]

The Bull in the Darkness and the One-Eyed Dog

May 29, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (05-29-2023) #832A: Dr Robert Sharp’s memoir “The Bull in the Darkness and the One-Eyed Dog: Scenes From the Life of a Country Veterinarian” tells you everything you want to know in the title — his was a wild, unpredictable and funny life. MP3 Audio [19 MB]DownloadShow URL

Pedro & Petra, Living the Tortoise High Life in Mexico City

May 22, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (05-22-2023) #831CA: Tracie learned about photographer Laura Cohen and her Tortoises Pedro and Petra, in Johanna Seigmann’s photographic book “In Good Company.” Laura found the tortoises at the huge live animal market in her town, Mexico City. Pedro was as big as a Bic pen and unlikely to live. Petra […]

Stop Funding Cruel Dog & Cat Labs at University of Pennsylvania!

May 22, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (05-22-2023) #831B: Justin Goodman from the White Coat Waste Project discusses how the nonprofit is focused on stopping the flow of taxpayer’s money into the animal testing “industry” [20 BILLION dollars annually], currently working with PA Senator Doug Mastriano on a comprehensive new bill to defund over a dozen Pennsylvania […]

“What It Takes to Save a Life”

May 22, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (05-22-2023) #831A: Dr. Kwane Stewart wrote his memoir “What it Takes to Save a Life; a Veterinarian’s Quest for Healing and Hope” after feeling his own life as a veterinarian with suicidal thoughts was saved by a random act of kindness he did for a homeless man’s dog — giving […]

Rescue Dogs Rock NYC Finds a Home

May 15, 2023

Dog Talk (And Kitties Too!) (05-15-2023) #830C: Jackie O’Sullivan co-founded the foster-based dog rescue called Rescue Dogs Rock NYC with Stacey Silverstein. She talks about how they dreamed of having a physical location and what it took to make their dream come true [with the help of many]. Their renovation of what was once a […]