By Mary Chris Murray
Alaqua Releases New Episodes for “Laurie Hood’s Difference Makers” Podcast Series
The podcast series “Laurie Hood’s Difference Makers,” now in season two, is hosted by Alaqua Founder Laurie Hood, and celebrates the work of advocates from around the world—the “difference makers” who have dedicated their lives to animal protection and safety while going to extraordinary measures to help all types of animals and their overall well-being.
Season 2 includes two of the world’s most compelling animal advocates, Temple Grandin and Peter Knights—both of whom sit down personally with Laurie and share tales of triumphs and setbacks, discuss how they got started advocating for animals, and inspire viewers to join their movement. By interviewing these amazing individuals, and sharing their stories and videos of their work, Laurie hopes to rally all animal lovers to create much needed and lasting change in our society.
Laurie and Temple Grandin, world famous author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior, discusses Dr. Grandin’s amazing life story and accomplishments. The Colorado State University professor of animal sciences and renowned animal behaviorist and autism activist still writes, teaches, speaks, and consults on a regular basis. A true American icon having been included in Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world, Temple Grandin continues to be a “difference maker.” Grandin, in her four-part interview with Laurie, shares insights into her life including being an unlikely hero to America’s cattle industry; the beauty of visual thinking; breaking barriers beyond autism; and the HBO five-time Emmy award winning film about her that was portrayed by Claire Danes.
Peter Knights is one of the biggest names in wildlife conservation and advocacy. As founder and president of WildAid, he may be the most influential “difference maker” of our time. In Laurie’s two-part interview, Knights describes how he began his life’s work as a wildlife trafficking investigator and ultimately founded WildAid, the global leader in the concept of demand reduction—which vigorously combats the illegal wildlife trade, a multi-billion-dollar global industry largely driven by consumer demand. Knights has attracted A-list ambassadors to join him and help spread WildAid’s message throughout the world.
Celebrities include Danai Gurira, Yao Ming, High Royal Highness Prince William, Lupita Nyong’o, David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jackie Chan, Sir Richard Branson, and Maggie Q. Working with these ambassadors, Knights has raised millions of dollars of free advertising to lower the demand for animal products by asking worldwide audiences to embrace the message: “When the buying stops, the killing can too.”
The video podcast series is available on the “Laurie Hood’s Difference Makers’ YouTube channel as well as all major podcast sites, including Apple, Spotify, and Google. New episodes started airing July 14, 2022. Visit www.Alaqua.org/podcast.
Nine Horses Removed from Cruelty Situation
Alaqua Animal Refuge, in conjunction with the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), removed a total of nine horses from a residence in Holt, Florida, recently resulting in an open investigation for abuse and neglect.
“I have been doing this work a long time and when the initial horse arrived, my heart sank. It was heartbreaking how he had suffered and our efforts to get him out of the trailer took hours because he could not stand up. He had such a will to survive, but his body was just too weak,” stated Laurie Hood, Alaqua Founder. “There is just no excuse for an animal to ever get to this point.”
“Horses are not easy animals to take care of. They have more requirements than your average dog or cat and it’s a 24/7 job. It can be overwhelming, but it should never get to the state we found these horses in. Our local horse community is amazing and will always offer help if they are just asked,” said Danielle LaMarre, Alaqua’s Large Animal Veterinary Technician.
The horses are now recovering in Alaqua’s pasture and are being closely monitored under the watchful eyes of their medical team. The addition of these nine horses puts the number of equine animals in Alaqua’s care up to 41, creating additional challenges when the Refuge operates at full capacity all the time. Rescuing and caring for cruelty cases such as these to get the animals healthy again puts a financial strain on the Refuge. In the end, however, it is worth it to save at least one life, not to mention 41.
To contribute to the care of these horses, go to www.bit.ly/Alaqua-SAFC.
