As a thank you to Sammie for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Project3R, a non-profit organization founded by sixteen-year-old Ryan Hickman. Project3R is dedicated to recycling and raising environmental awareness and education around the world. To learn more about this organization, click here: Project3R
Margot Raggett is a wildlife photographer, wildlife warrior and a cancer survivor. She joins Anitha and generously talks about these parts of her life.
After witnessing the death of a young elephant, a tragic victim of poaching, Margot felt compelled to help protect wild animals . . .and thus was born Remembering Wildlife.
The first book in the series, Remembering Elephants, brought together photographers from all of the world, including Margot, donating stunning photographs for the book, which came out in 2015. Since then, eight more books have been produced and to date $1.5 million dollars has been raised through the sale of these books to support 74 projects in 33 countries across Africa, North & South America, Asia and Europe.
The latest book in the series, Remembering Tigers, will be available October 2024.
You can purchase one or more or all of these gorgeous books and help protect wildlife by visiting the Remembering Wildlife website: Remembering Wildlife
To learn about some of the projects Remembering Wildlife supports, click here: Projects
On October 9th, Remembering Wildlife will host a special event to celebrate the release of Remembering Tigers. It will be an evening to showcase tiger conservation and wildlife photography. To attend the event in London, England in person or virtually, click here:
As of the date of airing of this episode, Margot was still deciding on a charity she would like Anitha to donate to. Once Margot decides, Anitha will donate and provide details and a link to the charity.
September 22 is World Rhino Day and to mark this special day when the world recognizes these incredible beings who are critically endangered, Anitha chatted with Elisa Best.
16.11.20 – Mirror Animal Hero Awards 2020 – Picture shows Elise Best at her workplace Rowe Vet Hospital in Bristol.
Elisa is originally from South Africa and works as a small animal veterinarian in the UK. Elisa talks about the plight of rhinos and her desire to help them, and how this evolved into the creation of Blankets For Baby Rhinos (BFBR).
This lovely group began by knitting blankets for orphaned rhinos, who are often both emotionally and physically traumatized when their mothers are killed by poachers. Rhino rescue groups discovered that baby rhinos find comfort when wrapped in these blankets.
BFBR has now grown to provide blankets for other animals such as injured and rescued pangolins, lions, leopards, as well as the dogs and humans who are part of anti-poaching units. These dogs and humans work bravely to protect rhinos from poachers.
To find out more about Blankets For Baby Rhinos and how you can support this incredible group, check out their website and their Facebook Page:
Elisa talked about an amazing place called Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary. This is one of the rhino rescue groups, Blankets for Baby Rhinos supports. Care For Wild rescues, rehabilitates, releases, re-wilds and protects orphaned rhinos. In 2016, Anitha’s daughter had the privilege to volunteer at this sanctuary. Her daughter’s experience with the baby rhinos at Care For Wild inspired Anitha’s debut picture book, A Family For Faru. Care For Wild will always hold a special place in Anitha’s heart.
Elisa also mentioned the importance of the anti-poaching unit to protect rhinos and the personal risk these brave men, women and dogs face every day. She mentioned a feature length documentary called RHINO MAN. This film focuses on the life of Anton Mzimba, who was the Head of Ranger Services at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. Anton dedicated his life to protecting and conserving South African wildlife, and made great sacrifices to himself and his family to do so. Sadly, he was murdered in July of 2022. To learn more about this film, check out the following link:
Clarissa Dery, a certified canine nutritionist joins Anitha to talk about what motivated her to create healthy supplements for dogs.
Clarissa not only creates products to help dogs, but after volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in South Africa, she decided to donate the profits from Clarissa Clover to help wild animals in South Africa.
Clarissa talks about her time in South Africa, the animals she worked with, such as hippos and pangolins, and how this experience affected her.
To learn more about Clarissa and the products she makes, check out these links:
As a thank you to Clarissa for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Umoya Khulula Wildlife Rehab Centre. This non-profit rehabilitation facility in Limpopo, South Africa is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of local wildlife that have been orphaned, injured, displaced or confiscated from the illegal trade.
To learn about this wildlife rehab centre, please check out their website:
Kathryn Nicolai, the creator of the number one sleep podcast Nothing Much Happens® joins Anitha to talk about how she makes SO much happen for others.
With her soothing voice, her promise of holding on to your worries while you sleep, and gently tucking listeners in for the night, Kathryn has helped so many folks fall asleep.
For many, including Anitha, the quiet of nighttime is not conducive to sleep, instead it’s a time for negative thoughts to spiral and past traumas to impose themselves. That’s where Kathryn and her stories step in. They give listeners something else to attach their minds to and amazingly fall asleep!
Kathryn talks about the gratitude and responsibility she feels knowing that sometimes her voice is the last thing someone in hospice care will hear, or how folks who have suffered traumas and unbearable losses and night terrors are finally able to fall asleep because of her stories and her podcast.
In addition, to helping people through her podcast and books, Kathryn donates to a charity every week!
Cricket & Ladybug
To learn more about Kathryn and her podcast, check out her website: nothingmuchhappens.com
As a thank you to Kathryn for sharing her story, Anitha donated to I Heart Dogs Rescue and Animal Haven, a no-kill shelter that rescues, rehabilitates, re-homes and provides a refuge for homeless dogs.
To learn more about this rescue, click here: Iheartdogs
The incredible, Katy Brink from the dodo joins Anitha to talk about her love for animals, fostering dogs, and being a part of an amazing organization all about animals.
With Lola & JakeSasha with Lorna & Libby
Katy shares what it’s like working as an executive editor at the dodo, (which may be Anitha’s dream job) The dodo is a wonderful organization that highlights heart-warming stories about animals . . . and the stories always have happy endings.
In addition to working as an editor, Katy generously devotes a lot of her time to fostering dogs. She talks about the devastating overcrowding situation at animal shelters and how fostering literally saves lives.
Katy has some wonderful stories about the dogs who are and have been in her life, including her current foster, a sweet girl named Cartier.
Cartier
To learn more about Katy, Cartier and the dodo, click on the following links.
As a thank you to Katy for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Mr. Bones & Co.— a volunteer-run animal welfare non-profit. They specialize in helping dogs who face extraordinary challenges, such as extensive emergency veterinary care/surgery, unfair breed discrimination or those languishing in municipal shelters with behavioral issues that make them harder to place.
Dr. Crystal Heath, a veterinarian and animal rights activist joins Anitha to talk about the surprising dichotomy that exists holding both of these spaces.
Like a lot of listeners, Anitha assumed that folks who go into veterinary medicine are also strong advocates for animal rights, but that may not always be the case.
Dr. Heath shares her experience of what it was like speaking out for animals during veterinary school and why this inspired her to create Our Honor, a non-profit that supports veterinary students, veterinarians, and other animal professionals in speaking their conscience to create more ethical systems that consider the best interests of all species.
She was named one of Vox’s 2023 Future Perfect 50, which honors the scientists, thinkers, scholars, writers, and activists working on solutions to today’s (and tomorrow’s) biggest problems.
She is also on the board of LEAP – Leaders for Ethics Animals and the Planet, known as the humane alternative to 4-H and FFA, which aims to transform today’s youth into the humane leaders of tomorrow who advocate for and work towards an equitable future for all living beings and the planet.
Well respected in her field, Dr. Crystal Heath is quoted and featured in numerous articles about animals including:
Ryan and Mallory Phillips were brought together by a mutual love for a tiny calf.
They join Anitha to talk not only about their incredible ‘how did you meet’ story, which Anitha thought should be made into a movie, but also what it’s like to share a home with a menagerie of animals, such as pigs, chickens, cows and many other amazing beings, they call family.
Ryan also talks about his path to sanctuary life and how it all began when he received a call about a pig named Pumpkin, who needed a home, and needed one fast. Soon after, came Pumpkin’s daughter Charlotte, and thus began Ryan’s life with pigs.
An inspiring story of love and hope.
To learn more about Ryan and Mallory and their Life With Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary, check out the following links:
Anitha’s sister, Shaila Rao, joins her to talk about the realities of life with aging parents. They share the heartache of witnessing their mom’s health decline due to a rare neurodegenerative disease that affects her mobility and cognitive function. They also discuss their concern and admiration for their 90-year-old dad’s determination to be their mom’s primary caregiver.
A personal and honest conversation about the difficult and heartbreaking issues many of us face as our parents age.
As a thank you to Shaila for coming on to the show, Anitha donated to Oakville & Milton Humane Society. This organization is dedicated to protecting and making a better life for animals. To learn more about the Oakville & Milton Humane Society, click this link:
Mitali Banerjee Ruths joins Anitha to talk about her journey from Medical Doctor . . . to author . . . to creating books about diverse characters, and how kindness intersects all these aspects of her life.
A very fun and engaging conversation.
To learn more about Mitali and the books she writes, click on the following links:
As a thank you to Mitali for coming on to the show, Anitha donated to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres. This international humanitarian organization was founded by doctors and journalists in 1971. They travel all over the world, where people’s needs are greatest to provide neutral, impartial, and independent emergency healthcare to those affected by disaster, disease, conflict and exclusion.
Anitha Rao-Robinson 