Maria's Mutts & Stuff

Maria chats with Jim Kessler, Director of Instruction and Training at The Seeing Eye in Morristown NJ.The Seeing Eye has been training and providing dogs to people since 1929, and celebrated their 95th Anniversary last year!Give a listen and learn all about this amazing organization.You can volunteer, donate, or other ways you can help:  SEEINGEYE.ORG.

Maria chats with naturalist Charles Hood--a poet, essayist and photographer, about his latest book Nature At Night:  Discover The Hidden World That Comes Alive After Dark.Charles takes us on a journey into the dark--as most of us are sleeping--and teaches us about the nocturnal world through descriptions and stunning photos. The night time awakens and we are there to observe it through Nature At Night!

In-studio guests Kimberly Cassar and Adrienne Maglione from NYLABONE chat with Maria about Nylabone's 70th Anniversary and all that they're doing this year to celebrate!!For every Nylabone bought, another is donated to a shelter! Their goal is to help get shelter pets across the country adopted; they're partnered with Best Friends Animal Society. Plus you can win prizes from Nylabone too.  It's May and that means PET MONTH at Walmart and Best Friends Animal Society! Walmart is hosting on-site adoptions with BFAS this month. (Check your local Walmart for dates/times) Click HERE for Nylabone products!Click HERE for NylaboneCares!Click HERE for Walmart/BestFriends Info!

Maria chats with returning guest Ornithologist and bird expert Andrew Farnsworth about Spring migration from south to north; how you can enjoy birds this time of year and what you should do if you find a bird that fell out of its nest!

Maria chats with science writer and naturalist Ryan Mandelbaum about his book WILD NYC.As Ryan says everyone thinks of New York City as a concrete jungle, but "it's full of amazing wildlife"!Between the info, photos, amazing artwork by Chelsea Beck, and the chapter of Field Trips, YOUR next trip should be to New York City!More info:  ryanmandelbaum.com

Maria chats with Pawsitive Beginnings founder Nicole Navarro. In existence for five years, Pawsitive Beginnings gives permanent homes to foxes rescued from the fur trade. (Many come from fur farms where they're deemed "inadequate")Btw 100% of donations go to the foxes! pawsitivebeginnings.org

Maria chats with herb farmer, author and gardening expert Bevin Cohen about his latest book Herbs In Every Season: 48 Edible and Medicinal Herbs for the Kitchen, Garden, and Apothecary, which just came out! Learn about herbs you eat daily or even ones that you never tried before with recipes, plus info about their medicinal qualities! Learn more at smallhousefarm.com.

Maria chats with Skool Dogs co-founder Brandon Womack. Skool Dogs are highly trained dogs that can detect ammunition, firearms, explosives and more! As their website states "First Patrolmen, then cameras, and Now Skool Dogs" They patrol schools across America.Listen and Learn! For more info:  SKOOLDOGS.COM

Maria chats with Bodega Cats of New York Founder Dan Rimada about all the cats we see in our local bodegas, delis, and corner stores!  Dan started a petition to protect these cats and the stores they live in.Did you ever hear of Cats About Town Tours? Dan is a co-founder! If you LOVE cats (and I know you do) give a listen!And Sign the petition too CLICK HERE FOR THE PETITION.bodegacatsofnewyork.comcatsabouttowntours.com

In 2016, Heather and Gil Johnson left their home in New Jersey and relocated to Mexico. Maria chats with Heather:   After seeing so many homeless dogs and "Pinto"--a broken starving dog--Heather and Gil knew what their mission had to be:  helping these homeless strays.To date, they're spayed and neutered over 8050 animals and have placed over 300 adoptions!!Give a listen and learn all about Beach Dog Rescue.  Learn more and donate too:  beachdogrescue

Maria chats with returning guest Roseanne Parry about her latest book A Wolf Called Fire, a story inspired by the real wolves of the American West, especially Wolf 8 who was at Yellowstone National Park as a pup and later became a successful pack leader. Although the book is aimed at middle-school children, if you love dogs and their behavior, you will enjoy this book! 

Maria chats with ecologist, biologist and bat scientist  Dr. Alyson Brokaw about her book The Weird and Wonderful World of Bats!Give a listen and I'll bet you will learn something about bats (and why they're actually pretty cool and not scary at all!) that you never knew! Dr. Brokaw has a blog about bats too alysonbrokaw.com.

Maria chats with Funny For Fido founder and president Justin Silver about the upcoming fundraiser on February 19th at The Cutting Room in NYC.  2025 is their 20th anniversary!! Comedians from Jerry Seinfeld to Jim Gaffigan have performed to support.Funny For Fido's (they're a 501c3) yearly fundraiser raises money for animal rescues with 100% of the profits going to veterinary care; food; training; transportation; housing and more.If you're not in the NYC area, Funny For Fido has great merch too! Visit funnyforfido.org for tickets, merch and to make a donation.

Maria chats with Mark Rowlands--author, professor and chair of the philosophy department at the University of Miami.Mark's latest book The Word of Dog: What Our Canine Companions Can Teach Us About Living A Good Life which teaches us that we can live a better life if we just live our lives like dogs do with a lack of self-examination. As Mark writes "The life of a dog is a voyage and not a plan"!

Maria chats with renowned scientist, explorer and author Neil Shubin about his latest book Ends of the Earth, which will be out Feb 4th.Neil has been exploring the north and south poles for over three decades! So much can be learned from ice, rocks, and nature which helps us understand the planet and our future.

Maria chats with Ami Cullen, Director of Equestrian Operations at the C Lazy U Ranch in CO, and author of Running Free. Running Free tells the story of how 200 horses at the ranch had to be relocated when the East Troublesome Fire hit.  Although fictionalized, the story is based on what really happened and how ranchers across the state helped save the horses.

Maria chats with author Paula Whyman about her latest book Bad Naturalist, a true story of Paula's purchase of 200 acres of mountaintop in the Blue Ridge mountains, in an attempt to restore a farmland to its natural habitat. Fascinating and educational, we follow Paula's as she and her husband deal with challenges and solutions!Get the book at paulawhyman.com.

Maria chats with tv biologist and wildlife conservationist Jeff Corwin and The Brady Hunter Foundation's Josh Fox about CBS's New Saturday morning show Extraordinary World with Jeff Corwin, which premieres this Saturday January 4th! (check your local listings) The show focuses on animal welfare around the world!And is underwritten by The Brady Hunter Foundation which supports animal-rescue efforts. Give a listen and learn about the show; and don't forget to watch Saturday mornings!On CBS and Paramount+.

Maria chats with returning vet Dr. Andrew Torchia from Heart of Chelsea (heartofchelsea.com) to discuss safety tips for your pets.  With the upcoming holidays, there's stuff in your home that could be deadly to your cat or dog!Give a listen and Keep your pets safe this holiday season and always!!Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year from Maria's Mutts & Stuff!!New episodes in January!

Maria chats with writer and editor Michele C. Hollow about her book Jurassic Girl, the true story of Mary Anning, a 12 year old fossil hunter in the early 1800s (!!) who grew up to be a famous paleontologist. The book follows Mary's journey as she and her family discover the skeleton of the first ichthyosaurus,a now extinct fish lizard.You can find Jurassic Girl wherever books are sold, especially bookshop.org. 

Maria chats with Melissa Mezzalira, Founder & CEO of CatsEssentials, a brand dedicated to making natural products for your pets. Their beds are organic and toxin-free which means better for your cats (who sleep and sleep!) Melissa says: "Healthy Sleep is as Important as Healthy Nutrition"!Give a listen and check out their products at CATSESSENTIALS.COM

Maria chats with Pilots To The Rescue Founder Michael Schneider. Michael's passion started from good parenting--he grew up with rescued animals! Then when he sky-dived...things happened!PTTR is a non-profit that transports animals from under-resourced shelters to adoption centers where the animals can find homes.  They've helped transport pets affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.And recently relocated 32 sea turtles!Pilots To The Rescue survives on donations. Learn more at pilotstotherescue.org.

Maria chats once again with undercover animal investigator Pete Paxton.They discuss Pete's latest undercover work with livestock animal auctions, as they happen across America with cattle, sheep and goats! News broke on VOX, Apple News etcThey also discuss wet markets and more.Pete makes us open our eyes to atrocities that many people choose to ignore because they're horrific, but as animal lovers we must be aware.Learn more and you can donate too! seedlivestockauctions.org.

Maria chats with Dr. Anna Massey, Director of Emergency & Critical Care at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital.  Anna also has a very informative (and entertaining!) blog The Blended Vet! She shares her expertise and pet knowledge, from puppy care to pet loss with Maria. Give a listen and check out theblendedvet.com.

Maria chats with returning guest MUTT's creator Patrick McDonnell. Last they spoke, Guard Dog was freed and adopted:  his chain was broken 11/30/23 and then he was adopted 12/14/23.And now Breaking The Chain, The Guard Dog Story book is available!MUTTS is also celebrating its 30th Anniversary (9/5/94) and you can follow year-by-year at MUTTS.COM.Patrick's work is currently showing at the Arts Council of Princeton NJ until Dec.7th.

Maria chats with Positive Tail's Erica Kubersky and Kathy Galotti, plus VERG's (Veterinary Emergency & Referral Group) Dr Brett Levtizke about "Let's FIX NYC":  November is spay & neuter month at Positive Tails! They discuss the benefits of spaying and neutering your pets, plus other topics!And their fundraiser is Sunday Dec 15th at 6pm.Learn More at POSITIVETAILS.ORG!

Maria chats with author Bruce Cameron about his latest novel My Three Dogs, a heartwarming story about three dogs: Riggs, Archie and Luna, who find themselves out of their home when a tragedy happens...and how they find their way back! (Bruce's books A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Way Home are also major motion pictures! I'm sure My Three Dogs will be a movie as well)Give a listen, it'll make you smile just as the book does!For more on Bruce CLICK HERE!

Maria chats with author Christopher Brown about his book A Natural History of Empty Lots:  Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places. You'll learn about how nature is healing; its resilience; and how the wild can come back to damaged places. Plus coyotes, foxes, owls and...black witches too (Do you know what they are??)Give a listen and learn!

Maria chats with Lucky Dog Animal Rescue Founder and CEO Mirah Horowitz about all the rescue work they do with a small staff and many volunteers! Lucky Dog is currently transporting animals out of Florida and Tennessee from shelters affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton to their SC facility with the help of Greater Good Charities and Southwest Airlines! Learn more at LuckyDog!This Sat Oct 19th Lucky Dog's 11th Annual Casino Night is happening at the International Spy Museum in DC. But if you can't attend, you can still donate OR bid on the silent auction items as many items can be shipped.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!

Maria chats with ornithologist and bird expert Andrew Farnsworth on the current plight of birds in oursociety; a billion birds a year die because of the reflective glass on modern buildings--that's 30 birds a second!! There are simple solutions that cities across America are doing to save the birds! Andrew also offers simple solutions that you and I can do on a personal level as well.Give a listen and learn! 

Maria chats with retired teached Helen Rogosin ( UnpackYourOwnHappy) who has partnered with the Book An Author Foundation--they connect authors with nonprofits.Helen writes the Wuffy childrens book series and has partnered with Blue Path Autism Service Dogs and Sarama Animal Rescue! 

Maria chats with Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group's Medical Director Dr. Andrew Torchia about the practice, pet care, pet diseases and more. A new location in Prospect Heights NY is celebrating with a Grand Opening on Nov. 2nd!Learn all about Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group on this episode and at heartofchelsea.com.

Maria chats with screenwriter and actor Marianne Leone about her memoir Five Dog Epiphany, a true story about the small joys she and her husband, actor Chris Cooper, were able to find from their bischons after their son Jesse passed away suddenly. Her story reminds us about the healing powers that animals bring to our lives. (And Maria read the book in a day!!)Marianne is doing a book tour (including Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn NY on Wed 9/18);see all the dates and locations marianneleonecooper.com

Maria chats with author Rosanne Parry about her latest book A Horse Named Sky. Sky is a young wild horse who gets captured for the Pony Express; his mission is to return back home to his family.Rosanne talks about the extensive research she did for this book. A Horse Named Sky is educational for all ages!

Maria chats with award-winning writer and journalist Wendy Lyons Sunshine about her bookTender Paws: How Science-Based Parenting Can Transform Our Relationship With Dogs.The title says it all!  Patience and caring; positive reinforcement; making the dog feel safe--all the things you would do raising a child are applied to raising a pup!!Give a listen and learn.

**Maria chats with Creature Comfort Pet Therapy's Executive Director Mary Beth Cooney and Board President/Volunteer Janice Tierney (who volunteers with her pup Mulligan!) about all that they do--they visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabs, schools and more with a variety of pets:Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and even mini-horses! Learn more at CCPETHERAPY.ORG**Please be patient listening to this interview as there were many technical problems which I realized after. I salvaged what I could...thank you for your patience and as always, thanks for listening!**

Last month I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about The Wild Animal Sanctuary in CO where the Executive Director Pat Craig and his wife Monica saved hundreds of animals from a zoo in Puerto Rico.I was fascinated and in awe and had to know more about them!Here's my chat with PR Director Austin Hill on this amazing sanctuary.They save animals from all over the world. Please give a listen and learn more. Visit wildanimalsanctuary.org.

Maria chats with author Debra Westgate-Silva about her book Daisy's Near CATastrophe, a tale about the friendship between a cat and a dog...and based on a true story! When Daisy goes missing...we follow her as she searches for her dog sibling Bear. Although the book is written for children, adults will enjoy it as well--I did! I also learned about K9Pet Trackers--have you ever heard of them?Give a listen and then enjoy Daisy's Near CATastrophe!

Maria chats with Petco Love's President Susanne Kogut about all they do:  Working with local shelters; saving pets' lives; supporting organizations; and reuniting lost pets with their owners! Petco Love Lost is the largest national lost-and-found pet database...and it's FREE!!Did you know nearly 10 million pets go missing each year?!! :(Learn more and Upload a photo of your pet!! petcolovelost.org.

Maria chats with award-winning filmmaker and returning guest Steven Latham about the new season of ShelterMe TV, 9 new episodes that celebrate the bond between us and our pets. Steven also has an upcoming documentary that will air on PBS The Mustangs: America's Wild Horses (Executive Producer Robert Redford with a Bruce Springsteen song too!)Give a listen and learn! Also checkout ShelterMe's Facebook page.

Maria chats with Joanne Yohannan, North Shore Animal League America's SVP of Shelter Operations.North Shore is the world's largest and longest running no-kill shelter! Celebrating 80 years of operation, they've saved more than 1.1 million animals! Joanne and Maria discuss many parts of their mission, including the Celebration of Rescue Gala this Friday June 14th in NYC that Maria is hosting.Learn more at animalleague.org.

Maria chats with author Jennifer S. Holland about her latest book DOGSMART:  Life Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence. We all know how smart dogs are, but Jennifer digs into just how intelligent and instinctive they really are! From sniffing out an approaching seizure to sniffing out an orca's health through its poop (Yes you read correctly!!)  DOGSMART is a fascinating and informative read.

Maria chats with Operation K9 Beethoven's Co-Founder Brian Reyngoudt; he's a returning guest!Operation K9 Beethoven's mission is "helping veterans one paw at a time" as they rescue dogs and train them to become service dogs for veterans with PTSD.They also visit hospitals, nursing homes and schools with therapy dogs.Learn more operationk9beethoven.com

Maria chats with Paws of War President and Co-Founder Robert Misseri about all they do!Not only does Paws of War train rescue dogs to become service dogs for veterans (at no cost to the vet), they also bring home dogs and cats that soldiers friended overseas (I learned they do this on a weekly basis!)Click to learn about PAWS OF WAR and give a listen!!

Maria chats with writer, producer, Clio & Emmy Award winner Art Twain about his latest book The Lincoln Zoo Rebellion, written with his long-time friend Larry Belling (who sadly passed away before the book was completed)Art talks about his love of animals since he was young; his amazing career in advertising and marketing, and of course the book, which deals with animal rights and preservation!Although the book is aimed at kids 8-14, adults have been enjoying it as well. Give a listen and learn all about Art Twain and The Lincoln Zoo Rebellion.

Maria chats with Bear Brook Feather Friend Rescue and Sanctuary founder Pete Lillo about his sanctuary in Newton NJ. Pete takes care of about 60 ducks and geese, all on his own!!Most of us know about animal sanctuaries like horses or pigs, but this one is all about our feathered friends. Listen and Learn.You can follow Bear Brook Feather Friend Rescue and Sanctuary on social media! 

Maria chats with returning guest Sy Montgomery (who's been referred to as The Octopus Whisperer)about her new book SECRETS OF THE OCTOPUS!Sy teaches us about octopus and their ways and why we are fascinated by them--they're shapeshifters!!The book also has gorgeous close-ups of them in their environment. Listen and Learn!

Maria chats with Dr. Phil Bushby, a veterinary professional at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Bushby iis a trailblazer in his fight against animal overpopulation. He shares his vast knowledge about spaying and neutering, especially feline fix by five which means not the standard spaying/neutering after six months. Listen and Learn!

Maria chats with returning guest Pete Paxton about his latest undercover investigations; the upcoming puppy mill documentary Under Belly; and a new book about greyhound racing.And Cailen LaBarge joins to talk about the fight for the Clean Water Act that SEED (Strategies for Ethical & Environmental Development: ethicalstrategies.org) has been working on.Lotsa info and lots for you to learn so give a listen!

Maria chats with Founder & CEO McCauley Williams about the new tequila Alma Del Jaguar; an "exceptional tequila protecting jaguars" ! They keep it local, it's sustainable packaging and all for a good cause. As it says at almadeljaguar.com Jaguars are our mission. Not our mascot.Give a listen and learn!!

Maria chats with science writer and editor Jennifer Szymanski about Nat Geo Kids book Deadliest Animals On The Planet! With stunning photos and fascinating descriptions, you can learn about the fearsome and dangerous animals and insects on the planet. Educational for adults as well!