046: How to Heal After Losing a Beloved Animal — A Conversation with Kaleel Sakakeeny
Release Date: 01/05/2026
061: CEO of the American Vegan Society Anne Dinshah on Sanctuaries, Compassion, and Vegan Living
Better Life for Animals
When Anne Dinshah reflects on the state of the world, one number stands out. When her father helped found the American Vegan Society, an estimated 8 billion land animals were killed each year for food. Today, that number exceeds 80 billion. That staggering shift is exactly why Anne continues her life’s work. Not from a place of overwhelm, but from a grounded belief that each of us can do the most good and the least harm, every single day. On episode 061 of the Better Life for Animals podcast, Anne shares how compassion, consistency, and practical choices can create meaningful change for...
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060: Juliana Castañeda Built Colombia’s First Farm Animal Sanctuary, Saving 2,300 Animals… So Far!
Better Life for Animals
2,300 animals rescued. Colombia’s first farm animal sanctuary. One woman who decided at just five years old that animals were not food—and never looked back. In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Juliana Castañeda shares the powerful journey behind building a sanctuary that has saved more than 2,300 animals and continues to care for nearly 200 at any given time. But what stands out most is not just the rescue work—it’s her unwavering belief that rescue alone will never be enough. Juliana explains why education is the only true path to ending animal suffering, and how her...
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059: Rodeos, Reform, and the Fight for Animals with Karen Bacon
Better Life for Animals
Change for animals does not happen by chance. It happens when people decide to act. In this episode of Better Life for Animals, Karen Bacon shares her experience working to create real change through focused advocacy efforts. From challenging rodeo practices to mobilizing community support, she breaks down what it takes to move issues forward. This conversation goes beyond awareness and into action. You will hear how petitions, outreach, and persistence play a role in shifting outcomes for animals, and why individual voices still matter. If you have ever wondered how to make a difference,...
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058: From a Simple Favor to a Global Mission for the Animals with Dave Graham
Better Life for Animals
Most businesses start with a plan. Dave Graham’s did not. A weekend stay at a vegan bed and breakfast in Australia turned into an unexpected opportunity when the owner asked if he could build a website. Dave said yes. That one project led to another, and soon he was working with vegan professionals, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses around the world. What began as a side project quickly evolved into a full-time career. But it was not until Dave began working closely with animal sanctuaries that everything clicked into place. Why Animal Sanctuaries Became the Focus Working across...
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057: One Social Media Campaign Generated over $25,000 for an Animal Sanctuary with Molly Hodgdon
Better Life for Animals
When people think about social media growth, they usually talk about algorithms, hashtags, or viral tricks. Molly Hodgdon has a different philosophy. People may not remember every post you publish. They may not remember your captions or the details of a campaign. But they will remember how your posts made them feel. And that simple insight has helped Molly raise more than $100,000 for animals, grow a sanctuary’s online following by over 1,000 percent, and turn a hobby account about antique cat photos into a powerful philanthropic engine. In this episode of the Better Life for Animals...
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056: The Moment Everything Changed for Kathleen Gage and Why Awareness Is the First Step Toward Compassion
Better Life for Animals
Sometimes the shift into veganism doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in layers. A documentary. A book. A conversation. And then one day something clicks so deeply that you can never see the world the same way again. In this special episode of the Better Life for Animals Podcast, the tables are turned as Kathleen Gage, the producer behind the show and founder of Vegan Visibility, steps in front of the microphone. Host Cheryl Moss sits down with Kathleen for an honest and deeply reflective conversation about the moment she fully connected the dots between the animals we love and the...
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055: Inside Factory Farming Secrecy: Investigative Journalist Will Potter on Activism, Surveillance, and Civil Liberties
Better Life for Animals
What happens when a powerful industry operates entirely behind closed doors? Investigative journalist and author Will Potter has spent over a decade answering that question. In this episode of the Better Life for Animals podcast, we dive deep into the legal and political tactics used to shield factory farms from public scrutiny. Potter, the author of Green Is the New Red and the new investigative work Little Red Barns, explains how the battle over industrial agriculture has evolved into a battle over transparency itself. We discuss the rise of "Ag-Gag" laws, the FBI's labeling of...
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054: Inside Animal Law: Zoo Ethics, Ag-Gag Laws, and Flaco’s Story with Christine Mott
Better Life for Animals
A wild owl spent his entire life in a cage — until he escaped. Flaco, a Eurasian eagle owl born in captivity at the Central Park Zoo, could not fly freely for years. When he escaped, millions of people followed his story and instinctively rooted for his freedom. Why did his story resonate so deeply? And what does it reveal about zoos, wildlife captivity, and the state of animal protection laws in the United States? In this episode of the Better Life for Animals podcast, animal law attorney and award-winning author Christine Mott examines the legal, ethical, and cultural issues behind...
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053: The Truth About Chickens with Liz Wheeler: Sentience, Sanctuary, and Why It Matters
Better Life for Animals
Chickens are intelligent, emotionally complex animals, yet they remain among the most underestimated and commodified beings in modern agriculture. In this episode of Better Life for Animals, host Cheryl Moss speaks with Liz Wheeler, co-founder of Secondhand Stories Chicken Sanctuary, about chicken sentience, sanctuary advocacy, and reshaping cultural narratives around farmed animals. Liz shares the pivotal moment that led her into sanctuary work — meeting a rescued chicken named Ellen whose personality challenged deeply embedded stereotypes about chickens. That experience ultimately inspired...
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052: The Human and Animal Toll of Factory Farming | Leah Garcés
Better Life for Animals
Factory farming impacts billions of animals, but the story does not end there. Behind the system are struggling farmers, vulnerable workers, and communities searching for better solutions. In this powerful episode, Leah Garcés shares what more than two decades of advocacy has taught her about transforming one of the most entrenched systems in our world. From collaborating with farmers to exposing the hidden human cost of industrial agriculture, Leah offers a thoughtful and hopeful perspective on what real change requires and how each of us can help build a more compassionate food system. ...
info_outlineWhy Losing a Pet Hurts So Deeply — with Animal Chaplain Kaleel Sakakeeny
Did you know that more than 20,000 people every month search for help coping with the heartbreak of losing an animal companion? That number tells a powerful story. The grief that follows the loss of a beloved animal is real, intense, and often misunderstood. For many, it is one of the deepest emotional wounds they will ever experience, yet society doesn’t always acknowledge the depth of that pain.
This is the life’s work of Kaleel Sakakeeny, grief educator, ordained pastor, animal chaplain, and Executive Director of Animal Talks. After losing his beloved cat Cairo and experiencing profound heartbreak, Kaleel discovered that true healing doesn’t come from suppressing grief — it comes from honoring it.
In this episode, Kaleel shares:
• Why grief after pet loss can feel overwhelming
• The difference between grief (what we feel) and mourning (how we express it)
• How the loss of ritual has left many people emotionally adrift
• Why losing a pet often reawakens older, unresolved grief
• How animals invite us into deeper compassion, love, and presence
• Why grief is not a problem to fix — it is love searching for somewhere to go
Kaleel believes animals are “the angels of our better selves.” They soften us, ground us, and open our hearts. When we lose them, the pain can feel life-altering — but meaning and healing begin when grief is expressed, witnessed, and honored.
If you or someone you love is grieving the loss of an animal companion, this conversation offers comfort, validation, and a path toward emotional healing.
Full post at: www.betterlifeforanimals.com/podcast/046-kaleel