Kindness is Everything

Kindness Is The Animal Save Movement—Creating an eco-friendly vegan world, for the animals, the planet, and health.

Bearing witness to a truck full of pigs being carted off to slaughter while walking her dog, drove Anita Krajnc to become an animal activist. Together she and her dog Mr. Bean, co-founded The Animal Save Movement.

Anita talks about the love-based, grassroots approach to activism the organization follows. She shares why it is important to bear witness as the pigs are being driven into the kill facilities. Since its inception in 2010, the organization has grown and includes ch...

Kindness Is Loving Octopuses—A young girl dedicated to helping octopuses.

Eleven-year-old Lily Niederhofer joins Anitha to talk about her favourite animal—the octopus! Lily raises awareness about the plight of octopuses, in particular the horrible conditions they would endure in an octopus farm. As an avid swimmer, she uses her skills to raise money to help protect oceans and the marine life who call it home, including octopuses.

An uplifting episode to say goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026. This one is full of hope and inspires us all to be kind.


To lear...

Kindness Is Queer Brown Vegan—Advocating for diversity & inclusion in environmental education.

Isaias Hernandez, an environmentalist, storyteller and content creator, joins Anitha to talk about advocating for animals, the environment and folks from underrepresented communities.

A timely episode as the holidays remind us to show compassion for all beings.

To learn more about Isaias, the work they do to create a kinder space for all, and follow their social media accounts, check out their website:

QueerBrownVegan

As a thank you to Isaias for being a guest on the podcast, Anitha do...

Kindness Is Bags Without Barriers—Providing essential supplies so all individuals can be successful.

Justin Osei-Dwumoh joins Anitha to talk about his amazing initiative called Bags Without Barriers.

When Justin realized that not everyone has access to essential school supplies—items that are not only necessary to succeed in school, but also can affect one’s self worth, he decided to help.

Partnering with organizations such as Herschel Supply Co., Justin fills backpacks with paper, pencils, markers, and more. Then, he hands them out in areas where the need is great.

In additi...

Mariah Madigan, the founder of Frankie’s World joins Anitha to talk about her journey to creating a sanctuary for rats.

Mariah first fell in love with rats when an adorable rat named Frankie came into her life. Frankie was such a great companion for Mariah and when Frankie passed, Mariah decided to create a sanctuary to honour her soulmate.

Mariah realizes that most folks have negative preconceptions about rats but she also knows that once folks meet a rat their opinions quickly change. Folks realize how smart and clean and affectionate rats truly are. Sadly, ra...

Kindness Is Teachers for Future Turtle Island—Educating on colonialism, equality, climate crisis & more.

Kim Benson wears many hats—teacher, human rights advocates, animal activist, climate activist and all-around kind human. She joins Anitha to talk about Teachers for Future Turtle Island, a group working to dismantle systems of colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy and white supremacy. Kim talks about how these systems have caused and continue to cause ecological collapse, war, genocide & the suffering of all beings, human and non-human alike. Kim believes it is important to teach children about these issues in an age-appropriate manner.

Kim also...

Kindness Is Racing To Zero—Helping sports organizations tackle climate change.

Oliver Scholfield, an Olympic Athlete, joins Anitha to talk about creating a business that combinec his love of sport with his passion for the environment. Racing To Zero is dedicated to addressing the negative impact the sporting world has on the climate AND coming up with solutions to reduce this impact.

Oliver shares some of the simple solutions sporting organizations can implement to minimize their harm on the environment. An episode that makes you believe positive change is possible.

Oliver shares some of th...

Kindness Is Being Anonymous for the Voiceless—Speaking out against history’s largest and longest-standing injustice.

Oliver Loos joins Anitha to talk about his journey into animal activism, veganism and being a part of a group called Anonymous for the Voiceless. This not-for-profit animal rights organisation does all they can to make our world a kinder place for all beings. They specialize in using conversation and standard practice footage of animals in captive situations to enlighten and educate the public about animal exploitation.

For Oliver, it’s very simple, if you were the one suffering, wouldn’t you wa...

Kindness Is Continuing To Fight For Rainbow Spaces—Protecting LGBTQ+ youth 

**This episode does mention suicide and may trigger or be challenging for some listeners. Please be kind to yourself.**

Nadia Kean-Ayub returns to talk to Anitha about her organization called Rainbow Spaces and the current environment in the United States towards folks in the LGBTQ+ community.

It has been just over a year since Nadia was originally on the show and sadly, a lot of communities in the United States feel unsafe, including LGBTQ+. Fortunately, there are people like Nadia who continue to sup...

Kindness Is Being We Animals—Advocating For Animals Through Photojournalism.

Anitha talks with Jo-Anne McArthur, the founder of We Animals. Jo-Anne and the team of photographers at We Animals bravely go into places where animals and the cruelty these sentient beings are forced to endure, is often hidden from the public.

Through their photos, the folks at We Animals show us the suffering but also the "humanity" of the animals we eat and wear, the animals who are used in entertainment or research.

An incredible episode of compassion and discovering the importance of 'seeing' ve...

Kindness Is Elevating Access—Ensuring folks have access to life-saving healthcare, even if it comes at self-risk.

Launched in 2022, Elevated Access is a non-profit that provides pilots and planes at no cost to those seeking access to life-saving healthcare.

Kira from Elevated Access joins Anitha to talk about the devastating healthcare bans in many States throughout the USA which affects those seeking gender affirming and abortion care. Elevated Access was created with the sole purpose of helping folks receive the healthcare they need.

Elevate Access saves lives! But providing this service comes at a ri...

Kindness Is Fulfilling Edgar’s Mission—How a photo shoot with a pig grew into a sanctuary for farm animals.

Pam Ahern, the founder of Edgar’s Mission, a farm sanctuary in Australia, joins Anitha to talk about her journey to help animals.

Pam talks about meeting Edgar for the first time and how a one-time photo shoot to raise awareness about the plight of farmed animals, turned into a lifelong adventure to rescue pigs, chickens, cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, alpacas, turkeys and others who were once part of the meat and dairy industry.

Pam sh...

Kindness Is Being Like Josh—How fostering one dog with special needs turned into an entire foundation helping dogs with disabilities.

Kimberly Elliott, the founder of the Be Like Josh Foundation, joins Anitha to talk about how falling in love with Josh, a 10-month-old Golden Doodle with a brainstem disorder, inspired her to create a foundation that now helps so many dogs with disabilities live their best lives.

The Be Like Josh Foundation is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the care and advocacy of dogs with neurological disabilities. Josh, who is now nine-years old, has a br...

Kindness Is Coffees For Gaza—How donating the cost of a coffee can make a positive impact.

Dr. Inda Ahmad Zahri is a surgeon, a story creator, and one of the founders of Coffees For Gaza, a grassroots initiative to help families in Gaza.

Since Anitha is a children’s author, the two begin the conversation talking about books and how Dr. Zahri combines what seems like polar opposites—the science of medicine and the art of writing.

The conversation then moves to Palestine and how the genocide spurred the creation of Coffees For Gaza...

Kindness Is Helping Primates Together—How a group of sanctuaries work together to help primates.

Amanda (Andy) Gray joins Anitha to talk about NAPSA (North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance) an incredible organization dedicated to uniting the primate sanctuary community.

Of course, Andy and Anitha talk about the wonderful work NAPSA sanctuaries are doing to provide enrichment and professional lifetime care to primates. But they also talk about the reasons primates, who are not native to North America, end up in sanctuaries in this part of the world. From bio-medical research to entertainment to the exotic pet tr...

Kindness Is Ethical Wildlife Tourism—How to enjoy your trip while respecting wildlife

Travelling to faraway places can create lovely memories but does it come at the expense of wildlife?

Connie Needham joins Anitha to talk about ways to enjoy your holiday without causing harm to animals.

The two chat about experiences such as elephant rides and photo-ops with wildlife and the harm these activities inflict on the animal and most likely their family and habitat.

Connie shares things we can all do to have fun on our holiday while increasing the li...

Kindness Is Zoocheck— Advocating to end the abuse, neglect & exploitation of wild animals

Rob Laidlaw, the founder of Zoocheck joins Anitha to talk about his journey into animal activism. For over 40 years, Rob has been speaking up for wildlife. From his initial efforts to close down horrific roadside zoos to helping three elephants, who spent their lives in captivity, find a sanctuary, there is no limit to the kind and compassionate actions Rob has taken for the benefit of wildlife.

Despite witnessing the many atrocities animals are subjected to at the hands of humans, Rob shares wh...

Kindness Is Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary—A place where primates heal & recover from trauma.

Rachelle Hansen joins Anitha to talk about Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, located in Ontario, Canada. Rachelle shares stories of the residents who currently live and have lived at the sanctuary. She talks about the friendships they have made, things they enjoy doing and how the folks at the sanctuary do their best to make the lives of the residents as happy and comfortable as possible, given they can never be returned to their natural homes in the wild.

Of course, Ra...

Kindness Is Being Annick Press—How a Canadian publisher is standing up for diversity & representation in their books, their authors, and their publishing team.

Rick Wilks, the co-founder of Annick Press joins Anitha to talk about publishing children’s books. He shares his journey, memories and even his list of favourite books.

The two also talk about book banning—what it is, the harm it causes creators, publishers and children. Rick talks about how important it is for books to showcase all voices, especially those that have been underrepresented in the past, (LGBTQ+, black, indigenous, and people...

Kindness Is Oscar’s Place—A sanctuary for donkeys.

For the inaugural audio and video episode of the podcast, Ron King joins Anitha to talk about Oscar’s Place, a sanctuary for donkeys to heal and live happy donkey lives.

Ron talks about the many individuals at the sanctuary and how people don’t realize that donkeys are incredibly affectionate, smart and love to hug!


Ron also shares his journey of healing and how the sanctuary and the donkeys helped him.

An incredible conversation about the power of love.

To learn...

Kindness Is Fauna Foundation—Canada’s only chimpanzee sanctuary offers refuge for those who suffered from medical research.

Mary Lee Jensvold joins Anitha to talk about Fauna Foundation, a place of healing for chimpanzees used and abused in the medical research industry.

Mary Lee shares stories of the many primates rescued by Fauna Foundation. She speaks about the incredible capacity of these individuals to heal from years of painful and invasive experiments. And most remarkable of all—their willingness to forgive the very species who caused them so much harm.

Though these chimpanzees can never...

Kindness Is Being Dr. Grace Gilbert—The journey from being a home-schooled conservative to bravely speaking out against current US Government policies.

Dr. Grace Gilbert joins Anitha to talk about what it was like growing up in a Christian Conservative home, being home-schooled and the obstacles she faced to go to college and eventually become a doctor.

She shares why she no longer adheres to Conservative Christian beliefs and instead uses her medical knowledge and social media platform to share how recent changes to Medicaid, Planned Parenthood, Immigration and other policies are negatively affecting the healthcare of...

Kindness Is Otis The Handsome Hound—How an Animal Testing Survivor Is Living His Best Life & Raising Awareness''

Otis, a coonhound, was born into the cruel world of animal testing and subjected to many invasive and painful procedures. But Otis is one of the lucky ones, he was rescued by Robert Sturman who joins Anitha to talk about Otis’ life—then and now.

Robert talks about the harsh world of animal testing that subjects millions of animals to painful procedures despite their being cruelty free alternatives.

But the majority of the conversation focuses on Otis...

Kindness Is Wild By Nurture—One woman’s dedication to opossums, porcupines, foxes and many animals often neglected when it comes to rescue.

Claire Peters-Lunny, the founder of Wild By Nurture, joins Anitha to share stories about her Wildlife Rehab & Sanctuary.

Claire’s love for animals began at a very early age so it makes sense that she now spends her days and often nights, caring for orphaned and injured opossums, porcupines, groundhogs and many others.

The majority of animals come to her after being injured or orphaned from human activity, such as being hit by...

Kindness Is Moonman Photography—How photos have the power to connect us with the wonders of wildlife.

Kyle Moon joins Anitha to talk about his journey to becoming a wildlife photographer and guide at Yellowstone National Park. Kyle shares stories of photographing wild animals from birds to wolves to bison, including an incident when he accidentally found himself far too close to a grizzly mom and her cubs.

Having had the privilege of spending time with many animals in their natural habitat, Kyle talks about the ethics of trophy hunting.

Kyle also shares his in...

Kindness Is PETA KIDS—How PETA is showcasing kids & their compassion for animals.

Samantha Crowe, PETA’s associate director of science education, joins Anitha to talk about the ethical treatment of animals, providing teachers humane alternatives to dissection, and so much more, including some really super kind kids.

Samantha also announces PETA’s upcoming ALL STAR FOR ANIMALS contest. This contest is for kids 12 and under. If you know a compassionate kid, nominate them to win some awesome prizes! Deadline is July 31st.

Go to the PETA Kids website to find out more about the co...

Dr. Crystal Heath generously joins Anitha for a third time. During her previous two appearances on the podcast, Dr. Heath focused on the importance of speaking up for animal welfare. This time, she talks about the injustices many humans are facing and why she is standing up for those who can’t protect themselves.

Like others who are upset by the actions of the current US administration at detaining immigrants, Dr. Heath was documenting a peaceful protest in Los Angeles outside a federal detention centre, when she and others were ‘kettled’ and arrested.

In addition to sharin...

Kindness Is Creating Rainbow Spaces (an Encore episode)- How one woman created a safe space for youth in the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2021 Nadia Kean-Ayub created Rainbow Spaces. She joins Anitha to talk about what motivated her to start this organization, how this group helps youth in the LGBTQ+ community, and how much they have grown in just three years.

Nadia also shares her favourite ways to support folks in the queer community by being an A+ Ally
Affirm who they areAccept that their path is their ownAcknowledgeDon’t offer Advice on who they should sh...

Kindness Is Theo & 3 Sisters—How one couple took the phrase ‘adopt don’t shop’ to heart and welcomed a family of four kittens into their lives.

What could be better than chatting about one adorable kitten— chatting about four! Anitha is joined by Lindsay Fortune who shares why she and her partner adopted four kittens all at once and how their life has changed. Theo, Sadie, Bailey and Stella, went from tiny feral babies, whose bodies stiffened when touched, to healthy, happy and oh-so playful kittens.

Lindsay credits the kittens' foster mom, who goes by @soccerc...

Animal advocate Liz Wheeler has been drawn to animals her entire life. She talks to Anitha about Secondhand Stories, a non-profit sanctuary for chickens she and her husband founded in 2022.

In the short time since inception, Secondhand Stories has rescued and cared for numerous chickens and is currently home to 22 very special birds.

Liz talks to Anitha about the importance of seeing chickens as individuals. She shares stories of some of the fortunate chickens who now call the sanctuary home.

Liz and Anitha also talk about what the terms ‘care-free’ and ‘free-range’ chickens really mean—and...

Kindness Is Saving 25 Cats From Qatar

Filmmaker Mye Hoang joins Anitha to talk about her latest documentary, 25 CATS FROM QATAR. Mye is a cat lover who shares her home with five cats so it makes sense that a visit to a cat café in Milwaukee, USA lead to her filming a documentary about the owner of the café, Katy McHugh. Mye films Katy's rescue mission to Qatar where she brings 25 cats back to the US and finds them their forever homes.

Mye shares what it was like being a part of this incredible journey to Qatar, a...

Kindness Is Being Friends Of Bonobos

Anitha fell in love with bonobos when she first learned about these magnificent apes many years ago, and she is absolutely thrilled to have Ariel Rogers, the executive director of Friends Of Bonobos as a guest to talk about all things bonobos.

Ariel talks about the incredible characteristics of bonobos, the reasons they are critically endangered and the remarkable work being done to save them.

One of the many special facts Ariel shares about bonobos is that they are the only animal who can’t survive without love an...

Kindness Is Creating Jarjeer Mules

One of the highlights of Anitha’s time in Marrakech, Morocco was meeting Susan Machin and getting a tour of Jarjeer—the sanctuary she created for donkeys, mules and horses.

Anitha was thrilled when Susan agreed to be a guest on the podcast.

Susan talks about her journey from being a Barrister in the UK to moving to Morocco. She shares the ups and downs of those first few days, weeks, months of sanctuary life.

Susan also talks about the importance of community involvement and support in orde...

Spencer Hitchen from Noosa, Australia is dedicated to saving the last remaining Glossy Black Cockatoos.

With Spencer’s help, these beautiful birds have finally been listed as Vulnerable under Australia’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Well done, Spencer!!

This is such an inspiring story of how perseverance, passion and using your voice, can make a positive difference.

To find out more about Spencer and his efforts to help Glossy Black Cockatoos, check out these links:

Email
savesunriseglossies@gmail.com

Instagram @savesunriseglossies and facebook @savesunriseglossies

If you’...

Kindness Is Pikala Bikes & More

Anitha met her guest Louisa Battioui in Marrakech, Morocco at an incredible bike rental place called Pikala. Founded by Cantal Bakker, a then 24-year-old from the Netherlands, Pikala is the colloquial Arabic word for bicycle.

Kindness Is Pikala Bikes & More Anitha met her guest Louisa Battioui in Marrakech, Morocco at an incredible bike rental place called Pikala. Founded by Cantal Bakker, a then 24-year-old from the Netherlands, Pikala is the colloquial Arabic word for bicycle. 

Louisa talks about Cantal, who created Pikala to fight the pollution from cars and sc...

Kindness is Being The Rebel Vegan

Former dairy farmer Todd Sinclair joins Anitha to talk about his journey from growing up on a Canadian dairy farm to becoming a vegan. Todd gives listeners the rare opportunity to find out what life on a dairy farm is truly like for the animals. Listeners may be surprised to hear that life for dairy cows is not all happy and carefree—like many dairy farmers want the public to believe when they falsely advertise smiling cows on products such as milk, yogurt and cheese.

Todd explores the reasons behind the...

Kindness is Everyone Is Welcome Here

Earlier this year, an Idaho middle school teacher was told by their school district to take down a classroom sign that said EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE. The reason given by the district was that the sign was deemed “a violation of the district’s content neutrality policy”. The teacher refused to comply.

Upon hearing this story, Boise Idaho resident, Chris Stewart, wanted to support the actions of this brave teacher. Chris talks to Anitha about how his initiative to create t-shirts with the same words as the sign, EVERYONE IS WELCOM...

Kindness is Saving Pets One Click At A Time

Pet photographer Adam Goldberg joins Anitha to talk about his initiative, Second Shot, which helps shelter animals find their forever homes.

Shelter workers don’t always have the time or expertise to capture a photo of an animal that shows them in the best light—relaxed, happy, cute, adorable. Shelters can be a scary place for many animals, especially when they first arrive and their photo can reflect that fear. The result is often a stressed-looking animal, which sadly may not capture the attention of folks looking to a...

Kindness is Being METAHATEM Aly

NYT bestselling illustrator, Hatem Aly joins Anitha to share his up and down journey into illustration.

The two talk about the wonderful initiative which brought them together—Coffees For Gaza. Hatem was one of the many creators to donate art that raised funds to help families devastated by the war in Palestine. Anitha successfully bid on not one, but two of Hatem’s beautiful pieces of art!

Hatem also talks about the pushback he unfortunately received from some schools for being outspoken about what’s happening in the Middle East.<...

Dr. Crystal Heath, a veterinarian and animal rights activist returns to the podcast to talk about the link between animal agriculture and viruses such as H5N1 and COVID.

Dr. Heath was raising alarms about the spread of H5N1 from chickens to cows to other wildlife and to humans, long before it caught the attention of mainstream media. She and Anitha talk about the shocking reason for this time lag.

Dr. Heath also talks about the devastating conditions animals, who are part of the agricultural industry, are forced to endure—such as living in cramped fi...

Theresa Nolet and Eva Shortt from the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) join Anitha to talk about the terrible fate many horses face and what their organization is doing to stop the transport of live horses to slaughter.

Instead of providing hard-working horses such as race horses to show horses to those used for carriage rides a kind a loving place to retire when they can no longer provide humans with a source of income, these majestic animals are often sold to be slaughtered.

The CHDC is dedicated to banning the slaughter of equines for human...

Kindness Is Our Honor (Encore Episode)

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...

Kindness is Being Ben Kennedy

 Anitha is joined by Ben Kennedy who helps care for animals from kittens to wildlife, and also helps humans by raising awareness for the trans community, all while working on his PhD.

Ben shares heartwarming stories of fostering kittens, dogs and getting married at the humane society. He also talks about the social media post that went viral (and not in a good way) when he shared Cross Fit’s new anti-trans policy. Ben also generously talks about going through fertility treatments.

 An open and honest conversation with an incr...

Kindness Is The Trans Comedian

Chris McAllister shares what it’s like to be a comedian, including first-time performing jitters and if the comedic space is expanding beyond the cis white male. They also talk about their social media #ICANTELL. Chris came up with this initiative in hopes of turning around the negative comments folks in the trans community were receiving. The response was incredible and Chris shares some of the positive comments posted using #ICANTELL.

Chris also talks about their role in helping trans and queer Ugandan refugees.

A wonderful conversation about kindness an...

Thirteen-year old, Sofia Rathjen talks to Anitha about her dedication to bring diversity to her school’s library.

Like many visible minorities, Sofia has had to endure racist attitudes and micro-aggressions. But Sofia turned these difficult experiences into something positive.

With the help of a grant, she purchased books by BIPOC authors for her school library. She talks about the importance of representation in books.

This is an incredibly inspiring episode of a young woman turning negative personal experiences into something positive for all.

To follow Sofia’s journey, check out her Inst...

Kindness is Being Cole The Deaf Dog and Friends

Anitha chats with Chris Hannah, a music teacher and the lucky human who shares his life with not one, but four incredible dogs who show people that being deaf, and blind, deaf with a cleft palate are superpowers.

Cole, an adorable pitbull, was the first to come into Chris’ life. Chris talks about Cole’s journey as a therapy dog and the positive impact Cole has made on so many lives—both within Chris’ school community and beyond.

Chris also shares stories about Cece, Alice and Sull...

Kindness is Staying with Good Will Good Karma

Anitha chats with 15-year-old Will Finch. Will and his sister Jada appeared on the podcast back in 2021 to talk about their incredible efforts to help stray dogs and cats find forever loving homes. The siblings created an organization called GOOD WILL GOOD KARMA. Will returns to talk about all that been happening with their non-profit animal rescue—including birthday fundraisers, starting a clothing line to raise money for animal rescue, heartwarming stories of dogs and cats they’ve helped, AND, that to date, GOOD WILL GOOD KARMA has raised a whop...

Kindness is ASK A DOCTOR about Mental Health

For this session of ASK A DOCTOR, Anitha is joined by her son, Daniel Robinson, a registered psychotherapist. They talk about the stigma surrounding mental health, the effects of childhood trauma on mental health, the effects of social media on mental health and much more.

Daniel also shared the following low cost or free therapy and counselling groups that listeners may want to check out.

Youth wellness hubs (free mental health support) in Ontario: 
https://youthhubs.ca/ywho-sites

Low cost therapy (across Canada) Duration: 00:34:06

Kindness is RECOVERING STUFFIES FOR KIDS

For much of January 2025, the world watched as portions of Los Angeles were devastated by wildfires. People and animals lost their lives, homes were destroyed, and there was so much suffering. Anitha chats with Ashley Reckdenwald, the founder of Working Mom Notes. Initially created to help working moms find resources and a community, Ashley started an initiative within this social media account to help children who lost their beloved stuffed animals in the wildfires.

Ashley and Anitha talk about the importance of stuffed animals to children and adults, the incredible...

Kindness Is Creating Good Karma (an Encore episode)

Eleven-year-old Will and seventeen-year-old Jada Finch share their inspiring story of turning personal heartache into helping animals. When Will was 7 and Jada was 12, the family adopted an adorable puppy they named Karma Rose. Sadly, within a few short weeks, Karma died from canine parvo-virus. Despite the devastating loss of his beloved puppy, Will decided to honor Karma on his 8th birthday. In lieu of gifts, he requested donations of money and pet supplies to donate to a local animal rescue. And soon after, Good Will Good Karma was born.
<...

Kindness is Animal Justice

Anitha is joined by Rhea Badhwar, a law student at Lincoln Alexander School of Law. Rhea talks about navigating her love of animals and the world of law.

Rhea is the President of LASL Animal Justice club. Animal Justice, which was founded in 2008, legally fights for animal protection laws in Canada. They offer a student program which gives students such as Rhea opportunities to get active in helping animals while still in law school.

This episode provides hope that compassionate students like Rhea are  dedicated to protecting animals now and i...

Anitha chats with Kelsey McDonough about the harsh realities of animal shelters in California, the resilience of dogs and how love does indeed heal.

They also talk about the devastating fires in Los Angeles and how listeners can help.

A truly heartwarming episode.

To learn more about Kelsey and her dog rescue, check out these sites.

https://www.instagram.com/kelsmcdonough_/

Website: mcdonoughrescue

As a thank you to Kelsey for sharing her story, Anitha donated to The Animal Pad in San Diego. This non-profit, all breed dog rescue...

Kindness is Jamie's Corner

Animal activist, YouTuber and podcast host, Jamie Logan joins Anitha, as we continue to celebrate Veganuary—the month of January where folks from all over the world explore veganism and plant-based diets.

A vegan since 2018, Jamie shares how she found a way to help and raise awareness for animals— from her yoga practice to her creative animal rights campaigns.

Jamie also talks about the anger she feels at companies who make billions of dollars from the suffering of billions of animals, and how she takes this anger and uses it to f...

Episode 102: Kindness Is ASK A DOCTOR About VEGANISM AND HEALTH

Happy New Year! In this month’s session of ASK A DOCTOR, Anitha is joined by Dr. Tushar Mehta, an emergency room physician who also has great knowledge and expertise when it comes to health and diet.

Dr. Mehta talks to Anitha about the positive aspects of a plant-based diet, including reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and even certain types of cancer. But they also talk about essential nutrients folks on a plant-based diet need to ensure they are getting, such as protein, ca...

Episode 101: Kindness Is Helping A Deer Named Thor

Anitha rings in the holiday/Christmas season with her special guest Dawn Rasmussen. In May of 2020, Dawn and her husband discovered an abandoned/orphaned baby deer on their rural property. Dawn shares the story of caring for Thor (the name she eventually gave him). Dawn decided early on that Thor would not become a pet, and instead remain a wild animal. Though she bottle-fed him, brushed him and nurtured him, she also went to great lengths to ensure he grew up as a wild deer. Dawn talks about those early...

Anitha’s son, Daniel joins her to celebrate her milestone of 100 episodes of Kindness. Daniel thought it would be fun to switch things up and ask Anitha questions instead of the other way around. The two look back on the past four years of the podcast. Anitha reflects on whether her perception of kindness in the world has changed. Daniel also explores Anitha’s thoughts on her own kindness and what she would want her children and future grandchildren to know about kindness. A fun and honest conversation between son and mom.

Another change in routine for this epis...

Episode 99: Kindness Is Being Kate

Long-time friend, Kate Thompson joins Anitha to talk about the many animals Kate has helped from squirrels to raccoons, from cats to cats to more cats.

Kate also shares her cancer diagnosis in hopes of raising awareness about cancer and early detection.

An incredible episode about an incredibly kind and brave person.

You can follow Kate through Instagram:

Kate's personal instagram

Kate's Hair Salon Instagram

As a thank you to Kate for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Courage Rock. This...

On this month’s session of ASK A DOCTOR, Anitha and her husband, Dr. Matt Robinson, talk about a very difficult topic for many—what would someone want for themselves or their loved ones if something catastrophic happens while they are admitted to hospital?

Matt and Anitha explore the following issues:


Medical interventions available in the hospital, such as chest compressions (CPR) when someone’s heart stops, being placed on a ventilator, admission into ICUPossible outcomes and risks with each intervention.The importance of making one’s wishes known to family/loved ones BEFORE a medical...

Episode 97: Kindness Is Sharing The S#!& No One Tells You About Writing

Best-selling author and co-host of the podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, Bianca Marias, joins Anitha as the two bring November and National Novel Writing Month to a close.

Bianca and Anitha chat about all things writing, including Bianca’s journey to becoming a published author. They also talk about Bianca’s podcast, which she co-hosts with literary agents Carly Watters and Cece Lyra. Bianca reveals what inspired her to start the podcast and shares some of her listeners’ success stories. For Bi...

Episode 96: Kindness Is Charlene Draws

Author-illustrator, Charlene Chua joins Anitha as the podcast continues to features authors during November and National Novel Writing Month.

In addition to talking about her journey as an artist, Charlene chats about her love for cats and how she used her artistic talents to help a cat named Max.

She also discusses the pressures creators often feel when they decide to make the BIG move to working as a full-time artist.

A great episode for book lovers and cat lovers alike!

To learn more about...

Episode 95: Kindness Is Anoosha Draws

Critically acclaimed author-illustrator Anoosha Syed joins Anitha to kick off November and National Novel Writing Month.

Anoosha talks about her journey as an artist, the many books she’s created, including SARI SISTERS, the picture book she illustrated and Anitha authored, and so much more, including why she's willing to share how much money she earns, on social media.

The two also delve a little into parenting, as Anoosha recently became a mom!

An interesting and fun episode for anyone who loves books and art!

To...

Episode 94: Kindness Is ASK A DOCTOR About INVISIBLE ILLNESSES

On this month’s session of ASK A DOCTOR, Anitha and her husband, Dr. Matt Robinson, talk about illnesses often described as invisible, such as chronic pain syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

These ailments can be debilitating and frustrating for the patient as they try to navigate the medical system.

This episode addresses symptoms, causes and potential supports available for people living with invisible illnesses.

**DISCLAIMER**  THIS EPISODE IS MEANT FOR GUIDANCE ONLY AND NOT MEANT TO PROVIDE A SPECIFIC MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS. ALW...

Episode 93: Kindness Is Sir Darius

The incredible Sir Darius Brown joins Anitha to talk about his initiative— combining his love of sewing and his love of animals to help shelter animals find loving, forever homes.

Sir Darius has made thousands of bow ties for shelter animals, taken their photo, and shared these photos on social media. These adorable bow ties have helped save many, many dogs.

An inspiring episode of love and kindness making a huge impact.

To learn more about Sir Darius check out the following links:

Sir Darius We...

Episode 92: Kindness Is Creating Freedom Farmhouse

Emily Bott joins Anitha to talk about purchasing a property in 2018 that turned out to house a colony of 16 feral/barn cats. Emily and her partner, Dylan decided not only to allow the cats to remain on the property, but worked hard to gain the trust of the cats so they could be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. Life for the cats was so good, they eventually chose to live inside with Emily and Dylan!

These cats now enjoy being warm, safe, lounging on soft beds and so much more!
<...

Episode 91: Kindness Is A Dog Named Indi

Eleanor Booth joins Anitha to share a story of immense loss that created immense kindness.

A regular Sunday morning walk to the dog park turned into a nightmare for Eleanor and her dog, Indi.

In an instant, their lives changed forever, when two dogs, off-leash and trained to hunt and kill other animals, pursued and trapped Indi on the muddy bank of the river. Despite Eleanor’s heroic efforts to fend off these dogs and save Indi, Indi did not survive and Eleanor herself was severely injured in...

Episode 90:  Kindness Is Sammie’s Buddy Benches

Fifteen-year-old Sammie Vance joins Anitha to talk about an initiative she started when she was eight years old, called Sammie’s Buddy Bench Project.

These benches not only help kids make friends, but they also help the environment since they are made from recycled plastic caps!

In the past seven years, Sammie has helped create over 500 buddy benches for schools all over the world.

Sammie is also the author of INSPIRE THE WORLD: A KID’S JOURNEY TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE
And she sha...

Episode 89: Kindness Is ASK A DOCTOR About MENOPAUSE

October is National Menopause Awareness Month, so in this ASK A DOCTOR session, Anitha and her husband, Dr. Matt Robinson, will focus on issues surrounding menopause such as—




What is Menopause?SymptomsRemedies- are there any?Hormone Replacement Therapy vs Non-hormonal medications vs Herbal alternativesRisks and Benefits of each
**DISCLAIMER**  THIS EPISODE IS MEANT FOR GUIDANCE ONLY AND NOT MEANT TO PROVIDE A SPECIFIC MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS. ALWAYS SEEK ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN MEDICAL PROVIDER

If you have a medical issue you’d like discu...

Episode 88:  Kindness Is Remembering Wildlife

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 d...

Episode 87:  Kindness Is Blankets For Baby Rhinos

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.

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 w...

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:
...

Episode 85: Kindness Is ASK A DOCTOR About FEVER

Anitha and the Kindness Is Everything Podcast welcome listeners to the second ASK A DOCTOR session. In this back-to-school session, Anitha and her husband, Dr. Matthew Robinson, talk about children getting fevers.  

If you’ve ever wondered about—

What is a feverCauses of feverWhen to worry about a feverAntibiotics- Yes or no?Advocating for your sick child—then this episode is for you!

**DISCLAIMER**  THIS EPISODE IS MEANT FOR GUIDANCE ONLY AND NOT MEANT TO PROVIDE A SPECIFIC MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS. ALWAYS SEEK ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN...

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 l...

Episode 83: Kindness Is Katy Brink & the dodo

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.

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 fost...

Episode 82: Kindness Is Our Honor

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...

Anitha and the Kindness Is Everything Podcast welcome listeners to the first ASK A DOCTOR session. Once a month, Anitha and her husband, Dr. Matthew Robinson, will discuss a topical medical issue. In this inaugural episode, they talk about cognitive decline and aging.

If you’ve ever wondered about—
Normal memory issues as one ages versus early signs of dementiaSupports in the community to help someone who has dementiaCare options for those with limited financial resourcesExtent to which hospitals can help care for those with dementiaHow kindness fits into all of this—then this episode is for you! Duration: 00:50:54

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...

Episode 79: Kindness Is Helping Parents Age With Compassion

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.

To learn more about Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP...

Episode 78: Kindness Is Making The Inside Scouts!  

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:

https://www.mitaliruths.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mitaliruths/

As a thank you to Mitali for coming on to the show, Anitha donated to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans F...

Episode 77-Kindness Is Celebrating 35 Years Together!

A very special and personal episode for Anitha as her husband, Matt Robinson, joins her to talk about celebrating their 35th Wedding Anniversary.

They share stories of their early years together, being a mixed-race couple, having kids, and the ups and downs of a relationship that’s spanned many decades.

Anitha is super grateful to Matt, who is usually a private person for taking the leap and joining her.

As a thank you to Matt for his willingness to be a part of the podcast, Anitha & Ma...

Episode 76: Kindness Is Creating Rainbow Spaces

In 2021 Nadia Kean-Ayub created Rainbow Spaces. She joins Anitha to talk about what motivated her to start this organization, how this group helps youth in the LGBTQ+ community, and how much they have grown in just three years.

Nadia also shares her favourite ways to support folks in the queer community by being an A+ AllyAffirm who they areAccept that their path is their ownAcknowledgeDon’t offer Advice on who they should share their queerness withAdapt by letting the youth guide youAn emotional and honest discussion of the best and mo...

Jenny McQueen is a true hero for animals. She joins Anitha to talk about leading and participating in peaceful anti-fur protests, bearing witness of animals as they are trucked off to slaughter, co-founding Animal Rights Toronto, and so much more.

Jenny has been arrested eight times for peacefully raising awareness about violence against animals, in particular those used in the animal agricultural industry.

She also talks about the devastating death of Regan Russell in 2020. Regan was bearing witness to the last moments of pigs’ lives when she was killed by a slaughterhouse truck driver.  

To...

The incredible Paige Graham joins Anitha to talk about the many dogs, cats, pigs and chickens she has adopted and shares her home with.
Paige began her animal rescue journey in 2010 as a foster for a dog rescue. She soon realized senior animals and those with complex medical needs are sadly often deemed "unadoptable". With her background in nursing and her huge heart, Paige decided she would give these animals a permanent home, and The Isle of Misfits was born.

Paige shares some heart-warming stories including how she comes up with their awesome names such as Abraham...

Episode 73: Kindness Is Being a Koala Crusader

Nine-year old Malani Harris loves everything about Koala’s, including their scat!

Malani does A LOT to help koala’s such as planting trees, donating birthday money, creating an Instagram account dedicated to koalas, and much more!

She and her family travel around Australia looking for koalas, always maintaining a respectable distance.

Such a fun episode about a young girl and her love for Koalas!

To learn more about Malani and her crusade to help Koalas, check out these links:

Koala Fami...

Valentin Gruener achieved his childhood goal to live in Africa and work with wildlife, and not just any wildlife. Val has spent the past twelve years raising, caring and loving Sirga, a lioness who came into his life when she was around ten days old.

Val talks about what it’s like sharing his life with a wild lion, including some heart-warming stories. He also talks about the reasons for the devastating decline in the wild lion population, his conservation initiative—the Modisa Wildlife Project, and so much more.

A very special and important conversation about a ma...

Derek Walter’s life took a dramatic turn when his then partner, Steve Jenkins brought home a tiny little pig named Esther. Derek talks to Anitha about how this small being created huge and wonderful changes in his life.

Derek quickly fell in love with Esther, became one of her two dads, moved from a suburb to the country so Esther could have all the space a pig needed, welcomed even more farm animals, and eventually co-founded Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary (HEEFS)

This is an incredible conversation about love, family, community, grief, and an unbelievable le...

Kaila and Waian, the incredible sisters who created The Original Surfers, join Anitha to talk about their initiative to reach out to teens and raise awareness to protect oceans and the marine animals who live there. These amazing young women also share what it’s like working with a sibling and much more! 

To learn more about The Original Surfers, please click on the following links: https://www.theoriginalsurfers.com/ https://www.instagram.com/theoriginalsurfers/ 

As a thank you to Kaila and Waian for sharing their story, Anitha donated to the Dolphin Project, a non-profit charitable organiz...

Thirteen-year-old Justin Sather joins Anitha to talk about his love for one of Earth’s smallest beings—frogs. Justin shares how a children’s book and a childhood blanket inspired Justin to clean up his community's wetland, and how that project has grown to cleaning up rivers and oceans, protecting acres of rainforest and collaborating with other young people from all over the world. 

A truly incredible episode about how one person can create a movement to bring about great change. 

To learn more about Justin, check out these links: WEBSITES: www.JustinsFrogProject.comParallel Projects www.TheParallelP...

Anitha is joined by M.O. Yuksel and Omar Abed, two creators who write books for children. In addition to talking about their amazing books, M.O. and Omar share their thoughts about the role of a children’s author when actual children in the world are being harmed.  It’s an honest conversation about an important issue.

To connect and learn more about these incredible authors, please click on the links below.

 For M.O. ·     
Instagram: @moyuksel.author X: @mo_yuksel 

For Omar· OmarAbed.com· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omarabedwrites· Twitter: http://twitter.com/o...

Anitha chats with Rainbow Mosho, an incredible artist on the autism spectrum.
 Rainbow uses her art and her voice to raise awareness about issues such as autism, endangered animals and vitiligo.
 Her art has been exhibited in Dubai, Beijing, Belgium, NYC, LA, Miami, Tennessee.
 Her thoughts: "Autism Acceptance is an opportunity to share about the marvels and challenges faced by incredible beings like me. We are staying put. We belong. We break barriers. Join us by reminding others about it."
 To learn more about Rainbow and see some of her beautiful artwork, check out her social medi...

Many of us see and walk past folks who live in parks, street alcoves and under bridges, but rarely do we stop. Anitha's guest, Lorraine Lam, not only stopped, she wanted to help. Lorraine chats with Anitha about the homeless crisis and her involvement in finding a solution.


Here are some action points for listeners who want to get involved in trying to solve the housing crisis. 

Follow social media accounts of people and organizations that are directly engaged in this workLook for local groups in your city that are engaged in direct outreach and sy...

Anitha was over-the-moon star struck to chat with the incomparable Gene Baur. Gene is the founder of the Farm Sanctuary, an animal advocate, author and so much more. He has been on shows such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Larry King Live, and now The Kindness Is Everything podcast!

Gene talks about his incredible journey from doing commercials to promote companies like McDonalds and KFC, to advocating for the shutdown of factory farms. Animals are forced to endure tortuous conditions at factory farms and these places supply companies like McDonalds and KFC.

Despite...

With issues such as climate change, food insecurity and animal welfare all related to/caused by the animal agricultural industry, Anitha is thrilled to continue her discussion around veganism. Anitha is joined by Kelly Chianciola and her two lovely daughters, Dani and Lana.

All three talk about their decision to become vegan and how it has impacted their lives. They also tackle questions like—Why don’t parents/caregivers want children to know how the animal they are eating lived and died? Why so much secrecy?

Please check out this episode for an open and interesting disc...

A bit late for Veganuary, but never a bad time to talk about health, animal welfare and all things vegan. Devorah Bowen joins Anitha to talk about journey from becoming a vegan to her incredible social media account, The Yummy Vegan.

They also delve into topics such as, where do vegans get their protein, why are there vegan-haters, the diabolical yet ingenious marketing of the dairy industry and of course delicious, healthy, full of protein and easy to make plant-based meals.

To check out some delicious and easy to make plant-based recipes, check out: Devorah’s In...

For the first episode of 2024, Anitha chats with educator and education and equity consultant, Rabia Khokhar.

Spurred by her desire to showcase diverse stories, Rabia created Rabia Reads, her Instagram account where she recommends picture books with diverse main characters. Anitha and Rabia chat all about books, including her current favourite book. Hair Oil Magic by Anu Chouhan

If you’d like to learn more about what Rabia’s reading check out her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/rabia_reads/

Authors/publishers interested in submitting a book to Rabia for a review can cont...

Thirteen-year-old Evie Mutsch, joins Anitha to talk about her very cool clothing line called Eco Evie. Made from recycled water bottles, Eco Evie has stopped over 30,000 water bottles from going into landfills. In addition to creating beautiful clothes, Evie donates a portion of all sales to charities supporting animals, the environment and people.

To learn more about Eco Evie, check out the following links: https://www.instagram.com/ecoevie/ https://ecoevie.com/

As a thank you to Evie for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Save Animals Facing Extinction.This not-for-profit organization works to protect endangered...

After a break that included a not so fun surgery and a very fun trip to Sumatra, Anitha is thrilled to be back podcasting. Here she chats with Zach Skow, the founder of Marley’s Mutts and the Pawsitive Change Program. Zach openly talks about his health struggles and how volunteering at a dog shelter literally saved his life.

As a way of giving back to the dogs who helped him when he needed it, Zach created Marley’s Mutts, a rescue dedicated to saving the lives of animals in overcrowded shelters. Zach also talks about the incredible part...

Some people have a huge heart. Susie Cogswell is one of those incredible humans who not only has a huge heart, but willingly allows it to be broken over and over again.

Susie joins Anitha to talk about her journey in animal rescue and what it’s like to adopt, foster and love senior dogs.

Sadly, senior dogs can find themselves in shelters for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, these dogs are often overlooked when it comes to being adopted. Through no fault of their own, these dogs, who were once part of a family, now mu...

Twelve-year old Jack Dalton joins Anitha to talk about the many ways he helps animals, including his favorite animal, the orangutan. Through his YouTube Videos, public speaking engagements, fundraising efforts and writing a picture book, Jack has raised funds and awareness for critically endangered orangutans. In fact, as of March 2023, Jack has helped plant over 13,000 trees to reforest habitat for Orangutans and other animals, raised over $13,500 for education and orangutan rehabilitation, presented to over 5000 people worldwide and has had over 217,000 views of his fun and educational YouTube videos.

Jack talks about why palm oil trees are the main...

Ten-year old Normani Hamilton joins Anitha to talk about all the wonderful things she is doing to empower other black children. From writing and publishing her first book to entering pageants, Normani hopes to inspire other children to love themselves just the way they are.

To learn more about Normani’s efforts to help critically ill children, click here: https://give.gktw.org/fundraiser/4520867

To follow Normani on Instagram and order her book, click here: https://www.instagram.com/princess_normi/

As a thank you to Normani for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Gi...

This episode is a wonderful example of dedication and persistence making a positive impact. Kamilya Tulebaeva from Kazakhstan shares her inspiring story of how she moved her country to ban dolphinariums. It’s an incredible achievement and one you will definitely want to hear about. Here are links to the movies/documentaries Kamilya mentioned. Intraterrestrial. A Fleeting Contact:

English version: https://youtu.be/7f0-UKxWJxs Version Française : https://youtu.be/0igkMcyXXF4

The Cove https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozLZkXcrFrk As a thank you to Kamilya for sharing her story, Anitha donated to New Chance Ani...