For over a decade, I have provided pro bono clinical examinations of asylum seekers to determine if there is objective medical and psychiatric evidence of torture. As a physician, I have worked with countless men, women, and children who have suffered through unimaginable forms of abuse - people who have lived through indescribable violence simply because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, political opinion, or social group. Whether we meet in a clinic examination room or an … [Read more...]

As part of my ongoing interview series with solutionaries and changemakers, I recently interviewed author and William & Mary Chancellor Professor of Anthropology Barbara King. Barbara is an inspiring, thought-provoking writer who focuses on the deep emotional connections between humans and other animals. HF: In 2013, you published the book, How Animals Grieve. What motivated you to write about how animals experience grief? BK: In two of my earlier books, Evolving God (2007) and Being With … [Read more...]

This month marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta – the basis for many of the liberties we enjoy today. In spite of terrific advances that have been made for many humans around the world (and work that still needs to be done), nonhuman animals still have no legal rights from which to start. In the eyes of the law – in almost every corner of the world – nonhuman animals are still considered “something,” not “someone.” As the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) points out, while the Supreme … [Read more...]

Saturday, a horse named American Pharoah raced to the finish line at the Belmont Stakes, capturing the first Triple Crown for her owners since 1978. Before the 3-year-old colt crossed the finish line at the Belmont Stakes, he was the first horse to push through the finish line at the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby – but only after he was whipped 32 times. I grew up around horses and other animals, and I began thinking about the deep connections between people and animals as a child. … [Read more...]