Episode 1: The Human-Animal Connection

Episode 1: The Human-Animal Connection

Author: Africa Network for Animal Welfare-USA March 19, 2021 Duration: 1:04:54

Tune into the first episode of ANAW-USA's One Health Conversation Series, featuring a a conversation between two of our distinguished Board Members, Dr Ted Cohn and Professor Phil Tedeschi, facilitated by ANAW-USA's Executive Director, Dr Katherine Baxter. 

In this episode we cover a range of topics exploring the special connection between humans and animals, and why it matters to our collective health and well-being. We discuss questions surrounding our moral responsibility towards other animals; how the mistreatment of animals is linked to the spread of zoonotic diseases; how the way we treat animals might be reflective of the way we treat ourselves; and what needs to change to reestablish a balance between humans, animals, and the environment

Our intention is that with this conversation series we can highlight a range of issues and topics pertaining to One Health, conservation, and animal welfare. We hope that you'll come away from these conversations with a deeper understanding of how the One Health philosophy operates across all levels of society, and how the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and to everything else in our shared environment.   

To learn more and support our work please visit https://www.anawusa.org/donate

Thanks so much for listening!  

Producer & Facilitator - Dr Katherine Baxter, ANAW-USA Operations Manager 

Assistant Producer - Ryan Twedt, ANAW-USA Intern 

Podcast Editor - John Lindsay


About our Guests:

Dr. Ted Cohn is a Board Member and Treasurer of ANAW-USA, and has a career spanning over forty years in veterinary medicine. He graduated from the Tuskegee University college of Veterinary Medicine and initially practiced in Denver, going on to serve as leader in his profession, having tenures as president of local, state, and national Veterinary Medical associations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). He also served on the board of directors for the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative and is currently a member of the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition, as well as an advisor for the AlignCare project - all groups whose aim is to help the pets of low-income families receive veterinary care. Additionally he has served as an on call vet for the Denver Zoological Gardens, and is currently an independent advisor and consultant in the Veterinary medical community.

Professor Phil Tedeschi is an ANAW-USA board member and the Executive Director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver. He is also a Clinical Professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison specializing in the bio-affiliative connection between people and animals. He continues to study and teach on the intricate relationship between people, domestic and wild animals, and the natural world.


The ANAW-USA One Health Conversation Series starts from a simple, profound truth: our health is inseparable from the health of animals and our shared environment. This podcast, presented by the Africa Network for Animal Welfare-USA, moves that idea into practice through genuine dialogue. Each episode facilitates a necessary exchange, bringing African and Western viewpoints into the same space to discuss conservation, animal welfare, and what the One Health approach really means on the ground. You’ll hear from practitioners, thinkers, and community leaders whose experiences shape a more nuanced global understanding. The conversations deliberately avoid jargon, making complex theories and pressing issues accessible to a wide, international audience. Rather than offering easy answers, the series lives in the rich and sometimes challenging space where different forms of knowledge meet. Tuning in means listening to how interconnected well-being is debated, applied, and reimagined across cultures. It’s a chance to engage with the critical links between human, animal, and ecosystem health as they are being explored right now, in real-world contexts. We invite you to join these ongoing discussions that remind us all that our fates are deeply entwined.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 4

ANAW-USA One Health Conversation Series
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