EP72: The Long Dog Club

This fortnight we're talking about a tiny parasite causing a very big problem 🪱🔬 We're joined by Dr James Routledge, a veterinarian in northern New South Wales who is helping local rescue Friends of The Hound tackle treatment-resistant hookworm in their rescued greyhounds.James has been caring for greyhounds for decades 🩺 from a vet practice in Auckland in the '80s, to the Gold Coast near the Tweed Heads track, to heading a large veterinary hospital in Hong Kong and Macau. These days he's pleased to say he only looks after the rescue hounds 💚In this episode, James breaks down:🪱 What hookworm actually is, and the sneaky ways it spreads (yes, it can burrow in through paws and bellies😕)💊 How some hookworm now resists all three families of dog wormers (anthelmintics) available in Australia🏚️ Why crowded kennels on sandy soil in warm, humid climates have created the "perfect storm"🔦 Why it's only coming to light now, as ex-racers come into our homes instead of disappearing🐶 Why greyhounds are the "sentinels", and why this is now an issue for ALL dogs✅ What adopters can do: the simple before-and-after poo test (fecal egg count) to ask your vet aboutPlus Mel asks why WA's racing regulator, aware of hookworm in rehomed dogs for years, still isn't testing at the source 🧐 And we've got three big dates in Perth for your diary 📅🌱 World Vegan Day – Sunday 1 November, Supreme Court Gardens🏳️‍🌈 Pride Fair Day – Sunday 8 November, Wellington Square (word is Freda Hound and Sherlock Houndz may drop by 👀)🥫 Our annual Tin Shake – Friday 4 December, Murray Street Mall (coins, notes or tap – every bit helps!)

We're back 🙌 ...and what a guest to return with!Kayley is a graphic designer, content creator and founder of The Long Dog Club, a creative advocacy community celebrating greyhounds as companions. She's also mum to Chilli 🌶️, the good boy whose online antics have inspired people to adopt a greyhound of their own 🥹In this episode:🤩 Adopting Chilli...love at first sight! And how he became President of The Long Dog Club🗺️ The first interactive and inclusive map of greyhound adoption programs across Australia & NZ🤝 Why everyone has a role to play, and how we need to unite as greyhound advocatesPlus Mel catches us up on the WA inquiry (still waiting ⏳), South Australia's Perna Report and Queensland's step backwards 😤👉 Visit The Long Dog Club and follow @chilli.thegrehound🐾#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #RescuedNotRetired #LongDogClub

A very personal episode. We sit down with Dr Ann Hakara Holdsworth, veterinarian and founder of Pets at Peace - Home Vet, a gentle home euthanasia and palliative care service for our furry family members 🕊️Dr Ann is the vet who came to Matt's home the day he said goodbye to his beloved Princess, Bunny. Her first words at the door were "do you need a hug?" and honestly, that tells you everything about how she does this work 🤍In this episode, Dr Ann shares:🐦 Why she became a vet in the first place (spoiler: baby birds!) 😿 The loss of her own beloved cat, Kimmy...and the night that reshaped her entire approach to end-of-life care⏰ Why it is kinder to be a week too early than a day too late✨ The "three spunkies and still eating" rule, a beautifully simple way to gauge when it might be time🧊 The iceberg effect..."nothing to see here".🏡 Her whole model of care: peace over perfection, every single timePlus Mel brings the latest WA injury figures and they are grim 😔, we sit in the silence from the inquiry 🦗, Matt urges you to hound your MP 📣, and we meet Goofy, our Foster of the Fortnight who badly needs out of kennels 🐕💛 A gentle heads up: this episode covers pet loss, grief and euthanasia. Be kind to yourself while you listen.🕊️ Find Dr Ann here 🏡 Could you foster or adopt? Goofy and Zeus are both still waiting. Reach out to Greyhound Adoptions WA🍽️ Huge thanks to our podcast sponsor Sprinkles and SproutsRescued, not retired 🐾#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #AnimalAdvocacy #PetsAtPeace #PetLoss #RescuedNotRetired

Seventy episodes in, and we've marked it with one of the most remarkable conversations we've had!Michelle Carr first joined us back in Episode 48, sitting firmly on the other side of the fence. A welder by trade, dog enthusiast by nature, deep into ethology, breed history and genetics...she came on to make the case for racing.Then she reflected. Listened back. Started examining her arguments, going right through the stewards' reports, the economics and the research, until she'd written a full piece of her own: 📄 Public Costs, Private Industry.In this episode, Michelle discusses some of what she found:🧵 Unravelling arguments🏭 An industry consolidating 💸Gambling Harm and demographics🐕 The "greyhounds will go extinct!" trope, dismantled🧠 And her advice for anyone still sitting on the fencePlus 💔 Mel and Matt on the shocking death of a dog exercised behind a quad bike 📣 why right now - with the inquiry report due - is the moment to talk to your local MP, and 🐶 Foster of the Fortnight Zeus, a gorgeous black houndy mix who badly needs out of kennels and into a couch. 🛋️🙏 Special thanks to our podcast sponsor Sprinkles and Sprouts — delicious food made with grocery store ingredients 🐾 Want to meet Zeus? Get in touch with Greyhound Adoptions WA #TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #AnimalAdvocacy

We are thrilled to bring you Stephen Walters - independent economist with Optimal Economics, and author of the very first Cost-Benefit Analysis of Greyhound Racing in WA (2026), commissioned by Animals Australia 📊Perth-raised and now Sydney-based, Stephen started with a blank sheet of paper 📄, trawled through budget papers, audited annual reports and ABS data, followed the money trail 💰... and what he found blows the industry's "economic benefit" claims clean out of the water.In this episode, Stephen breaks down:💸 Why WA is set to LOSE around $36 million in economic value from greyhound racing this year alone🎰 The $110+ million in gambling harm that industry-sponsored studies conveniently leave out of their economic studies🏛️ The estimated $39+ million this year of YOUR taxes propping up prize money, breeding bonuses and track upgrades📉 A cost-benefit ratio of just 0.79 - spend $100, get only $79 of value back (odds no punter would take! 🙅)Plus 🐾 Mel introduces our Foster of the Fortnight, Red ❤️ a sweet, shy two-year-old boy looking for his forever family through Greyhound Adoptions WA ...and Matt opens proceedings with his best Summer of (Episode) '69 serenade 🎸😅Read about the report here 👉 https://animalsaustralia.org/our-work/greyhound-racing/greyhound-racing-in-western-australia-is-costing-community-millions/Special thanks to our awesome podcast sponsor Sprinkles and Sprouts 🌱https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #AnimalsAustralia

The New Zealand people have been heard, and greyhound racing will permanently end on August 1st 2026! So this week we sit down with one of the people who helped make it happen: Emily Robertson, a spokesperson and volunteer for The Greyhound Protection League of New Zealand for over a decade. 🇳🇿✊Emily's not just an advocate, she's also a lawyer and has FIVE gorgeous hounds (Luigi, Niji, Carly, and litter mates Billy & Tilly) 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕In this episode, Emily breaks down:🔑 The five key factors that won the fight to end greyhound racing in NZ⏳ Why persistence through over a decade of being ignored, laughed at and fought was non-negotiable🤝 How having a solid support system got them through advocate fatigue📰 The investigative journalism that finally dragged the issue into the public eye🐾 How greyhounds themselves turned out to be their own best advocatesPlus Mel and Matt kick things off with a lovely recap of our BrewDog meet-up, a tender moment remembering the beautiful hounds we've lost, an update on our foster favourites (happy tails for Sandy who is officially ADOPTED 🎉), and an urgent callout for foster carers for Helena, plus Chopper and Des, who are currently stuck in boarding kennels. 🏠💛Greyhound Protection League of New Zealandhttps://www.gplnz.org/Special thanks to our podcast sponsor Sprinkles and Sprouts 🌱 https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #GreyhoundProtectionLeagueNZ #AdoptDontShop

We are beyond excited to bring you a conversation that had us completely losing track of time...meet Carey Theil, Executive Director of GREY2K USA Worldwide, calling in all the way from Boston, Massachusetts, USA! Carey is co-founder of the most powerful greyhound advocacy organisation on the planet. His organisation played a key role in shutting down 46 greyhound racing tracks in the US, and 44 states declaring it illegal. He's got a TED Talk with co-founder Christine Dorchak on 25 years of activism, a PhD-level approach to policy, and interestingly, he's also a national chess master! 😉♟️And he agrees that the most critical greyhound fight in the world right now is here in Australia.In this episode, Carey breaks down:🌍 How GREY2K USA went from a heartbreaking loss in Massachusetts to closing almost all US dog tracks over 25 years🤝 Why international collaboration between advocacy groups is the key to real, lasting change🏆 Why the end of greyhound racing is inevitable. We only have to win once!💛 And a reminder to look after yourself in advocacy work...we are playing a long gamePlus we meet Jazz 🖤🤍, a gorgeous black tuxedo'd boy hoping for his furever-fam. Contact Greyhound Adoptions WA to meet this handsome fella! https://www.savour-life.com.au/adopt-a-dog/search-now/view/130006⁠🫣We also forgot to do the outro... because we were so deep in this conversation we had to record it from the pub. Sorry about that!🍺😂Special thanks to our podcast sponsor Sprinkles and Sprouts 🌱 ⁠https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/⁠#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #GREY2KUSA

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you a conversation with one of Australia's most respected animal welfare advocates, Dr Jed Goodfellow, Co-Founder and Director of Policy and Government Relations at the Australian Alliance for Animals🦮⚖️Jed has spent over 20 years fighting for animals in courtrooms, parliamentary inquiries, and the media. He played a key role in campaigns to end live exports and battery cages, developed Macquarie University's Animal Law unit, and earned his PhD in animal welfare regulation. He is, quite simply, one of the most powerful voices for the voiceless in this country 💪In this episode, Jed breaks down:🐕 The Fair Go For Animals campaign, and what an independent Office of Animal Protection could look like📊 What the research actually says about community attitudes to animal welfare (spoiler: country Australians care just as much as city folk!)🗳️ Why greyhound racing's social license is all but gone, and why 2026 feels like a turning point🤝 The power of grassroots collaboration and why united voices create real political change🏆 The Young Political Advocacy Award, including a shout-out to our very own incredible young advocate, Hannah! 🌟Plus Mel shares her thoughts on the recent estimates committee hearing 😤, we farewell the beautiful Gina, Indy and Skippy 🌈❤️‍🩹🐾, we celebrate raising almost $16,000 at our recent fundraiser 🎉, and Matt reminisces his love of nanna bingo weddings 👰😂Special thanks to our podcast sponsor Sprinkles & Sprouts: https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/🌐 Australian Alliance for Animals: https://www.allianceforanimals.org.au/#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #AnimalAdvocacy #AustralianAllianceForAnimals #FairGoForAnimals #EndGreyhoundRacing

This week, Matt & Mel welcome back veterinary physiotherapist Susan Yuen 🐕 from Physio For Pets (https://physioforpets.com.au/) to dig deeper into chronic pain, corns, and the hidden injuries many greyhounds carry long after racing ends. 👀🐾💥From shoulder instability to toe injuries, hip pain, spinal issues, and long-term compensation. This episode uncovers why corns are often just the symptom, not the cause. ❤️‍🩹💥 Why “treating the corn” may not fix the pain❓ The controversial flexor tenotomy debate⚡ How chronic pain changes the way greyhounds move👀 What owners should look for at home As Sue says: “Corns tell a story.” 🧐This is an important episode for anyone who wants the best for their greyhound 🐶✨After surviving the racing world, they deserve comfort, care, and a pain-free life 🛋️💛📣 Share with every greyhound lover you know!Many thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Sprinkles & Sprouts 🍽️ Making life happier with food! 🥗 https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/🎟️Get your Nanna Bingo tickets ASAP!! https://events.humanitix.com/nanna-bingo-the-wedding-with-free-the-hounds

After the WA greyhound racing inquiry hearings… we needed a moment.A breather. A debrief. A bit of honesty. 💭In this episode, we talk about:🐾 What it was actually like being in the hearing room💔 The emotional toll behind the scenes❓ The questions that mattered (and the obfuscation!)⚠️ The reality that can’t be avoided: dogs WILL be injured and killed racing.We also reflect on the people behind the advocacy — the volunteers, the foster carers, the adopting families, and the greyhounds themselves 🐕 who have changed so many minds just by being in our homes 🏡And yes… there’s still a bit of classic Talking Couch Potatoes chaos in there too 😅🐾A big welcome and thank you to our NEW sponsor Sprinkles and Sprouts 🍽️ https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/Delicious food made with grocery store ingredients 😋🐕 Foster of the Fortnight: Toby✨ Gentle✨ Affectionate✨ A little quirky (the best kind 😄)Looking for a calm, dog-savvy home 💛If you’ve ever thought about adopting… this is your sign 🐾📅 April = Adopt a Greyhound Month = https://greyhoundadoptionswa.com.au/Get your Nanna Bingo tickets here 👉 https://events.humanitix.com/nanna-bingo-the-wedding-with-free-the-hounds#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #AdoptAGreyhound 🐾 #GreyhoundRescue #EndGreyhoundRacing 🚫🐕