Serving Animals & Bearing Witness The Natural Animal

A beautiful chat with Shatha Hamade, legal counsel of Animals Australia. We discuss:


Shatha’s journey - from a career in the investments sector to where she is and what she does today, her first exposure to the welfare of animals in food production which led to vegetarianism and a life of animal advocacy
Shifting of priorities from a conservative upbringing and life plan to one focussed on being of service to animals
Investigating live animal export with Animals Australia
The emotional toll of Shatha’s work, how she manages it and how it has softened her heart
An inside look into covert investigations into live animal export and Shatha’s role as “witness”
What holds and supports Shatha in the field
The “higher force” and how it shows up for Shatha in her work
Animals as “victims” or “teachers”
The purpose of animals
Animal consciousness
Lessons of kindness and compassion
Bearing witness without judgement
How our treatment of animals is informed by our inherited thinking
The sentience of animals
Emotions and being human
The most challenging location for Shatha when it comes to animal suffering
Shatha’s love for donkeys
Looking into the animals’ eyes and connecting to their hearts
Kuwait and the Festival of Sacrifice
Holding space and sending animals off with love
Shatha’s most difficult day in the field
A message of hope and assurance from a butterfly in Cairo
Witnessing miracles and beauty in contrast to witnessing suffering
Acknowledgement of the Gaza-Israel conflict and sending love
The power of collaboration
Do Australian animals have greater legal protections compared to animals from other countries
The covert abuse of animals in Australia
The power of the individual for informing your life and living a life that aligns with your values
What individuals can do to help animals - launching "rockets of desire”
Shatha’s hopes for the future
Will live export be banned?
What Shatha would change about the human animal relationship

This is a heart-centered and inspiring conversation, well worth the listen for anyone who loves animals.

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BIG thank you to Bella Abraham for the beautiful podcast cover artwork & Michael Barry for the divine theme music.