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Animal Week on 'Fresh Air'  
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Animal Week on 'Fresh Air'

The Man Behind Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog

Fresh Air

Former Saturday Night Live writer and producer Robert Smigel uses animal puppets to say and do the lewdest things. His most infamous creation is Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog, who made a name for himself "pooping" on guests of Late Night With Conan O'Brian.

The Man Behind Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog

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Getting To Know The Animal Families Of 'Earth'
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Getting To Know The Animal Families Of 'Earth'

Fresh Air

Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield are the directors behind the hit nature-documentary series Planet Earth. Their new movie, Earth, uses some of the same footage — but it's "character-based" rather than "habitat based."

Getting To Know The Animal Families Of 'Earth'

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Robert Sullivan, In The Alleys With 'Rats'

Fresh Air

Robert Sullivan's Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants chronicles the year he spent studying alley rats in New York City. He says you'd be surprised at what picky eaters they can be.

Robert Sullivan, In The Alleys With 'Rats'

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Up Close And Personal With The Dung Beetle

Fresh Air

Where will you find more violence than in an NC-17 movie? More sex than on VH1's reality shows? In the downright wild world of the dung-beetle. Biologist Douglas Emlen explains.

Up Close And Personal With The Dung Beetle

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Putting Puppies Behind Bars (For A Good Cause)

Fresh Air

Puppies Behind Bars is a canine training program that enlists prison inmates to train puppies as bomb-sniffing dogs or as service animals. Many of the dogs are then paired with wounded or disabled veterans.

Putting Puppies Behind Bars (For A Good Cause)

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Rescuing Katrina's Four-Legged Victims

Fresh Air

Margaret McLaughlin, a New York vet technician, went to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to join the ASPCA's efforts to rescue pets left behind. She talks about her experiences finding and treating animals in the hurricane zone.

Rescuing Katrina's Four-Legged Victims

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Forensic Vet Helps Prevent Animal Cruelty

Fresh Air

Melinda Merck is not your average "pet detective." As a forensic vet with the ASPCA, Merck offers insight into the harrowing world of animal cruelty — and how we can use the legal system to stop it.

Forensic Vet Helps Prevent Animal Cruelty

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How Autism Can Help Us Understand Animals

Fresh Air

Animal-behavior specialist Temple Grandin explains how her personal experiences with autism have in some ways enhanced her work — and shed new light on the way in which we communicate with animals.

How Autism Can Help Us Understand Animals

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Michael Schaffer: America Is Going To The Dogs

In his book One Nation Under Dog, Michael Schaffer investigates the booming pet-care industry. He discusses how the $43 billion business reflects our ideas about consumerism, family, politics and domesticity.

Michael Schaffer: America Is Going To The Dogs

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Veterinarian Translates Barks And Meows

Fresh Air

Veterinarian Nancy Kay helps pet caregivers consider what's in the medical best interest of their furry friends, and offers advice on everything from helping a pet handle vet visits to figuring out whether an animal is in pain.

Veterinarian Translates Barks And Meows

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'Alex & Me': The Parrot Who Said 'I Love You'

Fresh Air

Alex the African gray parrot could do more than speak and understand he could also count, identify colors and develop an emotional relationship. When Alex died in September 2007, his last words to scientist Irene Pepperberg were "You be good. I love you."

'Alex & Me': The Parrot Who Said 'I Love You'

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