In this episode of Barn & Beyond, Chase sits down with Alicia MacLean, Barn Sanctuary’s Animal Care Director, for a conversation about her lifelong dedication to animal care and the journey that brought her to where she is today. With more than 15 years of experience working with animals and over 8 years as part of the Barn Sanctuary team, Alicia shares what she has learned from the residents, the challenges and rewards of sanctuary work, and what it was like to be part of Animal Planet’s Saved by the Barn, the television series that spotlighted Barn Sanctuary’s rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Chase and Alicia also reflect on her growth from animal caretaker to Animal Care Director, exploring the leadership, compassion, and hands-on experience that guide her work every day.

In this episode of Barn & Beyond, we sit down with Daniel Parilo, a neuroscience graduate of Notre Dame, for a thoughtful conversation about what it means for animals to think, feel, and experience the world. Drawing from ideas in animal sentience, consciousness, and cognition, Daniel helps us explore how science is reshaping the way we understand nonhuman minds.

Together, we discuss the growing evidence that animals are more emotionally and cognitively complex than they are often given credit for, and how that understanding has shaped Daniel’s views as a vegan. From questions of awareness and suffering to the ethical responsibilities humans have toward other species, this episode invites listeners to reconsider the lives of animals beyond the barn and beyond our assumptions.

Whether you are curious about neuroscience, animal ethics, veganism, or the inner lives of other beings, this conversation offers an accessible and compassionate look at why animal minds matter.

In Season 1, Episode 6 of Barn & Beyond, host Chase welcomes special guests Jessica Haze, a longtime Barn Sanctuary volunteer, MOB Beauty collaborator, and vegan and cruelty-free beauty and fashion professional, along with Sadie Quagliotto, social media specialist and founder of Hip in Detroit, an online community centered on all things Detroit. Together, they share their experiences at Barn Sanctuary and reflect on how compassion, advocacy, and community shape their work. The conversation also dives into the ins and outs of vegan and cruelty-free beauty and fashion, while exploring how social media can be used as a powerful tool to educate and inspire people to make kinder, more conscious choices in their everyday lives.

To learn more about Jessica Haze and her MOB Beauty collaborations, visit: https://mobbeauty.com/pages/jessicahaze?srsltid=AfmBOopOyA0ikWiRK1S0jNHBqBAZzbC1o9TXwYF7XcPyEMnLXThsi3xS and follow @jessicahazemua on Instagram

To learn more about Sadie Quagliotto and her work with social media, visit: www.sadiequagliotto.com and follow @sadiehipindetroit on instagram

To learn more about Barn Sanctuary, visit: www.BarnSanctuary.org