Welcome to Talking Couch Potatoes, the podcast that’s all about greyhounds and the people who love them.
From Perth, Western Australia, we’re shining a spotlight on the world of greyhound advocacy.
We’ll hear from advocates, political groups, experts and volunteers across the country, sharing what’s happening in their states.
And we’re not afraid to tackle the big conversations—opening up dialogue across Australia to discuss the public’s views on dog racing and welfare in WA.
Whether you’re a greyhound lover, a curious listener, or an advocate for change, this is the podcast for you.
A very personal episode. We sit down with Dr Ann Hakara Holdsworth, veterinarian and founder of Pets at Peace - Home Vet (https://www.petsatpeacehomevet.com/), 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 time
Plus 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 (https://www.petsatpeacehomevet.com/)
🏡 Could you foster or adopt? Goofy and Zeus are both still waiting. Reach out to Greyhound Adoptions WA (https://greyhoundadoptionswa.com.au/)
🍽️ Huge thanks to our podcast sponsor Sprinkles and Sprouts (https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/)
Rescued, not retired 🐾
#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #AnimalAdvocacy #PetsAtPeace #PetLoss #RescuedNotRetired
31 Jul 2026
EP70: A Change of Heart: How conversations Change Minds
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 fence
Plus
💔 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 (https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/) — delicious food made with grocery store ingredients
🐾 Want to meet Zeus? Get in touch with Greyhound Adoptions WA (https://greyhoundadoptionswa.com.au/)
#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #AnimalAdvocacy
17 Jul 2026
EP69: What Dog Racing Costs Western Australia: An Independent Analysis Analysis
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/ (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/ (https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/)
#TalkingCouchPotatoes #FreeTheHounds #EndGreyhoundRacing #AnimalsAustralia
Who has been a guest on Talking Couch Potatoes
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Kim Axcell
Bruce Poon
Ash
Amy
Beau
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
44 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 29 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
27
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
77
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