Meet Julie Marshall | Animal Advocate and Journalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Marshall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
It’s a great question and one that inspired me to dig into the origins of the word, “inspire,” which breaks down into two words: “In Spirit.”

On a spiritual level, being inspired is to be aligned with one’s heart and doing what you are supposed to be doing, discovering with awe and gratitude that serendipitous things are happening along the way.

My first true moment of inspiration came as a kid meeting a kitten my mom brought into our white Volkswagen bus with the plaid curtains during a Colorado snowstorm; this feline was a wet ball of gray and white fur and he had refused to budge from the middle of the road. I named him Obie-Wan Kenobie.

I’ve always been extremely fond of cats for their sassy independent nature, and how they bring a little bit of the wild into your home. I love all animals, and my childhood included rescuing worms from the rain and unchaining a neighbor’s dog that was in hindsight used and abused in animal fighting. My 16-year-old is following suit today on the worm rescues. As an adult, I always knew I wanted to do something for animals, but I wasn’t sure how. I also loved writing and landed a job in newspapers as a city reporter, features writer, opinion editor, and of course, a pet columnist.

Throughout my career I was able to often write about animals and nature. Today, because of the many years of meeting interesting, smart people who also care about animals, I was able to land my dream job with a nonprofit called Animal Wellness Action and Center for a Humane Economy. I work as the National Communications Coordinator and Colorado State Director.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a writer, I think I have been successful because I write with honesty and I’m not afraid to show that I am human and have flaws. And humor is a writer’s best friend. When life is hard and people or human artificial systems have become absurd, it really helps to laugh. And ask others to join you. I am most proud of putting out there a book that celebrates my hero, a brave human being who defied the obstacles in front of him in order to help save animals. I am also proud that I have a community that appreciates my work as an opinion writer, especially in my efforts to support local wildlife and habitat. I am also proud that I have been able to navigate a tricky job on the editorial page and people full of diverse opinions, because I was guided by my value of free speech and calling out politicians when needed because that is a journalist’s role. It is also a roll for citizens to do when they see egregious wrongs, such as cruelty against animals. I would say that I got to where I am today because I did follow my heart and what I love to do every day. I am happy because I see that I am making a difference. I’m not making much money, though.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would suggest Pat Craig’s place, The Wild Animal Sanctuary: https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/ because Pat is my friend and I have witnessed how he has successfully rescued from around the globe so many tigers, lions, bears, wolves and more animals from the horrors that humans have done to them. Animals have vast space to live their best lives, as they cannot be released back to nature.

I would suggest a nice hike outside of Nederland, and maybe a visit to the town’s Carousel of Happiness, followed by a lunch at Leaf Restaurant in Boulder. https://www.leafvegetarianrestaurant.com/our-menus

There are a lot of nice hikes, with dogs, in Colorado, especially Breckenridge. I have a great book that is just for hiking with dogs and with lakes and waterfalls.

As a special treat, maybe go to Denver for a brunch at Safta. https://www.eatwithsafta.com/

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many people! My mom for rescuing my cat, of course, as well as so many animals and my dad for putting up with them despite allergies. My boss at my first job at the Boulder Daily Camera, Barrie Hartman, for believing in me. I was young and inexperienced, but he hired me anyway to write editorials, and gave me the freedom to write a LOT on animals and the environment. And my other boss, Steve Millard, who taught me how to self-edit. I have to thank someone I never actually met while alive, Cleveland Amory, who is the grandfather of the animal welfare movement. From writing a book about his rescues — including airlifting burros out of the Grand Canyon to safety — I met so many incredible human beings who are also in the business of being kind to animals and creating a better, more humane world for all of us. Wayne Pacelle is my boss today, and he wrote the foreward to my book and I could not have done this without him, or the Center’s board member Marian Probst. And a shoutout to my exceptional colleagues today and in journalism and every animal that has come into my life is a blessing.

Website: https://animalwellnessaction.org/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWAction_News?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWellnessAction/

Other: https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org/ https://www.facebook.com/centerforahumaneeconomy/ https://twitter.com/thehumanecenter?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/ColoradoCouncil/