Animocracy

Do you feed you that cute little fawn or raccoon that comes around your yard? Do you leave your garbage accessible for wildlife? Do you let your dog off-leash or cat outdoors? Have you tried to get really close or even touch wildlife for a selfie and likes? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you have probably made life harder for wildlife than you may realize and this episode is for you.

On this episode of Animocracy, I talk with Mollie Cameron, President of the Wild Wise Society, about their work and what we can all do to better co-exist with wildlife. Visit: wildwisociety.org to learn more about what you can do to be pro-active in stopping human/wildlife conflict, appreciate nature without interfering, and get involved with their great education and outreach.

Thank you for listening.

Do animals matter in politics? Can animal political parties be successful? Will anthropocentric politics save us as a society and species? What does animal politics offer in a world of growing far-right populism? 

On this episode, I speak with Eva van Esch, chair of the Animal Politics Foundation, a political mobilization arm of the Dutch Party for the Animals. We talk about all of the above and so much more. I hope you enjoy the episode, thank you for listening. 

Back at the start of 2020, I wrote a blog post predicting this decade was going to be a defining moment for humanity. In it, I made a number of calls to action for how Canadian politics could address the plight of animals. Five years later, I am revisiting that article to see how it aged, and talk a little about what's to come. Thank you for listening. 

Can zoos and aquariums meet the needs of the animals they hold captive? Are dogs and cats gateway animals to exotic species collecting? How has captivity evolved in the age of social media and the internet? What laws do we have to protect animals in captivity?

On this episode of Animocracy, I speak with biologist, author, and advocate Rob Laidlaw, of Zoocheck, who has been fighting animal captivity, and more, for over 45 years. 

Thank you for listening.

The Canada Goose, an iconic bird in an indifferent human world. On this episode of Animocracy, I take a few minutes to talk about a captivating short documentary by Canadian filmmaker Karsten Wall called, Modern Goose.  It's a short listen, but I truly wanted to encourage as many people as possible to go and watch the 22min film. Not a second is wasted and while it may not change your life, it will give you a greater appreciation for this iconic species. Thank you for listening.

You can watch the film free on the National Film Board Website here.

How are ag-gag laws justified when animal cruelty is systemic in Canada's food systems? Is the rhetoric used by politicians to pass ag-gag laws a matter of an urban/rural divide? Does seeing more animal suffering in a world full of violent media really change anything for the animals? 

On part 2 of this special two-part episode of Animocracy, I continue the deep dive with Dr. Anelyse Weiler and PhD candidate Tayler Zavitz about their recently published article entitled, Nothing to Hide: How Governments Justify the Adoption of Ag-gag Laws. I had so many questions after reading the article and we were having such a fun time exploring this topic that the interview went longer than expected.

Be sure to listen to Episode 5, Part 1 first, if you haven't already, to hear the entire conversation. Thank you for listening. 

How are ag-gag laws justified when animal cruelty is systemic in Canada's food systems? Is the rhetoric used by politicians to pass ag-gag laws a matter of an urban/rural divide? Does seeing more animal suffering in a world full of violent media really change anything for the animals? 

On this special two-part episode of Animocracy, I do a deep dive with Dr. Anelyse Weiler and PhD candidate Tayler Zavitz about their recently published article entitled, Nothing to Hide: How Governments Justify the Adoption of Ag-gag Laws. I had so many questions after reading the article and we were having such a fun time exploring this topic that the interview went longer than expected.

Be sure to listen to Episode 5, Part 2 after to hear the entire conversation. Thank you for listening. 

Are non-human animals good models for human illnesses? Is animal research holding us back from cures for cancer and Alzheimer's disease? On this episode, we speak with Dr. Charu Chandrasekera, who in 2017 started the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods. This year the Centre was shut down due to lack of funding, despite Canada making new commitments to ending toxicity testing. We discuss the importance of CCAAM's work for the future of animals and scientific research in Canada, and what the public can do to save it. 

You can use the following email addresses to contact the government directly:
Director General ERHSD Health Canada <[email protected]>
Minister of Health <[email protected]>
Minister of the Environment <[email protected]>
Minister of Finance <[email protected]>
Prime Minister <[email protected]>

Cats, dogs, and housing. Pet-friendly housing is a huge issue in B.C., but is it in the best interests of animals? In this episode, I take an article I wrote prior to the B.C. provincial election and make it more accessible by putting it on the podcast. I might do this from time to time, so let me know if you'd like to hear more thought pieces like this on the show.

Helicopters, New Zealand sharp shooters, and millions of dollars to kill 300 deer. Today on Animocracy I interview Paul Lalonde, a resident of Sidney Island where since 2023 Parks Canada has been conducting a fallow deer eradication program.