Defender Radio and The Switch

One year ago today, I spoke about hope in a video like this. It's been a long year, with loss and pain, but I know together we can make change for ourselves, and the world.

Listen to Defender Radio: Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/defender-radio/id718357541&ls=1

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/defender-radio

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/53h2PqGuJCc5qZgvtVvVmx

Web: www.TheFurBearers.com/Podcast

Reggie Raccoon is looking forward to a day of loot on December 25. Will his greed reign, or will the spirit of giving find its way into his heart?

The Bandit Who Gave Back Christmas was written by Marisa King, who also co-directed, and played the parts of Narrator, Snickers, Stickles, and Sniggles. Marisa King is a local actor, director and animal advocate and can be heard on numerous podcasts including "The End of Time and Other Bothers", "Alba Salix: Royal Physician" and "The Axe and Crown".

Sean Howard played Reggie Raccoon and can be heard as the Game Master in The End of Time and Other Bothers and is a co-writer and co-producer on the award-winning Alba Salix: Royal Physician. He can also been seen as a founding member of the improv troupe Executive Indecision. Hear more from him at www.OtherBothers.com.

Kristi Boulton played Skitters Squirrel and Reggie's mum. She is an actress, singer, improviser and storyteller based out of Hamilton, ON. When she's not on stage or behind a mic, you can find her following her other passions like puppeteering or, photography or videography around the GTA.

This episode was recorded in part by Eli McIlveen. Eli is the creator of Alba Salix: Royal Physician, and has recorded, edited and sound designed some of today's top audio drama podcasts. Learn more about him at EliMcIlveen.com.

Special thanks to Marc Nascimento of Super 1Up Games in Hamilton for being the official production wrangler of JJ The Hamilton Hound.

On behalf of everyone who worked on this project and all of the team at The Fur-Bearers, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and May your tail always be striped and may your compost bin always be full.

Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio eMails: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates

Protest and activism are a cornerstone of change, particularly in social issues. While our right to protest and speak are guaranteed by law in both Canada and the United States, some law enforcement agencies push back at those participating in protest or activism – at times beyond their rights.

Understanding what your rights are is important for all advocates, but especially for those who hit the pavement as part of their advocacy. From knowing how to keep yourself and those around you safe to what to say when things go wrong, there's a lot to learn. And to help get started on the path of learning, Bina Ahmad, a public defender with the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan, New York, joined Defender Radio to discuss activists' rights, how to interact with law enforcement, and when it's time to call a lawyer.

Legal Aid New Society of New York: https://www.legalaidnyc.org

Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio Emails: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates

Before we get started, I want to put out a general advisory – in this episode we will be speaking in a matter-of-fact tone about the cruelty of snare traps and the poison strychnine. You will hear details about how these devices work and the devastation they cause in plain language and that may be upsetting to some listeners.

Dr. Gilbert Proulx has seen a lot in his years as a field biologist. And he's had enough.

Dr. Proulx runs Alpha Wildlife Research and Management Limited, where he conducts in-field research, writes and edits studies, consults with landowners, businesses, and governments, and publishes papers on a variety of wildlife-related issues. Dr. Proulx has often delved into science-based ethical topics, too, and that's the basis of his latest publication.

There is a clear body of evidence that killing neck snares and strychnine poison are inhumane – some of it developed by Dr. Proulx himself – yet trappers and governments continue to endorse both methods of killing for thousands of animals every year. Dr. Proulx's new book, Intolerable Cruelty: The Truth Behind Kiling Neck Snares and Strychnine, is an accumulation of hard evidence, experience, and a clear case to end the use of these inhumane tools.

Dr. Proulx joined Defender Radio to discuss killing neck snares and strychnine in detail, as well as alternatives to lethal control and why governments, wildlife managers, and trappers continue to use methods that can scientifically and ethically be defined as cruel.

Order your copy of Intolerable Cruelty: https://intolerable-cruelty.convertri.com/book-release

Read more from Dr. Gilbert Proulx: www.alphawildlife.ca

Defender Radio Patreon: www.patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio Emails: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates

The World Wildlife Fund issued their bi-annual Living Planet report in late October, and it painted a dark reality: humanity has wiped out 60% of animal life on the planet since the 1970s, and that we are marching toward ecological disaster due to our consumption of food and resources.

The media had something of a field day with this – experts from WWF and other organizations spoke at length on the various aspects of the Living Planet report, often using broad terms such as humanity or society. But one essay challenged readers to consider a more specific issue – capitalism.

Dr. Anna Pigott, a postdoctoral research fellow studying environmental humanities at Swansea University in Wales, penned the essay titled "Capitalism is killing the world's wildlife populations, not 'humanity'".

Dr. Pigott joined Defender Radio to discuss the essay and her motivations for writing it, managing the curious comments and conversation that have arisen online, and what it means to imagine solutions to socioecological concerns.

Read the essay: https://theconversation.com/capitalism-is-killing-the-worlds-wildlife-populations-not-humanity-106125

Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio emails: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates

Changes at the OSPCA, concerns about an NGO being in law enforcement, and the importance of filing reports, complaints, and creating paper trails are discussed with Animal Justice Executive Director Camille Labchuk.

Learn more about Animal Justice at www.animaljustice.ca.

Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio Emails: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates

If you follow host Michael Howie on social media, you'll know that last week his dog JJ required emergency surgery for a critical, and unpredictable ailment. Fortunately, he knew how to identify this deadly illness and was able to get her to the Mississauga Oakville Emergency Veterinary Hospital in time. Surgery was performed around 2 am Friday morning, and JJ was declared fit to come home and recover Saturday afternoon.

As a result, this special report is going to focus on bloat (Gastric Dilatation and volvulus or GDV) – what it is, how to identify it, and some simple measures to help mitigate risks. This is not a replacement for medical advice, and you should immediately contact a veterinarian if you're concerned your dog is ill. The articles referenced from PetMD.com can be found by clicking here.

Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio eNews: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates

Wilderness, Wildlife and Human Interaction - Changing the Paradigm is being hosted by the Cochrane Ecological Institute at the Cochrane Ranchouse on November 10. With an impressive lineup of speakers including scientists, advocates, and rehabilitators, it is surely an event that could help shift the paradigm.

Discussing this is Lisa Dahlseide, an organizer of the event, biologist, bear hero, and volunteer with Cochrane Ecological Institute. Lisa also spoke to the positive news that two bear cubs (including one featured on this week's episode art) will be allowed to hibernate with CEI and be released in the spring.

Book your tickets for this event now at https://www.cochraneresearchinstitute.org/2018-new-vision---changing-the-paradigm.html

Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio eMails: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates

How are ecosystems responding to the warming of the planet? It's a big question, and there isn't a single answer. But specific questions are being asked to help build a better idea of what's happening globally. Two such questions were asked by Dr. Ben Freeman and his colleagues in a paper published in Global Ecology and Biogeography titled Expanding, shifting and shrinking: The impact of global warming on species' elevational distributions.

Specifically, Dr. Freeman tested a classic ecology theory that predicts "temperature more directly influences species' cool range limits than their warm range limits." They also tried to determine "how warming‐associated shifts have changed the extent and area of species' elevational distributions."

To explain what the team found – as well as why it matters and how it could influence our thinking in policy creation, Dr. Freeman joined Defender Radio.

Read the study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/geb.12774

Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio Emails: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates

CONTENT WARNING: trauma, anger, depression, anxiety, grief, and issues related to mental health today

Liz Sinclair Ruth was a vegetarian at a young age. She went on to become a successful veterinarian, helping to literally save the lives of thousands of animals. Today, she is a counsellor in Guelph, Ontario, and saving more lives that she ever could have imagined.

I spent some time with Liz at her office several weeks ago where we discussed important issues for the well-being of advocates such as managing strong emotions like anger and grief, the importance of taking time for self-care and finding effective tools, and how to ask for help.

Connect with Liz: https://www.lizsinclairkruthcounselling.com/

Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio

Defender Radio Emails: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates