Defender Radio and The Switch

Last week we told you the story of Bella and the Pelley family of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador. Bella, a five-year-old lab mix, was caught in a terrifying leg-hold trap within the town limits while out for a walk with Peg Pelley and the family’s other dog, Whiskey. Bella damaged 17 of her teeth and severely bruised her paw why desperately trying to get free of the trap. A Good Samaritan was able to get Bella loose, and the Pelley family immediately sought out veterinary help.

To get the specialized dental care, Peg, her daughter Megan, and Bella had to travel to Montreal – hundreds of kilometres from their home. The night before the surgery, Peg spoke with Defender Radio about the harrowing ordeal, the treatment needed for Bella, and the support she has felt from both her local community and animal lovers across the country.

It gets frustrating for us animal lovers – the apparent lack of change, the ongoing suffering. But the times, they really are a changing.

This week we’re talking with two people involved in the process of change. First is Mario Canseco of Insights West, who conducted a poll on Canadian’s attitudes about fur and is an expert on consumer behaviour.

Following Mario is Camille Labchuk, the animal rights attorney well-known by our supporters. In her work with Animal Justice, Camille has played an important role in the development and release of the Animal Charter of Rights & Freedoms.

The weather last week across most of Canada sure was frightful – snow, sleet and icy winds let us know that winter had officially arrived. Even in Vancouver, where most of the APFA team is likely lounging about in swimwear, temperatures took a dip. Here in Southern Ontario we received several inches of snow and a whistling wind for days on end.

But while we were all huddled up in warm layers and heated homes, our fur-bearing friends weathered the storm without assistance. And that’s what we’re focusing on this week.

Brad Gates of AAA Gates’ Wildlife Control will discuss the changing temperatures – and how they influence the behaviour of wildlife in urban areas, and what that means for homeowners. Then we’ll hear from Linda Bakker of the Wildlife Rescue Association of British Columbia who will let us know what to look for in birds and other animals who may be injured as winter progresses.

This week we’re diving into one of the most contentious issues of Canadian culture: the seal hunt. For a long time, the hunt was a necessary way of life for aboriginal peoples as well as those who sought fortune and subsistence on this land. But we contend that today it is unnecessary and cruel. To explore this issue with us, we were recently joined by Sheryl Fink, Director of Wildlife Campaigns for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

For more than a decade, Sheryl has worked on the seal hunt issue, which included witnessing and recording the hunt, working with international partners and developing strategies to bring it to an end.

Our conversation delved into the history of the hunt, the evolution of attitudes, the role the fur industry plays in the modern seal hunt, and what people can be doing to voice their concerns.

You’ve been hearing a lot about our #MakeFurHistory campaign in the last week and a half – and sharing it with your friends, family and neighbours. We’re seeing a huge influx of support as a result and can’t thank you all enough. This week we’re taking another look at the fur industry and why fur is still fashionable with a top designer, professor and blogger: Joshua Katcher.

Editor and founder of the Discerning Brute blog, designer of the Brave Gentleman fashion line and an adjunct professor of fashion at Parsons, Joshua is widely regarded as an expert on sustainable and humane fashion.

In a recent conversation with Defender Radio, Joshua not only touched on his background and interest in humane fashion, but looked at the history and evolution of fur, the cultural symbolism it continues to represent and how we might fight the fur industry by using their own tactics against them.

Late last week we unveiled our latest – and largest ever – campaign: Make Fur History. On this week’s episode of Defender Radio, we’ll be telling you more about the campaign, how it was developed and the realities facing mink and fox on today’s Canadian fur farms.

We'll hear from Tricia Stevens of LUSH Cosmetics on why the international make up company decided to get behind the campaign.

One of our partner agencies, the Montreal SPCA, has done intensive work looking at the legislation surrounding animals on fur farms and what it means in the big picture. Alanna Devine of the Montreal SPCA will speak about this unsettling issue.

To learn more about the #MakeFurHistory campaign, please visit www.MakeFurHistory.com and take the pledge, share with your friends and help us make fur history.

The Living With Wildlife 2014 conference was a resounding success! Nearly 100 guests and speakers arrived at the Holiday Inn Carlton in Toronto on October 17 for a day of seminars, education and networking.

Topics of the day covered everything from animal laws to rehabilitation of bears, and municipal wildlife strategies to living with coyotes.

In this week's episode of Defender Radio we're bringing you highlights from two of our speakers: Donna Doyle of the Town of Oakville, who explained the importance of a municipal wildlife strategy, and Mike McIntosh of Bear With Us Rehabilitation and Sanctuary, who detailed the vital need to understand bear language and how we can peacefully live among them.

The Living With Wildlife 2014 conference was a resounding success! Nearly 100 guests and speakers arrived at the Holiday Inn Carlton in Toronto on October 17 for a day of seminars, education and networking.

Topics of the day covered everything from animal laws to rehabilitation of bears, and municipal wildlife strategies to living with coyotes.

In this week's episode of Defender Radio we're bringing you highlights from two of our speakers: Erin McCance, who discussed white-tailed deer and urban management issues in Winnipeg, and Brad Gates of AAA Gates Wildlife Control, who entertained and educated the group with discussions of wildlife proofing homes.

We can barely believe it’s been a full year since this project first started. In that year we’ve had dozens of interviews with internationally-recognized scientists and advocates. We’re heard one-on-one interviews with those who have witnessed tragedy and those who have stopped cruelty. We’ve worked with great people Psychologist and beaver believer Dr. Heidi Perryman, rock star and animal lover Bif Naked, photographer Jo-Anne McArthur and Lesley Sampson of Coyote Watch Canada. We’ve talked about issues ranging from wolf ecosystem protection and the natural history of beavers to keeping squirrels out of attics and how to talk about co-existence with your schools. And through it all, we’ve had you, our incredible supporters, listening in.

And what better way to start Season Two of Defender Radio than with two of our absolute favourite guests?

We’ll be hearing from Brad Gates, owner of AAA Gates Wildlife Control on raccoons in Toronto – why they’re here and how we can live alongside them, as well as Dr. Marc Bekoff, discussing his upcoming book, Rewildling Our Hearts.

Let’s get started with season two!

It’s been a long week for us at APFA – the celebration we were having over the RCMP’s decision to ditch their muskrat fur hats for their regular cold weather uniform was brought to an abrupt halt. The Conservative government stated they would overturn the decision in order to protect the fur industry.

You’ll hear more about this from one of our guests this week, but to get the details and sign the petition asking the government to honour the RCMP’s decision, check out FurBearerDefenders.com or visit us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FurFree or Twitter with @FurBearers

In addition to the media hoopla caused by the government’s decision, we’re also busy getting ready for the 2014 Living With Wildlife conference in Toronto. And this week, we’re bringing you interviews from two of our speakers.

Camille Labchuk, a former Green Party candidate and animal rights lawyer, will be presenting at the conference on October 17. She recently joined us to talk about her work using the law for the animals, as well as how she’s fighting the government’s overruling of the RCMP decision.

Following Camille will be Donna Doyle of the Town of Oakville’s Environmental Policy department. Donna has played a vital role in the development of a wildlife plan, an environmental plan and most recently a road ecology plan, leading the Town of Oakville to a higher standard of living for animals.