Defender Radio and The Switch

This special report episode has been rushed to post for you, our wonderful supporters, so that we can let you know about an incredible documentary airing on CTV and CTV2 in Alberta this Monday, May 18. Unnatural Enemies: The War on Wolves explores the incredibly controversial wolf killing taking place in Alberta. Wildlife experts, biologists, advocates, hunters and trappers are all included in 44-...

What do a Buddhist monk in Vancouver and the owner of a sanctuary farm in central Ontario have in common? Compassion. This week we’re talking with Shifu Zhihan, a teacher of Buddhism in Vancouver who’s helping to host Vesak 2015 For World Peace this Saturday, May 16. We’ll also connect with Brenda Bronfman the founder of Wishing Well Sanctuary in Bradford, Ontario. With surprising similarities, Zh...

Anger and frustration are common for us animal advocates. And this week we’re talking with someone who can help us by teaching us what questions we should be asking ourselves. Deb Ozarko finished college and got a diploma in Design, Communications and Advertising. She worked in corporate and studio settings. Deb Ozarko completed an Ironman triathlon. Deb Ozarko was an aggressive, outspoken activis...

After speaking on behalf of our members, supporters and all the fur-bearing animals of Canada as expert witnesses in a parliamentary committee last week, we wanted to share two important ways we can all represent for the animals. We’ll hear from Camille Labchuk, animal rights lawyer extraordinaire and former Green Party candidate, to discuss the ins and outs of proportional representation – what i...

With Earth Day on the horizon it makes sense to take a step back from fur-bearer-specific issues and look at a subject plaguing the entire planet. What’s interesting, however, is that this issue does, in fact, relate back to fur-bearing animals. For this week’s episode, we connected with Keegan Cuhn, a co-director of the popular and incredible documentary Cowspiracy. In what begins as a simple fli...

On this week’s episode we’re focusing on two spring-related topics that come up every year – wildlife feeding and living with bears. In almost every wildlife conflict situation we’ve studied, food is a central issue. Whether it’s intentionally feeding ungulates like deer or unintentionally feeding predatory animals like coyotes, the easiest and safest way to live with wildlife is to ensure we’re n...

They are our best friends, our family and our own personal heroes. Dogs have become an everyday part of life for millions of Canadians – from sharing our homes and time to our pillows and hearts. With so many people profiting from this companionship and our quest to perfect the relationships between ourselves and our pets, there’s sure to be some bad eggs – little dogs with big barks, as it were....

Some 500 years ago, Leonardo Da Vinci said ‘water is the driving force of all nature.’ And today, that message needs to be spread. Not only are our oceans the last frontier of Earth-based exploration, they – along with our lakes and rivers – are the basis of all life on the planet. And these water systems are at risk. From drought in California to pollution of Canada’s Great Lakes, water is an imp...

As sure as eggs are being hidden by the Easter bunny in homes across the country this week, many parents are planning special gifts for their children – including bunnies. But these intelligent, beautiful animals require special care and a long-time commitment – much more so than many people understand. And that’s when the heroes at the Small Animal Rescue Society of BC get involved. Founded in 20...

We’re all about raccoons this week, now that spring is on the way – and some horrific news arose out of White Rock, British Columbia. As the weather warms – albeit a little too slowly for some of us here in Ontario – the behaviour of our wild neighbours will also be changing. Primarily, they’ll be looking for safe places to raise their newborn family members. Raccoons and squirrels seem to like ou...

Working to protect animals isn’t always a clear cut job – and sometimes, it’s things you’d least expect that require a bit of extra attention. This week we’re hearing from two individuals who are working on issues that aren’t as visible as many others. First we’ll hear from Lucas Solowey, an advocate who works with The Fur-Bearers, who’s helping out coyotes by organizing a demonstration at a confe...

How do beavers revive watersheds and help combat climate change? Those were the questions poised to experts and advocates at the recent State of the Beaver conference in Oregon. Hosted by the South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership, the 2015 State of the Beaver Conference brought together a slew of experts – from advocates to flow device experts like Mike Callahan and geography professors to in-t...

March is gearing up to come in like a lion for the Fur-bearers. The ongoing attack on advocacy by the Harper government picked up last week with new claims in the House of Commons, leaked reports from the RCMP and the staggering introduction of bill C-51. But a lion-like March isn’t always bad news – we’re teaming up with a fantastic ethical business for a month-long fundraiser that’s sure to put...

Making humane choices can be difficult at times – but when you know where to look and what questions to ask, it can be surprisingly easy and satisfying. This week we’re talking with two individuals who have made significant strides in operating humane businesses and have also been stalwart supporters of The Fur-Bearers. We’ll first hear from Brad Gates, owner of AAA Gates Wildlife Control. As an a...

We regularly speak about the direct implications of actions against wildlife – from full on culls to the trapping and disruption of family units. But there is a lot more happening in our country that’s putting wildlife at risk, and not all of it is visible or obvious. This week we’re exploring the unintended consequences of human activities. Secondary poisoning is a serious concern – and the Wildl...

The news this year has all been about the cousins of our domestic dogs, wolves and coyotes. Increased sightings of coyotes throughout areas of Ontario have caused a spike in complaints, heightened fear of predators and even lethal action. Our friends at Coyote Watch Canada, however, have been working non-stop since December to show the media the truth about coyotes and how we can live with them. F...

From the name of a winter pastry to the back of our five cent piece, the beaver is everywhere in Canada. But few people know the true history of beavers – that they were nearly wiped out by trapping; that they play an integral role in our ecosystems; and that they are still trapped every day from coast-to-coast. So this week we’re exploring the beaver in two very different but important ways. Firs...

To start out the new year we’re taking a look at some serious news – Canada’s failing grade for animal welfare and protections. Late last year, World Animal Protection unveiled their first ever API – or Animal Protection Index – an ingenious way of measuring individual nation’s efforts at protecting animals. Canada received a failing grade – lower than some third world countries – causing a media...

As things started to wind down at the Fur-Bearers office last week, we received a surprising piece of mail. The letter was addressed to Adrian Nelson, our Director of Communications. He wasn’t sure from whom the letter came, as the return label was only a postal code – H0H0H0. He later said that the letter also smelled faintly of candy canes and gingerbread, but didn’t think much of that. Signatur...

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...

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 righ...

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 h...

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 f...

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...

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.