Defender Radio and The Switch

While we all love wildlife and want to co-exist with the animals, sharing our bedrooms and walls with them isn't exactly ideal; many species can cause significant electrical or structural damage to homes or businesses, putting everyone at risk. Some species do carry diseases that are harmful, particularly in locations like hospitals or restaurants. And, if you're like me, having a squirrel scrabbl...

The BC SPCA launched AnimalKind last week, a program that will help residents and business owners find accredited wildlife removal or control companies who put humane treatment of animals first. I connected with Dr. Sara Dubois, Chief Scientific Officer for the BC SPCA to talk more about this program. The full interview will be available on Wednesday, March 7! Defender Radio Patreon: www. Patreon....

I love raccoons. They're smart little problem-solvers, who have learned to adapt into a landscape that's difficult to navigate for a non-human animal and taken up an essential role in many ecosystems. But the furry bandits' cuteness isn't enough to prevent media from maligning them, social media posts blaming them for human-centric problems, and keeping them safe when conflict does occur. That sai...

This is the first Defender Radio News Brief, a more traditional radio interview, edited down to its core points, and kept within 5 to 7 minutes, for quick and easy listening. Regular, full-length episodes will still be published, but now on Wednesdays! Raccoons are on the move. Whether you're in an urban centre like Hamilton or Vancouver, or have forests or farmlands as your backyard, the masked c...

In our world, there are many types of dogs, each unique and wonderful. And in a 12-episode podcast series, Adam Winston has explored makes our relationships with them so incredible. Adam has combined his passions for learning, his love of dogs, and his experience as an Air Force Radio and Television Producer to create this journey of discovery called Dogs In Our World . Each episode features a pro...

The story of Russell, the orphaned and injured bear cub outside of Calgary, broke hearts around the world. Wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians were ready, willing, and able to assist by examining his injured leg, and providing a safe environment for his rehabilitation over winter, but Alberta Environment and Parks refused. While the story of Russell is sad, and his fate following hibernation...

Host Michael Howie discusses The Fur-Bearers' push for trap warning signs in provinces and territories across Canada, how it can help protect dogs, cats, other domestic animals, and children, and how easy it is for you to take action with our one-click advocacy letter !

New research from Dr. Adrian Treves and his colleagues Drs. Francisco Santiago-Avila and Ari Cornman highlights that lethal management of wolves to prevent depredation of livestock on properties in Michigan may be ineffective and could create detrimental effects for neighbouring properties. The paper, titled Killing wolves to prevent predation on livestock may protect one farm but harm neighbors,...

Cat declawing sounds like a reasonable way to prevent damage to furniture and homes, and keep cats who may be given to shelters with families. But the science simply doesn't support any of it – and declawing isn't even what it sounds like. In this special report, I connected with Dr. Margie Scherk, a veterinarian who specializes in feline medicine and surgery, and wants the College of Veterinarian...

The International Fund for Animal Welfare, or IFAW, has a campaign called the Northern Dogs Project. On the face of it, the program is straightforward: assist remote First Nations communities in Quebec and Canada to live with dogs in a positive way and manage populations humanely. But it's a lot more than that – and it has less to do with dogs than you may think. Jan Hannah, manager of the Norther...

Fashion Animals , set to be published by Vegan Publishers and funded through Indiegogo , takes on the fur fashion industry in a whole new way. Fashion Animals was a labour of love for Joshua Katcher, who spent five years developing it, compiling research, data and a spectacular archive of rare images. Joshua joined Defender Radio from the road to discuss the writing of Fashion Animals, what reader...

The law exists to protect everyone, and for advocates like us, that includes non-human animals. Canadian law isn't quite there yet, but the folks at Animal Justice are always working to change that. And pretty soon, you'll be able to hear a little bit more about the ins and outs of the legal fight for animals. Paw and Order, the new podcast from Animal Justice, is set to release its first episodes...

The next regular episode of Defender Radio: The Podcast for Wildlife Advocates and Animal Lovers will be available January 8, 2018, featuring Animal Justice and their new podcast Paw and Order. In this short episode, Host Michael Howie explores the question of how to grow hope in the world after a difficult year, and his promises to the animals for 2018.

This is the Defender Radio Family Christmas Special! Christmas In A Cozy Cave is a heart-warming Christmas tale of two very different animals who were the best of friends, as they try to give each other holiday gifts to show how much they appreciate each other. But in their efforts, they may jeopardize Christmas for one another! An audio drama written by Michael Howie and Megan Howie. Adapted from...

We just released the Defender Radio Family Christmas Special, and decided to do this brief episode separately to not interfere with your enjoyment of the special. I'm going to tell you a bit about why I made the special, and thank and acknowledge those who supported and helped out. If you haven't listened to Christmas In a Cozy Cave, go do that first, and then come back to listen to this special f...

John Marriott is a wonderful wildlife photographer. I've had the good fortune to chat with him in the past about his work, particularly on the subjects of ethics and advocacy. When I saw the news that he'd released a new book, I immediately tweeted him, asking for a review copy and an interview. Then I emailed him. I think I called him at 3 am once or twice, too. Long story short, I loved the book...

In October I received a slew of emails about an injured bear cub in a community outside of Calgary, Alberta. Ordinarily, I'd just do a quick google search and provide the concerned animal lover with contact information for their closest wildlife rehabber. But that didn't work in the case – because Alberta doesn't allow for the rehabilitation of orphaned bear cubs. Unlike neighboring British Columb...

More than four million animals were used in research in Canada in 2016, a 21% increase from the previous year. Included in this increase were the use of cats, up 68%, dogs, up 58%, nonhuman primates, up 53%, and pigs, up 70%. It isn't just that so many animals are used though. It's that so many animals are used for research purposes that aren't necessarily effective, when more effective and humane...

Joshua Barkman, creator of the False Knees web comic, takes every day circumstances for the animals we see around us in urban areas, like raccoons, rabbits, and various species of birds, and applies absurdly humourous conversations or thoughts.   Joshua gives great detail to his drawings, creating a wonderful juxtaposition between beautiful artwork and absurd humour. But he also gives life, emotio...

Here we are – season five! I can't think of a better way to kick off this momentous run than with coyote expert, and my good friend, Lesley Sampson of Coyote Watch Canada. Lesley and I spent some time recording in a forest in the Niagara Falls region last week, talking about building community buy-in to co-existence programs, the ups and downs of developing a plan, and why living with coyotes isn'...

Going green is a good idea. There aren't many people who don't want to see a more sustainable world that lessens our impact on the planet, habitats, ecosystems, and individual animals, regardless of political affiliations. But how to get there – and what will or won't work – remains controversial. Curbing greenhouse gas emissions elicits a highly politicized conversation, with sides across the pol...

This story started with necessity too – Canadian Football player James Yurichuk was moving his family from tepid Vancouver to brisk Toronto, and wanted to buy his wife a nice winter coat to help with the transition. But there was a problem: they were all filled with goose down and lined with coyote fur. From that simple necessity grew conversations with childhood friend Anthony DeBartolo, ideas an...

Poisons that cause extreme suffering and death are being used to cruelly kill wolves. But there's an opportunity to get at least one of them out of our country. Strychnine, Compound 1080, and M-44 cyanide devices are all used in Alberta to kill wolves – and anything else that comes into contact with them. Some of these poisons are also used in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Several permits that allow...

. It was a day of mixed emotions when we heard that the new NDP-led government in British Columbia would ban trophy hunting of grizzly bears – but still allow them to be killed for the quote meat. This pack out provision led to a big debate in the media, in comments, and on chatrooms across the province and country. It stood to reason that a good way to find out what people really thought about th...

Between our battles to protect animals, and the seemingly endless stream of terror attacks, natural disasters, and headlines involving Donald Trump, feeling tired isn't surprising. But it's important to understand the difference between being a bit tired, and burning out. With all that's going on in the world, we thought it was time to talk about mental health with someone who has knowledge of the...