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Ever considered becoming a vet? If so, you may encounter some unexpected ethical dilemmas in your training. In this engaging interview, Dr. Erika Sullivan provides an intimate portrait of her veterinary school experience. An award-winning graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario, Sullivan is concerned that many students still choose to practice surgical techniques on live animals. The animals are transported to the college, kept in the students' care, later anesthetized, operated upon, and then killed. Where do the animals come from, and why are healthy animals being "euthanized"? Given that an alternative stream exists, why do the majority of students opt for the regular program? Which program provides the better learning experience? Dr. Sullivan answers these and other questions as we don our scrubs and tour the veterinary classroom. Invaluable to both potential students and the general public, Sullivan's perspective is informed as much by science as compassion.

News links:

• China county orders dog cull after quake

Tags: Animal Experimentation | Dissection

Photo from Annex Cat Rescue

In our first interview, Barbara Isherwood, a member of the volunteer-run Annex Cat Rescue (ACR), talks about the ins and outs of working with feral cats. We delve into the elusive lives of these animals, the underlying causes of their homelessness, and the creative ways the ACR helps.

With the arrival of spring comes the birth of many kittens, and the need for volunteers grows even greater. From feeding cats for an hour a week, to screening potential adopters, aiding with the Trap-Neuter/Spay-Return (TNR), or making a financial donation, among other useful contributions, the Annex Cat Rescue offers crucial support to thousands of cats who are too often neglected or simply forgotten. Isherwood calls her volunteering with the ACR the most rewarding aspect of her life. Tune in to find out why.

Then, Michelle Cliffe, WSPA's Communications Manager, provides an update about the organization's efforts to help animals affected by Cyclone Nargis in Burma/Myanmar.

News links:

• Vegan preschool builds its own garden
• Monkeys are bred to die of brain disease - As scientists search for cures
• Sharks swim closer to extinction
• Humpbacks make a comeback in Pacific

Tags: Animal Rescues

Photo from strikingattheroots.com, taken by Marji Beach

What happens when you ask one hundred and twenty animal activists their advice about strategy, tactics, and making meaningful change for animals? The answer is Mark Hawthorne's new book Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism. Highly readable, Hawthorne's text demystifies advocacy, showing the myriad entry points where people can get effectively involved, from the small-scale to elaborate, from the casual to highly organized. Showcasing the voices of activists, the personable text pulses with infectious enthusiasm. Tune in to hear Hawthorne talk about what surprised him, who inspires him, and where the movement stumbles (and thrives!).

News links:

• B.C. man found guilty of cooking a cat alive
• Class pets facing extinction in Britain
• Utah's Temma Martin has dedicated her life to standing up for pets

Tags: Activist Burnout

Detail from "Second Stage of Cruelty" by William Hogarth. Public domain image from Wikipedia.

The animal movements are known for their use of graphic images, but what is the history behind such strategies? How have these images changed over time? When are these images successful and when do they backfire? Dr. Keri Cronin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Arts at Brock University, discusses the history of the movements, some of the key advocates, and the strategies they deployed. For example, Cronin describes the legacy of social reformer and antivivisectionist Frances Power Cobbe, particularly her creative appropriation of scientific images.

At times subverting the status quo, and other times reinforcing it, the visual history of early animal activism tells us something important not only about past treatment of animals, but also about the social contexts within which advocates struggled.

News links:

• Celebrities unite to battle animal activists
• Demand spikes at pet food banks, discount vets
• New guidelines published as mouse models thrown into question

Tags: History

Photo from www.vgt.at

This interview with Dr. Martin Balluch from 2004 is presented by Animal Voices as an act of solidarity with Dr. Balluch and three of his colleagues, who were brutally arrested in the early morning of May 21st, 2008 and remain in police custody without charge. In a statement from prison, Dr. Balluch writes that the Public Prosecution Service is determined to frame him and the other activists for alleged "animal related criminal activities," though they have not been formally charged with any offence. No evidence has been presented that links any of them to illegal acts.

There has been an outpouring of support from around the world for the imprisoned activists, including from Amnesty International, who have strongly criticized the actions of Austrian Police. For extensive coverage and analysis of these unlawful arrests, and for information on how you can get involved in helping the Austrian activists, please visit the Verein Gegen Tierfabriken (Association Against Animal Factories) website: www.vgt.at.

Links:

• Who's being caged? A group of animal rights activists are on hunger strike following police raids in Austria (The Guardian, UK)
• Statement from Amnesty International

Pancakes and photo by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

In this show, Isa Chandra Moskowitz of Veganomicon and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World fame, imparts her well-honed baking and cooking wisdom to our inquisitive listeners. On the sweet side, discover Moskowitz' all-time favourite cupcake and the one she still hopes to invent. On the savory side, check out Moskowitz' pointers for freezing casseroles and the secrets of a satisfying vegan brunch. You'll also learn Moskowitz' tips for introducing vegan food to teenagers and how to rescue a failing dish.

With her unique sense of humour and serious love of food, Moskowitz' culinary philosophies and practical advice go down like a dry martini: distinct and refreshing, with a touch of attitude.

News links:

• Homes sought for 70 rescued dogs
• Polar bears could survive — as brown bears: scientist
• SPCA Seizes 18 Birds From Site Of Alleged Cockfighting Ring
• Ontario facing massive cull of pigeons
• DDr. Martin Balluch is being artificially fed

Tags: Cooking

Original air date: February 8, 2005

We speak with Dr. Rita Laws about connections between vegetarianism and Native Americans. Dr. Laws, who is Choctaw and Cherokee, will provide a historical analysis of hunting and colonialism, along with an examination of some Native American traditional views on non-human animals.

Dr. Laws has been vegetarian since 1979. In 1974 she witnessed the slaughter of a lamb in front of a mother sheep, and the experience strongly influenced her choice to become vegetarian. At the same time, she also learned about the "tens of thousands of kids in foster care [who] are waiting for permanency" and she became a special needs adoption activist. She has written several books and articles about domestic adoption and children with special needs. She is currently revising a book she wrote last year about Indian Peace Medals, which signify lasting friendship and peace.

Here is Dr. Laws' article entitled "Returning to the Corn," and additional info about the author:

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rlaws/vegetarianindians.html

News links:

• Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes
• Canadians urged to don sealskin as "birthday" suit
• 2nd July 2008: Day of Solidarity

Source: Thousand Mile Song website

First, animal rights campaigner Paula Stibbe provides an update about the ten imprisoned Austrian animal activists who were arrested on May 21st. We learn of their recently-extended remand, and the condition of the advocates, including Dr. Martin Balluch who was on a hunger strike. Stibbe also describes the many successes of the animal rights movement in Austria, and what she believes are the political motivations behind the arrests.

To offer your support, please visit the VGT (Verein Gegen Tierfabriken/Association Against Animal Factories) website.

Then we reconnect with clarinetist, composer, and philosopher, David Rothenberg, author of such books as Always the Mountains, Why Birds Sing: A Journey into the Mystery of Bird Song and the recently-published Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound. With his characteristic exuberance and thoughtfulness, Rothenberg introduces us to the musical world of whales. Throughout, he urges his readers to revisit whale-song anew, with both an appreciation of current ethological research and a willingness to admit how little we really know.

Tune in to hear about the sublime lives of whales, anecdotes from Rothenberg's adventures, and his own attempts to blur the watery boundary between our species and theirs.

Tags: Arts & Music

Photos from animalsasia.org

Jill Robinson, founder and CEO of Animals Asia Foundation, joins us from Chengdu, China. Tune in to hear Robinson describe her work with Chinese and Vietnamese animal activists to provide sanctuary for moon bears (Asiatic black bears), and their efforts to stop bear bile farming.

Robinson provides detailed first-hand accounts of bear rescues, painting vivid pictures of the farms and the conditions that the bears endure. From mutilations and physical pain, to emotional and psychological damage, rescued bears face significant challenges in their recovery. Some do not make it. Others manage to thrive at the two Moon Bear Rescue Centers, one in Tam Dao, Vietnam, and the other in Chengdu, China. Listen in for some of the bears' stories.

Also in this interview, Robinson outlines the economics of bear bile farming, traditional medicines (TM), successful lobbying techniques, and the stumbling blocks the Foundation works to overcome.

One of our favourite interviews to date!

Tags: Animal Rescues | Captivity | Farmed Animals | Sanctuaries

This nutrition grab bag show re-presents clips from interviews with China Study author Dr. T. Colin Campbell, vegan triathlete Brendan Brazier, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine founder Dr. Neal Barnard, and registered dietitians Vesanto Melina and Bev Miller.

A bullfight in Quito, Ecuador. © iStockphoto.com / Evert Van Scherpenzeel

Fueled by a dedicated group of animal activists, AnimaNaturalis continues to effect positive change for animals in Latin America. In this interview, we connect with Paula Gilbert who provides a behind the scenes peek into the work of the organization and the treatment of animals in Ecuador, in particular. Hear how Gilbert and others use creative — and sometimes even surprising — tactics to challenge practices such as bull- and cockfighting. Listen in, too, for information about AnimaNaturalis' appeals to Ecuador's constitutional assembly. In the aftermath of those appeals, the organization wonders, should the creation of a political party for animals be the next step?

News links:

• P.E.I. says fish kills in rivers could be extensive
• Fur flies between animal rights groups
• Message from Elmar, one of the Prisoners

Tags: Politics

Photo credit: Molly Wald / Best Friends Animal Society

Farm Sanctuary's Tricia Barry shares with us the extraordinary story of the large-scale pig rescue that occurred in the midst of the Midwestern United States' flood disaster. A testament to their incredible courage and industriousness, pigs from Iowa's factory farms fought the elements in truly perilous conditions. Those who were not killed by bullets, drowning, or hunger continued to starve as their skin burned under a blistering sun.

Photo credit: Farm Sanctuary

Farm Sanctuary and other animal organizations waged an emergency effort that was both a considerable technical and organizational achievement. Tune in for a gripping rendition of the events, including the logistics behind the rescue and the stories about the individual pigs who survived and who are now recovering in at the Sanctuary's New York shelter. Additionally, Barry provides insight into negotiating within a deeply agricultural state that was faced with a monumental crisis.

Tags: Animal Rescues | Pigs

Get the scoop on the upcoming 24th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair happening on September 5, 6, and 7 in Toronto. In this interview, we are joined by the Toronto Vegetarian Association's (TVA) enthusiastic and very busy Food Fair Coordinator, Mishka Alarcon. Alarcon provides an overview of the Food Fair, highlights from the events' schedule, and tips for getting the most out of your experience. We also hear about some exciting new additions, and why the TVA decided to focus this year's Fair on environmental themes. So make sure to bring some re-usable containers and cutlery, a big appetite, and your curiosity!

News links:

• Meat recall could cost millions more: Maple Leaf
• In cod we can't trust: DNA shows fish often mislabelled for sale
• PETA Is Sued by Author Over Slavery Comparison

Tags: Cooking | Veg Businesses

Photo by Brigitte Cronje

Listen in as we connect with Kevin Tillman, founder of the Vegan Hip Hop Movement website and promoter of all things people, animal, and earth-friendly. In this interview, Kevin takes us back to the roots of hip hop, and offers us insight into its message of empowerment that arose within the South Bronx and continues to inspire communities internationally. Indivisible from that resistant history, the world of vegan hip hop raises its voice for humans and nonhumans alike.

Engaging issues related to consumerism, colonialism, racism, animal exploitation, among others, the vegan hip hop movement cultivates a holistic anti-oppression approach that pushes veganism and animal rights to go further, while also urging hip hop to broaden its scope. Tune in to hear some fine tracks from vegan hip hop artists, and tap into a movement that shakes it all up.

Thanks to Labtekwon, Farm Fresh, and Hush Money for giving us the green light to include their music in the podcast. We're still hoping to hear back from Loer Velocity, Ruffmic and Freedom Writer. Thanks also to Kevin for selecting the music, and helping us to meet our Canadian content requirements!

News links:

• News from the Prisoners
• EU moves to ban seal products derived from 'cruel hunting'
• Bob Barker To Lobby For City Spay/Neuter Law

Tags: Arts & Music