We begin this episode with Alison chatting about her endeavour to help the animals this weekend by participating in the upcoming 2012 Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon & 5k, with funds raised going to the local charitable organization the Vancouver Humane Society. That’s this Sunday, June 24th! If you can afford to support Alison and the animals with a small (or large) donation, it would be much appreciated, and you can make your secure donation here.
June 22nd is Take Your Dog To Work Day! Taking your dog to work can be a great way to share time with your companion animal, and not only that, it has been demonstrated to result in a more relaxing and enjoyable work atmosphere. We’ll be sharing some tips for dog guardians to keep in mind for taking your dog to the workplace. There is also a whole website dedicated to this day, which you can find here.
Anthony Marr, Campaign to Ban Shark Fin
Our feature interview today is with Vancouver and international animal activist Anthony Marr, who also happens to be a former Animal Voices radio host! Anthony is very active in the animal protection movement, and his work has included conducting numerous high-profile campaigns against the seal and bear hunts in Canada, deer culls and sea lion exterminations in the United States, and in the mid-90s, he used media to force a law to clean up all Canadian Chinatowns of traditional Chinese medicines containing endangered species ingredients. Anthony was also honored at the 2010 Animal Rights National Conference with the prestigious Henry Spira Grassroots Activist Award “for his outstanding contribution in animal liberation.”
Today he comes to us to speak about a current campaign that he is working on in conjunction with the Vancouver Animal Defense League, which entails having the use and sale of shark fins banned outright and simultaneously in our local cities of Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby (following very recent and pending bans in Port Moody, Coquitlam and North Vancouver). On Monday, June 25th, on behalf of the Vancouver Animal Defense League, he will be making a presentation to Burnaby City Council with the goal of persuading them to implement a ban of shark fin in their city. A large rally is planned by VADL to happen before the meeting, and everyone is invited to attend this, and the meeting, to show your support for the sharks! Full information about this event can be found on Facebook here, and on the VADL’s website here.
Check out this handy infographic, which explains what the whole shark fin industry is all about:
Shannon Keith, Beagle Freedom Project
Imagine heeding the call to rescue 40 dogs who had suffered by the hand of researchers in a laboratory. An amazing feat in itself, but now imagine the lab was over 9,000 kms away!
Animal Voices speaks with Shannon Keith, President and founder of Beagle Freedom Project which has been rescuing and finding homes for beagles used in laboratory research since 2010. Shannon is an American animal rights lawyer, activist, and documentary director/producer. Beagle Freedom Project is just one of the projects of her umbrella organization, ARME – Animal Rescue Media Education.
During the interview Shannon recommends Leaping Bunny, a project of The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics’ (CCIC). The program administers a cruelty-free standard and the internationally recognized Leaping Bunny Logo for companies producing cosmetic, personal care, and household products. The Leaping Bunny Program provides the best assurance that no new animal testing is used in any phase of product development by the company, its laboratories, or suppliers.
Check out this inspiring video of one of the Beagle Freedom Project’s rescues last year:
Listen to this show here.
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