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To start the show, we speak with our visiting guest co-host (and host Alison’s sister) Leanna Pickard on animal activism in South Dakota. Plus, we met local and international celebrity Canuck the Crow in East Vancouver last week, after attending the weekly Vancouver Chicken Save vigil, and we tell you about it here!
Erin Ireland, Vegan Mom, Food Reporter and Activist
Erin Ireland and baby Roen! Photo by Janis Nicolay.
Our feature interview is with local vegan activist, food reporter and social media star Erin Ireland. You may know Erin from seeing her as a food reporter on Shaw tv and CTV Morning Live, from following her blog at ToDieFor.ca, from tasting her delicious banana bread that she makes for her business To Die For Fine Foods, or from her very popular Instagram account, in which she shares delectable photos and recipes of amazing-looking vegan foods.
In this discussion, Erin tells us about her vegan journey, the bias of food reporting in the mainstream media, and what it’s like to be a parent to a one-year old vegan child. We also talk about using food activism as social activism for the planet, health and animals, and discuss some pertinent issues in animal rights today.
Erin did a great 14 minute TedxTalk here, in which she shared her discoveries of the mainstream food media largely favouring meat products over plant-based foods:
Anna Pippus, Animal Justice lawyer, on The Ethics of Eating Your Companion Animals, and Updates on the Toronto Zoo and Vancouver Aquarium
Anna Pippus, lawyer for Animal Justice
For our second interview, we welcome back lawyer Anna Pippus from the non-profit organization Animal Justice, a non-profit organization that fights for legal protection of animals in Canada.
Several weeks ago, animal advocates were shocked to discover that a couple on Vancouver Island who had adopted a rescued pot-bellied pig from the local SPCA then killed, butchered and ate Molly the pig. They posted Snapchat photos and videos of them seasoning her flesh while preparing to consume her.
In this interview, Anna speaks to us about the legalities of this issue and and why it is within the law to kill and consume your companion animal.
She also gives us updates on the latest news about the Vancouver Aquarium. The Vancouver Park Board is still in court with the Aquarium and they continue to battle over keeping whales and dolphins in captivity.