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28 year old Daniel Li works as a hardware engineer who became a vegan in October after meeting Animal Voices producer Jen Dobell, who “changed his life forever”. After a casual conversation, he brought up his knowledge of veganism and was encouraged to rethink his relationship with animals: was it possible to love them while still eating them and supporting industries that abused them? The answer was a resounding no, and so he became a vegan over the course of the next month! He has delved into researching the impacts of harmful industries and has already engaged in various forms of activism, such as showing videos to the public on how turkeys are raised and killed, offering free plant-based Turk’y as an alternative to traditional Christmas dinner.
Michael Kossin has been an animal rights activist since 2017. He is an organizer for Vancouver’s chapter of Anonymous for the Voiceless, and has produced some of the videos they use to bring the reality of animal agriculture into public view. He also volunteers and advocates for Rabbitats, a sanctuary in Richmond dedicated to finding homes for abandoned and unwanted rabbits, whether that means finding adoptive homes for them or housing them in communal colonies. Michael has a master’s degree in nuclear physics and currently develops statistical analyses and control algorithms for automated factory operations.
Jen Dobell, seen here with her elderly cat Ting Ting, became vegan 10 years ago after attending the annual Empty The Tanks protest at the Vancouver Aquarium and serendipitously bumping into an activist she’d chatted with years ago on a dating website. In hindsight, Jen realizes that she had avoided further contact with him due to her own resistance to honest self-reflection regarding being an “animal lover” who funded animal cruelty in her consumer choices. Attending the protest completely changed Jen’s life for the better…she was encouraged to watch the “vegan maker” Earthlings Documentary, became friends with local activists who helped her recognize her speciesism, created public outreach campaigns, hosted film screenings and public speaking events, and became a producer and host of Animal Voices radio, passionately showcasing heroic stories of dedicated animal rights activists from around the globe.
Alison Cole has been living a vegan lifestyle since 2007 (a vegetarian since 1994 who learned the truth about the dairy and egg industries). She has been producing and hosting Animal Voices for over 14 years. Alison is passionate about propelling the animal rights movement forward, speaking out for animals at every opportunity and working towards a world where animals are free from exploitation. She hosts Meatless Meetup, Canada’s largest vegan dining group which gives non-vegans the opportunity to learn about a compassionate lifestyle through delicious food and often featuring a wide variety of guest speakers. Alison and Jen Dobell travel together, attending animal rights demonstrations, public speaking events, volunteering at animal sanctuaries, and documenting the work of local activists they meet along the way.