Animal Voices

AV Crew      2014 shows      past shows Animal Voices is a radio show and podcast that maps out the animal advocacy scene around the globe and provides a platform to showcase the work of animal advocates. The show explores how various human social dynamics such as race, gender, and class, intersect with animals. Animal Voices broadcasts worldwide at www.ciut.fm/ every Tuesday at 11am EST. Click here to subscribe to the podcast. var sc_project=7793160; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="453d0769";

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Rescue, Shelter, and Education: The Ferret Aid Society Speaks When people think of vivisection, ferrets aren’t usually the first animals who spring to mind. Or, similarly, mention animal cruelty investigations, and people tend to imagine cats and dogs. While ferrets are plagued by cultural stereotypes that they stink and love to bite, The Ferret Aid Society offers a very different interpretation of these inquisitive animals. Started in 1994, president and founder of the organization, Randy Belair, tells a heart-wrenching story of the first ferret who inspired her and her mother to launch the FAS. Thirteen years later, Randy has rescued many ferrets, nursed them to health, turned her home into a shelter, educated the public, and side-stepped imminent burn-out. (Needless to say, it’s been a lot work!) Tune in as Randy shares personal stories about the ferrets she and the FAS volunteers have known and loved. Hear about Randy’s experiences doing investigations, and find out what ferrets need to thrive. Keep the dial locked to find out more about ferrets not only in Ontario, but also around the world. Additionally, we’ll talk about the economic connections among backyard breeders, farmers, and hunters. Still under the radar of many animal advocates, this show promises to pay homage to the struggles and joys of these underrated animals.

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One Huge Veg Food Fair & Vegan Porn’s Successor Tune in for an aural guide to the Toronto Vegetarian Association’s 23rd Annual Food Fair (September 7, 8, and 9), the largest event of its kind in North America. With 100+ exhibitors, cooking demonstrations, a well-stocked food tent, and samples a plenty, the TVA Food Fair provides an ample opportunity to acquaint the new, veteran, and veg-curious with a diversity of foods, products, and perspectives. This year’s special guests include José Etcheverry (research and policy analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation), Beverley Edwards-Miller (Ontario Regional Coordinator for the Coronary Health Improvement Project), Brendan Brazier (2003 and 2006 Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion, and author of Thrive), Sarah Kramer (co-/author of How it All Vegan, The Garden of Vegan, and La Dolce Vegan), Jackie Liew (host of The Cooking Rendezvous, which features easy Asian veggie meals), Jennifer Cornbleet (raw food chef and instructor), Harold Brown (ex-”beef” farmer and Outreach Coordinator for Farm Sanctuary), among others. Then, we connect with Taste Better’s Jason Doucette. We’ll hear why Vegan Porn (Jason’s very popular, long-standing veg news and satire site) made its quiet exit a while ago, and the inspiration behind the new site and vision. Still relishing absurdity, Taste Better combines humorous news commentary with some very creative outreach efforts. In addition to Jason’s unique take on veg and animal-related news, the site features such perennial favourites as the Vegan Booze list, a new “The Colour of Money” column, The Eazy Vegan (a cooking program, with AngelA), and “Taste This”, a newsletter for those interested in further Taste Better goodies. We’ll also pick Jason’s brain about Internet activism, community-building, and ways to meet challenges with a grin. He’ll also share some of the funniest stories, and how he’s somehow conquered the need for sleep. Rather than an idle “joke-of-the-day” site, Taste Better offers a thoughtful and witty take on some troubling issues, while refreshing its readers and providing an antidote to regular news sites.

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Animal Voices airs every Tuesday at 11am EST in Toronto on CIUT 89.5FM or online here and 3pm EST in St. Catharines on CFBU 103.7FM or online here. All of our shows can be found on our website. You can contact us on tumblr, facebook, or twitter.

Happy Tuesday! 

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The Secret Lives of Sloths – Part II We’re delighted that Judy Avey-Arroyo, co-founder of the Aviarios del Caribe Wildlife Centre and the Buttercup Centre Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica, will join us again to talk about sloths. We’ll hear more about sloths’ habitat and history, the sloth pet trade, the Sanctuary’s “Adopt A Sloth” program, additional stories about the individual animals at the sanctuary, and so much more… After struggling with a poor phone connection last week, eventually we could hear Judy clearly, but we lost about fifteen minutes of our potential interview time. (Did we mention it’s live radio?) We wanted to have her back on the program soon. Over the past week, so much positive listener feedback has just confirmed this! We also hope you enjoy Part II. For folks who missed Part I, the show is now archived here. During the program, Judy talks about banana plantations and wildlife reserves, sloth injuries, the Sanctuary’s education efforts, “sloth moss”, and how sloth poop helps make the world go round. In the midst of all that, Judy reminds us that sloths aren’t slothful at all… they’re slowthful.

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The Secret Lives of Sloths Definition of “Sloth”: “Apathy and inactivity in the practice of virtue (personified as one of the deadly sins)”, and, “Any of several slow-moving arboreal mammals of South America and Central America; they hang from branches back downward and feed on leaves and fruits.” Sloths are one of those maligned animals whose very existence is associated with negative traits. These amazing and complex beings have really gotten a bad rap. Yet, for many people who take the time to get to know them, and their worlds, sloths don’t seem lazy or apathetic at all. Their slow movements are revealed as highly adaptive behaviour and their unique, individual personalities quickly become apparent. Unfortunately, sloths are threatened with more than just disparaging stereotypes. In Central America, deforestation, expanding land development, and the black market pet trade regularly endanger their lives. Luckily, sloths in Costa Rica are not alone in their struggle against such human-made hazards. We connect with Luis Arroyo and Judy Avey-Arroyo, founders of the Aviarios del Caribe Wildlife Centre and the Buttercup Centre Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica. Beginning their work with sloths in 1991, Aviarios del Caribe and the Buttercup Centre are committed to the rescue and rehabilitation of sloths who have been endangered or hurt by human activity. Join us to find out more about sloths, their Costa Rican sanctuary, and how you can help!

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Sharkwater: An Interview With Rob Stewart We speak with Rob Stewart, director of the award-winning film Sharkwater, about his compelling case for the global protection of sharks. Busting the myth that sharks are unstoppable killing machines, Stewart portrays them as complex and evolved beings, beings whose survival is threatened by the lucrative shark-fin industry. “A dangerous shark makes money and sells papers,” he says, “If they tell you a shark is beautiful and perfect and wonderful and won’t attack you, that’s only going to make the news once.” Stewart’s love of sharks has taken him as far as the Galapagos Islands, Guatemala and Costa Rica, where he has worked alongside Sea Shepherd to expose and stop shark poachers, at times under harrowing conditions. He joins us to talk about his film, his travels, and why sharks matter. Sharkwater is Rob Stewart’s first film, and was Winner of Canada’s Top Ten at the Toronto International Film Festival, People’s Choice Winner at the Atlantic International Film Festival, Winner for International Documentary at the Beverly Hills International Film Festival. In addition to visiting schools across Canada to promote his message, Stewart has also appeared on The Today Show and Larry King Live.

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Your Mommy Kills Animals!: Curt Johnson Walks the Line You might not know it by looking at mainstream media, but the animal movements are full of a diversity of perspectives and strategies. Curt Johnson, Academy-award winner, and director of Your Mommy Kills Animals speaks with us live about his journey into the animal movements and the making of the film. Spurred by a curiosity about the issues and the organizations that call this movement home, Johnson set out to learn more about what makes animal activists tick… and what ticks them off. Your Mommy Kills Animals concentrates on a melange of groups and group leaders, including folks such as Kevin Kjonaas from SHAC, and their critics, perhaps most notably David Martosko from the Center for Consumer Freedom. The documentary, while described as “a film, not an opinion”, in part provides an unequivocal critique of PETA and HSUS (neither group agreed to be interviewed), and ponders the fact that animal rights activists are currently considered the number one domestic terrorist threat in the United States. Your Mommy Kills Animals addresses themes of animal abuse, radicalism, hypocrisy, welfare, abolitionism, and violence, as Johnson talks with fur farmers, celebrities, activists and dissidents to initiate a conversation about the state of the movement today, while shining a few floodlights on the simmering, behind-the-scenes debates.

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Meatonomics Author Dave Simon on the Rigged Economics of Meat and Dairy If you’re an average-earning American, Dave Simon calculates that you give a $1500 gift to the meat and dairy industries every year, as part of your taxes. How do you feel about that? Simon, a lawyer, vegan, and author of Meatonomics, joins us to talk about the economics behind meat and dairy. Over the last 75 years, these industries have worked hard to keep demand for their products high by aggressively marketing to kids and adults, and influencing government-issued food guides. At the same time, they have kept prices low by vigorously lobbying politicians for generous subsidies and industry-friendly laws. With a knack for explaining things like “externalized costs” and “checkoff programs” in plain language, Simon will show us what he sees as the consequences of an out-of-control system, and share with us his top 3 recommendations for starting to put things right. (And although Simon’s book focuses on the U.S., he will give us some Canadian context too.)

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Animal Voices airs every Tuesday at 11am EST in Toronto on CIUT 89.5FM or online here and 3pm EST in St. Catharines on CFBU 103.7FM or online here. All of our shows can be found on our website. You can contact us on tumblr, facebook, or twitter.

Happy Tuesday! 

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Hearth to Home: Elegant and Hearty Cuisine with Raisa Jari & Mitchell Cutler Get ready to salivate! On this program we connect with the folks from Hearth to Home, Raisa Jari and Mitchell Cutler. This culinary duo “prepares fresh organic vegan meals that feature elegant contemporary flavours as well as traditional favourites adapted to healthier plant-based versions. The meals are then delivered to Toronto homes each week.” In 2005, Raisa and Mitch abandoned their former career paths to dedicate themselves full-time to their dream, and Hearth to Home is a testament to their success. In our interview, we talk about the food that inspires Mitch and Raisa, how to make your own vegan yogurt, getting the grill on vegan-style, and the sauces that make Raisa’s French cuisine pop. On a loftier note, they share their passion for organics and the technical side of preparing vegan food that will satisfy an omnivore’s (and vegan’s!) palate. Karol and Lauren enjoy some of their wares in studio, including pesto stuffed tofu with tomato coulis and roasted red peppers, green bean toss, and barley and chives, all perfectly prepared. Reasonably-priced and nutritionally-balanced, Raisa and Mitch marry hearty and elegant food with the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

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Vegans on the Hot Seat: Rae Sikora and Gary Francione Respond Should insects have rights? What about plants? Don’t they feel pain, too? Isn’t meat-eating natural? What about religious texts that justify using and eating animals? Isn’t veganism classist, racist, Euro-centric, and culturally-insensitive? Why bother advocating for animals when there’s so much human suffering? Why be vegan when humanely-produced meat and dairy is now available? If you’ve ever been confronted with concerns like these, or wonder about them yourself, tune in to hear responses from two respected vegans and movement leaders. Structured around a set of commonly-asked questions about veganism and animal rights, tomorrow’s show features Rae Sikora and Gary Francione, who will answer the same questions, each informed by decades of experience and their own unique perspective. For those of us who have ever been stumped, baffled, and otherwise left with a loss for words, this episode of Animal Voices should offer some excellent ideas for how to approach the issues. More on Francione and Sikora… Rae Sikora has been a spokesperson for animals, the environment and human rights for over 25 years. She is the co-founder of the Center for Compassionate Living and the Institute for Humane Education. She is also the founder of Simply Enough, an organization that promotes peace, critical thinking, and creativity. “The time has come to recognize that we are enough and we have enough regardless of the messages that advertising and popular culture have infused into our lifestyles” (www.simplyenough.com). Sikora holds degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Environmental Education from University of Wisconsin. Gary Francione is a Distinguished Professor of Law and Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Scholar of Law and Philosophy at Rutgers University. Professor Francione started teaching animal rights and the law in his course on legal philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1985. He began teaching it as a separate course when he moved to Rutgers in 1989, and combined the course with a litigation clinic (the Rutgers Animal Rights Law Clinic) in which students worked on actual animal cases while learning theory in the classroom. He has written four books, and numerous articles on animals and the law, including Animals, Property, and the Law (1995), Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog? (2000), and Vivisection and Dissection in the Classroom: A Guide to Conscientious Objection (with Anna Charlton) (1992). Francione’s new book, Animals as Persons: Essays on the Abolition of Animal Exploitation is coming out with Columbia University this fall. More info about Francione can be found at his website The Abolitionist Approach.

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Meat-eating and the environment First, Curt Johnson briefly promotes his new documentary, Your Mommy Kills Animals, before its release in the United States on July 20th, 2007. Then, Dr. Gidon Eshel, Assistant Professor at the Department of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago, discusses his study, co-authored with Pamela Martin, entitled Diet, Energy and Global Warming. He sheds light on how meat-eating affects the environment and offers his insight and opinions on several core issues.

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From Dusk ’Til Dawn: An Interview With Keith Mann Whether leaf-letting on London streets or breaking into a vivisection lab under the cloak of night, Keith Mann has thrived throughout his 20-plus year career as an animal activist. As an underground Animal Liberation Front (ALF) operative, active from the early ’90s, he’s sabotaged fox hunts, liberated nearly 700 mice from an animal testing lab, and served serious time. As an aboveground activist, Mann advocates on mainstream media such as the BBC, appears in films such as Behind The Mask, and shares his message through a variety of other media, including in his new book, From Dusk ’Til Dawn: An Insider’s View of the Growth of the Animal Liberation Movement. This Tuesday, tune in to hear Mann’s perspectives on activism, incarceration, and how he’s stayed afloat despite society’s undertow. “Prison is nothing to fear. If we fear the consequences of our actions then we do a disservice to the animals. Like with most things in life the fear is worse than the reality and if we were all able to overcome that fear of prison, of sacrificing our liberty for the greater cause they would be unable to stop us achieving animal liberation. Sadly we have to put ourselves through some discomfort in order to make a difference.” — Keith Mann in Abolitionist Online

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Dine Gently, Live Wisely, Make a Difference: Victoria Moran on Being a Main Street Vegan

Animal Voices welcomes Victoria Moran, author, speaker, health counsellor, and founder of the Main Street Vegan Academy. The Adademy trains vegans to be educators and lifestyle coaches; its board of advisors and its roster of instructors reads like a who’s-who of the vegan movement. Moran’s road to vegan educator was a winding one. Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri — a city with a steak named after it — she had an “avant-garde governess” who took her out for veggie burgers. Later, studying in England, she met many of the original members of the Vegan Society. And in 1977, as a young activist at an International Vegetarian Union conference, a last-minute cancellation propelled her onto a stage in front of 2,000 people — and she found her calling as a speaker and educator. Moran will share these stories and more, including her tips for the optimal vegan diet, the day she got a little help from Michael Moore, and the outreach value of a swanky pair of vegan boots.

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Balaclavas and Beagles: Behind the Mask with Shannon Keith (Part II) Outside of perhaps snowmobiling or winter camping, balaclavas generally don’t spur feelings of goodwill or safety. But for those who support the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), images of masked activists holding rescued animals serve as powerful emblems of freedom. Denounced as extremists and terrorists by some, and celebrated as heroes and freedom fighters by others, ALF activists remain highly controversial players within today’s animal movements. Underground by nature, their personal stories often remain untold, or mediated by others. Yet, the documentary Behind the Mask attempts to change that, and thus challenge the negative perceptions surrounding these people and their actions. In this interview with attorney and first-time director Shannon Keith, we explore her award-winning film that details the perspectives of ALF activists and others who engage in direct action for animals. As a follow-up conversation to our (pre-film release) 2005 interview, Keith describes responses to the film, the editorial process, and her experiences meeting convicted ALF activists. Further, as a legal defender of activists and a prosecutor of animal cruelty cases, she not only takes us behind the scenes of the documentary, but also behind her own FBI file and the industries that profit from animal abuse.

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Animal Voices airs every Tuesday at 11am EST in Toronto on CIUT 89.5FM or online here and 3pm EST in St. Catharines on CFBU 103.7FM or online here. All of our shows can be found on our website. You can contact us on tumblr, facebook, or twitter.

Happy Tuesday! 

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200 Online Shows and Growing: The Best of Animal Voices Animal Voices has been on the air since 1996 with literally hundreds of shows to date. Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed the birth of podcasting, and we’ve caught the wave, in addition to our usual live radio broadcast. Due to poor quality cassette recordings (remember cassettes?) and technical problems (especially in the early days), our full archive is not completely online, and might never be. However, we’re very proud to announce our 200th archived program, which we’re celebrating with a “best of” show including clips from ours and listeners’ favourite programs. Through the wonder of the Internet and podcasting (and CIUT’s phone plan…), we’ve had the privilege of talking with people from all over the world, from diverse backgrounds, with diverse perspectives. Please join us this Tuesday as we sample some of the many voices who have made the show possible. A huge thank you to everyone who has ever volunteered, contributed, listened, or taken a moment to write us. It’s been our honour and pleasure. We hope that this expanding oral history continues to provoke, inspire, and celebrate the successes and struggles of the animal movements. As a volunteer-run show, it’s been a labour of love, and well worth it.