NYK Experts Uncut

Did you know that a single slaughterhouse in Canada kills about 10,000 pigs a day? Are you aware that, on average, two hundred  pigs are crammed into each animal transport vehicle as they are moved to slaughterhouses? Have you heard why ending animal agriculture will help solve the climate crisis? In this riveting interview, NYK […]

Did you know that sheep are far from mindless creatures? In fact, they have  remarkable memory and recognition skills – they can recognize over twenty other human beings and other sheep from photographs. Have you heard how sheep in Asia have learnt through observation to operate water pumps using their horns? But have you also […]

Did you know that entire species have gone extinct due to the fashion industry, and that the leather shoe industry is one of the main drivers of climate change? Have you heard that it is leather, not meat, that is by far the most profitable element of factory farming animals such as cows and pigs? […]

In this episode of NYK Experts Uncut, Dr. Jeff Ventre, former marine mammal trainer at SeaWorld explains how after seeing killer whales in the wild, he had a profound and life-changing revelation: he could no longer condone cetacean captivity. Jeff, co-founder of the advocacy group, Voice of the Orcas, has co-authored science-based articles, is featured […]

In this episode of Now You Know, Kathryn Sussman talks with Melissa Matlow, campaign director at World Animal Protection, about WAP’s WildLife. Not Entertainers campaign, which aims to get travel companies and tourists to understand the impact they can have on animals through tourism. Melissa, with more than fifteen years experience leading welfare and environmental […]

In this special edition of Now You Know, Kathryn Sussman talks with Primatologist and Professor of Psychology at York University, Glendon College, Dr. Anne Russon. With over 30 years experience studying and working with wild and captive Orangutans in Indonesian Borneo, Dr. Anne underscores how these great apes are so very similar to us, and […]

Is climate change the polar bears’ greatest threat? In this jaw-dropping interview, author and conservationist Morten Jorgensen explains how all risks to wild polar bear populations are human-posed. While global warming is the best-known, the most dangerous is in fact overhunting. What we are doing wrong and where are we, as Canadians, failing to protect this iconic species?

Award-winning Captain Paul Watson, co-founder of Greenpeace, and founder, president and executive director of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society talks about a wide gamut of marine conservation issues. Everything from the current state of wild whale populations, to Canada’s recent ban of shark fin and cetacean import, as well as the commercial seal hunt and […]

In this interview, co-founder and executive director of the BC- based Animals in Science Policy Institute Dr. Elisabeth Ormandy, details all of the phenomenal benefits of switching to non-animal alternatives to classroom dissection. Be prepared to be amazed as she explains how easy it is for teachers to switch to these superior models and how they not only help students to learn more effectively but how they are also cheaper, greener, and even safer.

Did you know? Bats are mammals and the only mammals that are capable of true flight. They comprise one fifth of all the mammal species in the world, are intelligent, have social lives, and contrary to public perception, are not blind and will not get caught in your hair! Bats can live up to 44 years, and scientists are studying the bat genome in order to learn how to expand the human life span. Listen as Zoocheck founder and director Rob Laidlaw, clarifies how bats are in fact harmless, beneficial to humans and to the environment, and are an animal we must protect. Learn how we should never chase, hit, or try to catch bats, and how they are in fact, very cute creatures that serve as helpers to humans and the world around us.

In this episode founder and director of Zoocheck, Rob Laidlaw, outlines which animals comprise exotic versus domesticated species. Rob shocks us with the numbers involved in the massive exotic pet trade: globally, if you include fish, this effects hundreds of millions of animals. The consequences of this industry not only to the animals themselves from […]

In this podcast, listen as founder and director of Zoocheck, Rob Laidlaw, takes us through the complexities that are the patchwork of laws and regulations that comprise Canada’s insufficient and quite frankly, broken animal welfare protection system. This episode will have you charged to get involved and help strengthen Canada’s legislation so that all animals […]

In this episode, Rob Laidlaw of Zoocheck highlights how this magnificent species, fascinating to people the world over, is one of the most prized and, therefore, most in demand at zoos around the globe, as they are a star mega-fauna attraction. However, polar bears are in fact one of most ill-suited species to captivity according […]

Did you know that Canada has several populations of wild free-roaming horses? Listen as Julie Woodyer, Campaigns Director, Zoocheck, and one of the most competent animal advocates working in Canada today, tells us all about Canada’s wild populations, their history and their cultural significance. Learn in detail about the current plight of Alberta’s wild horses, […]

Ever wonder if there are ways you can spruce up your doggie’s life experience? Ever think that that one walk a day may be boring your pooch as much as it feels like a chore to you? In this expert interview, listen as founder and director of Zoocheck, Rob Laidlaw, points out everything from how […]

In this practical and informative expert interview, listen as Liz White, founder of the Animal Alliance of Canada and leader of the Animal Protection Party of Canada, gives us insightful and useful information on where we should be acquiring our pets. Learn the reasons why choosing the right place can have a big impact on […]

In this episode, listen as Dr. Lori Marino, neuroscientist, expert in animal behaviour and intelligence brings to light the ubiquitous and unnecessary waste of life in routine school dissections. In this expert interview Lori underscores not only the efficacy of animal-friendly alternatives to dissection, but also how research has actually found these alternatives to be […]

In this episode, Kathryn interviews Dr. Andrew Fenton and Dr. Letitia Meynell, philosophy professors at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia with specialties in bioethics, epistemology and animal ethics. Listen in as they remind us that even the top zoo industry leaders and personnel understand the importance of starting from the premise that captivity is […]

In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Rob Laidlaw, founder and director of the Canadian animal protection charity Zoocheck. Listen as Rob describes the little known zoo approach of framing, which functions as a type of deception for the visitor, making animals appear like they are in more natural surroundings than they actually are. This practice […]

In this episode, listen as Kathryn interviews powerhouse animal rights lawyer Camille Labchuk of Animal Justice, on the topic of the inhumane treatment of coyotes and geese used in the making of winter coat products. Learn from Camille as she describes the horrific conditions these animals are forced to endure, all under the brand that […]

Join Liz White, founder of Animal Alliance of Canada and leader of the Animal Protection Party of Canada, as she dispels the myths and misconceptions about cormorants in the Great Lakes Basin and explains why their presence is ecologically positive and an environmental good news story.

Keeping elephants in Canadian zoos only perpetuates the suffering of these highly intelligent, social animals and provides an inaccurate view of natural elephant behavior, social activities and even their physical attributes. In fact, all zoos in Canada that are currently holding captive elephants should take immediate action to relocate them to more suitable facilities in […]

Listen as Dr. Naomi Rose, marine mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute and member of the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee, outlines the impact of captivity on cetaceans and how conservationists around the world are fighting to find alternatives to traditional zoo practices.