Paw & Order: Recent Episodes
Animal Justice
Canadian animal law, simplified. Hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk discuss current issues in animal law, and the future of legal animal protection. Paw & Order is Canada's only animal law podcast.
Hosts Peter & Camille catch up on the Canadian Animal Law Conference, Animal Justice’s recent court cases, and what the federal election results mean for animals.
There’s a lot in the news, including a ruling that animal advocates don’t have public interest standing to challenge retailers for selling cruel glue traps, an Alberta case that discusses animals as property, and an important piece arguing that fish welfare should be part of the national conversation.
For our main segment, you’ll enjoy listening to an interview with Professor Jodi Lazare of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie, who sat down with Peter to discuss pet custody issues.
This episode’s hero is the city of Halifax for considering a ban on using animals for entertainment at city properties, and the zero is Northern Harvest Sea Farms, a fish farm operator responsible for the recent deaths of 1.8 million salmons in Newfoundland.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique.
Help us keep bringing you new episodes of Paw & Order—visit our Patreon page to become a supporter!
Paw & Order is BACK! After taking a short break, we’re excited to bring you a live podcast episode, recorded at the inaugural Canadian Animal Law Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on October 4.
Hosts Peter & Camille catch up on the news, then launch into a Q&A with Canadian law students committed to animal law, who attended the student day conference. There’s also a fun trivia game with prizes—a real chance to test your Paw & Order knowledge!
This episode’s hero is Camille, for her work putting together an incredible conference. The zero is the province of Alberta, for announcing disturbing new ag gag-style laws to crack down on animal advocacy.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique.
Help us keep bringing you new episodes of Paw & Order—visit our Patreon page to become a supporter!
It’s our back-to-school show! Peter and Camille discuss animal law clinics at U.S. law schools, and why it’s time for Canada to jump on the bandwagon. Many schools south of the border offer animal law clinics, including two at Lewis & Clark, a new one at Harvard, and Michigan State—all providing incredible learning opportunities for students, and resulting in meaningful work that helps advance animal protection.
In the news, we fill you in on how Animal Justice is going to court in October to help fight the removal of anti-Canada Goose ads on Toronto transit shelters; why lawyers are hoping to bring two animal cases to the Supreme Court of Canada (the Lucy the elephant case, and the Santics “dangerous dog” case from Vancouver); and a new study that proves compassion for animals is linked to greater respect for human rights, too.
This episode’s hero is the UK Labour Party for it’s strong new animal welfare manifesto, and the zero is the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, which indiscriminately shoots bears to death while failing to fine people who leave out garbage, food, and other bear attractants.
We’re taking a few weeks off from the podcast, but don’t worry—we’ll be back in early October. See you then, listeners!
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique.
Help us keep bringing you new episodes of Paw & Order—visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/pawandorder to become a supporter!
Hosts Peter & Camille have a jam-packed episode for you, including news about a landmark new conviction in Nova Scotia based on psychological (instead of physical) distress of an animal, calls for charges after a deadly barn fire in Manitoba that saw 800 cows burn alive, and Canada Goose’s supposed backtracking on its false marketing claims that the coyotes and geese killed for their fur-trimmed and down-filled jackets are treated humanely.
The main topic is the tragic new British Columbia case of R v Santics, which dealt with a dog named Punky who was sentenced to death after Vancouver city enforcement officials decided he was a dangerous dog. Tragically, the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld a decision to kill Punky, and said the future courts no longer have the ability to impose interim measures for so-called dangerous dogs like muzzling, tethering, and training. Now, if a dog is determined to be dangerous, the judge has no choice but to impose a death sentence. Camille & Peter discuss why this case is terrible for dogs, and why dog legislation in Canada needs a major overhaul.
This episode’s hero award goes to Peter (yay!) and his summer law student, Zach Wilson, who successfully defended two Edmonton-area animal advocates who were being prosecuted for displaying a banner calling out the Edmonton airport for shipping horses to Japan for slaughter. The zero is the federal government, which is subsidizing the cruel foie gras industry’s PR efforts, and doling out billions to dairy farms.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique.
Help us keep bringing you new episodes of Paw & Order—visit our Patreon page to become a supporter!
Peter’s back from summer vacation in Germany, and tells Camille all about the McDonalds McVegan. As always, there’s lot of animal law news, including a Toronto case challenging glue traps for mice, Tofurky’s legal challenge to discriminatory labeling laws for animal-free foods in Arkansas, and Canadian vegan restaurant Grow Your Roots being told to stop using words like “cheese” and “burger”. A notorious live sheep exporter in Australia has finally been charged with animal cruelty, and here at home, Marineland called the cops over a comedic tweet about stealing a walrus, and two Canadian zoos have been listed as among the cruelest in the world.
For our main segment, Camille and Peter discuss the summertime epidemic of dogs being left in hot cars, including the laws used to prosecuted those who do so, and the potential legal jeopardy faced by a Good Samaritan in Canada who decides to break a window to rescue a dog at risk.
This episode’s hero is the Edmonton Police for their key role in a massive Havanese puppy mill bust, and the zero is Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, who wants to re-write the Canada Food Guide to help out the cruel dairy industry.
Also, we’re now on Soundcloud! You can find us and tune in at soundcloud.com/pawandorder.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique.
Help us keep bringing you new episodes of Paw & Order—visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/pawandorder to become a supporter!
In Episode 37 of Paw & Order, Camille and Peter catch up on the six horse deaths in Calgary Stampede chuckwagon races (get ready for a lengthy discussion of whether rodeo events are illegal), a great column on why the Stampede needs to ditch animal events, golf course staff running down Canada geese with a golf cart in Edmonton, the fur industry's paid protesters in California, and the CFIA's effort to quash a lawsuit about cruel horse transport practices.
Camille also sits down with law professor Jodi Lazare of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, for chat about the upcoming Canadian Animal Law Conference and its stellar line-up of speakers.
This episode's heroes are a group of law professors (led by University of Toronto professor Angela Fernandez) who filed an amicus brief in the Oregon case of Justice the horse—seeking a groundbreaking court ruling that a horse can sue the woman who abused him. The well-deserved zero is a Montreal horse carriage owner who was fined for forcing a horse to work in extreme heat.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique.
Help us keep bringing you new episodes of Paw & Order—visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/pawandorder to become a supporter!
In Episode 36 of Paw & Order, Camille is joined by our show producer Shannon Milling, who gets to sit in the co-host chair for a change. Camille and Shannon discuss the start of the Calgary Stampede, which features cruel and torturous rodeo events. Nearly 100 animals have died at the Stampede in the last few decades. Find out why chuckwagon racing, steer wrestling, calf roping, and bronco- and bull-riding and other rodeo events are unjustifiably cruel events, and arguably illegal.
And there’s lots in the news! Learn why fireworks are awful for animals and many humans, and why the Assiniboine Zoo in Winnipeg is under pressure to shut down an abusive interactive stingray exhibit after several deaths and injuries. We give an update on Lucy, the ailing elephant at the Edmonton Zoo, who appears to be in worse health than ever before, according to new vet records released. And in B.C., authorities have seized a number of exotic serval cats after the breeder was found keeping them in appalling conditions.
Our hero this week is Kejimkujik Seaside Park in Nova Scotia, for closing off part of the park to respect bears who are using the area. And our zero is the city of Denver, Colorado for ruthlessly capturing and slaughtering hundreds of Canada Geese who made a local park their home.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca Canada’s vegan fashion boutique.
Help us keep bringing you new episodes of Paw & Order—visit patreon.com/pawandorder to become a supporter!
It was a big month—three animal protection bills passed through Parliament! It’s now illegal to keep whales and dolphins in captivity, import shark fins, sexually abuse animals, and engage in animal fighting. Peter & Camille update listeners on this exciting legislative news, including why a Toronto Star editorial says Canada still has a long way to go for animal rights. There’s also an update on the Quebec zoo facing criminal animal cruelty charges, and how it lost a fight in court to keep the abused animals.
For our main topic, Camille sits down with Gabriel Wildgen to discuss the fascinating history of campaigns to ban shark fin in Canada. Gabriel is a Harvard law student working with Animal Justice this summer, and previously spent many years campaigning against shark finning with HSI / Canada. From the Toronto City Council shark fin ban and its defeat in court, to a 2013 anti-shark fin bill in Parliament that lost by only six votes, it took many years and a lot of work to finally win a national ban on the shark fin trade. You won’t want to miss this behind-the-scenes look at political advocacy for animals, and how many years of work (and many defeats along the way) can eventually pay off.
This episode’s hero is Parliament (thanks for passing all of these animal protection bills!), and the zero is MP Earl Dreeshen, who recently made the puzzling and false claim that “Canadian ranchers and farmers have the highest standards in the world.” (Reality check: No federal laws govern the on-farm treatment and well-being of animals in Canada.)
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique!
In this episode, Peter & Camille discuss a major new case from the Alberta Court of Appeal that rejected an attempt to help Lucy, a lonely elephant confined in the Edmonton Zoo. The hosts break down and critique the majority decision, praise the strong dissent, and explain what it means for animal law in Canada.
But there’s more! The hosts discuss a mass neglect sentencing case from Alberta, a dog abuse case from B.C., why a Quebec zoo is being shut down by worker safety authorities, and why there won’t be any animal cruelty charges after a covert video was shot at a pig farm in B.C.
This episode’s hero is NDP MP Nathan Cullen, who gave up a chance to debate his own bill on single-use plastics so that Bill S-203, banning whale and dolphin captivity, will be certain to pass. The zero is the Cherry Brook Zoo in New Brunswick, which is subtly threatening to “euthanize” countless animals in the wake of an attendance drop due to animal cruelty allegations.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique!
Camille and Peter explain groundbreaking criminal charges laid against a Montreal-area zoo, and the zoo industry ‘clearing’ itself of animal cruelty in another case out of the Cherry Brook Zoo in Moncton. There’s a new pet custody case out of Maine, and the Australian Capital Territory is bringing in strong new animal laws, addressing sentience and giving citizens the right to rescue dogs from hot cars. Finally, the hosts take a look at a case making global headlines right now—a vegan firefighter asking for ethical veganism to be declared a “creed” that is protected by human rights law in Ontario.
Peter & Camille are in person for this episode in Yellowknife, NWT, where they spoke about podcasting at a legal education event hosted by the Canadian Bar Association.
As always, there's lots of news to discuss, including a new lawsuit to hold Walmart and other retailers to account for selling cruel mouse glue traps. The hosts also provide an update on the hold-up in third reading voting on the anti-bestiality bill in the House of Commons (update: it passed!), and the shark finning import ban finally passing second reading.
In the main segment, Camille and Peter discuss the rise of direct action animal advocacy in Canada, the legal issues raised, and the potential for legal pushback by industry and legislators. The hosts go over two recent high-profile cases: Ontario prosecutors withdrawing criminal charges against activist Jenny McQueen for rescuing a piglet, in a case that had been dubbed the #PigTrial2; and the #MeatTheVictims action in Abbotsford, B.C., where activists occupied an industrial pig farm that had been exposed for horrific pig abuse.
Finally, this episode's hero is a centuries-old throwback—Leonardo da Vinci, one of the original animal rights activists, who died 500 years ago this month. The zero is the Canadian government, which secretly approved export permits to let Vancouver Aquarium and Marineland ship beluga whales out of the country just weeks before a national ban on whale captivity is expected to be passed in Parliament.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique!
In this episode, Peter fills Camille in on the incredible animals he saw while on safari during a recent trip to Zambia, and his nomination as one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. (Don't forget to vote for him!) Then, the hosts catch up on disturbing new footage from a B.C. pig farm that prompted a cruelty investigation, an exotic animal zoo with a bad history being run out of town in Ontario, the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act making its debut in the House of Commons, and the fur industry's attempt to make animal advocacy a terrorist offence.
In the main segment, Camille and Peter explain how humans can seek justice when a companion animal is wrongfully injured or killed. The law has been slow to recognize the value of animals to their guardians, and still treats animals like property. Damage awards have typically been limited to the cost of replacing an animal, which doesn't even begin to account for the sense of loss that people feel when they lose a beloved animal through negligence or other tragic means. Slowly, damages for mental distress at the loss of a pet are creeping into Canadian judgments, and this area is ripe for evolution.
Finally, this episode's heroes are the city of Montreal and the Montreal SPCA, for their new caleche horse retirement program. And the zero is Toronto Star columnist Heather Mallick, for flippantly writing that she committed an appalling act of cruelty by stabbing a raccoon with a fork.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor thegrinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique!
In Episode 30 of Paw & Order, Camille is joined by guest co-host Rebeka Breder, one of the country's leading animal lawyers in private practice. Rebeka opens up about her path to becoming an animal rights lawyer, and two of her current high-profile cases—one lawsuit on illegal exports of horses shipped internationally slaughter, and an intervention to protect "dangerous" dogs potentially facing the death penalty.
Plus, we bring you the inside scoop on how the federal bill ban whale and dolphin captivity was saved from being killed last week at a parliamentary committee, why animal advocates are trespassing on Canadian farms, New Brunswick vets banning cat declawing, and how the Cherry Brook Zoo somehow escaped criminal animal cruelty prosecution for the deaths of guinea pigs.
This episode's hero award goes to the Australian activists who are putting animal cruelty on the agenda and inspiring people to watch the film Dominion, and the zero is the European Parliament agriculture committee for trying to forbid plant-based foods from using terms like "sausage" or "hamburger".
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique!
In Episode 29 of Paw & Order, Camille interviews Jake Kamins, a district attorney in Oregon dedicated exclusively to prosecuting animal cruelty offences. Jake fills our listeners in on how his unique position helps him make a difference for animals.
Plus, our Patreon page is HERE! Check out patreon.com/pawandorder to learn how you can help us keep Paw & Order on the air, and support our big plans to make the show even better.
Camille is flying solo this week while Peter is out of town, and she fills you in on an exciting new documentary called The End of Meat, and Marineland's last-ditch efforts to kill the bill banning whale and dolphin captivity. Plus, you'll get an update on how Ontario is responding to the Ontario SPCA's announcement that it's pulling out of doing cruelty investigations, new legislation in New York that would outlaw fur sales, and why the meat & dairy industries recently called Animal Justice "the enemy." (We're so proud.)
This episode's hero is Dr. Kendra Coulter, who released an important report on what Ontarians want to see next for animal law enforcement. And the zero is the Ontario government for handing over $10 million in cash to the cruel, unprofitable horse racing industry.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique!
In Episode 28 of Paw & Order, Camille is joined by lawyer Arden Beddoes to discuss an important lawsuit he filed on behalf of the Fur-Bearer Defenders, seeking justice for an orphaned bear cub in British Columbia who was mercilessly shot to death by a trigger-happy conservation officer.
The hosts also discuss the Dairy Farmers of Canada being forced to take down a misleading ad campaign claiming Canadian milk contains zero growth hormones (totally false!), and why it’s a big deal that Animal Justice convinced the House of Commons Justice Committee to approve our changes to a new animal cruelty bill.
In the news, the Ontario SPCA delivered a bombshell this month when it announced it would withdraw from enforcement. On a related topic, the Edmonton City Council just approved a new budget for animal law enforcement after the Edmonton Humane Society withdrew from this responsibility, so the hosts link these two events and explain what might come next. And there’s more good news from Alberta—the province’s veterinary association just banned its members from cat declawing, tail docking, ear cropping, and debarking!
This episode’s (unexpected) hero is Russia, which just ordered the release of over a hundred orca and beluga whales from a watery whale jail, who had been captured so they could be sold to aquariums. And the zero is Canada, for auctioning off a Birkin bag made from the skin of an endangered, slaughtered crocodile.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique!
In Episode 27 of Paw & Order, hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk catch up together in Toronto, where Peter is fresh from winning a major law school competition.
In the news, the hosts discuss Newsweek's major exposé of Canada Goose's efforts to deceive consumers about the cruelty behind coyote fur, and the federal government wasting $45,000 on buying luxury Canada Goose jackets for employees. And what's the deal with vegan cheese company Blue Heron being ordered to drop the word "cheese"? Prepare to be outraged. The hosts also discuss an article penned by the Edmonton Humane Society explaining their courageous decision to stop doing law enforcement work.
This episode's main topic is a big one: dog breeding. If you've ever wondered why Canada still has a puppy mill problem, you'll learn why the near-complete lack of licensing and oversight of dog breeders play a huge role. The hosts explain why dog breeding is inherently problematic, particularly when the dogs are genetically manipulated to have painful physical traits that cause them a lifetime of suffering.
This episode's hero is the New Zealand Animal Law Association, which is fighting cruel pig farrowing crates in court, and the zero goes to an absurd anti-vegan article appearing in the Globe & Mail.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique!
In Episode 26, Camille interviews Edie Bowles, a London-based lawyer who is launching the UK's very first animal rights law firm—Advocates for Animals. Edie fills listeners in on her path to becoming an animal protection lawyer, why UK animal laws are so much stronger than the Canadian system, and the pitfalls and promises that Brexit might hold for animal law.
Then, Camille and Peter announce some exciting news: Canada's getting an animal law conference this fall! The hosts also catch up about their recent testimony about a bestiality and animal fighting bill before the House of Commons Justice Committee, and what changes Animal Justice is asking for to improve the legislation. They also recap Camille's recent TV debate against a dairy farmer on The Agenda, the ensuing Twitter war, and why it shouldn't be up to animal farming industries to make up their own rules without government oversight. And don't forget—we're hiring a staff lawyer! If this is your dream job, learn how to apply.
And as always, there's lots of animal law in the news, starting with an appeal of the ruling striking down the OSPCA enforcement regime, the whale and dolphin captivity ban passing second reading in Parliament, a potential California ban on fur trapping, and a heartbreaking case of severe neglect on a hobby farm.
This episode's hero is Schulich School of Law professor Jodi Lazare, co-host with Animal Justice of the Canadian Animal Law Conference. The zero is a caleche owner in Montreal who was caught red-handed keeping a horse in appalling conditions.
As always, use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique!
It’s Paw & Order’s one-year anniversary! Thanks to our listeners for an amazing first year.
As we promised, this episode features an interview with marine law expert professor Cameron Jeffries, who helps us understand what it means that Japan has withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission and plans to overtly resume killing whales for the commercial meat market.
Hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk also discuss Animal Justice’s exciting plans to hire a full-time staff lawyer, the Edmonton Humane Society’s plans to stop enforcing provincial animal welfare laws, what a new federal justice minister might mean for animal laws, a Swiss decision that could put primate rights to a citizen referendum, and why animal experimentation is on the decline in Switzerland, yet the numbers keep climbing in Canada.
The hero award goes to Health Canada officials for resisting the influence of Big Meat and Big Dairy in drafting the new Canada Food Guide. Plants are in, but milk and meat are sidelined! And the zero is a pig farmer whose op-ed in the Toronto Star says that there’s no such thing as inhumane meat. Um, what?! Animal cruelty is rampant in the food industry.
Use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor grinninggoat.ca, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique!
Happy New Year! Paw & Order is back after a holiday hiatus, but don’t worry—things haven’t been quiet. Hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk dive right into analyzing the brand new judgment in Bogaerts v Attorney General of Ontario, which found that the Ontario SPCA’s law enforcement powers are unconstitutional. Find out what this stunning decision means for the future of animal law enforcement in Ontario, and why Animal Justice is pleased with the outcome.
But that’s not all. Paw & Order is now an award-winning podcast! We were honoured with a 2018 Clawbie award in the Best Niche category, and the unofficial Best Name award.
This episode also goes over a series of exciting legal victories at the U.S. Supreme Court level, rejecting challenges to laws against foie gras and intensive confinement of farmed animals; a Toronto Star op ed by Animal Justice’s Anna Pippus and a Globe & Mail column on Canada’s new food guide; California’s new ban on the retail sale of cats, dogs, and rabbits; charges against an Alberta woman for horse neglect; and Japan’s official return to commercial whaling.
This episode’s hero award goes to our U.S. colleagues who defeated Iowa’s ag-gag law in court, and the zero is the Lethbridge police officer who brutally killed a deer with his vehicle.
Use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at our sponsor Grinning Goat, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique!
Fresh from celebrating at Animal Justice's Edmonton holiday party, hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk catch listeners up on the festivities, and provide an exciting update on the first House of Commons debate on banning captive whales & dolphins, and a new habeas corpus case on behalf of an elephant at the Bronx Zoo.
Then, Camille sits down for a special interview with professor Angela Fernandez of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Angela's new book examines the 805 New York fox hunting case Pierson v. Post, long taught in law school to introduce law students to the property law concept of first possession by asking how one establishes possession of a wild animal. In this book, Pierson v. Post, the Hunt for the Fox: Law and Professionalization in American Legal Culture, Angela retells the history of the famous fox case. She also fills listeners in on how writing the book led her to start thinking and writing seriously about animal law, and become an advisor to Animal Justice.
Angela is generously offering Paw & Order listeners a 20% discount on her book with code AFERNANDEZ2018 at https://bit.ly/2UxnPAK
This episode's hero goes to Victoria Kubinski, an incredible Animal Justice supporter who organized our Edmonton holiday party. And the zero? He's back! Member of Parliament Robert Sopuck had some choice anti-animal comments in the House of Commons debate on Bill S-203. We couldn't resist.
Use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at grinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique!
For this episode's feature interview, Peter Sankoff sits down with Chris Green, executive director of the Animal Law & Policy Program at Harvard University. Established in 2015, the program gives students and scholars the skills they need to analyze and improve the treatment of animals in the legal system. Chris fills us in on the work Harvard is doing to advance animal law, and some of the incredible achievements of program graduates.
Camille and Peter also analyze the latest animal news headlines, including three monkeys who retired at Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary after a lifetime of being used in experiments, and why more monkeys deserve the same opportunity. The hosts also discuss a new break and enter charge against a Toronto activist for rescuing piglets from an industrial farm, and the future of animal law enforcement in Ontario.
Find out why a man suing over his dog's death in a Kamloops fur trap is the hero, and the horrific beating death of an innocent coyote in Alberta gets the zero.
Use code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at grinninggoat.ca, Canada's vegan fashion boutique!
Paw & Order has its first-ever sponsor—The Grinning Goat, Canada’s vegan fashion boutique! We bring you all the details on this exciting new partnership, and a special discount code for listeners. Simply use the code PAW15 at the checkout to save 15% on your order at grinninggoat.ca!
Peter sits down to interview University of Alberta law professor Jessica Eisen in this episode, discussing her fascinating work on how some countries include animal protection in their constitutions.
Plus, Peter and Camille bring you the latest animal news, including what the US mid-term elections brought for animals—a ban on greyhound racing in Florida, and stronger farmed animal protection regulations in California! They also discuss the Ontario SPCA’s move to pull out of enforcing laws pertaining to horses and farmed animals, and a groundbreaking rodeo cruelty prosecution in New Zealand by animal law organization NZALA.
This episode’s hero is the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation for investing $1 million to fund alternatives to animal testing, and the zero is Edmonton’s animal services agency, which is now facing charges over the deaths of three cats.
Listener discretion is advised for this episode, because the hosts delve into an unpleasant topic: bestiality. Three years ago, Camille & Peter intervened on behalf of Animal Justice at the Supreme Court of Canada to fight against the sexual abuse of animals. The case was groundbreaking, but it opened up a huge loophole in Canadian law. Finally, the government is now moving to close the loophole and ensure all sexual abuse of animals is illegal. The hosts fill listeners in on what this case meant for animal law, and why the government's bill still doesn't go far enough. Plus, some huge political news—legislation to end whale and dolphin captivity just passed through the Senate! Find out what the next steps are. In the news, the hosts go over the latest barn fire, cruelty charges being dropped against a notorious Alberta dog breeder, and why B.C. and Ontario municipal elections might mean good things for animals. All this, plus the announcement of Animal Justice's upcoming holiday parties in Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto!
Camille and Peter are together in person in Ottawa for this episode, so it's fitting that federal animal protection legislation is the emphasis of Episode 19! It's the two-year anniversary of the Liberal government killing an important animal cruelty bill, and you'll find out what, if anything has changed since then. (Spoiler alert, not much.) The hosts also give the latest on why some Conservative senators are still blocking the whale & dolphin anti-captivity bill, and what's next for this legislation.
Also on the new agenda is the USMCA trade deal, why Canada's dairy industry isn't happy about its impact on supply management, and how media coverage of dairy supply management misses the mark by failing to point out the animal suffering inherent in milk production.
Peter gives a recap on his recent presentation at the first-ever VegFest Edmonton, and his exciting discovery that Calgary-based vegan fashion boutique The Grinning Goat has named an entire line of animal-free boots after Animal Justice staff and advisors! Plus, Camille (who's not a sports fan) went to her first-ever CFL game to cheer on a plant-based athlete.
All this and more on Episode 19 of Paw & Order, Canada's only animal law podcast!
Camille is joined on this episode by special guest co-host Tayler Zavitz for a frank discussion of government and industry efforts to target and stifle animal rights advocates in Canada. A long-time activist herself, and now a doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria, Tayler's PhD research focuses on exposing and analyzing bogus criminal charges filed against animal advocates, failure to prosecute illegal conduct by animal-use industries, lawsuits by animal-use industries designed to repress free speech, and state surveillance of peaceful citizens.
Plus, there's a lot in the news! Camille and Tayler discuss the CFIA's failure to effectively enforce animal transport laws, charges laid after an animal shelter left three cats in a vehicle for 22 days, Whole Foods seeking a restraining order against DxE activists, the animals left to drown, suffer, and starve to death by North Carolina farmers in the wake of Hurricane Florence, and why a woman trying to rescue abandoned animals from the floods is now facing charges.
Our hero this week is Nova Scotia agriculture minister Keith Colwell for introducing groundbreaking legislation to ban cat declawing and other unnecessary cosmetic surgeries on animals. Bravo! But Nova Scotia dog breeders are the clear zero for trying kill the new law, because they want to cut puppies' tails off to conform to artificial "breed standards". Boo!
This episode of Paw & Order features a special guest interview with University of Alberta law professor Cameron Jeffries. He breaks down the recent Federal Court of Appeal decision rejecting the Trans Mountain pipeline, and explains why the ruling is good news for orca whales who are at risk from increased oil tanker traffic.
Then, Camille and Peter bring you all the latest animal law news, including Camille's new op-ed piece arguing against cat declawing, a Toronto Veg Food Fest update, and Camille winning the Toronto Vegetarian Association's 2018 Compassion for Animals Award. Plus, the hosts weigh in on why ritual slaughter is still legal in Canada, leg-hold fur traps maiming companion animals, and California voting to ban cosmetic tests on animals.
This week's hero is the Ottawa Police for tranquilizing a bear instead of using lethal action, and the zero is the Manitoba government for subsidizing cruel jacket company Canada Goose's latest manufacturing plant.
We're back! Camille and Peter tackle one of the most important issues in Canadian animal law: the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), and the codes of practice it publishes for the treatment of farmed animals.
Shockingly, animal welfare on farms is almost completely unregulated in Canada. Instead, the government lets the farm industry-dominated NFACC develop voluntary, unenforceable "standards" for animals confined on farms. Learn more about this organization, and why we're concerned that NFACC's style of self-regulation is window-dressing that's ultimately counterproductive for animals.
Plus, we bring you the news! A troubling new law in Missouri says that "meat" can only come from slaughtered animals, but the plant-based and clean meat industries are challenging it in court. Meanwhile, the dairy industry was just exposed for funding research at UBC, and for a secret political strategy manual discovered at the national Conservative convention. An anti-fur advocate is facing more charges for exposing fur farm cruelty, and an Australian live exporter just lost its license after horrific abuse was revealed on ships transport sheep to the Middle East.
Finally, this week's hero is the UK, for announcing new laws banning shock collars, and combatting puppy and kitten farms. And the zero? That title goes to the former owner of an Edmonton pet store, who now faces charges for abandoning 500 animals in the pet store.
Peter and Camille are reunited! After a few summertime episodes with guest hosts, Paw & Order is back to its regularly-scheduled programming.
Freshly back from a trip to Europe, Camille fills listeners in on the state of vegan croissants in France, her recent speaking engagements in the UK, and why the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Summer School was the best animal law event. Ever.
Then, the hosts break down recent news affecting animals. You'll learn about a new court case striking down restrictions on charities engaging in political activities, and why it could re-shape the landscape for animal protection organizations in Canada. Camille talks about her Global TV interview about the cruise line that gunned down a polar bear in Norway, and why so-called ecotourism isn't always a good thing. There's a new poll in Quebec by the Montreal SPCA showing that 72% of voters want parties to have animal welfare policies for the upcoming provincial election, and the hosts also discuss a grieving mother orca whale who has been carrying her deceased calf through the ocean for over a week. Animals grieve, just like us. Plus, could the UK be headed toward a total ban on fur?
Our hero this week is the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, for hosting an incredible global gathering of animal lawyers. And our zero (not for the first time and likely not the last!) is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for flat-out refusing to enforce transport laws for horses being shipped to slaughter in Japan. All this and more on the latest episode of Paw & Order, Canada's only animal law podcast!
Peter is joined by special guest host Sophie Gaillard, the director of advocacy with the Montreal SPCA to discuss what legally constitutes as "unnecessary" suffering that amounts to animal cruelty.
This week is the 40-year anniversary of the Quebec Court of Appeal's decision in the Menard case. This case is arguably one of the most important animal law cases ever decided in Canada, and has a bigger impact on animals that any other case in the country, defining what it means for suffering to be unnecessary.
Plus, hear about Peter winning his first-ever case at the Supreme Court of Canada, an update on the recent B.C. egg cruelty case out of Frasier Valley, how the sentencing council in Australia will examine sentencing and animal cruelty cases, the bill being introduced by the Israeli government to phase out live sheep imports from Australia and Europe, and the tragedy of the horse who died after breaking a leg in the notoriously cruel rodeo events at this year’s Calgary Stampede.
This episode’s zero is the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, for failing to enforce animal protection laws that recognize animals as sentient beings in Quebec. The hero is Alanna Devine, who will be moving on from the Montreal SPCA to the managing director at Mercy for Animals Canada. Alanna’s incredible work at the Montreal SPCA helped shape the legal landscape for animals in Quebec, and we know she will be in unstoppable force at MFA Canada.
Camille is joined by guest host Samantha Kompa, an Ontario human rights lawyer, to discuss protecting ethical vegans against discrimination in the workplace, hospitals, schools, prisons, and more. Camille and Sam fill listeners in on their recent presentation at the International Vegan Rights Alliance symposium in Scotland, and delve down into how provincial human rights laws and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms can protectpeople who believe it’s wrong to harm animals. Plus, they share details of some of their delicious plant-based food finds in Scotland!
Camille and Sam also discuss the many ways animals are suffering in Canada’s recent heatwave, and the hypocrisy of prosecuting dogs left in cars but never going after transporters who truck pigs in sweltering hot conditions. They give the details on new footage of horrific suffering on B.C. egg farms, and speculate on the future of Marineland after the death of its owner.
This episode’s hero is the town of Banff, for outlawing noisy fireworks, and the zero is Senator Don Plett, for obstructing animal protection legislation.
Hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk bring you a very special episode, live from the Animal Justice 10-year anniversary gala! The gala brought together many of Canada's top animal rights lawyers, academics, and advocates, so Peter took the opportunity to interview them.
You'll hear from Alanna Devine of the Montreal SPCA, Vancouver lawyer Rebeka Breder, Animal Justice's own Anna Pippus, Kimberly Carroll, Nick Wright, and Shannon Milling, longtime supporter Rajiv Nambiar, MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, and law professors / academics Valéry Giroux, Katie Sykes, Jodi Lazare, Angela Lee, and Lesli Bisgould.
Plus, the hosts discuss the tragic Senate spectacle of Bill S-203 being repeatedly blocked from reaching a vote, Montreal's new ban on horse carriages, and more than 70 rabbis worldwide urging people of Jewish faith to embrace veganism.
Learn why this week's hero is MP Robert Sopuck, best known for spearheading efforts to block improvements to Canada's animal cruelty laws. Happily, he won't run again in the next election! (And check out Peter's video debunking Sopuck's misinformation about an animal cruelty bill.)
This week's zero goes to our justice system for prosecuting an activist who exposed horrific suffering on Ontario mink farms, while the abusive farms go unpunished.
Animal Justice is celebrating 10 years! Hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk sit down with Nick Wright, founder of Animal Justice, for an in-depth look back at how the group got started, the early days, and how the organization has grown in the first decade of leading the legal fight to save animals.
Plus, Peter and Camille discuss a prominent article in the Washington Post about why commercial fishing has to stop ignoring the immense suffering of fish, a Globe & Mail op ed from Jessica Scott-Reid on media coverage of undercover investigations, why there are still no charges one year later in a shocking chicken cruelty investigation, and a powerful speech in the Senate in support of a bill to ban whale and dolphin captivity. Plus, the farm involved in Anita Krajnc’s #PigTrial case is back in the news after a barn fire that saw over 3,000 mother and baby pigs burn alive.
Peter is on vacation this week, so Camille is joined by special guest co-host Anna Pippus, Animal Justice's director of farmed animal advocacy. Tune in for an enlightening conversation about Anna's legal work on behalf of animals confined in farms. Animals used in farming are the largest group of animals abused and killed in Canada every year, yet laws regulating their lives and treatment are often non-existent, or weak and under-enforced. Anna and Camille also delve into the psychology of repeated exposure to animal abuse, and some promising food policy initiatives, like revisions to the Canada Food Guide, that have the potential to reshape our food system and save millions of animals from a lifetime of suffering.
Plus, you'll get the low-down on our recent intervention in a case that challenges Ontario's animal protection laws, upcoming veg fests where you can find our team, and some high-profile recent animal cruelty cases and investigations that have made headlines. This includes 14 animal cruelty charges laid against Millbank Fur Farm near Guelph, Ontario, following an extensive undercover investigation by Last Chance for Animals, and a new Mercy For Animals investigation exposing disturbing treatment of baby chicks at an Ontario hatchery. Camille and Anna also talk horses: a shocking video showing two downed carriage horses in Victoria, and a barn fire that killed 16 horses at Sunnybrook Stables in Toronto.
Finally, find out why the Whale Sanctuary Project is this episode's hero, and Marineland is named the zero.
Animal cruelty cases and lawsuits are making major headlines this month, so hosts Camille Labchuk and Peter Sankoff down all the latest news in Episode 9 of the Paw & Order podcast.
Animal cruelty is notoriously under-prosecuted, but even when there is a successful conviction, the outcome isn't always ideal. Learn about a man convicted of animal offences in Saskatchewan who packed up, moved to B.C. and just had dozens of dogs seized once again. The hosts also discuss an Alberta breeder who is awaiting trial on animal cruelty charges, yet is allowed to carry on with his breeding business in the meantime because he wasn't subject to bail restrictions. Meanwhile, a Nova Scotia woman starved a bunny rabbit to death and a PEI man severely neglected 10 dogs (five had to be euthanized), but they each received only a short ban on animal ownership, and got to keep other animals already in their possession. Switching gears to south of the border, the hosts fill you in on a groundbreaking lawsuit in Oregon where a neglected horse named Justice is suing his abuser for damages.
Plus, learn about Peter's nomination as one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers, a new cat declawing ban in B.C., an amazing new decision from the New York Court of Appeals in a Nonhuman Rights Project case, a new reality television show featuring our friends at the Montreal SPCA, and how veterinarian Dr. Rekhi escaped punishment for illegal animal abuse and went straight back to work.
Finally, the legal team at Ecojustice gets kudos for representing us in a case to protect at-risk species in Ontario, and a Member of Parliament gets called out for trying to make the case (unsuccessfully!) that eating cows is good for the environment.
In Episode 8 of Paw & Order, hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk revisit the Australia live export scandal. After a whistleblower exposed immense suffering and abuse endured by sheep shipped to the Middle East, change may finally be coming to a brutal industry. But what about Canada? Live export happens here at home, too, and it’s bad news for animals. Thousands of horses are shipped by air every year to Japan, where they are slaughtered for meat.
Plus, the hosts fill listeners in on Animal Justice’s latest court case—an intervention in a lawsuit that challenges Ontario’s animal protection laws and the way they’re enforced. If the lawsuit succeeds, it could have drastic implications for millions of animals in Ontario and across the country. They also discuss a groundbreaking new report out of Quebec concluding that rodeos cause illegal animal cruelty, CBC radio host Michael Enright’s stunning pro-animal commentary, new stats that show Canada is slaughtering more animals than ever before, and cruelty allegations against yet another B.C. dog breeder.
In Episode 7, Peter talks about breed-specific legislation (BSL) with Alanna Devine—our very first podcast guest! Alanna is a lawyer and director of animal advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. She has played a key role in the legal fight against Montreal's pit bull ban, and a proposed provincial breed ban in Quebec. Tune in to learn why BSL is unscientific, ineffective, expensive, and spells a death sentence for innocent dogs.
Hosts Peter and Camille also take on the federal government's new criminal justice legislation, Bill C-75, discussing why some of its reforms may accidentally be good for animals, and what's still missing. (Hint, hint—no improvements to Canada's terrible animal cruelty laws.) Plus, the hosts talk about a shocking new live export investigation out of Australia, a Globe & Mail op ed about humanewashing (our Episode 6 topic!), a rodeo report out of New Zealand, San Francisco's groundbreaking ban on fur sales, and animal cruelty charges against a B.C. petting zoo.
In Episode 6 of Paw & Order, hosts Camille Labchuk and Peter Sankoff tackle the topic of false advertising, and how animal lawyers use consumer protection laws creatively to expose and combat animal suffering. The hosts explain a recent case of Big Dairy getting away with misleading milk marketing ads disguised as health information (scroll down to see the transit ads discussed on the show). Learn why Animal Justice filed false advertising complaints against jacket company Canada Goose over its so-called “humane” use of coyote fur, chicken slaughter company Maple Lodge Farms for misleading consumers about abusing chickens, and accessories retailer Ardene for mislabelling real fur as “faux”.
Plus, the hosts talk about Peter’s Globe and Mail op ed with law professor Jodi Lazare on a recent high-profile pet custody case, how the Ontario budget falls short on funding animal protection, and whether lobsters count as “animals” under Canada’s outdated criminal animal cruelty laws. (Thanks to aquatic animal expert Dr. Jonathan Balcombe for writing in about lobsters!)
The hosts also praise Nova Scotia for banning cat declawing, but take note: The Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association banned its members from declawing cats by updating its Code of Ethics to prohibit the practice. The ban wasn’t imposed by the Nova Scotia government, as is suggested on the show, so it’s not in any provincial statute.
Episode 5 of the Paw & Order podcast is jam-packed! Hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk give you all the details on a groundbreaking new pet custody case from the Newfoundland & Labrador Court of Appeal. In Baker v Harmina, a young former couple fought over who would get custody of Mya, a Bernese mountain dog-poodle mix. Mr. Baker was awarded full custody, based on the conception that the only thing that matters is who bought Mya. But a dissenting judge disagreed, and would have given the two joint custody, stating that “ownership of a dog is more complicated to decide than, say, a car, or a piece of furniture.”
Peter and Camille talk about the sorry state of pet custody case law in Canada, why judges should stop pretending that pet custody isn’t important enough for courts to consider, and what this new appellate-level decision and its powerful dissent mean for animals.
They also discuss an important development in the ongoing legal fight to free Lucy the Elephant from the Edmonton Zoo. In March, Zoocheck and other animal advocates went to the Alberta Court of Appeal to challenge the government for issuing an operating license to the Edmonton Zoo, despite the Zoo’s failure to comply with provincial laws protecting Lucy. The court hasn’t ruled yet, but this latest case could have major implications for animals across the country.
The hosts also discuss some developments in the two Vancouver Aquarium cases, Barbara Streisand cloning her dog (face palm!), a New Brunswick petition to get live lobsters out of store tanks, and how to become an animal lawyer. As a bonus, Peter shares an original song and a spoken word piece that his students prepared as part of a creative animal law assignment.
Do you have a question about Canadian animal law? Tweet our hosts, or drop them an email at info@animaljustice.ca, and they’ll do their best to answer it in a future episode.
Episode 4 of the Paw & Order podcast is all about getting whales and dolphins out of captivity. Hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk do a deep dive (pun intended!) into the legal efforts to rescue these smart, sensitive animals from tiny concrete tanks. This has been a major focus for animal advocates in Canada, and real progress has been made.
Peter and Camille fill listeners in on the history of cetacean captivity in Canada, then discuss two recent lawsuits filed by the Vancouver Aquarium. First, they explain a copyright lawsuit designed to silence the film Vancouver Aquarium Uncovered (the Aquarium lost), and second, a lawsuit challenging the Vancouver by-law that banned the Aquarium from keeping whales and dolphins (the Aquarium won, but it’s not all bad news).
They also give the low down on legislation in the Senate that would introduce a national captivity ban for whales and dolphins, and how that could be affected by a new government bill that would implement a partial ban. Plus, is Canada set to be home to the world’s first seaside whale and dolphin sanctuary?
The hosts also discuss Alberta’s new ban on spears in big game hunting, the U.K. Labour Party’s animal welfare plan, the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s National Justice for Animals Week, and the tragic death of Molly the pot-bellied pig, adopted from the SPCA only to be killed and eaten by her new family. You can read Camille’s op ed about Molly the pig in the Globe and Mail.
Do you have a question about Canadian animal law? Tweet our hosts, or drop them an email at info@animaljustice.ca, and they’ll do their best to answer it in a future episode!
Welcome to Episode 3 of Paw & Order! This special Q&A show was recorded live from Peter’s animal law class at the University of Alberta in January, during Camille’s visit to Edmonton. The hosts answer students’ questions about animal law, ranging from whether litigation or legislation is the best way to advance animal law; which countries have strong laws protecting animals; how to end the commercial seal kill; why animal law enforcement in Canada leaves much to be desired; how to force industries to take steps to improve animal protections; and how to build a broad coalition of citizens supporting better animal laws.
Welcome to Episode 2 of Paw & Order! Tune in as hosts Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk dive into an important topic in animal law: Federalism. In other words, how does the division of powers between federal and provincial governments affect animals? Unlike many other countries, Canada has no national animal welfare legislation. Here’s your chance to understand why that is, and why it’s such a serious problem.
But that’s not all! The hosts also discuss Camille’s new cat, a guilty plea in the biggest animal cruelty case in Canadian history, and a Dutch police force dedicated to protecting animals.
Do you have a question about Canadian animal law? Tweet our hosts, or drop them an email at info@animaljustice.ca, and they’ll do their best to answer it in a future episode!
Welcome to the first episode of the Paw & Order podcast!
Animal Justice is thrilled to be launching Paw & Order—Canada’s first-ever animal law podcast. The show is hosted by our own Peter Sankoff and Camille Labchuk, two of Canada’s leading animal lawyers. Our goal? To make animal law accessible to everyone—even if you don’t have a legal background.
The hosts will discuss current court cases, legislation, and other legal issues affecting animals, do a deep-dive into select animal law topics, and interview special guests to add insight. You’ll also have a chance to send in your own questions and hear them addressed on air.
In Episode 1 of Paw & Order, Peter and Camille introduce themselves, explain why they decided to launch the podcast, and answer listener questions.
Do you have a question about Canadian animal law? Tweet our hosts, or drop them an email at info@animaljustice.ca, and they’ll do their best to answer it in a future episode!