We’ll be discussing 3 of the past week’s top news stories concerning the animal rights movement starting with how West Edmonton Mall reneged on their pledge to replace Howard the dolphin with human performers following years of protest and Howard’s recent relocation. The Mall has now imported 3 sea lions from Scotland to be their main aquatic attraction. Tove Reece, founder of Voices for the Animals in Edmonton will tell us what their plan of action is regarding West Ed’s decision and she’ll also give us a glimpse into the Edmonton animal rights community.

Then we’ll hear from the former campaigner for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Rebecca Aldworth, about her new role as Director of Canadian Wildlife Issues for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). This initiative marks a bold step in increasing international pressure to end the Canadian seal hunt, the largest mass slaughter of mammals in the world. Rebecca will discuss why HSUS is investing in Canada, why Canada’s animal rights groups typically seek help beyond its borders, and what her next steps will be to ending the seal hunt.

Finally, we’ll hear from Sarahjane Blum, media spokesperson and campaign manager for GourmetCruelty.com, who has been charged with felony burglary for rescuing injured ducks from New York’s Hudson Valley Foie Gras factory farm. Along with campaign coordinator, Ryan Shapiro who was arrested last week, she faces 7 years in prison. We’ll hear what exactly led to the charges, about their undercover documentary Delicacy of Despair: Behind the Closed Doors of the Foie Gras Industry, and what the implications of California’s 2012 ban on foie gras could mean for their case. *Charges dropped! Read about it here.

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