Welcome to a jam-packed show inspired by a week of victories for animals after Toronto city council voted to both ban shark fin and send the surviving elephants at the Toronto Zoo to PAWS sanctuary in California.

First, we’re joined by Julie Woodyer, campaigns director at Zoocheck Canada who tells us about the struggle to send Iringa, Toka, and Thika to a sanctuary and not another zoo. Woodyer also discusses the potential for this decision to have positive implications for Lucy, who is still living alone in the Edmonton Valley Zoo. (click here to listen to our interview about the ongoing case of Lucy the elephant)

Second, Nicholas Wright, Toronto based attorney and founding director of Lawyers for Animal Welfare helps us make sense of Toronto’s new  bylaw which bans possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins or their derivative products. Wright tells us about the details of ban and the how the issue of municipal jurisdiction threatened to thwart attempts to ban shark fins.

Finally, Claudia Li, founder of Shark Truth joins us to talk about the traditional significance of shark fin in Chinese culture and why she argues the practice of shark finning no longer fits with Chinese values. Li addresses the concern that it is cultural discrimination to ban shark fin and also responds to claims made by the Toronto Chinese Business Association that the ban is unfair and irresponsible. To learn more about Shark Truth’s work visit them on Facebook and Twitter, or check out their

Welcome to a jam-packed show inspired by a week of victories for animals after Toronto city council voted to both ban shark fin and send the surviving elephants at the Toronto Zoo to PAWS sanctuary in California.

First, we’re joined by Julie Woodyer, campaigns director at Zoocheck Canada who tells us about the struggle to send Iringa, Toka, and Thika to a sanctuary and not another zoo. Woodyer also discusses the potential for this decision to have positive implications for Lucy, who is still living alone in the Edmonton Valley Zoo. (click here to listen to our interview about the ongoing case of Lucy the elephant)

Second, Nicholas Wright, Toronto based attorney and founding director of Lawyers for Animal Welfare helps us make sense of Toronto’s new  bylaw which bans possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fins or their derivative products. Wright tells us about the details of ban and the how the issue of municipal jurisdiction threatened to thwart attempts to ban shark fins.

Finally, Claudia Li, founder of Shark Truth joins us to talk about the traditional significance of shark fin in Chinese culture and why she argues the practice of shark finning no longer fits with Chinese values. Li addresses the concern that it is cultural discrimination to ban shark fin and also responds to claims made by the Toronto Chinese Business Association that the ban is unfair and irresponsible. To learn more about Shark Truth’s work visit them on Facebook and Twitter, or check out their