Shannon Fleming, friend and teacher,
funded and initiated this show which is dedicated to
her horse, CARSON KILEBAR, daughter of DIANE KILEBAR
and STRATO CHIEF, who died in the fall of 2008.
"She was the greatest teacher
I have ever experienced and even though she is gone
in body, her immense heart continues to beat on this
Earth for the fate of her four-legged brothers and
sisters."
In this show I talk with Sinikka Crosland and Twyla
Francois, two women very active in Canada in alleviating
the suffering of farm animals, particularly horses,
hogs, cows, and chickens, and publicizing the abuses
suffered by these animals. These conditions include
enduring overcrowded and cramped living conditions,
crowding and lack of life necessities during transport
to slaughter houses, and a high percentage of animals
being processed for food products while still alive.
Besides highlighting these issues, the show will focus
on systemic forces that support the continuation of
these practices. These forces include efficient production
methods to produce food at a minimum cost for the fast
food market, breeding practices that discard a high
proportion of animals that do not fit a particular standard,
and others. Comparisons have been made with the transport
and efficient slaughter of prisoners in Nazi Germany
and the transport of Africans in slave ships.
About
the Guest Speakers
Sinikka
Crosland, a registered nurse by trade, took early retirement
in order to work for the welfare of animals. By age
four, she had discovered the irresistible magnetism
of the animal world and, accordingly, stray cats who
happened to find their way into her yard were enthusiastically
cuddled, fed, and coaxed to stay. Many years later,
an Arabian-draft cross horse named Kelly won her heart
and fascinated her with his wit, loyalty, and humor.
With Kelly's help, she learned the language of horses.
In 1994, after helping out during a local neglected
horse crisis, and then reading articles about the Pregnant
Mare Urine industry with its resulting slaughter of
foals, she was ready to fulfill the life-long dream
of helping animals at risk. TRACS (The Responsible Animal
Care Society was thus born, and she became the organization's
Co-founder and President. TRACS has since rescued and
re-homed hundreds of displaced PMU horses and other
equines at risk. To address the problem of horse slaughter
in Canada, Sinikka co-founded the Canadian Horse Defense
Coalition in 2004 and became Executive Director of the
organization. Sinikka lives on an acreage in Westbank,
B.C., with her husband Jim, daughter Carmen and a menagerie
of rescued animals.
It
took emergency surgery, chemotherapy and being bed-ridden
for months to wake Twyla Francois up to the suffering
of others. Suddenly faced with her own mortality she
was forced to re-examine her life and its worth. Thus
began her life of animal advocacy. In a huge leap of
faith she quit her job in university administration
and founded a small animal protection organization.
Immediately, photos of suffering farm animals started
coming in from concerned citizens. She returned to one
of the facilities every day for 2 years and found horrible
abuse – pigs with broken hips, legs and spines left
overnight with no medical attention, food or water.
Seeking answers to what she was seeing she sent her
report to a large European-based animal advocacy organization
which subsequently hired her as an animal cruelty investigator.
She has since moved to a Canadian organization and is
now Head of Investigation for Canadians for the Ethical
Treatment of Food Animals (CETFA) and Central Region
Director with the Canadian Horse Defense Coalition.
Twyla spends approximately half her time in the field
– providing water, warmth, kindness and medical attention
to suffering farm animals in livestock auctions, collecting
stations, during transport and at slaughter. She advocates
for the humane euthanasia of those whose suffering is
unremitting and rescues those she can. Her photos, footage
and information are used to create reports and videos
to fight for improvements for farm animals and help
educate Canadians on the reality of livestock agriculture
today.
Stuffed and Starved:
The Hidden Battle for the World's Food System
(2007)
Raj Patel "We are increasingly disconnected both from
the production of our food and from the joy of eating
it. Most of this happens with consumers ignorant to
the suffering that precedes every mouthful of food.
. . . the current food system is a wasteland. The
case against it extends beyond the harm it causes
to people and the communities caught up in it. The
way we eat today also engenders systematic cruelty
to animals." pp294-5
Processed
People: In depth discussions with leading health
experts detailing why so many of us are sick, and
offers solutions to our current devastating health
crisis
Credits
Jonathan would like to thank
the following people for making this show possible:
Guests Sinikka Crosland and Twyla Francois, Shannon
Fleming who initiated and funded this show, Voice America.
Donate
to the Show
The costs of this show are financed
in part by the guests and by listeners who want to support
this enterprise. Any donation will be gratefully received
and acknowledged on the show and on this website. Donors
may also ask to have links to websites and projects
they find meaningful published on this website and on
Jonathan's host webpage on VoiceAmerica.
To donate click here:
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is not required. If you wish to use your credit card
or bank account, on the checkout page, click the link
next to "Don't have a PayPal account?".
Sinikka
Crosland, a registered nurse by trade, took early retirement
in order to work for the welfare of animals. By age
four, she had discovered the irresistible magnetism
of the animal world and, accordingly, stray cats who
happened to find their way into her yard were enthusiastically
cuddled, fed, and coaxed to stay. Many years later,
an Arabian-draft cross horse named Kelly won her heart
and fascinated her with his wit, loyalty, and humor.
With Kelly's help, she learned the language of horses.
In 1994, after helping out during a local neglected
horse crisis, and then reading articles about the Pregnant
Mare Urine industry with its resulting slaughter of
foals, she was ready to fulfill the life-long dream
of helping animals at risk. TRACS (The Responsible Animal
Care Society was thus born, and she became the organization's
Co-founder and President. TRACS has since rescued and
re-homed hundreds of displaced PMU horses and other
equines at risk. To address the problem of horse slaughter
in Canada, Sinikka co-founded the Canadian Horse Defense
Coalition in 2004 and became Executive Director of the
organization. Sinikka lives on an acreage in Westbank,
B.C., with her husband Jim, daughter Carmen and a menagerie
of rescued animals.
It
took emergency surgery, chemotherapy and being bed-ridden
for months to wake Twyla Francois up to the suffering
of others. Suddenly faced with her own mortality she
was forced to re-examine her life and its worth. Thus
began her life of animal advocacy. In a huge leap of
faith she quit her job in university administration
and founded a small animal protection organization.
Immediately, photos of suffering farm animals started
coming in from concerned citizens. She returned to one
of the facilities every day for 2 years and found horrible
abuse – pigs with broken hips, legs and spines left
overnight with no medical attention, food or water.
Seeking answers to what she was seeing she sent her
report to a large European-based animal advocacy organization
which subsequently hired her as an animal cruelty investigator.
She has since moved to a Canadian organization and is
now Head of Investigation for Canadians for the Ethical
Treatment of Food Animals (CETFA) and Central Region
Director with the Canadian Horse Defense Coalition.
Twyla spends approximately half her time in the field
– providing water, warmth, kindness and medical attention
to suffering farm animals in livestock auctions, collecting
stations, during transport and at slaughter. She advocates
for the humane euthanasia of those whose suffering is
unremitting and rescues those she can. Her photos, footage
and information are used to create reports and videos
to fight for improvements for farm animals and help
educate Canadians on the reality of livestock agriculture
today.
