Mustachioed dog-nappers chasing animated pooches around the city may be what’s in some of our heads when it comes to animal control, but the important front-line officers in our communities go well beyond that trope.

In Arlington, Virginia, the community knows they can rely on the Animal Welfare League of Arlington to help, whether it’s support for expensive veterinary procedures, getting an injured raccoon into care, or working with citizens to ensure that everyone’s dignity and welfare are considered. Chief of Animal Control and Senior Director of Community Resources Jennifer Toussaint joins Defender Radio to discuss how considering an intersectional approach to animal welfare makes an impact, the importance of crisis intervention training, and why finding moments to celebrate matters.

SHOW NOTES:

Visit the Animal Welfare League of Arlington's website: https://www.awla.org/

Find AWLA on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/awlaarlington/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AWLArlington/), and X/Twitter (https://x.com/AWLAArlington).

The Office Clip (Dwight and the bat): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6i4rubASKs

Parks and Rec (Andy catches the opposum): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0-c3bF-bdc

Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at DefenderRadio@Gmail.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).

Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Twitter (www.twitter.com/furbearers) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

Room to roam for wildlife is essential to their health, particularly as they face increasing pressures related to development and the climate crisis. But many communities aren’t planned with wildlife in mind – or ecological connectivity between neighbourhoods and boundaries. The California state assembly has passed the Room to Roam Act, which compels local governments to work with each other and state agencies to ensure resilient, sustainable ecosystems are connected to protect wildlife, the environment, and human health.

To share more about this exciting legislation, the impact it may have, and why connectivity is an essential tool for climate adaptation, Dr. Tiffany Yap, Senior Scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.

SHOW NOTES:

Episode photo of a bobcat using an underpass by National Park Service

Read the Room To Roam Act: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1889

Read Center for Biological Diversity's News Release: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/california-assembly-passes-first-of-its-kind-bill-to-improve-wildlife-connectivity-2024-05-20/

Support the Center for Biological Diversity: https://biologicaldiversity.org/support/

Report - California Connections: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/wildlife-connectivity/pdfs/California-Connections-wildlife-connectivity-report.pdf

Dr. Tiffany Yap: https://tiffanyyap.com/

Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at DefenderRadio@Gmail.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).

Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Twitter (www.twitter.com/furbearers) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

Traditional media has long portrayed coyotes in a negative light – and you don’t have to take my word for it. Nicole Murphy, a student at Peterborough’s Trent University took on the issue of how coyotes are perceived by undertaking a three-part project: she ran an analysis of media reporting on coyotes across the Greater Toronto Area, surveyed staff, faculty and students at Trent University to get their perceptions, and setup trail cameras around the campus to learn and showcase how coyotes are already coexisting with people.

The paper, titled Perceptions of Urban Coyotes in Ontario: The role of media as a barrier to tolerance and possibilities for coexistence, is an outstanding look at how traditional media continues to paint coyotes in a negative light – and how, surprisingly, that impact may be shifting. It also provides insights into how advocates and educators can help people understand who coyotes are, the roles they play in ecosystems, and steps we can all take toward coexistence.

To share more about the paper, the results, and what it all means is Nicole Murphy, with Dr. Stephanie Rutherford of Trent University.

SHOW NOTES:

Coyotes of Trent (Nicole's Thesis website): https://www.coyotesoftrent.com/coyote

Trent University News: Why Are People Afraid of Coyotes? Trent Student Research Explores Our Perceptions of the Often-Feared Animal

Find Nicole Murphy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolemurphy003/

Learn more about Dr. Stephanie Rutherford: https://www.stephanierutherfordphd.com/

Trent University School of the Environment: https://www.trentu.ca/environment/

Trent University's Bachelor of Environmental Science / Studies: https://www.trentu.ca/bess/

Cover photo provided by Nicole Murphy

Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at DefenderRadio@Gmail.com, by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).

Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Twitter (www.twitter.com/furbearers) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).