Many years ago, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to see the Great Bear Rainforest. For two weeks I visited salmon hatcheries, met with First Nations leaders, and lived on the research vessel Achiever with the Raincoast conservation foundation crew. We gathered information on bear viewing, trophy hunting, salmon runs and much more. The experience really helped me understand what is at risk if human developments continues to destroy the natural world. It helped me see so much that is worth fighting for.
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Interview on Animal Voices
Kelly was recently interviewed for Animal Voices, on Vancouver Co-op Radio.
You can skip the intro and go right to the interview at time 5:53
For the original episode with shortened interview and other content, see the Animal Voices website.
Fighting the Cruel Fur Industry and lack of labelling laws
Over the past 5 years, SAB has been involved in the fight against the fur industry in a number of ways, including Art shows at BlackSuns, campaigns with The Fur Bearers, and printing hundreds of stickers. The posters we made in 2018 even went up in Ottawa around the Parliament buildings.
We are excited to see that Canada Goose jacket company is dropping fur! Now we just them to stop the brutal farming of geese, but that is another battle. Today, we can all enjoy a small success for Coyotes as we look back on this long campaign and wonder which strategies are most effective.
Save Our Bears – The Movie
The LEGO bear movie, “ Save Our Bears “ is complete. Our LEGO expert, David, spent hundreds of hours designing and building the LEGO scenes and characters, editing the footage and patiently adjusting and tweaking the visuals to match the message.
David’s dedication to this project was above and beyond the call of duty. This little clip may only be eight minutes, but it represents a lot of effort and planning and was one year in the making. And if it saves one bear we knows it will be worth it.
We are also continuing our work with bear rehab facilities, the Conservation Officers Service, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Forests and their biologists, and others on this program. Most importantly we need to get this message out to municipalities and Parks Boards, to crack down on residential and commercial garbage attractants. The Save Our Bears Movie is part of that effort. It may not impact current governments, it could leave a lasting impression on kids who will one day be in government.
A STOP MOTION FILM TO PROMOTE BEAR AWARENESS
We’ve been working with a LEGO® expert to create a stop motion LEGO film about the situation for bears, and what families can do to help. Stay tuned for the release of the film in the coming days!
NEWS RELEASE: Orphaned fawns now at Critter Care
NEWS RELEASE
June 2, 2020
On May 20 a pair of young fawns were found in the bushes near to where their mother had been killed by a cougar on the Sunshine Coast of BC. They were sent by Ministry of Forestry, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) for reasons we do not understand as of yet to a movie industry company, Beyond Bears. Stop Animal Brutality believes healthy animals should be left in the wild, but if not action should be taken in the following order:
1) To a professional non-profit rehabilitation centre, that will re-release the rehabilitated animal back into its natural habitat
2) To a qualified humane wildlife sanctuary if rehabilitation is not possible due to injuries that will not allow the animal to be released into its natural habitat
3) to a non-profit educational organization licensed in wildlife care and regularly inspected by the SPCA
4) As a final resort to be euthanized if no quality of life can be maintained due to life treating injury, or very poor health.
If any government is going to go down the slippery slope of allowing any industry to simply put in a request for wildlife, where will it stop ?
Presently operating for-profit, reputable companies in the film industry should only be licensed to care for wild animals, provided that the company proves it is treating the animals well which includes socialization, adequate housing, appropriate feeding, and regular veterinarian care, with a log of the animals history. Animal rights groups such as the SPCA need to monitor and hold these organization accountable to a humane standard. It is the opinion of Stop Animal Brutality that in this day and age of digital production these animals should not be put in such a position, one that could be considered animal exploitation such as a circus for entertainment sake. Stop Animal Brutality is on the record for opposing this practice. It is not the appropriate roll of a government to sell, give or loan innocent wildlife to any industry for profit .
Mistakenly, in our opinion the film industry took priority over any rehabilitation efforts. When this was brought to the attention of the Conservation Officer Service (COS) they acted immediately.
Stop Animal Brutality would like to thank Chief Conservation Officer Doug Forsdick, Deputy Chief Chris Doyle, and Inspector Murray Smith of the COS who worked quickly and professionally with FLNRO to deliver the two fawns to Critter Care Rehabilitation Centre on June 2. Critter Care has reported that the fawns arrived in relatively good health other than bloating and diarrhea, which they suggested is attributed to improper feeding at Beyond Bears and stress.
We thank the COS and FLNRO for giving these beautiful animals a second chance to live their lives in the wild.
We at Stop Animal Brutality look forward to continuing work with the COS, FLNRO, Ministry of Environment, and regional and municipal leaders to continue resolving issues for wildlife. Wildlife is under increasing pressure from hunting and habitat destruction from recreation, development, resource extraction industries. It sometimes seems the only value these animals have is for consumptive use, taking their habitat, and exploiting them. It is nice to see that we can work with the COS for the collective good of wildlife and wildlife habitat.
Thank you Doug Forsdick, Chris Doyle, Murray Smith, Critter Care, Lesley Fox of Fur Bearers, the Sunshine Coast Bear Alliance, Susan Sanders of BCB Black Bear Association, and other involved animal rights advocates.
Kelly Ready, Executive Director
Stop Animal Brutality
604-762-1960
A thank you and farewell
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Clint Davy, co-founder and owner of Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation, which he established with his wife Irene in 1988. Together they took in and rehabilitated thousands of regional wildlife, from raccoons, squirrels, songbirds, ducks, and owls, to bats, mink, bear cubs, deer, and seals. This compassionate man hadn’t left the Sunshine Coast for a holiday in 35 years in order to care for all hurt and injured wildlife. With no family and never asking for anything, his selfless widow, Irene, is now on her own. We encourage our wonderful community to support her and the centre with donations such as food, funds, supplies and volunteering help would be welcomed.
We thank Clint for his dedication for so many years, and encourage people to donate to the center so that Irene and volunteers can continue their important work. They can be reached at gibsonswildlife@gmail.com and (604) 886-4989.
A service will be held for Clint on Monday January 27 at 3 PM at the Gibsons Legion.
Show your support for a BC Old-Growth Protection Strategy
The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling for the provincial government to establish a BC Old-Growth Protection Strategy that would ensure comprehensive, legislated protection for BC’s ancient forests on public/Crown lands. The science-based plan would incorporate timelines to immediately end old-growth logging in “critically endangered” forests, and quickly phase out old-growth logging where there is a “high risk” to biological diversity and ecosystem integrity. Please complete the survey and submit your feedback by Jan 31 at 4pm. Also, please sign the Ancient Forest Alliance’s petition to indicate your support for their plan.
Below are facts on the old-growth forests of BC:
- old growth supports immense biodiversity. Once they’re gone they’re gone, along with the many species that can only survive in old growth stands, or spend a portion of their lives there (ex. Marble Murrelets are an at-risk ocean-dwelling bird that only nests in old growth)
- The unique features of old-growth forests take centuries to develop. At the current rate of logging old growth can be considered to be irreplaceable and will fail to reestablish with rising atmosphere temperatures, changing weather patterns (droughts), forest fires and development
- old growth provides plays so many important ecosystem roles, from water filtration, air purification and oxygen production, run off mitigation, soil stabilization, temperature moderating, carbon storage (2-3x that of second growth forests, which is important to mitigate climate change), are a key part in the salmon lifecycle providing clear, streams for spawning and homes to black and grizzly bears which fertilize the nearby forest with salmon remains; key habitat for thousands of native plant and animal species, and are a large source of tourism revenue in “Beautiful British Columbia”, etc.
- Old growth is what BC is revered for by people around the world. If it’s being cut down it’s against our nature (pardon the pun), values, and image as nature-loving, nature-protecting people. They help us stay connected to the natural world and remind us to protect it for future generations
- old growth play an important role in First Nations culture
- what remains of old growth stands have been here before settlers arrived and simply deserve to remain intact on the Earth. Just because we can dominate them with chainsaws doesn’t mean they should be chopped down.
Stop Animal Brutality working with COS on Wildlife Attractant Policy
Stop Animal Brutality is working with the BC Conservation Officer Service to develop a Wildlife Attractant Policy to discourage and prevent wildlife from accessing and becoming conditioned to or dependent on food sources generated or controlled by human activity. The policy will apply to communities that co-exist with large wildlife that habituate to attractants like bears and cougars, and will define the minimum requirements for the collection, removal and disposal of garbage, and the requirement on citizens and businesses to manage wildlife attractants such as garbage, compost, fruit trees and crops, and storage fridges and freezers. Warnings and fines will be given out by Conservation Officers, as well as Bylaw Enforcement officers.
Port Coquitlam: 6 bears killed due to resident carelessness
In early December residents of a Port Coquitlam neighbourhood brought about the death of 2 sows and 4 cubs.
This CBC article reported that Conservation Officers repeatedly warned residents not to leave out food waste, bird seed, and unlocked garbage bins since the bears appeared in the area in October. Officers also issued six violation tickets, five dangerous wildlife protection orders and two warnings to discourage such negligence. They also expected the two sows and four cubs to hibernate in the colder months, but the bears continued to stay, living in backyards and roaming in a nearby park.
Stop Animal Brutality visited the park and spoke with neighbours about the incident. We have learned that residents regularly leave out attractants, despite receiving notices from their a property management firm. The property management shared that it regularly finds attractants carelessly left out, including recycling bins contaminated with dirty diapers and used tampons, as well as open disposal bins. It’s no wonder that these bears kept returning to the neighbourhood. It is shameful that people could be so lazy and careless to not clean and sort their disposables responsibly, and contribute to the death of neighbouring wildlife.
Stop Animal Brutality is currently consulting with the City’s By-Law Enforcement office, the COS, the property management firm, and other animal rights groups to come to a workable solution to prevent future conflicts. SAB is also investigating the actions of the COS.