We had a blast talking to Jo-Anne about everything from how art can transform the way we see non-human animals to the experience of choosing not to have human children. You won’t want to miss our heartfelt and often funny conversation* with this talented woman...who is basically our new BFF (does she know that?).

Jo-Anne McArthur is a Canadian photojournalist, humane educator, animal rights activist and author. She is the founder of We Animals whose mission is to advocate for animals using photojournalism. Through the We Animals Humane Education program, McArthur offers presentations about human relationships with animals in educational and other environments. We Animals Media, is a media agency focused on human/animal relationships. She has documented humans’ fraught relationship with animals in over 60 countries in 25+ years and she speaks globally about animals. We Animals has 150 photographers who make books, short films and visuals available free to the animal advocacy movement.

McArthur’s work has been published in National Geographic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Huffington Post and Outdoor Photography among many others. Recent awards include Highly Commended in the 2022 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition; the 2021 BigPicture Grand Prize; 2021 AEFONA’s First Prize, Man and Nature category; 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice finalist; 2020 Nature Photographer of the Year. In 2021, HIDDEN was awarded “Photography Book of the Year” by Pictures of the Year International (PoYI), and IPPY’s “Outstanding Book of the Year Most Likely to Save the Planet”.

Learn more about Jo-Anne's work here!

Order the book We Animals and support Animal Photojournalism!

*Our conversation includes descriptions of animals incaptivity, the abuse they endure and how we can change their world by really “seeing” them.

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Just Before We Go... is co-produced by Myra Mae Studios and Real Girl Athletics

Theme song written and performed by Dave Ellis and theHopeless Sinners: ⁠Dave Ellis and the Hopeless Sinners⁠