Defender Radio and The Switch cover art

Defender Radio and The Switch

Defender Radio and The Switch

By: Michael Howie / The Fur-Bearers
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Defender Radio and The Switch bring experts and solutions to wildlife advocates and animal lovers around the world. Hosted by award-winning journalist Michael Howie, Defender Radio and The Switch are produced by The Fur-Bearers (TheFurBearers.com) and released weekly. Learn more at DefenderRadio.comThe Fur-Bearers Biological Sciences Science
Episodes
  • What's Next?
    Oct 27 2025

    We want to look into the future for Defender Radio and The Switch – and that means hearing from you! We've put together a short (really) survey that will take fewer than 5 minutes and can help us know in which direction to go. It includes episode length/frequency, guest mix, accessibility, and more. Click here to open the survey now.

    To show our appreciation, we're also offering a $100 Visa Gift Card that will be randomly drawn and awarded to a survey taker (must be 18+, live in Canada excluding Quebec, and provide name/contact information in the survey to participate).

    Click here to get started or visit DefenderRadio.com/survey. Thank you.

    SHOW NOTES:

    Artwork by Enrico Staine / Getty Images

    Take the survey at https://questionnaire.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=dd56341d-a112-4f66-a58e-8fad38458f63&ds=zX2P67oC1l

    Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.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), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

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    5 mins
  • Animal Law at University of Toronto featuring Dr. Angela Fernandez
    Sep 22 2025

    Animal law is a topic of growing interest to Canadians, advocates, and legal experts. While there are some great people doing great work related to animal law in Canada, there haven't been any university-associated programs on it – until now.

    Angela Fernandez, a long-time University of Toronto law professor, is taking on the project as the director of the University of Toronto Animal Law Program. To share what the vision for the program is, what prospective students may learn, why there's a need for the program, and how it could reshape law in Canada, Professor Fernandez joins Defender Radio.

    SHOW NOTES:

    Cover image by Siva Kumar Nimmadala / Getty Images

    Animal Law Program at UofT: https://jackmanlaw.utoronto.ca/animal-law-program

    Animal Law Program on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/106565344/admin/dashboard/

    Animal Law Program on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uoftanimallaw/

    Dr. Angela Fernandez's UofT bio page: https://jackmanlaw.utoronto.ca/people/angela-fernandez

    Animal Justice Law Conference: https://www.alaconference.ca/

    Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.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), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

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    33 mins
  • Fashion's Future is Fur-Free featuring PJ Smith
    Sep 15 2025

    September is fashion month, with massive week-long events in major cities worldwide, including New York, London, Milan and Paris. And the question on many peoples’ minds is: will we be seeing fur, or will more designers choose to go fur-free?

    PJ Smith, Director of Fashion Policy for Humane World for Animals thinks the future of the industry is fur-free, and joins Defender Radio to discuss trends, textile innovation, and what gives him optimism.

    SHOW NOTES

    Humane World for Animals: https://www.humaneworld.org/

    Humane World for Animals Woolrich Campaign: https://secure.humaneworld.org/page/176766/action/1

    Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at info@TheFurBearers.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), Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/thefurbearers.bsky.social) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).

    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
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