GETTING WILD ANIMALS
OUT OF CAPTIVITY IN CANADA
Animal Justice Academy Lunchtime Live
with Rob Laidlaw & Melissa Matlow
12pm - 1pm

Keeping wild animals prisoners for entertainment seems like a particularly heedless form of cruelty, and yet so many people still flock to zoos, aquariums, and other displays of wildlife in captivity.

The good news is there have been some promising movement on this issue in recent years in Canada, including a law passed in 2019 banning whale and dolphin captivity. And there are now bills being considered to phase out the captivity of elephants, great apes, and over 800 wild animals species.

Zoocheck's Rob Laidlaw and World Animal Protection's Melissa Matlow will give an update on the state of animals being exploited for entertainment, the variety of campaigns they're involved in to change the course of history for wild animals trapped in cages, and what we can do to help. 

*We invite folks to have their video on during this event to enhance the sense of community, but it’s not mandatory

About Our Guests: 

Rob Laidlaw has spent more than 40 years working to protect the interests and well-being of animals in Canada and throughout the world. He is a Chartered Biologist, founder of the wildlife protection organization Zoocheck and in 2014 was awarded the Frederic A. McGrand Lifetime Achievement Award for substantial contributions to animal welfare in Canada. Rob is also an award-winning author of eleven children’s books about animal welfare and wildlife protection, which can be found on the shelves of thousands of school and public libraries across North America, as well as in  other countries around the world. He has spoken to hundreds of audiences of all ages throughout the world and appeared in a broad range of media stories and documentary films.

Melissa Matlow has a BSc in Ecology and a Masters in Environmental Studies and has been leading successful animal welfare and environmental advocacy campaigns for nearly 20 years. She is the Canadian Campaign Director for World Animal Protection, an international animal welfare charity with offices in 12 countries. She oversees the organization’s Canadian campaigns to change government legislation, corporate and financial institution policies, and people’s behaviour to improve protection for animals. She regularly advises Canadian and global travel brands on animal welfare issues and works collaboratively with the industry to find practical ways to end the exploitation of wildlife.