New Investigation: Fur Farms in Quebec
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A farmed fox stands alone in a barren cage at a fur farm in Quebec, Canada. We Animals Media
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Last month we documented intense suffering for animals trapped inside two Quebec fur farms. Images show foxes living in small barren wire cages, typically isolated and exposed to the elements for most of their lives, and mink kept in filthy conditions. The Canadian animal law advocacy organization Animal Justice believes these conditions are illegal and has filed a complaint with authorities. You can sign their petition.
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A photojournalist documents a calico or marble fox inside a barren wire mesh cage at a fur farm in Quebec, Canada. We Animals Media
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The good news? Canadian fur farms are on a steep decline. In 2022, approximately just 35 fox farms remain in six provinces. The number of fox farms in Quebec has dwindled significantly. Quebec’s provincial elections are in October and at a recent debate, four of five major candidates committed to supporting an outright ban on fur farming in the province.
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Wild Love Series / Ana Palacios
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This month we had a chat with our contributor Ana Palacios. Ana is a journalist and documentary photographer focused on human rights, shining a light on broken systems in collaboration with NGOs such as Manos Unidas, Trampled Rose and UNICEF. Her work has been awarded, exhibited and published worldwide in National Geographic, The Guardian Weekend Magazine, Al Jazeera, New Internationalist, El País, and more.
"It was only in 2020, when I had an assignment to document daily life in several animal sanctuaries, when everything changed for me. I began to look at animals as sentient beings, each one with their own personality and particularities in character. That radically changed the way I understood the world." - Ana Palacios
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WPY Puts Mink Image on Global Stage
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Ten, now eight, mink kits in a nest box on a Swedish fur farm. A sign indicates two have died. Jo-Anne McArthur / Djurrattsalliansen / We Animals Media
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Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY), one of the world’s most prestigious nature photography competitions, just released a sneak peek of 14 highly commended images for 2022. Among them is Jo-Anne's photo, “Life and Death in Fur Farming”.
Jo-Anne says: “Many people are unaware that fur bearers are killed by gassing and anal electrocution and kept in tiny cages so that we can wear fur trim, have fur pompoms or put a poof of fur on a child’s trinket.”
Millions of people will now see this image, and Jo-Anne gets a key opportunity to speak to mainstream media about industrial fur farming. Announced just before our Quebec fur farming investigation, this image brings the abuses inherent in fur farming to the global stage – yet another nail in the fur-lined coffin.
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Dead carps rot on the shoreline of the Odra River in Poland after the river was poisoned by an unknown substance. Andrew Skowron / We Animals Media
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We Animals Media photojournalist Andrew Skowron has been an animal rights activist and photojournalist for more than 20 years. Recently, Andrew photographed Poland’s mass fish die-off, an environmental catastrophe that began July 2022 and still remains unexplained.
“The Oder, one of the largest rivers in Poland, has become a killer of thousands of fish. What I saw and felt while driving several hundred kilometers upstream was beyond my imagination. The river was filled with dead fish and the stench of decomposing specimens. People standing on the banks were in disbelief.” -Andrew Skowron
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HIDDEN Exhibit in Czechia
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HIDDEN Exhibit opening night in Czechia. Photos: Martin Straka + Roman Polasek
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The photographs from our book, HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene are on exhibit in the Gallery of Fine Arts is Ostrava, Czechia until November 20th. Our Digital Marketing Manager Eva von Jagow spoke at the opening and had this to say about the event: “In this industrial Czech city hugging the Polish border, it was inspiring to see people of all ages come to view the exhibit. For those willing to bear witness, it was an emotional evening.”
A HIDDEN exhibition is also currently underway until October 15 in Thurles, Ireland. And another exhibit will take place in Kallithea, Greece, on October 16. HIDDEN continues to be recognized globally and recently received the PX3 Documentary Gold Medalist award.
P.S. - Want a signed copy of HIDDEN or our other book Captive in time for the holidays? Email books@weanimals.org to get your own signed copy and the special discount of $95 for HIDDEN and $25 for Captive, plus shipping.
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Getting Animals in the Media
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Miyoko Schinner, the “Queen of Vegan Cheese”, is on a mission to revolutionize the entire dairy industry. Miyoko explains her journey, including founding an animal sanctuary and a multi-million dollar vegan cheese and butter company, in this short film by the Unbound Product.
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