Webinars

Risky Business: The Dangers of Zoonotic Disease on Fur Farms

November 19, 2024
11:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET
Join Born Free USA and a panel of experts for an in-depth discussion of the dangers of the diseases that can be transferred between animals and people in the fur farming industry that pose immediate threats to human public health and safety. Born Free USA Campaigns Associate Devan Schowe and Director of Animal Welfare and Advocacy Dr. Liz Tyson will be joined by Center for Biological Diversity’s Environmental Health Director and Senior Attorney Lori Ann Burd and New York Times Journalist Sonia Shah to discuss the environmental impacts of fur farming on wild animals and biodiversity as well as Sonia’s 2022 New York Times report on fur farms in the U.S.

WEBINAR: Clawing at the Cages: Big Cats in Zoos

On May 14, 2024, Born Free USA hosted a live webinar on big cat captivity, “Clawing at the Cages: Big Cats in Zoos.” Born Free USA Programs Director, Dr. Liz Tyson, hosted the discussion, which featured Devan Schowe, Born Free USA Campaigns Associate, who discussed the findings of Born Free USA’s report on big cat zoo captivity, “Clawing at the Cages”; Kathryn Bertok, Assistant Director of Carolina Tiger Rescue, who spoke about the challenges of rescuing big cats and the welfare issues of having big cats in captivity – even in wildlife sanctuaries; and Kate Dylewsky, Assistant Director of Government Affairs at the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), who discussed the recently passed Big Cat Public Safety Act and the importance of animal protection legislation for safeguarding big cats in captivity.

WEBINAR: Oceans Away from Home: The Suffering of Fish in Captivity

Following the launch of our newest report, Oceans Away from Home: The Suffering of Fish in Captivity, we have invited a panel of experts to share their work in fish welfare, sentience, and conservation. Fish are arguably the most exploited animals yet overlooked animals on the planet. With this webinar, we explored the often-overlooked world of fish and learn what we can do to protect them from harm.

WEBINAR: Thrill Kill: The Fight against Recreational Animal Slaughter

Dive into the cruel world of recreational animal killing – and learn what is being done to stop the cruelty – with Born Free USA’s webinar, “Thrill Kill: The Fight against Recreational Animal Slaughter.”

The webinar was hosted by Dr. Liz Tyson-Griffin, Born Free USA Programs Director, and features an expert panel: Katie Stennes, Program Manager in Wildlife Protection at the Humane Society of the United States; Melissa Amarello, Executive Director of Advocates for Snake Preservation; and Samantha Hagio, Director in Wildlife Protection at the Humane Society of the United States.

WEBINAR: Activating Change: Planning, Executing, and Winning Campaigns for Animals

Featuring leaders in animal protection, government affairs, and media relations, this webinar – which was recorded on February 2, 2023 – walks aspiring animal activists through the fundamentals of campaign planning and implementation, including using social media as an effective campaigning tool; running and publicizing investigations; identifying your audiences and communicating with them; the basics of lobbying and government outreach; and more!

The webinar is hosted by Devan Schowe, Campaign Associate at Born Free USA, and features Nicola O’Brien, Lead Coordinator at Asia for Animals; Lindsay Oliver, Executive Director at World Animal Protection US; Jennifer Place, Director at Tai Ginsberg & Associates, LLC; and Lisa Ripson, Principal at Ripson Group.

Q&A: "Finding Sanctuary" Documentary Premiere

On July 12, 2022, Born Free USA hosted an online premiere for the short documentary film, Finding Sanctuary: Life After the Primate Pet Trade, which explores the current legal landscape in the U.S.; the horrendous suffering of the animals kept as pets; the dangers of keeping primates as pets; and tells the stories of a few individual monkeys who made it out of the pet trade to find a new life at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary, one of the largest primate sanctuaries in the United States.

In this video, the film’s director, Jack Wootton, and Born Free USA’s Dr. Liz Tyson and Devan Schowe, speak in depth about the primate pet trade, the film making process, what is driving demand for primates as pets, and Born Free USA’s primate sanctuary.

WEBINAR: 2022 State of Wildlife

Born Free USA kicked off its 20th Anniversary year on February 9, 2022 with The State of Wildlife, a virtual event celebrating two decades of protecting wildlife, preventing suffering, and promoting compassion.

Will Travers OBE, Co-Founder of Born Free, moderated and shared stories of Born Free USA’s early years and CEO Angela Grimes, along with Born Free USA’s West Africa, program, and legislative leadership, shared Born Free USA’s vision for the future. We were also thrilled to present our Youth Ambassador, Kate Gilman Williams, who discussed her role and the remarkable achievements she is leveraging to protect the future of wildlife.

WEBINAR: Public Danger, Private Pain: A Critical Conversation on the U.S. Primate Pet Trade

On November 4, 2021, Born Free USA hosted a webinar on the U.S. primate pet trade, which brought together a diverse group of experts to explore the harm and danger caused by this trade and how we can work to end it. Born Free USA’s Programs Director, Dr. Liz Tyson, hosted the conversation along with Erica Buhr, a former pet primate owner, who spoke about her experience owning a monkey; Katie Conway, Born Free USA Sanctuary Manager, who discussed the physical and mental harm caused to monkeys by captivity; Tim Harrison, a former first responder who was featured in the documentaries An Elephant in the Room and The Conservation Game, who talked about his experiences responding to primate escapes and attacks; and Dr. Stephanie Poindexter, Assistant Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Buffalo, who explained the impact of the pet trade on wild primate conservation.

FUNDRAISER: Virtual Gala 2021

On Wednesday, June 30, Born Free USA hosted a virtual gala to benefit the south Texas primate sanctuary, home to more than 400 monkeys. Born Free USA Honorary Council member, film actor, serial entrepreneur, founder of MONKEYmedia, Eric Bear, hosted the conversation with Born Free USA CEO, Angela Grimes, and Programs Director and head of the primate sanctuary, Dr. Liz Tyson. The event also featured special guests 11-year-old author and animal advocate, Kate Gilman Williams, and wildlife photographer, Faizel Ismail, and a very special interview with Born Free Co-founder, Virginia McKenna OBE!

WEBINAR: Ending the Crushing Cruelty: International Perspectives on Trapping

On May 19, 2021 Born Free USA hosted Ending the Crushing Cruelty: International Perspectives on Trapping, a webinar exploring work being done around the globe to end cruel trapping. The webinar was hosted by Angela Grimes, Born Free USA CEO, and featured Dr. Liz Tyson, Born Free USA Programs Director, who spoke about trapping in the United States; Newton Simiyu, Research Officer at Born Free Kenya, who spoke about Born Free’s work to combat illegal snaring and the associated bushmeat trade in Kenya; and Lesley Fox, Executive Director of the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals, who discussed the association’s efforts to end trapping in Canada.

WEBINAR: Restore Our Earth: Born Free's Global Plan to Prioritize Wildlife and Nature

On Earth Day 2021 (Thursday, April 22), Born Free USA hosted Restore Our Earth: Born Free’s Global Plan to Prioritize Wildlife and Nature, a lively webinar with experts from around the globe that explored how stewarding and investing in nature will help restore our Earth and result in a massive impact for humans, animals, and the habitats we share. The webinar features Angela Grimes, Born Free USA CEO; Alice Stroud, Born Free USA Africa Policy and Capacity Building Director; Ian Redmond OBE, Co-founder of Rebalance Earth and Policy Advocate for Born Free Foundation; and John Scanlon AO, CEO of the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation, Chair of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, and former Secretary-General of CITES.

WEBINAR: State of Wildlife 2021

As we begin 2021, we are in a critical period with a new U.S. administration, a global pandemic, and a climate crisis. On Wednesday, January 27, 2021, Born Free USA hosted its annual State of Wildlife webinar, which explored how, with the help of our community of committed animal activists, Born Free USA will navigate the changing world to ensure the future of animals and their habitats. The event featured Born Free USA leadership team and the opportunity to ask questions about the challenges facing animals and our plans to protect wildlife.

FUNDRAISER: Hope for Wildlife

On Giving Tuesday 2020, we hosted an uplifting virtual benefit to support Born Free USA’s lifesaving animal protection programs. The event featured the talented celebrities and prominent animal activists Rocky Dawuni, GRAMMY-nominated Afro Roots musician; Abigail Spencer, actress, producer, and activist; Carla Fraser, actress and activist; Miriam Margolyes OBE, actress; Virginia McKenna OBE, Born Free Co-Founder and Trustee; Will Travers OBE, Born Free Co-Founder and Executive President; Angela Grimes, Born Free USA CEO; Dr. Liz Tyson, Born Free USA Programs Director; and a live performance by singer Tiger Darrow!

WEBINAR: A Dying Industry: The Global Movement to Ban Fur Farming

On November 12, 2020, Born Free USA hosted a webinar on fur farming, A Dying Industry: The Global Movement to Ban Fur Farming, exploring how successes have been won in Europe as a means to inform how we might tackle the fur farming industry in the U.S. Born Free USA CEO, Angela Grimes, hosted this conversation with Marta Korzeniak, Communications Specialist at Otwarte Klatki; Dr. Joanna Swabe, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Humane Society International/Europe; and Dr. Liz Tyson, Programs Director at Born Free USA.

WEBINAR: A Future without Zoos?

Taking into consideration practical, financial, ethical, and animal welfare factors, this webinar considers whether or not, in a post-COVID world, there is a future for zoos at all. The conversation took place on August 26, 2020 and was moderated by Born Free USA CEO, Angela Grimes, featuring Dr. Chris Draper, Head of Animal Welfare and Captivity, Born Free Foundation (U.K.), Amanda Howell, Staff Attorney, Animal Legal Defense Fund (U.S.), and Dr. Liz Tyson, Programs Director, Born Free USA (U.S.).

FUNDRAISER: Virtual Gala for Born Free USA, Featuring Charles Siebert

On July 30, 2020 Born Free USA hosted a virtual benefit featuring award-winning author, journalist, and Born Free USA Honorary Council member, Charles Siebert, who discussed his many experiences visiting with, and writing about, captive wild animals, and what they reveal to us about themselves and us… and the costs of us humans failing to ask: “What On Earth Are They Saying?” Fellow Honorary Council member, Ginny Tranchik, hosted the conversation over Zoom with Charles, along with Born Free USA CEO, Angela Grimes, and Programs Director, Dr. Liz Tyson.

WEBINAR: Trophy Hunting: Killing Is Not Conservation

On Wednesday, July 22, 2020, Born Free USA hosted Trophy Hunting: Killing Is Not Conservation, a webinar on trophy hunting. Born Free USA CEO, Angela Grimes, hosted a conversation with experts from around the world: Eduardo Gonçalves, Founder of Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting (U.K.); Dr. Mark Jones, Head of Policy at Born Free Foundation (U.K.); Jennifer Place, Pike Associates, LLC (U.S.); and Dr. Liz Tyson, Born Free USA Programs Director (U.S.). Panelists discussed why trophy hunting is unsustainable, the cruelty of canned hunting, the status of work to end this terrible practice both in the U.S. and internationally, legislative efforts in the U.S., and more, followed by a live Q&A.

FUNDRAISER: Virtual Gala for Born Free USA’s Primate Sanctuary

On June 25, 2020, Born Free USA Honorary Council Member, Eric Bear, hosted a lively conversation with Born Free USA CEO, Angela Grimes, and Programs Director, Dr. Liz Tyson, about Born Free USA’s Primate Sanctuary, the largest monkey sanctuary in the United States. The conversation covered life at the sanctuary, animal rescues, new challenges presented by COVID-19, the stories of individual monkeys, and much more.

WEBINAR: Wildlife Trade and COVID-19

On May 14, 2020, Born Free USA CEO, Angela Grimes, and Alice Stroud, Born Free USA’s Africa Policy and Capacity Building Director, hosted a special webinar on wildlife trade and the COVID-19 pandemic, discussing the link between COVID-19 and the exploitation of wildlife and what we are doing to combat the wildlife trade, followed by a live Q&A.

WEBINAR: The Reality Behind Tiger King: Captive Big Cats and the Need for a Federal Solution

On April 28, 2020, Born Free USA organized a webinar for congressional staffers on big cats in captivity and the Big Cat Public Safety Act, a bill that would strengthen existing law to prohibit the private possession of big cat species and ban public contact with big cats. Joining Born Free USA CEO, Angela Grimes, were Matthew Liebman, Litigation Director, Animal Legal Defense Fund; Kate Dylewsky, Senior Policy Advisor, Animal Welfare Institute; Lisa Wathne, Senior Strategist for Captive Wildlife, Humane Society of the United States; Meredith Whitney, Animal Rescue Program Lead, International Fund for Animal Welfare; and Ed Stewart, President, Performing Animal Welfare Society. The webinar was moderated by Jennifer Place, Director of Government Relations, Pike Associates LLC. Speakers discussed Tiger King, the animal welfare and public safety concerns surrounding keeping wild animals in captivity, and the Big Cat Public Safety Act. The discussion was followed by a live Q&A.