Episode 30: Chicago Alliance for Animals

On a new Wild For Change podcast, we speak with Jodie Wiederkehr, founder of Chicago Alliance for Animals (CAA).  CAA is a volunteer grassroots animal advocacy organization that began in 2015.  The first goal of CAA was to ban horse carriages in downtown Chicago, and in 2017, the organization began diligently documenting how the horses were treated by their handlers as well as the horses’ workloads by volunteers spending countless hours observing the horses.  With this documentation and persistence, an official horse carriage ban went into effect in January of 2021. Below is a quote by Jodie that represents the effectiveness and efficiency of CAA:“As you likely know, we banned horse carriages and shut down puppy mill pet stores in the 3rd largest city in the U.S. without any paid staff, any accidents or fatalities, any celebrity support and with very little funding.” For Chicago Alliance for Animals, the intention is simple and focused; to end suffering of animals and support their freedom.  In this podcast, we learn:How CAA was able to get a ban on Chicago horse carriages in a short period of time.How CAA works alongside the Partnership to Ban Horse Carriages Worldwide to mentor advocates in effective advocacy for banning horse carriages.  About CAA’s current campaigns; One is to help save a captive tortoise named Spur who has been in a display case for more than 30 years where she lives an artificial life, has no freedom to roam and dig.  The other campaign is for a young coyote named Rocky who lives in a small outdoor enclosure without a companion, proper shelter or room to roam.  What CAA has done so far to be a voice for both Spur and Rocky.  About CAA’s Daily Action Alerts where all people can get involved to be a voice for animals that need our help.How to advocate effectively for animal welfare using a multi-pronged approach.  How one can get involved and help CAA.Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange