Advisory Board
The Fur-Bearer’s Advisory Board helps to provide scientific advice and guidance regarding our many projects and campaigns. We would like to recognize and thank the following individuals for contributing their expertise on an ongoing basis to help further the protection of fur-bearing animals:
Matthew Brown
Advisory Board Member
Matthew is an Osgoode Hall JD Candidate. He is completing his final year of study at the University of Victoria. Matthew also holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alberta.
Before law school, Matthew worked for seven years in the energy industry in North America and Southeast Asia. During law school, Matthew has completed summer work terms with the Department of Justice and Animal Justice. His summer work focused on administrative law, crown liability and animal rights legislation.
Christina Carrières
Advisory Board Member
Christina Carrières is a veterinary technician and a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator. For the past 17 years, she has worked in wildlife rehabilitation and with companion and exotic animals on Vancouver Island, BC. She started working at BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre in 2005 and at the end of 2017, she transitioned from the Senior Wildlife Rehabilitator position she held for 8 years to take on new challenges and broaden her scope of experience. Annually, Wild ARC admits and cares for 3,000 wild patients from over 140 distinct species. Christina is originally from Montréal, Qc. Shortly after completing her VT program in 2003, she moved to Victoria to complete a double major in Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. She currently works in veterinary care and WR but also works for Sea View Marine Sciences as a marine mammal observer and wildlife specialist, is an instructor for International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC), and the Program Coordinator for Oiled Wildlife Society of BC. In 2018, she had the privilege of being on a team as an instructor for the first Workshop on Animal Care and Handling of Live Animals Confiscated from Trade offered by International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in Morocco. In her spare time, she acts as President of Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Network of BC and the representative WRNBC trustee within the Oiled Wildlife Trust of BC. She also volunteers with Vets for Pets, a local organization that provides free basic veterinary care to low income and homeless people’s companion animals and with Canadian Animal Assistance Team that provides free veterinary care by conducting animal health and spay/neuter clinics in Canada and abroad.
Over the years, she has completed numerous training courses, attended conferences, and has gained experience volunteering in various wildlife rehabilitation centres in different countries such as Guatemala, Belize, Hawaii, and South Africa, where she worked with endangered and local wildlife. Her passion for wildlife care and welfare has always been a strong driver in her life.
Alison Cuffley
Advisory Board Member
A lifelong advocate for animals, Alison has been involved within the animal welfare sector for most of their career. Currently the Indigenous Relations Manager with the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, Alison has a passion for a two-eyed seeing approach to policy development, and promotion of OneHealth ideology in all of their work. Currently completing a Certificate of Planning for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs), Alison seeks to uphold the principles of Ethical Space for the betterment of all their relations.
Chelsea Greer
Advisory Board Member
University of Calgary, MSc Candidate in Critical Animal Geography, current
University of British Columbia, BSc in Applied Animal Biology, 2016
Capilano University, Human Kinetics Diploma in Exercise Science, 2013
Born and raised in Vancouver, Chelsea completed her undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia, with a focus in animal welfare and applied biology. As a practicum student at the Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, Chelsea assisted in the rehabilitation of over 100 marine mammals along the coastline of British Columbia. Since graduation, Chelsea has worked in marine ecotourism, advancing the education of the public on the diverse wildlife of the Pacific coast in their natural habitat. She has also volunteered her time at animal shelters within her community and developed impactful communications for a local charity to promote the reduction and replacement of animals in teaching, research, and testing. While in Thailand conducting preliminary research for her graduate work, Chelsea managed an international research team piloting a study on the behaviour and ecology of rewilded Asian elephants. Chelsea’s current program of study explores the spatial, political, and ethical dimensions of animals' lived experience and human-animal encounters. Specifically, Chelsea’s thesis investigates the behaviour and ecology of semi-free-roaming elephants in a compassionate model of conservation that respects the individual animal’s perspective and well-being.
Amelia Porter
Advisory Board Member
Registered Professional Biologist (RPBio) (College of Applied Biology)
Canadian Environmental Practitioner (EP) (ECO Canada),
MSc in Environment and Management, 2014, Royal Roads University
BSc in Ecology, 2009, University of Guelph
Amelia is a Registered Professional Biologist (RPBio) and an Environmental Scientist. She completed a Master of Science in Environment and Management at Royal Roads University, with thesis work conducting a human health risk assessment of contaminants in First Nations traditional seafoods. Amelia previously studied Ecology at the University of Guelph.
As an Environmental Scientist, she carries out assessments of contaminants in the environment. Her work involves aquatic monitoring, as well as evaluations of risk from chemicals throughout the environment to human health, ecology and wildlife.
Amelia has volunteered and conducted research for various non-profit organizations involved in: conservation, wildlife protection, whale sanctuaries, and alternatives to animal testing. She is a passionate advocate for change in our relationships with other animals, and motivated by a vision of a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
Allison Render
Advisory Board Member
Born and raised in British Columbia, Allison’s love of nature was born hiking and camping in the mountains of the Southern Interior. Allison graduated from the McGill University Faculty of Law in 2015. Subsequently, she clerked for Justice Michael Moldaver of the Supreme Court of Canada.
Allison is a lawyer at Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP in Vancouver. Her legal practice includes administrative law, and appellate work. Allison first worked with the Fur Bearers in 2017 when she was part of the legal team representing the Fur-Bearers in their legal challenge to a conservation officer’s authority to kill an orphaned bear cub.
David Stanford
Advisory Board Member
University of Leicester, PhD Student, Department of Criminology
Carleton University, Canada - Norman Paterson School of International Affairs-
Masters Certificate in International Critical Infrastructure Protection, 2011
Coventry University, MSc Disaster Management, 2010
Brunel University, MA Intelligence and Security Studies, 2006
Fordham University, Postgraduate Diploma - Humanitarian Assistance, 2006
Kings College, London, BA (Hons) - War Studies, 2005
David is a passionate supporter of animal rights and the need to increase laws protecting endangered species and their habitats. David currently works in Emergency Management and was previously employed as a Conservation Officer with the BC Conservation Officer Service where he was awarded Valedictorian at the Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy. Prior to his immigration to Canada he served with Thames Valley Police as a police constable, and with the UK military including active service with 29 Commando Regiment RA and 15 (UK) Psychological Operations, 1 Military Intelligence Brigade.
His current research is, Information Exploitation: Criminal Intelligence and Green Criminology. Specifically researching and comparing the practises employed by conservation law enforcement organizations in Africa and British Columbia. Considering various questions regarding the collection, analysis and dissemination of intelligence the research will determine if these methodologies support strategic conservation law enforcement policies.
David lives in beautiful British Columbia with his wife Jenny, two children, three dogs and a goldfish.
Dr. Chris R. Shepherd
Advisory Board Member
Originally from British Columbia, Chris has spent over two decades in Southeast Asia investigating and researching the illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade. He has a PhD from Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, and looked at the illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade in Southeast Asia and the effectiveness of the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Chris has played a major role in catalysing many of the conservation interventions for newly emerging threats to Asia’s wildlife, putting the spotlight on issues such as the massive illegal trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles in Southeast Asia, the songbird trade crisis in Indonesia, and the laundering of wild-caught reptiles through bogus captive-breeding facilities from Asia to Europe and North America. He has produced numerous publications, primarily on wildlife trade and strategies to mitigate this threat and has carried out work on a wide range of species around the world and currently focuses on lesser-known species and issues in wildlife trade.
Chris is an active member of a number of the IUCN SSC specialist groups, including:
• IUCN SSC Asian Songbird Trade Specialist Group (Vice Chair on Trade and Policy)
• IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group
• IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group
• IUCN SSC Freshwater Turtle and Tortoise Specialist Group
• IUCN SSC Hornbill Specialist Group
• IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group (Trade Task Force Director)
• IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group
• IUCN SSC Small Carnivore Specialist Group
Chris now lives in British Columbia and is the Executive Director of the Monitor Conservation Research Society (Monitor). He is currently working on a variety of projects in many parts of the world, including the illegal trade in bear parts and derivatives, the trade in Asian songbirds, the illegal trade in serow, and many more. Chris strongly believes in ensuring sound evidence is available to guide policy change, support enforcement interventions and to inform conservation strategies.
Dr. Kristen Walker
Advisory Board Member
University of Calgary, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 2011
University of British Columbia, PhD in Animal Welfare, 2010
Portland State University, MSc in Biology, 2005
San Diego State University, BSc in Biology, 1999
Dr. Kristen Walker has studied wildlife for the past 20 years. She holds a PhD in Animal Welfare and she is currently on faculty in the Applied Animal Biology program at the University of British Columbia. Kristen teaches and conducts research in the area of compassionate conservation – a discipline that aims to address the issues in the conservation of wild populations of animals by respecting the inherent values of individuals. Kristen has studied a variety of species including giant pandas, sea otters, and sea lions. Currently Kristen’s work is focused on identifying humane deterrents systems for urban coyotes that allow for greater co-existence in Vancouver.
