Building Community

Some opportunities feel less like moments and more like doorways—wide open, waiting for voices that are ready to be heard.

This year, that doorway is the Animal and Vegan Advocacy International Conference in Toronto—a global gathering of advocates, thinkers, and changemakers committed to shaping a more compassionate world for animals.

And we are deeply honoured to share that Lori Cohen, Founder and Executive Director of the The Beagle Alliance, will be speaking at this year’s conference.

She won’t be alone.

Joining her on the panel are Melanie Kaplan, an accomplished author and journalist known for bringing complex animal issues into public conversation, and Madeline Krasnow, co-founder of Justify and a powerful voice in the advocacy space.

Together, they will take the stage for a panel titled…

Silence, Science, and Stories: Exposing the Hidden Costs of Animal Research.

It’s a title that carries weight—and truth.

Because behind the language of research and regulation are stories that too often go untold. Stories of animals, many of them beagles, whose lives unfold in a world far removed from public view. Stories shaped by legal systems that operate quietly, where transparency is limited and awareness is still catching up.

This panel is about bringing those stories into the light.

It’s about exploring the intersection of science and ethics, of policy and compassion, and of the narratives that have the power to shift both hearts and laws.

For The Beagle Alliance, being part of this conversation at such a prestigious international event is more than an honour—it’s a responsibility. A chance to ensure that the voices of animals in research are represented in rooms where ideas turn into action.

Because change doesn’t begin when everyone agrees. It begins when we find common ground, come together – and act in unity.

And this year, on that stage in Toronto, we will be a voice.