I started working for FOUR PAWS in 2019, after being a consultant to the organisation for some time before that. I was initially asked for support with our mulesing campaign, an issue I felt strongly about, and knew that if FOUR PAWS, a brave and strategic organisation, was behind it – change was set to happen!

Today I lead FOUR PAWS Wear it Kind program globally, a program focused on protecting the two billion animals which are used in textiles every year, who have little if any protection afforded to them and we want this to change. In my role I spend much of my time engaging brands, standard owners and other stakeholders to highlight cruelty issues and encourage support for more animal friendly solutions.

The sheer scale of animal suffering we force them to endure certainly keeps me going. At the same time seeing progress happen and knowing we’re on the right track is very motivating. Also knowing that there’s a community of people willing to speak up, give their time or donate is heartening!

I’ve always been a huge fan of black cockatoos. There are a few different species of them but I’m in awe of them all. I love seeing groups fly freely together, their unique wing movements and calls to one another - it is just something else! 

I’ve certainly learnt to keep an open mind and to question. No matter what I read, watch or hear, no matter what publication or personality, I try to consider it openly. But also ask – what’s behind this? Why am I being fed this information? How have these conclusions been drawn? 

Since we started Wear it Kind, many brands did not even have an animal welfare policy. Over the years we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of brands including animal welfare in their Corporate Social Responsibility strategies, and animal welfare is now much more accepted as a critical pillar of ethical fashion overall.

Yes absolutely. There has been a growing interest in animal welfare for sometime, but couple that with the increased availability of animal-friendly products and also the monumental mind-shift that the pandemic brought, we’re seeing shopping trends for animals change for the better. But of course, we still need more people on this trajectory.

Seeing major retailers Kmart and Country Road group take a strong position on mulesing was something both those companies and the whole movement should be very proud of. As well as continuously helping brands like Reformation, Brueninger and Levi’s take steps to rule out cruel practices! However, what I’m most proud of is how FOUR PAWS has invested the time to set up a long-term program that helps to create long-term changes. We want animals to be treated with respect, empathy and understanding and we’re delivering on that via our work to protect animals within fashion.

The biggest impact of the Wear it Kind movement is the consumer awareness. Before our program started many hadn’t heard of mulesing, or issues like the live plucking of geese for puffer jackets. Awareness around alternative materials like cactus leather, flower down, recycled yarns and more is also growing. People now aren’t just starting to think about their food choices but their clothing options too. And it’s us the people that ultimately can make change happen!