Josie Forcadilla is a member of staff at the United Church’s General Council Office. Her love of animals began as a child when her family adopted a cat and dog, both of which always followed her mother to market and the entire family to church every Sunday. When she moved to a large city to continue her studies, she noticed the cruelty inflicted on animals as well as the injustices committed by many who hold power in society. Noticing the gaps between the haves and have nots was a turning point for her activism. Her petition “Free Lammie the Elephant at Jo’burg Zoo” has gathered over 186,000 signatures on www.change.org.