Raise The Woof

Tanya Smith, the CEO of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge joins me to discuss the incredible work they do with big cats who have been abused and neglected. For more: https://www.turpentinecreek.org/

I remember hearing about cremation by water a few years ago and dismissing the idea. After talking to Founder Phillip Flores Jr, I am not sure I will ever do a fire cremation. Knowledge is power and Phillip does a great job of telling us why water cremation is kinder and greener. For more: https://www.petcremationbywater.com/

From Cage to Couch does incredible work taking broken beagles from labs that were used for testing and giving them back the life thy deserve. Mary, the Founder, and her sister started the organzation as a huge bust happened in 2022. They took in a bunch of beagles that were bred to be used in labs for testing and from there have kept going to save even more. It is a tricky process and with patience and perseverance they have changed so many lives. For more: https://cagetocouch.org/

A few weeks ago, my jaw dropped as a drone operator zeroed in on a lost dog. The drone targeted an area where no one could get to during the search. It was incredible! I reached out to Mike Smith of Smithic Air and he agreed to come chat with me about the work he does with lost pets and beyond. As technology advances, so does the way we are able to search for lost animals and humans. An INCREDIBLE podcast with so much great knowledge. For more: www.smithicair.com Also, a warm welcome to our new sponsors: Yutka Fences, Intuitive Animal Behavior, and Templestowe Pub! And a thank you to our longtime sponsors: Canine Crews, Kiki's Korner, The K9PT! 

One of the questions that I get asked the most is, "do you now somewhere that will take a pet for a few weeks while the owner gets back on their feet?" Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering in Utah does JUST that. With times really tough, especially the last few years, this organization has changed so many lives. Pets belong with their owner. Kristina is a wonderful guest! For more: https://www.ruffhaven.org/

"There is a universal truth and people that have loved an animal and have been loved by that animal want to give it love, respect and dignity in the end."  Paul Koudounaris book "Faithful until Death" bring a new light to a sometimes difficult topic. This is a great podcast with tons of insight on pet cemeteries, loyalty, and the brilliance of cats! Take a listen at the link in the bio! #pets #podcast #petcemetary #dogs #cats #fyp

"The less human interaction with the animals, the more neglect. The more human interaction, the more violence. At livestock auctions there is constant interaction, so there is constant violence."  Pete and Cailen, from SEED (Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development) give us the latest on livestock auction investigations and it is SHOCKING and appalling. For more: https://www.seedlivestockauctions.org/

Rescue rides can be the link between death and life. Rachel came up with this idea of Rescueber back in 2019 and has not slowed down since. Rescues, shelters and animal controls from all over the US depend on her to get animals to safety. This is a great podcast with Rachel! For more: https://www.rescueber.org/

"They will have puppies in the back and wiping the snot off their nose and get them out the door." The best way to get to the puppy mill and puppy store problem is to SEE what is going on that is hidden behind closed doors. It is atrocious and inhumane. Thanks to investigators like Pete, slowly but surely, puppy mills are running into more and more laws and crackdowns that impede the work that they do. But they need our help. Knowledge is power. Pete has SO much knowledge because he has seen so much--he has been to over 1000 puppy mills! This is a must-watch/must-listen.  For more: https://www.caps-web.org/  https://www.humanesociety.org/  #dogs #podcast #puppymill #fyp 

 I met Alicia many years ago and we did a lot of cool work in the rescue community, including a calendar with some big name Chicago athletes and quite the opposite --sitting in the chilly weather on a diversion shift at Chicago Animal Care and Control. Now, Alicia has moved back to her hometown where she is making an impact with a children's book, as well as a new brand called The Lake Dog. I LOVE SMALL BUSINESSES! This is a great podcast! For more: www.thelakedog.com

Abby Smith has spent over 2 decades with Felines and Canines and seen so much and done SO MUCH. Moving from Chicago to Alabama to help run a shelter was not easy, but she is doing magnificent work, saving close to 20,000 animals since 2018. And the work in Chicago continues too. We hear what life is like in Alabama and we meet the famous OATIE and hear his story! A great freaking chat, as always with a legend. For more:https://www.felinescanines.org/

"I want their remaining days to be a good quality of life and I think the integrative way is a good way to do it." Dr. Chen of Integrative Pet Wellness Center specializes in integrative oncology. New advancements and incredible education have lead her down a path that is significantly helping pets with cancer, whose owners decide to take a more holistic path. She is also available for virtual advice! It is such an interesting conversation. More here: https://integrativepet.com/

The plight of abandoned, surrendered, abused barnyard animals is often unkind. Thanks to Indiana Barnyard, farm animals are getting a 2nd chance. The work is not easy and the medical and food bills are high. Kat, the Founder and Dr. Harris, the veterinarian of the sanctuary join me for a very candid conversation. Terrific guests doing incredible work. For more: indianabarnyard.org 

Sometimes getting a shelter/rescue dog into a new environment can get them the exposure they need. Whether it is humans on the street or social media posts showing them in a new light, Scott from 4 Ever Tails is trying to do everything he can to get dogs that need homes into a comfortable landing spot! And it is working. He will never take credit, but with unique videos and "dog dates," he is able to see fruits of his labor. Of course, he also credits the people working in rescue and shelters. To follow him: instagram @4EverTails 

This is simply an incredible story. I hope you tune in. Tom decided to go to help in Ukraine and has assisted so many animals and not just dogs. He has so many stories. His heart remained in Ukraine when he got back home, so he went back to the place he knew he was meant to be. For more: https://www.k9rescueukraine.com/

From housing issues to obstacles involving vetting and adopting, pet owners are feeling the heat in so many ways. Our nation is in a crisis right now as shelters flood with owner surrenders and strays. Many pet owners have lost all hope. Collecting data has always been valuable, but now more than ever so we can learn from reasons for surrender to shelter trends. Some of these statistics are really jarring. Jon Davis is the Manager of Data Analytics for Best Friends. He works in the Business Intelligence Department and learns so much from the information he receives from around the country. That research then helps shelter, rescues and Best Friends to provide help and hope. A real honor to chat with him in this podcast and learn why this is happening and how we all can help. For more: www. bestfriends.org

It would be interesting to see how many people listening have their microchips completely updated. Many times, people move and forget to update it or they change their phone number and forget to update their pet's chip. There is a team of incredible people devote to helping lost animals find their human when the chip dead-ends. What does all this mean and how is it even possible to find an owner when the pet's chip is completely wrong OR the pet was rehomed and info never passed along. So many scenarios. Jeanette Garlow, the Director of Microchip Hunters joins me with SO MUCH GREAT INFO! Join us! More here: https://lostdogsillinois.org/categories/microchip-hunters/

As a health care worker, Katelin burned out quickly during Covid, so when the opportunity to start her own small business arose, she took it. Good Boy Biscuit Co started when her dog Blue had issues with store-bought dog treats. Katelin decided to do some testing in the kitchen and the rest is history. Good Boy Biscuit Co. will be part of Roo Fest Nashville on September 28th and Kyla, an event organizer will give us a preview of this incredible event! For more: www.goodboybiscuitco.com 

Non-profit Canine Therapy Corps empowers individuals to improve their physical and psychological health and well being by harnessing the human-animal bond. They provide an incredible FREE service with animal-assisted therapy services using volunteers and certified therapy dogs. Amy Condellire is the Program and Volunteer Manager and joins me for a great convo on all the great work this charity is doing in our community! For more: www.caninetherapycorps.org