People Are Animals Too, Darnit!

Emily Blade is the Travel and Implementation Coordinator for the ASU/VT Maddie's Fund Nationwide Fostering Study. In this role, she consults with animal shelter staff on program development and implementation, with a focus on identifying barriers to success, trialing solutions, and streamlining processes. Emily has been working in and with shelters for nearly ten years and draws on lessons learned from shelter operations, management, veterinary care and community-directed programs to assist shelters in designing progressive programs; most recently, Safety Net Fostering programs to provide temporary care for owned pets.   Lisa Gunter, PhD, CBCC-KA is the Maddie's Fund Research Fellow at Arizona State University in the Department of Psychology and conducts her research in the Canine Science Collaboratory. She currently coordinates the ASU/VT Maddie's Nationwide Fostering Study. The goal of Lisa's research is to better the lives of companion animals and their owners. To this aim, she has investigated the breed labeling of shelter dogs, their breed heritage, shelter housing and social interactions, temporary fostering, short-term outings, behavioral indicators of welfare, post-adoption interventions focused on owner retention - and more recently, fostering during the pandemic and safety net programs to help keep people and their pets together. She has published her research in scientific journals, presented her findings at numerous conferences, and received national and international media attention for her work.    

Diane Robinson of the HSUS joins Mandy to discuss disaster response and relief as it relates to animal welfare. Contact Diane: drobinson@humanesociety.org

Jennifer Blough (rhymes with plow) is a licensed professional counselor who is certified in compassion fatigue, pet loss grief, and trauma. She is the owner of Deepwater Counseling and The Compassion Fatigue Couch. Jennifer is also the author of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior. As a vegan and former shelter worker and animal control officer, Jen has an extensive background in animal welfare and animal rights, and is passionate about helping those who love, care for, and work to protect animals. Contact info: https://www.compassionfatiguecouch.com jen@compassionfatiguecouch.com

Dr. Geller is a graduate of Colorado State College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating in 1995, he became an emergency veterinarian in Colorado for 20 years, and started up 4 emergency clinics. He became Board Certified as Veterinary Practitioner in Canine and Feline Medicine in 2010. In 2015 he founded The Street Dog Coalition, a non-profit charity, which currently has teams in around 50 US cities across the US providing free medical care to pets of the homeless.   Currently he is working on setting up a One Health Mobile Outreach program to provide free veterinary and health care services to at-risk pet owners, and their pets, in underserved areas of Eastern Colorado. He was named Veterinarian of the Year by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association for 2020. Thestreetdogcoalition.org Jon Geller, DVM Linkedin

 Brittany is a New England native who has spent the last 12 years getting involved in the shelter/rescue community all throughout New England, the Midwest and now Pacific Northwest. Starting out her career in higher education, Brittany takes her experience in Social Sciences and her Masters of Organizational Leadership to implement sound research practices into the program development for under-resourced shelters and rescues. Brittany serves West Valley Humane Society as the Development and Education Coordinator. Her role encompasses development of shelter programs, research, community outreach, humane education and grant writing. Her passion areas include: community cat programs and initiatives, bully breed advocacy, humane education, and low income animal services.

From Spencer: "I have dedicated my life to positive, servant leadership at some of the top animal welfare organizations across the country including, the Dumb Friends League, Best Friends Animal Society, the Humane Society of Utah and Pasco County Animal Services. I am proud to lead a team of people, dedicated to creating, nurturing and preserving the human-animal bond for the people and pets in our community. I am a graduate of the Best Friends Animal Society Executive Leadership Certification Program, the Pasco County Leadership Development Program and the Strategic Government Solutions Servant Leadership Certification. I (will soon) have a Masters of Interdisciplinary Studies from Southern Utah University in Contemporary Animal Services Leadership. I am a certified Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma and an avid teacher of the Enneagram personality typing system for professional growth. I have a passion for integrating statistics and data driven decision making in lifesaving shelter operations and future planning." Spencer joins Mandy to share how thinking outside the box brought huge results for Pasco County Animal Services.

Mandy discusses the problems with extremism in animal welfare and offers a better approach.

Jessica Martin has dedicated nearly three decades to helping children, families, and animals in need. She has become exceptionally skilled in organizational planning, philanthropic strategy and system development, nonprofit policy, technical writing, grants management, and major gifts programs. For many years, Jessica served as the Director of Foundation Giving and Major Gifts at one of the nation’s largest children’s hospitals. With her leadership, the department achieved a historical $118 million in philanthropic revenue with nearly $36 million in new grants. Her experience also includes directing the fund development efforts of a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to victims of child abuse and neglect, as well as an organizational restructure. There, she secured national public, private and government funding, successfully increasing revenue by 300% in her first two years. Jessica joins Mandy to discuss shelter / funder relations in this two-part series.

Jessica Martin has dedicated nearly three decades to helping children, families, and animals in need. She has become exceptionally skilled in organizational planning, philanthropic strategy and system development, nonprofit policy, technical writing, grants management, and major gifts programs. For many years, Jessica served as the Director of Foundation Giving and Major Gifts at one of the nation’s largest children’s hospitals. With her leadership, the department achieved a historical $118 million in philanthropic revenue with nearly $36 million in new grants. Her experience also includes directing the fund development efforts of a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to victims of child abuse and neglect, as well as an organizational restructure. There, she secured national public, private and government funding, successfully increasing revenue by 300% in her first two years. Jessica joins Mandy to discuss shelter / funder relations in this two-part series.

People Are Animals Too Darnit host, Mandy Evans, is the executive director of an animal shelter in north Idaho.  The animal shelter just launched a rebrand campaign to Better Together Animal Alliance.  Mandy talks with Lisa Gerber of Big Leap Creative about the rebranding effort and the purpose of it. bettertogetheranimalalliance.org

Brian Daugherty has extensive experience in leading philanthropy teams to achieve extraordinary results. As senior vice president and chief philanthropy & communications officer, he oversees our philanthropy, marketing and communications efforts and is able to combine his professional experience and passion for animals. Brian and his team are responsible for marketing and communications to promote a vast array of programs and services as well as raising the vital funds necessary to enable San Diego Humane Society to fulfill its mission to take care of homeless animals and "Inspire Compassion" in our community. Brian’s work experience includes notable organizations such as the Baltimore Symphony; the Baltimore Zoo; the University of Baltimore; the University of California, San Diego; and San Diego State University. He has served as the fundraising chair for several nonprofit organizations and is a frequent presenter to such organizations as the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Annual Giving Professionals Network (AGPN) and Academic Impressions. Brian graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He also holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management and leadership from the University of San Diego. He currently lives in San Diego with his wife, Kathleen, their three children and his devoted companions, Sherman the Dorgi (dachshund and corgi mix) and Henry the Harrier. Brian joins Mandy to discuss philanthropy in animal welfare.

Peter J. Wolf is a research and policy analyst for Best Friends Animal Society. Peter’s role involves the analysis of science and public policy related to community cat issues, a topic he’s been researching and writing about since 2010 through his blog, Vox Felina. His writing is published regularly on the Best Friends blog, in letters to editor, and in peer-reviewed research articles. Peter holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and master’s degree in industrial design. His professional/industry experience has focused on the acquisition, analysis, and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data. Peter joins Mandy to discuss cat policy and best practices for animal shelters.   Kittens, Community, and You video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI_0v0yZIyU

Heather Cammisa is a Principal at Adisa Group, a mission driven consultancy. She has twenty-five years of experience in mission leadership, with more than 13 years as the Chief Executive of two animal welfare agencies plus several years with a national welfare agency. An economist before her Yogi Berra fork in the road, Heather is known for innovation, strategic partnerships, financial and operational revitalization and analytics.   She is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator, holds a graduate certificate in Wildlife Forensics and Conservation from the University of Florida and is a certified animal control office and animal cruelty investigator. She has a Master’s degree in Economics from Rutgers University and worked in both financial and social economics before devoting her career to cause advancement.   She has served on the boards of regional organizations, animal shelters and a marine mammal stranding center. She is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences. She is currently a Program Ambassador with Project Coyote and the Vice President of her local shelter’s board of directors.   She and her husband share their Colorado mountain home with beloved adopted pets Roger, Sunny, Cato & Polly. When not working, she can be found gardening in a geodesic greenhouse or out in the woods marveling at nature. Heather joins Mandy today to discuss community-based programs in animal welfare.

Melanie Sadek, identical twin sister of host Mandy Evans, has been the executive director of Valley Humane Society in Pleasanton for the 9 years. She has established the organization as a well-respected non-profit, helping both animals and people in the Tri-Valley. Melanie serves on the Board of Directors for the California Animal Welfare Association. In this role, she has been active in evaluating and helping pass animal welfare legislation in California. Her passion to make a difference didn’t start with Valley Humane Society. Starting her career in the field of highway safety, Melanie managed the Traffic Safety Department for AAA in Northern California and has trained thousands of law enforcement officers, nurses and public health workers in highway safety issues. In 2016, Melanie was recognized with the TriValley Hero Community Spirit Award for her dedication to helping others.  Melanie joins Mandy to discuss shelters' response to COVID-19.

People Are Animals Too podcast editor and producer Dan fills in for Mandy this week and goes over some housekeeping items.  There's also a replay of episode 1 where Mandy introduces herself and the vision for the podcast.

Meghan Thorne of One & All joins Mandy to discuss marketing and development for animal shelters. Meghan has more than two decades of advertising, marketing, and direct response experience.  She has been leading the multichannel fundraising program for Animal Welfare partners at One & All for over ten years, in channels that include TV, radio, outdoor display, digital and direct mail campaigns to acquire and maintain their rich pool of high-value donors and sustainers.     She joined One & All in 2011, after the great recession of 2008 left her unemployed and taking a hard look at where she wanted her future self to be.  Knowing that, more than anything else, she wanted to do good in the world, she applied for, and was accepted in, the University of Georgia’s graduate program for Nonprofit Business Management.  Upon graduating, she found that working for One & All would give her the best of the world she came from, and the world she wanted to be a part of.   In her spare time, she can be found running the trails of the North Georgia mountains with her five year old pit mix, “Puppy Dog”.

University of Toledo professor of social work and author of Human-Animal Interactions -Dr. Hoy-Gerlach - joins Mandy to discuss the importance of the human-animal bond and how it impacts social welfare and animal welfare. Get a copy of Dr. Hoy-Gerlach's book here: https://amzn.to/2GK6WRk "Why do we love dogs so much so so much?" article: https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/why-do-we-love-dogs-so-much-so-so-much

Social worker and animal welfare expert Kim Wolf joins Mandy for part 2  of the discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within animal welfare.

Social worker and animal welfare expert Kim Wolf joins Mandy to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within animal welfare.

Anne Reed is president and CEO of the Wisconsin Humane Society.  Before joining WHS, Anne spent almost three decades as a corporate litigator in Milwaukee.Founded in 1879, the Wisconsin Humane Society is Wisconsin’s oldest, largest, and most recognized animal welfare organization. WHS helped to pioneer the idea that every animal available for adoption in a shelter could be free of time limits, taking as long as needed to be adopted. WHS has also led the field in exploring the strength that can be gained from bringing separate organizations together.  WHS is now the primary animal welfare organization in five Wisconsin counties, serving one third of Wisconsin’s animals and families and dedicated to making a difference for animals and the people who love them.   Anne joins Mandy to discuss animal shelters acquisitions of other entities.

Dr. Pizano from Team Shelter USA is considered a leading expert in shelter reform with unprecedented results. As an accomplished public speaker and influencer, in particular with municipal leaders, she is a positive force helping organizations reach their potential. As the Director of National Veterinary Outreach for Best Friends Animal Society, Aimee St. Arnaud focuses on how to increase access to spay/neuter and veterinary care in underserved communities to help reach the goal of achieving no-kill nationwide by 2025. Dr. Pizano and Aimee join Mandy to discuss vet care access.

Abby Volin founded Opening Doors, which advocates for tenants with pet-related housing issues and helps housing providers manage pets on properties. She is a nationally recognized expert on animal accommodation law and frequently holds lectures for landlords, attorneys, animal welfare advocates, and healthcare providers. Prior to starting Opening Doors, Abby worked as a policy specialist at The Humane Society of the United States and began her career as a litigator. Abby earned her JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and BA from Tufts University. She has volunteered with numerous shelters and rescue groups throughout the years and fostered countless pets (much to the chagrin of the resident cats). Abby joins Mandy to discuss how to can help keep families together. one-pager explanation and sample verification letters: https://www.pawsopeningdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sample-Verification-Letters.pdf

Todd Cramer is the former President & CEO at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (MHHS) in New York’s Capital District. Prior to joining MHHS, he was the Senior Vice President of Community Engagement & Chief of Staff at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in New Jersey. Todd has also served as the Senior Program Manager, Adoptions at PetSmart Charities and Director of Community Initiatives at the ASPCA. During his time at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, Todd led the Pets Are Welcome, pet friendly housing initiative, pilot program working to encourage rental property owners to go beyond just allowing pet residents and make them truly welcome by eliminating breed, type and size restrictions and providing the tools necessary for pet guardians and their pets to live successfully in rental communities. Under his leadership, the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society successfully partnered with the Sunrise Management & Consultants to create Pets Are Welcome communities. Todd has written for Animal Sheltering Magazine and has been a popular speaker delivering workshops on animal welfare topics at regional and national conferences including Best Friend’s National Conference and the Humane Society of the United States Animal Care Expo. Heather Schechter, Director of Marketing and Business Development, is responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities and building and expanding the public presence of the company and its clients. She oversees the marketing of multiple apartment communities, including branding, advertising, public relations, and communications functions. Heather brings to Sunrise her experience in marketing in Albany and New York City. She is currently the Past President and Membership Chair of the Capital Region Public Relations Society of America. Heather is Accredited in Public Relations and a licensed New York State Real Estate Salesperson. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Columbia College and a Master of Science degree in Education from the Sage Colleges.

Shannon Glenn started with My Pit Bull is Family in 2014 and quickly became an expert in housing policy and surrender prevention for the animal welfare community. She has an extensive professional background in grassroots campaigns, voter outreach, community outreach, fundraising, homeless advocacy and policy creation. Shannon holds a Master’s in Advocacy and Political Leadership where she centered her degree program around drafting policies to end housing and insurance discrimination for families with large dogs. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her partner, Anthony, their two dogs Charlotte and Wilbur and cat Max. Shannon currently is the Shelter Supervisor for the only pet friendly emergency homeless shelter in the state of Minnesota. You can usually find Shannon spending her free time updating our database, volunteering at Minneapolis Animal Care and Control, or enjoying the outdoors with her family.   Shannon joins Mandy to discuss breed discrimination and barriers to accessible housing.

Cameron Moore oversees shelter engagement for the Million Cat Challenge, a joint project of Maddie’s Fund®, the Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program at the Univerity of Florida, the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, and the ASPCA® designed to save the lives of 1 million more shelter cats over five years. Cameron appears to have been born to be part of the Million Cat mission, and been guided by its Five Key Initiatives at every stage of her professional life — even before the Challenge existed. Cameron joins Mandy to discuss cat intake at shelters and how to reduce cat euthanasia.

Eviction Lab resource: https://justshelter.org/community-resources/ Abby Volin founded Opening Doors, which advocates for tenants with pet-related housing issues and helps housing providers manage pets on properties. She is a nationally recognized expert on animal accommodation law and frequently holds lectures for landlords, attorneys, animal welfare advocates, and healthcare providers. Prior to starting Opening Doors, Abby worked as a policy specialist at The Humane Society of the United States and began her career as a litigator. Abby earned her JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and BA from Tufts University. She has volunteered with numerous shelters and rescue groups throughout the years and fostered countless pets (much to the chagrin of the resident cats). Abby joins Mandy to discuss the coming eviction crisis from the COVID-19 fallout.

Ed Jamison became the Director of Dallas Animal Services (DAS) in October of 2017. The animal situation in Dallas has been the center of scrutiny over the years due to large roaming dog populations, high profile dog attacks, and low positive save rates from the shelter. With over 39,000 dogs and cats entering DAS’ care last year, Dallas is the 3rd largest intake in the United States. Ed has been tasked to increase public safety by getting lose animals off the streets, while at the same time increasing positive outcomes. To accomplish that, Ed is leading a staff of over 200 employees, maximizing the relationships with the rescue community, rebuilding the volunteer base, and instituting new, progressive programming. The newly launched “Dallas 90” campaign is designed to help create a community where all people and animals are safe, treated with respect, and have access to the resources needed to thrive. In December of 2018, even with record high intakes, DAS realized a 90 + percent rate for four consecutive months, which is a first for the Department. Prior to coming to Dallas, Ed was the Chief Animal Control Officer for the City of Cleveland, Ohio, but he entered the Animal Care & Control World in the mid 2000’s while he was the Animal Warden for the City of Garfield Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. In his time serving Cleveland, Ed made a push to redefine the way Animal Control functions, and re-brand the public’s perception of the industry, along with “pit-bull” type dogs.  The award winning, trademarked CITY DOGs Cleveland Adoption and Volunteer programs are flourishing and being copied throughout the country. Ed joins Mandy to discuss municipal shelter operations.

Melanie Sadek, identical twin sister of host Mandy Evans, has been the executive director of Valley Humane Society in Pleasanton for the 9 years. She has established the organization as a well-respected non-profit, helping both animals and people in the Tri-Valley. Melanie serves on the Board of Directors for the California Animal Welfare Association. In this role, she has been active in evaluating and helping pass animal welfare legislation in California. Her passion to make a difference didn’t start with Valley Humane Society. Starting her career in the field of highway safety, Melanie managed the Traffic Safety Department for AAA in Northern California and has trained thousands of law enforcement officers, nurses and public health workers in highway safety issues. In 2016, Melanie was recognized with the TriValley Hero Community Spirit Award for her dedication to helping others.  Melanie joins Mandy to discuss PR (external communications) and shelter branding.

Amanda Arrington is the Senior Director of the groundbreaking Pets for Life (PFL) program at the Humane Society of the United States and previously served as a lobbyist and North Carolina State Director for HSUS.  With PFL, Amanda guides a social justice-driven approach to create equity in and access to pet resources and information for people in underserved communities. Under her leadership the program has been implemented in over 50 markets across the country and is working to make companion animal welfare a more just and inclusive movement. Amanda is also the founder and Executive Director of Beyond Fences, a non-profit based in Durham, NC.  The organization builds trust and relationships in communities by providing no-fee pet services and support for people living in underserved areas.  Amanda currently serves as vice-chair of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement’s OnPOINT committee on increasing diversity in animal welfare, served three years as the chair of the Durham County Animal Control Advisory Committee and on the board of the Durham Interneighborhood Council. Amanda has received many awards for her community outreach work including the prestigious American Veterinary Medical Association Humane Award in 2018. Amanda joins Mandy to discuss the Pets for Life Program.

As the Senior Director, National Mission Advancement, Marc Peralta brings together Best Friends’ newest initiatives and aligns all things related to developing the knowledge and capabilities of individuals and organizations involved in lifesaving in order to empower them to achieve no-kill in their own backyard. These initiatives include shelter outreach, mentorship, staff-embedding programs, community cat programs, no-kill leadership training, and emergency response training and operations. Jessica Gutmann is the Manager of Operations for the Santa Rosa Shelter Embed Program for Best Friends Animal Society. In this role, Jessica is charged with helping the animals of Santa Rosa County Animal Services in Florida, by working with the shelter to achieve a 90% save rate through implementations of programs and systemic change.   Jessica, a Wisconsin native, started her journey into the world of animal welfare when she began working as an Adoption Counselor for the Wisconsin Humane Society. Following her passion to serve animals Jessica became a Humane Officer at Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission. While there she created the organization's first comprehensive volunteer program. Jessica also founded Urban Cat Coalition, Milwaukee, Wisconsin's first and only TNR organization.   Jessica started with Best Friends as a Community Cat Coordinator. During her time in that role, she helped engage with communities by advocating for trap-neuter-return initiatives, and working with shelters to implement return to field programs. Jessica transitioned into the role of Shelter Support Coordinator helping to support shelters in Utah by working with them to maximize their potential for saving lives.   Jessica has a permanent residence in Utah and shares her life with her husband, nine cats, and two dogs. She enjoys hiking, being in red-rock country, adventures in her jeep, and is a true-crime enthusiast. Jessica and Marc join Mandy today to discuss removing barriers to pet adoptions in animal shelters.

UC Davis' Dr. Karsten became board certified in Shelter Medicine Practice in November, 2017. Her main areas of interest include population management, infectious disease control, intake diversion/safety net programs, and providing affordable, accessible veterinary care in all communities. Dr. Karsten became board certified in Shelter Medicine Practice in November, 2017. Her main areas of interest include population management, infectious disease control, intake diversion/safety net programs, and providing affordable, accessible veterinary care in all communities. James Pumphrey has worked in the animal care industry for almost two decades, gaining leadership experience in animal shelters from the east coast to the west coast.  As a seasoned animal welfare leader, James is passionate about advancing conditions that put welfare first for both people and animals. He is committed to developing thriving workplace cultures that allow staff to do their best work as they support the people and animals in our community. Currently working as the Deputy Director for Animal Care of Davis County in Utah, James is known for his ability to offer expertise, guidance, and support to fellow shelter leaders helping them to achieve their goals through collaboration. He has a keen interest in animal (including the human variety) behavior gaining expertise in modifying conditions and emotional responses to circumstances that empowers the individual to succeed. Inspiration comes to James through the emerging role for shelters to offer community support services which keep families together and helps to expand access to care allowing them to flourish.  Dr. Karsten and James join Mandy to discuss changing the culture within animal welfare. resources from James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7XVp2NpHn4&feature=youtu.be https://www.maddiesfund.org/the-dollars-and-sense-of-sheltering.htm  

Jim Tedford has been actively engaged in the animal welfare movement for more than 35 years.  He currently serves as President & CEO for The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (formerly known as the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators), a professional association of leaders in the fields of animal welfare and animal care & control.  Tedford has been CEO for animal welfare organizations in New York, Louisiana and Tennessee.  He served as a regional director for The Humane Society of the United States. He spent a number of years on the for-profit side working with direct response marketing agencies and a pet products manufacturer. Jim has presented at national and regional conferences on various animal welfare issues, organizational development and not-for-profit management.   Tedford received a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee.  Jim and his wife, Ann, share their home with two high-energy terriers, a macaw and a 30-year-old quarter horse. Jim joins Mandy to discuss difficulties in animal sheltering and other animal welfare topics.

Dogs Playing for Life is an innovative training program that was founded by professional trainer Aimee Sadler. The Program demonstrates both the practical efficiencies of play groups for the rescue organization, as well as the emotional and behavioral benefits for the animals.  Play groups have proven to be a critical enrichment and assessment tool for shelters. DPFL founder Aimee Sadler and DPFL Chief Innovation Officer Emily Grossheider join Mandy to talk about the program and the impact it has made on the lives of dogs.  

Michaelson Found Animals Director of Policy and Civic Engagement - Vince Wong -  joins Mandy to discuss the mission and programs offered by the foundation.  

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Eric Ridgway joins Mandy to discuss how to stay resilient and optimistic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Eric Ridgway joins Mandy to discuss the culture change necessary for taking sheltering to a full animal social services model.  Eric and Mandy also discuss the importance of the human-animal bond.

Animal shelter transfers are a popular thing but might lead to some unintended consequences.  Shelter veterinarian Cynthia Karsten joins Mandy to discuss the pros and cons to shelter transfers.  

Dr. Sara Pizano has 30 years experience in animal welfare that includes work as a shelter veterinarian and surgeon, management in both non-profits and government shelter and is a sought after public speaker on the national stage. As an Animal Shelter Consultant, Dr. Pizano helps organizations establish responsible public policy, community programs and implement Best Practice standards in a cost effective way that ends the use of euthanasia as population control. Dr. Pizano has served on the Companion Animal Council for the Humane Society of the United States and currently serves as an advisor for both the Million Cat Challenge and Best Friends Animal Society. Consulting work ranges from hourly to project/workshops and community/shelter assessments to longer term retainer projects. Dr. Pizano joins Mandy on this episode to discuss animal shelter community relations and municipal contracts.

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Eric Ridgway joins Mandy to discuss fear and managing our response to it.

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Eric Ridgway joins Mandy today to talk about interpersonal relations and how to effectively communicate with others.  

Dr. Ponsness practices at the Pend O'reille Vet Clinic in Ponderay, ID. She enjoys working closely with clients to meet the needs of their dogs, cats and small mammals. Her special interests include oncology, surgery, preventative care and specialty care of the geriatric family pet. She completed her undergraduate education at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA prior to attending veterinary school at Washington State University. When she is not at the clinic, Chrissy and her family enjoy most things outdoors; such as boating, fishing, hiking, camping, skiing and snowboarding. Dr. Ponsness joins Mandy today to discuss the challenges veterinarians face and how that can lead to veterinarian suicide.

People Are Animals Too podcast host, Mandy Evans, created Home To Home™ as an online pet rehoming tool to keep pets in homes and out of shelters.  Mandy has the Home To Home national program coordinator, Joya Blair, as a guest on today's podcast to discuss the program and the Kickstarter campaign. Home To Home™: home-home.org Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hometohome/home-to-hometm

Dodge County Wisconsin Humane Society Executive Director Kensie Drinkwine joins us today to share the about the cultural change made at her shelter and the dramatic impact it has made. Dodge County Humane Society - http://www.dchs-wi.org/default.aspx

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations.  He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession. Shep works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. His articles have been read in hundreds of publications and he is the author of The Cult of the Customer among several other books. Shep joins us today to talk about applying customer service practices in animal welfare.

Dr. Wassif joins us today to talk about the power of human and animal connection among other psychology topics. Dr. Wassif is licensed psychologist by the Board of Psychology (PSY 203081) in the State of Idaho.  He has over 14 years of experience working in outpatient, residential and hospital settings having treated multiple adolescents and adults in areas of depression, anxiety, personality disorders, ADHD, trauma, mood deregulation and life transitions.  In the past five years, Dr. Wassif has made a greater effort to expand his clinical specialty to family therapy to more appropriately address individual needs within a larger system.

The Pets for Life (PFL) program reaches out to underserved communities to offer free pet care resources, services and information. PFL incorporates strategic door-to-door outreach, builds a consistent community presence and uses an extensive follow-up process to build relationships and trust within a segment of the pet-owning population that has largely gone untouched by animal service providers. PFL employs a three-pronged methodology to address the systemic challenges people and pets living in poverty face: Direct Care - Delivers pet services and information Mentorship and Training - Guides and supports local organizations in implementing community outreach programs Policy and Enforcement Reform - Influences organizations to be focused more on pet owner support and less on punishment. Jason Schipkowski from the Humane Society of the US joins the podcast today to share about the program and the benefits for everyone involved.  Jason Schipkowski is a Program Manager for the Humane Society of the United States’ Pets for Life program. In his role, he provides in-depth guidance to organizations on how to sustain their outreach efforts in under-served communities. Incorporating a holistic approach to program sustainability, including elevating individual and organizational understanding of social justice issues, communications approaches, and fundraising best practices, he provides organizations with the tools, strategies, and confidence to nurture their pet owner support work long term. Podcast Jason referenced:  https://onbeing.org/programs/john-lewis-love-in-action-jan2017/#transcript Watch our Pets For Life video here: https://youtu.be/k3RaWQUdi6k  

America's Veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker and his wife Theresa, join Mandy in the studio to talk about Fear Free Vet and Shelter practices, vet suicide, and other animal welfare topics. Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian,” has spent his life working toward better health for pets and the people who love them. In recent years, “taking the ‘pet’ out of ‘petrified’” and ensuring every pet and pet owner can experience a Fear Free veterinary visit has been his area of greatest commitment and dedication, culminating in the launch of Fear Free certification for veterinary and pet professionals in March of 2016. This was followed by a website for pet owners, FearFreeHappyHomes.com, and in 2019, by FearFreeShelters.com, which provides free training for all staff and volunteers of animal shelters, rescue groups, and animal welfare organizations. Dr. Becker was the resident veterinary contributor on "Good Morning America" for 17 years. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the American Humane Association as well as its Chief Veterinary Correspondent, a founding member of Core Team Oz for "The Dr. Oz Show," a member of the Dr. Oz Medical Advisory Panel, and a Today contributor. An adjunct professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University, and the University of Missouri, he has lectured at every veterinary school in the United States. He also serves on the advisory board of World Vets, an international veterinary and disaster relief programs to help animals. A passionate advocate for the human-animal bond, Dr. Becker is as an adjunct professor at the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri's College of Veterinary Medicine. In April 2012, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association named Dr. Becker the recipient of their annual WSAVA Hill’s Excellence in Veterinary Healthcare Award (also known as the Global Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year). He has also been named Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year by the Delta Society (now Pet Partners) and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Born in Twin Falls, Idaho, in 1954, Dr. Becker practices at North Idaho Animal Hospital because he loves veterinary medicine, pets, and the people who care for them.

Dr. Sara Pizano has 30 years experience in animal welfare that includes work as a shelter veterinarian and surgeon, management in both non-profits and government shelter and is a sought after public speaker on the national stage. As an Animal Shelter Consultant, Dr. Pizano helps organizations establish responsible public policy, community programs and implement Best Practice standards in a cost effective way that ends the use of euthanasia as population control. Dr. Pizano has served on the Companion Animal Council for the Humane Society of the United States and currently serves as an advisor for both the Million Cat Challenge and Best Friends Animal Society. Consulting work ranges from hourly to project/workshops and community/shelter assessments to longer term retainer projects. Dr. Pizano joins Mandy on this episode to discuss engaging the community as partners and other aspects to animal welfare from a sheltering perspective.

According to Wikipedia, a mirror neuron is a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. Thus, the neuron "mirrors" the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting. Such neurons have been directly observed in primate species. Mandy takes the mirror neuron concept and uses it as an example of how our attitude can impact others.  

Being authentic doesn't mean you get to be rude to someone else just because it is how you're really feeling.  Being authentic is identifying your feelings and moving past them if they are negative or unhelpful emotions.  Mandy talks about what being authentic really means in this podcast.  

Mandy talks about the advancements in technology in animal welfare, specifically animal sheltering.  There are many people/businesses that are trying to make sheltering and the lives of those working in shelters and the lives of pets who live in shelters easier.  Mandy highlights some of those advancements.