Episode 32. Building a Community of Pet Parents with the DogHood. While Purvi and Ruchi both grew up in India, it was just 2 years ago, while living in the San Francisco area that dogs brought them together. Purvi shares her story of growing up afraid of dogs and never thinking that she’d one day be a “dog person” after giving in to her husband’s & sons’ desire for a dog. Purvi jumped right into the deep end with Oreo, a sheepadoodle they got as a puppy. Being a first-time dog owner, Purvi h...
Nov 22, 2021•55 min•Ep. 34
Episode 31. Erika Kovacs with Pinups for Pit Bulls. A lifelong dog-lover, Erika is one firecracker of a Dog Mom. Erika is a vet tech by day and spends her free time advocating for pit bull dogs with the Pinups for Pit Bulls organization. Ericka even modeled in the Pinups for Pit Bulls 2020 calendar…as Miss March 2020 … or Miss COVID! But Erika shares with us how she was able to redeem herself in the 2022 “Greatest Pits” edition of the calendar. Erika has so much to share about her experiences as...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 33
Episode 30. Ekene Okeke of Shuree’s Organics. Ekene is a first-time Dog Mom who started her company, Shuree’s Organics to provide safe and healthy treats for dogs. After not growing up with pets, it didn’t take long for Ekene to fall in love with the Dog Mom Life, even if there have been challenges along the way – from behavioral issues to injuries. Each of the Shuree’s Organics treats contain only one ingredient which Ekene sources herself from local farms and butchers with meats fully traceabl...
Oct 25, 2021•53 min•Ep. 32
Episode 29. How Billie Groom of UPWARD Dogology is Helping Dogs with a "Checkered Past" While Billie Groom didn’t grow up with pets, the dogs started finding her when she was in her 20s. Billie’s passion was ignited when she stumbled upon a dog hiding under a log on a beach and found her a loving home. After traveling through the U.S. in a renovated bus and running an informal dog rescue in North Carolina, Billie returned to Canada and fell into starting a dog walking company. While running her ...
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 31
Episode 28. Katy McQuaid, Author of Everybody Loves Grace. Katy McQuaid spent 32 years working for the CIA – Yes, that CIA! – and is now an award-winning children’s book author of the Everybody Loves Grace series. Grace is Katy’s Finnish Lapphund dog. (These dogs were actually bred to herd reindeer in Scandinavia!) Katy’s book series shares Grace’s dog’s-eye-view perspective of their road trips throughout the U.S., the people she meets and the world around her. Grace has a special talent for fin...
Sep 27, 2021•54 min•Ep. 30
In Part 2 with Jennifer Ganz, we’ll hear more about her work with students, the 20+ dogs she’s fostered for animal rescue organizations and the social club she started for sighthound dogs in the Baltimore area. I give some background on the Project Mickey Humane Education Program. (Trigger warning for mentioning animal abuse.) And also discuss the connection between Adverse Childhood Experiences and how more animal-assisted programs could help. While Jen has been kind enough to share her individ...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 29
Episode 27, Part 1. Creating a Humane Education Career with Jennifer Ganz, School Psychologist. I feel so fortunate to have met Jennifer Ganz through Baltimore’s animal welfare community. We had so much to talk about that it turned into 2 episodes! A lifelong animal lover, Jen started her career as a teacher and then pursued further education to become a school psychologist. I found Jen’s dedication to continuing her own education as well as her dog’s ongoing training inspiring. While Jen’s firs...
Sep 06, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 28
Episode 26. Krista Karpowich of Wag Out Loud Krista’s passion for our dogs’ health and wellness is unmatched. As the creator and host of the Wag Out Loud Pawdcast, Krista is one of the most knowledgeable pet parents I’ve ever met! Krista’s love of dogs inspired her to obtain a certificate in Canine Nutrition and create Wag Out Loud to share everything she’s learned along the way. Find the Show Notes, Links and Resources at: https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode-26...
Aug 23, 2021•56 min•Ep. 27
Episode 25. Margrit Strohmaier, Author of What to Know Before You Get Your Dog Inspired by her daughter’s “relentless campaign” for a dog of her own, Margrit is the author of What to Know Before You Get Your Dog. When she couldn’t find a children’s book that described the responsibilities of dog ownership in a way that kids could understand, Margrit decided to write it herself. Then with the boom of dog ownership during COVID-19, Margrit was further motivated to get the book published to help al...
Aug 09, 2021•44 min•Ep. 26
Episode 24. Animal Welfare Round Table: Mythbusters Edition On this episode, we’re welcoming back previous guests Annie Pruitt , Kaitlyn Thomas and Liz Weiner . Between the 4 of us, we have nearly 30 years combined experience in animal sheltering and community pet support. Special thanks to Chuck Nunn, audio engineer for the Round Table - who also joins in the conversation when we put him on the spot. On this Round Table, we’re confronting 4 myths that we see on social media and in our personal ...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 25
Episode 23. Peter Ciancarelli of Allie’s Canine Crew Peter is a Dog Dad Extraordinaire! When Peter’s dog Allie was struggling with health issues, he had a difficult time getting the right answers for her – even a veterinary college’s animal hospital couldn’t help. So Peter then started seeking out holistic veterinary practitioners and began working Dr. Margo Roman – one of the pioneers of gut microbiome research in pets – who was able to help Allie begin to thrive. Peter created the Facebook All...
Jul 05, 2021•58 min•Ep. 24
Episode 22. Jasmine & Marc of Round of A-Paws Pet Rescue From the Round of A-Paws Pet Rescue in Baltimore, Maryland, I’m excited for you to meet Jasmine, the founder and President, and Marc, the Vice-President. While Baltimore has its share of problems, our animal welfare community is a huge bright spot. My experiences volunteering with B-More Dog have introduced me to an amazing community of people including Jasmine & Marc. Jasmine, Marc & I discuss: Their childhood experiences with...
Jun 14, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 23
Episode 21. The Adventures of Paddington & Zurich with Carla & Wayne Greenside. There’s nothing I love more than an unlikely animal friendship. So when Carla reached out to me to share the story of Paddington (the horse) and Zurch (the Swiss Mountain Dog), I was immediately smitten. Paddington & Zurich spent 10 years together as best friends – doing everything from romping in the snow to grazing on grass in the sunshine to sharing some bran mash. Carla, Wayne & I discuss: Their c...
Mar 01, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 22
Episode 20. Shy & Fearful Dogs: Brittany’s Story with Maria Montgomery, Trainer. After hearing the Shy & Fearful Dog Roundtable ( Episode 17 ), Brittany Roger reached out to me with her own story. While Brittany was a lifelong animal lover, it wasn’t until she & her husband adopted Sam, an elderly obese chihuahua, that they learned exactly how much they didn’t know about dog behavior . . . after a trip to the emergency room. A few years later, after starting her new job at the Maryla...
Feb 11, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 21
Episode 19. Kaitlyn Thomas of Finding Knox. Coming home from work one day to find that your dog isn’t there is pretty much the worst nightmare of any dog owner. When this happened to Kaitlyn, her plea to get her dog, Knox, back went viral. And Kaitlyn found a way to keep the momentum of her sudden unexpected platform going and turned it into the Finding Knox organization. Finding Knox’s free microchip program has become a valued partner of the B-More Dog Wellness Clinics – the organization I vol...
Dec 21, 2020•55 min•Ep. 20
Episode 18. Kimberly Gauthier of Keep the Tail Wagging. Kim is one of my favorite Dog Moms to follow online. Kim adopted littermates in 2011 and started blogging about her life as a dog mom. When her dog, Rodrigo, started experiencing health issues, Kim discovered the raw feeding model for dogs. When she changed Rodrigo’s diet to raw feeding, all of his health issues cleared up. For years, Kim has been known online for blogging about dog health and nutrition but Kim is expanding her focus to inc...
Nov 09, 2020•47 min•Ep. 19
Episode 17. Dog Mom & Dog Dad Round Table: Shy & Fearful Dogs. We’re trying something different this week! On this episode, we’re welcoming back previous guests, Mindy FitzGerald from Episode 2 and Liz Weiner from Episode 7 . We’re also welcoming my husband, Tim, to the podcast for the first time. Today we’re having a round table discussion about pet parents living with shy and fearful dogs. We’re all at different places on our journeys with our pups: Tim & I adopted our dog, Neno, i...
Oct 19, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 18
Episode 16. Shannon Glenn, Executive Director of My Pit Bull is Family I don’t know about where you live, but I see stickers for My Pit Bull is Family all over Baltimore and throughout Maryland. This organization was so supportive when Maryland’s pit bull advocates were working to get a breed specific law changed from 2012 – 2014 and I still these stickers daily. My Pit Bull is Family has become a national animal welfare leader on the issues of breed discriminatory housing and insurance practice...
Sep 28, 2020•48 min•Ep. 17
We’re back from summer break. I’m celebrating 5 years with my dog Penny and the good news that most of her hearing has returned. Our first repeat guest. Michelle Serocki from Episode 3 is back today to tell us about the birth of Pit Bull Advocates of America. Michelle and I discuss: The origin story of Pit Bull Advocates of America and how Michelle saw a need and changed her mission from a local to national focus; New national campaigns that the organization is running; Old school vs. modern pit...
Aug 31, 2020•47 min•Ep. 16
This one is personal. My own dog Penny has been dealing with a chronic health issue for the past 6 months. In May, she was prescribed a common ear medication by our vet. A few days later I noticed that Penny wasn’t responding to things normally, like not barking at the mailman and not greeting me at the front door. I realized Penny wasn’t hearing properly. Apparently in a tiny percentage of dogs, this ear medication causes an “ototoxicity” reaction that causes hearing loss that's hopefully only ...
Jun 22, 2020•49 min•Ep. 15
Join: Join the Pandemic Pets Daily Gratitude Challenge ! Share one photo, video or moment each day that you are grateful for with your pets during these challenging times. Special free gift coming soon for group members. Di's Story: A brindle pit bull named Snorkle with an underbite and a lust for life changed Di’s world forever. Di & I discuss everything from growing up with “outside dogs” to the life-changing effect your “heart dog” has on your life. Through Snorkle, Di was introduced to d...
May 18, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 14
I found out about Pittie Clothing Co. as I was researching for Episode 11 with Sarah Lauch & Live Like Roo Foundation . I love their bright, fun patterns. As a pit bull owner, I know how difficult it can be to find cute clothes that properly fit your dog. Erin Crowley founded Pittie Clothing Co. so she could finally have matching pajamas with her dog. But after having experienced negative public reactions to her own lovable pit bull dog, Erin’s greater mission is to help pit bull dogs look m...
Apr 20, 2020•43 min•Ep. 13
Sarah Lauch was already a lifelong animal lover and an active shelter and rescue volunteer when she met the dog that changed her life. Roo (shelter name Cisco) was an owner surrender to Chicago’s open admission animal shelter due to his trouble urinating. Unfortunately, Roo’s health issue was caused by a terminal cancer diagnosis. Sarah decided to give Roo the best possible life for all his remaining days. Roo’s Bucket List and Sarah’s #LiveLikeRoo went viral and was even featured on Access Holl...
Apr 06, 2020•52 min•Ep. 12
Have you ever struggled with your dog’s health? Or with getting a proper diagnosis for your dog? Have you ever felt like your veterinarian wasn’t listening? Or felt pressured by your vet to make a decision that you didn’t agree with or couldn’t afford? I’ve been there. On a beautiful spring morning at the end of April 2014, my Lucy collapsed on our walk around the neighborhood. I struggled to get my 60 lb pit bull girl home as she kept falling over after walking a few steps at a time. But then a...
Mar 26, 2020•34 min•Ep. 11
Zazie Todd did not grow up with pets, while on her way to becoming an accomplished social psychologist. When she & her husband adopted 2 dogs within 6 weeks from their local humane society, Zazie used her psychology and research background to make sure she was doing the “right” things for her dogs. As she began looking into the burgeoning field of canine science and what we are learning about dogs, Zazie shared her findings by starting her blog, Companion Animal Psychology . If you’ve ever w...
Mar 09, 2020•47 min•Ep. 10
Jen’s lifelong love of animals and work experience in the nonprofit world have combined to create a meaningful career in animal sheltering. Jen became the Executive Director of the HSHC in August 2015 and every year since 2016, the shelter has achieved a 90%+ live release rate. Jen and I discuss: Her background and how her work and volunteer experiences led her to the world of animal sheltering; How special needs animals keep finding her; The importance of building “people” relationships to help...
Feb 17, 2020•58 min•Ep. 9
Liz’s Story – Tovi’s Gift If you’ve ever lost a dog you loved, a dog that changed your life, your heart & soul dog, you may find a piece of yourself in Liz’s story. Special thanks to Mindy of Hunter & Harvest Apothecary from Episode 2 for introducing me to Liz. I start this episode sharing about losing our Lucy ( Episode 1 ) and bonding with my girl, Penny. Liz & Tovi had an amazing life together for 12+ years. In early 2017, Tovi’s health took an unexpected turn and a few weeks late...
Jan 20, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 8
Annie’s Story – Compassion in Action with Charm City Companions Happy New Year! Happy New Decade! Today I share a brief reflection on how my volunteer work in the community with B-More Dog has helped me become a happier person than I was 10 years ago by releasing judgment and having compassion for others. I also explain some of the Baltimore-specific references that Annie & I discuss. At the start of Episode 3 with Michelle Serocki , I gave a little bit of background on some of Humane Societ...
Jan 06, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 7
Happy Holidays! In Part 2 of John’s Story, we discuss: The biggest challenge John faces as a dog trainer (Hint: we walk on 2 legs); Divorce and dating with dogs; Some of John’s dog training philosophy; What to do if you need help with your dog’s behavior; and How to select a dog trainer and red flags to look out for. Takeaway Training Tips: #1 Most Important Thing when training your dog = consistency; If you want to improve your dog’s behavior, you have to do the work; Sometimes you have to choo...
Dec 23, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 6
John Frank did not have very much experience with dogs growing up, but his ex-wife really wanted pets. After a couple discouraging attempts at fostering dogs, John felt overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do with the health and behavior issues of the foster dogs. But after making a commitment to adopt a pit bull to show what good dogs they could be, a sassy gal strutted her way into John’s heart, now named Hexie. In Part 1 of John’s Story, we discuss: Hexie’s adoption story; John’s experience vo...
Dec 09, 2019•56 min•Ep. 5
