The Individual Animal

See you at the Best Friends Conference

E15 | Lisa Gunter- Week long fosters, short-term outings, labeling dogs and more

Dr. Lisa Gunter, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech, discusses her journey into animal welfare research, including her work on breed labels, fostering, and field trips for shelter dogs. She shares insights on the impact of these programs and the importance of individualized care for shelter animals. Dr. Lisa Gunter discusses her work at Virginia Tech, including a hybrid fostering program for dogs and a shelter training program for students. She also shares insights into a collaborative stud...

E14 | Kate Hartlund - Milwaukee Area Domestic Animals Control

In this conversation, Nikki and Kate discuss their experiences in animal welfare and their work at different shelters. They talk about their past internships, the challenges of working in animal shelters, and the importance of community engagement. Kate shares her role as the volunteer and community engagement coordinator at MADACC and the various initiatives she has implemented to increase adoptions and engage with the community. They also discuss the difficulties of the current dog overpopulat...

E13 | Mike Kaviani - Impact on Dogs in a Stressful Environment

Mike shares his journey in animal welfare, starting as a kennel attendant and working his way up to becoming the Chief Operating Officer of Brandywine Valley SPCA. He emphasizes the importance of advocating for oneself and taking opportunities to learn and grow in the field. Mike discusses the impact of the stressful shelter environment on dogs' behavior and highlights the need for social interaction, exercise, and mental stimulation.

Join us at the HSUS Animal Sheltering EXPO!

Hi everyone, there won't be a full episode this week. However, if you're going to the HSUS Expo, we'd love it if you could visit our table and say hello to Ashley and Nikki! We have a bunch of fantastic resources to share, as well as some cool giveaways.

E12 | Jessica Hekman DVM, PhD - The Functional Dog Collaborative

In this conversation, Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD discusses the work of the Functional Dog Collaborative (FDC) and the need to improve dog breeding practices in North America. She highlights the issues with current breeding practices, including the prevalence of large-scale commercial kennels. Jessica emphasizes the importance of moving the needle towards responsible breeding practices and reducing the number of dogs ending up in shelters. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the concept...

E11 | Amy Marder - Tailoring Behavior Observations to Individual Dogs

In this conversation, veterinarian and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Amy Marder discusses the importance of recognizing that every dog is an individual and that behavior evaluations should be tailored to each dog's unique needs. She emphasizes the need for guidelines and observational methods to understand a dog's behavior and provide appropriate support. The conversation also touches on the stress levels in shelters, the benefits of foster homes, and the importance of considering a ...

E10 | Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter OH - Playgroups with Amanda & Mindy

Join us this week as we chat with Amanda Kopec and Mindy Naticchioni from Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter and discuss the positive impacts playgroups have had on their organization. Instagram cuyahogadogs Facebook Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter Tik tok cuyahogadogs Website cuyahogadogs.gov The stats for Cuyahoga County we mention in the episode are: Dynamic Stats: Cuyahoga County Shelter Director reported stats since Playgroup implementation: • 176% increase in volunteer hours • 62% decrease in b...

E9 | Chrissy Blake - Old Dominion Humane Society - Removing Labels and Other Program

Join us this week as we review the outcome of reintroducing breed labels to our online listings. Additionally, we have the opportunity to speak with Chrissy Blake, the Director of the Old Dominion Humane Society , in Fredrickburgh VA, and discuss her shelters experiences with removal labels and other exciting projects she is involved in.

E8 | Marketing for Animal Shelters with Caitlin Quinn

Learn valuable marketing tips and tricks for animal shelters on this week's episode, featuring the special guest, Caitlin Quinn. Some links based on our convo: https://petsmartcharities.org/ pro/resources/adoption- partner/introducing-rescue- writer https://heartsspeak.org/ chatgpt-impact-on-marketing- 2023/ https://heartsspeak.org/pet- bios-using-chatgpt/ Top 5 Animal Shelteing Organization to Follow: https://monmouthcountyspca.org/ https://www.awla.org/ https://www.southernpinesanimalshelter.o...

E7 | Behavior Evaluations with Janis Bradley and Dr. Gary Patronek

Join us this week as we talk to Janis Bradley and Dr. Gary Patronek about behavior evaluation in animal shelters. Here are some link to the the items we referenced in the episode: No better than flipping a coin Relevance of breed when choosing a companion animal...

E6 | Trish McMillan's Shelter Consulting Program and Stories from Behavior Coordinator, Lauren Rubin

Join Bernice and Nikki for this ​fun episode as we talk with Trish Mcmillan, who holds a Master's degree in Animal Behavior and is a certified professional dog trainer. We will discuss Trish's comprehensive shelter consulting program. We are also delighted to have Lauren Rubin, the Behavior Coordinator at Dakin Humane Society, join us. Trish herself describes Lauren as an exceptional student of her program. Lauren shares some enjoyable and fascinating stories about her journey during and after c...

E5 | Let the dogs play, let the people learn, and let's all work together - Aimee Sadler | Dogs Play for Life

On the latest episode of The Individual Animal, we chat with Aimee Sadler from Dogs Play for Life (DPFL) to discuss the shadowing and mentorship program offered by DPFL. Tune in to learn about the abundance of resources DPFL offers. And of course, we will delve into playgroups and the importance of partnerships in this context. Join us for an informative and engaging discussion! dogsplayforlife.com In this episode, Aimee mentions the stats for Cuyahoga County. Here they are: Dynamic Stats: Cuyah...

E4 | A Compassionate Conversation about Behavioral Euthanasia

Join Bernice and Nikki this week as we discuss behavioral euthanasia. Listen in as Bernice shares stories about the varying experiences she has had throughout her career. We will explore the differences between owned dogs and dogs in shelters, and how the available resources can impact the decisions made. Stay tuned for future episodes as we delve deeper into this topic. We would love to hear from you. Are you open to sharing your experiences, achievements, challenges, triumphs, or lessons learn...

E3 | Tails from the Farm with Acadia

Join Bernice and Nikki this week as they have a relaxed conversation with Acadia Generelli, Shelter Manager at Animal Farm Foundation. They will discuss how the newly arrived dogs from Chicago are adjusting to their new environment. Additionally, you'll get the opportunity to learn more about Acadia herself and her journey with AFF.

E2 | Breed Labeling Online

Join Bernice and Nikki this week as they discuss a real-time shift. Visual breed identification is not accurate and reliable . To remain honest with our adopters, we should avoid labeling dogs in shelters. However, what if in online searches, no breed categorization leads to dogs getting less exposure online🤔? Listen in as we react to this recent adoptapet.com blog about the impact of labeling dogs online. Resources on Removing Breed Labels A Photo of Mallard Copy and paste this disclaimer: To ...

E1 | Animal Shelter Consulting - Enhancing the lives of dogs currently in shelters

Animal Farm Foundation is fully committed to enhancing the lives of dogs currently in shelters. Our goal is to assist organizations in adjusting policies and practices to expedite dog adoptions, reduce unnecessary stress on team members, and elevate the overall quality of care for all dogs. Playgroups, dog handling, kennel enrichment, labels, language, marketing, and open adoptions are just some of the topics we cover. Join Bernice and Nikki on this week's episode as we discuss how we're expandi...

Intro - Relaunch

Welcome back! Executive Director Bernice Clifford and Operations and Public Policy Manager Nikki Juchem are here for a quick chat to announce the relaunch of The Individual Animal podcast. We'll explain what you can expect from this podcast going forward and are excited about all things to come. We hope you will all join us in sharing your stories too! If you have a story to share on the podcast, visit our podcast page to learn more, or send a voicemail/text to our podcast line at (845) 867-7646...

Carli Wade Takes People's "Pit Bulls" from Them, But Guess What Kind of A Dog She Has?

****Deposition Re-enactment***** Carli Wade is the Animall Control Supervisor in Williston, North Dakota, though she lives in Montana. You've seen her if you've watched the body cam footage of Jessica Burling's arrest. Carli was deposed as part of an AFF funded lawsuit against the city brought by local dog owners. Carli enforces laws based on the falsehood that "pit bull" dogs are dangerous to families - yet she identifies one of her own dogs as a "pit bull." Weird, right? Her deposition is slig...

"I might be really pleasant today and tomorrow I might not"

We know that those of you who work in shelters and rescues want to know what we look for when we select candidates for our service dog program. Maybe there's a local program that similar to ours, or maybe you have a great dog who you think would be good for us. In this episode of the Individual Animal, Bernice and Nikki take us through the process from beginning to end. Read more here ....

"I'll have to send you some tips"

In the latest episode of the Individual Animal, "I'll Send You Some Tips," we interview Caitlin Quinn of HeARTs Speak to talk about marketing shelter pets. While the entirety of the episode isn't about Covid-19, one of the reasons we wanted to have Caitlin on the show was to discuss ways shelters can market their dogs during this time. How do you discuss current events and bring levity to a situation without crossing a line that gives off a dismissive vibe? This can be a challenge, especially if...

Don't Go There, That's the Bad Part of Town

“Don't Go There, That's the Bad Part of Town,” is something people used to say to this week’s guest on the Individual Animal. When Kim Wolf lived in New York, people would tell her to stay out of neighborhoods because they judged people based on socio-economic and racial stereotypes. But Kim isn’t one to do what people tell her, because she knows that stereotypes don’t solve problems and that talking to individuals does. Kim, a former AFF employee, has worked in both animal welfare and in human ...

This Is One Mistake People Make When Adopting a Dog

We confess the title of this article is a bit clickbaity, because as we learn from our podcast guest, Janis Bradley, dogs and people have been working things out and creating happy families together for centuries. Still, we wanted to have Janis on this episode of the Individual Animal to talk about the relevance of breed in choosing a companion animal – and that is not-so-coincidentally the name of her book, which you can order here . Big spoiler: Breed isn’t all that relevant. It’s the personal...

Part 2: Is the Language We Use in Animal Welfare Harmful?

Listen to part 1 of this series. “Pound.” “Stray.” “Abandoned.” “Problem.” “Kill shelter.” “Dogs nobody wants.” These are not simply words and phrases. They are value judgments we place on dogs and people. Words have meaning and often, they have an impact that is greater than our intent. Cynthia Bathurst once said “Language reflects habit, not thought,” meaning that we often choose terms that are easy, familiar, and comfortable without taking the time to reflect on how those terms fit into the c...

Sioux City Lawsuit: The Deposition of Cindy Rarrat

Welcome to a special edition of the Individual Animal. What follows is a reenactment of the deposition of Cindy Rarrat. She is a private contractor working with Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center. Animal Farm Foundation is helping to bring a lawsuit against Sioux City's "pit bull" dog ban. The website for the lawsuit states: "Despite acknowledging that her officers have no training, she insists that they all know the breed standards for the breeds included in the ban and that they have...

Part 1: Is the Language We Use in Animal Welfare Harmful?

“Pound.” “Stray.” “Abandoned.” “Problem.” “Kill shelter.” “Dogs nobody wants.” These are not simply words and phrases. They are value judgments we place on dogs and people. Words have meaning and often, they have an impact that is greater than our intent. Cynthia Bathurst once said “Language reflects habit, not thought,” meaning that we often choose terms that are easy, familiar, and comfortable without taking the time to reflect on how those terms fit into the context of today’s society - or ev...

Shelter Transport Saves Lives

In this episode of the Individual Animal, we dive deep into the process of shelter transports. We talk about how to get the process rolling, why it’s safer than you might think it is, and why it’s good for dogs and people. A few months back, we did an episode of the Individual Animal where we spoke with Chris Bender about his experiences doing shelter transports. The response to that was mixed, with some people commenting that it was life-saving for the animals in their shelter and others commen...

Lack of Housing Shouldn't Keep Dogs and People Apart

In 2018, My Pit Bull Is Family volunteers called over 300 supposedly dog friendly apartments in the Twin Cities. What they found was that only 12 of them accepted dogs regardless of what they looked like. The reality is that when people surrender their dogs because they’ve moved, it’s not necessarily because they are heartless. It’s more than likely because they have nowhere to go that will accept their pet. The Twin Cities encompasses Minneapolis and St. Paul, plus several surrounding suburbs. ...

Overcoming Pet Owner Inaccessible Housing Part 1

For this episode of the Individual Animal, we spoke with Dr. Kelsea Brown from the National Canine Research Council. Kelsea recently relocated to Chicago and what she encountered while looking for housing surprised us. First, she had some rules: Unless a place specifically said “no pets,” she applied, even if it said there were breed restrictions. She had her facts about canine science and behavior ready. She emphasized that she was a responsible dog owner and that she would continue to take res...

Real Talk About Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, and Therapy Dogs

Hi and welcome to the latest episode of the Individual Animal a podcast about dogs, people, and discrimination. Nikki and Regina discuss animal welfare, canine science, discrimination, and other issues facing dogs and people. There’s often witty banter and sarcasm, even for the serious subjects - because that’s who we are and how we cope. After a brief hiatus, we’re back! After some banter, we get into the difference between service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs. We all know ...