Bentley's Pet Stuff has become a staple in many Chicagoland (and wayyyy beyond) communities. With a focus on nutrition, Lisa Senafe has made Bentley's a must-shop for pet parents. The path to this point happened quickly and while the first store started in a Chicago suburb, the stellar reputation has launched stores all over America. Lisa joins me for a candid conversation about pet nutrition, starting from the ground up. For more: www.petstuff.com.
Goats that were in danger of being killed by coyotes, Ariel who was hunted by a Mountain Lion, a cow family that was saved from going to the meat market. The stories from Farm Animal Refuge are incredible. They are doing inspiring work in San Diego and beyond and Live Like Roo Foundation even helped their pig with cancer named Dora, who is NOW CANCER FREE! Matt is a great guest. Join us and learn more about what they do here: https://farmanimalrefuge.org/
When Alanna Rizzo adopted a border collie from a shelter in Colorado, her life changed forever. Eventually, so would the lives of so many others. All it takes is 1 dog to spur a movement. Hear her incredible journey and how helping others has given her hope and healing! To find out more: www.guidrysguardian.org
A small business named "Bark Pouch" was formed when a trainer noticed a need at a local Chicago rescue. Brandi Barker observed the cutting up of hot dogs and other various training techniques that just were not working. Since then, she has used food scientists and various machines to figure out the perfect combo to make these lickable treats. The road to get there was not easy, but overcoming obstacles is part of what has made her a success. To find out more about Bark Pouch: www.barkpouch.com.
Jem & The Misfit have given hope to a breed that is euthanized often and can be misunderstood. With some time, patience and love, this breed will thrive. Jem has created incredible characters that social media has embraced! Jem and I discuss what she has built and how social media can be difficult at times.
Pet Con is this weekend in Chicago. Kelsey, a Senior Talent Relations Manager at The Dog Agency, joins us to tell us how you can make your dog famous and we preview Pet Con, a gathering of social media's biggest pet influencers!
You will certainly look at squirrels differently after this episode. An incredible bond has formed between a man and a squirrel from the streets of NY! Many people checking in on Peanut have also fallen for Mark, his savior. They are a great match doing special things! Mark has turned this unique journey into a charity called Peanut's Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. Follow Peanut at Peanut_The_Squirrel12 and the sanctuary at pnuts_freedom_farm.
I am SO honored to bring the podcast back after a 2+ year hiatus. This podcast means so much to me because I get to tell stories and there are SO MANY great stories to tell! After quitting my job in corporate America, I am now the proud owner of 2 businesses. I miss being creative and I miss interviewing people, so here we are.
My 1st guest is absolutely brilliant and the work he is doing brought me to tears so many times. Michael J. Baines quit his job as a Chef in Thailand after he met a homeless dog at the back door of his restaurant and what happened next is the stuff of legends. The Man That Rescues Dogs is a must-follow and you have to hear him on the podcast! To donate or find out more: www.tmtrd.org
Unmuzzled: A Pawcast is presented by Canines Crews, Kiki's Korner and Bark Pouch. Our supporting sponsors are The K9PT, Twin Tails Market and Barkery and Anything is Pawzible. Thank you for listening. I am SO happy to be back.
Rats! There is so much to know about them and my guest Niki is a Rat Extraordinaire!
For more on rats or to foster or adopt: nmgianni@gmail.com
When an undercover animal abuse investigator with 20+ years of experience says something bothers him, you know it is legit. Many years ago, the practice of luring racing greyhounds with live rabbits was investigated and many swept the practice under the rug or claimed "it did not happen."
Cue investigator Pete Paxton, who conducted an undercover investigation in partnership with Grey2k USA. What they found was beyond shocking and their investigation, with your help, will hopefully lead to a federal bill called the Greyhound Protection Act.
More here (NOTE: this is not for the faint of heart): https://miami.cbslocal.com/2020/07/26/a-culture-of-cruelty-an-exclusive-look-inside-the-secret-world-of-greyhound-training/
This podcast has always been about learning more about animals and to say this particular one opened up my eyes is an understatement. Cailen LaBarge is the Co-Founder of SEED: Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development. Before the pandemic, they investigated a dairy auction in Texas that revealed far more than they expected. The findings, as shocking as they may be, are so important, especially in this day and age.
For more information: https://www.seedundercoverinvestigations.com/
"He came to the door naked with a gun. We ended up with 63 snakes."
Cindy Steinle has had a LOT of experience with reptiles and while many people may be nervous around them, Cindy shares some amazing reasons why we should embrace snakes, alligators and more.
For more information or ways that you can help:
https://www.facebook.com/smallscalereptilerescue/
Molly Downing is the Recreation Coordinator at SEASPAR and created a Pawsitive Pet Therapy program that brings smiles to faces of the participants.
Rachel Jensen is the Founder of Pleasant Heart Pet Food Pantry in Michigan. As a former Animal Control Officer, she saw a need in her community and immediately went to work to help by building a non-profit. https://www.
I always believe people. I give them the benefit of the doubt. I am a helper. I run to the bad when others may be running away.
When I woke up on Sunday with overflowing email, I was like wow, this is great. Then I realized something was really wrong.
This is the story of a how a selfish company mysavings.com took advantage of a small 501c3 and has ZERO apologies or regrets for what they did. They have done irreparable damage during our busiest time of the season.
Comfy Carepacks are given, free of charge, to benefit pets of individuals experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. Vice President Deborah joins me to chat about this amazing organization. https://www.comfycarepacks.org/
When Carolyn Alonzo lost her beloved Obi in May of 2020, she immediately went to work creating "Obi's Pet Pantry." A story of love, hope and passion to help others. https://www.obispetpantry.org/
SOUL - Sharing of Unconditional Love. Jodie Diegel, the Founder and President of Soul Harbour Ranch joins me. The SOUL Harbour Ranch Animal Therapy Program, located in Barrington, Illinois, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to enrich lives by promoting the unconditional love and healing of the human-animal bond, while advocating for animal therapy standards of excellence. We offer the Barrington-area’s most experienced and comprehensive animal-assisted therapy teams, which includes registered therapy dogs, registered miniature therapy horses and miniature therapy donkeys. Our registered therapy dogs started visiting as early as 2010, and our registered miniature therapy horses started visiting in 2012. https://soulharbourranch.com/
West Suburban Humane Society just opened their brand new building in March and unfortunately the pandemic has hampered their plans, but they are still rescuing and still adopting animals out! Christina Morrison, the Director of Development joins me to talk about rescuing animals from rural areas, tips for adopting an animal and much more! https://www.wshs-dg.org/
Compassion Fatigue comes up over and over in this podcast and I am honored to be joined by an expert in the field, Jessica Dolce. She is the Founder of The Compassion in Balance Program and educates people who work with animals. https://www.compassioninbalance.com/
Camp Dogwood is a paradise for humans to get away with their dogs and partake in activities that surround their animals. The unique camp has grown in the last 20 years and Alysa Sly has done so much work and research making it a destination for dog lovers. For more: https://www.campdogwood.com/
Bailing Out Benji is a non-profit that is dedicated to educating people about puppy mills by using data and sharing stories. Nikki and Raquel join me to break down the difference between breeders and mills and much more. For more: bailingoutbenji.com
Mobile dog grooming is a great concept for animals that may be nervous going to get a hair cut or a nail trim and Kirsten Nuffer took the leap into her own mobile grooming venture and never looked back.
Jenny Leech started fostering not long ago and has taken in some very broken and injured animals. She also has 2 dogs that are frequently seen on viral videos! Big Ben and Tiny Tim have become best friends and their relationship is the cutest: facebook.com/bigbentinytim