Who Will Let the Dogs Out

Frustrated with your local animal shelter's conditions, but unsure how to actually bring about meaningful change? In this episode of Who Will Let The Dogs Out? , co-founder Cara Achterberg dives into common pitfalls advocates face when they get stuck in "problem mode" and shares actionable strategies for creating real solutions. Tune in as Cara breaks down three crucial steps for ani...

Is the "save them all" narrative unintentionally causing more harm than good in animal welfare? In this special replay of our recent webinar, host Cara takes a deep dive into why focusing strictly on no-kill percentages is leading to unintended consequences like crowded shelters, closed intakes, and long-term warehousing. We break down a realistic, compassionate framework designed to sup...

Host Cara Achterberg sits down with Emily Holland, Executive Director of Animal Harbor in Winchester, Tennessee, to discuss innovative, compassionate approaches to animal welfare in rural communities. Emily shares the inspiration and impact behind their brand-new Crisis Care Program—an initiative designed to help pet owners during sudden emergencies, keep pets in loving homes, and prevent animals...

Description: In this episode, host Cara Achterberg tackles the ongoing crisis in animal welfare and proposes a necessary shift in how we measure success in animal shelters. Moving away from the arbitrary "no-kill status" metric, Cara explores what it truly means to practice responsible sheltering and build a humane community. Key topics covered in this episode include: Why animal welfare...

In this episode, Cara introduces a groundbreaking new vision— "Responsible Sheltering" and "Humane Communities" —alongside two leaders on the frontlines of animal welfare reform: Lisa Milot (Attorney, shelter advocate, Vermont’s inaugural Director of Animal Welfare and founder of AthensPets) Roxanne Hicks (Director of Edgewater Animal Shelter & Founder of The Shelter Shift...

Our animal welfare system is reaching a breaking point. Across the nation, stray populations are exploding, intake waitlists are stretching for months, and shelters are operating far beyond capacity. But how did we get here—and why has the rigid push for "no-kill" status made it harder for municipal shelters to serve their communities? In this episode, Cara Achtorberg breaks down the hid...

In this episode, host Cara Achterberg sits down with Suzy Hollenbach, Director of Memphis Animal Services (MAS), for a candid discussion on the animal welfare crisis in Memphis and across the nation. Suzy shares her journey from founding All Fours Rescue League—a grass-roots outreach program delivering free spay/neuter services, vaccines, and support directly to underserved neighborhoods—to taking...

What actually happens when animal shelters turn away immediate surrenders? In this episode, we take an honest, unvarnished look at the reality of open intake versus managed intake shelters, and explore why the national shift toward restricted admissions may be doing more harm than good. In this episode, we cover: Defining Intake Models: Clear breakdowns of open intake, managed intake, and limited...

In this episode, Cara sits down with Tammy Fox, Executive Director of the Florida Keys SPCA, to unpack how animal welfare has dramatically shifted over the last three decades. With a career spanning back to 1994—including leadership roles in Austin, Texas, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania—Tammy brings a wealth of frontline experience to a tough but necessary conversation. Together, Cara and Tammy tackl...

After our last episode on the critical differences between public shelters and private rescues, we received a lot of... let’s call it reactive feedback. In this episode, we are backing up, slowing down, and clearing up the confusion because this misunderstanding is at the very heart of the animal welfare crisis we are facing today. Too many people are placing the expectations of a private rescue o...

Why are our animal shelters broken? It starts with a massive misunderstanding. Too many people judge a tax-funded municipal shelter by the exact same yardstick they use for a private rescue. But their core missions are completely different. In this episode, we break down why a shelter is not a rescue, how this confusion leads to finger-pointing, and how working together—instead of competing—is the...

Words matter. Decades ago, the term "no-kill" revolutionized animal welfare and ignited a movement. But today, has that very vocabulary become weaponized? In this powerful episode, we dive deep into how our language is fueling the current animal shelter crisis—leading to packed facilities, public confusion, and severe burnout for shelter workers. We are challenging the status quo and pro...

A conversation with Meridith Perry , who inherited a Mississippi animal shelter on the brink of collapse. When she took over, the facility was broke, dangerously underequipped, bound by strict city intake contracts, and trapped in a legacy of long-term warehousing. Worse, the local community had no idea how dire the situation really was. In just two and a half years, Meridith completely turned the...

In this eye-opening episode of Who Will Let the Dogs Out? , co-founder Cara Achterberg tackles the escalating animal crisis with raw honesty and a glimmer of hope. While shelters innovate with new foster models, pet retention programs, and spay/neuter funding, a deeper issue is dragging true animal welfare backward. Cara boldly exposes how the standard "90% live-release rate" for no-kill...

What happens when our "save them all" slogans collide with the heartbreaking reality of underfunded, overwhelmed animal shelters? After visiting over 200 shelters and hearing from thousands of workers on the brink of collapse, Cara pulls back the curtain on the "Impossible Task" we’ve handed our shelter staff. In this episode, we dive deep into the two worlds of animal welfare:...

The animal shelter world has shifted drastically since the pandemic, and we need to talk about the uncomfortable reality behind the headlines. In this episode, we share what we witnessed during our recent shelter tour—from the unintended consequences of the "No-Kill" label to the heartbreaking rise of animal warehousing. We dive deep into why the animal crisis is worsening, exploring the...

The animal crisis in our country is growing every day. The solutions we've used for decades are helping us tread water but make no real progress. We need new solutions. Here's one! Cara shares four ways to have a Post Adoption Program that helps adopters, dogs, and shelters/rescues. Plus 7 ways why you need to start doing post adoption programs on some level NOW. Visit WhoWillLettheDogsOut...

Utilizing local businesses and organizations can be a shelter's superpower when it comes to engaging its community. Here are five ways to invite them to help you, not only find the supplies and resources you need, but to get dogs (and cats) into homes faster, and create strong advocates who will make the shelter a beloved resource. To learn more about our work, visit WhoWillLettheDogsOut.org H...

We just got back from our latest shelter tour. We've now made more than 200 visits to shelters in 16 states, yet I learn more with every tour. We were able to visit some remarkably successful shelters on this tour and I'm going to share 7 key takeaways from the places that are succeeding in not just saving lives but serving their communities. To learn more about our work, visit WhoWillLett...

Explanation of the difference between different types of shelters (municipal, nonprofit, regional), examples of some exemplary ones, and how they function, plus ideas for funding any kind of shelter. This is Chapter Six of Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues. This book is available on Amazon or through our website. Book sales enable us to give the book out for...

We just got back from a tour of shelters in southern states and some things were very clear. A shelter's intake practices can compound the crisis, but they can also force shelter leadership to make hard choices. This podcast shares some of what we saw and poses some of the questions we all need to ask if we want to solve our animal crisis. for more information, visit WhoWillLettheDogsOut.org T...

Stronger Together is a program to bring together all the players: rescue and shelter employees, volunteers, and advocates, plus government officials and change makers to solve the animal crisis in their community. Here's what it's about and what happens at these free events and why we host them. Free Registration for Memphis event on 10/25/25: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/stronger...

A brief episode explaining why we visit animal shelters, what our purpose is, and what happens when we go there - and afterward. For more information, visit WhoWillLettheDogsOut.org If you have questions or would like to suggest a shelter we should visit, contact Cara@WWLDO.org

Shelters and rescues all over the country are overwhelmed. Our stray population is growing. More dogs are being surrendered. More dogs are being killed. Adoptions have slowed. Transports have slowed. And yet, some national animal welfare organizations say things are getting better. It's time for a frank conversation about the situation. To learn more about us, visit WhoWillLettheDogsOut.org .

This episode dives into the critical pieces of veterinary access and community engagement for shelters and rescues. This is the second half of the chapter on Solutions and it's packed with ideas for programs and practices to help your organization engage your community, as well as, creative solutions to the struggle for veterinary access in the south. Learn more or get your copy of the book at...