Petspace Podcast

We made it to the new year, can you believe it? To celebrate, we’re looking back at the second half of the episodes that brought us here, with highlights from PetSpace Podcast episodes 11-20. Guests include viral sensations, trailblazers in animal welfare, and more folks fighting the good fight to raise awareness and make the world a better place – for us, and for all our furry friends. Thanks as...

2024 is almost over, which means it’s a perfect time to look back at the episodes of the podcast that got us here. Today, we’re celebrating our first full year on the air by diving back into our favorite moments from our first 10 episodes. This eclectic collection of guests has really helped us explore just how broad the world of rescue can be…and how many unique humans it takes to save lives. Our...

For some shelters and rescues, “every dog every day” might only be an aspiration, but for Aimee Sadler, it defines her entire approach to canine enrichment. As CEO of Dogs Playing For Life, Aimee has traveled the country to introduce shelters to the idea of playgroups, a perfect way for dogs to get their ya-ya’s out; in doing so, Aimee has changed the experience of tens of thousands of shelter dog...

Wesley Swainston is on the run – literally – to help shelter dogs get the exposure they need to find their forever homes. You may have seen him on TikTok or Instagram, inviting you to join him on a run as he gives a dog a much-needed break from a kennel at a shelter. Wesley’s videos combine his lifelong passion for volunteering with his more recently found skills in dog training, and they’ve given...

There’s beauty in everything, even a litter of rambunctious puppies, running through their own poop. And for videographer Thom McCallum, capturing the beauty and joy of fostering is just one part of the job – because ultimately, Thom’s role is to say farewell to as many pups as possible, so he can continue to make room for more little lives to come into his home. On this episode of the PetSpace Po...

Many people would gladly settle for a successful career in music, but for Sterling “TrapKing” Davis, rapping was merely a stepping stone towards his true calling: TNR and community cat management. After doing years of outreach and education, Sterling founded TrapKing Humane Cat Solutions in 2017. Today, his nonprofit continues to champion TNR and provide trapping resources to rescues and communiti...

Let’s be real: dog groomers are the unsung heroes of the pet industry. They’re the ones who battle through the matted coats, risk life and limb to clip nails, and make it look so easy to keep our pets well-maintained, happy, and healthy. And who better to talk about dog grooming than Jess Rona, groomer to the stars and a star in her own right?  As an aspiring comedian, Jess found her way into the...

Sometimes, the rescue world can be heavy. But today’s guest – creator, filmmaker, and author Kelsey Darragh – somehow captures the most magical moments, especially with her ever rotating cast of foster dogs. Admittedly, Kelsey was a pro at saying goodbye… until Hippo came along. She shares how one dog seemingly changed her life for nothing but the best and how she continues to champion for her fos...

Not all rescue stories are “love at first sight”; often, it’s simply about helping an animal in need, and the bond that grows from there. Sometimes that electric feeling is undeniable where you know that you and your pet-to-be are absolutely perfect for each other. That’s what happened when Vanessa Villela met her cat, Osita, here at PetSpace. On this episode of the PetSpace Podcast, Vanessa descr...

Our guest on today’s episode, Brett Yates, is involved in more pet-friendly initiatives than you can shake a stick at. Pet-inclusive housing? You’ve got it. Community outreach and support?  Throw it on the list. Research to incentivize and rapidly develop a single-dose, nonsurgical sterilant that would change spay/neuter practices forever? Yeah, why not? As the CEO of the Michelson Found Animals F...

“The dogs are good again this week.” Over the years, Matt Nelson of WeRateDogs has delivered some iconic lines in support of man’s best friend, and as WeRateDogs’ presence has grown, so has Matt’s ambitions to give back to the community of dog-lovers that he has amassed. Enter the 15/10 Foundation , inspired by the followers of WeRateDogs this foundation now covers medical bills to make shelter do...

Nathan Kehn is many things: an actor, a video game designer, an influencer, a budding TNR enthusiast… but first and foremost, he identifies as a “crazy cat lady” in the best of ways. He found that leaning into being a “cat lady” was a superior alternative to “Nathan the Cat Daddy” (trust us, he very quickly learned why). Nathan the Cat Lady hasan innate talent for writing skits and has grown it in...

“Who rescued who?” It’s something you hear often when it comes to our pets, but for Zach Skow, the sentiment couldn’t be truer. Faced with end-stage liver disease and an uphill battle with addiction, Zach credits his dogs with getting him through his darkest days, and he’s been returning the favor ever since. His rescue, Marley’s Mutts , has been going strong for more than a decade, and he joined...

Okay, so let’s say you were inspired by our last episode with Puppy Bowl ref Dan Schachner, who fostered dogs for a decade before finally adopting one for himself. Or maybe fostering has been on your to-do list, or it’s a New Year’s Resolution of yours, but you don’t know where to start. Well, today’s guest on the PetSpace Podcast, Holly Allen, has been rescuing animals for basically her entire li...

On this episode of the PetSpace Podcast, we’re joined by someone who truly scored a touchdown when he landed the role of a lifetime: as the referee – or “ruffaree,” as the case may be – of the Puppy Bowl. Each year, Dan Schachner attempts to maintain order for the 100+ puppies who participate in the event, while also highlighting adoptable puppies and helping their rescues find homes for dogs in n...

What would you do if you found an abandoned kitten in a tree? Hopefully we’d all do something to help, but for Hannah Shaw, stumbling upon her cat-to-be, Coco, literally changed her life. And in the years since, as the Kitten Lady, she’s made it her mission to educate people on how to care for neonatal kittens, the most vulnerable – and incredibly cute – population found at shelters across the cou...

Our guest on this episode of the PetSpace Podcast, Susan Michals has spent close to a decade producing events that challenge typical “cat people” stereotypes. A former writer and producer at E!, Susan decided to marry her love of cats and her art background into the first Cat Art Show; impressed by the turnout, she created CatCon a year later, and the rest is history. Coming up on the 10th year of...

As the human half of Liberty Mutual’s buddy-cop pair LiMu Emu and Doug, writer/actor David Hoffman is pretty famous for working with animals… well, one specific animal. But, as he confesses on this episode of the PetSpace Podcast, despite his rapport with his emu partner, he has actually been afraid of dogs for most of his life. The keyword there is “most,” as David shares how his rescue dog, Duke...

On this episode of the PetSpace Podcast, celebrity stylist and rescue dog dad, Brad Goreski, joined us in-studio to share what he loves most about his resced dogs,how he is using his Instagram as a platform for rescue activism, and how he can no longer imagine a night where he isn't sleeping snugly with a pup on either side. During our conversation, Brad confessed that one of his goals for 20...

On this episode of the PetSpace Podcast, we are joined by one of our most treasured rescue networkers and fairy dogmother, Rita Earl Blackwell. This time we took the show on the road to Rita’s home away from home - one of LA County’s Animal Care Centers. Rita has repeatedly gone viral for her videos and photos of shelter dogs in need. This incredible human has helped many rescue organizations – in...

On this episode of the PetSpace Podcast, Caitlin and Maxwell Benson, founders of the comedy production company, Can’t Even Comedy – but most importantly, repeat PetSpace adopters – give us the scoop on how they have mastered weaving their love for their pets into their work and their everyday lives. We had no shortage of laughs as the duo shared stories of how a crusty old chihuahua helped cement...

As the saying goes… “eyes are the windows to the soul”, and Sophie Gamand’s work proves this is not just  applicable to us humans, but animals as well, especially those waiting for their forever homes. An award-winning artist and photographer, Sophie has made a career out of humanizing dogs, first with her viral series “ Wet Dog ” and “ Pit Bull Flower Power ,” and later by documenting trips to do...

Recorded just a few months before P-22’s tragic passing, this episode features Beth Pratt of #SaveLACougars and the National Wildlife Foundation. Beth, aka “the Cougar Lady,” joins the PetSpace Podcast to talk about how P-22 became an iconic presence in LA, and in doing so, revolutionized the way people think about our relationship with urban wildlife. Beth has also spent years working on the Wall...

Our pets have all sorts of silly, goofy, adorable little quirks, and Matt Hobbs has made a career out of turning those funny quirks and cute moments into catchy songs – or, more specifically, Puppy Songs. What started as a fun hobby during the COVID lockdown has blossomed into something way way larger: thanks to songs like “Cheese Tax” and “Big Stretch,” Matt has racked up over 16 million likes on...

Kicking off with a guest who needs no introduction, Kristen Bell. To call Kristen an “animal lover” is most certainly an understatement – after understanding at a young age that all living things have significance in this world, she leaned into her love of animals and the safe space that they provided her. Kristen has rescued and fostered countless dogs (particularly seniors who have experienced t...