the Intake

Charleston Animal Society organized No Kill South Carolina as a collaborative effort to reduce overpopulation and unnecessary euthanasia. A 2025 proclamation from the Governor of South Carolina says the network began in 2016 and reached a 90 percent statewide lifesaving rate in 2024. Now Charleston Animal Society's statewide team is exploring how PACT, People and Animals in Community Together,...

In 2019, The Association made an intentional commitment to examine DEI within our organization and across the animal welfare profession. That commitment ultimately led to the creation of our DEI Council and to a partnership with MSM Global Consulting that has helped us learn, listen, challenge ourselves, and think more deeply about what it means tocreate organizations and a profession where people...

In January 2025, the Eaton Fire burned for 24 daysin Pasadena Humane's service area. Evacuations and warnings affected more than 100,000 residents and 20,000 structures, over 9,400 structures were destroyed and Pasadena Humane assisted more than 3,000 animals during the response.  Katherine is joined by three Pasadena Humane leaderswho guided this work and later co-presented their lessons at A...

Cathy Rosenthal is the curator and editor of HumanePerspectives: Leadership in Animal Welfare , a remarkable collection of essays from 45 leaders across our profession. Rather than focusing on organizational achievements, this book explores the experiences that shaped these leaders—the challenges they faced, the lessons they learned, and the wisdom they hope to pass on to the next generation. Join...

What is The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement? Where did it originate? Why should I become a member? Jim Tedford sits down with Katherine Shenar to talk all things AAWA!

Today we're discussing one of the most urgent andstrategically important issues facing animal welfare organizations today. The health and sustainability of the workforce itself. You know, across the profession organizations are grappling with burnout, turnovers, staffingshortages, communication challenges, and increasing operational pressure. But beyond that human toil, there are issues that a...

Join us in Chattanooga, TN, October 26 - 29 for The Association's Annual Conference! AAWA's own Kelly Cunningham and Kristy Gonyer join Katherine to share the details of all the things you don't want to miss. Register today!

Recently, animal welfare leaders from across the countrygathered for The Network Live, an event designed to bring together big ideas, honest conversations, and practical solutions for some of our profession's most pressing challenges. But as many of our listeners know, not everyone can attend every event. In fact, Katherine wasn't even in the room herself. Today, Katherine is joined by Lil...

Stacy LeBaron has spent more than three decades helping cats and the people who care for them. Previously, she led the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, where innovative programs helped more than 100,000 cats and kittens. Today she is the founder of Community Cats Central, formerly known as the Community Cats Podcast, a platform that has educated and connected thousands of animal welfare prof...

Pet health insurance can be confusing—for pet parents and animal welfare professionals alike. Terms like  pre-existing conditions ,  waiting periods , and  medical records  often create uncertainty at the very moment families are trying to do the right thing for their pets.  In this episode of  The Intake Podcast , Katherine Shenar is joined by Brad Watkins, Director of Animal Welfare at MetLife P...

In this episode of  The Intake Podcast , host Katherine Shenar sits down with Rhett Lindsay and Lydia Krupinski from Anti-Cruelty in Chicago, alongside TrueSense Marketing’s Alison McCarty, to unpack how their 125th anniversary campaign became one of their all-time most impactful fundraising efforts. Come meet Chanel, the rescue dog who became the face of the campaign, and explore the role that da...

What does it take to stabilize your donor pipeline, re-engage lapsed supporters, and grow fundraising revenue— without burning out your team ? In this episode of The Intake , host Katherine Shenar is joined by Kendall Paul , CEO of the Vanderburgh Humane Society, and Kristin Serrano , Vice President and Managing Director at TrueSense Marketing , for a candid, data-driven conversation about buildin...

Are shelter adoptions changing — and what does that mean for pets, people, and the future of animal welfare? In this episode, we dive into the 2025 State of Shelter Adoptions Report , one of the most comprehensive snapshots of what shelters are experiencing right now. Join host Katherine Shenar of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement alongside industry leaders Ellen Taylor (Humane Societ...

Pet insurance might not be the flashiest topic—but what if we told you it could be the secret ingredient to boosting adoptions, supporting your staff, and building long-term trust with pet parents? In this episode of The Intake , we’re joined by two passionate leaders who know the power of partnership: Maggie McSchaefer , Executive Director of Foothills Animal Shelter, and Brian Jorgensen , CEO of...

If you’re an animal welfare professional looking to reduce intake, increase RTO, and provide faster solutions for lost pets and worried families, this episode is for you. Katherine Shenar hosts Front Street Animal Shelter’s Phillip Zimmerman and Jackie Rose of DocuPet.

This episode kicks off Part 1 of a 2-part interview with Hannah Shaw, widely known as The Kitten Lady, and Jackie Noble, the newly appointed executive director of Orphan Kitten Club , to explore the unique challenges and rewarding experiences of fostering neonatal kittens. The conversation sparked from the 2024 Hill's Pet Nutrition's State of Shelter Adoptions Report that cites some new informatio...

In this episode, we sit down with Hannah Shaw, a/k/a The Kitten Lady, an advocate for cat welfare, especially neonate kittens, and Jackie Noble, executive director for the Orphan Kitten Club, Shaw’s nonprofit she created to help build innovative programs that save the lives of the tiniest and most vulnerable felines .  Shaw discusses the launch of Cats of the World , a stunning new book that featu...

Hill’s Pet Nutrition just released their 2024 State of Shelter Adoption Report , with data suggesting there could be gains in exploring our messaging to potential volunteers around foster opportunities. The Association’s Katherine Shenar sat down with three animal welfare professionals who have headed exemplary foster programs that have seen big successes. Listen in as she talks about everything f...

Hill’s Pet Nutrition just released their 2024 State of Shelter Adoption Report , and you may be surprised to learn that 1 in 3 people would be more likely to adopt if foster-to-adopt were an option at their shelter, or that 64% of respondents would foster if their costs were covered. To capitalize on these insights and learn how to grow your foster program, listen in as The Association’s Katherine...

The Association’s Katherine Shenar hosts Brian Jorgensen of MetLife Pet Insurance and Atlanta Humane Society’s Michael Robbins for a talk about an untapped strategy for improving access to care. Learn about partnerships between shelters and pet insurance providers that can change the way shelters help their communities, and hear some common myths about pet insurance busted.

It's true that intake numbers are still below pre-pandemic 2019, yet animal shelters are over capacity. And the numbers show that interest in adoptions is waning. There is a potential solution... But why aren’t more organizations prioritizing it? The Association’s Katherine Shenar sits down with Abbie Moore and Kristen Hassen of Petco Love Lost to discuss RTO strategies to reunite lost pets wi...

Taking a dog’s or cat’s temperature with a traditional rectal thermometer in a clinical or shelter setting … Wish it could be both more efficient and less stressful for the animal? Well, it CAN. Find out how in this conversation between The Association’s Katherine M. Shenar, Jamie Driscoll of Mella Pet Care , and Alex Schechter, DVM. Informed by the Fear Free philosophy that aims to reduce fear, a...

Heard the one about the foster volunteer with the sick kitten calling the foster coordinator at 2 am on a Sunday morning, and the foster coordinator then calling the vet to see if it’s an emergency? This all-too common scenario can lead to staff burnout , work-life imbalance, and inefficient processes that drain organizational resources. The Association’s Katherine Shenar sits down with Greenville...

July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month and Lorien Clemens, CEO and co-founder of PetHub and Jerrica Owen, Executive Director for the National Animal Care & Control Association, share survey results from their 2022 Lost Pet Research Study. The survey shows a gap in perceptions of prevention and return-to-home methods by pet owners as well as animal shelter employees. Learn how you can prevent y...

With rents increasing as much as 25% across the nation, Dianne Prado, eviction attorney in Los Angeles, helps us understand what we need to know if we rent with a pet. We learned a lot from Dianne and know you will, too.