Every Pawprint! Every Story!

Send us Fan Mail A dog didn’t just comfort Marine veteran BJ Ganem, it gave him a reason to stay alive. After a devastating blast in Iraq took his left foot and ended his Marine Corps career, BJ found himself navigating phantom pain, grief, and a spiral of life stress that included divorce, bankruptcy, and the kind of isolation that can swallow anyone. He tells the story with zero polish and a lot...

Send us Fan Mail A deaf little dog named Horton changes everything and when Danya loses him in a tragedy, she doesn’t shut down. She builds a mission. Danya (known on LinkedIn and around town as the Chicago Dog Ambassador) joins us to share how heartbreak pushed her into animal rescue, fostering, and a bigger fight for animal welfare that goes far beyond feel-good adoption stories. We talk about w...

Send us Fan Mail A dog tied up overnight in a Milwaukee park becomes the spark for everything that follows. We sit down with Gracie, a rescue volunteer and proud “dog and cat mom” with a full house: three dogs and six cats, all with wildly different backstories and needs. Her heart dog, Marley, is a blue-nosed pit bull she rescues after a Facebook post leads her to a neglected pup locked away and...

Send us Fan Mail A rescue Australian Shepherd named Seven is “running for president,” and his campaign stickers get laughs fast but the heart of this conversation goes much deeper. We sit down with author and longtime therapy dog handler Susan Hartzler to talk about the dogs who carried her through different seasons of life, from Blondie to Baldwin to her current pack, including Rosie and Paige Tu...

Send us Fan Mail A puppy trails behind strangers in the rain, doubles back, and decides she’s staying. That single moment kicks off a wide-ranging conversation with Anka from Soul Touched by Dogs about what rescue dogs, street dogs, and the human animal bond really look like when you live it day to day, not just in highlight reels. We talk about Ada, the steady “Miss Ada” who curls up under the de...

Send us Fan Mail A Ziploc bag opens and two little dogs come running because it can only mean one thing: cheese. That sweet detail is where this conversation starts, and it’s also why pet loss hurts so much. I’m Dan Popovic, and I sit down with Jean from Jefferson, Georgia to talk about the everyday rituals that turn a dog into family and what happens when that love has nowhere obvious to land aft...

Send us Fan Mail I wrote this song from the bottom of my heart to thank everyone who has been a guest on my podcast and trusted me with their stories. My hope is that this song brings a smile to your face, keeps those special memories close, and adds a little light to your day. Please help me share this message. Music has a unique way of preserving memories and creating meaningful connections. Jus...

Send us Fan Mail A dog’s leash can be more than a daily chore. It can be a lifeline back to routine, movement, and the kind of quiet focus that anxiety and depression try to steal. We sit down with Dave, a psychologist in private practice (trained in school psychology) who works with teens, college students, and young adults navigating ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, trauma, suicidal ideation,...

Send us Fan Mail Some stories are so specific they become universal, and that’s what happens when Jeff starts talking about Charlie. Jeff works in finance, lives in New Jersey, and still describes a simple routine, walking his golden retriever every morning, as the thread that helped hold him together through clinical depression and severe anxiety. When your brain is loud and your world feels smal...

Send us Fan Mail Your dog can be “old” long before they look old, and that blind spot is where so many heartbreaking problems start: pacing at night, accidents on the rug, getting stuck in corners, or suddenly forgetting a familiar backyard hazard. We talk with Angela Ardolino, a longtime senior dog rescuer and holistic animal advocate, about what those changes can really mean and why canine cogni...

Send us Fan Mail You can tell a lot about someone by how they talk about their dogs, and Dave’s stories make that clear fast. We start with Colt, Molly, and Dexter: thunder anxiety that turns into couch cuddles, tennis-ball intensity, shin-lick greetings, and the kind of lovable goofball energy that keeps a house laughing. From there, we connect the fun to the real stuff every pet parent deals wit...

Send us Fan Mail A dog can do more than keep you company, it can help your nervous system feel safe again. I sit down with executive coach, speaker, and author Rob Kalwarowsky ,  (Capitalizing on Chaos) to talk about the real role his labradoodle Winston played while Rob worked through depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and intense therapy. Rob connects the dots between EMDR-style “safe place...

Send us Fan Mail A rescue event, a blurry profile photo, and one look across a room was enough for Liana to know Ellery was hers. Ellery is now 16, and his story opens up something bigger than a cute meet-cute: what it really takes to love and care for an aging rescue dog when anxiety, behavior quirks, and health changes are part of the package. We talk about the language we use for love, includin...

Send us Fan Mail A dog who barks at everyone becomes “the best behaved dog” at assisted living, and it happens because one guest shows up with a simple plan and a pocket full of kibble. We sit down with Cindy, a longtime foster who has seen how small choices, steady routines, and realistic expectations can completely change a pet’s world, especially when you’re living with a reactive dog. Shiloh’s...

Send us Fan Mail Seven pets. Two brand-new Golden Retriever puppies. A black kitten who barely makes an appearance because she’s still settling in. And one legendary Chihuahua mix who apparently has a social calendar downtown. We sit down with Melissa and Durski in Ackworth, Georgia and quickly realize their “furkid” story is equal parts hilarious and deeply human.  We talk through how Leo and Com...

Send us Fan Mail A solo trail run, a stranger moment that would rattle anyone, and a big dog built for endurance all collide into a story that is equal parts funny, practical, and unexpectedly moving. We’re talking with McKenzie from Rome, Georgia about her two dogs Hazel, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Emma, a Coonhound mix, and what it really takes to live with high-drive personalities while still k...

Send us Fan Mail A sensitive dog can change your whole world, then teach you how to rebuild it with intention. We sit down with Haley, who’s been living full-time van life for nearly three and a half years with Scout, her Australian cattle dog mix rescue, and the story is equal parts adventure and hard-won calm. From a Wisconsin shelter to a home that fits on four wheels, Scout’s journey shows how...

Send us Fan Mail A kitten gets attacked, surrendered at an emergency vet, and ends up becoming a 13-year-old tuxedo cat who still runs the house. That’s how Alex’s story begins, and it quickly turns into something bigger: what it really means to care for animals when life gets messy, expensive, emotional, and unpredictable. Alex joins me from Seattle to talk about Hiccup’s rescue, the strange litt...

Send us Fan Mail Your pet can look “fine” one minute and be in real danger the next. That whiplash is exactly what we get into with Dr. Jessica Corley, an ER veterinarian and medical director with VEG ER , as we talk about the moments that shape families, the animals who become our heart companions, and the split second decisions that can change an outcome.  We start with Dr. Corley’s own furkids...

Send us Fan Mail A squirrel can steal a dog’s attention in a second, but it’s nothing compared to the moment a family realizes love also comes with responsibility at the end of a pet’s life. Jenny joins me from Manchester to share stories about Maple, their cavapoo, from her changing coat color and “lead of shame” walks to the very real work of building better choices for pet parents when quality...

Send us Fan Mail Your dog suddenly looks dizzy, can’t keep their balance, and the whole thing feels like it comes out of nowhere. That’s where our conversation with Lauren begins, with a real-life look at vestibular disease in dogs and why it can appear terrifying while still being something many dogs recover from with rest, careful management, and the right veterinary follow-up. We also talk abou...

Send us Fan Mail A rescue dog found on the side of the road can change the whole direction of a life, and Nicole’s story makes that feel real in the most personal way. I sat down with Nicole to talk about Dega, her “NASCAR dog from Alabama,” and how a sassy, tennis-ball-obsessed rescue became her constant through high school, COVID isolation, college transitions, and the jump into adulthood. We ge...

Send us Fan Mail A dog can change your entire life and then break your heart on the way out. I sit down with John in Seattle to trace that full arc, from the goofy, everyday moments of raising a young English Labrador named James to the deeper story behind his full name: James Charles, a quiet tribute to Charlie, the Labrador John lost after 12 years together.  We talk about how James came into th...

Send us Fan Mail A rescue dog who arrives broken, a cattle dog genius who never stops working, and a black lab who turns every day into a reason to play. That’s where our conversation with Angie begins, and it quickly becomes something bigger: a clear-eyed look at why the love we build with pets can reshape an entire life. We talk about Indy, Angie’s black lab named after Indiana Jones, and how sh...

Send us Fan Mail Pet loss can knock you flat, and what hurts most isn’t only the goodbye, it’s how quiet the world can get afterward. I sit down with Koryn in Toronto to talk about the love that rescue animals bring, the trauma they can carry, and the kind of grief that follows when they’re gone. Koryn introduces her current “furkids” Lenny, an 85-pound German Shepherd Australian Kelpie mix with a...