Keep it Humane

In this episode, Daniel and Ashley sit down with Dr. Kevin Tillman, a veterinarian with over 40 years of experience, to explore what it really means to help pets live longer—and better—lives. From the four pillars of pet longevity to the role of diet, early diagnostics, supplements, and emerging longevity drugs like rapamycin, Dr. Kevin breaks down practical, evidence-based strategies that challen...

What if the challenges we’re facing in animal welfare today aren’t new at all? In this episode of Keep it Humane , we sit down with Audrey Lodato—Senior Director of Regional Programs at Best Friends Animal Society and creator of the animal welfare history blog Barking at the Knot —to uncover how the past continues to shape the present. From the early 1800s “War Against Dogs” to the fear-driven pol...

Daniel is out this week… which means Ashley Bishop and Ashlee Bishop have taken over the podcast. That’s right—no supervision. In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast , the Ashleys talk about something that isn’t always easy to discuss in animal welfare: compassion fatigue. They dive into the emotional weight of the job, the stress that comes with working in animal control and shelters, and...

A recent large-scale animal seizure in Los Angeles County—where more than 300 animals were removed from a single property—serves as the backdrop for this episode. But this isn’t a breakdown of that case. Because the truth is… we don’t have all the facts. And neither does anyone else—yet. Instead, we use this moment to talk about what really happens when a large-scale impound hits an agency. From t...

In this episode, Ashley, Ashlee, and Daniel take a deep dive into the evolution of animal welfare by breaking down the Five Domains of Animal Welfare and how they differ from the traditional Five Freedoms. The team explores how the Five Freedoms laid the foundation for humane care—focusing on preventing suffering—while the Five Domains push the conversation further by emphasizing an animal’s overa...

In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast , Daniel Ettinger and Ashley Bishop unpack a controversial and costly case out of Los Angeles that has many in the animal welfare field asking hard questions. A Los Angeles County jury recently awarded $5.4 million to a woman who was severely injured by a dog while picking it up from a city animal shelter for transport to a rescue group. The dog — a B...

In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast , Daniel Ettinger and Ashley Bishop sit down with Sam Amalsadwala , a Montreal-based dog behavior expert whose path into animal behavior is anything but traditional. Originally from India and trained as a chef, Sam shares how a career transition — and a deep curiosity about dogs — led him to build a unique approach to canine behavior grounded in obser...

In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast , Daniel Ettinger and Ashley Bishop sit down with Dr. Doonerstag, DVM , for an insightful conversation exploring the critical role veterinarians play in animal welfare, shelter medicine, and community-based care. Dr. Doonerstag shares perspectives from the veterinary field on some of the most complex challenges facing animal control agencies and shelt...

Before Keep it Humane , there was The Humane Roundup — the show that started it all. In this special episode, we bring back two of the original hosts of The Humane Roundup — the voices who helped lay the foundation for the conversations we’re still having today. We revisit where it all began, why the show was created, what was happening in animal welfare at the time, and how those early discussion...

In this fun and heartfelt episode, Ashley and I dive into one of the most creative shelter fundraisers we’ve seen yet — the “Neuter Your Ex” campaign from Check out the “Neuter Your Ex” promotion and how it helps community cats . We break down how this playful idea raises funds for spay/neuter programs that reduce feral cat overpopulation, support Trap-Neuter-Return efforts, and ultimately save li...

In this episode of Keep It Humane: The Podcast , Daniel Ettinger , Ashley Bishop , and Ashlee Bishop sit down with children’s author Marshall Silverman . Marshall reads from his heartfelt book Can I Please Have a Dog and shares the inspiration behind the story. We talk about patience, responsibility, and the powerful connection between kids, animals, and storytelling. It’s a warm, family-friendly...

In this episode, we sit down with Wayne Pacelle — former President & CEO of HSUS and current leader of two powerful organizations shaping the future of animal welfare: Animal Wellness Action ( https://animalwellnessaction.org/ ) and the Center for a Humane Economy ( https://centerforahumaneeconomy.org/ ). Wayne joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the current state of animal welfare...

In this episode of Keep it Humane , Daniel and Ashley sit down with Douglas Starr , Professor Emeritus of Science Journalism at Boston University and longtime science writer, to unpack one of the most polarizing topics in animal welfare today: the no-kill movement and the influence of large national organizations like Best Friends Animal Society . Douglas joins the show to discuss his recent Smith...

It’s the first episode of Keep it Humane for 2026, and we’re kicking off the year by catching up. Daniel Ettinger, Ashley Bishop, and Ashlee Bishop sit down to reflect on the past year—what challenged us, what surprised us, and what reminded us why this work matters. From lessons learned in animal control and animal welfare to the realities of burnout, leadership, and showing up for both people an...

In this powerful episode, Daniel Ettinger and Ashlee Bishop sit down with Nina Jackel, founder of Lady Freethinker , for an in-depth conversation about the global fight against animal cruelty and what it takes to create real, lasting change. Nina shares her remarkable journey from freelance journalist to leading an international nonprofit that exposes abuse, funds on-the-ground rescuers, and drive...

In this powerful and eye-opening episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast , Daniel Ettinger, Ashley Bishop and Ashlee Bishop sit down with Dr. A. Michelle Gonzalez—veterinarian, forensic expert, and host of The Animal Welfare Junction . Dr. Gonzalez has been leading a groundbreaking investigative series on Steffen Baldwin, a self-proclaimed “trainer” whose history of animal cruelty and misconduct ha...

While Daniel was somewhere over the Rockies on a flight, Ashlee and Ashley held down the fort and sat down with one of animal welfare’s most respected leaders: Kenny Lamberti . In this episode, Kenny shares insights from his decades of experience in community engagement, shelter operations, and national-level advocacy. Together, they dig into the evolving landscape of animal welfare, the importanc...

In this special throwback episode of Keep It Humane: The Podcast , we revisit one of our most powerful interviews featuring David Hunt from the Ohio Department of Agriculture . David was an avid and skilled investigator of animal fighting cases, dedicating his career to uncovering and dismantling some of the most complex operations in the field. This episode is packed with insight, strategy, and p...

In this episode of Keep it Humane , Daniel and Ashley explore an inspiring initiative where teens aren’t just learning about animal welfare—they’re actively shaping it. We dig into the story of the Snake River Animal Shelter’s “Paws for a Cause” program, which brought local teenagers into direct service with shelter animals and their community. East Idaho News You’ll hear how the five-week program...

As Albuquerque faces what some are calling a “kitten takeover,” shelters across New Mexico are stretched to capacity. In this episode, Daniel Ettinger and Ashley Bishop sit down with Val Wilson , Executive Director of Animal Humane New Mexico , to discuss what’s behind the surge in kitten intakes and how shelters can adapt to the changing landscape of animal welfare. Val shares insights from her l...

In this episode, Daniel and OG Bishop dive into an inspiring story out of Eastpointe, Michigan, where Animal Control Officer Ashley Sanchez is making a real difference for pets and their owners. They explore how strict city ordinances (Eastpointe spans just five square miles) have been paired with a compassionate outreach program: a pet-food pantry, low-cost vaccination and micro-chip clinics, and...

In this unfiltered episode of Keep It Humane: The Podcast , Daniel and Ashley drop the script, silence the filters, and just talk. No guests. No agenda. No BS. They open up about the highs and lows of working in animal welfare — the burnout, the wins that keep them going, the moments they’ve doubted themselves, and the people who’ve helped them grow along the way. This is an honest, vulnerable con...

In this episode of Keep It Humane: The Podcast , we sit down with Steve Kaufman, former leader at PetSmart Charities and now a respected consultant in the animal welfare space. Steve shares his unique perspective on how access to veterinary care is evolving and why it’s one of the most pressing issues facing shelters, rescues, and communities today. We explore his views on the future of animal wel...

Join us for a captivating conversation with Arthur von Wiesenberger , the visionary host and executive producer behind AnimalZone . In this special episode, Arthur takes us behind the scenes of the series and shares how his lifelong passion for animals shaped his mission to uplift their stories through media. We dive into: Arthur’s early life, education, and the formative moments that ignited his...

In this episode, we welcome Rachel Bellis from PETA to discuss the organization’s provocative new commercial challenging the “No-Kill” shelter movement and why they believe the approach is failing animals. Based on PETA’s recent feature “What Does Best Friends Animal Society’s ‘No-Kill’ Push Mean for Animals?” , we dig into the realities behind the rhetoric. PETA Rachel walks us through PETA’s cri...