the Intake

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.

She's an #animalwelfareshero to many of us working in animal shelters -- Joann Fuller, the person responsible for Hill's Food, Shelter, Love program and champion of #ClearTheShelters 2022 , has rolled up her sleeves to make August the best adoption promotion in its 7-year history. Thanks to the support of #NBC and #HillsPetNutrition, thousands of animals will find new homes throughout the month of...

Dr. Anne Kimmerlein, Veterinary Epidemiologist for VCA Animal Hospitals, tells her story of becoming a shelter veterinarian and why she thinks relationships are changing between shelters and private practice veterinarians. 

Petfinder.com's Jessica Arnold pulls the curtain back and reveals an area where animal welfare groups are potentially most vulnerable - cyber security. Just like any other online retailer, nonprofit organization, or business, animal welfare organizations are susceptible to hacking and online fraud. Arnold shares her personal story of entering animal welfare work and provides a sneak peek of Petfin...

A workplace built on constant response and hustle makes for a draining culture. José Ocaño from Best Friends Animal Society shares his observations about Hustle Culture and how animal welfare professionals can take control and escape this toxic environment. 

The new vice president for client strategy and success at One & All, DeSean Brown , shared his one bit of advice for fundraisers in animal welfare. It's not what you think but it makes so much sense.

Big brands get to have the biggest voices and attention, while organizations doing the most good are often overlooked. Nonprofit social impact orgs such as animal shelters can’t compete with the $$$$ budgets big brands dedicated to media buying, production, talent, product, creative, etc. So how can animal welfare fundraisers and marketers raise hell together, to shake it up and find new and innov...

Research conducted by Petco Love confirmed that 1 in 3 pets in the United States will go missing in their lifetime. Petco Love has created a national database of lost and found pets to help ensure your pet will be reunited with you and your family. Hear from Petco Love President Susanne Kogut and Director of Lifesaving Chelsea Staley on how you can protect your furry family member from becoming a...

They invest in themselves! What should fundraisers focus on right now? How do fundraisers commit to professional growth? This conversation explores these ideas and offers reviews on the new fundraising certificate offered through The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement. Whether you're new to fundraising or an experienced veteran, the new, self-paced Fundraising Certificate course helps you...

The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and Pethealth Inc. are pleased to announce the 2020 recipient of the Diane & Bob Hoover Annual Innovation Award is Adan Parra and the team at El Paso Animal Services! Though they have multiple worthy initiatives, their focus on using technology to reunite more pets with their loving families was inspiring. Fueled by the creation of Lost and Found...