The Animal Welfare Junction

After the devastating dog attack that seriously injured Avery Russell, Ohio lawmakers passed Avery's Law to strengthen the state's dangerous dog statutes and increase accountability for owners of designated dangerous dogs. But does the new law accomplish its goal? In this episode of The Animal Welfare Junction, Dr. G is joined by Dana Pannella, Esq., an Ohio attorney with extensive experience in d...

This week's guest is Vicki Diesner, Executive Director of Ohio Animal Advocates. She joins Dr. G to discuss legislation currently being considered at the Ohio Statehouse that could improve the wellbeing of companion animals and those who care about them. On this episode we discuss: - Ban on cat declawing for cosmetic or convenience reasons - Ban on non-veterinarians performing surgical procedures,...

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida Dr. Larry Garcia, Associate Professor at the University of Florida, shares his experience at the UF Distaster Reponse Team.

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida Jamie McManus, civil litigation attorney and former prosecutor, shares with us the importance of private citizens in the reporting of suspected animal abuse and neglect. While they play an important role in recognition and reporting, they can also jeopardize the case and even themselves if they take the law into their own hands.

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida Dr. Adam Stern, Dr. Eileen Roy-Zokan, and Victoria Bradley describe what is Wildlife Forensics and how crime scene investigation techniques, DNA analysis, and animal victim examination can help build these cases for prosecution.

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida Tonia Smith from the Orange County Sheriff's Office shares with us how fingerprints are used in investigations to rule people in/out, what information can be obtained and myths of fingerprint science. She also offers some guidance on collection and submission of evidence that may contain fingerprints.

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida Dr. Nancy Bradley discusses the use of ballistic information in animal related crimes.

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida Dr. Rachel Sheffler shares information on the use of toxicology for the identification of substances that may be present in an animal victim of crime.

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida Humane World for Animals' Case Manager, Shalimar Oliver, gives up a brief description of the puppy mill pipeline and how consumers can protect themselves if they become victim of this trade.

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida Dr. Laurie Millward from the Ohio State University describes clinical pathology and its uses in assisting in cases of animal neglect and cruelty.

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida When we think of hunting crimes, our first thought may be illegal hunting. In this case however, the hunters were the victims of a long-running scam. Dr. Eileen Roy-Zokan from University of Florida takes us through an investigation that started with a citizen concern and developed into a puzzle that would be solved through DNA and multi-agency collabo...

Welcome to the 2026 Animal ForensiCon. This year the conference is in Orlando, Florida and Dr. Adam Stern joins us to talk about what we can expect from this year's speakers For more information about the Animal ForensiCon, visit https://animalforensics.vetmed.ufl.edu/training/2026-animal-forensicon/

The 2026 Animal ForensiCon in Orlando, Florida BUGS!!! Dr. Samantha Sawyer shares information about what we can and cannot learn from insects in crime scene investigations as well as the do's and don'ts of insect collection. For more information about the Animal ForensiCon, visit https://animalforensics.vetmed.ufl.edu/training/2026-animal-forensicon/

After a long investigation, the Union County Prosecutor's Office proceeded to indict Steffen Baldwin with the help of Detective Jim Conroy. This episode, the last in the series, takes our listeners through the process of indictment, trial, and sentencing with the help of the prosecutors who filed the charges, Melissa Chase and Cortland Perry. We appreciate your support and, if you haven't yet, ple...

From Humane Society Director to Humane Agent to Trainer, Steffen Baldwin made his way through different animal welfare organizations leaving a path of destruction behind. But his greed and desire for fame eventually caught up to him when he met with people willing to stand up to him and hold him responsible for his actions. This episode explores Steffen's failures as a trainer for Save Them Dogs,...

The case of Steffen Baldwin is often defined by the animals he failed—but the animals were not the end goal. They were a means to power, manipulation, and personal gain. In this episode, special guest Maya Badham joins us to examine how Baldwin used animals as tools of coercive control—not only over intimate partners, but also over individuals drawn into his schemes. Together, we explore the patte...

WARNING: Real stories of domestic violence In this episode we learn about how Steffen used dogs to manipulate vulnerable people. The LINK between interpersonal violence and animal cruelty is well known, and Steffen is just another example of how malicious and manipulative these abusers can be. You can help us expand our reach by following, rating, and sharing our series. Together we can make a dif...

Episode 7 is the story of some of the dogs Steffen failed. We talk about Sammie, Beretta and Cheyenne as well as some of the collateral damage in their stories. In this episode, we are joined by trainer Jenny Falvey in discussing how Steffen failed these dogs behaviorally. These episodes discuss sensitive topics, and we hope they can help these animals get a voice and help listeners avoid people l...

Season One: State vs Steffen Baldwin / Episode 6: The Con Whisperer We will be diving into the stories of Baldwin's victims. In this episode, we discuss: Chesty Romeo Belle PeeWee, and Coco Some of these dogs survived him, others were not as lucky. We want to share their stories and that of the people who cared about them. Throughout the next episodes, we will talk about the animal and human victi...

Steffen Baldwin lied about his credentials and past experience to enter the animal world through the Union County Humane Society. With lies, deception, and the help of social media, he developed a persona who gained the trust of the animal welfare community. Due to his perceived greatness as the Executive Director of Union County, he was hired to run the Top of Ohio Shelter in Bellefontaine, Ohio....

The Animal Welfare Junction Season One: State v. Steffen Baldwin / Episode 4 The Rise to Fame Part 2 If you have not listened to Part 1, pause and come back after you have listened to or watched Part 1. This episode is presented in two parts, both released simultaneously. Investigators, witnesses and victims share their experiences as Steffen Baldwin rose to fame as an animal advocate. This episod...

The Animal Welfare Junction Season One: State v. Steffen Baldwin / Episode 4 The Rise to Fame Part 1 This episode is presented in two parts, both released simultaneously. Investigators, witnesses and victims share their experiences as Steffen Baldwin rose to fame as an animal advocate. This episode is available on YouTube by searching for the Animal Welfare Junction. YouTube episodes contain video...

Season 1: State vs Steffen Baldwin / Episode 3: Who is Steffen Baldwin? Steffen Baldwin fooled the animal welfare world with his “masked persona”, presenting himself as a dog savior when in fact he was harming and killing the dogs he was asked to help. But how does someone evolve into this? What factors in someone’s childhood effect the person we become? In this episode, Author James Renner, talks...

Season 1: State vs Steffen Baldwin / Episode 2: The Rabbit Hole After finding out that Steffen had secretly euthanized Remi, the Kargakos’ found themselves looking for someone to investigate Steffen and get to the truth of what happened to Remi. In Episode Two, Officer Jim Conroy, from the Mahoning County Police Department, takes us through the beginning of the investigation, how he became involve...

Season 1: State v Steffen Baldwin / Episode 1: Remi Steffen Baldwin gained popularity in the State of Ohio as a "dog savior", proclaiming that he could rehabilitate and rehome any dog, including those deemed dangerous and not adoptable. He spent years sharing his "success" stories, but the truth was revealed when one of his victims, Litsa Kargakos, discovered his horrific scheme which claimed the...