The Individual Animal

Dr. Lisa Gunter, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech, discusses her journey into animal welfare research, including her work on breed labels, fostering, and field trips for shelter dogs. She shares insights on the impact of these programs and the importance of individualized care for shelter animals. Dr. Lisa Gunter discusses her work at Virginia Tech, including a hybrid fostering program for...

In this conversation, Nikki and Kate discuss their experiences in animal welfare and their work at different shelters. They talk about their past internships, the challenges of working in animal shelters, and the importance of community engagement. Kate shares her role as the volunteer and community engagement coordinator at MADACC and the various initiatives she has implemented to increase adopti...

Mike shares his journey in animal welfare, starting as a kennel attendant and working his way up to becoming the Chief Operating Officer of Brandywine Valley SPCA. He emphasizes the importance of advocating for oneself and taking opportunities to learn and grow in the field. Mike discusses the impact of the stressful shelter environment on dogs' behavior and highlights the need for social interact...

Hi everyone, there won't be a full episode this week. However, if you're going to the HSUS Expo, we'd love it if you could visit our table and say hello to Ashley and Nikki! We have a bunch of fantastic resources to share, as well as some cool giveaways.

In this conversation, Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD discusses the work of the Functional Dog Collaborative (FDC) and the need to improve dog breeding practices in North America. She highlights the issues with current breeding practices, including the prevalence of large-scale commercial kennels. Jessica emphasizes the importance of moving the needle towards responsible breeding practices and reducing t...

In this conversation, veterinarian and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Amy Marder discusses the importance of recognizing that every dog is an individual and that behavior evaluations should be tailored to each dog's unique needs. She emphasizes the need for guidelines and observational methods to understand a dog's behavior and provide appropriate support. The conversation also touches...

Join us this week as we chat with Amanda Kopec and Mindy Naticchioni from Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter and discuss the positive impacts playgroups have had on their organization. Instagram cuyahogadogs Facebook Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter  Tik tok cuyahogadogs  Website  cuyahogadogs.gov   The stats for Cuyahoga County we mention in the episode are:  Dynamic Stats: Cuyahoga County Shelter Dire...

Join us this week as we review the outcome of reintroducing breed labels to our online listings. Additionally, we have the opportunity to speak with Chrissy Blake, the Director of the Old Dominion Humane Society , in Fredrickburgh VA, and discuss her shelters experiences with removal labels and other exciting projects she is involved in.  

Learn valuable marketing tips and tricks for animal shelters on this week's episode, featuring the special guest, Caitlin Quinn. Some links based on our convo: https://petsmartcharities.org/ pro/resources/adoption- partner/introducing-rescue- writer https://heartsspeak.org/ chatgpt-impact-on-marketing- 2023/ https://heartsspeak.org/pet- bios-using-chatgpt/   Top 5 Animal Shelteing Organization to...

Join us this week as we talk to Janis Bradley and Dr. Gary Patronek about behavior evaluation in animal shelters. Here are some link to the the items we referenced in the episode: No better than flipping a coin  Relevance of breed when choosing a companion animal    

Join Bernice and Nikki for this ​fun episode as we talk with Trish Mcmillan, who holds a Master's degree in Animal Behavior and is a certified professional dog trainer. We will discuss Trish's comprehensive shelter consulting program. We are also delighted to have Lauren Rubin, the Behavior Coordinator at Dakin Humane Society, join us. Trish herself describes Lauren as an exceptional student of he...

On the latest episode of The Individual Animal, we chat with Aimee Sadler from Dogs Play for Life (DPFL) to discuss the shadowing and mentorship program offered by DPFL. Tune in to learn about the abundance of resources DPFL offers. And of course, we will delve into playgroups and the importance of partnerships in this context. Join us for an informative and engaging discussion! dogsplayforlife.co...

Join Bernice and Nikki this week as we discuss behavioral euthanasia. Listen in as Bernice shares stories about the varying experiences she has had throughout her career. We will explore the differences between owned dogs and dogs in shelters, and how the available resources can impact the decisions made. Stay tuned for future episodes as we delve deeper into this topic. We would love to hear from...

Join Bernice and Nikki this week as they have a relaxed conversation with Acadia Generelli, Shelter Manager at Animal Farm Foundation. They will discuss how the newly arrived dogs from Chicago are adjusting to their new environment. Additionally, you'll get the opportunity to learn more about Acadia herself and her journey with AFF.

Join Bernice and Nikki this week as they discuss a real-time shift. Visual breed identification is not accurate and reliable . To remain honest with our adopters, we should avoid labeling dogs in shelters. However, what if in online searches, no breed categorization leads to dogs getting less exposure online🤔? Listen in as we react to this recent adoptapet.com blog about the impact of labeling do...

Animal Farm Foundation is fully committed to enhancing the lives of dogs currently in shelters. Our goal is to assist organizations in adjusting policies and practices to expedite dog adoptions, reduce unnecessary stress on team members, and elevate the overall quality of care for all dogs.  Playgroups, dog handling, kennel enrichment, labels, language, marketing, and open adoptions are just some...

Welcome back! Executive Director Bernice Clifford and Operations and Public Policy Manager Nikki Juchem are here for a quick chat to announce the relaunch of The Individual Animal podcast. We'll explain what you can expect from this podcast going forward and are excited about all things to come. We hope you will all join us in sharing your stories too! If you have a story to share on the podcast,...

****Deposition Re-enactment***** Carli Wade is the Animall Control Supervisor in Williston, North Dakota, though she lives in Montana. You've seen her if you've watched the body cam footage of Jessica Burling's arrest. Carli was deposed as part of an AFF funded lawsuit against the city brought by local dog owners. Carli enforces laws based on the falsehood that "pit bull" dogs are dangerous to fam...

We know that those of you who work in shelters and rescues want to know what we look for when we select candidates for our service dog program. Maybe there's a local program that similar to ours, or maybe you have a great dog who you think would be good for us.  In this episode of the Individual Animal, Bernice and Nikki take us through the process from beginning to end. Read more here .

In the latest episode of the Individual Animal, "I'll Send You Some Tips," we interview Caitlin Quinn of HeARTs Speak to talk about marketing shelter pets. While the entirety of the episode isn't about Covid-19, one of the reasons we wanted to have Caitlin on the show was to discuss ways shelters can market their dogs during this time. How do you discuss current events and bring levity to a situat...

"Don't Go There, That's the Bad Part of Town," is something people used to say to this week's guest on the Individual Animal. When Kim Wolf lived in New York, people would tell her to stay out of neighborhoods because they judged people based on socio-economic and racial stereotypes. But Kim isn't one to do what people tell her, because she knows that stereotypes don't solve problems and that talk...

We confess the title of this article is a bit clickbaity, because as we learn from our podcast guest, Janis Bradley, dogs and people have been working things out and creating happy families together for centuries. Still, we wanted to have Janis on this episode of the Individual Animal to talk about the relevance of breed in choosing a companion animal – and that is not-so-coincidentally the name o...

Listen to part 1 of this series. "Pound." "Stray." "Abandoned." "Problem." "Kill shelter." "Dogs nobody wants." These are not simply words and phrases. They are value judgments we place on dogs and people. Words have meaning and often, they have an impact that is greater than our intent.  Cynthia Bathurst once said "Language reflects habit, not thought," meaning that we often choose terms that are...

Welcome to a special edition of the Individual Animal. What follows is a reenactment of the deposition of Cindy Rarrat. She is a private contractor working with Sioux City Animal Adoption and Rescue Center.  Animal Farm Foundation is helping to bring a lawsuit against Sioux City's "pit bull" dog ban.  The website for the lawsuit states: "Despite acknowledging that her officers have no training, sh...