The Rocky Mountain Vet Podcast

Andrew Duffer and Dr. Jeff Young are joined by one of the RMV producers Steve Lukanic and fan favorites Susan Rieger and Hector Martinez for a special reunion before the reunion. With the Rocky Mountain Vet Reunion just around the corner, the group reflects on their time on the show, shares behind-the-scenes memories, discusses what made the series so special, and talks about why fans continue to...

Andrew Duffer and Dr. Jeff Young are joined by Zach Skow, founder of the Positive Change Prison Dog Program. Zach shares how the program pairs shelter dogs with incarcerated trainers, giving both a second chance while helping dogs become more adoptable and creating future trainers and behaviorists. The conversation explores how the program got started, how dogs and participants are selected, what...

his week, Andy Duffer and Dr. Jeff Young are joined by Kathy Gabrielescu from Whiskers Rescue for a raw and eye-opening conversation about feral cat overpopulation, TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return), rescue burnout, and the growing gaps being left behind by shelters and municipalities. Kathy shares what it’s really like working on the front lines of cat rescue, from trapping over 11,000 cats to dealing wit...

Theresa Strader, founder of National Mill Dog Rescue , joins Andy Duffer and Dr. Jeff Young for a raw and eye-opening conversation about the hidden world behind puppy mills, breeding operations, and the dogs caught in the middle of it all. Together, they discuss the realities of commercial breeding, the ethical questions rescue organizations face, and the emotional, medical, and behavioral damage...

Esther Mechler joins Andrew and Jeff for a conversation about what actually works in animal welfare—and what doesn’t. We get into the impact of spay and neuter beyond just overpopulation, including longer lifespans, cancer prevention, and behavior. A big focus is Esther’s Fixed by Five campaign and why timing matters more than most people realize. We also talk about the bigger picture—why we keep...

This conversation gets into where the animal welfare system is actually breaking down, especially when it comes to money, access, and scale. Ruth Steinberger joins Andrew and Jeff to talk about why so many animals still aren’t getting spayed or neutered, even when we know it works. We dig into the real barriers, cost, distance, wait times...and why a lot of communities are still being left behind....

In this episode, Andrew Duffer sits down with Dr. Jeff and Daphna Nachminovitch from PETA to talk about what’s really going on inside the animal shelter system. They get into the reality behind no kill policies, how statistics can be misleading, and why a lot of what the public believes doesn’t match what’s actually happening on the ground. The conversation breaks down where animals end up when th...

Mike Ruiz sits down with Andrew Duffer and Dr. Jeff Young for a real unfiltered conversation about animal cruelty, rescue work, and what is actually happening behind the scenes. Andrew leads the discussion as Mike shares how he got into advocacy through rescue and fundraising, while Jeff brings decades of experience from veterinary medicine and animal control. Together, they get into the misrepres...

This episode takes a hard look at what’s really happening inside the animal welfare system and why so much of it isn’t working the way people think it is. We get into the lack of transparency in large organizations, how marketing shapes public perception, and why certain practices look good on paper but create real problems in communities. From transport programs and disease spread to intake polic...

This episode breaks down what’s actually happening inside the animal welfare system and why so many “feel good” ideas aren’t solving the problem. We talk about where the money is going, the biggest misconceptions around no-kill shelters, and the difference between publicly funded shelters and private organizations. What sounds humane on paper can lead to overcrowding, suffering, and animals fallin...

Andrew Joseph Duffer and Dr. Jeff break down what is actually happening inside the animal welfare system, from the rising cost of veterinary care to the gap between what people think is happening and what is really going on. They start with real examples, including a case where basic dental care becomes unaffordable, and how those financial barriers force pet owners into impossible decisions. The...

Andrew and Dr. Jeff sit down for a real, unfiltered conversation about what’s actually happening in animal welfare and why so much of it isn’t working the way people think it is. They break down the realities behind the no kill movement, the pressure it puts on shelters, and how that affects overcrowding, stress, and long term outcomes for animals. They get into what shelter management really look...