Did you know that the most common cause of trauma in dogs is at the hands of people – particularly harsh handling by Pet Professionals such as groomers, veterinarians and dog trainers?

Caroline shares the signs to look for in your dog’s behavior AND physical health when determining if PTSD is present. 

We’ll also learn the Do’s and Don’ts to creating a healing environment for dogs that have experienced traumatic events. And we’ll learn tips for protecting our dogs and how to prevent these situations from happening in the first place.

I was utterly shocked learning about the institutionalized lack of accountability in caring for the retired military and contract working dogs that protect the U.S.

Many of us weren’t aware that this was a problem until the outcry of animal advocates after the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 where contract working dogs were left behind.  

Fortunately, there’s people like Bob Bryant and Mission K9 in the world who are doing something about it.

From arranging transport from the far corners of the world to rehabbing the dogs’ physical and psychological wounds to finding appropriate adopters, Mission K9 keeps these commitments to each dog they rescue.

Can dogs see colors?  How does your dog’s breed affect their vision?  What changes in your dog’s behavior could indicate they are losing their vision?

Cathy Symons, CVT, CCRP, answers all these questions and more for us. 

Cathy’s pug Booda, aka The Emperor, was a bold and adventurous dog who loved his agility class and lived life to the fullest.  Until the day he didn’t, and Cathy realized that Booda had gone blind due to a condition known as SARDS (Sudden Acute Retinal Degeneration Syndrome) that is known to affect small breed dogs.

Pulling herself together, Cathy threw herself into creating a safe environment for Booda as he regained his confidence and learned to thrive in his new world.

Have you ever had one of those experiences that seemed like it was the worst thing that ever happened to you but then it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to you?

Kay Stewart was shocked when her position of 32 years was abruptly eliminated.  But this career loss helped Kay realize how out of alignment she had become with her childhood goal of helping animals.  When she stumbled onto a job listing posted by Ruby, Founder of Real Dog Box, Kay began to find her true passion. 

Hired to create a course for the Feed Real Institute, Kay experienced a true paradigm shift learning about what a true species-appropriate diet for dogs looked like.  And it wasn’t a bag of Kibble. Kay & I discuss the history of Kibble and why it’s so bad for our dogs . . . even the “Good Kibble.”

So what should our dogs be eating?  Kay shares the Feed Real approach to fresh feeding.  And some curious facts about chickens too.

Have you ever wondered if your dog could be a Therapy Dog?  Are you & your dog ready to be a therapy team?  Where do you even start?

When Sherrie adopted her dog Sunny, they started training courses right away.  Sherrie became more determined than ever that Sunny would be great therapy dog partner.

But what did Sunny think?  From eating her obedience certificate to needing more practice on her therapy skills, Sherrie realizes that Sunny’s imperfect journey has been a great lesson to them both.

Through her Therapy Dog Talk Podcast and online course for therapy dog teams, Sherrie is an incredible resource for anyone interested in learning more about therapy dog work.

Have you ever been around a dog who doesn’t “dog” like other dogs? 

Sharon Vincuilla and I explore how dogs (and people!) can experience the world differently and how neurodiversity shows up in a dog’s behavior.  And Sharon has experienced this first-hand with her dog, Muggins!

Seemingly ordinary life events like walking the dog or having a friend stop by her house would turn into stressful ordeals with Muggins.  Sharon shares with us the strategies she developed that allow both her and Muggins to thrive. 

Panita Senjit grew up in India where she learned to be terrified of dogs.  So you might be wondering how she’s become the award-winning author of a children’s book series based on her therapy dog, Lil’ Leo.  And the answer is: her son really wanted a dog. 

When living in Austin, Texas, Panita was introduced to Therapy Dog work and realized their family dog, Leo had the perfect temperament for being a therapy dog.  Panita was quickly drawn to the impact of therapy dog work with children.

During COVID-19, Parnita was inspired to write children’s books based on Leo’s adventures.  With 3 books currently published, Parnita shares with us why she’s so focused on having the books translated into many different languages – to spread a message of kindness globally.

Has your life been impacted by the loss of a pet?  Erica Messer and her husband adopted Wolfgang, a sickly kitten found in a barn during the height of COVID quarantine in 2020.  But when a tragic accident ended Wolfie’s life the following year, it completely changed the direction of Erica’s life.

I’m so grateful to Erica for sharing her grief journey with us and the coping skills and tools she learned along the way.  Erica also holds space for me as I share about the unexpected loss of Penny in January 2023.

What do burnout, self-care and boundaries have to do with rescue? Everything! In Part 2, we’ll learn the emotional toll that rescue has taken on our Roundtable participants.  This conversation gets incredibly vulnerable and I commend the courage that it took to share this with the world.

Our Rescue Roundtable also explores ideas for creating a more sustainable organization and what they would differently in the future.

Dogs, drama and death threats…oh my!

On this Roundtable, we’ll hear from 3 women in Baltimore’s animal rescue community who have collectively impacted the lives of countless dogs.

I brought these guests together so we could dive into topics such as who determines Adoption Requirements & Procedures and how rescues can set up their Foster Families for success.

But while I’ve been around the animal welfare world since 2008, there was still a lot that I didn’t know – especially about the “dark side” of rescue and even dogs in “witness protection.”  Some of it was quite shocking!