A lifelong dog-lover, Erika is one firecracker of a Dog Mom. Erika is a vet tech by day and spends her free time advocating for pit bull dogs with the Pinups for Pit Bulls organization. Ericka even modeled in the Pinups for Pit Bulls 2020 calendar…as Miss March 2020 … or Miss COVID! But Erika shares with us how she was able to redeem herself in the 2022 “Greatest Pits” edition of the calendar.

Erika has so much to share about her experiences as a Dog Mom including Hogan’s leash reactivity and everything she’s done to improve this behavior over time. Plus, we discuss life as pit bull owners & advocates, from the pressure we put on ourselves to have the “perfect” breed ambassador dogs to everything we’ve learned about advocating and breed discrimination to dealing with other people’s reactions to our dogs.

Ekene is a first-time Dog Mom who started her company, Shuree’s Organics to provide safe and healthy treats for dogs. After not growing up with pets, it didn’t take long for Ekene to fall in love with the Dog Mom Life, even if there have been challenges along the way – from behavioral issues to injuries.

Each of the Shuree’s Organics treats contain only one ingredient which Ekene sources herself from local farms and butchers with meats fully traceable from farm-to-dog bowl.

We’re also celebrating 2 years since the start of the Believe in Dog Podcast! We share stories from listeners about the dogs who have impacted their lives.

While Billie Groom didn’t grow up with pets, the dogs started finding her when she was in her 20s. Billie’s passion was ignited when she stumbled upon a dog hiding under a log on a beach and found her a loving home.

After traveling through the U.S. in a renovated bus and running an informal dog rescue in North Carolina, Billie returned to Canada and fell into starting a dog walking company.

While running her business, Billie found she had a knack for working with dogs with behavioral issues and found herself helping pet parents improve their dog’s problematic adolescent behavior and assisting dogs with a “checkered past.”

Billie’s UPWARD Dogology has helped hundreds of families who are often in a crisis due to their dog’s behavior. Billie’s methodology differs from traditional training methods and is based on the principles of cognitive behavior therapy.

Katy McQuaid spent 32 years working for the CIA – Yes, that CIA! – and is now an award-winning children’s book author of the Everybody Loves Grace series. Grace is Katy’s Finnish Lapphund dog. (These dogs were actually bred to herd reindeer in Scandinavia!)

Katy’s book series shares Grace’s dog’s-eye-view perspective of their road trips throughout the U.S., the people she meets and the world around her. Grace has a special talent for finding those who seem to need her the most and looking into their eyes and straight into their hearts.

We’ll also hear from a special 5th grade guest who gives us her review of the Everybody Loves Grace books. Grace has a special talent for finding those who seem to need her the most and looking into their eyes and straight into their hearts.

In Part 2 with Jennifer Ganz, we’ll hear more about her work with students, the 20+ dogs she’s fostered for animal rescue organizations and the social club she started for sighthound dogs in the Baltimore area.

I give some background on the Project Mickey Humane Education Program. (Trigger Warning for mentioning animal abuse.) And also discuss the connection between Adverse Childhood Experiences and how more animal-assisted programs could help.

While Jen has been kind enough to share her individual experiences with us, please note that she is not representing any specific school, district or institution.

A lifelong animal lover, Jen started her career as a teacher and then pursued further education to become a school psychologist. I found Jen’s dedication to continuing her own education as well as her dog’s ongoing training inspiring.

While Jen’s first rescued greyhound could be somewhat unpredictable at times, when Jen adopted her dog Charm, he turned out to be perfect canine companion for humane education with Jen’s students.

Krista’s passion for our dogs’ health and wellness is unmatched. As the creator and host of the Wag Out Loud Pawdcast, Krista is one of the most knowledgeable pet parents I’ve ever met! Krista’s love of dogs inspired her to obtain a certificate in Canine Nutrition and create Wag Out Loud to share everything she’s learned along the way.

Inspired by her daughter’s “relentless campaign” for a dog of her own, Margrit is the author of What to Know Before You Get Your Dog. When she couldn’t find a children’s book that described the responsibilities of dog ownership in a way that kids could understand, Margrit decided to write it herself.

On this episode, we’re welcoming back previous guests Annie Pruitt, Kaitlyn Thomas and Liz Weiner. Between the 4 of us, we have nearly 30 years combined experience in animal sheltering and community pet support. On this Round Table, we’re confronting 4 myths that we see on social media and in our personal experience:

Myth #1: Heartless people dump animals at shelters.
Myth #2: If you can’t afford a pet, you shouldn’t have one.
Myth #3: Dogs with scars and injuries were used as “bait dogs.”
Myth #4: Pets end up at animal shelters because they were abused, have behavioral issues or are otherwise flawed in some way.