The Top Dog Podcast

What happens when learning the truth about animal agriculture inspires you to completely change your life?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Deborah Blum, Founder and Executive Director of Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary, to talk about her unconventional journey from fashion and restaurants to aviation and ultimately farm animal rescue.

Deborah shares how learning about the realities of animal agriculture led her to start Goatlandia more than a decade ago. Today, the sanctuary cares for roughly 150 to 175 animals across 36 acres in Sonoma County while providing adoption and fostering opportunities, plant-based food experiences, an organic farm, and other programs that help connect people with farm animals.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Deborah's unconventional journey from fashion and restaurants to animal sanctuary leadership
✔ How learning about animal agriculture inspired her to start Goatlandia
✔ Building a farm animal sanctuary without prior sanctuary experience
✔ Caring for goats, sheep, pigs, birds, alpacas, and other farm animals
✔ Why adoption and fostering are important parts of the sanctuary's mission
✔ The challenges of finding appropriate foster homes for farm animals
✔ How Deborah's hospitality background shapes the visitor experience
✔ Using food and plant-based events to inspire people to make different choices
✔ How the sanctuary's thrift store and organic farm help support its mission
✔ Why compassion fatigue and self-care are important in animal welfare
✔ The importance of incremental change rather than judgment
✔ How farm animal sanctuaries and the broader movement are evolving
✔ Deborah's goal of changing people's perceptions of farm animals

Deborah also shares why she believes small, positive choices can add up to meaningful change and why her ultimate goal is to help people see farm animals as individuals with personalities, intelligence, and their own unique ways of experiencing the world.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when one person sees a gap in animal welfare and decides to build a solution from the ground up?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Jessica Lopez, Executive Director of The PAW Mission, to talk about her journey through veterinary medicine and animal welfare and how that experience shaped her approach to building lifesaving programs in Southern California.

Jessica shares how The PAW Mission grew from efforts to address shelter euthanasia into a multifaceted organization with a sanctuary, mobile veterinary units, adoption programs, and a veterinary hospital serving the Inland Empire.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Jessica's journey through veterinary medicine and animal welfare

✔ How The PAW Mission was created to address shelter euthanasia

✔ The organization's work with working cats and community lifesaving

✔ How The PAW Mission grew to include a five-acre sanctuary

✔ Building high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter services

✔ The transition from mobile veterinary services to a hospital in Fontana

✔ Completing nearly 7,300 spay and neuter procedures in a year

✔ Understanding the unique animal welfare needs of San Bernardino County

✔ Building trust and credibility while growing a nonprofit organization

✔ Creating programs that respond directly to community needs

✔ Supporting passionate animal welfare professionals without burning them out

✔ Jessica's vision for the future of The PAW Mission and its impact across the Inland Empire

Jessica also shares the leadership lessons behind The PAW Mission's rapid growth and why supporting passionate people is essential to creating sustainable change in animal welfare.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when a career in law unexpectedly leads to a life in animal welfare? For Kristen Davidson, that winding path helped shape a leadership approach grounded in compassion, adaptability, and a willingness to question the way things have always been done.

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Kristen Davidson, Executive Director of BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond, Oregon, shares her journey into animal welfare and the lessons she has learned while leading an organization serving animals and the Central Oregon community.

**In this conversation, we discuss:**

✔ Kristen’s unexpected journey from law school to animal welfare leadership

✔ Her experience working with dog rescue and discovering the sheltering field

✔ How BrightSide Animal Center serves its community and helps thousands of animals each year

✔ Why animal welfare organizations need to adapt as the field changes

✔ The importance of questioning policies and practices that may no longer serve their purpose

✔ Moving away from blame and toward compassion and understanding

✔ How strong teams and thoughtful leadership can create lasting organizational change

✔ Helping people grow into their potential and developing the next generation of animal welfare leaders

Kristen also shares what she has learned about leadership, organizational change, and the importance of helping other people grow into their potential.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when animal welfare challenges are shaped by geography, limited resources, and an island community? For Anna Neubauer, the answer is creativity, collaboration, and listening closely to the people and animals her organization serves.

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Chris Roy talks with Anna Neubauer, President and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society, about leading one of Hawaii's largest animal welfare organizations and adapting to the unique challenges of serving Oahu.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ The unique animal welfare challenges facing Oahu and Hawaii
✔ Managing a large free-roaming cat population in a tropical island environment
✔ High-volume spay and neuter programs and the Feline Fix initiative
✔ Building partnerships when veterinary and community resources are limited
✔ Anna's journey from working in a veterinary clinic at 14 to leading a major animal welfare organization
✔ Why listening to the community is essential to effective leadership
✔ Moving animal welfare from a transactional model toward proactive community support
✔ How shelters are becoming community resources and hubs
✔ The growing importance of collaboration across the animal welfare field
✔ Building bench strength and developing the next generation of animal welfare leaders

Anna also shares the leadership lessons she has learned throughout her career, including why leaders need to understand the community they're serving, adapt their approach, and recognize that meaningful careers rarely follow a straight line.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What changes when animal control moves beyond enforcement and starts with empathy?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Christina Avila, Animal Control Services Supervisor for the City of Perris, to talk about her unconventional journey into animal welfare and the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership, community engagement, and animal control.

Christina shares how her career took her from animal science and veterinary work to the DMV and auto industry before eventually bringing her back to animal welfare. After more than a decade in the field, she reflects on the importance of communication, empathy, and understanding the people behind every animal.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Christina's unexpected journey into animal welfare
✔ Her transition from kennel technician to animal control officer and supervisor
✔ Why engagement can be more effective than enforcement alone
✔ The importance of connecting people with resources
✔ How empathy can change the way animal control officers approach their communities
✔ Learning from personal experiences and using them to serve others
✔ Building trust through communication and understanding
✔ How supportive leadership helped Christina grow professionally
✔ Managing teams through empathy, communication, and reflection
✔ The changing role of animal welfare in local communities
✔ Christina's advice to her younger self
✔ The legacy she hopes to leave through the people and animals she has helped

For Christina, animal welfare isn't just about enforcing ordinances. It's also about understanding people's circumstances, finding solutions, and recognizing that helping animals often means helping the people who care for them, too.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations at https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when a rapidly growing city brings new challenges for animal welfare? In Midland, Texas, population growth, a highly transient workforce, and pet abandonment are reshaping the work of animal services.

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Alexsey Dobberstine, Animal Services Manager for Midland Animal Services. Alexsey shares her journey from a 15-year career in dog grooming to animal welfare leadership, along with what she has learned about building strong teams, navigating change, and serving a community experiencing rapid growth.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Alexsey’s journey from dog grooming to animal welfare leadership
✔ Finding her calling at Houston SPCA
✔ Moving from Houston to Dallas and ultimately Midland
✔ The unique challenges of animal services in West Texas
✔ How population growth and a transient workforce affect pet abandonment
✔ Building a strong organizational culture
✔ Empowering teams instead of micromanaging
✔ Combating burnout and imposter syndrome in animal welfare
✔ Why leaders should never stop learning
✔ The importance of collaboration instead of judgment
✔ How the animal welfare field has changed in recent years
✔ Alexsey’s vision for leaving animal welfare better than she found it

Alexsey’s leadership philosophy centers on confidence, continuous learning, and empowering the people around her. Her goal isn't simply to build a personal reputation. It's to create solutions that can improve animal welfare in Midland and potentially be adapted by other communities facing similar challenges.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations at https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when an experienced animal control officer takes on the challenge of leading a new humane society? For Josh Klumpe, the answer is a combination of transparency, innovation, community engagement, and a commitment to making animal welfare services accessible.

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Chris Roy speaks with Josh Klumpe, Executive Director of the Humane Society for Greater Lafayette, about his journey from more than 17 years in animal control to leading a growing shelter organization in Lafayette, Indiana. Josh shares how his experience shaped his leadership approach and why building trust with the community is essential to creating meaningful change.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Josh’s journey from animal control officer to executive director
✔ Modernizing animal control and improving professionalism
✔ How transparency builds trust with the community
✔ The relationship between animal control and shelter operations
✔ Making adoptions, fostering, and volunteering more accessible
✔ The Doggie Day Out program and its impact on shelter dogs
✔ The importance of food pantries and community support programs
✔ The Humane Society’s partnership with Purdue University
✔ Expanding veterinary training and shelter medicine opportunities
✔ Leading teams through customer service, communication, and clear expectations
✔ Josh’s vision for determination and innovation in animal welfare

Josh’s story highlights how strong partnerships, practical programs, and honest communication can help shelters better serve both animals and the people in their communities.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What does it take to build an animal shelter that can serve its community for the long haul? For Jess Townsend, it starts with understanding the bigger picture, supporting your people, and recognizing that animal welfare is a marathon, not a sprint.

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Jess Townsend, Executive Director of Midcoast Humane, shares her 20-year journey in animal welfare and the unique challenges of serving 39 towns across Midcoast Maine. From rural resource shortages and veterinary access to rising owner surrenders, Jess discusses how shelters can respond to changing community needs while building sustainable organizations.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Jess’s journey from pharmaceutical marketing research to animal welfare
✔ Building Midcoast Humane across 39 Maine communities
✔ The unique challenges of serving rural communities
✔ How housing and job insecurity can affect pets and their families
✔ Rising owner surrenders and declining stray populations
✔ The impact of veterinary shortages and reduced spay/neuter access
✔ Why funding is critical to addressing animal welfare challenges
✔ Why animal welfare is a marathon, not a sprint
✔ Avoiding burnout by learning to pace yourself
✔ Creating a workplace culture where people can acknowledge difficult moments
✔ Emotional regulation and the impact of secondhand trauma
✔ Why leaders need to focus on successes as well as challenges
✔ Building community-centered animal shelters
✔ Jess’s vision for leaving her community better than she found it

Jess offers a thoughtful perspective on the realities of modern sheltering, reminding us that sustainability isn't just about the animals. It's also about creating organizations where people can thrive, communities can find support, and shelters can continue doing their best work for years to come.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

This October, during Dog Adoption Month, PEDIGREE Foundation and its Foster 50 partners will announce grant recipients receiving a share of $240,000 in collective grant funding to help expand foster opportunities for dogs in need.

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Deb Fair, Executive Director of PEDIGREE Foundation, shares how collaboration, data, and a willingness to ask “what if?” are helping drive meaningful change across animal welfare. She takes us behind the evolution of PEDIGREE Foundation and the Foster 50 initiative, which has grown from 9,000 new fosters in its first year to 19,000.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ The upcoming October announcement of Foster 50 grant recipients
✔ The $240,000 in collective grant funding supporting this year’s initiative
✔ How Foster 50 grew from 9,000 new fosters in its first year to 19,000
✔ Why fostering can transform outcomes for dogs in shelters
✔ How PEDIGREE Foundation evolved from traditional grantmaking to strategic collaboration
✔ The power of asking “what if?” when solving challenges
✔ Why progress is more important than perfection
✔ How data can reveal opportunities for greater impact
✔ The importance of sharing knowledge and best practices across animal welfare
✔ Why shelters and rescues can become community resources
✔ Deb’s journey from public relations and automotive communications to animal welfare
✔ Her vision for leaving some good in the world

Deb’s approach is a reminder that meaningful change doesn’t require perfection. Sometimes it starts with asking “what if?”, making a small shift, and bringing the right people together to create something bigger.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What does it take to stay in animal welfare for nearly 30 years? For Britney Tennant, it means embracing change, building strong teams, and refusing to let a “no” be the end of the road.

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Britney Tennant, CEO of Cheyenne Animal Shelter, shares her journey from rescuing kittens as a child to becoming a leader in Wyoming’s animal welfare community. She reflects on founding Black Dog Animal Rescue, the evolution of animal sheltering, and what she has learned about leading people while continuing to advocate for animals.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Britney’s nearly 30-year journey in animal welfare
✔ Founding Black Dog Animal Rescue and building an all-volunteer organization
✔ How animal welfare has evolved over the past three decades
✔ The unique challenges facing animal shelters in Wyoming
✔ Why saying “yes” can open unexpected doors
✔ The importance of resilience when change takes time
✔ How Britney shifted her leadership focus from animals to the people supporting them
✔ Building strong teams and helping people become their best selves
✔ Advice for young people who are still searching for their path
✔ Britney’s vision for cultivating the next generation of animal welfare leaders

After decades in the field, Britney’s perspective is a reminder that meaningful change rarely happens overnight. It takes persistence, adaptability, strong relationships, and people willing to keep opening doors when the first ones close.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when people are forced to choose between a safe place to live and the animal they love?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Christine Kim, Founder and Executive Director of My Dog Is My Home, a national nonprofit working to increase access to shelter and housing for people experiencing homelessness with pets.

What began as a storytelling exhibition grew into a national organization focused on changing policies, practices, and perceptions around homelessness and the human-animal bond. Christine shares how listening to people with lived experience became the organization's North Star and how partnerships can help communities create more pet-inclusive services.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Why people experiencing homelessness should not have to choose between housing and their pets
✔ How storytelling can change hearts, minds, and policies
✔ Building pet-inclusive practices within homeless services
✔ The importance of centering people with lived experience
✔ Creating partnerships and sharing resources across organizations
✔ How research can help establish better pet-inclusive practices
✔ Leading with values, flexibility, and trust
✔ Building an organization designed to outlive its founder

Christine's story is a powerful reminder that the human-animal bond doesn't disappear during a housing crisis. For many people, their pets are a source of stability, companionship, and support when they need it most.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What do you do when a cat is smarter than every trap you've tried?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Natascha Scott, President of 9 Lives Cat Rescue of Oxford in Mississippi. A plant molecular biologist by day, Natascha has spent nearly 20 years rescuing cats, developing creative solutions for difficult cases, and helping address cat overpopulation in her community.

What started as volunteering to help cats on a college campus eventually became a lifelong commitment to rescue. Today, 9 Lives Cat Rescue helps approximately 50 to 200 cats each year, with an entirely volunteer-based team.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Natascha's unexpected journey from science to cat rescue
✔ Creative approaches to trapping difficult and trap-savvy cats
✔ Using technology like cameras and drones in animal rescue
✔ The challenges of finding and helping free-roaming cats
✔ Why affordable spay/neuter is critical to preventing overpopulation
✔ Building a volunteer-powered rescue through community support
✔ The emotional highs and lows of difficult rescue cases
✔ Why creativity and persistence can make all the difference

Natascha's story shows that animal welfare doesn't always require a traditional background. Sometimes, it takes curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to invent a new solution when the usual approach doesn't work.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations at https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when a communications professional turns a passion for community cats into a career in animal welfare leadership?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Daniel Roselle, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Ventura County. Daniel shares his unconventional path into animal welfare, from trapping cats in a Honolulu office park to leading major changes in animal welfare programs and eventually taking on executive leadership in Ventura County.

His journey is a powerful example of how bringing outside experience, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo can create meaningful change for animals and communities.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Daniel's unconventional path into animal welfare leadership
✔ How community cats sparked a deeper commitment to animal welfare
✔ Shifting resources from euthanasia toward spay/neuter
✔ Building partnerships between cat caregivers and communities
✔ Using communications and government relations to drive change
✔ Why animal welfare leaders need to think beyond traditional systems
✔ Making an impact at scale while staying connected to individual animals

Daniel shares why meaningful change requires more than passion. It takes curiosity, persistence, and the courage to rethink how things have always been done.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations at https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens to exotic animals when their owners can no longer care for them?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Brittany Vanderstine, Director of Wild Exotics Animal Refuge, a New Jersey nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and providing lifelong care for exotic animals.

Brittany shares how her experience in animal welfare led her to recognize a major gap in rescue: while large exotic animals often have established sanctuaries, smaller exotic pets such as reptiles, birds, and mammals can have very limited options when they are surrendered, abandoned, or no longer wanted.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ The overlooked challenges facing exotic animal rescue
✔ Why exotic pets are often surrendered when owners are unprepared for their needs
✔ Building a refuge for animals with nowhere else to go
✔ The importance of education before someone adopts an exotic pet
✔ Caring for animals with complex and specialized needs
✔ The realities of running a nonprofit animal refuge
✔ How rescue organizations can prevent exotic pet abandonment

Brittany's story highlights an important lesson for animal welfare leaders: sometimes the biggest opportunities for impact are found in the gaps that others aren't addressing.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when foster homes become the heart of a rescue organization?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Melanie Hallas Kirsch, Foster Home Coordinator, Pre-Adoption Supplies Coordinator, and Board Member at Doberman Assistance, Rescue & Education (DAR&E).

Melanie shares her journey from adopting her first Doberman to becoming deeply involved in rescue, fostering, and helping families prepare for successful adoptions. She offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to support foster families and give rescued Dobermans the time and care they need to thrive.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Why foster homes are essential to rescue
✔ Preparing families for successful adoptions
✔ Supporting foster families through the challenges of rescue
✔ Understanding the unique needs of Dobermans
✔ The importance of setting animals and adopters up for success
✔ How volunteers can find their place in animal welfare

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What if the best way to save more animals is to prevent them from ever entering a shelter?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Aldwin Roman, Senior VP and COO of the Charleston Animal Society, South Carolina's largest animal organization and shelter. Aldwin shares his unexpected journey from studying political science and wanting to advocate for people to starting as a kennel technician and eventually becoming a senior leader in animal welfare.

With Charleston Animal Society taking in roughly 15,000 animals each year, Aldwin has seen firsthand how the industry is shifting from reactive sheltering toward prevention, access to care, and community-based solutions.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ How Aldwin went from kennel tech to senior animal welfare leadership
✔ Why animal welfare is ultimately human welfare through animals
✔ Shifting from reactive sheltering to proactive community support
✔ Expanding access to spay/neuter and veterinary care
✔ Why prevention can have a greater impact than sheltering alone
✔ Leading frontline teams through support rather than micromanagement
✔ The importance of patience, humility, and lifelong learning in leadership
✔ How leaders can step back and focus on the bigger picture

Aldwin's story offers a powerful lesson for animal welfare leaders: real community change takes patience, perspective, and a willingness to look beyond the shelter walls.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when an animal shelter stops thinking like a shelter and starts becoming a community resource?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Carrie Ridgway, Executive Director of the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center in Riverside, California. After joining the organization in 2008 to help with a capital campaign, Carrie worked her way through the organization before becoming Executive Director in 2015.

Today, she leads an organization that has grown from five employees into a comprehensive animal welfare resource center with a high-volume spay/neuter clinic, thrift store, adoption programs, and community services.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Transforming a traditional shelter into a community resource center
✔ Leading with compassion while making difficult decisions
✔ Why shelters need to find reasons to say yes
✔ Building stronger relationships with surrendering pet owners
✔ Keeping teams engaged in a high-stress, compassion-filled industry
✔ The importance of staying open-minded and embracing change
✔ Learning from failure and having the courage to try new things
✔ Why animal welfare leaders must care about both people and animals

Carrie shares a powerful perspective on leadership, reminding us that being a great leader isn't about having everything figured out. It's about staying flexible, giving yourself grace, and continuing to become better.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What if animal welfare organizations could create more impact by supporting the shelters already doing the work?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Bill Crowe, Executive Director of the Pet Care Foundation, an animal advocacy organization supporting shelters and communities across Los Angeles.

For more than two decades, Bill has developed programs that help animals become more adoptable, connect them with families, and prevent animals from entering shelters in the first place. From televised adoption campaigns and large-scale shelter adoption events to grooming, free spay/neuter clinics, and wellness programs, his approach focuses on identifying gaps and building practical solutions around them.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Why animal welfare needs more organizations supporting existing shelters
✔ Turning adoption events into high-impact community programs
✔ How grooming can dramatically improve an animal's adoption chances
✔ Expanding access to free spay/neuter and wellness care
✔ Why prevention and education are essential to reducing shelter intake
✔ How social media has transformed animal adoption
✔ What leaders can learn by listening to their communities

Bill's story is a powerful reminder that leadership isn't always about building another organization. Sometimes, it's about finding where the biggest gaps are and helping the organizations already doing the work fill them.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when you leave your career behind to build a better future for animals?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Katie Dwight, Co-Founder of Herd and Flock Animal Sanctuary, to explore her remarkable journey from immigration attorney to leading a farm animal sanctuary dedicated to compassion, education, and advocacy.

Together with her wife, Katie built a sanctuary that has cared for more than 1,000 rescued animals while inspiring visitors to rethink their relationship with farm animals and the food system.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Building a farm animal sanctuary from the ground up
✔ Caring for permanent sanctuary residents with compassion
✔ The role of education in transforming public perspectives
✔ Expanding advocacy beyond rescue into policy change
✔ Leading through adversity, setbacks, and uncertainty
✔ Why small organizations can create lasting systemic impact

Discover how one bold decision grew into a lifelong mission to create a more compassionate world for both animals and people.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What if the biggest opportunity in animal welfare isn't saving more animals—but engaging more people?

In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Finnegan Dowling, Senior Manager of Shelter Programs at Mutual Rescue. With more than 30 years of experience in animal welfare, Finnegan shares how today's shelters are evolving into community-centered organizations powered by collaboration, accessibility, and data-driven decision-making.

From creating nationally used Doggie Day Out programs to developing free multilingual resources for shelters across the country, Finnegan explains why supporting people is one of the best ways to support animals.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Why community engagement is reshaping animal shelters
✔ Building innovative programs like Doggie Day Out
✔ Using data and technology to improve shelter outcomes
✔ Expanding language accessibility for diverse communities
✔ Supporting frontline shelter teams through stronger leadership
✔ Creating resources that help every shelter succeed

Discover why the future of animal welfare depends on empowering communities—not just organizations.

Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations:
https://doobert.com/

Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.