Meeting Communities Where They Are: How Animal Shelters Can Save More Lives by Supporting People First

For decades, animal shelters were primarily measured by how many animals they took in and adopted out. Today, some of the most innovative organizations are asking a different question:

How many animals can we help without ever bringing them into the shelter?

In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Rachel Ide, Animal Services Director at Young-Williams Animal Center, shares how community-centered programs, resource support, and proactive outreach are transforming animal welfare in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her message is simple but powerful: when you help people, you help animals.

For organizations, fosters, and Dooberteers, this episode provides a roadmap for creating stronger communities while keeping more pets where they belong—with the families who love them.

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The Future of Animal Welfare Is Prevention

Many shelters still focus heavily on intake and adoption metrics.

But Rachel shared how Young-Williams Animal Center shifted its approach by investing heavily in community support programs.

Rather than waiting for animals to enter the shelter, the organization created systems designed to help families before a crisis occurs.

“Those 5,000 animals who didn’t walk through my doors—that’s because we helped them at that Pet Resource Center.”

That shift has had a significant impact.

Their Pet Resource Center helped nearly 8,000 animals in a single year through services such as:

• Pet retention support
• Behavior assistance
• Spay/neuter resources
• Owner counseling
• Community referrals
• Veterinary assistance

The result?

Thousands of animals remained safely at home instead of entering the shelter system.

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Animal Shelters Are Community Resource Centers

One of the strongest themes throughout the episode is that modern shelters must become more than adoption facilities.

Rachel sees the shelter as an active community partner.

“They’re not in my intake numbers. They’re my PRC numbers. And that means they’re at home. And that’s where they should be.”

This philosophy changes the role of the shelter entirely.

Instead of being the place people go when they’ve run out of options, shelters can become places where people find solutions.

That includes:

• Affordable veterinary care
• Behavior support
• Temporary assistance
• Pet food resources
• Transportation support
• Community education

For organizations, this represents one of the biggest shifts happening in animal welfare today.

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Sometimes People Just Need a Little Help

One of the most practical examples Rachel shared involves transportation.

Many families want to care for their pets but face barriers like:

• Lack of transportation
• Financial challenges
• Limited access to veterinary services

Instead of viewing those barriers as reasons for surrender, Young-Williams helps solve them.

“If you don’t have transport, that’s fine. I have trucks.”

The organization will even transport pets to:

• Spay/neuter appointments
• Veterinary clinics
• Community care programs

It’s a simple idea, but it removes obstacles that could otherwise result in animals entering the shelter.

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Love Looks Different in Every Community

One of the most thoughtful parts of Rachel’s conversation centers on understanding different pet-owning cultures.

As Knoxville continues to grow, the community includes people from many different backgrounds and experiences.

Rachel emphasizes that animal welfare professionals must avoid assuming there’s only one way to love a pet.

“Love doesn’t really care. It looks at things the same way.”

Some pets sleep on couches.

Some spend most of their time outdoors with families.

Some households have different cultural expectations for companion animals.

Understanding those differences allows shelters to:

• Build trust
• Reduce conflict
• Increase engagement
• Create more effective solutions

For organizations, meeting people where they are often leads to better outcomes than imposing one-size-fits-all expectations.

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Return-to-Field and Return-to-Owner Programs Matter

One of the most impressive accomplishments Rachel highlighted is Young-Williams’ focus on keeping animals out of shelters whenever possible.

Their animal services team successfully returned hundreds of animals directly home before they ever entered the shelter system.

“Every stray animal that we pick up that we’re able to get home—we did that 470 times last year.”

The shelter also improved return-to-owner rates dramatically through:

• Microchip scanning
• Pet detective programs
• Community outreach
• Field-based reunification efforts

For shelters facing overcrowding, these programs can significantly reduce intake while improving outcomes for animals and families.

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We Need More People in Animal Welfare

Rachel’s own path into animal welfare wasn’t traditional.

She began her career as a police officer before discovering animal cruelty investigations and eventually transitioning into animal services leadership.

“I didn’t think I was going to work with animals.”

That experience fuels one of her biggest passions today: introducing young people to careers in animal welfare.

Many people assume their only option is becoming a veterinarian.

But organizations need:

• Animal control officers
• Marketing professionals
• Accountants
• Social workers
• Development staff
• Behavior specialists
• Volunteer coordinators
• Community outreach leaders

For Dooberteers and organizations alike, growing the next generation of animal welfare professionals is critical to the future of the movement.

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Leadership Is About Growing Other Leaders

When asked about her legacy, Rachel didn’t talk about statistics or awards.

Instead, she focused on mentorship.

“I want them to outgrow me.”

She hopes the officers and team members she mentors will eventually become:

• Supervisors
• Directors
• CEOs
• Industry leaders

That perspective reflects a powerful leadership philosophy:

The greatest impact often comes through the people you help develop.

For organizations, investing in staff growth may be one of the most important forms of lifesaving work.

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What This Means for Dooberteers

Rachel’s story highlights a simple truth:

Animal welfare works best when it focuses on both animals and people.

You can make a difference by:

• Volunteering
• Fostering
• Supporting community programs
• Helping reunite lost pets
• Sharing resources
• Advocating for pet retention initiatives

Every family that stays together creates one less shelter intake—and one more success story.

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Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear Rachel Ide’s full story and learn more about community-based animal services, pet retention programs, and innovative shelter strategies?

Watch on YouTube:

Listen for the audio versions:

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If you’re passionate about helping animals, join the Doobert community where volunteers, fosters, transporters, and animal organizations work together to save lives every day.

Visit Doobert.com to get involved, volunteer, foster, or transport animals in need.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the Top Dog Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

The Pet You Love Could Be the Reason You Recover: How the Human-Animal Bond Supports Healing Through Addiction

When people think about animal welfare, they often focus on adoption, fostering, or rescue. But there’s another side of animal welfare that’s just as important:

Helping people keep the pets they already love.

Every year, countless individuals facing addiction treatment are forced to make an impossible choice: seek help or keep their pet.

For many, that pet is their only source of companionship, stability, and unconditional love.

In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Stephen Knight, Founding Executive Director of Dogs Matter, shares how one dog’s story inspired a groundbreaking program that helps people enter treatment without losing their pets. What began as an act of kindness has grown into a lifesaving model that supports both humans and animals through crisis.

For organizations, fosters, and Dooberteers, this episode offers a powerful lesson about the role pets play in recovery, resilience, and second chances.

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Sometimes the Biggest Barrier to Treatment Is a Pet

One of the most surprising insights from Stephen’s story is that many people delay or avoid treatment because they don’t know what will happen to their animals.

“Most of the time, as an addict, we ruin all our relationships and it ends up just being you and your pet.”

For someone struggling with addiction, surrendering a beloved dog may feel impossible.

Without alternatives, many people face choices like:

• Delaying treatment
• Staying in unsafe situations
• Relinquishing their pet permanently
• Leaving animals in unhealthy environments

Dogs Matter was created to remove that barrier.

By providing temporary foster care during treatment, the organization gives people the opportunity to focus on recovery while knowing their pet is safe.

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The Human-Animal Bond Is More Powerful Than We Realize

Stephen’s own recovery journey helped inspire the program.

After entering treatment himself, he found purpose through a dog named Jade.

“The second I had Jade, I had purpose.”

That experience shaped his understanding of the human-animal bond.

Pets provide:

• Routine
• Emotional support
• Stability
• Motivation
• Unconditional companionship

For many people in recovery, these factors can become critical components of long-term success.

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Foster Care Can Save More Than Animal Lives

Most foster programs focus on helping animals.

Dogs Matter focuses on helping both.

Their model temporarily places pets in foster homes while owners complete drug and alcohol treatment programs.

But unlike many emergency foster programs, their support doesn’t end at reunification.

“We’re not just about saying, ‘Here’s your dog back.'”

Instead, Dogs Matter continues supporting clients for up to a year or longer after treatment.

That includes:

• Pet food assistance
• Veterinary support
• Recovery coaching
• Peer support
• Resource referrals
• Education for responsible pet ownership

For organizations, this demonstrates how fostering can become part of a larger support system.

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Keeping Families Together Is Animal Welfare

One of the biggest shifts happening in animal welfare is moving from crisis response to prevention.

Instead of asking:
“How do we rehome this animal?”

Organizations increasingly ask:
“How do we keep this family together?”

Dogs Matter embodies that philosophy.

By helping owners navigate difficult periods, they prevent:

• Shelter surrenders
• Animal homelessness
• Family separation
• Increased shelter overcrowding

This approach benefits everyone involved.

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Education Matters for Pet Owners Too

Many Dogs Matter clients deeply love their pets but may not have had access to basic pet care education.

Stephen explains that some clients are learning:

• Heartworm prevention
• Flea and tick protection
• Nutrition basics
• Veterinary care routines
• Preventive healthcare

“Some of them don’t know how to be pet owners.”

Rather than judging, the organization focuses on teaching.

For Dooberteers and rescue organizations, this is an important reminder:
Education is often one of the most powerful forms of support.

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Recovery Works Better With Support

One of the most compelling parts of the episode is the data.

According to Stephen, Dogs Matter clients who are reunited with their pets show significantly higher long-term sobriety rates than national averages.

Why?

Because recovery isn’t just about avoiding substances.

It’s about creating:

• Purpose
• Accountability
• Connection
• Hope

For many people, a beloved pet provides all four.

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Strong Communities Create Better Outcomes

Another important lesson from Dogs Matter is the value of community.

The program relies heavily on:

• Foster families
• Volunteers
• Donors
• Recovery professionals
• Veterinary partners

No single person solves the problem alone.

“I had to create a community where I got the support I needed.”

That’s true for recovery.

It’s also true for animal welfare.

The strongest programs are often built through collaboration.

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Compassion Means Meeting People Where They Are

One of the reasons Dogs Matter has been so successful is its nonjudgmental approach.

People seeking help may be:

• Unhoused
• Recovering from addiction
• Rebuilding relationships
• Facing financial hardship

Instead of focusing on past mistakes, the organization focuses on future possibilities.

“We want to be the safety net.”

That mindset reflects a growing movement across animal welfare:
Supporting people is often part of helping animals.

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What This Means for Dooberteers

Whether you’re a foster, transporter, volunteer, or shelter partner, Stephen’s story offers an important reminder:

Sometimes the best way to save an animal is to support the person who loves them.

You can help by:

• Becoming a foster
• Supporting crisis foster programs
• Donating pet supplies
• Sharing community resources
• Advocating for pet retention programs

Every effort helps keep pets and people together during difficult times.

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Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear Stephen Knight’s incredible story and learn more about how Dogs Matter is helping people and pets stay together through recovery?

Watch on YouTube:

Listen for the audio versions:

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If you’re passionate about helping animals, join the Doobert community where volunteers, fosters, transporters, and animal organizations work together to save lives every day.

Visit Doobert.com to get involved, volunteer, foster, or transport animals in need.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the Top Dog Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

What Horses Can Teach Animal Welfare About Trust, Advocacy, and Putting the Animal First

In animal welfare, we often talk about rescue, adoption, fostering, and veterinary care. But whether you’re caring for a shelter dog, a community cat, or a horse, one principle remains the same:

The animal’s wellbeing must come before our expectations.

In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Caroline Hegarty, CEO of Equitopia International, shares how her passion for horses led her to challenge traditional thinking, question long-held assumptions, and create a global educational platform focused on evidence-based horse welfare.

While the conversation centers on horses, the lessons extend far beyond the equine world. For organizations, fosters, and Dooberteers, Caroline’s message is a powerful reminder that true animal advocacy starts with listening to the animals themselves.

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Loving Animals Isn’t Always Enough

Many people enter animal welfare because they love animals.

Caroline certainly did.

She fell in love with horses as a child and spent years riding and caring for them. But when she eventually became responsible for her own horses, she discovered something surprising:

“Love is not enough. You can love a horse and still cause unintentional harm.”

That realization changed everything.

Instead of blindly accepting traditional advice, she began asking questions:

• Why are we doing things this way?
• Is this helping the horse?
• What evidence supports this practice?
• What is the horse actually telling us?

When many professionals couldn’t answer those questions, Caroline started searching for answers herself.

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Advocacy Starts With Education

One of the strongest themes throughout the episode is that owners must become advocates.

Whether you’re caring for:

• A horse
• A foster dog
• A rescue cat
• A senior pet

You are often the person who sees that animal every day.

That means you’re also the first person likely to notice:

• Behavioral changes
• Physical discomfort
• Stress signals
• Changes in appetite or energy

“The owner has to be that advocate.”

For Dooberteers, this lesson applies directly to fostering and rescue work.

Animals communicate constantly. The challenge is learning how to listen.

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Ask Better Questions

Caroline’s journey began with a simple habit: questioning assumptions.

Instead of accepting “that’s how it’s always been done,” she wanted evidence.

That mindset eventually became the foundation of Equitopia, an educational platform designed to help horse owners make informed decisions based on:

• Research
• Science
• Welfare standards
• Practical outcomes

“People start asking better questions.”

This idea is valuable across animal welfare.

Organizations often face questions such as:

• Why are adoptions slowing?
• Why are animals stressed in shelter environments?
• Why are foster placements failing?
• Why are animals being returned?

Better questions often lead to better solutions.

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Trust Is More Powerful Than Control

One of the most compelling parts of the conversation centers on trust.

Horses are prey animals. Their instincts are built around safety, awareness, and survival.

Yet humans often ask them to:

• Ignore their instincts
• Accept unfamiliar environments
• Perform challenging tasks
• Trust human judgment

Caroline believes the foundation for all of this must be trust.

“The horse feels safe.”

This principle applies to every species.

Whether it’s:

• A fearful shelter dog
• A traumatized rescue animal
• A nervous foster cat

Trust creates the foundation for progress.

Without trust, behavior becomes compliance.

With trust, behavior becomes partnership.

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The Animal’s Experience Matters

One concept Caroline repeatedly discusses is the animal’s “lived experience.”

In other words:

What is life actually like for the animal?

This perspective shifts the focus from human goals to animal wellbeing.

For example:

Instead of asking:

• How can I make this animal do what I want?

We ask:

• What is this animal experiencing?
• What does this animal need?
• How can I create a better outcome?

This is a powerful mindset for shelters, rescues, and foster homes alike.

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Responsibility Over Entitlement

One of the most thought-provoking quotes from the episode comes near the end:

“Let’s let go of the entitlement and focus on the responsibility.”

Caroline believes animal ownership should be viewed less as a privilege and more as a commitment.

Animals depend on us for:

• Safety
• Healthcare
• Nutrition
• Emotional wellbeing
• Stability

That responsibility doesn’t disappear when things become difficult.

For fosters and adopters, this means recognizing that animals are not temporary hobbies—they are living beings with needs, preferences, and emotions.

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Every Animal Is an Individual

Another lesson that resonates beyond the horse world is the importance of recognizing individuality.

Caroline explains that horses:

• Recognize specific people
• Form social bonds
• Experience stress when environments change
• Build trust over time

The same is true for dogs and cats.

Animals are not interchangeable.

Every foster placement, adoption, transport, or relocation affects them differently.

Understanding this helps organizations:

• Create better transitions
• Improve foster experiences
• Reduce stress
• Increase successful placements

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Changing Culture Takes Time

Equitopia was launched in 2016 with a goal of helping horse owners access reliable educational resources.

Nearly a decade later, the platform has helped thousands of people learn more about horse welfare, management, and training.

But Caroline acknowledges that changing culture is difficult.

“I fall down, I get up again, and I keep going.”

That persistence is something many animal welfare leaders understand.

Whether you’re:

• Running a rescue
• Building a foster program
• Advocating for better welfare standards

Meaningful change rarely happens overnight.

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What This Means for Dooberteers

Even if you’ve never owned a horse, Caroline’s message applies to every corner of animal welfare.

Animals need advocates who:

• Stay curious
• Ask questions
• Keep learning
• Put welfare first
• Focus on responsibility rather than convenience

Sometimes the best thing we can do for animals is simply slow down and pay attention to what they’re trying to tell us.

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Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear Caroline Hegarty’s full story and learn more about evidence-based animal care, horse welfare, and building stronger human-animal partnerships?

Watch on YouTube:

Listen for the audio versions:

---

If you’re passionate about helping animals, join the Doobert community where volunteers, fosters, transporters, and animal organizations work together to save lives every day.

Visit Doobert.com to get involved, volunteer, foster, or transport animals in need.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the Top Dog Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

Fostering Saves More Than Lives: How Compassion, Flexibility, and the Right Tools Help Animals Thrive

Animal rescue often begins with a single moment—a dog on the side of the road, a stray kitten in need, or a chance encounter that changes everything.

For Melissa Giordano, that moment happened on a beach in Puerto Rico.

What started with two stray dogs following her and her husband during a vacation eventually turned into years of rescue work, thousands of animals helped, and a mission to support shelters, rescues, and fosters through innovative technology and partnerships.

In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Melissa shares lessons from her rescue journey, her work with Puerto Rican rescue organizations, and how simple tools can make a lifesaving difference.

For organizations, fosters, and Dooberteers, her story highlights one of the most important truths in animal welfare: compassion and preparation save lives.

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Sometimes One Animal Changes Your Entire Life

Many people enter animal welfare because of a single animal.

For Melissa, it was two stray dogs she met while vacationing in Puerto Rico.

“By the end of the week, we were running to the vet, getting health certificates, and flying them home.”

Those dogs opened her eyes to the challenges facing homeless animals on the island and inspired years of involvement with rescue organizations transporting dogs to homes on the mainland.

What started as one rescue became a lifelong commitment.

It’s a reminder that you never know which animal will change your life.

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Fostering Is One of the Most Powerful Ways to Help

Throughout the conversation, Melissa repeatedly returns to the value of fostering.

She has fostered:

• Puppies
• Adult dogs
• Medical cases
• Behavior cases
• Neonatal kittens
• Long-term rescue animals

And despite the challenges, her message is clear:

“I just wish everybody would give it a chance.”

Many people assume fostering requires:

• A large home
• Extensive experience
• Unlimited free time

But fostering often means simply providing a safe space where an animal can decompress and reveal who they truly are.

For shelters, fostering:

• Expands lifesaving capacity
• Reduces kennel stress
• Improves behavior assessments
• Creates better adoption outcomes

For Dooberteers, fostering remains one of the most direct ways to save lives.

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Not Every Return Is a Failure

One of the most valuable lessons Melissa shared is something every rescue organization should hear.

“Be more compassionate.”

Over the years, she learned that when adopters return animals or fosters struggle with a placement, judgment doesn’t help.

Many returns happen because:

• The animal isn’t the right fit
• Family situations change
• Behavioral challenges emerge
• Expectations don’t match reality

Instead of assigning blame, Melissa encourages organizations to focus on solutions.

“There’s always someone else that will be a better fit for that animal.”

For shelters and rescues, this mindset creates stronger relationships and ultimately better outcomes for animals.

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Rescue Is Easier When We Work Together

Melissa’s experience with organizations like The Sato Project and Upshot Dog Rescue taught her the importance of collaboration.

No single rescue can solve every problem.

Successful animal welfare depends on:

• Foster networks
• Transport volunteers
• Veterinary partners
• Adoption coordinators
• Community supporters

And often, the difference between success and failure is simply having enough people willing to help.

For organizations, this is a reminder that building partnerships can be just as important as saving individual animals.

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Technology Is Becoming a Lifesaving Tool

One of the most memorable stories from the episode involves a foster dog that escaped shortly after transport and disappeared for 30 days in the middle of winter.

The experience was stressful, exhausting, and emotionally draining.

“That was the worst 30 days of my life.”

Eventually, the dog was recovered, but the situation revealed an important gap in rescue operations: tracking lost animals.

That experience ultimately led Melissa to Fi, where she now oversees rescue partnerships that provide GPS tracking collars and microchips to shelters and rescues.

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Why Prevention Matters

Lost dogs are one of the most common challenges shelters and rescues face.

Even when organizations follow best practices:

• Double leashing
• Secure fencing
• Martingale collars
• Careful transport protocols

Accidents still happen.

GPS tracking and microchipping create an additional layer of protection that can dramatically improve recovery outcomes.

Melissa shared multiple examples where tracking technology helped locate dogs that otherwise may never have been found.

For organizations, prevention often saves time, resources, and lives.

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Every Animal Deserves a Chance

One of Melissa’s favorite foster stories involved dogs that had been overlooked for months—or even years.

One shelter dog had received almost no adoption interest despite being a wonderful companion.

After taking the dog to a community event, everything changed.

“It had three applications after that one event.”

Sometimes animals simply need the opportunity to be seen outside the shelter environment.

This is another reason foster homes and community outings matter:
They allow people to see the animal, not the kennel.

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Focus on the Animal in Front of You

Perhaps the most powerful lesson from the episode came when Melissa discussed avoiding burnout.

Animal welfare can feel overwhelming because the need is so great.

But instead of focusing on every animal that needs help, she encourages people to focus on the one they can help right now.

“You don’t have to save every animal to make it matter.”

For fosters, volunteers, and rescue teams, this perspective can make the work sustainable.

Every animal matters to the animal you’re helping.

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What This Means for Dooberteers

Melissa’s story is a reminder that helping animals doesn’t require perfection.

You can make a difference by:

• Fostering
• Volunteering
• Transporting
• Microchipping pets
• Supporting rescue partners
• Educating adopters

Small actions create life-changing outcomes.

And sometimes, those outcomes begin with a single animal crossing your path.

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Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear Melissa Giordano’s full story and learn more about fostering, rescue partnerships, lost dog prevention, and lifesaving innovation?

Watch on YouTube:

Listen for the audio versions:

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If you’re passionate about helping animals, join the Doobert community where volunteers, fosters, transporters, and animal organizations work together to save lives every day.

Visit Doobert.com to get involved, volunteer, foster, or transport animals in need.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the Top Dog Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

Changing the System to Save More Animals: How Policy, Education, and Coalition Building Create Lasting Change

Animal rescue is often what people first think about when they imagine helping animals. But according to Animal rescue is often what people first think about when they imagine helping animals. But according to Natalie Ahwesh of Humane Action Pennsylvania, some of the most impactful work happens long before an animal ever enters a shelter.

In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Natalie shares how policy reform, community education, and creative coalition-building are helping create long-term change for animals across Pennsylvania. From domestic violence protections to wildlife education campaigns, her work proves that saving animals is not always about direct rescue—it’s also about changing systems.

For organizations, fosters, and Dooberteers, this episode offers a powerful reminder that advocacy and education can protect thousands of animals for years to come.

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One Law Can Help Thousands of Animals

Natalie began her animal welfare journey as a volunteer walking dogs and helping at shelters while working professionally as a mathematics instructor.

But after joining what would become Humane Action Pennsylvania, she realized something important:

“If I can work to pass a law, I could help hundreds or maybe even thousands of dogs.”

That realization shifted her focus from individual rescue to systemic change.

Over the past 11 years, Humane Action Pennsylvania has helped pass nearly 30 animal welfare laws through:

• Legislative advocacy
• Community education
• Coalition partnerships
• Grassroots organizing

And unlike temporary solutions, policy changes can create lasting protection for animals for years or even decades.

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Real Change Takes Patience

One of the biggest lessons Natalie shares is that policy work requires persistence.

Some campaigns move quickly. Others take years.

“Policy work is definitely not for people who need instant gratification.”

One Pittsburgh ordinance banning retail sales of commercially bred dogs, cats, and rabbits moved through city council in just weeks.

Another campaign to eliminate animal circuses took nearly three years.

For organizations and advocates, this is an important takeaway:
Meaningful change often happens slowly—but that doesn’t make it less impactful.

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Animal Welfare Is Connected to Human Issues

One of the most unique aspects of Humane Action Pennsylvania’s work is its focus on interconnected social issues.

Their campaigns extend beyond traditional animal advocacy into areas like:

• Domestic violence prevention
• Human health
• Environmental protection
• Urban wildlife coexistence
• Public art and education

Natalie explained that animal welfare doesn’t exist in isolation.

“We look at animal welfare through the lens of how it’s connected with other social issues.”

This broader approach helps bring in supporters who may not initially identify as “animal people” but still care deeply about:

• Community wellbeing
• Public safety
• Environmental issues
• Violence prevention

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Coalition Building Creates More Influence

One of the most valuable lessons from this episode is the importance of coalition-building.

Rather than working alone, Humane Action Pennsylvania partners with:

• Law enforcement agencies
• Domestic violence organizations
• Hunting groups
• Environmental advocates
• Public officials

One major success involved passing legislation allowing pets to be included in protection-from-abuse orders for domestic violence survivors.

To make that happen, they partnered with:

• The Pennsylvania Sheriffs Association
• District attorneys
• Police departments
• Domestic violence advocates

“When lawmakers are getting calls from the president of the Pennsylvania Sheriffs Association, they’re listening.”

For animal organizations, this is a critical insight:
Progress often happens faster when you find common ground with unexpected partners.

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Education Can Change Hearts and Minds

Not every issue can be solved through legislation.

Sometimes education creates the greatest impact.

One example is Humane Action Pennsylvania’s “Love Your Wild Neighbor” campaign, which helps communities coexist more humanely with urban wildlife like raccoons.

Instead of focusing only on enforcement or trapping, the organization created:

• Educational online resources
• Humane wildlife conflict solutions
• Public awareness campaigns
• Large-scale wildlife murals in underserved communities

“We want people to start seeing them as neighbors instead of nuisances.”

These projects not only educate the public—they also beautify communities and create conversations around compassion and coexistence.

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Innovation Often Comes From Flexibility

One of the most refreshing parts of Natalie’s leadership philosophy is her openness to adapting.

Unlike organizations that rely heavily on rigid long-term planning, Humane Action Pennsylvania stays flexible.

“Almost everything we’ve accomplished has been because the stars aligned and an opportunity presented itself.”

That flexibility allows the organization to:

• Respond quickly to opportunities
• Build new partnerships organically
• Shift priorities when needed
• Explore creative campaigns

For nonprofits and rescue groups, this is an important reminder:
Sometimes adaptability is more valuable than perfection.

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Creative Campaigns Reach New Audiences

Natalie’s team also understands the importance of making advocacy approachable.

One example is Pittsburgh’s Vegan Restaurant Week, designed to:

• Promote plant-based food options
• Introduce new audiences to compassionate eating
• Support local businesses
• Create positive community engagement

They’ve also explored:

• Public art campaigns
• Wildlife education events
• Humane coexistence initiatives

These campaigns help expand the “circle of compassion” by making animal advocacy accessible to broader audiences.

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You Don’t Need a Traditional Background to Make an Impact

One of the most inspiring aspects of Natalie’s story is that she didn’t begin in politics or nonprofit leadership.

She started as:

• A math instructor
• A shelter volunteer
• Someone simply trying to help animals

That eventually grew into statewide advocacy work influencing legislation and public policy.

For Dooberteers, this is an important reminder:
You do not need the perfect background to create meaningful change.

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What This Means for Dooberteers

Whether you foster, volunteer, advocate, transport, or educate others, you are helping create a more compassionate future for animals.

Natalie’s story shows that impact can happen through:

• Education
• Advocacy
• Community conversations
• Coalition-building
• Creativity

Sometimes helping animals means changing the systems around them.

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Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear the full conversation with Natalie Ahwesh and learn more about policy advocacy, coalition-building, and innovative animal welfare campaigns?

Watch on YouTube:

Listen for the audio versions:

---

If you’re passionate about helping animals, join the Doobert community where volunteers, fosters, transporters, and animal organizations work together to save lives every day.

Visit Doobert.com to get involved, volunteer, foster, or transport animals in need.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the Top Dog Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.