Starting as an animal control officer before becoming a veterinarian, Kate witnessed firsthand how shelters often lacked the medical knowledge, resources, and systems needed to properly care for animals.
Every animal welfare organization dreams of a day when there are fewer homeless animals entering shelters and rescues. But according to Chris Bush, Vice Chair of Chatham Animal Rescue & Education (CARE), that future won’t be achieved through rescue alone.
It will happen through community involvement, education, and prevention.
In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Chris shares lessons learned from more than three decades of helping cats and building community-driven solutions. His message is both practical and hopeful: lasting change happens when entire communities take responsibility for animal welfare, not just shelters and rescue groups.
For organizations, fosters, and Dooberteers, this conversation offers valuable insights into one of the biggest challenges facing animal welfare today: cat overpopulation.
One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when Chris addresses a reality that many animal welfare professionals eventually discover.
“We cannot rescue our way out of this problem.”
It’s not a lack of compassion.
It’s math.
Cats reproduce quickly. Without intervention, one unaltered female cat can contribute to dozens of cats entering the community over time.
As communities grow, the challenge grows with them.
Chris explains that Chatham County, North Carolina, is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, bringing both opportunities and challenges for animal welfare organizations. Housing costs are increasing, veterinary access is limited, and more families are struggling to afford pet care.
The result?
More animals needing help than rescue organizations can realistically absorb.
Like many people in animal welfare, Chris initially focused on rescue and adoption.
Over time, he realized that the most effective solution lies further upstream.
“The biggest problem is owned cats that aren’t fixed.”
When affordable spay and neuter services are unavailable, even responsible pet owners can find themselves overwhelmed.
Veterinary costs have risen dramatically in many communities, creating barriers for families who genuinely care about their animals but simply cannot afford procedures.
That’s why CARE focuses heavily on:
These initiatives prevent future suffering before it begins.
One of the most important lessons Chris shares is the need to rethink how we view outdoor cats.
For years, terms like “stray” and “feral” dominated animal welfare conversations.
Today, many advocates prefer the term community cat.
Why?
Because many outdoor cats already have people who care for them.
“You may find they have two, three, four, five owners.”
A cat might:
That doesn’t mean they should continue reproducing.
But it does mean that not every outdoor cat needs to enter a shelter.
Understanding this distinction helps organizations make better decisions about resources and outcomes.
One of the most eye-opening parts of the conversation centers on a common misconception.
Many people see an outdoor cat and immediately assume it needs rescuing.
Chris explains why that isn’t always true.
Sometimes removing a cat from its environment creates new problems:
“Not all cats need to be rescued.”
Instead, organizations increasingly focus on assessing each situation individually and determining what outcome truly serves the animal’s best interests.
Chris is currently helping develop a community cat program in Chatham County.
But he is quick to point out that no single person can accomplish this work alone.
“It’s a group effort.”
Creating sustainable programs requires:
The good news?
Many of the best volunteers are already invested in the outcome.
Chris notes that people who come seeking help often become some of the strongest advocates and volunteers because they care deeply about the animals involved.
One of the most touching stories from the episode involves a cat named Jed.
Found injured and abandoned, Jed initially struggled to trust people.
He would scratch, bite, and desperately try to prevent caregivers from leaving him.
But as volunteers continued showing up consistently, his behavior changed.
Chris realized something important:
Jed wasn’t aggressive.
He was afraid of being abandoned again.
After months of care, socialization, and patience, Jed found a loving home.
Today, he spends his days cuddling with his new family and comforting a child when she’s sick.
Stories like Jed’s help volunteers stay motivated during difficult times.
Animal welfare work is emotionally demanding.
Chris openly discusses the ethical dilemmas rescue teams face every week:
To avoid burnout, he emphasizes several strategies:
“If you go down in flames, you can’t help anybody.”
For Dooberteers, this is an important reminder that self-care isn’t selfish—it’s necessary.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Chris’s conversation is that animal welfare is evolving.
The future isn’t just about shelters.
It’s about communities.
It’s about helping people keep pets in their homes.
It’s about affordable veterinary care.
It’s about prevention.
And it’s about empowering neighborhoods to become part of the solution.
As Chris explains, there are already countless organizations, leaders, and advocates willing to share knowledge and help others build successful programs.
“You’re not by yourself.”
That sense of community may be one of the most powerful tools animal welfare has.
Whether you’re a foster, transporter, volunteer, advocate, or donor, you can help create lasting change by:
Every prevented litter means fewer animals entering shelters in the future.
And every community solution creates a stronger safety net for animals in need.
Want to hear Chris Bush’s full story and learn more about community cats, TNR programs, and building sustainable solutions for animal welfare?
Watch on YouTube:
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.
After being given just 90 days to live due to end-stage liver failure caused by alcoholism, Zach found hope and purpose through the unconditional love of his dogs.
For decades, animal shelters have been the centerpiece of animal welfare. When animals needed help, the solution was simple: bring them into the building.
But what if the future of animal welfare looks different?
What if shelters become temporary safety nets rather than permanent solutions? What if more animals recover, grow, and thrive in homes instead of kennels?
In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Kristen Hassen, Founder and CEO of Outcomes Consulting, challenges some of the field’s most deeply rooted assumptions. Drawing from her experience leading three major shelters to a 90%+ live release rate, Kristen shares why the future of animal welfare isn’t just about saving more lives—it’s about reimagining where and how we save them.
For organizations, fosters, and Dooberteers, this conversation offers both inspiration and a challenge: are we willing to let go of outdated systems in favor of better outcomes?
Kristen has worked in shelters with more than 20,000 annual intakes and successfully transformed each one into a high-performing, lifesaving organization.
But according to her, the animals themselves were never the biggest obstacle.
“The animals are wonderful. They’re all cats and dogs wherever you go. There’s no unique situation with anyone’s animals.”
The real challenge?
People.
More specifically, systems built around old assumptions.
Shelters across the country often continue practices simply because:
Kristen believes that if organizations truly commit to saving lives, solutions become much easier to find.
“If we decide we’re going to save them, we just do that.”
One of the most powerful themes throughout the conversation is the importance of challenging outdated practices.
Kristen recalls entering shelters where animals were routinely euthanized for reasons that today seem unimaginable:
Instead of accepting those outcomes, she encouraged teams to ask:
Why are we doing this?
What does the evidence actually tell us?
“We’re not going to euthanize cats for being shy anymore.”
The shift wasn’t always easy.
But it was necessary.
Because meaningful change often starts by examining practices we’ve stopped questioning.
If there’s one thing Kristen is passionate about, it’s using data to improve outcomes.
“If you ground in the research and data, everything I say is going to be true.”
Too often, organizations rely on:
Instead, Kristen encourages shelters to ask:
One example she highlights is the problem of animals being marked as unavailable.
Whether categorized as:
Animals who remain hidden from the public often stay in shelters longer, increasing stress and reducing opportunities for positive outcomes.
Data allows organizations to identify these bottlenecks and address them before they become crises.
Perhaps the boldest idea Kristen shares is her vision for the future of animal welfare.
She believes we need to move away from shelter-centric models entirely.
“I want my legacy to be that we moved from a shelter-centric model to a foster-centric model.”
Why?
Because homes consistently outperform institutions.
Animals in foster homes often experience:
The data overwhelmingly supports what many fosters already know:
Animals thrive in homes.
Shelters should serve as temporary stopovers—not destinations.
Many people assume fostering is only for newborn kittens or emergency cases.
But foster programs can support:
When shelters build robust foster networks, they gain flexibility and capacity.
More importantly, animals gain access to something shelters can never fully replicate:
A home environment.
For Dooberteers, fostering isn’t just volunteering.
It’s one of the most impactful forms of lifesaving available.
Kristen also emphasizes the importance of professional development.
Animal welfare attracts compassionate people.
But compassion alone isn’t enough.
“Animal shelter professionals need to upskill more quickly.”
Leaders need skills in:
She points out that other industries routinely invest in leadership education, while animal welfare professionals are often expected to learn on the fly.
The result?
Burnout.
Turnover.
Missed opportunities.
By investing in education, organizations strengthen their ability to save lives sustainably.
One of Kristen’s most interesting perspectives is her encouragement to learn from other industries.
Currently, she’s fascinated by hospital bed management.
Why?
Because hospitals constantly balance:
Animal shelters face many of the same challenges.
“The more you can look outside of animal welfare… the more lessons you can take.”
Innovation doesn’t always require reinventing the wheel.
Sometimes it means borrowing ideas from people solving similar problems differently.
Toward the end of the conversation, Kristen delivers one of the episode’s most important messages.
Animal welfare work is hard.
Trauma exposure is real.
Burnout is common.
And too many professionals believe suffering is simply part of the job.
Kristen disagrees.
“If you are working in an environment where you have to go home and drink to survive your job, you should leave.”
There are healthy organizations.
There are supportive leaders.
There are teams where people can thrive.
Helping animals should not come at the expense of your own wellbeing.
Kristen’s story reminds us that meaningful change starts with courage.
The courage to:
Animal welfare isn’t just about keeping systems running.
It’s about creating systems worthy of the animals and people they serve.
Want to hear Kristen Hassen’s full conversation about leadership, foster-centric sheltering, and transforming animal welfare systems?
Watch on YouTube:
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.
As a volunteer with Chatham Animal Rescue and Education (CARE), Chris is helping lead efforts to address cat overpopulation through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), affordable spay and neuter access, and community collaboration.
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.
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:
The result?
Thousands of animals remained safely at home instead of entering the shelter system.
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:
For organizations, this represents one of the biggest shifts happening in animal welfare today.
One of the most practical examples Rachel shared involves transportation.
Many families want to care for their pets but face barriers like:
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:
It’s a simple idea, but it removes obstacles that could otherwise result in animals entering the shelter.
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:
For organizations, meeting people where they are often leads to better outcomes than imposing one-size-fits-all expectations.
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:
For shelters facing overcrowding, these programs can significantly reduce intake while improving outcomes for animals and families.
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:
For Dooberteers and organizations alike, growing the next generation of animal welfare professionals is critical to the future of the movement.
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:
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.
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:
Every family that stays together creates one less shelter intake—and one more success story.
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:
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.
After first entering animal welfare in the late 1990s, Kristen left the field due to the trauma of working in shelters with extremely high euthanasia rates. Years later, she returned with a new mission: changing the system from within.
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.
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:
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.
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:
For many people in recovery, these factors can become critical components of long-term success.
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:
For organizations, this demonstrates how fostering can become part of a larger support system.
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:
This approach benefits everyone involved.
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:
“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.
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:
For many people, a beloved pet provides all four.
Another important lesson from Dogs Matter is the value of community.
The program relies heavily on:
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.
One of the reasons Dogs Matter has been so successful is its nonjudgmental approach.
People seeking help may be:
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.
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:
Every effort helps keep pets and people together during difficult times.
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:
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.
In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Rachel Ide, Animal Services Director at Young-Williams Animal Center, shares how community-focused programs and compassionate leadership are transforming animal welfare in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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.
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:
When many professionals couldn’t answer those questions, Caroline started searching for answers herself.
One of the strongest themes throughout the episode is that owners must become advocates.
Whether you’re caring for:
You are often the person who sees that animal every day.
That means you’re also the first person likely to notice:
“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.
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:
“People start asking better questions.”
This idea is valuable across animal welfare.
Organizations often face questions such as:
Better questions often lead to better solutions.
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:
Caroline believes the foundation for all of this must be trust.
“The horse feels safe.”
This principle applies to every species.
Whether it’s:
Trust creates the foundation for progress.
Without trust, behavior becomes compliance.
With trust, behavior becomes partnership.
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:
We ask:
This is a powerful mindset for shelters, rescues, and foster homes alike.
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:
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.
Another lesson that resonates beyond the horse world is the importance of recognizing individuality.
Caroline explains that horses:
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:
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:
Meaningful change rarely happens overnight.
Even if you’ve never owned a horse, Caroline’s message applies to every corner of animal welfare.
Animals need advocates who:
Sometimes the best thing we can do for animals is simply slow down and pay attention to what they’re trying to tell us.
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:
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.
