Hanna Lentz | How Better Messaging Creates Better Outcomes
Hanna Lentz | How Better Messaging Creates Better Outcomes
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In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Hanna Lentz, Executive Director of SPARC (Supporting People and Animal Relationships for Change), explains why one of the most powerful tools in animal welfare isn’t a new program or technology—it’s the stories we tell. Through research, education, and collaboration, SPARC helps organizations communicate in ways that foster empathy, reduce judgment, and create better outcomes for both people and animals.
After beginning her career with dreams of becoming a pastry chef, Hanna followed her lifelong passion for animals into sheltering, international animal welfare, and nonprofit consulting. Along the way, she realized that many of the challenges facing animal welfare weren’t just operational—they were rooted in the narratives the industry had been repeating for decades.
“Some of the stories we’ve been telling are actually holding our work back.”
One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is the importance of changing the conversation. Rather than focusing on blame when families surrender pets or struggle to access care, Hanna encourages organizations to tell the larger story about the systemic barriers people face, such as housing, financial hardship, and limited access to veterinary care.
“Pet owners are not the problem. They’re our partners.”
Hanna explains that small shifts in messaging can lead to major changes in how communities respond to animal welfare. By replacing judgment with curiosity and understanding, organizations can build stronger relationships with the people they serve while developing more effective long-term solutions.
“How can we do this work even better?”
She also shares examples of shelters that redesigned services after listening to their communities, making veterinary care more accessible and reducing frustration for both staff and pet owners.
“We’re partners in problem solving.”
At its core, this episode is about creating a more compassionate animal welfare system by changing the way we think, communicate, and work together. Hanna believes that better stories don’t just change perceptions—they change policies, programs, and lives.
“If we’re helping create conditions for others to be even more successful, that’s incredible.”
This message is especially important for Dooberteers, volunteers, shelter leaders, and animal advocates. Every conversation, every social media post, and every interaction has the power to build trust, strengthen the human-animal bond, and create lasting change.
If you’re passionate about helping animals, join the Doobert community where volunteers, fosters, transporters, and organizations work together to save lives every day. Visit Doobert.com to get involved.
And don’t forget to subscribe to the Top Dog Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.
Do you know any Top Dogs we should interview? We’re always looking for amazing people in animal welfare to feature on the podcast. Send us an email at tdp@doobert.com.