Casey Shook | Building Community Solutions Through Leadership and Prevention

Prefer an audio version? Listen here:

In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Casey Shook, Executive Director of Homeward Bound Pets Humane Society, shares her journey from attorney to animal welfare leader — and the realities of serving a community with limited resources.

With a small team, aging facilities, and growing demand, Casey is leading efforts to build a new shelter that will expand their impact and better support animals in need.

Her path was driven by one clear realization:

“I didn’t want to waste any more time not being true to myself.”

A key takeaway from the episode is the difference between no-kill and no-birth approaches. While no-kill focuses on reducing euthanasia, no-birth focuses on prevention through spay and neuter.

“You’re just stopping the population from growing.”

Even with over 25,000 spay and neuter surgeries completed, the need in their community remains high — showing how critical prevention and infrastructure are in solving overpopulation.

Casey also highlights the dedication of her team, who continue showing up for animals despite difficult conditions.

“They’ve stayed because they love the animals.”

This episode also reinforces the power of community support — especially fostering.

“Fostering doesn’t just save a life. It expands our capacity.”

This message is especially important for Dooberteers, fosters, and volunteers. Every action helps extend care and create more opportunities for animals in need.

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.

Stacy LeBaron | How Trap-Neuter-Return Changes Communities

newdoobert on April 1, 2026

Stacy LeBaron | How Trap-Neuter-Return Changes Communities

Prefer an audio version? Listen here:

In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Stacy LeBaron from Community Cats Central shares an important message for animal organizations, volunteers, and fosters: real change in animal welfare starts at the community level.

Stacy has spent more than 30 years working in community cat programs and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), and one of her biggest lessons is that animal welfare is not just the responsibility of shelters. Communities, volunteers, and local organizations all play a role in reducing overpopulation and improving animal welfare.

“If you are passionate about cats, I’m going to help you change the world for cats in your community.”

One of the key takeaways from the conversation is that spay and neuter programs are the only long-term solution to cat overpopulation. Rescue alone cannot solve the problem without prevention. Accessible and affordable spay/neuter programs, especially in underserved communities, make a huge difference over time.

Stacy also talked about leadership in animal welfare. Many volunteers, fosters, and community cat caregivers don’t see themselves as leaders, but they are often the people who understand their community’s animal issues the most.

“This is a community-based solution. This is not one person. This is a team effort.”

Education and collaboration are what make programs successful. When communities work together — shelters, volunteers, fosters, and local organizations — they can reduce intake, improve animal welfare, and create more humane communities for animals.

This message is especially important for Dooberteers, fosters, and volunteers. Every transport, every foster home, every volunteer hour contributes to a larger community solution.

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 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.