WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.789 --> 00:00:06.320 Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs Podcast, the show for dog lovers who 00:00:06.340 --> 00:00:12.000 see dogs not as toys or tools, but wise souls worth our respect and care. 00:00:12.580 --> 00:00:14.559 I'm an Herrmann, and I'm your host. 00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:20.560 I talk to poor some humans, people who do great work for dogs and their people. 00:00:21.099 --> 00:00:23.360 So come and join us for today's conversation. 00:00:25.775 --> 00:00:27.495 Anke: Hello and welcome, Cara. 00:00:27.545 --> 00:00:29.755 I'm very happy to have you here today. 00:00:31.110 --> 00:00:32.180 Cara: Hey, it's great to be here. 00:00:33.450 --> 00:00:36.350 Anke: So let's dive straight in. 00:00:36.360 --> 00:00:40.230 Let people know where in this lovely world are you and so 00:00:40.230 --> 00:00:41.690 what's your business with dogs? 00:00:43.180 --> 00:00:44.750 Cara: Uh, I'm in the United States. 00:00:44.790 --> 00:00:47.940 I'm in Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, which I think 00:00:47.940 --> 00:00:51.370 is the prettiest part of the eastern part of the United States. 00:00:51.870 --> 00:00:56.060 Um, and my business with dogs, oh my gosh, it's huge, but I will try 00:00:56.070 --> 00:00:58.300 to be quick with what it really is. 00:00:58.300 --> 00:00:58.595 It is. 00:00:59.235 --> 00:01:03.165 Um, I am a the co-founder and, uh, and board president for 00:01:03.435 --> 00:01:04.635 who will let the dogs out. 00:01:04.995 --> 00:01:09.525 And, um, I started this organization with a photographer friend because I 00:01:09.525 --> 00:01:12.765 had traveled to the shelters in the southern part of the United States, 00:01:13.405 --> 00:01:17.245 um, as part of a book tour for a book I'd written about fostering dogs and 00:01:17.245 --> 00:01:19.195 my family's adventures fostering dogs. 00:01:19.195 --> 00:01:22.105 And since I was going south, I thought, well, I'm, I'll go visit these 00:01:22.105 --> 00:01:23.755 shelters where the dogs came from. 00:01:24.285 --> 00:01:25.335 I thought it would be. 00:01:25.775 --> 00:01:30.995 You know, this wonderful, fun experience and I was just shocked and then I was 00:01:30.995 --> 00:01:34.065 shocked that I was shocked because I had fostered over a hundred dogs by 00:01:34.065 --> 00:01:37.255 that point and I didn't, I couldn't believe I didn't realize what was 00:01:37.265 --> 00:01:38.895 happening in our nation's shelters. 00:01:39.395 --> 00:01:44.630 So, um, I, I just felt like if I didn't know, a lot of people don't know, 00:01:44.710 --> 00:01:48.430 like most people don't know just how mad it really is, and so I started 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:53.050 going back, eventually bringing my friend, photographer Nancy Slattery 00:01:53.050 --> 00:01:54.910 with me because people don't read. 00:01:54.980 --> 00:01:57.430 I'm a writer, and I was writing about all of this, but you know, 00:01:57.430 --> 00:02:01.150 it's very hard to get people to read, uh, and pictures are powerful. 00:02:01.360 --> 00:02:04.670 So she started coming with me and then together we finally were like, 00:02:04.670 --> 00:02:06.300 well, we, we need to make this bigger. 00:02:06.300 --> 00:02:10.020 We need to create an actual nonprofit organization so that we can get 00:02:10.020 --> 00:02:11.900 more support, more people behind it. 00:02:12.470 --> 00:02:13.320 Um, and that's what we did. 00:02:13.320 --> 00:02:14.910 And we formed Who Will Let the Dogs Out. 00:02:14.920 --> 00:02:18.860 And our mission is to raise awareness and resources for homeless dogs 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:20.180 and the heroes who fight for them. 00:02:21.310 --> 00:02:22.590 Anke: I love, I love that so much. 00:02:22.765 --> 00:02:29.815 I'm curious, like, when you first sort of realized, Jesus, I have 00:02:29.815 --> 00:02:31.505 no idea what's going on here. 00:02:31.855 --> 00:02:36.575 Um, what were things that you didn't expect or that you saw that you 00:02:36.575 --> 00:02:38.485 think that surprised you at the time? 00:02:39.775 --> 00:02:43.575 Cara: Um, at the time it was, it was, It was shocking just how many animals were 00:02:43.575 --> 00:02:47.335 crammed into this very small building, which we had a hard time finding because 00:02:47.335 --> 00:02:50.705 it was like the other side of the railroad tracks, underneath the water 00:02:50.705 --> 00:02:53.935 tower, near, surrounded by swampland. 00:02:54.405 --> 00:02:57.495 And these dogs, there were so many, and they were living in 00:02:57.495 --> 00:02:58.725 outdoor kennels, most of them. 00:02:59.065 --> 00:03:03.565 Heartworm disease is a big issue in our country and it kills a lot of dogs. 00:03:03.565 --> 00:03:06.945 And I mean, you know, anybody who has a pet pays a lot of money to 00:03:06.945 --> 00:03:08.295 keep their dog un preventative. 00:03:09.035 --> 00:03:11.285 Um, these were dogs were not getting preventatives, and they were 00:03:11.285 --> 00:03:13.115 living outdoors next to a swamp. 00:03:13.115 --> 00:03:15.365 And heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bite. 00:03:15.845 --> 00:03:19.085 So 80% of the dogs in that shelter were heartworm positive. 00:03:19.325 --> 00:03:25.175 Which, um, this was in 19, I mean, in 2018. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:29.320 And it still is pretty much a, you know, a, the end for a dog. 00:03:29.390 --> 00:03:32.170 Most rescues don't have the money to treat heartworm, it's 00:03:32.170 --> 00:03:33.470 a very expensive thing to treat. 00:03:33.470 --> 00:03:36.810 So, it was really sad, and as I was talking to the director 00:03:36.810 --> 00:03:39.390 there, and I said, you know, how many dogs do you guys take in? 00:03:39.390 --> 00:03:42.500 She said, well, we had, we took in 50, 50 dogs this month. 00:03:43.030 --> 00:03:45.310 And I said, well, how many were adopted? 00:03:45.545 --> 00:03:49.735 We're taking a rescue and she said three and so doing the math on that. 00:03:49.785 --> 00:03:55.765 Um, you know that it comes to a point where they don't have enough room and so I 00:03:55.765 --> 00:03:57.695 was just I was shocked by the conditions. 00:03:57.695 --> 00:03:59.615 I was shocked that these dogs lived outside. 00:03:59.635 --> 00:04:01.575 I was shocked at how little anybody. 00:04:02.710 --> 00:04:05.630 It knew what was going on or was coming there to volunteer. 00:04:05.630 --> 00:04:07.010 They didn't have basic supplies. 00:04:07.010 --> 00:04:08.210 The dogs were not dewormed. 00:04:08.250 --> 00:04:09.790 They weren't treated for flea and tick. 00:04:10.190 --> 00:04:12.570 When I asked the director, what can we do? 00:04:12.690 --> 00:04:14.070 I have a whole van of supplies. 00:04:14.070 --> 00:04:16.640 What can, you know, she started crying because she just, she 00:04:16.640 --> 00:04:18.120 was like, we need everything. 00:04:18.710 --> 00:04:22.140 Um, And that was just, I just couldn't believe it that this was 00:04:22.140 --> 00:04:28.590 a county funded shelter where the dogs were all contracting heartworm 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.380 and were not being cared for and basic care wasn't being done. 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:34.650 It was, I just couldn't believe it. 00:04:35.070 --> 00:04:39.190 So, and I, as I said, since I was seeing this and I, and I was so 00:04:39.190 --> 00:04:43.870 involved in rescue, you know, I thought nobody knows what's happening here. 00:04:44.700 --> 00:04:45.450 Anke: Oh, that's for sure. 00:04:45.450 --> 00:04:51.270 I mean, I'm like, I'm, I'm in Spain and here they don't even You know, like rescue 00:04:51.270 --> 00:04:54.770 place, shelter, they don't even put their address anywhere because they're kind of 00:04:54.770 --> 00:04:58.050 so worried that people will, that they come in the morning and there's another 00:04:58.270 --> 00:05:00.400 50 dogs dumped over the fence, right? 00:05:00.400 --> 00:05:02.370 So they won't even tell people where they are. 00:05:02.380 --> 00:05:06.940 So it's, it's actually, can you just clarify something? 00:05:06.940 --> 00:05:07.430 I don't know. 00:05:07.430 --> 00:05:09.560 Maybe I'm the only kind of dumb person. 00:05:10.210 --> 00:05:10.920 It's, it's. 00:05:11.455 --> 00:05:15.115 Between the shelter and the rescue, like, what's the difference? 00:05:16.355 --> 00:05:16.905 Who's who? 00:05:17.995 --> 00:05:20.785 Cara: Um, so, county run or municipal shelters are 00:05:20.785 --> 00:05:22.455 usually funded by tax dollars. 00:05:22.525 --> 00:05:24.035 Um, it could be county or city. 00:05:24.485 --> 00:05:27.255 In most of, like, the northeastern part of the United States, every 00:05:27.255 --> 00:05:29.890 municipality has an animal control agency. 00:05:30.070 --> 00:05:34.620 And they are in charge of the shelter, or they contract with a 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:37.670 nonprofit to run their shelter, but ultimately it's their responsibility. 00:05:37.670 --> 00:05:40.570 And that's typically when we say shelter, that's what we mean, like 00:05:40.570 --> 00:05:42.840 a county or municipal city shelter. 00:05:43.210 --> 00:05:48.895 Rescues are usually nonprofit, usually, um, They, they could be, they could 00:05:48.895 --> 00:05:52.965 have a shelter, or many are foster based, and they are generally pulling 00:05:52.965 --> 00:05:57.155 dogs out of shelters to find homes for them, and they, so they sort of, you 00:05:57.155 --> 00:06:02.135 know, to me, crazy, and I say this a lot, it's crazy that we use our tax 00:06:02.135 --> 00:06:06.735 dollars to pay for a shelter to, to kind of care for animals, and at the same 00:06:06.735 --> 00:06:09.210 time, nonprofits always pop up for us. 00:06:09.470 --> 00:06:13.240 near the kill shelters to save the dogs from that shelter. 00:06:13.270 --> 00:06:18.720 So these are residents whose tax dollars are paying for the shelter who are then 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:22.070 using their money and money they raise to save dogs from that very shelter 00:06:22.100 --> 00:06:24.260 that their tax dollars are paying for. 00:06:24.640 --> 00:06:26.060 To me, this is crazy. 00:06:26.060 --> 00:06:27.310 It's a crazy system. 00:06:27.310 --> 00:06:31.320 It's a broken system and, um, and that's a big part of why I want to 00:06:31.320 --> 00:06:32.710 tell the story, why we tell the story. 00:06:32.710 --> 00:06:35.460 We travel shelters and rescues all over the South. 00:06:35.490 --> 00:06:38.845 We've made 150 visits now and We just want to tell their story. 00:06:38.845 --> 00:06:41.425 We just want more people to know what's happening, because I believe if people 00:06:41.425 --> 00:06:43.405 knew, they would do something about it. 00:06:43.405 --> 00:06:46.695 And I've said all along, it's not that people don't care, 00:06:46.695 --> 00:06:47.905 it's that they don't know. 00:06:48.015 --> 00:06:50.555 And if they do know, they don't know what they can do about it. 00:06:50.825 --> 00:06:52.385 So, our mission is to tell them. 00:06:53.420 --> 00:06:54.180 Anke: That's so true. 00:06:54.440 --> 00:06:57.710 I mean, you would have thought that a shelter like that, the job is 00:06:57.780 --> 00:07:01.550 to get the dogs adopted, but that doesn't seem to be the case, right? 00:07:02.410 --> 00:07:06.460 Cara: In many of the shelters, the smaller municipal shelters, and um, they are, they 00:07:06.460 --> 00:07:10.360 function as the traditional dog pound and that they're really just, they're impound 00:07:10.380 --> 00:07:16.880 dogs that are unwanted for whatever reason or lost or, you know, abandoned. 00:07:17.020 --> 00:07:19.740 And, um, they, that's, that's their main. 00:07:20.050 --> 00:07:23.330 Function is just, is just to do that and it's all they have time for. 00:07:23.490 --> 00:07:31.530 Many of the places we visit, one animal control officer running all the calls 00:07:31.530 --> 00:07:37.660 for the county or the city or whoever, um, it's all they can do to feed the 00:07:37.660 --> 00:07:39.630 dogs, adoption events or fundraisers. 00:07:41.285 --> 00:07:47.365 Anke: So if somebody wants to, if somebody finds out, you know, through your travels 00:07:47.385 --> 00:07:54.365 and, and, and, you know, somehow finds out, so what can somebody do to help? 00:07:55.545 --> 00:07:56.885 Cara: Oh, gosh, there's so much they can do. 00:07:57.865 --> 00:07:59.625 So many people that are just doing amazing things. 00:07:59.635 --> 00:08:03.890 Now, if they're in an area where there is a struggling shelter, Or no shelter. 00:08:04.420 --> 00:08:08.490 Um, the very first thing they can do is get involved, is to speak up, to go 00:08:08.530 --> 00:08:10.840 talk to the people who are in charge. 00:08:12.145 --> 00:08:14.875 You know, it's crazy in this country, but in every municipality, 00:08:14.875 --> 00:08:16.265 it seems to be somebody different. 00:08:16.275 --> 00:08:19.205 It might be a mayor, it might be a judge executive, it might 00:08:19.205 --> 00:08:21.045 be, could be almost anybody. 00:08:21.075 --> 00:08:24.455 Find out who's in charge, find out, um, you know, what the 00:08:24.455 --> 00:08:25.895 policies are and how it works. 00:08:25.905 --> 00:08:29.555 So getting, getting educated to start with, but then getting 00:08:29.555 --> 00:08:30.665 involved at your shelter. 00:08:30.665 --> 00:08:33.195 And we've seen it again and again, shelters that were struggling 00:08:33.195 --> 00:08:34.365 that are now doing well. 00:08:34.435 --> 00:08:35.845 They have three things in common. 00:08:36.465 --> 00:08:38.785 They have a leader. 00:08:39.045 --> 00:08:42.655 Who believes in saving all the dogs, who is determined to save all the dogs 00:08:42.685 --> 00:08:46.395 and is trying all different kinds of solutions and bringing in help and 00:08:46.395 --> 00:08:47.775 networking and doing all they can. 00:08:47.775 --> 00:08:51.925 So they have a leader who is committed to creating a progressive shelter. 00:08:52.415 --> 00:08:56.495 Um, they have an engaged community, so their community is they're 00:08:56.505 --> 00:08:59.825 volunteering, they're fostering, they're adopting, they're having, you 00:08:59.825 --> 00:09:01.765 know, events, they do training classes. 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:08.350 They have engaged community supporting that shelter, and 00:09:08.350 --> 00:09:09.470 then they have veterinary access. 00:09:09.510 --> 00:09:12.300 And veterinary access is a big, big challenge right now all over our 00:09:12.300 --> 00:09:13.740 country because we have a vet shortage. 00:09:14.220 --> 00:09:17.430 So, finding affordable veterinary care for these dogs, um, is hard. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:20.780 So, those three pieces of leadership, community engagement, and veterinary 00:09:20.780 --> 00:09:24.630 access, and if they have those three pieces, the shelter's on their way to 00:09:24.650 --> 00:09:27.000 being a successful progressive shelter. 00:09:28.730 --> 00:09:33.890 Anke: And see, you know, what always sparks my curiosity, it's almost 00:09:33.890 --> 00:09:36.500 like, what can be done before that? 00:09:36.510 --> 00:09:43.710 Like, how can we get less dogs who need or end up, and they're like, what can be 00:09:43.710 --> 00:09:46.260 done so less dogs even have to go there? 00:09:46.270 --> 00:09:51.440 Like, you know, it's almost, um, you know, I've hosted a summit and 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:53.430 I speak to people all the time. 00:09:53.430 --> 00:09:53.950 And so there is this. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:01.220 common theme that a lot of dogs get returned or abandoned because they're 00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:06.080 kind of like too, like people don't know how to deal with dogs when they 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:07.210 don't do what they're supposed to do. 00:10:07.220 --> 00:10:12.280 Like they don't know how to, you know, basically train or how to help their 00:10:12.280 --> 00:10:15.100 dogs adjust to their family life. 00:10:15.530 --> 00:10:19.726 I mean, do you feel that there's a lot that could be done before 00:10:19.726 --> 00:10:21.430 they even get into the shelter? 00:10:22.020 --> 00:10:23.170 Cara: Oh, absolutely. 00:10:23.180 --> 00:10:28.240 I mean, we, we, we humans domesticated these animals, and 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:29.590 they are our responsibility. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.550 And the people that shirk that responsibility, I think 00:10:33.550 --> 00:10:34.760 they just don't understand. 00:10:34.760 --> 00:10:35.830 I don't think that they're evil. 00:10:35.830 --> 00:10:37.970 I don't think that they're, I just think they're ignorant. 00:10:37.990 --> 00:10:39.290 They don't realize. 00:10:40.280 --> 00:10:42.140 That we have a responsibility to these animals. 00:10:42.160 --> 00:10:46.370 And there's a lot that can be done at a good shelter, um, to help with 00:10:46.390 --> 00:10:48.070 those things, like providing resources. 00:10:48.070 --> 00:10:51.400 The shelter, to my mind, should be a resource for their community. 00:10:51.400 --> 00:10:52.850 They should offer training help. 00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:53.890 They should have classes. 00:10:53.890 --> 00:10:54.890 They should have clubs. 00:10:54.890 --> 00:10:57.680 They should have everything they can to support people. 00:10:57.680 --> 00:11:00.160 I mean, these days, everybody wants to adopt the perfect dog. 00:11:00.790 --> 00:11:03.130 Um, and there's no such thing as a perfect dog. 00:11:03.130 --> 00:11:04.990 And at the same time, I'd say every dog is perfect. 00:11:04.990 --> 00:11:08.810 So they, they need their resources to know how to do that. 00:11:08.935 --> 00:11:11.775 Which means we need to educate them, and there's a, there's a county in 00:11:11.775 --> 00:11:16.015 North Carolina, this brilliant woman, whose name is escaping me right now, she 00:11:16.015 --> 00:11:20.125 created a curriculum, and then lobbied hard, and got a whole group behind her, 00:11:20.755 --> 00:11:25.945 and they go into every single school in that county, and they do a seven, it's 00:11:25.945 --> 00:11:30.385 a seven or eight week curriculum on humane education, just on how to properly 00:11:30.385 --> 00:11:33.585 care for a dog, and it culminates in a big festival where kids can bring their 00:11:33.585 --> 00:11:37.315 parents, they talk about spay neuter, and, Um, they can bring their dogs. 00:11:37.315 --> 00:11:41.255 It's like a, you know, they'll do like microchips, and they'll vaccinate, 00:11:41.265 --> 00:11:45.735 and they'll give spay neuter vouchers, and it's brilliant, and it's going 00:11:45.735 --> 00:11:46.945 to help that one little county. 00:11:47.175 --> 00:11:50.105 Now, I wish we could multiply it, do it all over the place. 00:11:50.125 --> 00:11:53.275 I think everybody should know how to safely interact with a dog. 00:11:53.285 --> 00:11:56.045 That would save a lot of dogs a trip to the shelter. 00:11:56.575 --> 00:11:59.195 Um, we have a program on our website that we give away for free 00:11:59.195 --> 00:12:03.165 called, um, Paws for Kids, Kids for Paws, it's one or the other. 00:12:03.535 --> 00:12:07.735 Um, and it's just how to safely interact with a dog you don't know, and most 00:12:07.735 --> 00:12:10.755 people don't, don't know that, don't know the things they're doing that could be 00:12:10.755 --> 00:12:14.555 triggering this dog, and so it's sometimes dogs end up biting because that's how 00:12:14.575 --> 00:12:18.725 dogs communicate, and it doesn't mean that it's a bad dog or, you know, unsafe 00:12:18.725 --> 00:12:23.465 dog, it just means that the communication didn't work right, and um, we need to 00:12:23.465 --> 00:12:25.745 know how to, how to communicate with them. 00:12:26.205 --> 00:12:29.955 So, um, Um, I think educating people from the beginning, and I wish, 00:12:29.955 --> 00:12:32.745 just like, you know, kids have to, in this, at least where I am, 00:12:32.785 --> 00:12:36.245 um, they have to pass a swimming test to graduate from high school. 00:12:36.685 --> 00:12:40.045 So this should be a basic life curriculum, just like anything else, 00:12:40.045 --> 00:12:43.135 how to safely interact with a dog and how to humanely care for an animal. 00:12:43.795 --> 00:12:47.995 Um, if we did that, I think we'd be well on our way to solving this problem. 00:12:48.575 --> 00:12:51.095 Anke: Yeah, I love, I actually, you know what's funny? 00:12:52.455 --> 00:12:58.075 An incident I've had with one of my dogs where this family came and like a whole 00:12:58.075 --> 00:13:02.075 bunch of people and this little boy, maybe five, six years old, he stayed 00:13:02.085 --> 00:13:05.825 back, saw me with the dog and he was Mr. 00:13:05.825 --> 00:13:06.705 Nervous, right? 00:13:06.705 --> 00:13:10.385 So he wasn't like the, oh, friendly, cuddly, chilled out dog. 00:13:10.405 --> 00:13:13.875 So I was like, that little boy came and just kind of, how are you? 00:13:16.670 --> 00:13:20.995 Yeah, I wasn't, like, using polite language to tell him to fuck off. 00:13:20.995 --> 00:13:24.770 And that little boy just stared at me and you could really 00:13:24.780 --> 00:13:27.330 tell nobody had told him that. 00:13:27.410 --> 00:13:33.660 Like, nobody had told him that he couldn't just, kind of, launch onto the world. 00:13:34.365 --> 00:13:37.875 A dog he'd never met before, you know, or any dog for that matter, right, 00:13:38.375 --> 00:13:42.905 like, definitely not one that he doesn't know, you know, and I thought it was 00:13:42.935 --> 00:13:46.085 actually one of the reasons I even started Soul Touched by Dogs, because 00:13:46.195 --> 00:13:50.905 I'm like, Jesus, like, the narrative needs to be changed, and it almost has 00:13:50.905 --> 00:13:55.015 to start there, because you think if you keep relying on the parents who will 00:13:55.015 --> 00:13:58.975 just repeat what they've been taught, this will just continue, you know. 00:13:59.165 --> 00:14:04.195 Because, you know, I was, I was like, you can't do that. 00:14:04.245 --> 00:14:05.845 And this is how you do it. 00:14:05.875 --> 00:14:07.535 And he goes, okay, and I'm touched. 00:14:07.985 --> 00:14:11.865 So we had this little teaching moment, but he was little enough, 00:14:12.375 --> 00:14:16.125 you know, and then he was very gentle and then he walked away all happy. 00:14:16.400 --> 00:14:21.740 You know, and everything was fine, but I thought, imagine if he, if I hadn't 00:14:21.750 --> 00:14:26.050 seen it and he'd come from behind and if he had grabbed the dog and the dog 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:29.230 would have bitten him, those parents who didn't pay attention to any of 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:33.780 this would have been right there and insisted my dog be put down, you know? 00:14:34.020 --> 00:14:38.690 And I'm thinking that's almost where I see like the biggest levers in a sense, right? 00:14:39.970 --> 00:14:43.140 Cara: Yeah, we absolutely need to do a better job of educating kids. 00:14:43.140 --> 00:14:44.720 It's also a great tool. 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:48.630 We always push this also when we're, um, at shelters in terms of 00:14:48.630 --> 00:14:49.910 helping them engage their community. 00:14:49.910 --> 00:14:52.390 A lot of times, you know, they've been, they've had a dark history. 00:14:52.590 --> 00:14:54.960 There's a lot of people think negative things about that shelter. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:57.505 And, you So you've got to change that narrative. 00:14:57.505 --> 00:15:01.335 And so one of the things we'll say to them is, instead of waiting for them 00:15:01.335 --> 00:15:03.475 to come to your shelter, go to them. 00:15:03.965 --> 00:15:08.375 Go to your local library, ask, can we come and do this program, Kids for Paws, and 00:15:09.015 --> 00:15:12.595 teach them how to safely interact, you know, and bring either a personal dog or 00:15:12.595 --> 00:15:16.845 a dog you know to be safe, or puppies are actually the best thing to take, and take 00:15:16.845 --> 00:15:19.285 them to the library and do this program. 00:15:19.285 --> 00:15:21.975 And it's a, it's a chance for the community to see, here's something 00:15:21.975 --> 00:15:23.495 that, here's the shelter helping you. 00:15:23.545 --> 00:15:26.365 And also for them to become aware that the shelter exists if they don't already know. 00:15:26.365 --> 00:15:31.415 Um, and, and a chance to tell them about their program, so it's a really 00:15:31.425 --> 00:15:35.415 great, easy way for a shelter to just dip their toe in the water of getting 00:15:35.415 --> 00:15:37.005 out and engaging their community. 00:15:37.005 --> 00:15:38.405 So that's, that's a program. 00:15:38.405 --> 00:15:40.895 We really push hard because kids are the key. 00:15:40.895 --> 00:15:43.435 I mean, if you get the kids, they bring the parents. 00:15:43.780 --> 00:15:44.160 Anke: Yes. 00:15:44.430 --> 00:15:45.870 Oh, I totally, totally love that. 00:15:46.150 --> 00:15:51.350 So if, if a shelter, um, is listening to this and goes like, Oh my God, 00:15:51.470 --> 00:15:53.620 like, what, what kind of support? 00:15:54.590 --> 00:15:56.150 Okay, you've mentioned that program. 00:15:56.150 --> 00:16:00.170 Are there other things that you, you offer to shelters to help them, you 00:16:00.170 --> 00:16:02.020 know, somehow get their head above water? 00:16:03.335 --> 00:16:05.625 Cara: Yeah, so we travel to the shelters because we want to 00:16:05.625 --> 00:16:08.785 learn their story and we want to develop a relationship with them. 00:16:09.345 --> 00:16:12.505 Um, and, and once we do that and we kind of see the lay of the land, what they 00:16:12.505 --> 00:16:16.645 need, what their situation is, we get to know the leadership there, the structure, 00:16:16.645 --> 00:16:20.015 how it's working, if they have volunteers or foster, what, once we understand a 00:16:20.015 --> 00:16:21.555 little bit, then we're able to help some. 00:16:22.015 --> 00:16:23.875 We have a resource guide on our website. 00:16:23.875 --> 00:16:24.515 It's enormous. 00:16:24.515 --> 00:16:25.815 It grows constantly. 00:16:25.815 --> 00:16:28.785 We put every idea in there that we ever find on all of 00:16:28.785 --> 00:16:32.075 our trips, um, About anything. 00:16:32.135 --> 00:16:37.635 Volunteers, fostering grants, grant programs, resource programs, enrichment 00:16:37.635 --> 00:16:42.845 ideas, tons of community engagement ideas, um, and the fundraising stuff 00:16:42.875 --> 00:16:46.505 always gets a ton of hits, but that's where we put all of these ideas. 00:16:46.505 --> 00:16:47.495 And then ongoing. 00:16:47.920 --> 00:16:51.360 As we move forward, we assign a shelter liaison to them, and that's 00:16:51.370 --> 00:16:54.350 someone who volunteers for us, and their job is to track that shelter, 00:16:54.370 --> 00:16:55.730 basically stalk that shelter. 00:16:55.730 --> 00:16:59.970 I always tell them, um, follow them, you know, look for a good idea, let us know, 00:16:59.970 --> 00:17:04.310 and let our resource guide editor know if a good idea comes through for us. 00:17:04.380 --> 00:17:08.120 Anything, the smallest, tiniest thing is a great, you know, we'll 00:17:08.120 --> 00:17:09.390 add it to the resource guide. 00:17:10.070 --> 00:17:12.870 Or if that shelter goes into, has a crisis or something happens that 00:17:12.870 --> 00:17:15.400 we need to be aware of, that we might be able to step in and help. 00:17:15.410 --> 00:17:20.100 We have a small grant program of our own, and we have a grants advisor who's a 00:17:20.100 --> 00:17:23.590 professional grants writer who volunteers with us, and she will work one on one with 00:17:23.590 --> 00:17:25.660 shelters to help them apply for grants. 00:17:26.540 --> 00:17:28.400 So she's a wonderful resource. 00:17:28.600 --> 00:17:32.220 I'm always available just to talk through stuff, just having been to 00:17:32.220 --> 00:17:35.590 so many shelters and seeing so many models to try to give them ideas. 00:17:35.980 --> 00:17:37.990 And occasionally we try to network to rescue. 00:17:38.540 --> 00:17:40.320 Many are looking for rescue help. 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:43.660 They want rescues to come and pull some of their dogs, and so we're actually in the 00:17:43.660 --> 00:17:45.440 midst of developing a rescue directory. 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:50.250 It's going to go live on the website, I think in October, um, that will list 00:17:50.260 --> 00:17:55.220 breed specific rescues or any rescue that will take dogs from struggling shelters. 00:17:55.815 --> 00:17:58.995 So those are just a few of them and we're constantly looking for more and 00:17:58.995 --> 00:18:02.405 more ways that we can have an effect, that we can impact these shelters. 00:18:03.600 --> 00:18:06.640 Anke: I mean, that's fabulous because I think just a little feed, you know, 00:18:06.650 --> 00:18:11.360 one, somebody has a good idea here, but it actually helps other ones as well. 00:18:11.740 --> 00:18:13.170 That makes so much sense. 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:13.640 Yeah. 00:18:13.700 --> 00:18:15.330 I think it's even getting together. 00:18:16.750 --> 00:18:17.030 Yeah. 00:18:17.270 --> 00:18:17.790 I love that. 00:18:18.050 --> 00:18:18.400 Love that. 00:18:19.290 --> 00:18:24.630 So where can people go and find out and get in touch, you know, help out? 00:18:24.830 --> 00:18:28.120 Is there, you know, if somebody says, Hey, I want to volunteer with 00:18:28.130 --> 00:18:29.720 you, you know, is that an option? 00:18:30.100 --> 00:18:34.540 You know, you, because you mentioned you have volunteers, like who would you need, 00:18:35.010 --> 00:18:39.720 you know, for your, for your organization and, um, you know, where can people 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:41.460 find out and get in touch and support? 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:44.090 Cara: So everything's on the website. 00:18:44.090 --> 00:18:48.050 Who will let the dogs out.org and don't put will, because if you 00:18:48.050 --> 00:18:50.330 say who let the dogs out, you're gonna get a bunch of rat videos. 00:18:50.330 --> 00:18:52.105 But it's who will let the dogs out die. 00:18:52.435 --> 00:18:57.515 And on that website, you can, you can sign up to follow our newsletter 00:18:57.515 --> 00:18:58.835 blog, which comes out every week. 00:18:58.875 --> 00:19:02.555 We put in it, um, the newsletter once a month is, is usually theme 00:19:02.705 --> 00:19:05.705 related and it has all the new ideas, everything that we've heard this 00:19:05.705 --> 00:19:07.015 month and things that can be used. 00:19:07.025 --> 00:19:10.895 So that's useful for shelters or anybody who volunteers in a shelter 00:19:10.895 --> 00:19:14.015 or a rescue or anybody who's just interested in trying to help this cause. 00:19:14.585 --> 00:19:18.445 Um, on the other weeks, what comes out is a blog post and it's usually trips, um, 00:19:18.485 --> 00:19:20.015 telling you stories about the shelters. 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:23.890 Or, um, create a solutions we part of that we think maybe this would work. 00:19:23.890 --> 00:19:26.430 Some of them are my crazy brainchild and sometimes they're, 00:19:26.940 --> 00:19:28.530 um, ideas we hear from others. 00:19:29.350 --> 00:19:32.210 So, signing up for that as a way to stay connected and get a weekly 00:19:32.210 --> 00:19:33.780 shot of here's some great ideas. 00:19:33.780 --> 00:19:34.890 Here's some things you can do. 00:19:35.430 --> 00:19:37.080 Um, we also have a volunteer. 00:19:37.080 --> 00:19:38.190 You can volunteer with us. 00:19:38.190 --> 00:19:40.590 We take volunteers from anywhere in the United States. 00:19:41.315 --> 00:19:45.235 Um, and their jobs can vary from what I mentioned, the shelter liaison. 00:19:45.465 --> 00:19:48.245 We have volunteers that help with our social media and create 00:19:48.245 --> 00:19:52.375 graphics, and we have volunteers that do some of our fundraising. 00:19:52.905 --> 00:19:56.755 Um, I'm trying to think, we've got a bunch of little projects going on, plus, The 00:19:56.755 --> 00:19:58.605 resource guide is always a big, biggie. 00:19:58.605 --> 00:20:01.395 Um, so we have lots of volunteer opportunities there. 00:20:01.395 --> 00:20:05.105 And as I said, on the, on that website, under the resource guide, it's a, it's 00:20:05.125 --> 00:20:08.715 just a font of information and any time, it definitely gets more hits 00:20:08.715 --> 00:20:09.935 than anything else on the website. 00:20:09.935 --> 00:20:11.325 So anytime anybody needs. 00:20:11.695 --> 00:20:12.705 An idea for anything. 00:20:12.705 --> 00:20:14.335 You just need a little inspiration. 00:20:14.385 --> 00:20:17.325 That's a really great resource to go and find and see the 00:20:17.325 --> 00:20:18.635 new stuff that's coming in. 00:20:19.045 --> 00:20:21.635 Um, and there's lots of other little things on that website, 00:20:21.635 --> 00:20:22.555 but you can find us there. 00:20:22.555 --> 00:20:23.875 You can, you can reach us there. 00:20:23.885 --> 00:20:27.115 There's definitely, uh, contact information on the website also. 00:20:27.855 --> 00:20:28.535 Anke: Wonderful. 00:20:28.745 --> 00:20:29.815 Well, thank you so much. 00:20:29.865 --> 00:20:33.225 And I think it's such important work and like, yeah, the dogs 00:20:33.315 --> 00:20:34.635 will be grateful, I'm sure. 00:20:34.685 --> 00:20:36.665 And everybody loves as well. 00:20:36.965 --> 00:20:39.035 Well, thanks so much for coming on and sharing. 00:20:39.785 --> 00:20:40.855 Cara: Thank you for having me. 00:20:41.603 --> 00:20:42.833 Thanks so much for listening. 00:20:43.353 --> 00:20:47.653 If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to subscribe, and leave a review so 00:20:47.753 --> 00:20:49.533 other dog lovers can find the show. 00:20:50.323 --> 00:20:53.813 If you haven't already, head over to soul touched by dogs. 00:20:54.243 --> 00:20:59.813 com and sign up for weekly doggy cuteness tips, recommendations, and personal 00:20:59.913 --> 00:21:02.283 stories to warm your dog loving heart. 00:21:02.283 --> 00:21:06.013 And if you know a pawsome human you think I should interview, 00:21:06.433 --> 00:21:07.573 I'd love an introduction. 00:21:08.053 --> 00:21:09.883 Email me at Anke. 00:21:10.153 --> 00:21:14.388 That's A N k E at Soul touched by dogs.com.