The Rescue State

The Truth About Factory Farming: Animals, Antibiotics & Our Food System

In this episode of The Rescue State, we’re talking about something that affects animals, our health our planet and something every single one of us has the power to influ

How Your Purchases Impact Animals | The Power of Consumerism

In this episode of The Rescue State, we discuss the importance of consumerism and how we vote for the world that we want to live in everyday with our dollar.  It's time

[Revisit] Detecting & Combating Backyard Breeders

Backyard breeding is a huge contributor to the overwhelming number of dogs entering our shelters but what can we actually do about it? In this week’s episode of The Resc

Mornings Like These

What if the thing we’re holding onto the tightest is the very thing keeping us from feeling free? In this episode of The Rescue State, I’m sharing something I wrote afte

Shelter Dogs, Adoption & the Questions You’ve Been Asking

Why are animal shelters so overcrowded? And why so many pitbulls and huskies?? And if you're ready to adopt, how do you actually find the dog that's right for you? In th

From Ridglan Farms to Ending Animal Testing

For decades, thousands of beagles were bred specifically for laboratory research. In this episode, we take a closer look at the story of Ridglan Farms, one of the largest

Season 4 Premier! Living Proof

Welcome back to The Rescue State Podcast!  As always, I'm so happy you're here :) Season 4 begins with a quiet story about a record player, a rescue dog named Gopher an

Encore Apollo! A Prelude to Season 4...

Prelude to Season 4 | Finding Apollo Before we begin Season 4, I wanted to revisit one story that forever changed me. One year ago today, I said goodbye to my foster dog

A Final Note for Season 3: Where Change Begins

What does it actually take to create a no-kill future in California? In this powerful Season 3 finale of The Rescue State, we move beyond awareness and into action. Afte

Inside a Rescue Transport: The Journey You Never See

What is it really like to be on a rescue transport?   In this special episode of The Rescue State, I take you behind the scenes on a journey I’ll never forget—traveling

[Revisit] Interview with Kevin & Sue Walshe with Promise 4 Paws

Some conversations are worth coming back to and this is one of them. In this special replay episode of The Rescue State, I’m revisiting my conversation with Kevin and Sue

Interview: Lucy Fernandez with Outcomes For Pets

In this powerful episode of The Rescue State, I sit down with Lucy Fernandez, a key force behind the ongoing reform efforts at the Riverside County Department of Animal S

When Shelter Standards Slip: Detecting Sub-Standard Practices & Provoking Change

In this episode of The Rescue State, we’re diving into one of the most critical and often overlooked parts of animal welfare: recognizing when shelter standards begin to

What Good Shelter Standards Look Like

In this episode of The Rescue State, we move beyond what’s broken in animal welfare and focus on what good actually looks like inside a shelter. From transparency and hum

How Municipal Shelters Actually Work

Before we can talk about accountability, we have to understand the system.  In this episode of The Rescue State, we breaks down how municipal animal shelters actually ope

Welcome Back! Season 3 of The Rescue State

Welcome to Season 3 of The Rescue State. This season, we’re doing something different.  Instead of focusing on individual stories alone, we’re zooming out and taking a h

A Letter to the Future: A Message to Our Community & Our Leaders

In our season finale of The Rescue State, I’m taking a moment to pause, reflect and speak from the heart. As we close out 2025, I share my final thoughts on where we’ve

Interview with Lauren McCarron, Founder of Joyful Pets & Rehome With Love

In this week’s episode with The Rescue State, I have the honor of sitting down with Lauren McCarron, founder of Joyful Pets and Rehome With Love service, for one of the m

Reacting to John Stossel’s Puppy Mill Prohibition Video

In this episode of The Rescue State, I respond to John Stossel’s video “Puppy Prohibition: Ban on Pet Store Sales Kills Pet Stores, But Hasn’t Stopped Puppy Mills.” I enc

Ways To Support This Holiday Season Ft. Daphne's Story

This week on The Rescue State, we’re leaning into the spirit of giving and exploring real ways you can make a difference for animals this holiday season.  From donating t