The Top Dog Podcast

Top Dog Podcast with Chris Bush | How Communities Can Solve Cat Overpopulation

What does it take to build a community-wide solution for homeless cats? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Chris Bush, Vice Chair of Chatham Animal Rescue

Top Dog Podcast with Kristen Hassen | The Leadership Mindset Behind Lifesaving Innovation

What does transformational leadership look like in animal welfare? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Kristen Hassen, Founder and CEO of Outcomes Consultin

Top Dog Podcast with Rachel Ide | From Rescue Cases to Transforming Animal Services

What happens when animal services focus on keeping pets and people together? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Rachel Ide, Animal Services Director at You

Top Dog Podcast with Stephen Knight | Leading with Purpose Through Crisis and Recovery

What happens when saving a dog also helps save a human life? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Stephen Knight, Founding Executive Director of Dogs Matter,

Top Dog Podcast with Caroline Hegarty | The Future of Ethical Horsemanship

What does true horse welfare actually look like? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Caroline Hegarty, founder of Equitopia — an educational platform fo

Top Dog Podcast with Melissa Giordano | From Rescue Flights to GPS Innovation

One vacation to Puerto Rico changed everything. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Melissa Giordano — animal rescue advocate, foster mentor, and Rescue

Top Dog Podcast with Marnie Russ | Leading a Movement to Save Neonatal Kittens

The most vulnerable animals in shelters are also the most adoptable. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Marnie Russ, founder of the National Kitten Coaliti

Top Dog Podcast with Natalie Ahwesh | Leading Policy Change in Animal Welfare

Real change in animal welfare doesn’t just happen in shelters — it happens through systems. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Natalie Ahwesh, Executive Di

Top Dog Podcast with Shelly Moore | From Accidental Start to Leading Humane Society of Charlotte

What does it take to lead and evolve animal welfare over four decades of change? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Shelly Moore, CEO of the Humane Soc

Top Dog Podcast with Sheryl Blancato | Saving 64,000 Animals a Year Without Building Bigger Shelters

What if the key to saving more animals isn’t building bigger shelters—but keeping pets out of them entirely? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Sheryl

Top Dog Podcast with Jakie Hernández | Breaking Barriers & Building Compassionate Animal Welfare

What does the future of animal welfare look like when trust comes first? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Jakie Hernández, Vice President of Shelter

Top Dog Podcast with Samantha Shelton | Building Georgia’s Largest No-Kill Animal Shelter

It started with a mother cat and kittens in her backyard. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Samantha Shelton, Founder and CEO of Furkids Animal Rescue

Top Dog Podcast with Randa Richter | Scaling Impact Through Community Programs & Leadership

Sometimes, the biggest career shift leads to the most meaningful impact. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Randa Richter, Humane Programs and Public Media

Top Dog Podcast with Jackie Roach | Leadership Lessons from the Frontlines of Animal Welfare

What happens when you completely change careers at 40 — and find your true purpose? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Jackie Roach, CEO of the Santa F

Top Dog Podcast with Mike Keiley | Humane Law Enforcement & Full-Spectrum Animal Protection

What does full-spectrum animal protection look like? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Mike Keiley, Vice President of the Animal Protection Division at MS

Top Dog Podcast with Jordan Craig | Scaling Animal Welfare Through Data & Compassion

What does it take to lead one of the largest animal welfare organizations in Texas? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Jordan Craig, Chief Operating Of

Top Dog Podcast with Erika Oguro | Transforming Animal Shelters in Japan

Animal welfare is global — and so is innovation. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we speak with Erika Oguro, founder of the Japan Animal Shelter Alliance. After earni

Top Dog Podcast with Casey Shook | From Attorney to Animal Welfare Leader

She didn’t expect to land her dream job — and then build a new animal shelter from the ground up. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Casey Shook, Execu

Top Dog Podcast with Esther Mechler | The Power of Spay & Neuter

It started with a cat she tried to save — and a realization that the real solution wasn’t adoption, it was prevention. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down wi

Top Dog Podcast with Stacy LeBaron | Community Cats, TNR, and Humane Communities

Community cats are not just a shelter issue — they are a community issue. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we talk with Stacy LeBaron, founder of Community Cat Centra