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The Top Dog Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Chris Roy
We interview the leaders in animal welfare to understand their journey to being the top dog and their vision for how their organization will save more animals lives in the community
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Sep 24, 202624 min
Top Dog Podcast with Natascha Scott | Outsmarting the Toughest Cats in Rescue
What do you do when a cat is smarter than every trap you've tried? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Natascha Scott, President of 9 Lives Cat Rescue of Oxford in Mississippi. A plant molecular biologist by day, Natascha has spent nearly 20 years rescuing cats, developing creative solutions for difficult cases, and helping address cat overpopulation in her community. What started as volunteering to help cats on a college campus eventually became a lifelong commitment to rescue. Today, 9 Lives Cat Rescue helps approximately 50 to 200 cats each year, with an entirely volunteer-based team. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Natascha's unexpected journey from science to cat rescue ✔ Creative approaches to trapping difficult and trap-savvy cats ✔ Using technology like cameras and drones in animal rescue ✔ The challenges of finding and helping free-roaming cats ✔ Why affordable spay/neuter is critical to preventing overpopulation ✔ Building a volunteer-powered rescue through community support ✔ The emotional highs and lows of difficult rescue cases ✔ Why creativity and persistence can make all the difference Natascha's story shows that animal welfare doesn't always require a traditional background. Sometimes, it takes curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to invent a new solution when the usual approach doesn't work. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations at https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
- Sep 22, 202629 min
Top Dog Podcast with Daniel Roselle | The Power of Thinking Bigger in Animal Welfare
What happens when a communications professional turns a passion for community cats into a career in animal welfare leadership? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Daniel Roselle, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Ventura County. Daniel shares his unconventional path into animal welfare, from trapping cats in a Honolulu office park to leading major changes in animal welfare programs and eventually taking on executive leadership in Ventura County. His journey is a powerful example of how bringing outside experience, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo can create meaningful change for animals and communities. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Daniel's unconventional path into animal welfare leadership ✔ How community cats sparked a deeper commitment to animal welfare ✔ Shifting resources from euthanasia toward spay/neuter ✔ Building partnerships between cat caregivers and communities ✔ Using communications and government relations to drive change ✔ Why animal welfare leaders need to think beyond traditional systems ✔ Making an impact at scale while staying connected to individual animals Daniel shares why meaningful change requires more than passion. It takes curiosity, persistence, and the courage to rethink how things have always been done. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations at https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
- Sep 17, 202626 min
Top Dog Podcast with Brittany Vanderstine | Building a Lifeline for Exotic Pets
What happens to exotic animals when their owners can no longer care for them? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Brittany Vanderstine, Director of Wild Exotics Animal Refuge, a New Jersey nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and providing lifelong care for exotic animals. Brittany shares how her experience in animal welfare led her to recognize a major gap in rescue: while large exotic animals often have established sanctuaries, smaller exotic pets such as reptiles, birds, and mammals can have very limited options when they are surrendered, abandoned, or no longer wanted. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ The overlooked challenges facing exotic animal rescue ✔ Why exotic pets are often surrendered when owners are unprepared for their needs ✔ Building a refuge for animals with nowhere else to go ✔ The importance of education before someone adopts an exotic pet ✔ Caring for animals with complex and specialized needs ✔ The realities of running a nonprofit animal refuge ✔ How rescue organizations can prevent exotic pet abandonment Brittany's story highlights an important lesson for animal welfare leaders: sometimes the biggest opportunities for impact are found in the gaps that others aren't addressing. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
- Sep 15, 202623 min
Top Dog Podcast with Melanie Hallas Kirsch | The Foster Care Dobermans Need
What happens when foster homes become the heart of a rescue organization? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Melanie Hallas Kirsch, Foster Home Coordinator, Pre-Adoption Supplies Coordinator, and Board Member at Doberman Assistance, Rescue & Education (DAR&E). Melanie shares her journey from adopting her first Doberman to becoming deeply involved in rescue, fostering, and helping families prepare for successful adoptions. She offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to support foster families and give rescued Dobermans the time and care they need to thrive. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why foster homes are essential to rescue ✔ Preparing families for successful adoptions ✔ Supporting foster families through the challenges of rescue ✔ Understanding the unique needs of Dobermans ✔ The importance of setting animals and adopters up for success ✔ How volunteers can find their place in animal welfare Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
- Sep 10, 202627 min
Top Dog Podcast with Aldwin Roman | Why Prevention Is the Future of Animal Sheltering
What if the best way to save more animals is to prevent them from ever entering a shelter? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Aldwin Roman, Senior VP and COO of the Charleston Animal Society, South Carolina's largest animal organization and shelter. Aldwin shares his unexpected journey from studying political science and wanting to advocate for people to starting as a kennel technician and eventually becoming a senior leader in animal welfare. With Charleston Animal Society taking in roughly 15,000 animals each year, Aldwin has seen firsthand how the industry is shifting from reactive sheltering toward prevention, access to care, and community-based solutions. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ How Aldwin went from kennel tech to senior animal welfare leadership ✔ Why animal welfare is ultimately human welfare through animals ✔ Shifting from reactive sheltering to proactive community support ✔ Expanding access to spay/neuter and veterinary care ✔ Why prevention can have a greater impact than sheltering alone ✔ Leading frontline teams through support rather than micromanagement ✔ The importance of patience, humility, and lifelong learning in leadership ✔ How leaders can step back and focus on the bigger picture Aldwin's story offers a powerful lesson for animal welfare leaders: real community change takes patience, perspective, and a willingness to look beyond the shelter walls. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
- Sep 8, 202625 min
Top Dog Podcast with Carrie Ridgway | Why Modern Shelters Must Become Community Resource Centers
What happens when an animal shelter stops thinking like a shelter and starts becoming a community resource? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Carrie Ridgway, Executive Director of the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center in Riverside, California. After joining the organization in 2008 to help with a capital campaign, Carrie worked her way through the organization before becoming Executive Director in 2015. Today, she leads an organization that has grown from five employees into a comprehensive animal welfare resource center with a high-volume spay/neuter clinic, thrift store, adoption programs, and community services. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Transforming a traditional shelter into a community resource center ✔ Leading with compassion while making difficult decisions ✔ Why shelters need to find reasons to say yes ✔ Building stronger relationships with surrendering pet owners ✔ Keeping teams engaged in a high-stress, compassion-filled industry ✔ The importance of staying open-minded and embracing change ✔ Learning from failure and having the courage to try new things ✔ Why animal welfare leaders must care about both people and animals Carrie shares a powerful perspective on leadership, reminding us that being a great leader isn't about having everything figured out. It's about staying flexible, giving yourself grace, and continuing to become better. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
- Sep 3, 202623 min
Top Dog Podcast with Bill Crowe | How One Organization Helps Shelters Do More
What if animal welfare organizations could create more impact by supporting the shelters already doing the work? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Bill Crowe, Executive Director of the Pet Care Foundation, an animal advocacy organization supporting shelters and communities across Los Angeles. For more than two decades, Bill has developed programs that help animals become more adoptable, connect them with families, and prevent animals from entering shelters in the first place. From televised adoption campaigns and large-scale shelter adoption events to grooming, free spay/neuter clinics, and wellness programs, his approach focuses on identifying gaps and building practical solutions around them. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why animal welfare needs more organizations supporting existing shelters ✔ Turning adoption events into high-impact community programs ✔ How grooming can dramatically improve an animal's adoption chances ✔ Expanding access to free spay/neuter and wellness care ✔ Why prevention and education are essential to reducing shelter intake ✔ How social media has transformed animal adoption ✔ What leaders can learn by listening to their communities Bill's story is a powerful reminder that leadership isn't always about building another organization. Sometimes, it's about finding where the biggest gaps are and helping the organizations already doing the work fill them. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
- Sep 1, 202624 min
Top Dog Podcast with Katie Dwight | How One Sanctuary Is Changing the Way We See Farm Animals
What happens when you leave your career behind to build a better future for animals? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Katie Dwight, Co-Founder of Herd and Flock Animal Sanctuary, to explore her remarkable journey from immigration attorney to leading a farm animal sanctuary dedicated to compassion, education, and advocacy. Together with her wife, Katie built a sanctuary that has cared for more than 1,000 rescued animals while inspiring visitors to rethink their relationship with farm animals and the food system. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Building a farm animal sanctuary from the ground up ✔ Caring for permanent sanctuary residents with compassion ✔ The role of education in transforming public perspectives ✔ Expanding advocacy beyond rescue into policy change ✔ Leading through adversity, setbacks, and uncertainty ✔ Why small organizations can create lasting systemic impact Discover how one bold decision grew into a lifelong mission to create a more compassionate world for both animals and people. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
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About The Top Dog Podcast
We interview the leaders in animal welfare to understand their journey to being the top dog and their vision for how their organization will save more animals lives in the community
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