Ep. 154 - Katya Lidsky

This week I talk with Heather Ripley, founder of Orange Orchard PR, who discusses how animal welfare organizations can effectively use public relations to advance their missions. After becoming vegan in 2017 and realizing there was more she could do to support animals, Heather launched Orange Orchard as a specialized division of Ripley PR focused on helping animal rescues, sanctuaries, and conservation projects tell their stories through strategic media outreach, social media, and fundraising campaigns. She emphasizes the importance of building local media relationships, balancing messaging to avoid overwhelming audiences with negativity, and treating nonprofits like businesses with clear goals—ultimately helping organizations amplify their impact while maintaining authentic connections with their communities. To learn more about the work Heather and her team are doing you can find them at www.orangeorchardpr.com or on social media @orangeorchardpr. Heather Ripley is the founder and CEO of Ripley PR, an elite global public relations agency, and its affiliate agencies, Orange Orchard, an award-winning public relations agency specializing in animal advocacy and the promotion of animal-friendly brands, and Adventure PR, a new division created to elevate adventure travel, RV manufacturers, camping and outdoor companies.At Orange Orchard, Heather leads a passionate team that helps purpose-driven brands elevate their message and inspire action. Drawing on more than two decades of PR experience, she has positioned the agency as a trusted partner for organizations involved in animal advocacy and welfare and for companies who work in the pet care industry. Her work centers on thoughtful communication, authentic brand alignment and purpose-driven growth.In 2013, Heather started Ripley PR and has built it into one of the most respected agencies in the skilled trades, franchising and B2B technology sectors in just 12 short years. After five years of success at Ripley PR, she was inspired by her commitment to animal welfare to launch Orange Orchard in 2018.For its work with organizations like The Orangutan Project, Orange Orchard won the gold award for Best Public Service Campaign in the 2025 Merit Awards.As the visionary behind both agencies, Heather has been honored as a 2024 PRNews Top Women in Business Entrepreneur and as one of ACHR News’ Top Women in HVAC. She is also the author of NEXT LEVEL NOW: PR Secrets to Drive Explosive Growth for Your Home Service Business, a highly regarded guide for entrepreneurs seeking to amplify their growth through public relations.Heather’s leadership across all three agencies reflects her belief that PR can be both a catalyst for business growth and a force for good by helping innovative and compassionate companies make a measurable impact on the world.Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Katya Lidsky, author of "Be Your Dog's Best Friend" and self-described "recovering dog trainer." Katya challenges traditional obedience-focused training methods, advocating instead for genuine bonding and relationship-building with our dogs. Drawing from her experience volunteering at South LA Animal Shelter, she shares how being present and trusting our instincts creates deeper connections with our pets. Discover how the human-dog bond is mutually transformative and why focusing on awareness rather than control leads to better outcomes for both you and your dog. To learn more about the work Katya is doing you can find her on social media @katyalidsky and find her book "Be Your Dog's Best Friend" wherever books are sold, but hopefully you go to your local indie bookstore!Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Rachel Horton, Director of Saginaw County Animal Care and Control. We discuss how she has transformed the shelter by increasing the save rate from 56% to 82%, moving into a new state-of-the-art facility, and opening a low-cost surgical center in summer 2024. Coming from a farm background and Michigan State University education, she shifted the organization from a punitive enforcement model to a community support approach, establishing programs like a pet food pantry and partnering with veterinarians and MSU for student training. Despite facing significant community pushback and online harassment during these changes, Rachel successfully changed the culture by focusing on education, removing barriers to pet ownership, and helping families keep their pets while serving 190,000 residents across 800 square miles. To learn more about the work Rachel is doing in Saginaw County you can go to www.saginawcountymi.gov/ click on Departments and then Animal Care and Control. You can also find them on social media @saginawanimalcare.Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Holly Gutwillinger, a Canadian author and podcaster who went from having no writing background to creating a fictional story inspired by her anxious rescue dog Sully that explores acceptance rather than trying to "fix" each other. Her self-published book, North of Broken & Furever Home, is due out on February 14th and is a "love letter to her dogs" with proceeds supporting  local animal rescue. After owning rescue dogs Cash and Sully for over 12 years, Holly overcame her digital fears to launch "Ramblings from the Little Shed" podcast with her son, exploring how pets influence creativity.  This episode also discusses Canada's significant feral dog population in remote northern areas, where rescue organizations regularly pull large litters, challenging assumptions that overpopulation issues are limited to states in the south. To learn more about Holly and her work you can find her at www.ramblingsfromthelittleshed.com and on social media @ramblingfromthelittleshed. And keep an eye out at your favorite book store for North of Broken & Furever Home.Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Adam Spencer, founder of Furlanthropy, who went from being afraid of dogs to creating the first charity-owned crowdfunding platform for animal welfare after adopting Hazelnut, a rescue dog whose original family surrendered her due to their inability to afford Parvo treatment. Discovering that two-thirds of pet euthanasia in America occurs due to financial constraints, Adam developed a crowdfunding platform that sends funds directly to veterinarians (often within 48 hours for emergencies), provides donation receipts for all donations, accepts various payment methods including stocks and donor-advised funds, and charges only 8% in fees versus the 15% typical with for-profit platforms. The platform has helped pets in nearly every US state and is working on expanding internationally. And they don't just focus on vet bills, rather they support most animal-related causes. To learn more about Furlanthropy you can check them out online at www.furlanthropy.org or on social media @furlanthropycharity. Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Julia Pennington, founder of Hera the Dog Vodka, who transformed her approach to animal activism after discovering criminal abuse at a Nashville animal shelter in high school, leading her to devote 25 years to Los Angeles rescue work before realizing traditional methods weren't addressing root causes. To create sustainable funding beyond donor fatigue, Julia developed a premium vodka using organic Italian wheat base from spent pasta grain, operating as a social benefit corporation that donates 50% of profits (currently 6% of sales) to local animal rescues in the same cities where the vodka is sold. The company has donated $70,000 plus 16,000 pounds of pet food, is expanding to Colorado, and is developing an online platform where customers will be able to choose which rescue receives their donation, with Julia emphasizing transparency and welcoming non-drinkers to support the mission by donating directly to featured rescues. To learn more about Hera the Dog, as long as you are 21 or older, check out www.herathedogvodka.com or follow them on social media @herathedogvodka.Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Monica (pen name Leokadia George), author of a 4-book children's series about Trumpet, a "miracle" Mexican gray wolf at the Wolf Conservation Center in New York. Monica shares insights into the center's breeding programs for critically endangered wolves, creative conservation partnerships with ranchers (including AC/DC-playing drones as deterrents), and how her storytelling approach—with 50% of book royalties supporting conservation—demonstrates the powerful connection between literature and real-world wildlife protection efforts. To learn more about wolf conservation you can check out @wolfconservationcenter on social media or at www.nywolf.org. Also check out @lighthawk_org on social media and @briley.baxter.books for more on the Trumpet book series!Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Linda Velwest, author of "City Rescue Pets, Second Chances for Love and Hope". We discuss her early experiences with animal rescue, how that influenced her adult life, and what led to the creation of her website City Rescue Pets and the book "City Rescue Pets, Second Chances for Love and Hope". To learn more you can find her online at www.cityrescuepets.com and the book is available anywhere books are sold, but you know I like to recommend www.bookshop.org!Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Beth Gould, Executive Director, and Erica Kubersky, Director of Community Outreach, for Positive Tails, an organization based in New York City. Positive Tails focuses on supporting people and their pets by providing funding for emergency care, hosting health clinics, and spay/neuter resources. We discuss their experiences in animal rescue and welfare from a young age, how seeing the need in the community led them to conversations with a local vet group about how to get involved, and actually bringing people together to create Positive Tails. The work they do touches not only the people and pets supported, but also the veterinarians they work with. To learn more about Positive Tails you can find them online at www.positivetails.org and on social media @positivetails. Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

This week I talk with Jenna Hage-Hassan about the unique way she got into rescue. From seeing a news story to getting involved with a rescue in Lebanon, her experience should leave anyone hopeful about their ability to help, no matter how big or small of an impact they think they are making. Spoiler, even if you think you are only making a small impact, you still are leaving a ripple effect of goodness in your wake. To learn more about Bekaa Rescue in Lebanon and how you can help check them out at www.bekaashelterlebanon.org and on social media @bekaa_shelter_lebanon. Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order!Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at [email protected] or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site