The Top Dog Podcast

What happens when animal shelters and animal control stop working in silos and start working as one team? For Sarah Hock, stronger collaboration means better outcomes for animals, more prepared staff, and more effective support for the community. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Sarah Hock, Executive Director of Joint Animal Services in Olympia, Washington, to discuss more than 20 years in animal welfare and her approach to building a more coordinated, compassionate, and professional industry. As a regional municipal shelter serving Thurston County, Joint Animal Services brings animal sheltering, animal control, and humane law enforcement together. Sarah shares how this structure improves communication, how her team developed a specialized volunteer program for large-scale cruelty and neglect cases, and how planning ahead helps the shelter continue serving the community during challenging situations. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why bringing animal control and sheltering together can improve teamwork and communication ✔ How Joint Animal Services prepares for large-scale animal cruelty and neglect cases ✔ The specialized volunteer response team that helps staff manage complex cases ✔ How trained volunteers and foster homes support animals involved in cruelty investigations ✔ The role of community networks in reuniting lost pets with their families ✔ How animal welfare has evolved to recognize the connection between human and animal well-being ✔ Why supporting pet owners can help keep people and their animals together ✔ The ongoing need for affordable spay and neuter services and accessible pet care ✔ The emotional demands of sheltering, animal control, and difficult life-or-death decisions ✔ Why professional standards matter in animal welfare ✔ Sarah's commitment to challenging workplace bullying and toxicity across the industry Sarah offers a thoughtful perspective on what it takes to lead an animal welfare organization, from creating practical systems and empowering staff to recognizing the human side of every animal welfare challenge. She also shares her vision for an industry that values professionalism, collaboration, and a healthier workplace culture. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What if saving more animals started with changing how we treat the people who love them? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Becca Britton, Founder and Executive Director of Neighborhood Pets in Cleveland, Ohio, to explore how accessible pet care, community outreach, and compassion can help keep people and their pets together. After more than 20 years in animal welfare, Becca has seen how financial hardship and limited access to resources can affect families and their pets. Her experiences inspired her to build a resource and wellness center that provides affordable pet care, supplies, information, and connections to essential social services, all through a nonjudgmental, community-centered approach. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Becca's journey from volunteering at animal control to founding Neighborhood Pets ✔ How early shelter experiences shaped her approach to animal welfare ✔ Why pet owners facing financial hardship need support rather than judgment ✔ How community outreach revealed the challenges families face in caring for their pets ✔ The growth of free wellness clinics, vaccines, spay and neuter services, and pet supplies ✔ How Neighborhood Pets connects families with animal care and social services ✔ Why trust and communication are essential to serving communities ✔ The connection between human well-being and animal welfare ✔ How financial barriers to veterinary care affect people and their pets ✔ Why keeping people and pets together matters ✔ The importance of setting boundaries to prevent burnout ✔ How animal welfare can move beyond assumptions and take a more compassionate approach ✔ Becca's vision for inspiring kindness and creating lasting community change Becca shares why supporting the whole person can make a meaningful difference for animals, too. Her work is a reminder that people often love their pets deeply but need access to the resources that help them provide care. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when animal welfare organizations stop working against each other and start working together? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Darlene Duggan, President of Anti-Cruelty in Chicago, to talk about her unconventional journey from biostatistics and epidemiology into animal welfare and the leadership lessons she has gained along the way. With nearly 30 years in the field, Darlene has seen animal welfare evolve from a more divisive, shelter-focused industry into one increasingly centered on collaboration, community support, data, and proactive solutions. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Darlene's journey from biostatistics and epidemiology into animal welfare ✔ How volunteering at Anti-Cruelty changed the direction of her career ✔ The nearly 130-year history of Anti-Cruelty in Chicago ✔ How animal welfare has evolved toward collaboration and partnership ✔ Building the Chicago animal welfare coalition ✔ Why shelters and rescues can accomplish more by working together ✔ The shift from treating the public as an adversary to treating them as partners ✔ Using data to make better animal welfare decisions ✔ How AI can help organizations analyze information and challenge assumptions ✔ What data revealed about the impact of puppies on large-dog adoptions ✔ The importance of professional networks and supporting one another ✔ Managing compassion fatigue in animal welfare leadership ✔ Why leaders should focus on the positive impact of the work ✔ Darlene's vision for creating stronger programs for the next generation of animal welfare professionals Darlene also shares the leadership philosophy she hopes to leave behind: being fair, thinking ten steps ahead, and building programs and systems that make the work better for the people and animals who come after her. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when learning the truth about animal agriculture inspires you to completely change your life? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Deborah Blum, Founder and Executive Director of Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary, to talk about her unconventional journey from fashion and restaurants to aviation and ultimately farm animal rescue. Deborah shares how learning about the realities of animal agriculture led her to start Goatlandia more than a decade ago. Today, the sanctuary cares for roughly 150 to 175 animals across 36 acres in Sonoma County while providing adoption and fostering opportunities, plant-based food experiences, an organic farm, and other programs that help connect people with farm animals. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Deborah's unconventional journey from fashion and restaurants to animal sanctuary leadership ✔ How learning about animal agriculture inspired her to start Goatlandia ✔ Building a farm animal sanctuary without prior sanctuary experience ✔ Caring for goats, sheep, pigs, birds, alpacas, and other farm animals ✔ Why adoption and fostering are important parts of the sanctuary's mission ✔ The challenges of finding appropriate foster homes for farm animals ✔ How Deborah's hospitality background shapes the visitor experience ✔ Using food and plant-based events to inspire people to make different choices ✔ How the sanctuary's thrift store and organic farm help support its mission ✔ Why compassion fatigue and self-care are important in animal welfare ✔ The importance of incremental change rather than judgment ✔ How farm animal sanctuaries and the broader movement are evolving ✔ Deborah's goal of changing people's perceptions of farm animals Deborah also shares why she believes small, positive choices can add up to meaningful change and why her ultimate goal is to help people see farm animals as individuals with personalities, intelligence, and their own unique ways of experiencing the world. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when one person sees a gap in animal welfare and decides to build a solution from the ground up? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Jessica Lopez, Executive Director of The PAW Mission, to talk about her journey through veterinary medicine and animal welfare and how that experience shaped her approach to building lifesaving programs in Southern California. Jessica shares how The PAW Mission grew from efforts to address shelter euthanasia into a multifaceted organization with a sanctuary, mobile veterinary units, adoption programs, and a veterinary hospital serving the Inland Empire. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Jessica's journey through veterinary medicine and animal welfare ✔ How The PAW Mission was created to address shelter euthanasia ✔ The organization's work with working cats and community lifesaving ✔ How The PAW Mission grew to include a five-acre sanctuary ✔ Building high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter services ✔ The transition from mobile veterinary services to a hospital in Fontana ✔ Completing nearly 7,300 spay and neuter procedures in a year ✔ Understanding the unique animal welfare needs of San Bernardino County ✔ Building trust and credibility while growing a nonprofit organization ✔ Creating programs that respond directly to community needs ✔ Supporting passionate animal welfare professionals without burning them out ✔ Jessica's vision for the future of The PAW Mission and its impact across the Inland Empire Jessica also shares the leadership lessons behind The PAW Mission's rapid growth and why supporting passionate people is essential to creating sustainable change 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.

What happens when a career in law unexpectedly leads to a life in animal welfare? For Kristen Davidson, that winding path helped shape a leadership approach grounded in compassion, adaptability, and a willingness to question the way things have always been done. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Kristen Davidson, Executive Director of BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond, Oregon, shares her journey into animal welfare and the lessons she has learned while leading an organization serving animals and the Central Oregon community. **In this conversation, we discuss:** ✔ Kristen’s unexpected journey from law school to animal welfare leadership ✔ Her experience working with dog rescue and discovering the sheltering field ✔ How BrightSide Animal Center serves its community and helps thousands of animals each year ✔ Why animal welfare organizations need to adapt as the field changes ✔ The importance of questioning policies and practices that may no longer serve their purpose ✔ Moving away from blame and toward compassion and understanding ✔ How strong teams and thoughtful leadership can create lasting organizational change ✔ Helping people grow into their potential and developing the next generation of animal welfare leaders Kristen also shares what she has learned about leadership, organizational change, and the importance of helping other people grow into their potential. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when animal welfare challenges are shaped by geography, limited resources, and an island community? For Anna Neubauer, the answer is creativity, collaboration, and listening closely to the people and animals her organization serves. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Chris Roy talks with Anna Neubauer, President and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society, about leading one of Hawaii's largest animal welfare organizations and adapting to the unique challenges of serving Oahu. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ The unique animal welfare challenges facing Oahu and Hawaii ✔ Managing a large free-roaming cat population in a tropical island environment ✔ High-volume spay and neuter programs and the Feline Fix initiative ✔ Building partnerships when veterinary and community resources are limited ✔ Anna's journey from working in a veterinary clinic at 14 to leading a major animal welfare organization ✔ Why listening to the community is essential to effective leadership ✔ Moving animal welfare from a transactional model toward proactive community support ✔ How shelters are becoming community resources and hubs ✔ The growing importance of collaboration across the animal welfare field ✔ Building bench strength and developing the next generation of animal welfare leaders Anna also shares the leadership lessons she has learned throughout her career, including why leaders need to understand the community they're serving, adapt their approach, and recognize that meaningful careers rarely follow a straight line. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What changes when animal control moves beyond enforcement and starts with empathy? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Christina Avila, Animal Control Services Supervisor for the City of Perris, to talk about her unconventional journey into animal welfare and the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership, community engagement, and animal control. Christina shares how her career took her from animal science and veterinary work to the DMV and auto industry before eventually bringing her back to animal welfare. After more than a decade in the field, she reflects on the importance of communication, empathy, and understanding the people behind every animal. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Christina's unexpected journey into animal welfare ✔ Her transition from kennel technician to animal control officer and supervisor ✔ Why engagement can be more effective than enforcement alone ✔ The importance of connecting people with resources ✔ How empathy can change the way animal control officers approach their communities ✔ Learning from personal experiences and using them to serve others ✔ Building trust through communication and understanding ✔ How supportive leadership helped Christina grow professionally ✔ Managing teams through empathy, communication, and reflection ✔ The changing role of animal welfare in local communities ✔ Christina's advice to her younger self ✔ The legacy she hopes to leave through the people and animals she has helped For Christina, animal welfare isn't just about enforcing ordinances. It's also about understanding people's circumstances, finding solutions, and recognizing that helping animals often means helping the people who care for them, too. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations at https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when a rapidly growing city brings new challenges for animal welfare? In Midland, Texas, population growth, a highly transient workforce, and pet abandonment are reshaping the work of animal services. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Alexsey Dobberstine, Animal Services Manager for Midland Animal Services. Alexsey shares her journey from a 15-year career in dog grooming to animal welfare leadership, along with what she has learned about building strong teams, navigating change, and serving a community experiencing rapid growth. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Alexsey’s journey from dog grooming to animal welfare leadership ✔ Finding her calling at Houston SPCA ✔ Moving from Houston to Dallas and ultimately Midland ✔ The unique challenges of animal services in West Texas ✔ How population growth and a transient workforce affect pet abandonment ✔ Building a strong organizational culture ✔ Empowering teams instead of micromanaging ✔ Combating burnout and imposter syndrome in animal welfare ✔ Why leaders should never stop learning ✔ The importance of collaboration instead of judgment ✔ How the animal welfare field has changed in recent years ✔ Alexsey’s vision for leaving animal welfare better than she found it Alexsey’s leadership philosophy centers on confidence, continuous learning, and empowering the people around her. Her goal isn't simply to build a personal reputation. It's to create solutions that can improve animal welfare in Midland and potentially be adapted by other communities facing similar challenges. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations at https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

What happens when an experienced animal control officer takes on the challenge of leading a new humane society? For Josh Klumpe, the answer is a combination of transparency, innovation, community engagement, and a commitment to making animal welfare services accessible. In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, Chris Roy speaks with Josh Klumpe, Executive Director of the Humane Society for Greater Lafayette, about his journey from more than 17 years in animal control to leading a growing shelter organization in Lafayette, Indiana. Josh shares how his experience shaped his leadership approach and why building trust with the community is essential to creating meaningful change. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Josh’s journey from animal control officer to executive director ✔ Modernizing animal control and improving professionalism ✔ How transparency builds trust with the community ✔ The relationship between animal control and shelter operations ✔ Making adoptions, fostering, and volunteering more accessible ✔ The Doggie Day Out program and its impact on shelter dogs ✔ The importance of food pantries and community support programs ✔ The Humane Society’s partnership with Purdue University ✔ Expanding veterinary training and shelter medicine opportunities ✔ Leading teams through customer service, communication, and clear expectations ✔ Josh’s vision for determination and innovation in animal welfare Josh’s story highlights how strong partnerships, practical programs, and honest communication can help shelters better serve both animals and the people in their communities. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.