The Animal That Changed You

Spurred by a bothersome text exchange between Jenny’s rescue friend and a local person who wanted to rehome four puppies, in this week’s episode, Katya and Jenny find themselves discussing what it takes emotionally to be in the field of animal welfare. The toll, the toil, and the tribulations. They share their feelings about how to deal with privileged people and the ways in which humans justify their ideas about animals, the struggle to resist the urge to numb out in this line of work, as we...

Whether you’re in the rescue world as a non-profit business or a for-profit business wanting to help non-profits, there are two common driving forces: passion and community. To dive into these topics more, Katya and Jenny are joined by Jonathan Weiner of The Mutt Dog, a clothing and apparel brand that helps raise funds for shelters. With Jonathan’s perspective from a for-profit business and Jenny’s perspective from a non-profit, the three of them discuss the possibility of blending passion an...

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let go of all that pressure you’re putting on yourself to create a perfect environment as a foster, as a rescuer, as a human with an animal you love! Okay, whew, we all needed that! Especially for this week’s episode where Katya and Jenny get vulnerable about the strenuous emotions surrounding animal welfare and animal activism. From Katya acknowledging how weighed down she can get by negative thoughts (and normalizing that no one is above being affect...

When it comes to marketing animals for rescue, what works without making people feel guilty or obligated? How do you ensure your campaign is cute or funny, direct, and never boring? Jamie Ruden, the founder of Be Spotted and Dog Spotted, joins Katya and Jenny in this episode to share her expertise on the best ways to market rescue dogs. Jenny and Katya seek advice on how to market pets that may be considered challenging, troublesome, or highly dependent. Jamie provides tips on which marketing...

If you’ve ever considered fostering a dog, this episode with Katya and Jenny might be the one that convinces you to do it. Jenny gets real about the sucky part of fostering and how she recently dealt with the pain of letting a foster go. But then they dive into why you should try fostering, shedding light on how fostering a dog doesn’t just help animals; it’s something that is actually a beautiful gift that adds love, purpose, and connection to your life, even if it doesn’t turn out to be a...

Okay, let’s take some deep breaths. Warning: today’s episode will likely bring about strong feelings, but you know Katya and Jenny. They don’t shy away from discussing the ins and outs of a topic pertaining to animals just because it’s challenging! So, they’re talking about breeding. They’re talking about dogs bred for profit or on accident, about spay or neuter, about health issues and how some dogs can’t even give birth naturally anymore. In this episode of The Animal That Changed You, the...

Are addicts attracted to animal rescue? When does being of service become codependency? In this episode of The Animal That Changed You, Jenny and Katya get very real. Like, very very real. They take an honest deep dive into their relationship between animal loving, food addiction, and eating disorders. They shed light on the tornado of shame, guilt, and self-hatred that comes with disordered eating, and how that can be affected by the added stress of being a passionate animal advocate. J &a...

Katya and Jenny break down the 3-3-3 rule for y'all today. That's right, it's a day of 3's. From explaining what the 3-3-3 rule actually is to unpacking why patience, time, and understanding are necessary when a rescue dog adjusts into your home, these animal-loving ladies highlight how to set you and your adopted dog up for a lifetime of success. Together, Jenny and Katya share stories about their own foster and rescue dogs and how they've relied upon the 3-3-3 rule time and time aga...

Today on The Animal That Changed You, we’re joined by Margo Donohue! Margo is the brain and heart behind the blog, Brooklyn Fit Chick. She's a lover of pop culture, podcasting, writing, health, and fitness as well as the author of the new “Filmed in Brooklyn,” Margo’s first book project for History Press. Margo shares with us intimate stories about her two cats, Sarah and T, recounting how she became the lucky mom to Brooklyn’s cutest kitties. Sure, the patience she had to cultivate as she ...

Today we’re pulling back the curtain. Stay with us, come closer, lean in and join us in this raw, honest, and vulnerable discussion. We pride ourselves in our authenticity and ability to bare it all on The Animal That Changed You, but this is admittedly a difficult episode because we’re facing the situation in real time. Because it’s controversial. Because it deals with matters of the heart weighed against matters of the head. Jenny shares with Katya the very hard decision she is tasked with...

Pet adoption is a truly rewarding experience. You're giving a loving home to an animal in need and adding a new family member into your life. But adopting a pet is also a big responsibility and it can come with changes and it might even come with challenges. In this week's episode, Katya and Jenny explore the resources available to help you through the pet adoption process. One way to make it a smoother journey is to seek out support from a dog trainer or rescue friend, or even from a...

We have an incredibly special guest on today’s episode of The Animal That Changed You. The one and only Moby joins Jenny and Katya in a most insightful conversation about Moby’s activism, beliefs, and the animals who have changed him. Moby is a wildly successful musician, producer, singer, and songwriter. He is also one of the most recognizable animal advocates and vegans out there. Hearing him get personal as he shares his stories of childhood is touching. Hearing his perspective on animal c...

Compassion fatigue is a real thing. Especially in the animal welfare industry, especially for those who feel and give with their whole hearts. And it isn’t talked about nearly enough. That's why we’re so excited to have Jessica Dolce here, a compassion fatigue educator and coach with incredible experience and an incredible mission. In today’s episode, Jessica shares how she got started supporting people struggling with compassion fatigue precisely because of how deeply she had felt it herself...