286. Kathryn Hurley: Building Wags & Walks Nashville, Saving Thousands of Dogs & Turning Passion Into Purpose

About this episode

Kathryn Hurley discusses her journey in animal rescue and the establishment of Wags & Walks Nashville.

This week, Jason is joined by founder of Wags & Walks Nashville, animal welfare advocate, and his girlfriend, Kathryn Hurley! Born and raised in Plymouth, Michigan, Kathryn shares how her passion for animal rescue started early — from working at her family’s ice cream shop to dedicating her life to saving dogs. After graduating from Eastern Michigan, she followed her instincts into dog rescue, eventually making the leap to Los Angeles to work with Wags & Walks, where she quickly became a key part of the organization’s growth. Kathryn opens up about the financial realities of working in nonprofit — starting out making just $26,000 a year — and the difficult decision to leave for a higher-paying job in sports media, only to return after realizing her true purpose was in rescue. From there, she shares how she built Wags & Walks Nashville from the ground up — starting in her basement, then a storage unit, to now running a full-scale operation with 40+ employees and saving thousands of dogs. She breaks down the business behind animal rescue — from fundraising millions annually just to operate, to the harsh realities of overcrowded shelters, euthanasia rates, and the…

People in this episode

Host: Jason

Guest: Kathryn Hurley

Topics covered

• animal rescue
• nonprofit management
• dog welfare
• entrepreneurship
• personal passion
• fundraising

Keywords

• animal rescue
• Wags & Walks
• nonprofit
• dog welfare
• fundraising
• sports media
• euthanasia
• pit bulls

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wags & Walks Nashville, Eastern Michigan

Places: Plymouth, Michigan, Los Angeles

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