For Em Lock, animal educator and reptile lover, the fascination and love for reptiles stems from childhood. But it wasn’t until she became an adult and started getting reptiles of her own that she realize, the things they truly need aren’t always what we’d expect.

When Dr. Zoë Lumiere–Somatic Therapist, Spiritual Psychologist, Pet Grief Specialist, and Animal Rights Advocate–saw Fenix, she didn’t realize how complex his needs would be. She just knew she needed to rescue him. With time, patience, and a whole lot of love, she witnessed firsthand just how resilient and capable Fenix really was…

Jenn Roedig, founder of Sage Paws, used her love of animals and her own experiences of loss as the driving force behind helping others navigate life with aging or ill pets. And by focusing not just on the pets, but on the pet parents and their needs too, she’s finding it helps them be more joyful and present as they move through life together.

Julianna (Jules) King, VMD, CSCC and Kristina Opalecky, VMD, CCAS–Founders of Performance Unleashed–combined the experience from their own athletic training backgrounds with the knowledge they gained in vet school… And came up with the perfect solution to address dogs’ health and longevity.

When Elodie–shelter volunteer and advocate for “red-listed” dogs–first started volunteering, she was hesitant to visit her area’s high-kill shelter… But after seeing how many dogs truly needed her help, she made it her full-time mission to save as many as she could from being euthanized.

Kayla Powers, foster mom and rescue advocate, began her foster journey with a very special dog she personally felt connected to... And now, knowing that research shows fostering a dog increases their chance of adoption by 14 times, she has no plans of stopping.

Sharlet Lee Jensen–Speech-Language Pathologist, Animal-Assisted Interventionist, and the passionate human behind all the resources found at Speech Dogs–realized her dogs could provide a sense of calm for the children she works with… And it changed how she thought of her dogs forever.

Mindy Godding, founder of Abundance Organizing and certified professional organizer with 30+ years experience, started to dig into why organization is important even for pets after noticing some changes with her own dogs… The reasons why it affects them might surprise you.

Stacy LeBaron, a compassionate leader and feline entrepreneur since 1994, has a few ideas on how to address cat overpopulation in an effective, humane way. Founder of Community Cats Central, host of Community Cats Podcast (with over 600 episodes!), United Spay Alliance board member, and owner of two cat-only vet clinics in Georgia–Stacy has helped more cats, and communities, than she can count… And she’s nowhere near done!

Linda Brent–co-founder and former director of Chimp Haven (the world’s largest chimp sanctuary!), Executive Director of the Parsemus Foundation, and CEO of Blue Toby Pet Products–has seen firsthand just how exotic pet ownership really affects these animals. And as expected, it’s usually not great.

When we understand dog communication, the change in their body language becomes easier to notice and that helps us, as amazing pet parents, support them so they can feel safe and comfortable, no matter what. And when it comes to reading body language, Sian Lawley-Rudd–ethical dog trainer, trauma-informed coach, and owner of Lavender Garden Puppy & Dog Training–knows exactly what we should be looking for.

If there are other pets in the household, how do they experience the passing of their buddy? Do they grieve? Are they sad? Kate LaSala–professional dog trainer, certified behavior consultant, and companion animal end of life doula (to name a few!)–has some powerful insights that very well might change how we view the death of a beloved pet.

While rescues all around the country have restrictions in place with the pets’ health and safety in mind, they may also be preventing a perfect match. And it’s these very restrictions that led Erin Handley, along with co-founders Mike Ezzo and Shaina Ward Siegel, to create Resilient Hearts Animal Rescue. Their first mission? Make rescue accessible.

“I’ve seen dramatic differences in people’s emotional states after bringing a dog into their lives,” says Dr. Carolina Estevez, Psy.D. Psychologist at Soba New Jersey in New Brunswick, NJ. But it’s not just their ability to sense sadness and come to our rescue that makes them so meaningful to have as pets. It’s the actions we actively take when they’re in our lives too.

No matter where you live, a quick search on Petfinder will reveal a handful of pets that are in need of a home. But what happens when the homeless pet situation is actually more of a crisis? When the amount of available pets exceeds the number of people searching… It’s time to get creative. And that’s exactly what Meagan Licari, founder and president of Puppy Kitty NYC, did to get hundreds of cats off the streets.

Having volunteered for rescues for many years, Alice Mayn, Founder & Executive Director of Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary, had seen firsthand just how big of a difference we can make in a dog’s life. And when she met a senior Golden Retriever named Lily, her purpose became clear: become an advocate for senior dogs across the nation. 

It’s common to assume that shelter animals are “broken pets,” but what is the reality? In this blog we hear from Melissa Arbitman, a senior dog trainer who has spent a decade providing behavioral-focused training to dog shelters across NYC and has seen how trust and communication help them thrive.

Saying goodbye to our pets is incredibly difficult. In this blog, we hear from Dr. Benson, founder of Paws Into Grace, about her experience as a vet with end of life and tips to create a comforting experience when it’s time.

Training your dog can feel like quite the undertaking, and how necessary is it anyways? In this blog, we get to hear from Sam and Mya Wolf from Wolf Hill Kennels about why dog training is important, how to start at home training, and the reason your dog wants it too!

It’s all about better health and stronger connection! In this blog we hear from Tara Bickel, the founder of Tara’s Tasty Pet Treats about her process into the world of creating homemade pet treats, the advantages, and things to look out for.