The Best Friends Podcast

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Responsible Transport Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

Transport has been a critical lifesaving program for many years. Animals from under-resourced communities overwhelmed with homeless pets are transported to another where they have the opportunity for a positive outcome. This supply and demand model has saved millions of lives.

The goal isn’t solely to save the lives of the animals that can fit on that transport vehicle. Reducing the sending shelter’s population helps to relieve the pressure and allows the sending organization to focus on implementing programs and strategies to reduce their reliance on transport over time. But the financial costs and the process of finding partner organizations can make implementing a transport program challenging. And the potential spread of infectious diseases requires using best-practice protocols to ensure the health and safety of the pets in the receiving community.

This week, we hear from two experts - one from the programs side and the other a veterinarian - to talk through what you need to do to ensure you’re transporting responsibly.

For resources related to lifesaving transport programs, check out the website: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/best-friends-podcast/best-friends-podcast-ep-129

Taking Risks to Save Lives Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

Are you a risk taker? The decisions we make in animal welfare are often fraught with risk. If for no other reason than our work involves the lives of people and pets. It's natural for even the most seasoned risk-taker to experience doubts.

During the 2022 Best Friends National Conference, 20 speakers had seven minutes each to share a story about how they stepped out of their comfort zone and took a risk. Some shared stories of risky programmatic decisions, while others were more personal, but they were all inspiring.

The audience voted on their favorites, and five speakers earned a $1,000 grant from Petco Love. The other 15 speakers received $500 each from Best Friends to put towards their work.

This week, we're sharing a selection of the presentations with you. We know their stories will move you - maybe to take risks of your own - when you hear your courageous peers' stories about the risks they took.

Time is running out to participate in the Best Friends National Big Dog Campaign. The deadline to register is September 16th: https://network.bestfriends.org/join-us/events/national-big-dog-campaign

Is your organization a Best Friends network partner? Check out this link to learn more about the partner program, to see the requirements, and register: https://network.bestfriends.org/join-us/become-network-partner

Shifting Your Mission Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

It’s not unusual for an organization to drift away from its mission statement, purpose, and goals. Over time, the landscape in a community can change to the point that the animals your organization was founded to help don’t need that help as they once did.

In Carrolton, Texas, the leadership of Operation Kindness knew their organization was already doing lots of great work. Still, they wondered if they were doing the right work to save the most lives. They knew they wanted to be more direct in supporting Dallas Animal Services and other regional municipal shelters, so they made several tough decisions, including launching a neonatal kitten nursery.

Managing change of any scale can be overwhelming and scary. Especially when those changes depart from what an organization has done successfully for some time. This week, we hear from Kelly Furnas, the COO of Operation Kindness, about their lifesaving transformation.

Check out the website for more information about this episode: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/best-friends-podcast/best-friends-podcast-ep-127

Read the two-part program spotlight on this topic on the Best Friends Network website:

Part one: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/program-spotlights/reconsidering-your-mission-part-i

Part two: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/program-spotlights/reconsidering-your-mission-part-2

Unicorn Foster Squad (rebroadcast) Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

Today is September 1st, which means you can now submit your proposals for a Rachael Ray Save Them All grant. To mark the occasion, we are looking back at an episode that featured a program that received funding during a previous cycle.

Gateway Pet Guardians in East St. Louis developed the Unicorn Foster Squad program to address a common problem - a lack of foster homes for behaviorally challenging dogs.

This week, we hear from Brittany Fleming more about how this program came to be and how successful it has been in saving lives.

Learn more about the Rachael Ray Save Them All grants and submit your proposal: https://network.bestfriends.org/join-us/partner-perks/best-friends-partner-exclusives/rachael-ray-grants-menu

National Preparedness Month Aug 25, 2022

Show notes

Making landfall five years ago today, Hurricane Harvey was one of the most destructive storms in American history, but its strength was not an aberration. It was a sign of things to come as the changing climate is creating more weather-related disasters and making storms, wildfires, and floods more dangerous.

That’s why it’s important to have plans for what to do during an emergency or disaster, both for yourself and your organization.

To learn more about creating effective plans, we spoke with the senior manager of emergency services for Best Friends, Sharon Hawa.

Registration for this year's Strut Your Mutt is now open. If you are with a Network Partner, click here. If you are an individual looking to take part, click here.

Check out the website for this episode: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/best-friends-podcast/best-friends-podcast-ep-125

Scott Stratten Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

This week we’re sharing the interview we did with one of the keynote speakers at this year’s Best Friends National Conference, Scott Stratten.

Scott is a prolific author and speaker. As the founder of UnMarketing, he’s helped millions understand how to create community and connection through their marketing efforts in the digital age. We talk about UnMarketing, building relationships with the public, and how a leader’s connection to their staff can impact the bottom line.

The next National Adoption Weekend event is happening from September 16th through the 18th, and registration is now open. Learn more: https://network.bestfriends.org/join-us/events/best-friends-national-adoption-event

Working with Elected Officials Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Love or hate it; politics is a part of our work in animal welfare. Laws, ordinances, and regulations - or the lack of them - can impact our ability to save lives positively and negatively.

For example, some communities have laws that consider feral cats to be abandoned. That means a TNVR program (trap-neuter-vaccinate-return) may mean you run afoul of that law anytime you take the last step of that process by returning the newly fixed, vaccinated cat to where they were found.

But these are tumultuous times, and elected officials are faced with massive issues such as policing, budgets, housing, and everything else we’re dealing with in this post-pandemic world. Ensuring you are working with your lawmakers in the best way possible may determine whether your issue passes or fails.

This week we chatted with current Nashville, Tennessee district councilmember Kathleen Murphy, and former Tennessee State Representative Eric Swafford, both of whom are Best Friends legislative and advocacy team members.

Resources:

Read about the results of the smashing success of July's National Adoption Weekend event: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/program-spotlights/second-national-adoption-weekend-results-nearly-10000-animals

Become a Best Friends network partner: https://network.bestfriends.org/join-us/become-network-partner

For more resources on this topic, and photos and bios for this week's guests, check out the website for this episode: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/best-friends-podcast/best-friends-podcast-ep-123

The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

Since 2017, the partnership between The Rachael Ray Foundation and Best Friends has supported Best Friends Network Partners through millions of dollars in grants to help reduce shelter deaths in communities across the country.

The funded projects over the years have varied. Some focused on increasing lifesaving within one shelter. Others used the grant to fund programs to help other communities beyond their own. But they have all shared the same goal of impactful, innovative, and inclusive programming that is helping us get to No-Kill 2025.

The grant cycle opens on September 1st, 2022, so this week, we're taking a closer look at the Rachael Ray grants program. What grants are available, who is eligible to receive funding, and what types of programs have received funding in the past?

We spoke with Bethany Heins, the director of strategy and network operations for Best Friends, to learn more about the basics, and we also chatted with Ashley Flores from the Great Plains SPCA in Merriam, Kansas. Ashley tells us about their virtual behavior mentorship program - an idea that took flight after they received a Rachael Ray grant in 2022.

Interested in taking the Great Plains SPCA's three-week virtual course on building a sustainable behavior program? Follow this link for more information: https://www.greatplainsspca.org/programs/behavior-training/building-a-sustainable-behavior-program

For more resources related to this episode, check out the website for The Best Friends Podcast: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/best-friends-podcast/best-friends-podcast-ep-122

Return to Home Challenge Jul 28, 2022

Show notes

This week registration opened for the Return to Home Challenge. During October, participating organizations that handle lost/stray dogs and cats will take their efforts to get lost pets back home to the next level. Using simple practices such as microchipping, making information on lost pets easily accessible by the public, and educating the community's pet owners on what to do to ensure their pet has the best chance of getting home should they go missing. It's also about educating the community on how they can be part of the solution for any lost pets they find.

The strategies can save time, money, and of course, lives, and there's $300,000 in grant money available to participating organizations.

Seventeen national organizations are sponsoring this challenge, including Best Friends. Registration closes on August 1st, so time is of the essence for you to sign up: https://www.maddiesfund.org/return-to-home-challenge-best-friends.htm

To talk more about the challenge and the strategies that can help you get more pets back home more quickly, we spoke with Gina Knepp, the national shelter engagement director for the Michelson Found Animals Foundation.

Check out the website for The Best Friends Podcast: https://bestfriends.org/podcast

Alexis Pugh at the Best Friends National Conference Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

During this year's Best Friends National Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, we interviewed several industry leaders for the podcast. This week we're sharing our conversation with Alexis Pugh, the director of Memphis Animal Services.

We talk about the state of animal welfare in Southwest Tennessee during this challenging time in the industry and what they're doing to meet the needs of people and pets in the community.

Check out the consumer adoption survey editorial mentioned in the episode: network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/editorials/factors-impacting-pet-acquisition

The website for The Best Friends Podcast: bestfriends.org/podcast

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