In this episode, I chat with Emma, an animal lover and entrepreneur. She shares her life with horses, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, and many other animals on her beautiful hobby farm. Emma also founded Mikko’s Choice, a CBD product line for animals, to improve the lives of our pets. We chat about the potential health benefits of CBD, how Emma came to have such an incredible animal haven, and how she connects with species beyond the “classic companion animal” like a dog or cat. We also hear abo...
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In this episode, I chat with Emma, an animal lover and entrepreneur. She shares her life with horses, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, and many other animals on her beautiful hobby farm. Emma also founded Mikko’s Choice, a CBD product line for animals, to improve the lives of our pets. We chat about the potential health benefits of CBD, how Emma came to have such an incredible animal haven, and how she connects with species beyond the “classic companion animal” like a dog or cat. We also hear abo...
In this episode, I chat with Emma, an animal lover and entrepreneur. She shares her life with horses, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, and many other animals on her beautiful hobby farm. Emma also founded Mikko’s Choice, a CBD product line for animals, to improve the lives of our pets. We chat about the potential health benefits of CBD, how Emma came to have such an incredible animal haven, and how she connects with species beyond the “classic companion animal” like a dog or cat. We also hear abo...
In this episode, I chat with Anne Marie Farage-Smith, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and author of Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss: An Animal Lover’s Guide to Grief. Anne Marie discusses the basics of grief, including what it is and what it feels like, and then goes through the different types of grief that may be encountered on your healing journey, including acute, anticipatory, ambiguous, disenfranchised, and complicated. We hear about why it’s so important to address pet loss and t...
In this episode, I chat with Sheley Revis, a general internist and founder of the Fabulous McGrady and Friends Foundation, about the dog who changed her life and would later become the namesake of her organization. McGrady, a deaf, tri-coloured Australian Shepherd, was rescued from Ashe County Animal Control. Sheley had no experience working with deaf dogs but found McGrady to be a quick study, eager to learn with the sweetest temperament. McGrady worked as a therapy dog throughout his life, ...
In this episode, I chat with Allen Frye about his service dog Max. Max, a gorgeous German Shepherd, was trained by Allen to assist with his mobility after he experienced a serious spinal cord injury in 2018. We hear about Allen’s accident, his road to recovery, and how Max has been a constant source of love and support. We talk about the benefits to having a service dog that go beyond the tasks they are trained to do and why general obedience is the key to having a solid service dog like Max....
In this episode, I continue my chat with Shannon Kiley, a professional dog trainer, who discussed her experience in search and rescue work with her dogs in Ep 16. This week, Shannon shares Reckon’s story. Reckon, a black and tan Doberman, came from a line of successful search and rescue dogs. Instead of following in his family’s footsteps, Reckon entered into the world of musical freestyle, which eventually led him to be featured on Season 13 of America’s Got Talent. While an untimely injury ...
In this episode, I chat with Shannon Kiley, a professional dog trainer who was involved in search and rescue work with her dogs for 18 years. Her incredible Dobermans Soleil, Dagger, Never, and Savor, were specialized in human remains detection; we hear about what it takes to train a cadaver dog, why a “one size fits all” approach is not ideal, and we discuss some of the cases that her dogs participated in during the course of their careers. Finally, we chat about the connection Shannon share...
In this very special bonus episode, I am joined by my significant other, Brandon Reid, and we share the story of Romeo. Romeo, the absolute sweetest pittie boy, was the first dog we ever adopted together. While his time with us was short due to an undiagnosed medical condition, he taught us so much about love and resiliency. I am forever grateful for this boy and hope Romeo’s story will inspire others to take a chance on the underdog and to love your animals intensely, because you never know ...
In this bonus episode, I chat again with Krystal Hise, a pet portrait artist and our guest featured in Ep 11, about reactivity in dogs. We talk about what this behaviour looks like in Frank and Freya and share our experiences working through reactive behaviour in our pups. We are honest about the challenges associated with having a reactive dog and discuss the many ways we advocate for them. If you are struggling with reactive behaviour in your dog, I hope you find this conversation hel...
In this bonus episode, I chat again with Dr. Karen Fine, a holistic veterinarian and our guest featured in Ep 10, about the issues with puppy mills and how you can avoid them. We talk about some red flags to look out for and how to make sure you are purchasing a puppy from an ethical breeder. With an estimated 7,000 puppy mills currently operating in the United States, this is such an important topic that Dr. Fine and I barely scratched the surface of. Resources: Animal adoption through pet...
In this episode, I chat with Eamon O’Reilly, a Sergeant at the Washington County Oregon Sheriff’s Office, about his K9 partner Radar. Radar, a very handsome 9-year old malinois, has been working with Sgt O’Reilly in patrol and specializes in suspect tracking and apprehension, as well as building clearance. We chat about how Sgt O’Reilly started with the K9 unit, what is involved with training a police dog, and what it’s been like having Radar as a partner during his career. We explore the dif...
In this episode, I chat with Krystal Hise about the love of her life, Freya. Freya is a beautiful, water-obsessed lab mix, who loves a good sniff-walk. Recently, she went through a cancer diagnosis, which required major surgery and six rounds of chemo to treat. We hear about how Krystal and her husband, Trevor, handled this news and how they’ve intentionally kept Freya front and center in every decision they’ve had to make along the way. Outside of being a devoted dog mom, Krystal is a pet po...
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Karen Fine, a holistic veterinarian and author of The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, And Mortality. We hear the story of Rana (pronounced “Ron-a”), a stray puppy who was brought to Dr. Fine’s clinic in need of medical care. When Dr. Fine met Rana, she knew with absolute certainty that this sweet girl was meant to be in her life. Over the next few years, Rana proved to be a free-spirit who lived her life...
In this episode, I continue my chat with Kayli Houk, the current President and co-founder of the Kansas City Pig Rescue Network. We hear about some of the challenges associated with pig rescue and how this work has impacted Kayli’s view of humanity. Kayli also shares what you can do if you would like to help rescue pigs. And of course, we continue to gush about how incredible pigs are! I promise I’m only a little obsessed and definitely don’t own a “Future Pig Mom” shirt. Links: ASP...
In this episode, I chat with the current President and co-founder of the Kansas City Pig Rescue Network (KCPRN): Kayli Houk. Through the KCPRN, Kayli and her team have rescued and rehabilitated more than 500 pigs since 2017, many of which have since found loving homes. We chat about the resiliency and emotional capacity of these amazing animals and how deeply bonded pigs can become with their people. Kayli’s dedication to protecting and advocating for a species that is so often forgotten is t...
In this episode, I chat with E.B. Bartels, a nonfiction writer and author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets Here and Hereafter. Growing up, E.B. had animals of all shapes and sizes, from fish to birds to two Cairn terriers. In her book, she candidly speaks about the life and loss of each one and the lessons they taught her. We chat about different types of grief, including that associated with ambiguous loss, and mourning “the time we were supposed to have together”. We also hear about what it’s ...
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Kathleen Cooney, a veterinarian who specializes in euthanasia and end-of-life care of our beloved pets. As a clinician, researcher, and educator, Dr. Cooney is passionate about “all things old and grey”. She has focused her career on determining how veterinary professionals can best honour the human-animal bond when their patients have reached the end of their journey and are ready to cross the rainbow bridge. We learn about what euthanasia means and hear abou...
In this episode, I continue my chat with Prue Barber from Episode 4, and we hear the story of Stevie Wonder. Stevie was a gorgeous Kintamani dog who had a rough life on the streets of Bali; having lost one eye and suffering from a chronic infection in the other, Stevie was completely blind at the time of his rescue. We hear about the long road between Stevie’s rescue and Prue’s reunion with her animal soulmate. Their love story demonstrates patience, perseverance, and the incredible connectio...
In this episode, I chat with Prue Barber, an Australian who has dedicated her life to helping the animals in Bali, Indonesia. We talk about her journey from a successful career in graphic design in Melbourne to starting Mission Paws’ible in Bali, where she has saved hundreds of forgotten animals. We learn about the Bali Dog breed and the challenges associated with animal rescue in a developing country. We also hear about Winston: the dog that started it all! Links: Mission Paws’ible d...
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Leanne Nieforth, a scientist who studies human-animal interactions in the context of animal-assisted interventions. Dr. Nieforth is putting the science behind what we feel when we interact with an animal. Specifically, we chat about the positive impacts a service dog can have on veterans suffering from PTSD and the healing power of horses. Links: Content warning: this episode includes conversations of suicide, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stre...
In this episode, we hear the story of Kona. Kona, a sweet pit bull, had a taste for adventure! She loved to spend her days running on the beach and paddleboarding with her Mom, Kristen Murray. We learn that “love at first sight” can exist between a dog and their future person, and that there’s never enough time with an animal soulmate. Grab those tissues again; you’ll need them! Links: Content warning: this episode deals with pet loss, which may be difficult for some listeners. ASPC...
In this episode, I chat with Emma, an animal lover and entrepreneur. She shares her life with horses, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, and many other animals on her beautiful hobby farm. Emma also founded Mikko’s Choice, a CBD product line for animals, to improve the lives of our pets. We chat about the potential health benefits of CBD, how Emma came to have such an incredible animal haven, and how she connects with species beyond the “classic companion animal” like a dog or cat. We also hear abo...
