Give a Dog a Bone

Senior Judge John Tatro was Justice of the Peace/Municipal Court Judge in Carson City, Department II, from 1995 to January 2019.  Judge Tatro began his judicial career as the Hearings Officer for the Nevada State Gaming Control Board serving in that capacity from 1987 – 1995. He shares his experiences in the courtroom and how they inspired beginning Mental Health Court in his area.

 Some of Judge Tatro’s judicial accomplishments are:

 ·        Voted 2003 Judge of the Year by the Nevada Judges Association;
·        Has attended many classes at the Nevada Judicial College, and the National Center for State Courts, and has attained the highest level of judicial education - Distinguished Jurist;
·         2008 President of the Nevada Judges Association of Limited Jurisdiction;
·        Member of the State Judicial Council;
·        Member of the Judicial Code Commission (Supreme Court Appointment);
·        Began Mental Health Court in March, 2005;
·        Member of the Specialty Court Funding Committee (Supreme Court Appointment);
·        Member of the Court Technology Committee (Supreme Court Appointment);
·        Worked with justice court staff to implement a more effective case management system;
·        Expanded the Department of Alternative Sentencing to ensure compliance with court-ordered sentences.

Judge Tatro has always felt that it is not only important to be active in his profession but also feels strongly that it is important to be very involved in the community.  Some of his community involvement consists of:

·        2000-2001 President of the Rotary Club of Carson City, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Rotary Foundation and has since 2000, and has been a member of the Rotary Club since 1995 except for a 3 year hiatus.
·        2006 President of the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada, and served on the Board for 18 years.
·        Member of the steering committee for Partnership Carson City, an anti-methamphetamine coalition, commencing in 2005 until retirement.
·        Vice President of Circles of Support, an organization to end homelessness.

 Judge Tatro has also been very active with the youth in the community, having coached basketball, baseball, soccer, and taught skiing for the Carson City Recreation Program for 10 years.

Enjoy this conversation with Judge John Tatro!

 Iliana Belinc is the Founder & Executive Director of PalsNPets a 501(c)(3) Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded in 2018.  She shares her story with our Founder, Genevieve Frederick. She talks about the human-animal bond and how she works with shelters to help pets and the homeless to be housed together.  Passion pours from both founders throughout their conversation.  You don't want to miss this one!

About Iliana Belinc:
 Her passion derives from her grandfather who rescued street dogs in Mexico since the 1940s. As Iliana was growing up, he would tell stories of being an orphan as a kid and sleeping many nights with the street dogs.

It was no surprise in 2016, Iliana’s motivation for PalsNPets was inspired by witnessing a familial interaction between an unhoused pet owner and a local bypasser. 

This positive interaction lead Iliana to do her own personal research with unhoused pet owners on the street and in human shelters. Iliana quickly learned this unconditional bond between an unhoused person and their pet is not only beautiful but can also be transformative in their life if human shelters had the proper support in allowing pets. This is when PalsNPets was born. 

Special Veterans Day Episode! 

This special Veterans Day episode shares the story of Veteran, Lisa, and her cat, Mr. Pooky. She speaks on her experience working with Feeding Pets of the Homeless to receive care and wants to remind others that if their animal needs help, don't be afraid to reach out. There are resources out there to help. Thank you for listening.

Meet Barbara, a long-time supporter of Feeding Pets of the Homeless!

"As long as I'm up and breathing, I'm going to be helping."

That pretty much sums up the life and work of Barbara D'Anneo, one of our dear collaborators who spent time talking with us about her work with Feeding Pets of the Homeless.  Her heart is in the work that she does for the community.

On Episode 4 of Give a Dog a Bone, we sat down to talk to Dr. David Kowalek, a licensed veterinarian and co-owner of Riverside Veterinary Hospital, who´s always looking to learn something new to incorporate into his veterinary toolkit.

He is dedicated to his family, his clients, & his community. His interests include: preventing disease by improving the health & well-being of animals & strengthening the human-animal bond. He shows his devotion and commitment to the community by working with many nonprofits such as Feeding Pets of the Homeless, which he serves on the board.

You can find him at https://riversideveterinaryhospital.com/

Today we meet Jim Peckham, Executive Director of FISH (Friends In Service Helping). He began as Executive Director in 2009. He is focused on developing collaborative relationships to enhance our community, and on helping clients develop skills to get out of temporary or generational poverty. 

Today we meet Skylar Young, Board Director for Feeding Pets of the Homeless. She began as a volunteer and worked in clinics in Carson City, NV. In 2016, she joined our board. Now, Skylar is based in Los Angeles and works with immigrants in asylum law. She has spent many years volunteering in homeless shelters and is committed to fighting for unhoused people and their furry companions. 

Today we meet Laura Brown, office manager for Feeding Pets of the Homeless®. She shares her experience working with us for six years. She wears many different hats but the hat she wears best is compassion. She goes above and beyond to serve the pets belonging to the homeless.