What does it really take to save lives in a shelter where the need never stops?

For leaders like Courtney Cross (Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter) and Ruby Fooks (Butler County Animal Shelter), it means getting scrappy — not just in strategy, but in spirit. Across the country, life-saving work is happening in shelters not powered by excess resources, but by relentless grit, creativity, and the strength of community.

In this episode, we’re joined by Cara Achterberg — author, advocate, and founder of the nonprofit Who Will Let the Dogs Out (Episode 75) — along with two remarkable shelter directors who are redefining what animal sheltering can look like when it’s rooted in community and driven by purpose.

Cara’s newest book, Who Will Let the Dogs Out, shines a light on shelters making extraordinary impact, often with limited means. She shares three core pillars of life-saving work: strong leadership, community engagement, and spay/neuter programs — all of which Ruby and Courtney embody.

You’ll hear how Ruby scrapped plans for a new shelter building to open a spay/neuter clinic instead — because that’s what her community truly needed. And how Courtney created space for community at a new shelter property while reducing a 50% euthanasia rate to just 3%.

Leaders like Courtney and Ruby aren’t just running shelters — they’re building trust, rewriting systems, and saving lives.

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