What does it take to re-home over 1,100 dogs a year?

In this episode of Leading In The Dark, Nick Akers sits down with entrepreneur Kristen Duhr — founder of Home 2 Home Canine Orphanage and multiple dog-centered businesses across the St. Louis region.

Kristen shares:

• How she built a foster network capable of handling 40+ dogs in a single day

• The operational realities of rescue logistics

• Why training dogs is really about training humans

• The problem with pain-based training methods

• Missouri’s overpopulation challenges

• Her upcoming 2026 surgical center focused on spay/neuter, dentals, and heartworm treatment

This conversation goes beyond rescue work.

It’s about leadership, discipline, systems, and building scalable compassion.

If you care about entrepreneurship, impact, or the intersection of structure and heart — this episode delivers.