Pets4luv founder David Bernacchi and Sean ORourke joined us for a wonderful conversation.  Learn about the current permits Nassau County has provided to this wonderful organization to assist with the feeding/sheltering of community cats.  We also have a call to action regarding the spay/neuter tax credit bill.  Sean educates us on the importance of protecting your organizations as well as your donors/supporters/clients in the world of cyber space AND…  Today, we honored two very special dogs - Bagel & Chloe, a bonded pair who loved each other so much, they passed within a day of one another.

You may need a tissue today!

https://pal-show.com/

This episode was nothing short of amazing. Let’s start with the introduction of Cheetoh who was just adopted by my co-host Tommy d! Hooray for Cheetoh who chose an incredible family where he will be loved and spoiled rotten!!!

Then, we learn about the unbelievable rescue missions that Pilots to the Rescue has been doing since 2015. They have volunteer pilots & transporters and have created a huge network of people all over the country who have successfully saved thousands of dogs and cats from euthanasia!!! If you’re a pilot or someone who is willing to transport in a car, please sign up on their website to volunteer. The animals could certainly use your help!

Last but not least, we had a quick legislative call to action. Reminder: If you don’t know who your legislators are, please look them up and give their office a call. Let them know that animal welfare is a voting issue for you.

Meet Dennis Garetano of Family Pet Shows. What a fun, educational and creative way to create a lucrative business around the love of animals!

People come from near and far (often with their dogs) to attend these fun-filled shows. There you will find demonstrations by dancing dogs, show cats, educational forums on training and even a reptilian show and tell by a sanctuary.

Of course, there are aisles of pet products and samples galore! It’s a great way to learn about what’s out there and learn valuable lessons for your beloved pets.

Also in this episode is a legislative call to action! If you reside in NY, please call your NYS Assembly Member/NYS Senator and ask that they support bill #A00085/#S00107. This bill would provide a tax credit for spay/neuter.

Take a listen to this fun entrepreneur who found a way to succeed in the pet industry without having to become a veterinarian or product developer.

How amazing and rare for a young person (in this case just 14 years old) to be exposed to animals and realize that they wanted to pursue their career and life’s work by helping them?

Dr. Jack Schmidt, DVM is a wonderful guest who delves into how animals inspired him at a very young age to shadow a veterinarian, learn the ins and outs of what it means to be a vet and to then eventually take over the very practice he “grew up in”. We love it when people find their purpose at such a young age – especially when that calling is the voiceless.

We also touch on a few of the techniques his practice offers (such as cold laser therapy), the importance of wellness visits, and of course there are some really cool stories such as the one about a very fortunate grasshopper who landed in Jack’s office with a detached leg! Thankfully, he was able to walk out (hop out?) with his newly reattached hind leg and retained a new lease on life! Well done, Jack!

I can speak for our family and Jovi one of your many lucky pet patients: if you want a top-notch vet and are in the St. John’s County area of Florida, Dr. Jack is the BEST and we truly miss him!!!

Navigating the Loss of your Pet

We proudly welcome two powerhouse thought leaders in the mental wellness space – Rebecca Sanin (CEO) and Colleen Merlo (Board Member) of The Health & Welfare Council of Long Island.

The premise is simple: animals have healing powers. Their innate abilities to comfort us, support us and not judge us are the very characteristics everyone needs during our times of need. Animals provide a reason (or reasons) to hang in there – even through our toughest trials. They give us a reason to get out of bed, they listen and they stand by our side. In some cases, they have been the sole reason people have not ended their lives.

We can all benefit from unconditional love, period.

Coming Soon!

We kicked off the year with powerhouse animal advocate JP Goodwin of the Humane Society of the United States! JP is in charge of the “End Puppy Mills Campaign” nationwide and thankfully, he (and the animals) had a very good year!  There were quite a few substantial wins legislatively for the animals this past year. Tune in to find out about which historic bills were passed, what’s on the horizon and how you too can help with future victories.

On this episode, we welcome back Joann Winkhart Cave who is a Senior Volunteer Policy Maker for The Humane Society of The United States”.  Learn how to leverage your consumer dollars by making more ethical choices. This show is chock full of great ways to help reduce your overall consumption, support ethical & humane treatment of animals and substitute antiquated products for ones which are cruelty free (faux fur anyone?!!)  We love this subject and are grateful to our friend Joann for bringing so much education to the table. Thank you!