What does leadership in animal welfare really look like when the going gets tough?

Like losing most of your staff in a single day—or raising twins, running a shelter, and opening a spay/neuter clinic all at once?

We’re back with author, advocate, and nonprofit founder Cara Achterberg (Episode 75, Who Will Let the Dogs Out), along with shelter directors Courtney Cross (Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter) and Ruby Fooks (Butler County Animal Shelter), for Part 2 of our Shelter Roundtable discussion.

In this episode, you'll hear more about Ruby’s and Courtney’s personal journeys into animal sheltering—and how their unique skill sets have helped them face the challenges of the job.

Courtney opens up about navigating the sudden loss of 12 staff members, while Ruby shares honestly about work/life balance, imposter syndrome, and even has to step away briefly during the recording to handle an urgent situation at her shelter—giving us all a real-time glimpse into the realities of this work.

Have you ever imagined what a dream animal shelter would look like for your community? Courtney and Ruby are already bringing their visions to life—and they share what they hope to do next.

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