The Rescue State

California’s animal shelters are overcrowded but how did we get here?

In this episode of The Rescue State, we go back to the basics and take a closer look at the growing shelter crisis affecting dogs across California and throughout the country. We break down what’s happening behind shelter doors and explore the many factors contributing to overcrowding: high intake numbers, owner surrenders, housing and financial pressures, limited access to affordable veterinary care, spay and neuter challenges, declining transfers, longer shelter stays, and rescue organizations that are already stretched to their limits.

The numbers help put the scale of the problem into perspective. Shelter Animals Count estimates that 2.8 million dogs entered shelters and rescues nationwide in 2025, while approximately 2 million dogs were adopted and 320,000 were euthanized. But overcrowding isn't only about how many dogs come through the front door it's also about how quickly shelters can safely move animals back out.

UC Davis reports that nearly 60% of shelters lack a veterinarian or are critically understaffed, and when veterinary care is limited, dogs stay an average of 27.5 days longer. Every additional day matters when kennels are already full. Most importantly, this episode is about what happens next and why every one of us can be part of the solution.

Sources & Further Reading
• Shelter Animals Count — 2025 Annual Data Report
• UC Davis Center for Companion Animal Health — Capacity for Care

Animal advocacy is fueled by compassion, but sometimes, we forget to extend that same compassion to each other.

In this episode of The Rescue State, we’re talking about kindness, curiosity and the way we communicate when advocating for animals. It’s easy to become frustrated when someone doesn’t see an issue the way we do but lasting change rarely comes from shame, judgment or tearing people down.

We’ll talk about the importance of meeting people where they are, asking questions instead of making assumptions and remembering that there is room for all of us in this movement.

From animal rescue and fostering to factory farming, animal testing, consumer choices and the ways animals are treated around the world, advocacy can bring up difficult and emotional conversations. But if our goal is to create a kinder world for animals, kindness has to be part of how we get there.We don't have to agree on everything to work toward something better.

Because compassion isn't just what we're fighting for. It's how we move the movement forward.

“I could never foster, I’d get too attached!” It’s one of the most common reasons people give for not fostering a shelter or rescue dog. But what if getting attached isn’t the problem? What if it’s actually the point?

In this episode of The Rescue State Podcast, Kim talks honestly about the emotional side of fostering from foster failing with Daphne to successfully saying goodbye to dogs she deeply loved, including Bergy, whose incredible story you can hear in Parts 1 & 2 of Season 2.

Because fostering isn’t about learning how not to love them. It’s about giving a dog safety, stability and love during one of the most uncertain chapters of their life and sometimes loving them enough to let them go.

We’ll also walk through what first-time foster parents can expect, how fostering helps dogs outside of the shelter environment and why saying goodbye can ultimately make room to save another life.

If you’ve ever thought, “I could never foster because I’d get too attached,” this episode is for you! You aren’t losing your foster dog. You’re completing the rescue. 🐾

Together, we can turn compassion into a movement and create a future where every animal matters.

What does it really mean to rescue a dog and what happens when a shelter labels an animal “Rescue Only”?

In this episode of The Rescue State Podcast, Kim takes a closer look at the often misunderstood “Rescue Only” designation used in animal shelters, what it can mean for a dog’s future and why the notes and labels attached to shelter animals matter so much.

Kim explores the complicated reality behind shelter assessments and reminds us that an animal’s behavior inside a stressful shelter environment may not always tell their entire story. We’ll also talk about what members of the public can do when they fall in love with a 'Rescue Only' dog, how rescues and fosters can become the bridge between the shelter and a second chance and why advocating responsibly for these animals matters.

Because rescue isn't simply getting an animal out of a shelter, it's taking the time to understand the animal in front of us, giving them the support they need and recognizing that sometimes the animals who need us most are the ones who are hardest to save🐾

Together, we can turn compassion into a movement and create a future where every animal matters.

In this episode of The Rescue State Podcast, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with animal advocate Johnny Oberg for a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about what it truly means to create change for animals.

Johnny has dedicated his life to animal advocacy, using the power of social media to reach millions of people around the world and encourage us to think differently about the animals we share this planet with.  We talk about Johnny's journey into advocacy and veganism, the realities of factory farming and some of the larger issues surrounding animal agriculture that don't always receive the attention they deserve. We also tackle some of the harder conversations:

• How do we respond when veganism is dismissed as a privilege?
• Does simply reducing meat consumption still make a meaningful difference?
• And how can we encourage more compassionate choices without judgment or expecting perfection?

Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or simply curious about making more compassionate choices, I hope this conversation leaves you feeling informed, empowered and inspired.

RESOURCES & LINKS

HappyCow - An app that helps you find delicious vegan and vegan-friendly food anywhere in the world!

https://www.happycow.net/

Connect with & Support John Oberg:
Official Website: http://johnoberg.org/
Donations: http://donorbox.org/JohnOberg
Instagram: http://instagram.com/JohnOberg
Twitter/X: http://twitter.com/JohnOberg
Facebook: http://facebook.com/JohnObergOfficial
Threads: http://threads.net/@JohnOberg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johnoberg.bsky.social
YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/JohnOberg
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/JohnSOberg/

Together, we can turn compassion into a movement and create a future where every animal matters.

In this episode of The Rescue State, we’re talking about something that affects animals, our health our planet and something every single one of us has the power to influence: factory farming.

We’re taking a closer look at what life can actually look like for animals inside our modern food system, including practices like separating calves from their mothers, tail docking, teeth clipping, debeaking, castration and dehorning and asking an important question: How did we get to a place where practices we would never accept for the animals in our homes have become normalized for the animals we eat?

But this episode isn’t just about animal welfare. We’re also talking about the bigger picture: the environmental consequences of industrial animal agriculture, antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance, human health and the enormous power we have as consumers to demand something better. And no, you don’t have to become vegan overnight to make a difference.

We’ll talk about veganism, vegetarianism, the growing idea of being flexitarian, choosing more meatless meals, supporting smaller and more responsible farms and simply becoming more conscious about where our food comes from. Because every time we spend a dollar, we’re casting a vote for the kind of world we want to live in. We may not be able to change the entire food system tomorrow but millions of people making smaller, more compassionate choices absolutely can.

Sources & Further Reading:

“A systematic review of the effects of early separation on dairy cow and calf health”
Read the study on PubMedCDC

“Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment and the Food Supply: Causes and How It Spreads”
Read the CDC resource

In this episode of The Rescue State, we discuss the importance of consumerism and how we vote for the world that we want to live in everyday with our dollar. 

It's time to stop supporting companies that are exploiting animals, humans and the planet and it's time to speak up for the companies changing this world for the better. Consumerism isn't always a bad thing!

We also chat about the new movement of Flexitarianism and how this mindset is changing the way we see the meat industry.

If you've been contemplating on how you can make a difference for animals and our planet, this episode is for you!

Backyard breeding is a huge contributor to the overwhelming number of dogs entering our shelters but what can we actually do about it?

In this week’s episode of The Rescue State, I’m re-sharing a fun, tactical way that everyday animal lovers can help identify and combat backyard breeding right in our own communities. Instead of feeling helpless watching our shelters fill up, we can start paying attention to where these dogs are coming from and take meaningful action to help stop the cycle at its source.

This episode is all about turning frustration into action. We may not be able to fix the entire shelter crisis overnight but we can start in our own neighborhoods and sometimes a little detective work can make a much bigger difference than you think.

What if the thing we’re holding onto the tightest is the very thing keeping us from feeling free?

In this episode of The Rescue State, I’m sharing something I wrote after a quiet morning outside with my dogs. A moment that unexpectedly made me think about control, uncertainty and how much energy we spend trying to manage outcomes that were never really ours to manage.

Maybe letting go isn’t about giving up, maybe it’s about finally making room for life to happen.

Why are animal shelters so overcrowded? And why so many pitbulls and huskies?? And if you're ready to adopt, how do you actually find the dog that's right for you?

In this episode of The Rescue State, I'm answering some of the questions people have been asking me lately about shelter dogs, adoption and the bigger picture behind our overcrowded shelter system.

We'll talk about why certain breeds seem to appear in shelters again and again, some of the cultural and economic factors that contribute to shelter intake and why the problem is far more complicated than simply blaming people for not spaying and neutering their pets.

Then we'll switch gears and talk about one of my favorite subjects: finding your dog. Whether you have your heart set on a particular breed, want a puppy, need a dog who fits a specific lifestyle or simply don't know where to start, there are so many ways to adopt and your perfect dog may already be waiting in a rescue near you!

This episode is for anyone who's ever looked at an overcrowded shelter and wondered, How did we get here? Because understanding the problem is part of changing it. And sometimes, changing one dog's entire world starts with knowing where to look.