Episode 24. Animal Welfare Round Table: Mythbusters Edition

On this episode, we’re welcoming back previous guests Annie Pruitt, Kaitlyn Thomas and Liz Weiner. Between the 4 of us, we have nearly 30 years combined experience in animal sheltering and community pet support.

Special thanks to Chuck Nunn, audio engineer for the Round Table - who also joins in the conversation when we put him on the spot.

On this Round Table, we’re confronting 4 myths that we see on social media and in our personal experience:

Myth #1: Heartless people dump animals at shelters.

Myth #2: If you can’t afford a pet, you shouldn’t have one.

Myth #3: Dogs with scars and injuries were used as “bait dogs.”

Myth #4: Pets end up at animal shelters because they were abused, have behavioral issues or are otherwise flawed in some way.

Annie, Kaitlyn, Liz & I talk through each of these statements and share the truths we’ve learned through our volunteer, work and life experiences.

Some of the topics we discuss:

How we used to believe some of these but our experiences changed our minds – and we’re thrilled that we used to be wrong;
How negative and judgmental comments on social media can create a dangerous situation for pets;
Why we need to change the conversation from focusing on our opinions about the problem to focusing on solutions;
Challenges faced by pet owners living at or below poverty level;
How we can’t jump to conclusions or make assumptions about what goes on in a family;
How imparting our own judgments on situations is the root cause of most conflicts and unhappiness;
The power of making human connections;
The importance of collaborating;
Being responsible with social media consumption; and
Compassion fatigue and burnout in the animal welfare community and the best way our panelists have found to reverse it.

Let's make Liz’s poem go viral! Share now!

https://medium.com/creatures/i-adopted-your-pet-today-a-poem-921b7dab43fc

Connect with Annie of Charm City Companions:

Website: http://www.charmcitycompanions.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charmcitycompanions

Podcast Ep. 6: https://believeindog.podbean.com/e/episode-6-annies-story-compassion-in-action/

Connect with Kaitlyn of Finding Knox:

Website: https://findingknox.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindingKnox

Podcast Ep. 19: https://believeindog.podbean.com/e/episode-19-kaitlyn-thomas-of-finding-knox/

Connect with Liz Weiner:

Liz's Writing: https://medium.com/creatures/liz-weiner/home