Take Me Home - Pet Adoption and Animal Rescue - Pets & Animals on Pet Life Radio (PetLifeRadio.com)

Today we are going to speaking with Marla Stahl, author and animal advocate. 3.9 Million… that’s the number of homeless dogs in American shelters at any given time. There are another 3.4 million cats as well. While many of us in the animal welfare space and beyond are aware of the enormity of those numbers, it takes a special person to decide to do something to combat the issue. And that’s where Marla Stahl enters the frame. She’s an author and animal advocate who’s dedicated herself to combating animal abuse and homelessness in the United States in a very unique way. Today we’ll be talking with Marla to share her mission, and learn more about her work and how it’s making a difference in the lives of thousands of animals and people.

Angela Marcus interviews Catherine Malkemes, Executive Director and Jack Griffin, Director of Shelter Services from Women’s Animal Shelter in Bensalem, PA. 2019 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Animal Sheltering and Adoptions movement in America. It began in Philadelphia in 1869. And it began with women – thirty of them to be exact, who formally joined forces on April 14, 1869 to establish Women’s Animal Center. Outraged by the cruel manner in which strays on Philadelphia streets were captured and killed, they successfully petitioned City Council to take over the municipal pound as their initial order of business, repurposing it as the first facility in the U.S. for sheltering and rehoming animals. Hear the entire story and learn about how we’re celebrating this exciting milestone - and how you can get involved. Plus, meet Ranger – an almost senior mixed breed dog available for adoption at Women’s Animal Center. He’s a “leaner” and is looking for a couch to call his own. UPDATE: Ranger is ADOPTED!

Angela Marcus interviews Steven Mornelli, CEO and Founder of Waggle. There’s nothing worse than not being able to afford veterinary care for a beloved family member, and Steve and his team are setting out to change this harsh reality. Their new platform makes fundraising for a specific medical need for your pet possible and does it in a way that is responsible and secure for all parties involved. Waggle is the only pet-dedicated crowdfunding platform that partners directly with leading veterinary providers, nonprofits and pet guardians to reduce economic euthanasia in pets, thereby giving options to pet guardians and second chances to the pets they love. Learn about Pablo, the 1-year-old Chihuahua mix who is currently in need of a lifesaving surgery. Cute as they come, Pablo fractured two bones in his leg, and it’s put a stop to all the fun he should be having as a young pup! Click the link to help fund Pablo’s care and share his story with your friends

Angela Marcus interviews Susan Russell, Executive Director for the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia. Being an open-admission shelter, ACCT Philly doesn’t have it easy. With thousands of animals entering their facility each year, Susan and her team face hard decisions every day. But this doesn’t discourage them – they see opportunity. Learn about what it really means to be a “no-kill” community and how Susan and her team are tackling this challenge with positivity. Meet Elroy, the 4-year-old “purebred Philly dog” who loves sleeping, snoring and is even into playing fetch from time to time. He likes cats a little too much, so he’s a part of ACCT Philly’s “One and Only” promotion – meaning he would do best in a home with no other pets. P.S. He’s also a fan of the “Walter the Farting Dog” books and would love to spend story time with you!

PLUS: Meet Olympia, a Special Gal Looking for a New Home! Angela Marcus interviews Kasey Chayeb, Marketing Manager for Austin Pets Alive! and her colleague, Jamey Burgett, American Pets Alive!'s Senior Coordinator for Conference Marketing and Sponsor Acquisition. Kasey shares some of APA!’s secrets for turning Austin, TX into the country’s largest No-Kill community. Learn about APA!’s targeted programs for at-risk animals, educational internship opportunities and how their model can be replicated to help animals across the country. Tune in to hear more about the good work this organization is doing, as well as learn about their upcoming conference that will help more shelters follow in Austin’s footsteps.

Angela Marcus interviews her longtime friend and former colleague, Rob Rosa. Rob is the Associate Vice President of Prison Programs for New Leash on Life, one of the country’s most unique prison-dog training programs. Their program is dedicated to improving the life of inmates and saving the lives of dogs. By pairing these two unlikely groups, they are saving the lives of at-risk shelter dogs by training prison inmates to care for them and socialize them to enhance their adoptability. Inmates attend workshops on life skills and job readiness, and many receive opportunities for paid internships in the animal care field when they are paroled. Rob also shares his personal story - one that led him to devote his life to improving the lives of these often-overlooked pets and people. Tune in to hear all about this lifesaving program and “meet” Donna, one of the programs recent graduates who is now looking for a home.

Angela Marcus interviews Crystal Moreland, California State Director and Kate MacFall, Florida State Director, both for the Humane Society of the United States. On Election Day, Proposition 12 officially changed the future of how chickens, pigs and veal calves will live in the state of California. Crystal, who was at the forefront of this groundbreaking legislation, breaks down Proposition 12 – also coined The Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act - why we need it, what it means for the future and the positive impacts we can expect from it. In another sunny state - Florida - Kate and her team were also hard at work paving the way for Amendment 13, which passed with an overwhelming 69% of Floridians voting “Yes”! Amendment 13 will abolish the barbaric practice of Greyhound Racing in all tracks in the state by 2020. Kate paints a picture of what really happens at these tracks and to the dogs, and why this legislation is so desperately needed. Visit HSUS.org to learn more.

Angela Marcus talks with Dr. Jill Lopez, Director of Marketing for Essentials Pet Care. Offering a new approach to veterinary care, Essentials Pet Care in Port Richey, FL is just the first of many veterinary clinics to be housed inside of Walmart Stores across the country. Their mission is to improve the lives of pets and their families by providing affordable and accessible, high quality veterinary care. This holiday season, Dr. Jill and her team are teaming up with the Little Cats Rescue with the hope of finding homes for the “12 Cats of Christmas”. Starting December 13th, one cat will be featured daily on the Essentials Pet Care Facebook page. Be sure to like their page, share and adopt!

Angela Marcus interviews Pennsylvania State Director for the Humane Society of the United States, Kristen Tullo. With Angela’s previous experience working alongside the Humane Law Enforcement Team of the Pennsylvania SPCA, she’s seen the first-hand need for continuing to fight for more, stronger legislation for animals. Luckily, Pennsylvania has Kristen Tullo at the forefront of that battle. Kristen share’s the miraculous story of “Libre” - a puppy that was rescued by a good Samaritan and saved from the brink of death - who served as inspiration for the new, monumental animal cruelty laws established in 2017 in the Keystone State. She also breaks down the other critical elements the general public needs to know about this historic new law, including: added protections for horses, increased penalties for animal abusers, civil immunities and new forfeiture requirements.

Angela Marcus interviews Danae Davis, executive director of FACE Foundation, whose mission is to enhance and preserve the quality of life of animals by providing access to necessary, lifesaving medical care. Angela defines “economic euthanasia” and Danae explains how FACE’s program works to put an end to it in their community. The lifesaving funding that FACE provides is only one part of the process – their success is also dependent on the veterinary and community partners they have. Danae also shares two heartwarming, incredible success stories that will bring a smile to your “face.” We also learn about Bailey, a 12-year-old mixed-breed dog looking for a loving home in which she can spend her golden years. At about 50 pounds, Bailey is playful and completely housetrained. She LOVEs people and would do best as the only pet in the home. Bailey is spending her days at the Lifetime Animal Care Center, partners of FACE, in sunny San Diego, CA. The team there loves her so much and will ensure that she’s ready to go with up-to-date bloodwork, a dental cleaning, and a bath! She’ll also go to her new home with food, toys, shampoo and other goodies! If you are interested in bringing Bailey home, email Angela at angela@petliferadio.com. FACE’s annual holiday fundraising drive is throughout the month of December. Any donation received during December will be doubled by FACE’s Board President up to $100,000! These donations will go towards life-saving veterinary treatment for more pets in the future.

PLUS: Meet Floyd, once neglected and forgotten, now living life to the fullest! Angela Marcus interviews Sondra Rolison, owner of Blitz Pet Professionals and highly sought-after dog training professional. Sondra tells us about her background - how she turned a passion into a career - and makes some genius analogies for how training dogs can be like having a three-year-old in your home. Listen to learn the importance of crate training and hear some great tips on the best way to use positive reinforcement to train your pup to potty outside. Sondra also shares her suggestions for what to consider when adopting your next dog. We also hear the story of Floyd, Sondra’s current foster dog. After spending his formative days locked in a “cat-sized” crate in a dark, windowless basement, he was rescued. His former owner stands charged with over 40 counts of animal cruelty/neglect. Thankfully, through a network of dedicated animal advocates, Floyd was brought to Sondra for rehabilitation. She has been working to nurse him back to health and with frequent physical therapy, massage and lots of time outdoors in the sunshine, he is well on the road to recovery and is now ready to for his forever home. Even though he is dog-friendly, Sondra wants him to find a home where he can be the only dog and “center of attention” to ensure he gets all the love he deserves!

Join host Angela Marcus as she interviews lifelong animal advocate and dedicated animal shelter volunteer Krystal Subers. Krystal will talk about her experience as a volunteer for the largest open admission shelter in Philadelphia, the Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia. Krystal shares why she finds volunteering so rewarding and what you can do to help, even if you can’t get to the shelter in person. Krystal also introduces us to two of her favorite dogs looking for new homes at ACCT Philadelphia, Shey and Dakota. Both dogs are pit bull types, have unique personalities and stories, and have been residing at the shelter for way to long!

Meet new host Angela Marcus, Co-Founder of getyourpet.com, as she kicks off her first episode with an introduction about herself, her background and discusses the future of the “Take Me Home” podcast (don’t worry – it’s still all about getting pets adopted!). In this episode, we meet two pet owners using getyourpet.com to rehome their pets: Onyx and April.

Susan Daffron talks to Melissa Lee Prescott from Daisy's Animal Rescue League in Massachusetts about a three-year old spayed female pit bull mix named Lucy. This sweet girl was named after Lucille Ball because of her red hair. Right now, she's underweight, but she's a healthy fun-loving active dog who loves to play. Lucy was dumped on the streets in Marlboro, Massachusetts but was picked up by Peter Nikitas the Animal Control Officer in Marlboro. He kept her, fed her and got her back on her feet. Peter called Melissa asking if she could help find Lucy a new home. Of course, Melissa said yes and Lucy is staying with her as a foster dog. Lucy already knows basic commands and is always eager to learn and please. She loves to go for walks and car rides and is good with other dogs and children. Lucy would be a great family dog. She greets everyone with a wiggly wag and big smile. Melissa is hoping that Lucy can find her forever home, so she can take in more foster dogs who need help. As an incentive, Lucy's adoption fee is being completely waived.

Susan Daffron talks to Darci Pfeiffer from the All Fur Love Animal Society in Las Vegas, Nevada about a three-year old female calico cat named Kallie. This sweet kitty loves dogs and people, although she's not a big fan of other cats. Kallie loves to be petted and will come over to you and start to rub and purr at you. If you stop petting and she wants more, she will reach out and lightly touch you as if to say, "Did you forget something?" She will snuggle with you as long as she can, but if she's not snuggling, then she is looking at you from high above. Kallie loves heights and the higher she can get the better. She will find someplace high to explore, no matter the challenge to get there. She is a talker who likes to engage people in conversation (Kallie's foster mom has had long chats with her). Kallie loves all kinds of toys, but her carrot, pepper and banna cat toy is her favorite. If you want an affectionate lap buddy to share time with on the sofa, Kallie is the kitty for you!