Episode 2: The Business of Pets: What to Expect from the Pet Industry & Pet Advocacy

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00:00:00:03 - 00:00:05:13
Kristen Levine
Today on the Pet Side Live podcast, Chris freaks his cat out with his radio voice.

00:00:05:15 - 00:00:22:09
Chris Bonifati
I think it's every day, but we'll we'll say yes on on this day as well. we've got some great guests, some great stories and some great product recommendations. So crank that volume, stay tuned and enjoy.

00:00:22:11 - 00:00:32:04
Voice Over
Pets add life. Your guide to the latest in pet trends, products and the joy of the human animal. Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonifati. Powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV.

00:00:32:05 - 00:00:35:02
Kristen
So, Chris, is Tiger under the bed today.

00:00:35:04 - 00:00:55:13
Chris
I think so. I think she is. she, does not like it when I speak with other people. And it's quite funny because she really likes to talk to me. I think we've really built a repertoire together over these last couple of years. but as soon as I start speaking into the microphone, it is run away, hide and act like I don't exist.

00:00:55:16 - 00:00:57:16
Kristen
It's off putting for a cat.

00:00:57:18 - 00:01:06:14
Chris
I suppose so, yeah, actually, my voice tends to be off putting to a lot of people, so if you've already made it this far into the episode. Thank you. where you good? Chase, don't make fun of my voice.

00:01:06:16 - 00:01:29:00
Kristen
Very good shape. So we're we're here on our second episode. Chris and I, just to remind our audience, the format that we have here at Piazza Life is to share two pet stories. Two of our favorite pet products. Chris does one, I do one, and then, we have, audience Q&A. What did I miss? Oh, the guests, of course, we have these fabulous guests that join us to.

00:01:29:02 - 00:01:31:19
Chris
Can’t forget about the guests.

00:01:31:21 - 00:01:36:20
Voice Over
Kristen and Chris present story time.

00:01:36:22 - 00:01:59:01
Kristen
All right, so my story for the week is this. So I just heard this this morning that, Dave Portnoy from Barstool Sports, he adopted a rescue dog named Miss Peaches. She is a I think they said she's four years old. She's a four year old Pitbull mix came from a really awful, awful home that was like a bad breeding and hoarding situation.

00:01:59:03 - 00:02:25:07
Kristen
She was rescued by, I believe it was called Lifeline Animal Project. And, Dave had been looking for a dog to adopt and somehow they connected and he adopted her. But the amazing thing is she has blown up the internet. Miss peaches, like every social channel that Barstool has, has blown up because of her. And they started, an Instagram, account for her.

00:02:25:07 - 00:02:30:06
Kristen
And in one week, Chris, she amassed 247,000 followers.

00:02:30:07 - 00:02:33:08
Chris
That's amazing. That's amazing.

00:02:33:09 - 00:02:58:16
Kristen
Yeah, but I think it's it's an a. I had a similar celebrity story last week. but I just love to see people that have a big platform promoting important things like pet adoption and rescue. And, he even went one step further and created a whole line of, Miss Peaches merch that, all the proceeds, all the proceeds benefit, the Lifeline Animal project.

00:02:58:16 - 00:03:12:18
Kristen
And also they partnered up with Jet Wag Animal Rescue, which I'm, I'm going to assume Jet Wag is one of those, organizations that flies, pets that need homes to areas of the country that where there's more demand for them.

00:03:12:20 - 00:03:32:08
Chris
So. Right. Yeah. That's that's pretty that's a great story. I mean, first of all, to become a celebrity overnight like that for Miss Peaches must be incredibly overwhelming. So wishing Miss Peaches the best in what must be a busy and turbulent time, for their life. but but good on good on Dave to, really bring to light the joys of animal adoption.

00:03:32:13 - 00:03:50:15
Chris
And, I've seen, I've actually seen some of that, stuff. And just the way he talks about the dog, you could see he genuinely cares. You can see that little bit of sparkle in his eyes when he talks about it. And, for those of you considering, getting a pet yourself, just look at Dave. If it could warm his eyes, cold heart, it could warm yours.

00:03:50:17 - 00:03:53:22
Kristen
Be like Dave would like that. That's. That is.

00:03:54:00 - 00:04:23:09
Chris
Yeah, yeah. With pets. my story is kind of in the same vein, actually. it is about, a a, an organization that was called the Animal Rescue Foundation. They're now known as Joy Bound. and I want to talk about a specific program that they run called Pets and Vets. we had Steve Feldman on last episode talking about the science behind the healing nature of pets.

00:04:23:09 - 00:04:44:17
Chris
And some of that research has informed us that animals are really good for people with PTSD. and so I'm not going to talk about a specific, person who's used the pets and vets, platform because they tend to try and, you know, hide their identities because it can be incredibly overwhelming. But I really just want to call attention to this program.

00:04:45:03 - 00:05:04:08
Chris
the way it works is they bring in all sorts of animals. They are just a standard rescue foundation, based out of California. They bring in all sorts of different animals, and they attempt to train their best mannered dogs to, be the highest possible level of service animal. And not every dog makes the cut, and that's that.

00:05:04:09 - 00:05:33:18
Chris
That's the case. Those who don't just get adopted out to normal family and into a loving home, but those that, can they get matched up directly with a a veteran who is struggling, coming home and dealing with PTSD. And they have found that it has helped, many people. Their latest press release, says that they have helped, they, they say hundreds, hundreds of of veterans, supported by volunteer corps, 480 different people.

00:05:33:18 - 00:06:06:17
Chris
And it's an incredible program, a huge effort to help these, people who represent, the United States military come home and are having a difficult time adjusting. so it really just shows you that the the beautiful and powerful healing nature, that having a, a companion, when you're feeling incredibly lonely, can have. So, for anybody out there who may be listening, who may be suffering from even just loneliness, right, or any sort of, depression, mental health disorder, the science has shown that animal companionship helps.

00:06:06:17 - 00:06:13:23
Chris
So if you feel up to it, take a look at some of the resources that these beautiful foundations can offer. And it might be a good fit for you.

00:06:14:01 - 00:06:31:23
Kristen
Yeah. And along those loneliness lines in that, interview that we did with Steve Feldman last week, he also talked about the foster cat, the program with the, independently living elderly. And after after a year of living with the cats that they adopted, they had their loneliness scores just completely dropped off.

00:06:32:01 - 00:06:54:00
Chris
So. Exactly. So I'm not going to say it's great for everybody. You know, you definitely need, you know, to do your research and things like that. But if you feel like you're somebody out there who needs a friend, who needs a companion, consider it, look at the resources around you and your community. Visit your local shelter or your local SPCA and see if it clicks for you, because it could be life changing.

00:06:54:00 - 00:06:57:17
Kristen
So consider it. And it's called Joy Bound.

00:06:57:19 - 00:07:08:02
Chris
Joy Bound is the new name that just they just recently, rebranded so you can find more about their organization at Joy bound. One word, joybound.org

00:07:08:04 - 00:07:10:01
Kristen
That's a great find, Chris. Thanks.

00:07:10:03 - 00:07:16:02
Voice Over
Beyond the leash exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionals.

00:07:16:04 - 00:07:36:02
Kristen
All right. From our stories to our first guest today, Jeremy Baker. He is the chief growth officer at the American Pet Products Association. And I took a look at his background and he's got about 140 dog years experience in the pet industry. So, he has a real passion for pet care, and that makes him a perfect fit for our show today.

00:07:36:02 - 00:07:39:04
Kristen
Jeremy. It's an honor to have you with us.

00:07:39:06 - 00:07:51:13
Jeremy Baker
Hey. Good morning. Glad to be with you guys. It's, an exciting day. So looking forward to our conversation today. It's, it's a great industry to get the opportunity to speak about. And so, really excited for our, time today.

00:07:51:15 - 00:08:01:20
Kristen
Yeah, absolutely. and I have to ask you just probably the easiest question first, because this is what everybody wants to know about our guests is tell us about your pets.

00:08:01:22 - 00:08:22:13
Jeremy
Oh, man. Well, you know, that's a long story, but I'll try to keep it quick. you know, my first pet was a black lab, and, you know, when I moved to Chicago, blaze was our. Was our first pet my wife and I got when we were married. And you know, typical that you really want to move to the 15th floor of a high rise and then get a black lab as more energy than anything else.

00:08:22:20 - 00:08:38:08
Jeremy
but, that was our first pet. And so blaze has since passed, and we, you know, started the new journey with kids. And so we've got three kids. I won't call them pets, but at times I think of them as such. But, so really, our pets, our pets in the household are actually more of our kids as pets at this point.

00:08:38:08 - 00:09:01:09
Jeremy
And so we're not your traditional, we're not your traditional pet owner, though, you know, we don't have the dogs and the cats, we kind of fall in that specialty category of pet ownership. And, so we've got, three different categories of pets that that are in our household today. And, my oldest son, you know, he started with, reptiles and so, he's since moved on to fish.

00:09:01:09 - 00:09:20:00
Jeremy
So he is an aquatics, fan. So he has two different types of, fish tanks, but one is an African cichlid tank. wow, I won't I won't go on to name the names of the fish, but I don't know that we've gone to that point, but, but, he's got a cichlid tank. And then, my middle son, he's he's also a reptile fan.

00:09:20:00 - 00:09:44:17
Jeremy
And so he's got a leopard gecko. And, that one does have a name. And so he's a huge football fan. And so for those that are football fans would, would recognize but he's gone after the name of Alan Lazard, for and and then my daughter. Yeah. Who's our youngest. she has a pet that is her, beta fish or better.

00:09:44:17 - 00:10:09:16
Jeremy
However, we want to refer to it in this industry, but, and her betta fish is named angel. So. And then, you know, I argue daily on on who this other pet, is the ownership of which we'll call a family pet. But, we've got a a rabbit, and, our rabbit's name is Joy. And so, you know, be quiet across the, the especially specter spectrum.

00:10:09:16 - 00:10:11:09
Jeremy
We kind of have all of them covered. So.

00:10:11:11 - 00:10:14:20
Kristen
You sure do. You just. All you need now is a horse.

00:10:15:16 - 00:10:23:17
Jeremy
you know what? what? My my my, my stepdad has a horse, and so we'll let the kids go over to their place in. Okay? Go to the horse.

00:10:23:19 - 00:10:25:14
Kristen
We'll let that count. And that's great.

00:10:25:14 - 00:10:33:23
Chris
Yeah, that's one of those things that, it's it's like a boat. You don't really want to own it. You just want to know somebody with it a lot.

00:10:33:23 - 00:10:34:16
Kristen
Yeah, that's a good.

00:10:34:16 - 00:10:37:17
Chris
Thing to keep an expense in maintenance with the horse.

00:10:37:19 - 00:10:38:04
Jeremy
You know, that's.

00:10:38:04 - 00:11:00:14
Kristen
A good point. Yeah. Okay. Awesome. Well, I love that you have that variety of pets because most of the folks we talk to have dogs and cats. But so many of of, you know, our pet owners that are listening do have reptiles, fish, small animals and things like that. So that's that's great to hear. So let's let's dive in a little bit more to your role with the American Pet Products Association.

00:11:00:16 - 00:11:11:01
Kristen
I'm wondering if you can tell our listeners what new pet solutions they can look forward to seeing, either in stores or online? a little bit later on this year?

00:11:11:03 - 00:11:32:05
Jeremy
Yeah, absolutely. Well, it's a really exciting time for for all of us at APPA as we, you know, get ready to move into one of our largest products, which is Global Pet Expo. And, you know, for those that aren't aware of a global pet expo is, you know, it's it's our our opportunity to bring the industry together and, and debut and showcase many of those great products that will will be ultimately moving the industry ahead over the years to come.

00:11:32:07 - 00:11:56:06
Jeremy
So, you know, global Petco this year is going to feature over 1100 companies exhibiting, when we start to think about some of that and we break it down, you know, there's going to be over 99 companies that are in the what's new section for for Global Pet Expo. we've got over 330 new companies this year. That will be first time attendees that, you know, typically, in many ways are our new companies that are starting up and bringing new products to the industry as well.

00:11:56:08 - 00:12:14:04
Jeremy
And if you go to another one of our aspects of what you know, it's exciting. At Global Pet Expo, it's our innovation and motion section and our innovation in Motion section. This year is going to completely re-envision to really help us evolve the future where the industry is going at large. But a big part of that innovation and motion section is still going to be the new product showcase.

00:12:14:06 - 00:12:38:03
Jeremy
And our new product showcases is one of the premier events of the industry for companies to come and debut their new products and kickstart their initiatives in moving those products forward in the industry. You know, we're anticipating over 1200 new products being debuted this year at the new product showcase. So, you know, needless to say, there's going to be a lot of, evolution to what's going on in this industry.

00:12:38:05 - 00:13:06:15
Jeremy
But if we, you know, really start to break that down and dig into it a little bit further, you know, this this industry is a massive industry, right? I mean, it's 150 plus billion dollar industry. And so, you know, we could spend an entire podcast, you know, probably talking about what are what are the new things that are evolving and, and, and and shaping our space and, and but if I, if I keep it pretty high level, you know, I think, you know, there are probably 5 to 6 different things that I would say that we're, we're likely going to continue to see at global.

00:13:06:15 - 00:13:24:21
Jeremy
And, and I think, you know, within each of these, there's going to be emergences of things that will stick and they'll probably things that will fade away as trends. Right. But, you know, I think one of the things we've really seen, is the continued evolution of the supplement base. And I think we're going to continue to see, you know, supplements explode.

00:13:25:05 - 00:13:39:06
Jeremy
there's a lot of new startups coming on board and really rethinking the supplement space. you know, if you go back ten years ago, supplements were pretty simple in the sense that, you know, it was really a good coaching book. Like it can be.

00:13:39:08 - 00:13:41:16
Kristen
You know, in the morning.

00:13:41:18 - 00:14:03:23
Jeremy
Yeah. For, you know, hip and joint or something to that extent. And if you, if you start looking at the progression of where we're going now, I mean, there's a supplement that really kind of deals with almost any ailment that a pet is, is facing. And, you know, I think within that supplement space, obviously there's a large emergence and evolution to what we're seeing with CBD and energy entering the space as well.

00:14:04:01 - 00:14:30:17
Jeremy
And, you know, for pain management and other types of, aspects around the supplement space. So I think supplements will be probably one of the exciting areas. Our new product showcase is always featuring a tremendous amount of new companies bringing new ideas and solutions on board. within the supplement space. you know, I think if we, you know, continue to grow from, from that aspect, functional, so functional kind of crosses over a number of different categories and products.

00:14:31:04 - 00:14:53:01
Jeremy
you know, but I think what we're seeing is, is that consumers are looking for convenience in ways which make their lives easier. And so when we look at the products at which they're, you know, offering their pets functionality becomes critical. So whether that's functional treats, right in the past used to be a treat or now I'm offering a treat that, you know, maybe helps with, dental, maybe helps with digestion, maybe helps with some of these other aspects.

00:14:53:01 - 00:15:07:23
Jeremy
So that's, you know, what we refer to kind of in the functional space and, you know, on the topic of treats, and that's one of our largest growing categories at the show. you know, there is a tremendous amount of new exhibitors at the show that we function, you know, featuring a tremendous on a new products, in the treat space.

00:15:08:08 - 00:15:27:15
Jeremy
you know, I think when we talk about functionality, the supplements space we already touched on, but again, functional supplements and then in the foods as well. Right? I mean, we've gone from, you know, the food space in the, in the days of all being, you know, just a kibble with, byproducts and miscellaneous ingredients that a lot of people really didn't understand what they were.

00:15:27:17 - 00:15:50:09
Jeremy
So, you know, evolution now with, with companies in the dog food space bringing, you know, nutrition forward that helps eliminate allergens and, and the pet, which is one of our biggest issues with pet ownership. Right. So you know, a lot of evolution in the functionality of products, I think is going to be another trend that we'll, we'll likely see, and that I think ties in with unique novel ingredients.

00:15:50:20 - 00:16:09:09
Jeremy
so, you know, this industry continues to amaze me with the ingredients which we identify to be able to put into products and, and continue to evolve the nutrition for our pets. And, you know, for me, it's it's hard to wrap my head around some of these things, but, you know, you've got a lot of unique novel ingredients that are coming online.

00:16:09:09 - 00:16:28:02
Jeremy
And I think you can almost look to the health space, for human health. And you'll see a lot of those similar trends following its way into the pet space. But, you know, proteins such as cricket, you know, meal black. Black. Yeah. you know, there's just so many different types of ingredients that are flowing into, the spaces.

00:16:28:04 - 00:16:50:22
Kristen
Yeah. Supplements and novel proteins are perfect examples of those flowing from the human world to the pet world. And this is why I'm one of the reasons I'm so excited that we have this show now, with Pets at Life is because prior to now, I just don't really know that there were many outlets for the average pet parent to know what's coming, what's coming down the line.

00:16:50:22 - 00:17:09:15
Kristen
But you mean they see it in the store? They see it online, but they don't maybe get all of the educational background about why it's coming, why it's being introduced now. And so I'm really excited, that here at Pets Life, we're going to be able to kind of give, give folks a sneak peek of what's coming and educate them about what to be looking for.

00:17:09:17 - 00:17:31:13
Jeremy
Absolutely. I think that's one of the responsibilities that we feel as part of American Pie Product Association is to, you know, be that connector and to help inform, you know, people with, with, within the industry and outside of the industry as to how the industry is evolving and changing and how it impacts them. And, you know, I think that that's one of the things that we're really excited about continuing to evolve and, and, you know, work certainly excited about, about these podcasts.

00:17:31:15 - 00:17:53:23
Chris
Awesome. Yeah. For those of you who, may be listening or watching at home, global Pet expos, a B2B trade show. So, unfortunately, consumers can't attend. But, we have over 100 influencers attending the show this year, so one of your favorites may be posting about the show. be sure to look at the hashtag Global Pet Expo to get all of the updates, so that you can stay on top of this.

00:17:53:23 - 00:18:02:23
Chris
There's going to be a lot of new product launches and a lot of new trends being spotted. So, even if you're at home, you can still get the latest and greatest.

00:18:03:01 - 00:18:26:20
Kristen
Very, very true. So, Jeremy, I have one more kind of serious question before we put you through our rapid fire questions. let's see. So you might want to grab another cup of coffee. You know, do you want to be on it for that? All right, so switching gears here, we all know that pets add life, but a lot of people can't have pets or they don't have pets for certain reasons.

00:18:26:20 - 00:18:42:04
Kristen
There are several barriers to having pets that that people encounter. And I'd love to hear a little bit about what the American Pet Products Association is, is doing to kind of address those barriers and perhaps alleviate some of them.

00:18:42:06 - 00:19:08:11
Jeremy
Yeah. You know, that's that's an interesting topic. And it's a really complex one to really, you know, think about, you know, there are so many aspects that occur when, when you have this large of an industry. And, you know, I think the best way for me to really break it down and start to think about it is, you know, one of the products that APPA has, had for a while and we're re-envisioning and bringing forward, a new life to is is our national pet owners survey and particular our strategic insights.

00:19:08:11 - 00:19:28:07
Jeremy
And we'll be debuting a new version of that at the Global Pet Expo show coming up here. And in 27 days. So, that being said, you know, one of the things that we look at and study in there is, you know, what what are the barriers to pet ownership? What prevents people from owning pets? And there's really first and foremost, two groups that we have to think about it within.

00:19:28:09 - 00:19:53:08
Jeremy
We have a group of individuals that have owned pets that no longer own pets. For some reason. And then we have another group of individuals that have never owned a pet. And so within those, you know, as we start to think about those two different groups of individuals, it really kind of becomes three buckets that I like to think about that typically impact their decision making when deciding whether or not to have a pet or to get another pet.

00:19:53:10 - 00:20:18:22
Jeremy
And it's it's emotional lifestyle and financial. And so we've done a lot of research on on those three areas to kind of understand, you know, why is it that people either, you know, once had a pet and no longer have a pet? you know, why is it that, you know, the people that don't have pets haven't got up pet ownership in recognizing that, you know, today, I mean, over 66% of households own a pet.

00:20:19:00 - 00:20:41:05
Jeremy
So number one, we're doing a really damn good job as an industry. but, but we still have room to grow, right? And we want to make sure that this industry is not just growing, but really thriving. And, and I think that that's part of what we're trying to dig into and work on. So, you know, when you think about, you know, those statistics and, and it's and it's really different when you dig into each of the different subcategories of species that we mentioned.

00:20:41:05 - 00:21:06:07
Jeremy
Right. Dog and cat kind of rule the roost for us in this industry. And the specialty segments are, you know, certainly smaller and pet ownership. But, you know, there's a lot of things that are going on there. I mean, I could go down a topic of generational in the sense of how the generations are evolving and changing. with pet ownership, you could go into, you know, a number of aspects around, what, you know, within each of those buckets of emotional, lifestyle and financial, what's impacting them.

00:21:06:09 - 00:21:24:03
Jeremy
And, you know, we could probably unpack this and, and podcast all in itself. But, you know, I guess the first way I'll kind of start to think about it is that emotional space, right. So emotional when we think about emotional, you know, it first and foremost. Right. This is tied to someone that had a pet and they lost their pet.

00:21:24:03 - 00:21:54:11
Jeremy
Right. And we all know that grieving process is for everybody, right. And as pets have increasingly become a part of the household, right. Their family member today and, you know, we all grieve differently when we lose family members, right. And so, you know, but that's the number one reason, you know, and the in both sections of the the emotional side of things as to why people don't get another pet or are concerned about getting a pet is because they're they're concerned that if this becomes a part of their family, you know, how do I ever let go of this pet?

00:21:54:11 - 00:22:13:00
Jeremy
Right? So, you know, almost 28% of people responded saying that their number one concern in that space is dealing with the lost loved one. Right? So that's a really tough one for us to probably tackle and think about. How do we address. but it's but it's an important thing to be aware of.

00:22:13:02 - 00:22:13:20
Chris


00:22:13:22 - 00:22:39:05
Jeremy
You know, I think that lifestyle section is the one that we're probably most focused on as an association. And when we start to look into that space, you'll see similarities between the two different groups of individuals that I mentioned. But, you know, the number one thing that stands out in both instances there is, is travel. And, you know, travel is the number one reason why folks don't have a pet or people that had a pet previously don't have a pet.

00:22:39:07 - 00:23:03:00
Jeremy
And so when you think about that particular topic, you know, one of the things that you know, we're interested in is removing barriers to pet ownership. And so, you know, when we talk about travel, what is that? Right. What's what's preventing people? Well, the number one issue is that we still have a large number of, of hotels or Airbnbs or, you know, places that when I travel that don't allow pets.

00:23:03:02 - 00:23:21:13
Jeremy
And so, you know, how do we make that easier for them? So that when I travel I can travel with my pet. So, you know, that would be an example of an initiative that we're, you know, considering, you know, working on in partnership with Capri and other groups in the industry to really help remove barriers to, you know, pet ownership.

00:23:21:17 - 00:23:44:15
Jeremy
And that is not only exclusive to the travel aspect, you know, one of the other features that you'll see in our survey is that, surprisingly, a large majority of workplaces don't allow pets in their offices. You know, and if you look at all the studies that we've done and studies we've done in partnership with others in this industry, you'll see the benefits of having a pet in the office.

00:23:44:15 - 00:24:02:22
Jeremy
Right? and so there's nothing factual in nature other than people's resistance to, you know, having that pet in the office or maybe a lease, you know, implies that they can't. So how do we how do we work to help educate people on the benefits of pets in the, in, you know, in the household or not in the house, but in the offices.

00:24:02:23 - 00:24:04:07
Kristen
So. Right.

00:24:04:09 - 00:24:17:05
Jeremy
Lifestyles just a really big, big topic. but, you know, I think those are kind of the two areas around travel that I think really, you know, we were interested in, in trying to help, you know, build into.

00:24:17:07 - 00:24:31:05
Kristen
Yeah. And on the flip side of travel, I know a lot of times people choose to not have a pet because they travel for work frequently and they're concerned about you know, having the proper care for that, for that pet in their absence. Yeah.

00:24:31:05 - 00:24:54:18
Chris
So that's absolutely I feel like I'm probably the the target demographic that APPA is looking at, you know, entering my 30s millennial with with with it, you know, a nice corporate job. And just from experience, the most difficult part of having this cat is finding somebody to watch for when I have to travel for work, which is quite often, right.

00:24:54:18 - 00:25:02:22
Chris
So, you know, is set send sending your thoughts, sending your ideas. People are not good, pet sitters because I could definitely use them.

00:25:03:00 - 00:25:23:06
Kristen
Yeah. Help us out here. Yeah. Jerry, that that's it's really great to hear to hear more about, you know, how APPA is addressing those barriers. And and we just we need more information. Right. We need we need to study it a little bit further. Make sure we really target our efforts where we can make the most improvement. So I think absolutely.

00:25:23:11 - 00:25:40:21
Jeremy
And you know, I think, you know, I think one of the things that that we recognize is that, you know, our responsibility is not to solve this, this exclusive by ourselves. Right? We can't boil the ocean. It's too big of a topic. But you know what? What our play in this is, is that we, you know, we want to gather, we want to inform, and we want to connect.

00:25:40:21 - 00:26:01:11
Jeremy
Right. And that's you've heard me say that before earlier today. And and you know, I think as we think about that aspect, that's the part that we can play a, you know, a significant role in. But we also will make you know, moves to, to be an early adopter to making change. Right. And I think, you know, we've, we've really leaned in and supported a number of great groups that are in this industry that are ultimately helping move this.

00:26:01:13 - 00:26:23:06
Jeremy
These barriers ahead. Right? I mean, you know, we have pets in the classroom. For those that haven't heard about pets in the classroom, they need to look it up. It's one of the best programs that I think this industry has that is placing pets in classrooms and, you know, really helping teachers create connections with the kids and, you know, promoting responsible pet ownership and the care for pets and responsibility and all the things that come with it, you know?

00:26:23:06 - 00:26:44:22
Jeremy
So pet in the classroom is there's a partner of ours that we lean into and support. You know, we've got obviously have having you know, human animal Bond Research Institute, you know, they're leading with evidence based, science and really tackling big topics with science, which is, which is certainly important. And, you know, we've certainly leaned in and really want to support the initiatives that they're working on.

00:26:45:00 - 00:27:03:17
Jeremy
And another great one that we've leaned into is, is joy bound, right? I mean, a lot of people don't realize, but, you know, Joy Bound’s an organization out there. And there are other organizations as well that really lean into supporting veterans and first responders and placing pets with them to help them overcome some of their personal issues and challenges that they're dealing with.

00:27:03:17 - 00:27:20:12
Jeremy
And it just goes back to the research and the science that have leading the way with that. You know, human animal bond is something that's real. And and it helps people in ways that we can't even begin to describe, you know, but there are other things, right? And I think, you know, those are ones that we continue to support and will continue to lean into.

00:27:20:14 - 00:27:38:07
Jeremy
But I think as we think about APA for the future, you know, one of the things that I really feel strongly about is that we got to be a change agent, and we lean in and we start creating opportunities. And when those things start getting traction, then we move on to the next thing. And I think another great example of that that we've leaned into in the past was bark at the park.

00:27:38:11 - 00:27:54:13
Jeremy
Right. If you go back 12, 15 years ago, people weren't bringing pets to stadiums with them. Right. And if you go back to some of the topics we were talking about earlier, which is why do people, you know not own pets? It's travel. It's I'm on the go. I've got to, you know, be going different places. We saw that.

00:27:54:13 - 00:28:17:16
Jeremy
Right. And so we partnered with a couple others in the industry and we launched bark at the Park and started allowing pet stadiums to bring pets to the, to the different stadiums. And you know, we now, you know, see that as something that cements itself. And it and it it spreads like wildfire, right. Like those are the types of initiatives that we're going to lean into is that we'll be the change agent, we'll get something going and then let them have a life of their own.

00:28:17:16 - 00:28:24:15
Jeremy
Right. And so, you know, those are some of the different aspects that we're really passionate about. And and I think there's great opportunity to continue to support.

00:28:24:17 - 00:28:41:23
Chris
I believe it's time for us to move into some, rapid fire questions. I don't know if we have an intro for this, so I'm just going to give it rapid fire round. so, Kristen, why don't you take us away as we drill, Jeremy for his most important opinions?

00:28:42:01 - 00:28:49:21
Kristen
Okay, Jeremy, don't take time to think about that. You just got to jump in there with the answer. Okay. First one is reptiles or birds.

00:28:49:23 - 00:28:52:04
Jeremy
I got to go. Reptiles.

00:28:52:06 - 00:28:59:09
Kristen
You are an on an outing with your dog that you just adopted. Are you at the mount? Are you in the mountains or are you on the beach?

00:28:59:11 - 00:29:03:14
Jeremy
I am absolutely on the up in the mountains I love I love the mountains.

00:29:03:16 - 00:29:15:14
Kristen
Okay. And what's a favorite thing one of your pets does? So obviously you've got reptiles, you've got bunnies, you've got fish. What is one favorite thing that one of them does?

00:29:15:16 - 00:29:31:11
Jeremy
Yeah. You know Joy, our rabbit is probably our I. When kids come over to our house, it's amazing. I mean, joy is like a therapy animal. I mean, you've seen kids that have never seen a rabbit before. I didn't realize that rabbits could be a pet. When joy nestles up in your neck and kind of just, you know, almost gives you a hug.

00:29:31:19 - 00:29:49:11
Jeremy
you know, it brings something warm to your heart, you know, whether that's with our own kids or kids that are over at our house visiting. I mean, it's just it's a special thing that when you see kids connect with pets and, you know, especially little fluffy, you know, ones that are so cuddly and you just want to squeeze, you know, it's it's irresistible.

00:29:49:12 - 00:29:55:10
Kristen
Bunnies are irresistible. Okay, how about the least favorite thing that one of your pets does?

00:29:55:12 - 00:30:11:09
Jeremy
Oh, boy. You know, cleaning up, the leopard gecko. Okay, just kind of gross. And I just, you know, that's that's out of your mind these days, but, you know, helping my son, you know, clean that page. It's it's, we'll see it that way. It's it will gross.

00:30:11:11 - 00:30:19:13
Kristen
Okay. I can smell it now. who gets more affection in your home, your pets or your wife?

00:30:19:15 - 00:30:30:13
Jeremy
Oh, man, that's a trick question. I don't feel like I can answer right way. but for me, it's a trap. Yeah. It is. It's got to be the wife. It's got to be the wife. Because, you know, as I said before, the pets are technically my kids, so you're right.

00:30:30:14 - 00:30:40:02
Chris
That's a very smart answer. The pet can't understand it. The wife definitely would would listen and and be able to react. You're a wise man.

00:30:40:04 - 00:30:43:11
Jeremy
I know she'll listen. Podcast. And hopefully I'm safe now.

00:30:43:13 - 00:30:46:06
Chris
Oh, she's a fan of the show. That's great.

00:30:46:08 - 00:30:56:17
Kristen
Awesome. Well, Jeremy, we so appreciate you taking some time to chat with us today. We'll let you get back to work. We know you got a big show coming up, so, get back at it. And, thanks again for being with us.

00:30:56:19 - 00:30:58:13
Jeremy
Thanks for the time, guys. Really appreciate it.

00:30:58:15 - 00:31:00:00
Chris
Yep. We'll see you in Florida.

00:31:00:02 - 00:31:03:00
Jeremy
All right. Looking forward to it. So you guys.

00:31:04:06 - 00:31:25:22
Kristen
Can't wait for you to meet Mike Bobor. Actually, Chris, you might know Mike Bobor. He's the president, you know? Yeah. The advocacy advocacy network. So his work involves innovating this complex landscape of, pet legislation and fostering a community that that values the human animal bond and ensures that pets get the love and care and respect that they deserve.

00:31:26:03 - 00:31:33:01
Kristen
So he's a true friend to animals. Chris already knows him. And, I sat down to speak with him recently, and here he is.

00:31:33:03 - 00:31:38:15
Voice Over
Beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

00:31:38:17 - 00:31:47:22
Kristen
Hello pet lovers, I've got another great guest for you that I met at the Pet Industry Leadership Summit. This is Mike Bobor. Mike, thank you for joining us today.

00:31:48:00 - 00:31:49:18
Mike Bobor
Thanks for having me. I appreciate the opportunity.

00:31:49:18 - 00:31:58:03
Kristen
Certainly. So you are with the Pet Advocacy Network. That's right. Tell our audience what that means. What you do. Sure.

00:31:58:05 - 00:32:25:00
Mike
Yeah. The, the Pet Advocacy Network is great because the name says what we do. we advocate for pets. We are the voice of the responsible pet care community. Everybody from breeders and distributors of animals to food and product manufacturers, retailers, service providers, basically, if they're involved in bringing an animal into the world, bringing them into your home, or helping you to care for them, they're folks that we represent in legislative and regulatory settings.

00:32:25:00 - 00:32:25:20
Kristen
That's a big job.

00:32:25:23 - 00:32:35:16
Mike
And it is. And it's it's across the country. It's around the world. It's, it's something that we feel privileged to have the opportunity to do. Really.

00:32:35:16 - 00:32:46:17
Kristen
Right. So what are some of the more common issues that you are that you find yourselves? you know, advocating for businesses, product manufacturers and that sort of thing?

00:32:46:21 - 00:33:17:13
Mike
We, I mean, we like to say ultimately that that everything that we work on goes back to the issue of pet care. you know, that's that's the beginning of the end, right? Is we want to make sure that we're being responsible stewards of the the animals that we, we bring into people's lives. And so we, we work on a wide range of issues, everything from support for, service animals, for wounded service members, support for funding for shelters for women escaping domestic violence situations.

00:33:17:20 - 00:33:32:18
Mike
we were a big part of supporting the one health initiatives, which is the, the belief that human health, animal health and environmental health are all linked. And so it's important for the, the various agencies of the government to treat them that way right now.

00:33:32:18 - 00:33:34:19
Kristen
When was the advocacy that work started?

00:33:35:03 - 00:33:37:07
Mike
we're actually a 50 plus year old.

00:33:37:08 - 00:33:38:17
Kristen
Really? Oh my goodness.

00:33:38:18 - 00:33:45:19
Mike
For the first 50 years of our life, we were known as the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. But that's a lot of work that didn't do a great job.

00:33:45:19 - 00:33:47:19
Kristen
It was one that we didn't do well in.

00:33:47:20 - 00:34:04:20
Mike
It, and it didn't come across clearly either, you could say, and people would start spelling PJ a secret and that wasn't right. So about two, three years ago, we sat down and we said, as we head into our next 50 years, we want to do a better job of helping people understand who we are and what.

00:34:04:20 - 00:34:05:04
Kristen
We do.

00:34:05:05 - 00:34:07:07
Mike
Right. And that's the Pet Advocacy Network was born.

00:34:07:11 - 00:34:16:21
Kristen
You know, when I when I hear about advocacy, and maybe this is because my career started out in animal welfare, I animal welfare comes to my mind absolute first and foremost.

00:34:16:21 - 00:34:36:20
Mike
So I think that's, again, animal welfare is at the heart of everything that we do. I try to, to help people understand that, that very few people get into anything in the way of a pet related business because they think they're going to make a lot of money doing it. You know, first and foremost, the reason you get in is because you care about pets.

00:34:36:22 - 00:34:53:19
Mike
And so, you know, for us to have the opportunity to represent the industry, to represent the businesses, but also to represent pet owners and to represent really the pets themselves. And a lot of these key issues across the country is, is tremendous. Yeah.

00:34:53:21 - 00:35:03:16
Kristen
And you've sort of answered this already, but I just want to ask it another way for for our pet lovers that are watching, how does your work impact them directly and their pets?

00:35:03:18 - 00:35:27:20
Mike
Well, one of the things we like to say is care is care. And so for us, if if animals are, either not being treated well or could be being treated better, we think that affects everybody. And with so many people in our country bringing animals into their lives as a way of combating loneliness and depression and things like that during the pandemic, where do you need time in this country right now?

00:35:27:22 - 00:35:47:09
Mike
We have an opportunity to really engage with people who in some cases are first time pet owners. In other cases have brought an additional pet into their home. but we're at a point where they have the chance now to say, this is what we've experienced, and I need help. and I understand that could.

00:35:47:09 - 00:35:50:17
Kristen
Extend to things like pets, friendly housing and.

00:35:50:17 - 00:36:10:22
Mike
Travel very much so. Okay. Yeah. These are these are issues that that I think affect everybody at their, their core. You know, I, I actually had the, the good fortune, to bring a dog into our, our home at the very beginning of the pandemic. And then when not when the opportunity allowed us, we actually took him on a road trip cross-country.

00:36:11:02 - 00:36:30:00
Mike
Oh, wow. And I will say that as a as a pet owner, I had the experience of planning a trip around the pet friendly lodging. Right? The, the, things like, dog eat, dog eat dog parks and things like that. It was, it was an eye opening experience.

00:36:30:00 - 00:36:33:01
Kristen
And how about when you want to go to a restaurant, when you're on the road with your dog?

00:36:33:06 - 00:36:53:08
Mike
And dining out with pets is so important, and it's something that pet owners across the country are really asking for in greater numbers. So it's nice to see that a lot of that's especially happening at the local level. We're seeing a lot more of the municipal and county level governments addressing that, and I think that's great. I think it creates an opportunity for people to really further bond with their pets.

00:36:53:09 - 00:37:02:05
Kristen
Absolutely. Mike, would you say it's safe to say that things, places and businesses are only going to get pet friendlier as time goes by?

00:37:02:10 - 00:37:22:22
Mike
I hope so, both for the sake of pet owners and also for the sake of those businesses. Yeah. Because I think that that the pet owning public really is a discerning one, and it's one that is going to recognize and support businesses that support them. And so I think to the extent that a smart business owner out there is reading the tea leaves, they're going to see that that they do well by doing good.

00:37:22:22 - 00:37:34:17
Kristen
Sure. Absolutely. So I heard you speaking earlier and you talked about you were inviting the folks here at the at the summit, to attend a special events that happens every year on Capitol Hill. Tell us a little bit about that.

00:37:34:17 - 00:37:53:07
Mike
Sure. Well, the this the second word in our name is advocacy and advocacy at its heart really just means telling your story. And so one of the things that we try to do every year is to create an opportunity for people who are involved in the pet care community to come to Washington and to help us tell their stories.

00:37:53:09 - 00:38:15:01
Mike
So we we will be hosting the seventh annual DC Fly-In. but perhaps even more interesting than that is what happens that evening. and for almost 30 years now, we've been bringing pets, pet lovers and, and folks who really can kind of help to tell the story of the power of pets to Washington for something called Pet Night on Capitol Hill.

00:38:15:02 - 00:38:36:23
Mike
And that's a great event. It's a chance for, staffers, members, everyone to get together and really just celebrate everything about pets that we love. We do the, the Animal Health Institute does the cutest pets on Capitol Hill awards. I don't think there's a single office on the hill that doesn't enter. Right. And, yeah. And we give out other recognition opportunities.

00:38:36:23 - 00:38:42:01
Mike
We really just just have a great chance for people to get together and to to bond over pets.

00:38:42:01 - 00:38:45:23
Kristen
I bet everybody looks forward to that every year because nothing brings us together like pets do, right?

00:38:45:23 - 00:38:50:04
Mike
It is absolutely one of the most popular events on the ledges on the congressional calendar.

00:38:50:04 - 00:39:07:09
Kristen
I do, I do not doubt that. That's fantastic. One last question for you, Mike. You know, we I've heard a lot of talk about the human animal bond. We spoke to Steve Feldman, on one of the shows. how does the human animal bond dovetail into the work that you do?

00:39:07:11 - 00:39:34:11
Mike
I like to say it informs everything we do. Yeah. I mean, the reality is, we all know firsthand what pets bring into our lives and the ability and the opportunity to share that information and to back it up with data is so important and so valuable. So for us to have the opportunity to take the work that a group like Hab does and to then share it with lawmakers and staff really goes a long way toward helping everybody kind of tie this all back together.

00:39:34:17 - 00:39:37:19
Mike
And like we said, understand that at the end of the day, pets do add lice.

00:39:37:19 - 00:39:41:23
Kristen
Yes, they absolutely do. That's why that's the name of this podcast.

00:39:42:01 - 00:39:43:01
Mike
Well done.

00:39:43:03 - 00:39:52:03
Kristen
Fantastic. Well, we can all rest easy at night knowing that Mike and his team are doing great work for advocating for us and our pets. And thank you so much for doing the great.

00:39:52:05 - 00:39:53:04
Mike
My pleasure. Thank you.

00:39:53:08 - 00:39:53:19
Kristen
All right.

00:39:54:00 - 00:40:17:08
Chris
Pets add life. Well, it was really great having Mike on the podcast. There's all sorts of things that happen behind the scenes that we're not aware of. So thank you, Mike, for sort of bringing some of these issues to light, talking about the work that you're doing. And, if you want to get involved, just go find the Pet Advocacy Network's website, type it into your search bar.

00:40:17:08 - 00:40:50:04
Chris
It'll be the first thing that comes up and see how you could help out the product of the week. So my product of the week this week, comes from, paws p a w capital Z paws. And you may have seen some of these. So I live in the northeast and February, which is when we're recording this, this podcast, February is just known for being salty, gross sidewalks of just wintery slush.

00:40:50:18 - 00:41:16:02
Chris
and not a lot of people are aware, but that kind of makes can be very dangerous for your dogs. Very sensitive little paws. So if you are a local city slicker who lives in an urban environment, that that gets snow or they salt the roads, you may want to consider some of these these dog boots. Now, I love I love seeing the videos of the first time the dogs put them on.

00:41:16:06 - 00:41:35:13
Chris
They start kind of walk in really weird. They're not used to it. So I will say it takes some. Yeah, I just like that takes some warming up. It's definitely not natural for a dog to wear shoes, but it's also not natural for them to be exposed to so much salt. those are very sensitive, parts of their body that could get very dry.

00:41:35:15 - 00:42:00:20
Chris
And it's very difficult to rehydrate them with bombs and oils and things like that. So your best bet is to protect your dog's foot with these little rubber booties. they sort of snap right on. Protect the foot. once you get them into into understanding that it's to help them, it can be very difficult to put on at first, but I found, with my parents dog that it's become a little bit more, natural as as time has gone on.

00:42:00:20 - 00:42:19:15
Chris
And I think, the dogs really realize the benefit of having their feet protected. they take longer walks outside in the winters. They enjoy their time a little bit more. And they also, won't be picking and scraping and scratching at their own feet, which could cause wounds, which is really what you want to avoid. So check them out.

00:42:19:19 - 00:42:23:06
Chris
That's paws. See.

00:42:23:08 - 00:42:43:17
Kristen
That's such a great idea because, not only does it protect their paws from, like, what could be corrosive salts and God knows what else is on on the ground. But also, you know, our pets lick their paws. So, yeah, if they're ingesting whatever that those toxins or chemicals are that can pose problems beyond, you know, their feet.

00:42:43:21 - 00:42:46:11
Kristen
So that's a great question.

00:42:46:13 - 00:42:47:19
Chris
Yeah. What about you, Kristen?

00:42:47:19 - 00:42:54:09
Kristen
And make sure you have treats. Treats. The first time you put those little paws out make sure you have lots of treats. Yeah.

00:42:54:10 - 00:42:59:13
Chris
Make sure you videotape their reaction too because that is that's a worthwhile that's a what's.

00:42:59:13 - 00:43:00:16
Kristen
The best part.

00:43:00:17 - 00:43:01:05
Chris
That's the best.

00:43:01:06 - 00:43:08:18
Kristen
That's the best part okay. My product this week is from a company called Actifed. I actually have it here with me today.

00:43:08:21 - 00:43:10:17
Chris
You're holding it. Wow.

00:43:10:19 - 00:43:38:12
Kristen
I'm I'm holding it. Yes. And I'm actually going to be doing some work with this company to educate people about about the product and about its benefits. So it's called the active II Hip and Joint Collar. They make one for dogs and one for cats. And what's super cool about this, and I don't think there's any other product like this, but it uses micro transdermal technology to deliver hip and joint supplements to your pet through the collar.

00:43:38:15 - 00:43:57:20
Kristen
So literally, like if I took it out of the box, it smells a little like kind of like like herbs or botanicals. It's not a bad smell. It's just. And it kind of, gets, lighter over time. But, tulip was wearing it the other day, and it's super lightweight because it's just made of plastic. It's very durable.

00:43:57:20 - 00:44:20:12
Kristen
It's very adjustable, too. I think. I know it comes in sizes, but even the sizes are, you know, very adjustable. But if you have a dog or a cat that is having joint, joint issues, pain, arthritis, you know, any kind of degenerative condition, this might be a really great option for you. Obviously. Hopefully you're talking to your veterinarian about those issues because those are pain.

00:44:20:16 - 00:44:48:09
Kristen
If any pain your pet is experiencing can be very debilitating, not not only for their well-being and their quality of life, but also pets that are in pain tend to interact with us less. So it even harms the bond between pets and people. So, but the one thing I really like about this is that if you forget to give, maybe you're already giving a joint supplement, but you have to give it every day or maybe twice a day.

00:44:48:11 - 00:45:06:22
Kristen
But if you forget and you've got this on, you know, that kind of fills in the gap, or you don't even need to give the supplement via a treat if you're using the collar. So I thought that was a really cool, innovative product. for a supplement that is really widely used among pet parents.

00:45:07:00 - 00:45:12:02
Chris
Yeah. That's amazing. So it's like a it's almost like laced with a topical.

00:45:12:04 - 00:45:29:14
Kristen
Yeah, but it doesn't like I'm holding it now. There's nothing on it like nothing comes off of it. It's just the technology is a transdermal delivery system that essentially kind of, you know, they're wearing it obviously on their neck. So it's getting absorbed by their skin into their system. So and they actually go.

00:45:29:14 - 00:45:33:10
Chris
To the flea and tick collars almost. But with the supplement.

00:45:33:12 - 00:45:33:18
Kristen
Wow.

00:45:33:18 - 00:45:35:14
Chris
Similar idea.

00:45:35:16 - 00:45:43:06
Kristen
And then we're going to have a peer reviewed study that's going to be released soon to show the scientific evidence that it is effective. So maybe we'll start.

00:45:43:08 - 00:45:45:10
Chris
On on a future show.

00:45:45:12 - 00:45:47:09
Kristen
Sounds like a plan.

00:45:47:11 - 00:45:49:18
Chris
Q and A's.

00:45:49:20 - 00:46:12:15
Kristen
All right. We are at the audience Q&A portion of the show, which Chris and I really love. We love to hear from you guys, and if you have a question, you can just visit petsaddlife.org/podcast. And you can either type in your question in the little form box, or you can click the audio button and leave us your audio message, which I think that'll be super cool because we'd love to hear your voice.

00:46:12:17 - 00:46:14:09
Kristen
all right, Chris, you ready?

00:46:14:11 - 00:46:16:11
Chris
Absolutely. Let it rip.

00:46:16:13 - 00:46:35:10
Kristen
Okay. This one's from Jonah in Minneapolis, and he says his family's considering getting a reptile as a pet, possibly a bearded dragon or a gecko. What are some key considerations that their family should keep in mind when choosing a reptile as a pet, especially when they have young children?

00:46:35:18 - 00:46:59:17
Chris
that's a great question. So, full disclosure I've never kept a reptile. I've always been interested, but never kept one. But I did live with somebody who had, three leopard spotted geckos. So I know a little bit about what to expect. And I think my biggest piece of advice is don't underestimate the level of responsibility that is necessary to keep a reptile.

00:46:59:19 - 00:47:25:17
Chris
Yes, it's less responsibility than your dogs and your cats and things like that, but it is still a daily responsibility. The feeding, the sunning and the cleaning of the cage are all very involved tasks. So I don't think you can expect a younger child to clean a reptile cage properly. So that sounds like it's going to be a task for mom and dad.

00:47:25:17 - 00:47:49:23
Chris
So just be aware of that. yeah. The other part is, is these are not domesticated animals. We keep them as pets, but they are still, quite wild in nature. So this could be a great lesson for your young children and learning about boundaries. and what is an acceptable touch? What is an unacceptable touch? handling a reptile can be unpredictable.

00:47:50:02 - 00:48:10:13
Chris
You need to treat them with with care and gentleness in order to receive that same energy back. so just be aware that accidents happen, bites happen, and the bites can. Well, and this is another piece of advice a bite can look like. Not a big deal because they have tiny little teeth, but it's not the wound you have to worry about.

00:48:10:13 - 00:48:30:06
Chris
It's the possibility of infection. So another point I would make is that if an accident does occur and there is broken skin, it's best just to go to a doctor immediately and have it checked out. I've been bitten by animals before and I've had my whole hand swell up after saying it's not a big deal, it's not a big deal at all.

00:48:30:08 - 00:48:47:16
Chris
And then meanwhile, my hand is turning into a mitten. So just be aware of those risks, control those risks. And I'm sure, that this new, bearded dragon gecko, whatever reptile you land on, will be a great companion and, learning tool for your children.

00:48:47:18 - 00:49:11:04
Kristen
Yeah. And I like you, Chris. I've never had a reptile as a pet. my nephew did have a bearded dragon, and he was probably. I don't remember his exact age. I'm going to guess he was around five, maybe six at the time. And my sister did tell me later on that, they had to rehome the bearded dragon because her son was actually kind of afraid of it.

00:49:11:20 - 00:49:32:22
Kristen
it hadn't bitten him, but I think, you know, he loved the idea of having the pet. But then when it was actually in his room and, you know, in its enclosure, he was actually a little bit afraid of it. So. Yeah. just make sure everybody in the family is on board with it. talk to friends or family who who have experience with having reptiles in the home and, yeah, the you know, before you make that decision.

00:49:33:02 - 00:49:47:19
Chris
That's a great comment with the bearded dragon, because you should show your kids a picture of the bearded dragon when its frills are up, when it has the beard out, because it looks a little bit like a dinosaur. And that could be scary. It could be cool. They could be like, yeah, that's really cool. I want that, but it could be scary.

00:49:48:05 - 00:49:54:20
Chris
another point I'll make with the geckos is they can drop their tails, which can be traumatizing to children. So yeah, especially.

00:49:55:01 - 00:49:55:22
Kristen
Traumatizing to me.

00:49:55:22 - 00:50:19:20
Chris
Grabbing it suddenly it will trigger an instinct for them to drop their tail, which means literally separate their tail from their body. And that happened to one of my roommates, old geckos in a in a storm. A lightning storm, made it anxious and it dropped its tail. and that could be traumatizing for a child who doesn't understand why that is a thing that they that they do.

00:50:19:20 - 00:50:48:14
Chris
So maybe some pre education and anticipation into that would be good. So I have a question here for you Kristen. from Sofia out of Charleston, South Carolina. Beautiful city. Hi. This is Sophia from Charleston. I've been thinking about volunteering at my local animal shelter. Great. Sophia. but I'm not sure what to expect. Could you share some insights on how best to prepare for volunteering and the types of activities I might be involved in?

00:50:48:16 - 00:51:09:02
Kristen
Yeah, absolutely. I like this question because I actually was part of the volunteer program at the animal shelter where I used to work. and I'm sure every shelter's, programs are different. But first of all, what I would tell you is to usually they will have a volunteer program set up or some in some type of format.

00:51:09:04 - 00:51:28:17
Kristen
So, Sophia, make sure you either read up about it online or contact their volunteer manager. because the volunteer manager could explain to you what explain to you what the different opportunities are for volunteers. You know, they might really need dog walkers or they might need people. You know, that will spend time with the cats, or they might need people to clean cages.

00:51:28:17 - 00:51:51:05
Kristen
So, you know, you certainly want to know what their needs are, but you want to make sure that what you're willing to do or what you're going to enjoy and commit to is something that's going to be fulfilling for you as well. So it has to really be a win win. you know, if you if you really want to walk dogs, so the shelter dogs are getting more exercise, but they assign you to cleaning kennels.

00:51:51:05 - 00:52:06:15
Kristen
I don't know, you might might not stick with that program, I don't know. So yeah, I would just say find out about what? How the program works. If there's a certain commitment of time or a certain day of the week that they need, and then what are the opportunities that are going to align with what you would really like to do?

00:52:06:17 - 00:52:09:22
Kristen
But I think it's awesome that you're that you're planning to do that.

00:52:10:00 - 00:52:31:01
Chris
Yeah, that's great advice. Kristen and Sophia, first off, thank you, for volunteering. the world needs more people like you. but what I would recommend is, set yourself up for success in terms of burnout. don't overshoot your promise in what you're you're going to deliver to the shelter. Start with bi weekly every other week.

00:52:31:01 - 00:52:46:19
Chris
Once a week, you come in and do something. And if you really love it and feel like you could fit more into your schedule, it is so much easier to build up and take on more commitment than it is to overcommit and try to shed some of that without feeling the need to quit it completely. So just think about that.

00:52:46:19 - 00:52:57:12
Chris
Start off slow. Start off trying to find what you feel comfortable with. and then if you feel like you could take on more, take on more, but until then, walk before you run.

00:52:57:14 - 00:53:08:12
Kristen
All right. Well, that's just about our wrap for our second show, Chris. So, I think it worked really well. I hope you guys are learning some stuff. And, and hopefully, I hope we're making you laugh a little bit.

00:53:08:14 - 00:53:32:21
Chris
I mean, I had a great time. if you like the show, be sure to rate and review the show. Leave us five stars. If you didn't like the show, leave us five stars anyway and tell us in the comments what we could improve on. If you want your question answered. Pets add Life Dawgs podcast. You can leave a voice memo or text us a question as, Sophia and Jonah did, you can follow us on all the socials.

00:53:32:21 - 00:53:42:05
Chris
They're located there on the Pets Add Life podcast page as well. And we hope you have a great rest of your week until you get to hear us again.

00:53:42:07 - 00:53:43:11
Kristen
Yeah, we'll see you next week.