Episode 7: Transforming the Classroom with Pets & Fostering Pet Friendly Communities

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00:00:00:01 - 00:00:14:10
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.

00:00:14:12 - 00:00:15:18
Kristen Levine
Hey, Chris.

00:00:15:20 - 00:00:17:03
Chris Bonifati
Hey, Kristen.

00:00:17:05 - 00:00:26:05
Kristen
Welcome back? Yes. Thank you. Thank you. I'm curious to know if you ever had a pet in a classroom when you were growing up.

00:00:26:07 - 00:00:50:01
Chris
definitely. but I was not one of those kids who was, like, allowed to take it home on the weekend. I was, I was, I was just not, And I'm sure our listeners at home can relate to that. sound off in the chat. If you were one of the kids who was not allowed to take the turtle home on the weekends for any, any various reasons, whether it was bad behavior, lack of discipline.

00:00:50:03 - 00:00:55:17
Chris
class clown, all of the above, like myself. but look at you now.

00:00:55:19 - 00:00:56:11
Kristen
Look at you now.

00:00:56:16 - 00:01:24:06
Chris
Look at me now. Now. Yeah. You can't stop me from going to the store and getting a turtle. but it's it's absolutely amazing. You think about. You look back and think about growing up and, you know, the exposure to animals and all the responsibility that it taught you and the discipline and the important life lessons. And later on in the episode, we're going to be hearing from a woman who's part of a great program to get more pets in classrooms.

00:01:24:07 - 00:01:45:07
Kristen
Yeah. Yeah. It was it was a really an interesting interview. And, I didn't realize how easy it can be to just reach out, you know, have your child's teacher reach out to this organization to apply to, to participate in the pets in the classroom program. So we'll talk more with her, in a little bit. But let's kick it off with your first story, Chris.

00:01:45:09 - 00:02:03:03
Chris
Yeah, yeah. And as you know, we've got, we've got a great line of stuff set up for you guys. We're back to our our usual gimmick. We're going to give you two stories. We're going to interview two guests. We're going to answer two questions. We're going to recommend two products. and then I'm going to have two cocktails.

00:02:03:05 - 00:02:15:16
Chris
But that's going to happen off camera. That's that's Yeah, it Kirsten's eyes went wide because we're recording this at like 11 a.m. on a Thursday, so that's probably concerning for most people. but my story, my story.

00:02:15:16 - 00:02:18:15
Kristen
You probably had two espresso shots right before the show.

00:02:18:17 - 00:02:38:07
Chris
And that's the only way to do it. You can't come with this vibrant energy without the help of caffeine. In today's day and age, Kristen and Chris present story time. I've got I've got a fun story. I've been boring you guys with a lot of work stuff, but I'm past Global Pet Expo now. I'm back to fun loving, summertime.

00:02:38:07 - 00:03:01:00
Chris
Chris. and do you know Kristen? Do you know that this is a great headline? I love these catchy clickbaity headline. Sometimes, the pet brand Arcana is paying one cat lover $10,000 to cuddle with kittens. What? And it could be you at home. They haven't picked you yet. It could be you at home. So, Akana is running this great, little promotion.

00:03:01:02 - 00:03:24:08
Chris
the summer is called kitten season. That is in in nature. Left to their own devices, kittens are generally born in May, and mature over, over the summer. so there is a a large a boom in the, in the population. And I think it's something that not people are unaware of that there is like this spike of, of kittens in the summer.

00:03:24:08 - 00:03:46:17
Chris
So their account is doing this whole awareness campaign around the concept of kitten season, getting people to adopt, some of these, street cats who've gone and had kittens. but I know what everybody's saying. You know, I get through the promotion, get through the promotion, tell me how I can be, that that person. So the the the the reason they're having somebody do that.

00:03:46:17 - 00:04:09:00
Chris
Do this is a, they just want to build awareness. They want to get people to enter. it would be a half day at the Best Friends Animal Society Life Saving Center or one of their networks, partner shelters. you will also be given a paycheck of $10,000. and there is a there is a link.

00:04:09:00 - 00:04:36:13
Chris
Let me see, where you should be going. I believe it's gets onto the economy website. there is no purchase necessary, no payment necessary. And you could be be selected, because kittens need that bonding time. If we we think about that cuddle puddle of kittens, they do need to bond with their litter. it's great to have a kitten, bond and imprint with you at a young age so that they recognize you real, real quickly as part of their pack.

00:04:36:15 - 00:04:52:01
Chris
And the concept of this entire puddle of kittens. This lovely thing is to bring awareness that there's a lot of cats that need a home. So if you're out there listening and think, yeah, it's a great time to adopt. If you've been looking for a cat, I know some people like they take their time, which is a smart move.

00:04:52:01 - 00:05:12:04
Chris
Take your time when you're looking for a new, addition to your home. but if you guys haven't found that kitten. That's right for you, go back to your shelters in in in May. in June, there's going to be an uptick in the number of, of new kittens who who need a nice home. So, make that return trip and maybe you'll find your, forever friend.

00:05:12:04 - 00:05:32:02
Chris
But head to account is website. I think you have, until I believe this episode airs the on the last day that you can enter. So if you're listening to this right now, head on over to the account site. fill out their their little application. It could be you. I'm going to be doing it right after I get this call.

00:05:32:03 - 00:05:47:07
Chris
It's going to be the that, I'm going to use the whole entire weight of, of my position to ensure that I'm selected. So maybe, you know it. I take I take back everything I said. Nobody enter. Don't enter. Don't do it. Too late. save all the spots for me.

00:05:47:09 - 00:05:54:01
Kristen
It's too late. Well, I okay, I I'll make you a deal. If you do get chosen, you get the ten grand. You've got to give half of it to the shelter.

00:05:54:03 - 00:05:55:15
Chris
Yeah, obviously.

00:05:55:17 - 00:05:56:00
Kristen
Okay.

00:05:56:01 - 00:06:06:02
Chris
I don't need the money. This is not about this. Is that. This is a big cuddly. Yeah, this is about the cuddle puddle. Okay. That is that is, that's worth ten grand for me.

00:06:06:04 - 00:06:29:00
Kristen
Okay. Whatever you say. All right. So, so, speaking of cuddling, this is sort of, a segue that kind of where I'm. I'm going to try to make it work here. So I came across this adorable story about a little pitbull mix puppy that was rescued. His name is Ranger, I believe, and he is obsessed with his stuffed toy.

00:06:29:02 - 00:06:46:20
Kristen
So, you know, those are the plush toys that have little squeaks. This dog takes it everywhere. And there's video of him doing this on the Dodo. He plays with it. He he drops it right next to his food bowl when he eats. And the cutest thing is when his mom washes it, like, you know, once a week up, throw it in the wash.

00:06:46:22 - 00:07:07:19
Kristen
He sits in the laundry room and like, while it's in the washer, while it's in the dryer, and he waits for her to pull it out. And I just thought that was so cute. And it just so happens that my neighbor, Julie, she she rescues, Duffy's Newfoundland and, she has three of her own, and she has one that she's fostering right now.

00:07:07:19 - 00:07:27:12
Kristen
His name is Wyatt. So if you're looking for a to adopt a Newfoundland, Wyatt is a beautiful black and white newfie. And he. I bought him this salmon shaped stuffy because she had me over for sushi one night and wouldn't let me pay half. So I so I went out and I found this. You know, I figured it's kind of sushi.

00:07:27:12 - 00:07:43:17
Kristen
Like, I bought the salmon stuff for Wyatt. This dog is obsessed with it. She sends me photos every single day of him with this stuff in his mouth. So what's your pet's favorite stuff? Do they have one? I don't know, we.

00:07:43:17 - 00:08:04:20
Chris
So we have, my family dog is a big mutt and has torn through a lot of her toys. But one, the first little pink dog we got her as a puppy. She will not tear through. It's still like some minor stitching has needed to be done. She plays rough with everything else, you know, like the tug and shake kind of thing.

00:08:04:22 - 00:08:14:07
Chris
but the one her first toys, she takes care of like a like a treasure. So, Yes. Yes, it's absolutely adorable. It's it's.

00:08:14:07 - 00:08:15:00
Kristen
A thing.

00:08:15:02 - 00:08:15:08
Chris
Yeah.

00:08:15:08 - 00:08:18:08
Kristen
So every dog has their favorite stuffy.

00:08:18:10 - 00:08:33:12
Chris
Yes. As they should. As they should. to somehow. Two adorable stories. No, no, no. Yin and yang here. Both. Both yin or both yang. I'm not sure where where that lies. but, you know, thanks for sharing your story, Kristen.

00:08:33:14 - 00:08:38:08
Kristen
Of course. Of course. I think we're, we're going to tee up our first guest now.

00:08:38:10 - 00:08:40:03
Chris
Great. Yeah, the one we've been teasing.

00:08:40:03 - 00:08:48:22
Kristen
Right at the top of the show. Yeah, exactly. we had a chance to speak with Melinda from pets in the classroom when we were at Global Pet Expo. So let's take a listen.

00:08:49:00 - 00:08:57:22
Voice Over
Beyond the leash exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism. For those unaware, why don't you tell us a little bit about pets in the classroom? In the program?

00:08:57:22 - 00:09:23:15
Melinda Thomas
Yeah, it is all about enhancing a student's educational and their social development, right? And who doesn't love supporting kids and education and pets? It's like this perfect trifecta that you can't get enough of. And and it's so emotional. There's so many positive stories. And I think all of us have a childhood memory of having a pet. or a therapy animal in our classroom at some point in time.

00:09:23:15 - 00:09:27:18
Kristen
And I remember we had we had rabbits in one of my classrooms.

00:09:27:18 - 00:09:54:12
Chris
We definitely we had a turtle. I don't know if this counts. We did it. we did butterflies once. From caterpillars to butterflies. I don't know if that counts as a pet. We'll have to. We'll have to ask the audience at home. Let us know in the comments if a butterfly counts as a pet. but tell us a little more about, how a teacher might go about to apply and that that type of process and what, what they could expect as far as a level of responsibility, too.

00:09:54:14 - 00:10:11:04
Melinda Thomas
Yeah. No, I appreciate that. So it's pretty simple process and it's a really easy website where they can get information pets in the classroom.org. So if they just do a quick Google on pets in the classroom, they're going to find, you know, our listing in our site come up. And from there the teachers can get a lot of different information.

00:10:11:04 - 00:10:34:10
Melinda Thomas
Right. They're going to get pet care information so they can make an appropriate selection of what they think is best for their students and their responsibility level. we have lesson plans. And so if especially if they're focusing on Stem or some of those life sciences or some of the, you know, English language art, language arts, it's a great place for information, but teachers can go on there and they can select from two different programs.

00:10:34:14 - 00:10:53:09
Melinda Thomas
One is our pets in the classroom program, the other is the dogs in the classroom program. So for the pets in the classroom program, they're going to, fill out some basic information. It's going to take five, six, seven minutes. Not too complicated. and then they can select that pet, go to the store, get a habitat, for free.

00:10:53:11 - 00:11:12:14
Melinda Thomas
just kind of the pet and the supplies and then take it back to their classroom and set up. So, yeah. So it's a lot of fun. and then on the dog side, once again filling out some basic information, and then we will partner them with a therapy dog provider, and they're going to bring that pet in whatever is the best schedule for that teacher.

00:11:12:14 - 00:11:19:02
Kristen
Okay. So the dogs in the classroom are therapy dogs. Yes. interesting. Okay. So it's not like a teacher could bring their own pet into the.

00:11:19:02 - 00:11:20:09
Melinda Thomas
Classroom, right?

00:11:20:11 - 00:11:20:17
Kristen
Okay.

00:11:20:17 - 00:11:24:07
Chris
And they're more part time workers. And the other pets are full time workers.

00:11:24:09 - 00:11:41:22
Melinda Thomas
Yeah. Yeah, that's a great. And actually, I sometimes I talk about residential pets and there might be a fish and guinea pigs and our reptile and, verities. There are so much fun. but you are exactly right. These dogs are coming to visit, and sometimes they might bring a rabbit in to visit, or they might bring a cat in.

00:11:42:00 - 00:11:45:09
Melinda Thomas
Cats are a little unique in littles. Oh, sure. So dogs are most of our friends.

00:11:45:10 - 00:11:54:01
Kristen
And so for the full time pets are they they're obviously staying in the classroom over the weekend or over holidays or who cares for them in those off times?

00:11:54:02 - 00:12:18:17
Melinda Thomas
Oh, that. Okay, so it's the end. In the end is the teacher's responsibility to make sure that they're cared for. But how that teacher manages that process is really unique and fun, because some teachers, they are taking that pet home over the weekend. And during the extended breaks, other teachers are finding students who have shown responsibility. and that's a great way to connect with some of those students and teach them this responsibility.

00:12:18:17 - 00:12:25:15
Melinda Thomas
And this teacher, their students are taking it home with their families and then returning it, you know, at the end of break or the end of summer, right.

00:12:25:20 - 00:12:32:17
Kristen
What are some of the specific benefits that students are getting out of the program? I mean, I'm I'm sure there's too many to count, probably.

00:12:32:19 - 00:12:51:23
Melinda Thomas
Yeah. Responsibility is a huge one that teachers share with us because students have the opportunity to either do the work and the pet becomes that time with the pet becomes a reward, or sometimes it's taking care of the pet and cleaning their cages or making sure they have food and water. But the empathy and compassion is another really strong point.

00:12:52:01 - 00:13:16:08
Melinda Thomas
Those character buildings, when we have such great respect for our peers, it's not just the the animal, but it's also for that. Another things that teachers tell us is that these kids really learn how to self-regulate their emotions, and sometimes they really respect an animal, and they don't want to upset that animal. So with that, it just becomes a really positive learning environment where I'm kind of like a teacher.

00:13:16:13 - 00:13:40:18
Melinda Thomas
Yeah. You know, and attendance goes up, self esteem goes up, anxiety goes down. Social skills. Because outside of the classroom they might have a lot of different things in their cultures or their economics. But with these pets it's just one on one. So it's a really special time. Yeah. So if people know educators, please have, you know, apply and, and we have never turned down a teacher for.

00:13:40:18 - 00:13:45:16
Melinda Thomas
Oh, great. That's awesome. Yeah. So public or private schools, pre-K through ninth grade.

00:13:45:20 - 00:13:47:05
Chris
Wow. All the way up to ninth grade.

00:13:47:07 - 00:13:49:13
Kristen
Yeah. And who runs this program?

00:13:49:15 - 00:14:16:03
Melinda Thomas
we're so appreciative of the pet industry. So three major trade associations with it. the pet industry. So American pet products, world pet Association and the Pet Industry Distributors Association. But then we have so many individual sponsors, corporate sponsors. so we really appreciate what they've done. And, and now we're reaching out. So you might see, you know, going into one of your pet retail locations, a roundup campaign at the register.

00:14:16:03 - 00:14:23:02
Melinda Thomas
So we'd love for them to engage the general public, to be able to give back and support the kids and the education, the pets.

00:14:23:04 - 00:14:26:11
Kristen
Fantastic. And it's, pets in the classroom.org. Right?

00:14:26:11 - 00:14:27:10
Melinda Thomas
Correct. Okay. Yeah.

00:14:27:13 - 00:14:29:21
Kristen
Excellent. Well, I want to thank you for joining us today.

00:14:29:21 - 00:14:30:23
Melinda Thomas
Thank you so much.

00:14:30:23 - 00:14:33:23
Kristen
I appreciate we appreciate having you okay.

00:14:34:04 - 00:15:02:01
Chris
Pets add life. So I'm just going to reiterate if you are a teacher, one of like my nine friends out there who is a teacher, I know you're listening right now. definitely take take advantage of this. if you are if you've been wondering how you can use animals to, enhance the classroom experience, they have all sorts of resources, including the most important resource in the classroom in today's day and age.

00:15:02:03 - 00:15:17:19
Chris
Money. they will help pay, pay pay for all of this, which I know. I mean, listen, it's the it's the truth about education in America. A lot of money comes out of teachers pockets. So let's put some of that back in, so your kids can have a great experience in the classroom.

00:15:17:21 - 00:15:34:17
Kristen
That's a great point. Great point. Chris. So we also had a chance to speak with, Beth from Wag Town. Beth Miller. Yes. And I thought was what was really interesting about chatting with her is that the term pet friendly is a lot more complex than you might think.

00:15:34:21 - 00:15:36:18
Chris
I learned a lot in this one.

00:15:36:20 - 00:15:37:12
Kristen
let's listen.

00:15:37:14 - 00:15:42:11
Chris
Beyond the leash exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

00:15:42:12 - 00:15:46:06
Kristen
We are here with Beth Miller from Wag Town. Beth, great to see you today.

00:15:46:06 - 00:15:47:18
Beth Miller
Thank you very much. Glad to be here.

00:15:47:18 - 00:15:53:07
Kristen
Yeah, I met you a couple days ago at the Pet Summit, which is, another event here at Global Pet Expo.

00:15:53:07 - 00:16:03:14
Chris
Right, Chris? That is correct. Yeah. Going on in conjunction with APA and Global Pet Expo, it's the first year we've had the pet summit here at Global Pet Expo, and from what I've heard, it was, a lot of fun. A lot of people really enjoy.

00:16:03:14 - 00:16:12:07
Kristen
It was great turnout. But we are here to talk about something that I think a lot of us think we know what it means. But there's a much deeper meaning to it. And that is.

00:16:12:07 - 00:16:33:23
Chris
That's dog friendliness. And, you know, personally, when I think of dog friendly, I think of restaurants. Right. that's really where my mind goes to as a, as a millennial guy living in a suburban urban environment is where can I bring my dog to go get a cup of coffee or enjoy a nice meal with my wife? But for some reason, I think we're talking to you because it goes a little deeper than that.

00:16:34:01 - 00:16:57:18
Beth Miller
Yes, it does, and I appreciate when people put those bowls out, and a lot of people consider that to be, you know, a like an indicator of dogs are welcome here. But what I'm trying to do with, with wag down, with wag Down and dog friendliness is help people understand that while that is a good indicator that people welcome you at that particular establishment, what people are looking for right now to hearken back to what you said, which is where can I take my dog?

00:16:57:20 - 00:17:19:11
Beth Miller
That really extends more into, you know, can I get inclusive housing? Do I have to pay more for that? Can I get insurance coverage? Is there access to veterinary care within my driving distance so we can have what I call a dog friendliness desert? And it's because it's missing a lot of those things because we don't just want to own a dog, we want to live in a community that celebrates it and supports it with resources and access.

00:17:19:13 - 00:17:22:12
Kristen
So where do we begin? Where do you start?

00:17:22:14 - 00:17:45:15
Beth Miller
Yeah, that's a good question, right? Yeah. When I was, actually we were considering moving. We live in Ohio and googled dog friendly cities in America, and there were 28.7 million hits right now. I know it sounds like we can move anywhere, but then when I looked into it and did a little secondary research with a couple of universities, we found that, you know, for lack of a better word, it was it was B.S, right.

00:17:45:18 - 00:18:10:06
Beth Miller
It was a lot of our condo. We're having an event. And so there were these isolated examples of things you could do in a dog friendly community, and they use them cumulatively. From a PR perspective to develop a brand identity that really screams out dog friendliness. But then when you get there. So I quit my job and ejected from this great C-suite position that I absolutely adored and decided to go on this track.

00:18:10:06 - 00:18:32:17
Beth Miller
And so I traveled all over the U.S. and interviewed people face to face in transportation, public health, public safety, public art, Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, the education system, obviously animal advocates. So it's just such a bigger topic when you consider what happens when you plop a poodle into a town. There's a ripple effect in the schools and in law enforcement, first responders.

00:18:32:17 - 00:18:57:11
Beth Miller
So it really gets bigger than that. And so if we want to get to a point where we can define it the way it should be so that it's a benefit to the animals and the humans, then we need to decide that it needs to be a comprehensive, community wide approach that involves a lot more people at the table and bringing in the animal advocates that have a a business and culture shift perspective into those conversations where they've been absent so far.

00:18:57:13 - 00:19:13:09
Kristen
Where where is the biggest, in your opinion? Where's the biggest challenge with communities lacking a true like giving lip service to being pet friendly but not actually serving the community in the way that you're talking about?

00:19:13:09 - 00:19:45:05
Beth Miller
Right. Well, I think part of the problem there is we need to stop the, and I my background is marketing for 30 years, so I get it right. If I was in charge there, right, I would definitely say let's lean into marketing based on how we treat our dogs and what that means for the community. But what we start to see is, while we're pushing for that, we're going to see what I would call sort of this, natural disaster coming, where if you take away guardrails and allow more dog friendliness to happen, if you do that in a community where they're not used to being dog friendly, now you have all these dog

00:19:45:05 - 00:20:01:14
Beth Miller
owners coming in and they don't know what that means to be dog friendly. So when you live in a dog friendly community, you need to be a little more responsible. You need to focus on training and making sure your dog is having an enriching experience. So I think some of it is that education piece, but also taking a more global perspective.

00:20:01:14 - 00:20:24:09
Beth Miller
So I've done 800 interviews so far. Most of those have been in the U.S., but because of Covid, that gave me a springboard into more global conversations. And when I did that, it gave me a better understanding of how this shift from dog friendliness from one direction to the other, of being much more enriching and much more comprehensive is very dependent on where you live with the economic environment is in there.

00:20:24:09 - 00:20:40:18
Beth Miller
And, you know, culturally around the world there are a lot of different perspectives. Breed discrimination, for instance, is a hot topic in the U.S, but it's also extremely hot topic all around the world and we're all on this, this curve, right? We're not in the same spot. And so we need a lot of empathy and understanding and sharing of ideas.

00:20:40:19 - 00:20:52:20
Chris
Yeah, yeah. So do you think we have a truly dog friendly city in the United States or is it is it one of those things will always be chasing because perfection is a myth.

00:20:52:22 - 00:20:56:05
Beth Miller
Well, first of all, props on using the word chasing. Nice dog.

00:20:56:07 - 00:20:58:15
Chris
Thank you. I'm here for the pet puns, right?

00:20:58:15 - 00:21:14:01
Beth Miller
That's right. There are so many. Well, if you showed me probably any community I could pick, you know. Well, this is not great. This is not great. I would say that when I was on the West coast, East coast, a few places down south, there are, there's more access to things. And a lot of that, though, is attitude.

00:21:14:03 - 00:21:29:02
Beth Miller
So you'll find that even though they're not, quote, allowed to be in certain areas, the general culture there is sure, you know, bring them along because no one's saying no. Nobody wants to say no. No one wants to say no to the right dog people. You show up and your cocker spaniel in your I'm from there. Like, get out, right?

00:21:29:08 - 00:21:47:18
Beth Miller
That doesn't go over well for business either. So I think that's there. we see cities, you know, I'm out in sort of the Colorado area not to name any names, Boulder, but, you know, they're really pushing their brand identity based on the fact that they're backing off of breed discrimination. Right. But what they're doing is they they used to say you can't have them at all.

00:21:47:18 - 00:22:07:12
Beth Miller
Then they said, you can have it, but now you have to pay. I think it's $75 for a 45 minute assessment of your dog. And that's only based on their appearance. It says that in the materials you have, solely based on their appearance. So you're causing people to take time off of work, take off that time, spend money, and they may not even have that to spare.

00:22:07:12 - 00:22:13:17
Beth Miller
Right. So now you're asking them to go through these hoops. So and when that happens then they're designated as dangerous. Right. And so.

00:22:13:17 - 00:22:14:21
Kristen
Based on appearance.

00:22:14:21 - 00:22:15:10
Beth Miller
Appearance.

00:22:15:14 - 00:22:17:18
Chris
They just got a guy who's like that's a mean looking dog.

00:22:17:18 - 00:22:39:15
Beth Miller
Yeah. And if you look at the numbers, most people cannot identify correctly what those breeds are. And it certainly doesn't indicate the behavior. So that's where you see a lot of freedoms in that community and a lot of celebration of dogs. But at the same time, there's that undercut point of, you know, it's outdated to some extent, but it's also we need to evolve in the way that we interact with those animals so that it's not so much of a hot button.

00:22:39:15 - 00:22:41:18
Beth Miller
Great.

00:22:41:20 - 00:23:02:11
Kristen
Moving on to, pet friendly housing. I heard a statistic yesterday that said that apparently 72% of apartments say they're pet friendly, but yet like 75% of people looking for pet friendly apartments say they struggle to find one. And that's because they put up so many different restrictions or fees or, you know, cats only, you know, weight limits and all that.

00:23:02:12 - 00:23:04:01
Chris
That's we have like a 10 pound dog.

00:23:04:07 - 00:23:20:00
Beth Miller
Right? Right, right. Yeah. So our last place that we lived, we were we tore our house down because we wanted to move like the 28.7 million hits. Well, we decided to stay in Ohio. It's like, well we like where we live. But our house had some issues with cedar siding, so we we tore it down. But, you know, in the meantime, we're living in an apartment.

00:23:20:00 - 00:23:36:02
Beth Miller
Well, we had an 85 pound Great Pyrenees, so good luck. Great. So we get we find the place, we get the contract sign, we're all good. And then I looked at time and I'm like, we didn't mention that Rocky is big. We mentioned that we had him and we told her it was a Great Pyrenees. Not thinking like nobody knows what a Great Pyrenees is.

00:23:36:02 - 00:23:52:05
Beth Miller
And they certainly don't know that it's it's big. So, you know, we had to go back into the office and kind of negotiate down. It's like, what should we tell her? It's 50 pounds. There's no way they're going to believe that it's mostly hair. Right? So, you know, it becomes a sort of judgment call on your part. And so then you get into who are they going to make that call for?

00:23:52:05 - 00:24:12:18
Beth Miller
Who are they not going to, you know, there's a there's a possibility for discrimination all over again when you individually have to go in and do that. So I think people are afraid to your point about those stats that they advertise that you can come in and when you get there, you're right. It's it's either more money, they won't insure you, they won't allow you in, there are more restrictions or it's more of a deposit.

00:24:12:20 - 00:24:28:10
Beth Miller
And, you know, there's there's a lot of pushback on that. And we see some of the organizations that are here at the event and that you guys focus on. They're really taking those strides in big ways so that it allows those smaller organizations that offer that housing to feel empowered. And back to.

00:24:28:10 - 00:24:52:22
Chris
Your. Yeah. And if I could offer a sliver of hope, millennials are now the dog owning a generation that's ever existed on the planet. And they're beginning to enter positions of actual power, whether it's across government or business. millennials are really starting to become the key decision makers in things. and I know if I was in charge personally, as a millennial, I'd definitely make things easier for dog owners.

00:24:52:22 - 00:24:59:20
Chris
So maybe we're going to start to see a shift in the paradigm a bit with some of your work. and some of the work of all those organizations that you had mentioned.

00:24:59:20 - 00:25:18:23
Beth Miller
Oh, definitely. First of all, I'm voting for you as king. Okay, great. Take care. Smart. Yeah. I mean, yeah, a lot of the pet ownership is millennial on down. the choice to not have children a lot. And the sort of culture shift of being away from them. I know there was a lot of chatter about dogs that are coming in during Covid and how they're going to have separation anxiety.

00:25:19:01 - 00:25:39:08
Beth Miller
And I we do see that happening, but we also see this new focus on depression and anxiety in humans. And I don't think there's, you know, not a connection there. I think there's a big connection between that. The separation anxiety is not just canine. Yeah. Now people are realizing the impact on their productivity, their quality of life, their health, their all of their outlooks is significantly changed.

00:25:39:08 - 00:25:55:19
Beth Miller
So we're starting to see a push toward HR for allowing those things to happen. And that's where you start to see, well, that's going to be of interest that a health care companies right now, it's like, oh, wait a second. We're getting further and further up the ladder of the people that are pushing those peer got paradigms to exist.

00:25:55:21 - 00:26:02:17
Kristen
Well, Beth, if people or communities, municipalities want to, to talk to you, work with you, how do they find you?

00:26:02:19 - 00:26:22:14
Beth Miller
Well, where towns work as a nonprofit and we're at Wag town.org and if they want, we're having a virtual summit coming up in May and the 15th and 16th, and that is speakers from all over the world speaking on things like diversity and equity in the veterinary field, inclusive of housing for pets and animals and companion animals for the full bonded family.

00:26:22:16 - 00:26:57:07
Beth Miller
We have trainers and things like that. people coming in from the Pet Advocacy Network to talk about the state of the industry, first responders and law enforcement, and then people like Christy Joy coming in to do fun rooms in the boot rooms afterwards. So it's a lot of fun and education. And while we're focusing on, you know, spotlight spotlights on innovation and new ways of thinking, we're also giving people a platform to better understand that when they're approached about increasing dog friendliness and their communities, that they've heard these messages and they understand that it's a much bigger conversation than the dog bowl at the bistro.

00:26:57:09 - 00:26:58:12
Chris
It sounds like a great event, a.

00:26:58:12 - 00:26:59:00
Kristen
Great way to.

00:26:59:00 - 00:27:04:03
Beth Miller
Bring in that information is a circle dog. Yeah, that's dog friendly. summit.com.

00:27:04:05 - 00:27:10:21
Kristen
Fantastic dog friendly summit.com. And now we're gonna have to change the definition in the dictionary of, dog friendly. Yeah.

00:27:10:21 - 00:27:12:01
Chris
Just got a lot longer.

00:27:12:01 - 00:27:14:04
Beth Miller
I just want like, see Beth.

00:27:14:06 - 00:27:15:23
Chris
See that? There we go. Yes.

00:27:15:23 - 00:27:18:04
Kristen
Thank you for joining us today. We really appreciate it.

00:27:18:04 - 00:27:19:09
Beth Miller
Absolutely. Thanks for having.

00:27:19:09 - 00:27:41:14
Chris
Me. Absolutely. It was a pleasure. Pets Add Life. It was great. hearing from Beth, like I said, I learned I learned a lot about the term pet friendly, how it's, systematic and holistic and you really have to take a top down view. It's great to have somebody as smart and and witty and thoughtful as Beth. Sort of on top of it.

00:27:41:16 - 00:27:54:10
Chris
so the rest of us can just, show her support. Yeah, show her support. and and and stay on top of these types of things, especially if you're somebody who's, who's looking for, like, a fully dog friendly experience.

00:27:54:12 - 00:27:59:11
Kristen
The product of the week. All right, let's talk pet products.

00:27:59:11 - 00:28:04:11
Chris
Yes. Let's do, products of the week.

00:28:04:13 - 00:28:08:11
Kristen
Oh my goodness. All right. So I'll go first this time okay.

00:28:08:11 - 00:28:09:10
Chris
Please I'm still pulling.

00:28:09:10 - 00:28:33:19
Kristen
Up the links okay. This is another company that appeared on Shark Tank. I didn't realize this, but oh, okay. it's it's called Silly Dog. Yes, and Silly Dog is a company that makes pet tags made from 100% silicone. And the benefit of that is that they're more durable than the little aluminum tags. Metal tags. They don't fade.

00:28:33:21 - 00:28:52:01
Kristen
they don't they don't jingle. Oh, that's a big one, right? Like I, I can remember in the past my dog having 2 or 3 tags on his collar and just you could hear him wherever he was and if he was scratching or that can get really annoying. And if it's annoying for us, imagine how annoying it is for them to have that constant jingle right in their ear.

00:28:52:07 - 00:29:15:16
Kristen
So these silly tags are super cool. so I said, silent. You could also get the glow in the dark kind. and they come in so many different customized formats. It's it's incredible. you can find them at its shelters, in your, you know, your favorite retailer, and I, I was trying to figure out who he got a deal with on Shark Tank, and I didn't get a chance to figure that out.

00:29:15:16 - 00:29:20:17
Kristen
So, But I'm sure that helped to make him Uber famous.

00:29:20:19 - 00:29:47:20
Chris
Yeah. There we go. Yes. All of our celebrities come through Shark Tank. That is how they show up. It is the Shark Tank to Pal podcast hero line. Yeah, that is that is the nature of things. I've got so we got a question last week about, trying to stimulate, a, a cat who just gets a little bit more lazy and that sort of got my gears turning a little bit because I wasn't able to give a straight answer.

00:29:47:22 - 00:30:13:22
Chris
so I'm back with a product recommendation that could that could help out. so Matt from New York, if you're still listening, Daisy and drew, it's a very simple, inexpensive product. So you're not going to be getting, like, this huge, elaborate thing in case the the animal doesn't like it. but really, they're essentially these weighted balls that will roll around easier and you put either treats or catnip inside.

00:30:14:00 - 00:30:42:10
Chris
and then they have all sorts of designs with the tail and stuff like that. And it's just meant to make your cat want to crack open this nut. Essentially, it's almost like a little plastic screwball. and they have their own, line of, of catnip as well. They have a couple of other like, fishing rod styles, but the, the, the base idea of the product is just this weighted ball that's going to roll around all frantically, and inside you put the either the catnip or the treats.

00:30:42:10 - 00:30:55:04
Chris
It's a very simple solution. You're not going to be breaking the bank. in case it doesn't work out. they were exhibiting at Global Pet Expo a few weeks ago, and I actually did have the chance to speak with these.

00:30:55:05 - 00:30:56:08
Kristen
You did you play with it?

00:30:56:08 - 00:31:14:09
Chris
I did, I got down on all fours. I deleted the tape. Luckily, they were going to air that for you after the segment, but I actually hacked into the dog TV servers and deleted that. That evidence. we can't have that quite yet. but it's it's a it's a great little product, so be sure to check it and check it out.

00:31:14:15 - 00:31:21:21
Chris
That's, Daisy and reel. You can find them at Desi ru. Desi I r o com.

00:31:21:23 - 00:31:42:10
Kristen
Awesome. Q and A's. So I think we are up to the point where we do our Q two questions. And please remember you can send your question via audio, which we would we would love because then we get to hear your voice. and they can do that at PetsAddLife.org/podcasts.

00:31:42:10 - 00:31:58:18
Chris
Correct. Pets at life Dawgs podcast or dog tv.com/power podcast. Scroll on down to the bottom of the page and there's the submission form or a link to record your audio. so keep sending in your questions and yours might appear on the show.

00:31:58:20 - 00:32:22:04
Kristen
All right. And I've got one for you, Chris. Okay. Let it rip. This is Brian from Orlando. Okay. From Orlando. His dog recently started limping after their morning runs, but it doesn't seem to be constant. He says should I be concerned about intermittent limping and what steps should I take? Yeah. Great question I would definitely be concerned. Yeah really good question.

00:32:22:04 - 00:32:47:14
Kristen
Very good observation. And I like that you're not blowing it off because it's not a constant thing. So I mean my advice is pretty simple. I think you should you make an appointment to see your vet to make sure that there's not, any type of fracture or, or arthritis starting. I don't know how old dog is here, but, you know, keep in mind, pets mask pain really well.

00:32:47:16 - 00:33:05:02
Kristen
So oftentimes by the time you notice that they're uncomfortable or in pain, they've either been in pain for quite a while or they're in more pain than you think they are. So I think that it's important that you go see the vet and, they can take an X-ray and get a diagnosis or it and then give you much better advice.

00:33:05:02 - 00:33:07:00
Kristen
And I guess as a non.

00:33:07:01 - 00:33:36:19
Chris
So I'm not a, I'm not a vet, I'm not a doctor. But I've interviewed a few on this show. and here's so that is my level of expertise here. the, the best advice I could give you is take the dog to, to a vet. What I would, would guess is happening is your dog is an older dog, and it's probably some type of sprain or tear in one of their ligaments, which can be fixed, both with surgery and with, like, dog physical therapy.

00:33:36:21 - 00:33:56:06
Chris
so you're probably going to be presented with a choice on how you want to handle it. I personally know some people who have done the surgery and it's worked out fine. I have also known people to not do the surgery, and the dog is able to heal on their own, but they use like a special cast to isolate the legs so that it could heal properly.

00:33:56:08 - 00:34:09:18
Chris
Either way, if your dog or animal, any animal is limping or walking weird in any capacity, it is a surefire sign that something is wrong and they should be given proper medical attention.

00:34:09:20 - 00:34:30:07
Kristen
Excellent. Excellent advice. All right, so question number two is from Tamara and she's from Savannah, Georgia. And she says I'm curious about pet health innovations. Were there any new health and wellness products or services introduced at the expo that promise to be game changers for pet care? Sure.

00:34:30:13 - 00:34:53:02
Chris
Here's here's my answer to that. I think we've figured out CBD, right. So I think there was this whole and that might sound like old news, but here's the thing about an innovative product category. at this point, I think what a lot of people saw was, oh, the CBD craze is over because there's significantly less, exhibitors on the show floor.

00:34:53:02 - 00:35:14:06
Chris
There's less manufacturers making this product. I don't think that means the product's not viable. I think it means the losers have now lost the ones with bad products, the ones who didn't really know what they were doing. They have been sorted out by capitalism, and the ones that remain are remaining because people buy them. And why do people buy them?

00:35:14:06 - 00:35:37:02
Chris
Because they do work. so I think if you have not been, one to sort of jump on that CBD bandwagon, that's okay. It's always smart to wait for these things to shake out a bit, but I think the products that currently exist on the market are, generally speaking, good ones. And if you're if you have an older animal with inflammation or some type of chronic pain or arthritis, it is a good holistic option.

00:35:37:07 - 00:35:56:23
Chris
Now that the companies that remain are providing a solid product that has, the backing of many consumers and accreditations and associations and things like that. So while it's not a new trend, I think it's a trend that's really solidified itself in the past year and a half. As you.

00:35:57:01 - 00:36:18:16
Kristen
Yeah. And I think you could say the same for most supplements that we see in the pet space. You know, they're the ones that are, you know, top really great quality and, effective, are going strong. And there's definitely more emphasis on preventative care, and wellness, as opposed to waiting, you know, waiting until your pet is sick or ill or injured.

00:36:18:21 - 00:36:34:01
Kristen
So, and not to mention the the folks from pet care with their pets are monitor. And there are other great pet health innovations that could help you be more mindful and on top of your pet's health at home, so that you have more information to share with your vet when, if and when that time comes.

00:36:34:01 - 00:36:54:07
Chris
Yeah, absolutely. There's there is a blending of the line between, professional care and care at home. I think we're used to it with people. If I get, you know, if I get a cut on my finger because I messed up using a kitchen knife, I don't I don't need to go to, the hospital or anything. I have bandages and the hydrogen peroxide.

00:36:54:07 - 00:37:12:22
Chris
And I think we're starting to think about like that with our animals too, of there is some stuff we could take care of at home. And then there's the stuff where we need to go, see a professional. So we've mentioned a few of those products throughout the show. We've interviewed some great people, through the through the Best in Show awards a few weeks ago and other folks we've had on the show.

00:37:13:00 - 00:37:25:19
Chris
so as far as trend spotting goes, keep listening. If we keep talking about something, it's a trend. If we shut up about it. And maybe it wasn't that much of a trend. So that's that's my final advice is keep keep listening to the podcast.

00:37:25:22 - 00:37:37:09
Kristen
Yes. Please keep listening. give us a review. And as Chris says, we would love a five star review. And if you don't like the show, give us five stars anyway and then tell us privately how we can improve.

00:37:37:09 - 00:37:59:12
Chris
Yes, that is the best way to submit criticisms anywhere is privately. Yes. it's best for me. It's best for my ego to do it that way. but if you if you have a question, we gave you some instructions. That's dog TV.com slash pal podcast PetsAddLifeife.org/podcast. Either website or work. Submit your questions. share this with your friends.

00:37:59:14 - 00:38:19:01
Chris
go get a carrier pigeon. Write the links down on a little piece of paper and release that pigeon into into your neighborhood so that your neighbors can can learn all about our excellent podcasts and this, wonderful show that, you know, APPA Dog TV, pets add life, all work together to put on for you guys. I we hope you're having fun.

00:38:19:03 - 00:38:29:00
Chris
I'm having a blast doing this thing I truly am. so we just hope you're having. If you're having half as much fun as I am, I think we're doing a great job as Chris.

00:38:29:02 - 00:38:32:05
Kristen
I think so too. All right, guys, until next Tuesday.

00:38:32:05 - 00:38:33:09
Chris
And we'll see you on Tuesday. Bye bye.

00:38:33:09 - 00:38:33:21
Kristen
See you later.

00:38:34:02 - 00:38:34:22
Chris
Pets add life.