Real Talks, Greyhound Love & Service Dogs Making a Difference

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Speaker 1 (00:00):

Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in Pet Trends products and the joy of the Human Animal Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonafide, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv.

Speaker 2 (00:14):

Well, welcome back to the Pets Ad Life podcast. We have another awesome episode for you in store. As always, I am one of your co-hosts, and today we have a very special guest, and you probably met her last year when she appeared as a guest on the show at SuperZoo. It's Klo devita. Welcome, KLO. Let me tell our audience a little bit about you, KLO. You are the executive producer and storytelling coach behind Real Talks. I want to talk about that in a second. It's a live Short Talks video series, spotlighting Pet Champions, and with over 15 years experience in digital marketing in the pet space, plus accolades like Pet Ages 40 under 40 award, hello, helps pet professionals craft compelling stories that inspire and connect with their audiences. And welcome and thank you for joining us on episode 80 here on the Pet Side Live podcast 80.

Speaker 3 (01:09):

That's like a big number. I'm excited.

Speaker 2 (01:10):

I know, I know. Ron didn't want us to talk about numbers until we got past 60 or past a year, I guess. So now we can say, okay, we're on number 80.

Speaker 3 (01:20):

Well, congrats Kristen, because you've been hosting for 80 episodes.

Speaker 2 (01:24):

Oh my gosh. Time does fly.

Speaker 3 (01:28):

Yes, that is for sure. You're

Speaker 2 (01:29):

Co-hosting a podcast. So tell us a little bit more about what Real Talk is. I know that I just heard you guys talk, you were talking to Ron about how they're now going to be on the Dog TV Unleash channel.

Speaker 3 (01:39):

Yes, they are. They're coming out to be able to see them everywhere Unleashed by Dog TV is and they are a short form video series and Reel is an acronym. It stands for Research, education, advice and Love. And those are the themes. And it's all about pets and for pet lovers. So it's short talks, really motivating and just bringing to life the things that all of us with pets know and love about our animals.

Speaker 2 (02:07):

Yeah, and I've seen a couple of them. I actually made my husband watch the one with Dr. Oh, Dr. Ross. Yes. Thank you, Dr. Ross. Oh my gosh, that one is so great. I mean, they're all great.

Speaker 3 (02:20):

He had everyone laughing and then crying and then laughing,

Speaker 2 (02:23):

Crying. I know, I know. He's fantastic. So definitely. Where else can they find real Talk

Speaker 3 (02:29):

Out? So Real Talks pet, check it out there. All the videos are there if you want to see them as well. And you can get more information about them and all of the speakers.

Speaker 2 (02:38):

Okay. So Chloe, you've been on the show before, so you probably know the format. But for the listeners, what we do here at Pets Ed Life is we share two stories. We talked to two awesome guests. We also make two pet product recommendations, and then we answer two questions from our audience. So without further ado, let's jump into it.

Speaker 1 (02:58):

Kristen and Chris, present story time. Story time. Want me to go first?

Speaker 2 (03:06):

Yeah, you're the guest, so you have to go first.

Speaker 3 (03:09):

I love that. I want to always be the guest. Okay. So Silka, my Greyhound didn't start out as my Greyhound. About three and a half years ago, I went to a rescue event for a local organization here that brings in lots of different greyhounds and all of the dogs were supposedly spoken for. And I went just in case. So we won't talk about what my husband may or may not have known before I showed up to there. But what he did find out when I sent him a photo in my car of me with a Greyhound in the backseat was that I was bringing home a dog.

Speaker 2 (03:49):

Oh my gosh. The thing about it being your husband, I'm sure he was probably okay with it.

Speaker 3 (03:54):

Yeah, I mean he still sometimes gives me a little bit of a hard time about it, mostly because all of the animals, all the dogs that we've had have been me saying, guess what? We're getting a dog on the way home. She was so nervous the first 20 minutes or so, but she actually started to settle down a bit. She'd never been in a home before. And I think that's something people don't realize with Greyhounds is a lot of them have similar stories, so she didn't race, but whether they race or she was raised to hunt, which is a whole other thing, but whatever they're raised for, it's usually not, you don't go find Greyhound puppies, you don't see them at shelters. They're not just out there. And a lot of people have misconceptions about them. They think, oh my gosh, they must need so much exercise. They can run so fast. They're the laziest dogs ever. They're the biggest couch potatoes, 90% of her days spent sleeping.

Speaker 2 (04:50):

Wow. I don't think most people know that about Greyhounds.

Speaker 3 (04:54):

No, and it's because they have a lot of energy. So you'll see the videos of them having zoomies, you'll see the videos of them running fast, and it's more like a spurt than a need for it to be ongoing. So when I got her home, and this is the story for most greyhounds, a lot of them haven't been in homes. She didn't know what stairs were. She was super confused. She's still clumsy on them. She ran into our sliding glass door so many times before she finally realized it was not see-through and she couldn't just walk through it and just, she was terrified of the wood floors. We put carpets everywhere so she could walk, but anywhere there wasn't carpet, she would not step. So she'd look at it and just be scared and the whole,

Speaker 2 (05:37):

So did she live outside prior to

Speaker 3 (05:39):

Being? Yeah, she lived outside for four years before, a little over four years before she came home with me and just in a pen with a doghouse. And she didn't have a lot of human touch. She's still nervous, mostly of men, but she's the sweetest dog. And I think when you have the capacity to put in the little extra effort in time and patience, what comes out of those dogs and greyhounds fall into that, most of them is just the most wonderful bond. And I just wanted to highlight that she came, first of all, I wasn't supposed to be adopting a dog, but I did.

Speaker 2 (06:13):

I have a story. This is one that I pulled off of the Hari website, and I do that from time to time. It's Hari to remind folks, stands for the Human Animal Bond Research Institute. And I just love learning about all the different types of studies, scientific studies that are going on to show the importance of animals in our lives, both emotionally, medically, physically, all kinds of ways. So this study was about therapy dogs and how in an environment of the emergency room for children, like children that had to go to the emergency for one room or another, they were exposed to therapy dogs for I think it was like 10 minutes. And the results were not really surprising to most people. I'm sure if you've spent any time with a dog, you know how calming they can be. But this was a study done by Wayne State University School of Medicine, that's human medicine.

(07:10):

They studied 80 kids age five through 17. And all of those kids received the regular standard care at the emergency room, but half of them also got 10 minutes with the therapy dog and their handler. And as you can imagine, all kids experienced some degree of psychological stress as well as the parents that are in an ER environment. And about 15% of those kids suffer such stress that they need a medical intervention, like they need some type of injection or medication to calm them down. But in this study, 46% of the kids in the therapy dog group saw decreased anxiety scores compared to only 23% in the control group. And then 55% of those kids in the control group needed anxiety medication, whereas only 35% of the kids in the therapy dog group needed the medication. So again, for you and I, I don't think we're surprised at all to learn that, but I think it just adds the study, adds solid scientific evidence to what many people and healthcare workers already suspected and showing that human animal bond could literally improve medical outcomes and certainly just improve the experience of going through an emergency type of situation.

Speaker 3 (08:32):

Therapy dog plays such an important role, I think in that

Speaker 1 (08:35):

Beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism,

Speaker 3 (08:41):

We are here today with Tracy Malcolmson. She is the chief operating officer of Purple Cat Cafe, Glasgow's pioneering Cat Cafe and sanctuary housing around 21 rescue cats currently. I'd love to get an update on that number by the way, but it is a cozy cafe environment and with an educational background from Glasgow, Clyde College, Tracy leads daily operations ensuring both feline residents and customers enjoy a safe, enriching experience. And since opening its doors in 2017 purple, I love that. Become a beloved community hub that blends cafe culture with cat welfare, offering visitors the chance to relax with adoptable cats in a thoughtfully designed space. That's beautiful. Welcome, Tracy.

Speaker 4 (09:31):

Thank you. Hi. Thanks for having me.

Speaker 3 (09:33):

We're excited to dive in. I'm just going to keep saying purple. We should have worn purple today. But let's get to the beginning because the idea for Purple Cat Cafe, tell us a little bit about where that came about and what your vision was.

Speaker 4 (09:53):

So initially I first heard that cat cafes were a thing. Back in 2016, a friend of mine had taken her little girl to a cat cafe and she'd put some pictures on social media and I'd sent her a message right away, what is this? You've got food and you've got cats, where are you? Oh my goodness, I need to be here. What is it? And at that time, I was working for the NHS, the National Health Service in Scotland, and I also had a sandwich shop. That was another business that was running at the same time. So found out cat cafes were a thing, did a very quick kind of Google search. They came from Taiwan in the 1980s. There's a handful of them in the uk. Does Glasgow have one? No, let's fix that. So I said to my husband, things are going to change and the shop is on the market as of tomorrow morning.

(10:42):

And he's going, what? What's going on? Used to my hair brain schemes, but they're usually not quite so big. They're usually like, can we go on holiday or let's buy a new car, or let's do something. And he says, cat cafes, are you mad? What are we talking about? And I said, I am the target market. If this existed, I would go there right now. So it's a good idea, let's do it. And he just goes, right, let's go look at one. So I took him a tour of the existing ones in the UK and he didn't quite understand it, but he is an animal lover and he said, oh, okay, I suppose we'll see how it goes.

Speaker 2 (11:15):

Let's face it, he didn't have a choice.

Speaker 4 (11:18):

Not really, no. And also when it comes to animals, it's kind of like the doey, but it's animals. What are you going to do? And side quest. But we got married in a zoo several years later. Oh, cool. He's a guy who loves animals. So we got married at Edinburg Zoo. It's the kind of place that people don't normally get married, although they do weddings quite unusual. And when everyone had heard, they were like, oh, of course that's where you guys would get married, obviously. So I didn't really have a choice. Makes

Speaker 5 (11:46):

Sense.

Speaker 4 (11:47):

Yeah. So we started the cafe, gathered the cats, and for me, me, I wanted to make sure it was all about rescues. That's really important to me. So it was about rescuing and lots has happened between them. And then

Speaker 2 (12:02):

That leads to my next question about the rescues. So tell us where do the cats come from and how are they cared for? Do they live in the cafe or how does that all work?

Speaker 4 (12:11):

Yeah, so in Scotland we don't really have an issue with stray cat populations. That is an issue in other countries. But in Scotland we're fortunate, we don't really have an issue with that. What we do have an issue with is abandonment due to family changes of circumstances, relationship breakdown, people passing away and not having plans for their cats. And also, especially in the summer, this is kitten season, people not spaying and uterine and then their indoor cat is not being done because they're never going to go outside, guaranteed when they go out, they're going out for one reason and they're going to come out with a belly full of kittens. I know they were only missing for two days, but you're going to have some babies. So we get calls from everywhere. And because of the size of the space we have, we've got over 2000 square foot of space for the cats, it's a lot of space.

(12:59):

We only take groups of cats, so there's lots of people who could rehome one or two. We go minimum of three, and we want bigger groups, with the exception of some elderly cats with health conditions. They don't have to meet the minimum, but we want the big groups and they live in the cafe. So we have two floors. Right now we're in the basement because it's a bit noisy upstairs with all the cats. And the update is we have 35 in the house right now, so we have 35 cats here. And they live in the basement at nighttime. So nighttime they come downstairs, this is their home. They're not in cages or crates. Sometimes people do ask that, but no, they've got free reign of a lot of space. And as far as I know, they have the most space off the floor of any cat cafe in the uk.

(13:42):

So most of them set up a ground floor or whatever it is, and they have a room for the cats. We've flipped it on its head. The cats have the majority of the space. And then PS, cats, this is your outdoor space. It's not actually outdoors, it's just an upstairs that's styled as their garden, outdoor catio. And that's the area where our guests come into. So people pay a welfare charge to come in, spend some time with the cats, and then that's the cat's entertainment. So they pay to come in to be the entertainment and cat lovers are quite happy with that just coming along as long as it makes the cats happy. So that's their enrichment, that's their environment. And then they've got downstairs in the basement, which is calm, quiet, no music, no strangers. We do the minimal amount of interaction with them downstairs, so they have their space as well.

Speaker 3 (14:28):

I love that. I love that you have them free roaming and they sort of get to own the space. I imagine it also comes with some unique challenges around introducing new cats and bringing them up to even with the people you mentioned needing to hand sanitize your hands and everything. How do you manage all the little unique challenges related to free roaming cats and Cat cafe?

Speaker 4 (14:51):

So for me, the whole thought was always cats first, then our staff and then customers. So in the typical capped arrogance, if you like, cats are number one. And then we have to make sure that things are easy and accessible and manageable for our staff. And then PS, you guys are coming in, you can pay, come on, give us some money and also be the entertainment. Thank you very much. You're placed in the pecking order. When you're in a cat's world, if you come here for something different, you're not getting that. So when they come here, there's house rules. They see them before they book, they get them reminded at the door, don't pick up cats, don't touch 'em. If they're sleeping, don't touch 'em. If they're eaten, let them come to you. And very importantly, hand sanitizer. And you'll find that in most places where you visit animals, if you go to farm parks, zoos, hand sanitizer, we don't just go, it's over there.

(15:40):

We say, give us your hands, so straight on, there you go. And we make sure it's on every person coming in and they can do their own thing when they come in, but they make sure that they've got clean hands when they're coming, and so they're not bringing anything in. There's also double door systems. So when we're moving from one space to another, we have a main door which is locked, and then an inner door, which is also closed over, and at times locked. We bring guests into the foyer, shut the door, and then open the next door just to make sure that nobody sneaks in and gets out. It just gives us that extra layer of protection. Even putting the bins out from the kitchen. There's two doors, so we have to look, check, make sure no one's there, and then get the next door. So it's all about making sure it's safe for everyone, not just in terms of doors, but also biosecurity hands, making sure the germs don't get in.

Speaker 2 (16:25):

Hey Tracy, we are running out of time, but I want you to tell our listeners and our viewers where we can learn more about the Purple Cat Cafe. How can we follow you?

Speaker 4 (16:34):

So our socials, we use Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. It's purple with two Rs, most importantly Purple Cat Cafe, Glasgow Purple Pet Cat Cafe. And we also now have Purple Cat Rescue, which again is quite young, but I'd love it if people could follow that and keep in touch with our progress. We have some huge plans to do some things that no one else has done before in this city. So exciting to follow if you like that.

Speaker 2 (16:57):

Fantastic. Well, we'll make sure that's in the show notes. And thank you so much for joining us today and tell all the cats we said hello.

Speaker 4 (17:04):

I will do. And if you want to catch up again for some cat time, please let me know and we can do it maybe outside of hours when there's no customers and you can see some cats if you want to do that in the future,

Speaker 2 (17:12):

That'd be good. So I think she's the perfect person to run that Purple Cat Cafe.

Speaker 3 (17:19):

Indeed, she is. I love how much she forgot about the people and was focused on the cats and just made it a cat place.

Speaker 2 (17:26):

I know. And I feel like that's the key to her success.

Speaker 3 (17:29):

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Because as a cat loving person, even if I had one or not, if I just love cats, I go for the cats, not the people.

Speaker 2 (17:38):

Of course, of course. I'd be happy to pay and then do whatever the cats wanted me to do. Exactly.

Speaker 3 (17:43):

I'm at their beck and call.

Speaker 2 (17:47):

All right. Joining us now is Sue Perello. She's served as the Northeast Region volunteer manager at Canine Companions for over six years. And in this role she oversees volunteer coordination for life-changing service, dog teams, puppy raising and public gatherings. Among her signature responsibilities are organizing Dog Fest, long Island and Dog Fest, Washington DC That sounds like fun. Both key regional fundraisers support Canine Companion's Mission. And Canine Companions is the nation's first and largest service dog organization providing expertly trained dogs for people with disabilities, and the people with disabilities get the dogs completely free, which is amazing. Oh, I should mention, this is the 50th anniversary for Canine Companion. So happy birthday and welcome, Sue.

Speaker 5 (18:42):

Well, hi, and thank you so much for having me on the show.

Speaker 2 (18:46):

Of course. It's our pleasure. I'll kick off the interview by just asking you what sparked your passion for working with Canine Companions and how did you get so involved in the management of the volunteers?

Speaker 5 (18:59):

So my background prior to Canine Companions was working with people in the mental health field, and I grew up, of course, with dogs and love dogs. So it was an easy real transition to be helping people, particularly people that have special challenges and then to incorporate dogs that we all love and know that they just bring such joy to people's lives. It was really an easy fix for me to jump right in.

Speaker 2 (19:27):

I know twist my arm

Speaker 5 (19:30):

And is close to my house. So there you go all around. Good points, perfect fit. And the mission really is what catches people, including myself to be here.

Speaker 3 (19:42):

Yeah, it's a wonderful mission. And I can imagine. So we mentioned Dog Fest, right? And I know Long Island and then Washington DC's Dog Fest, those are big events. Those are big events, bringing a lot of people. Tell us a little more about them.

Speaker 5 (19:58):

Absolutely. So Dog Fest itself is our, so we're a national organization as you mentioned. So we actually have nine dog fests across the country, two of which the two you mentioned in Long Island and in DC area. Those two are in the Northeast region, which is where I'm located. So each six of our regions across the United States are covering all 50 states, but Dog Fest is one of our signature fundraising events. It is again, nationally held, but it's really where people come together to really celebrate the canine human bond and wealth fundraising to support our life-changing mission. So you really do, it's twofold.

Speaker 2 (20:43):

Well, you have a really dedicated volunteer base. So what is your approach to training these volunteers and supporting them and honoring and celebrating? Oops, that's Tulip. The volunteers who keep the organization running,

Speaker 5 (21:00):

Honestly, my job is easy because of them. They are super dedicated, they're really motivated by our mission and also by just engaging. This happens all the time on our call. We always have dogs bark. It doesn't even phase. It's perfect. He's getting involved in the interview or she, excuse me, tulip, she, anyway, our volunteers, honestly, they really are self-driven by all that they are giving, but also giving back to us. So my management of them is really just helping to support them more than really manage them. Our volunteers are the most dedicated, amazing people that you can imagine. They're doing events like Dog Fest, which is really an all year event. So I don't know if we'll get into Dog Fest, but people are getting involved in raising money really all year round. And then we have a day of celebration of all the people that fundraise, but also that human canine bond where it's open to the public free of charge, people bring their pet dogs.

(22:05):

We have all kinds of fun things happening. So as far as that, but they do many other things for us. Our volunteers are doing puppy raising, which is, I mean, we couldn't exist without our puppy raisers. We have general volunteers that do anything from admin support. They're out helping us in kennels, they're out doing outreach and awareness events. So really spreading the word. I mean, we are just, for example, the northeast region. We're located on Long Island and Medford, but we're covering from Maine to Virginia from this site. And we're a small staff, so our volunteers are essential to getting the word out, networking, getting people involved, helping us raise money. I mean, really they drive what we do.

Speaker 3 (22:50):

It sounds like your role ends up being a little bit more like community leader than necessarily volunteer manager.

Speaker 5 (22:57):

Yeah, less managing, but yes, I would say engagement. So I do help. Obviously there's some backend work, just keeping track of things. So I do a lot of that stuff. But working with our volunteers, again, it's helping make sure that they have what they need. They have the education, the tools, any swag, all that kind of stuff to really push out whatever our agenda is at the time. And it's all the same towards our mission, which is obviously placing those dogs free of charge. Do people that?

Speaker 3 (23:28):

Yeah, I love that. And you're on your 50th year, you said. So It

Speaker 5 (23:31):

Is. I got my 50th shirt on

Speaker 3 (23:34):

Shirt, make sure to promote. I love it. How would you say, so 50 years, that's a significant amount of time, and I'm sure the volunteer programs have evolved and moments that happen have grown. I mean, you even said you're still one little area, one little organization for your northeast, they're covering a pretty big area. So how has it evolved over 50 years?

Speaker 5 (24:00):

Oh, wow. Well, that's a big question. So we started out in 1975 out in California, and it was really, there was Dr. Bonnie Bergen is the person who kind thought up the whole concept after visiting in Asia and kind of seeing what animals could do, in particular donkeys in Asia, helping people and kind of transferred some of those thoughts to us. So we were really started humbly in a garage, an office out in California where our headquarters still is today, but little by little, again, have grown to all of these different regional centers. Each center, we have chapters covering the area. So I think how we've evolved though as an organization with our volunteers is really providing just a lot more support, education, a little more driven by our national kind of mission and agenda versus when you start grassroots. We still have those grassroots though obviously by what we've already discussed. Grassroots are important, but we're able to give them a little bit more support and structure and tools to really help get that going and spread the word and help as many people as possible.

Speaker 2 (25:16):

Yeah. Now that I've got Tulip quieted down, I wanted to ask you about, let's talk about the companion dogs that you are training there that help the folks with disabilities. What types of disabilities are the dogs trained to support?

Speaker 5 (25:32):

So our service dogs are supporting over 65 different disabilities, and that doesn't even cover really. We always track it and we have this other box, and the other box is a big portion. So it's really people that have physical disabilities. We work with people with hearing disabilities, mobility issues. Let's see. We have a program for veterans that have post-traumatic stress. So our dogs, depending on what they're doing, they may have some different tools, but they all start out with our volunteer puppy raisers. Well, they're actually, I should stop. They're all born out. So that's the real start out In California, we have a full breeding center research team. We're really involved in leading the industry in what makes a good service dog. So we have a lot invested over those 50 years. Some of the things we've been doing in the 50 years is really what makes a good service dog.

(26:28):

But then our volunteer puppy raisers, they're teaching manners, socializing, exposing them to things, getting them ready. And we have classes and things that they do for us. And then they're coming through professional training and then they're finally getting placed. But the way we're working with those folks is really looking at what the dog strengths are. And then as the client is coming, the person potentially getting the dog, their process of onboarding tells us what they need. And we do a long process there as far as really getting to know what their specific needs are. So rather than focus on the disability, it's more about how can our dog help to enhance that person's life, give them greater independence. So we're really looking to make sure that that can happen. And while we're here, our dogs prior to when they're working with our puppy raiser, and then when they come here in the beginning, they have about 40 commands under their belt.

(27:25):

And then what our trainers are able to do is really talk to the people that are getting the dogs and then put commands together to meet the needs. So we have dogs that can, I mean, our dogs generally are picking up things for people. They can carry things, they can open doors, turn on light switches. I mean, they can help with laundry, drag a laundry basket down, put the clothes in the laundry I lot that they can take them out, they can put them in drawers, they can open the drawers, put the windows and close the drawer. So I mean, you could think of, and these are all just, they can't put soap in yet, no soap, but we're working hard to get them to really do whatever the person needs. And then we also work with those clients after they get the dog. We don't just say good luck. We stay with them for the entire working life of the dog. So as their needs change, we can work with them and our trainers can work with them to make sure that our dog is still able to meet those changing needs. So it's really an amazing mission. You can see why it keeps people here and keeps people involved because there really are changing lives. I've seen it so many times. It

Speaker 3 (28:34):

Really is amazing. And hearing all of that, I have a friend who does that. She's a volunteer raising service puppies, and she's always sharing them. I think she's on her eighth or maybe even ninth one now, and just the story she shares and then she gets to see where they end up. And so then I don't know that she connects with those people, but the full spectrum of what it takes is just so amazing. What is something that you feel like people don't fully understand and you really wish that they would?

Speaker 5 (29:06):

Oh, that's a great question. I feel like the real impact, I know people see, oh, they have a service dog. And maybe if it's a person that has an invisible disability too, so they're not using mobility equipment or something that someone can see, I think people don't realize how much the dog does for the person and how it changes a person's life. And I don't think I realized that until I've really heard, like you were saying, all the stories from graduates that come back. I mean example that you would not, maybe you wouldn't think of a couple things. We had a veteran who was home bound really because of the traumas that they experienced in combat for five years. They did not leave their home for five years. They finally through a lot of support, the va, like local community where this is all why we are connected to communities community.

(30:00):

A VA person in the VA had one of our dogs. And so convince this person to come here for two weeks of team training, which is what we asked for, which is way out of their comfort zone. But now they got through the process, they've had the dog for many years, they're back in the community. And first it started with, I just have to walk my dog, so I have to leave my house. I have a responsibility. But now that dog makes, they're able to go and join back. So that's just one really powerful example. And sometimes, I mean, there's one other one that I always use and if I'm talking too much, let me know. But there was, when I first started here, a graduate who was getting a second dog. So they had a dog for 10 to 12 years, and then they were getting another dog, which we call successors.

(30:49):

But he was telling us a story. He lives in a remote area up north where it's cold. He wouldn't go out by himself generally in this, but he had his dog, he went out, he was in a pretty isolated place, dropped his keys and they went under his vehicle. He would've been stuck there in the cold, but his dog was able to go and get those keys and save the day. So it really opens a world up that you don't realize the little things that might hold someone back that now these dogs can just open a world. Yeah, he could go to the store now and not worry.

Speaker 2 (31:21):

Yeah, and I'm sure you hear thousands and thousands of stories just like that every day. Sue, we're about out of time here, but I want to make sure that we tell our listeners and viewers where they can learn more about Canine Companions. Where can they follow you and find out more about Dog Fest?

Speaker 5 (31:36):

Absolutely. The best place is our website, which is canine spelled out, C-A-N-I-N e.org. They can learn pretty much everything about us and Dog Fest. If they go to the Get involved tab right at the top, choose Dog Fest, it will tell them how to get involved. They can create a team, help raise money for us. We have sponsorship, vendor opportunities, donating, volunteer. You want to get involved in any level, you can do it there.

Speaker 2 (32:02):

There's a way.

Speaker 5 (32:04):

Absolutely. We accept everything.

Speaker 2 (32:07):

Yes. Well, thank you so much for the important work that you do and for joining us today to give us a little behind the scenes of what it's all about. So

Speaker 5 (32:14):

We appreciate it. Thank you so much for having us. We really appreciate it too. And join Dog Fest, create a team.

Speaker 2 (32:24):

Chloe. I would think being a puppy raiser would be the best volunteer job ever.

Speaker 3 (32:30):

I love it. And I'm also scared of it because I'm like, how do you a puppy? And then I just give it away.

Speaker 2 (32:35):

Yeah, I know that part. I don't know that I could do. I think I would fail that job.

Speaker 3 (32:41):

I would, my friend who does it, so I have a friend, right? She does it. She said she sort of has to hone in on the idea that she's investing in somebody else, right? Oh, that's great. What she's doing is helping somebody else. And I like that framing. Maybe I could do that.

Speaker 2 (32:55):

That's a smart way to think about it. I do want to mention, we have some dates for Dog Fest. They're North Central. I think that must be the Long Island event. That's September 21st. They're in Seattle on September 25th, DC on October 4th, Oklahoma City on October 5th. And the Bay Area on October 18th, I'm assuming, is that the San Francisco Bay area?

Speaker 3 (33:16):

It must be.

Speaker 2 (33:17):

Okay.

Speaker 3 (33:18):

Yeah,

Speaker 2 (33:19):

Because from Tampa Bay, so I always think of the Tampa Bay area. It's probably the San Francisco Bay area. So the product of the week. Alright, close. So we are at the product of the week section of the show, and I'm excited to hear what you've got for us today.

Speaker 3 (33:35):

So I have Wash Bar, which I know you can watch this on YouTube too, and you'll see it, but I'll explain it. Wash Bar is what it sounds like, a bar of soap that you wash your dog with. But I love it because it's got the ingredients. It's a vegetable-based soap, so it's all in that way, but it's like neme oil, lemon scented tea, tree oil, neme leaf. It's really clean stuff that's like the ingredients. And it comes in a cardboard box. I have the two pack. You can get it in single or double. I have the two pack here. Cool. Oh wow. But I love it because I like washing my dog at home. I recently just used this with Silka. I just opened this one. So I've used one of the bars, but it's pretty easy. It's literally, you just lather it up on yourself and wash them, or you can just rub the bar of soap on them. But they ended up smelling really good. I was actually surprised how well her fur not only cleaned, but felt soft afterwards. It just felt really nice. So I really love that about

Speaker 2 (34:34):

It. It felt silkier.

Speaker 3 (34:34):

Yeah. Well, silkier and I'm somebody who's very eco-conscious, and so I love that it comes in a cardboard box. There's no plastic. You use what's in there, you recycle the cardboard. It's very little footprint, if any. So Wash bar, they're a New Zealand company. Lou the founder. I love her. She has got that strong accent, and I just could ask her questions all day just to hear her talk,

Speaker 2 (34:56):

Just so she can talk. Yeah, yeah. And I assume it comes in different fragrances

Speaker 3 (35:01):

Or there's a couple different, there's just a few different, and it comes in single or double. There's a gentle one, which I think is great. So if you don't want fragrance and that kind of thing. But yeah, it's a really simple, easy, I was like, this is the kind of soap I've been looking for, and I love it.

Speaker 2 (35:19):

Great. I like that. That's wonderful. My product today is, I don't have it here physically with me, but Ron, maybe you could I put a link to it. Well, we'll have links to both of these products in the show notes, but I thought in honor of Silka, I would share a cool Martingale collar with a fall theme, because this show is publishing on, what is it, September 2nd, I think. Yeah, September 2nd. So we're getting close to Pumpkin Spice Latte season in the fall. And I always like to put Tulip in a cute fall collar or something like that. So Two Hounds Design is one of my favorite dog collar companies, Alicia, she's the best. And they have the most beautiful collar you've ever seen. So many gorgeous designs. They also have that really cool, no pull, what's it called? No pull harness, I think. But that's not what I'm talking about today. But this is one of their, a few different fall styles. It's got little fall leaves all over it. It's absolutely beautiful. And Martin Gaye collars, I don't know if you use one for Silk or not, but yeah, so if you've not heard of that before, it's basically called, that's designed to not slip over the head of breeds that have, what do you call it, skinny heads.

Speaker 3 (36:40):

Their neck is bigger

Speaker 2 (36:41):

Like Greyhound

Speaker 3 (36:42):

Than their head. So it,

Speaker 2 (36:43):

Yeah, yeah, exactly. So like a Greyhound, a Whippet, a Saluki, a Martin Gale collars. But I mean, I've even put Martin Gale's on my Labrador and on tulips. So I just like the way they're designed. And I think that Alicia has so many beautiful designs and really, really good quality fabrics too. And I have thrown them in the washer and they come out just fine. I don't put them in the dryer. So yeah, check out the Falling Leaves. Martindale Collar from Two Hounds Design. Yes,

Speaker 3 (37:15):

I'm definitely a fan of Martin's for any breed. I mean, they're necessary for some, but for any breed.

Speaker 2 (37:23):

Alright. Alright. All right. Hello. Are you ready for what Chris and I call our favorite part of the show?

Speaker 3 (37:33):

Yeah,

Speaker 2 (37:35):

You're like, I dunno, what is it? So this is the part of the show where we answer two questions from our listeners. And there it's a really easy process to ask your question. You can just go to Pats add life.org/podcast and you scroll down to the bottom of the page and you can just type your question right in there. And if you're a little bit braver, you can actually record your voice asking us the question, which we highly encourage. We'd like to hear from you. Okay, Chloe, here's your question. This comes from Julia in San Jose, California, and Julia says, I recently adopted a stray cat. What vaccination schedule should I follow considering she's an outdoor cat and around other cats in the neighborhood? That's a good question.

Speaker 3 (38:21):

It is such a good question. I love Julia, that you're thinking about this. I phoned a friend and my friend happens to be a veterinarian because I think it's important to always ensure you're getting things like vaccination advice from your veterinarian. So what Dr. Robin is her name. She is the founder and clinic runner of East Bay Animal Hospital in Largo, Florida. And she gave me a lovely response and some more information for you. And basically what she said is that there's the Feline Veterinary Medical Association, FVMA, and they break down vaccines into two categories. There's core which are recommended and pretty much necessary. And then there's knowing your cat goes outside, this is what she had to say is rabies was immediately important. And how often you have to get that minister will depend on your locale. So you'll have to ask your local veterinarian what that is in Colorado, it's every three years, and I think that's a pretty common timeframe, but it's not that everywhere.

(39:20):

So rabies is the first one. And then F-V-R-C-P, which is just a lot of letters that stand for names of things that are very, it's like Feline p Luca emia. I don't think you need to know what they're, but F-V-R-C-P is the other core one, and now you should be able to start right away. And it's one of those where you get it once and then they'll administer a booster after three to four weeks, and then about every three years that will be a renewal type vaccine. So those ones are core and you should get, because you're outside, you also want to get the feline leukemia one. So that's one that you want to just ensure it just has to do with exposure. And an outdoor cat is much more exposed to possibly getting feline leukemia. So you definitely want that one check with your vet on the, it will kind of depend on your area again for how often.

(40:11):

So your vet can let you know that. But you can look up all of this on the FVMA feline vaccination guidelines. Just Google, this sounds like a lot, but if you just Google, and maybe we can put this in the show notes. I do have a link here that has the guidelines. So then you can go to your vet and have an idea and have a discussion about it and be in the know. But definitely ask all the questions. What Dr. Robin said is the most important thing is have an open conversation with your veterinarian, tell them all the details about the cat's lifestyles, especially the outdoor pieces, and they'll guide you through what's required and what's recommended.

Speaker 2 (40:48):

Excellent, excellent advice. And I think that's great advice for even folks with indoor cats too, because I know a lot of people think, oh, I am not going to vaccinate my cat because she doesn't go outside. But I don't know, I've had a lot of indoor cats that have managed to get outside, slip outside overnight or what have you through a door or something like that. So I think whether your cat is indoor or outdoor, it's really important to talk to your vet about those necessary vaccinations.

Speaker 3 (41:16):

Yep, definitely. So hopefully that was helpful, Julia.

Speaker 2 (41:19):

Yes. Thank you, Julia. So what do you have for me this week?

Speaker 3 (41:23):

I have a question for you from Mike in Orlando, Florida. Mike says, my neighbor's dog barks nonstop when I'm in my yard. I've tried talking to them, but nothing changes. What is the best way to address nuisance barking that respects both dogs and neighbors?

Speaker 2 (41:43):

Yeah, this is not only a frustrating problem, but kind of a sticky situation, especially we're talking about neighbors here and it sounds like you've already tried to talk to them. I don't know what the results were of that, Mike, but I think it's helpful to first understand why the dog is barking. And obviously we don't have a ton of information to go on, but dogs typically bark because they're bored or they're anxious or they're being protective or they're overstimulated. And if your presence in the yard is what's triggering the sparking, which it sounds like it might be that the dog is being territorial or attention seeking, it's maybe the dog's way of letting you know that he's there and he's being protective or something like that. So I think maybe where you could start is by having yet maybe one more conversation with that neighbor and very cordial, and just maybe explain that you've noticed that he tends to bark for about 15 minutes straight whenever you're gardening.

(42:49):

Maybe is it possible that you could bring him inside when I'm gardening, or just kind of approach it with a, how can we solve this problem together as opposed to our dogs just making it all about their problem, which it technically is, is and maybe even suggesting things that you think might work, calming, treats, puzzle toys, just more inside time during those high bar periods, if that's not helpful or in the meantime. And I guess if you're open to it, you could, and this is not inexpensive solution, but I don't know if you have a fence, but if there's something you can use as a visual barrier to block the dog's view of you when you're in the yard, and it doesn't even have to be a fence. It could be one of those privacy screens or something like that, or maybe playing some white noise. Maybe one of those big fans that can kind of muffle the sounds that might be triggering the barking. And you know what I would do? I would just, every time I came outside and the dog was out there, I would throw treats over the fence or through the fence or whatever so that the dog starts to associate you coming outside with really good things that would probably stop the dog from barking. But you're also training the dog that you're going to have treats every time you come outside.

(44:12):

I think the last resort is if this barking just continues to go on for, there's no change, nothing's working, that you should document the dates and the durations of the barking maybe for a two or four week period and talk to your county, whether it's your county animal services group, or sometimes they call it animal services, animal control, because most places do have noise ordinances. And like I said, that is a lash resort, but maybe if they get a warning from some official person at an official capacity, they might take it a little bit more seriously. So I hope that helps. We have a dog in our neighborhood that parks a lot, but he's pretty far away, so it doesn't really bother us. But I know the neighbors next door must not be too happy about it. That's a tough one. Good luck. Yeah. Good luck, Mike.

Speaker 3 (45:09):

Hard situation.

Speaker 2 (45:11):

Let's hope this doesn't turn into a neighbor brawl. Alright, so don't forget, we'd love getting your questions. And every now and then when we have a veterinary guest or a dog training guest, we will toss the question to them too, so you get the best experts in the business answering your questions. So Chloe, believe it or not, we've come to the end of the show already and I want to make sure that we let folks know, tell us about what you're working on now and where can we follow work? Your work

Speaker 3 (45:43):

Right now we're working on, it's like letting out a secret, launching the real talks through. Is this an exclusive, I know, well, we kind of talked about at the beginning, but that's really a big piece that we're working on, is getting that out into the world. So definitely follow Real talks.pet, that's the website, but it's also the Instagram so you can see everything there. Check out what we've got going on. And I personally have been diving into a lot of AI things, like I'm learning AI and AI agents. I've been learning about a EO and GEO and all the stuff. So you might see me pop up with some information about that too. But just remember DaVita, apparently there's two of us because I couldn't get Clo devita@gmail.com.

Speaker 2 (46:26):

You know what, there's two of me too, the other Kristen, I'm sure there's many of us, but the other one that I'm always competing for, my name is she's an author. Yeah, I

Speaker 3 (46:38):

Haven't been able to find this person online. They just own the email address.

Speaker 2 (46:42):

Interesting.

Speaker 3 (46:42):

I know.

Speaker 2 (46:44):

Well, if you're watching Chloe Devita too,

Speaker 3 (46:47):

Yeah, please reach out.

Speaker 2 (46:51):

And for our listeners, if you've only been listening to us on your favorite podcast app, definitely check us out on YouTube. You get to see CLOs product of the week, the visual of the products of the week. You get to see our guests in person. You can check us out on Dog TV's Unleashed Channel on Amazon Fast Channels. You can also go to the dog tv, YouTube channel. And of course, please, please, please make sure you're following us on all of the pets ad life, social media channels, or you don't have to follow all of them, but the one of choice. So TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, we're all over the place. And with that, thank you again. It has been such a pleasure having you co-host with me. Give my regards to Silka as a matter of Yes, absolutely. And this show went by faster than a Greyhound on Espresso. So we'll see you next week. Pets,

Speaker 1 (47:46):

Add Life, your guide to the latest in Pet Trends products, and the joy of the Human Animal Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonafide, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv.