Raise The Woof

"I am one that rarely says no. I almost always say yes and it has caused me to hit a wall. When shit hits the fan, you have nowhere to go with it. I pride myself and the rescue was my way of giving back and my way of seeing something positive  in a profession that I see grief and sorrow and when the rescue is now providing me the grief and I am seeing the sorrow and death of the shelters, it is tenfold." Jen Freels has experienced the highs and lows of rescue. Now, she is at a turning point and is trying to slow it down a bit....but will her heart allow her to do that?   

Booker Youngblutt, who I met just over a year ago, has become an integral part of Live Like Roo and now, we have expanded his role with the newly created Booker Fund. He has taken in 2 dogs with cancer that were hospice and has never looked back. He can teach us all a little something and I just love this quote: "You just can't sit and complain and wait for someone else to do it. You gotta get in there and do it yourself. It is rewarding. At the end, you do not remember the negative, you remember the positive." Enjoy the show.  

A great conversation with Erin Kowalski from Bialy's Wellness Foundation! Sooo many people asked for her to be a guest and she was phenomenal. The story of Bialy is a tough one and I think it is soooo important for people to hear. "No kill" is such a buzzword, rightfully so, and unfortunately sometimes all avenues have been exhausted and tough decisions have to be made. That is reality. It does not mean it is easy. No one is more genuine and giving than Erin.  We also reminisce about Lt. Dan...it is a great listen. 

"We had rescue for the dog. Why is the dog not here? She is the dog in a bag? I cannot begin to tell you how many times my blood boiled over these situation." All of us in rescue have that one person that inspired us to get involved.  Alycia Hayes is mine. She is kind. She is patient. She and I saw some good and bad at an open admission shelter.  She launched a very successful transfer team at Chicago Care and Control and trusted a few of us to take it over when she had to step away. She was my jedi and taught me so so much. I always aspired to be like her and I am lucky to call her a great friend. 

Arin Greenwood has written for BarkPost, Huffington Post, Washington post and many more. Many of her stories, you will remember. She became a pit bull advocate when she adopted Barky and had no idea she was a pit---amazing story.  Arin has a ton of great stories and is a beautiful writer. You all will love her.

A wedding recap, The Booker Fund and I answer some burning questions. I had to restart the damn thing 3 times because the dogs are being amazing tonight! Also, I could hear my East Coast accent in this one. UH OH

"Our relationship was better after you quit the transfer team."   He is right. I am mad it took me so long to realize how much of a time suck that was, but I am so grateful for everything I learned at Chicago Animal Care and Control.    Schipp is kind of shy about putting our lives out there, but he was a great guest.    "I try to help Sarah think with her head and not her heart."   Sometimes I am clouded by the passion to save an animal, when in reality it may not be the best. Schipp is always a sounding board for me. I am so thankful to have someone like him. 

Dawn Isenhart-Copp and I became instant friends when we 1st met at Chicago Animal Care and Control and I had a White Sox tee on... "I knew I liked you when I met you and you had that tee on!" she said. Dawn is amazing. She has the best heart, but has an edge to her that I SO RESPECT and when she rants-it is amazing. Haaaaa. Tomorrow, she tells the story of Midnight-a dog she rescued from my pavilion C at animal control a few years ago, who almost had a tragic ending. Also, as I called her to do the podcast, I was in tears as I was cramming in some last minute research on Lulu's Locker Rescue and why the name Lulu's. I think it is a story we can all relate too and still SO RELEVANT. You are a good dude Andy!  She rescues old dogs and cats and black animals-very, very tough. We talk about it all.  

Katie is the go-to for all things related to stray and feral animals. She spends much of her time in Chicago trying to capture strays and her adventures have garnered a lot of media attention. She is a great chick with a heart of gold and will drop anything to help someone out. (well, most people anyway. haaaa)    

"It has nothing to do with the person that raised them. It has to do with the person handling them." As it got later into the night when Carolyn and I were to do our podcast, I wondered how tipsy she would be by the time we started. HA! As usual, CG told it like it is and I decided NOT to censor this, so be careful listening around the kids. She is a great friend and an amazing rescuer, taking on one of the toughest breeds- pit bulls. And I made her cry----again.

"I was bored and needed a hobby." That is how Heather Owen got started in dog rescue and she now runs one of the most successful rescues in Chicagoland. Heather is innovative and always looking for new and better ways to do things. She has a tough persona, but she describes herself as a "people pleaser," which honestly shocked me. Enjoy the show...

I met Josh Feeney when I first started to volunteer at Chicago Animal Care and Control and we became fast friends. He has taken thousands of photos of dogs to try to get them adopted or rescue. It is certainly an art. "There are a lot of things that you cannot change in this World, but going to Animal Care and Control and being on the front lines, is something you can do. People that are physically going to the shelter are the ones really making a difference."