Tag: #dogs

Episode 140: Kindness Is Elevating Access—Ensuring folks have access to life-saving healthcare, even if it comes at self-risk.

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Kindness Is Elevating Access—Ensuring folks have access to life-saving healthcare, even if it comes at self-risk.

Launched in 2022, Elevated Access is a non-profit that provides pilots and planes at no cost to those seeking access to life-saving healthcare.

Kira from Elevated Access joins Anitha to talk about the devastating healthcare bans in many States throughout the USA which affects those seeking gender affirming and abortion care. Elevated Access was created with the sole purpose of helping folks receive the healthcare they need.

Elevate Access saves lives! But providing this service comes at a risk for those who want to help, yet folks like Kira do it anyway.

Kira and Anitha then pivot their conversation to the many cats and dogs in Kira’s life. It should come as no surprise that someone as kind as Kira, extends this kindness to all beings. She has fostered over 130 cats and dogs, and currently has many fur-babies of her own.

An episode overflowing with kindness and compassion for others.

To learn more about Elevated Access, check out the following links:

Website- Elevated Access

Instagram – Elevated Access

As a thank you to Kira for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Elevated Access.

You can hear the full episode here:

Episode 138: Kindness Is Being Like Josh—How fostering one dog with special needs turned into an entire foundation helping dogs with disabilities.

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Kimberly Elliott, the founder of the Be Like Josh Foundation, joins Anitha to talk about how falling in love with Josh, a 10-month-old Golden Doodle with a brainstem disorder, inspired her to create a foundation that now helps so many dogs with disabilities live their best lives.

The Be Like Josh Foundation is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the care and advocacy of dogs with neurological disabilities. Josh, who is now nine-years old, has a brainstem disorder which Kimberly describes as a ‘disconnect between the way his brain talks to his body.’ She says his movements are similar to a person with Cerebral Palsy.

In addition to talking about how Josh came into her life and transformed it for the better, Kimberly also talks about the misconception folks have about dogs with disabilities. She says dogs with disabilities aren’t sad. If the dog looks happy, they are happy. Disabled bodies can experience joy.

For this reason, it’s really important to Kimberly that potential adopters of a special needs dog see themselves as a “Service Human” to that dog, similar to a Service Dog who helps a human with a disability. Kimberly wants these dogs to live with people who will of course, love them but also enhance their lives.

An episode full of all the feels and one that is sure to make you want to hug a dog.

To learn more about the Be Like Josh Foundation and the incredible work they do, check out the following links:

Be Like Josh- Website

Be Like Josh -Instagram

Josh The Doodle – Instagram

As a thank you to Kimberly and Josh for sharing their story, Anitha donated to the Be Like Josh Foundation.

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 115: Kindness Is Saving Pets One Click At A Time

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Pet photographer Adam Goldberg joins Anitha to talk about his initiative, Second Shot, which helps shelter animals find their forever homes.

Shelter workers don’t always have the time or expertise to capture a photo of an animal that shows them in the best light—relaxed, happy, cute, adorable. Shelters can be a scary place for many animals, especially when they first arrive and their photo can reflect that fear. The result is often a stressed-looking animal, which sadly may not capture the attention of folks looking to adopt.

This is where Adam comes in. Using his marketing and photography expertise, Adam donates hours of his time every week to take beautiful photos of shelter animals to increase their chances of getting noticed—and it works!

Adam talks about the many successful adoptions that have resulted from the photos he’s taken.

Adam also talks about his wife, Mary, and how their shared love of rescue animals brought them together. So far, this incredible duo has raised over $250,000 for 50+ shelters and rescues!

A great episode for anyone who loves a good news story!

To learn more about Adam and his photography, check out his website: AGold Pet Photography

As a thank you to Adam for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Tampa Bay Humane Society. Since 1912, this organization has been dedicated to ending animal homelessness and providing care and comfort for animals in need.

To learn more about Tampa Bay Humane Society, check out their website: Tampa Bay Humane Society

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 111: Kindness Is Being Ben Kennedy

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Anitha is joined by Ben Kennedy who helps care for animals from kittens to wildlife, and also helps humans by raising awareness for the trans community, all while working on his PhD.

Ben shares heartwarming stories of fostering kittens, dogs and getting married at the humane society. He also talks about the social media post that went viral (and not in a good way) when he shared Cross Fit’s new anti-trans policy. Ben also generously talks about going through fertility treatments.

An open and honest conversation with an incredibly open and kind person.

To learn more about Ben, check out his Instagram account: Ben Kennedy

As a thank you to Ben for sharing their story, Anitha donated to the San Diego Humane Society. This organization started in 1880 and has grown to provide many services including taking in abandoned dogs and cats and working to find them new and forever homes, community spay and neuter programs, community pet pantry and more. To learn more about the San Diego Humane Society, check out their website: San Diego Humane Society

To hear the full episode click here:

Episode 108: Kindness Is Staying With Good Will Good Karma

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Anitha chats with 15-year-old Will Finch. Will and his sister Jada appeared on the podcast back in 2021 to talk about their incredible efforts to help stray dogs and cats find forever loving homes. The siblings created an organization called GOOD WILL GOOD KARMA. Will returns to talk about all that been happening with their non-profit animal rescue—including birthday fundraisers, starting a clothing line to raise money for animal rescue, heartwarming stories of dogs and cats they’ve helped, AND, that to date, GOOD WILL GOOD KARMA has raised a whopping $1 million for animals in need!

Flight Angels
Flight Angels
Tesha
Will & Groot

An episode full of heart and inspiration of what it means to create GOOD WILL and GOOD KARMA for all beings.

To learn more about Will and all he is doing to help animals, check out these links:

Instagram:  GoodWillGoodKarma

Facebook: GoodWillGoodKarma

As a thank you to Will for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Autism Dog Services. This charity, provides service dogs for individuals over three years of age who have autism and related disorders in most parts of Southwestern Ontario.

To learn more about ADS, check out their website: autism dog services

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 92: Kindness Is Creating Freedom Farmhouse

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Emily Bott joins Anitha to talk about purchasing a property in 2018 that turned out to house a colony of 16 feral/barn cats. Emily and her partner, Dylan decided not only to allow the cats to remain on the property, but worked hard to gain the trust of the cats so they could be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. Life for the cats was so good, they eventually chose to live inside with Emily and Dylan!

These cats now enjoy being warm, safe, lounging on soft beds and so much more!

In the six years since moving to the property, Emily and Dylan have expanded their rescue journey to include farm animals such as donkeys and goats.

The farm’s mission is to provide compassionate care, rescue and sanctuary for animals in need. Emily shares some really heartwarming stories of the animals on the farm.

To learn more about Freedom Farmhouse, check out the following links:

Freedom Farmhouse Website

Freedom Farmhouse Instagram

As a thank you to Emily for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Rochester Emergency Veterinary Services.

This emergency veterinary hospital is fundraising to set up a new location to help more communities and more pets. To learn about what they do and what they are fundraising for, check out their website: REVS Website

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 91: Kindness Is A Dog Named Indi

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Eleanor Booth joins Anitha to share a story of immense loss that created immense kindness.

A regular Sunday morning walk to the dog park turned into a nightmare for Eleanor and her dog, Indi.

In an instant, their lives changed forever, when two dogs, off-leash and trained to hunt and kill other animals, pursued and trapped Indi on the muddy bank of the river. Despite Eleanor’s heroic efforts to fend off these dogs and save Indi, Indi did not survive and Eleanor herself was severely injured in the attack.

Eleanor with her 3-year-old nephew going for a walk when she was well enough for 1-hour hospital leaves.

In spite of this great loss, Eleanor and her husband Tom have focused on the kindness they received from their family, their community and people from all over the world.

Eleanor shares that Sunday walk with listeners but she also shares the many moments of compassion and kindness that have provided so much comfort to her and helped with her healing.

Charm of Indi made by one of the many folks who reached out to Eleanor

A tear-jerker for sure, but definitely worth the listen.

As a thank you to Eleanor for sharing her story, Anitha donated to WIRES. This charity is Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organization. They rescue and care for sick, injured and orphaned native animals.

To learn more about WIRES, click here: WIRES

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 83: Kindness Is Katy Brink & the dodo

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The incredible, Katy Brink from the dodo joins Anitha to talk about her love for animals, fostering dogs, and being a part of an amazing organization all about animals.

With Lola & Jake
Sasha with Lorna & Libby

Katy shares what it’s like working as an executive editor at the dodo, (which may be Anitha’s dream job) The dodo is a wonderful organization that highlights heart-warming stories about animals . . . and the stories always have happy endings.

In addition to working as an editor, Katy generously devotes a lot of her time to fostering dogs. She talks about the devastating overcrowding situation at animal shelters and how fostering literally saves lives.

Katy has some wonderful stories about the dogs who are and have been in her life, including her current foster, a sweet girl named Cartier.

Cartier

To learn more about Katy, Cartier and the dodo, click on the following links.

Katy’s Instagram

Dodo Instagram 

Cartier’s story 

Cartier’s adoption profile

As a thank you to Katy for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Mr. Bones & Co.— a volunteer-run animal welfare non-profit. They specialize in helping dogs who face extraordinary challenges, such as extensive emergency veterinary care/surgery, unfair breed discrimination or those languishing in municipal shelters with behavioral issues that make them harder to place.

To learn more about this rescue, click here:

mrbonesandco

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 80: Kindness Is Life With Pigs

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Ryan and Mallory Phillips were brought together by a mutual love for a tiny calf.

They join Anitha to talk not only about their incredible ‘how did you meet’ story, which Anitha thought should be made into a movie, but also what it’s like to share a home with a menagerie of animals, such as pigs, chickens, cows and many other amazing beings, they call family.

Ryan also talks about his path to sanctuary life and how it all began when he received a call about a pig named Pumpkin, who needed a home, and needed one fast. Soon after, came Pumpkin’s daughter Charlotte, and thus began Ryan’s life with pigs.

An inspiring story of love and hope.

To learn more about Ryan and Mallory and their Life With Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary, check out the following links:

Facebook  www.facebook.com/lifewithpigs

Instagram  www.instagram.com/lifewithpigsfarmsanctuary

Youtube  www.youtube.com/lifewithpigs

Website  lifewithpigs.com

As a thank you to Ryan and Mallory for sharing their story, Anitha donated to Life With Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary.

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 74: Kindness Is Creating an Isle of Misfits

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The incredible Paige Graham joins Anitha to talk about the many dogs, cats, pigs and chickens she has adopted and shares her home with.

Paige began her animal rescue journey in 2010 as a foster for a dog rescue. She soon realized senior animals and those with complex medical needs are sadly often deemed “unadoptable”. With her background in nursing and her huge heart, Paige decided she would give these animals a permanent home, and The Isle of Misfits was born.

Paige shares some heart-warming stories including how she comes up with their awesome names such as Abraham Lincoln, a dog who is missing an eye, Little Richard, an American Bulldog, and Celine Dion, a kitten with a belting meow.

Paige even delves into some difficult personal issues she faced and credits her animals for helping her get through that tough part of her life.

An honest and important conversation about loving animals who many have deemed unfit to live, and also learning to trust and love yourself.

To learn more about Paige and The Isle of Misfits check out her instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/isle.of.misfits/?hl=en

As a thank you to Paige for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Limbo Chihuahua Rescue in St. Petersburg Florida. Paige personally adopted two paralyzed chihuahuas from this rescue. To learn more about what this organization does and how you can support them, please click on the link below:

https://www.limbochihuahuas.org/?disable_mobile=true

You can listen to the full episode here: