9.8K
Downloads
138
Episodes
Pet expert Debra Hamilton interviews other pet lovers on this delightful podcast about pet custody, pet drama, pet problems and pet solutions. Why Do Pets Matter? is a heartfelt podcast dedicated to pets, hosted by pet-focused attorney Debra Hamilton, Esq.
Episodes
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
Dr. Chris Blazina and I had a fascinating conversation about the psychological role companion animals play in our lives -- especially men's lives -- during this episode of "Why Do Pets Matter?"
Through his work, Chris has found that our pets take on the role of "unwavering friend and constant companion" during our lives. And, this is particularly true for men -- especially later in life -- as their network of friends diminishes.
Societal norms can sometimes make it difficult for men to become vulnerable and feel comfortable expressing how vital their pets are to them. Kudos to all the "Macho Men" and their "Teacup Pups"! This gives ample evidence of the emotional intelligence that is cultivated by owning a pet!
About Dr. Chris Blazina
Dr. Chris Blazina is a licensed psychologist, retired professor, and award-winning author. He has been in practice for nearly 25 years, focusing on men and their depression, anxiety, life transitions, grief & loss, relationship problems, and pet bereavement. In his work, Chris has found dogs to be an important companion and part of a male's life that cannot be found in the same way as with any human.
Connect With Chris:
- Website - http://www.chrisblazinaphd.com
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/DrChrisBlazina
Books:
- When Man Meets Dog: What a difference a dog makes! on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/When-Man-Meets-Chris-Blazina/dp/1845848799/
- Men and Their Dogs: A New Understanding of Man's Best Friend on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Men-Their-Dogs-Understanding-Friend/dp/3319300954/
- Clinician's Guide to Treating Companion Animal Issues: Addressing Human-Animal Interaction on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/012812962X
- The Psychology of the Human-Animal Bond: A Resource for Clinicians and Researchers on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/The-Psychology-Human-Animal-Bond-Researchers/dp/1461461960
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
Kent Kruse, DVM joins us for a "don't miss" episode of "Why Do Pets Matter". Kent is a retired small animal veterinarian, management software creator for the veterinary industry, and an authority on pet insurance. We're talking about the human-animal bond and why pet insurance is so important for your pet and you.
Kent explains the different kinds of pet insurance, how to shop for the best pet insurance policy for you and your pet, and what to expect when you use your pet's insurance at the vet.
He also talks about how vets can help their human clients understand the value of pet insurance and some ways to effectively recommend pet insurance to their clients.
About Kent Kruse, DVM
As a former practicing veterinarian, Kent recognizes that veterinarians are often stymied both ethically and economically by their client's inability to pay for required medical care because of the lack of the necessary discretionary cash.
Because of the lack of funds, pets are too often euthanized, the human-animal bond ruptured, and revenue opportunities are lost.
For the past 19 years, it has been Kent's passion to help veterinarians understand the value of pet health insurance, and to advise them how to evaluate available products to recommend to their clients.
Thursday Oct 07, 2021
Thursday Oct 07, 2021
Jeremy Cohen, Esq. from Boston Dog Lawyers, returns to "Why Do Pets Matter?" with a powerful conversation about breeder contracts, the questions potential owners must ask before they sign a breeder contract and what breeders should put in their contracts to protect themselves while fostering communication, transparency, and collaboration.
About Jeremy Cohen, Esq.
A lawyer for nearly 20 years, Jeremy Cohen has been handling cases for dog owners since 2008. By opening Boston Dog Lawyers in 2015 he is growing a law practice specializing in representing dog owners and pet owners.
Prior to working for animals, Attorney Cohen worked in the insurance industry. He rose from a claims adjuster to manager of global claims on behalf of The General Electric Company. He founded a general practice law firm in 2007 and sold it in 2014 so he could focus on defending companion animals.
While he still handles some civil litigation outside of pets, each day his practice becomes more and more about what he loves to do.
You can learn more at his website: https://www.bostondoglawyers.com/index.html
Thursday Sep 30, 2021
Thursday Sep 30, 2021
Tom Van Winkle, CEO and Executive Director of the Hinsdale Humane Society in Chicagoland, IL joins us during this episode of "Why Do Pets Matter?". He's chatting with us about how pets and their potential people are screened for adoption, the language you need to use when you're screening, how to help people foster animals, and helping our deploying servicemen and women find a home for their pets when they deploy.
More About Tom
Tom Van Winkle brings more than 20 years of animal welfare industry experience to his position as Executive Director of HHS since 2017. Beginning with his early experience as a volunteer and board member of a small humane society in 1997, Tom also served as executive director for a humane society in the Chicago suburbs in 2005.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Illinois and an MBA in Finance from Loyola University. Tom credits his upbringing in a family filled with compassion as a source of constant inspiration as he guides HHS to become one of the premier animal shelters in the country.
Connect With Tom
Email: tom.vanwinkle@hinsdalehumanesociety.org
Phone: 630-323-5630 x11
About Hinsdale Humane Society
The Hinsdale Humane Society operates the Pet Rescue and Resource Center which serves the entire Chicagoland region. The primary focus of their mission is to eradicate animal homelessness by providing a temporary safe haven for homeless animals until a forever family can be located and operating programs to keep pets from becoming homeless in the first place.
They accomplish their mission in many ways including pet adoptions, low-cost spay/neuter services for other rescues, humane education, pet therapy, and obedience classes. Their experienced staff can help you find a new family member or assist with issues your current pet may be experiencing.
The most important part of our job is to repair and strengthen the bond between humans and their pets. We believe in a humane world for all living beings.
Connect With The Hinsdale Humane Society
Website: https://www.hinsdalehumanesociety.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HinsdaleHumaneSociety
Thursday Sep 16, 2021
Thursday Sep 16, 2021
My good friend, colleague and fellow Irish Setter breeder, Karolynne McAteer, joins us during this episode of "Why Do Pets Matter?" to share her 40 years of expertise and experience about purebred dogs and what everyone needs to know about choosing the right dog bred from them.
She very generously shares information about how dogs are bred, what's important to breeders - especially preservationist breeders, how the way we live with our companion animals has shifted over the years and how that shift has become really apparent during the COVID epidemic.
More About Karolynne:
Karolynne was born into Irish Setters and has never been without one at the foot of her bed. Today her dogs compete in Conformation and in the Field.
Born in Boston, raised in Bermuda, and educated in the U.S., she graduated from college with a major in English and a minor in Broadcast Journalism.
She is a second-generation Irish Setter breeder, starting as a junior handler, exhibitor of the family dog, breeder, breeder of merit, breeder/judge, and now AKC judge of the Sporting Group and Field Trials.
Karolynne sits on the Board of the Irish Setter Club of America and is the AKC Delegate to the breed.
Additionally, Karolynne sits on the Board of the American Kennel Club and several of its entities.
Karolynne directs daytime streaming at the AKC National Championship and for Westminster Kennel Club.
She is also the Director for Public Relations at Assisi Animal Health, a science-based company committed to improving life’s journey for animals, their owners and veterinary professionals.
When not dealing with something that barks, she can be found conjuring up something good in the kitchen.
AKC Canine Health Foundation:
https://www.akcchf.org/about-us/who_we_are/karolynne-mcateer.html
Thursday Sep 09, 2021
Thursday Sep 09, 2021
Gary Friedman, one of my dearest mentors and co-director of The Center of Understanding in Conflict joins us for this episode of "Why Do Pets Matter?"
We're talking about pets and how mediation can be exceptionally beneficial when people are in conflict over a pet, what it takes to have a successful experience with mediation, and how mediation can help people move from a right or wrong, high conflict situation to a conversation that leads them to a better resolution for their dispute while preserving their future relationship.
About Gary J. Friedman
Gary Friedman has been practicing law as a mediator with Mediation Law Offices in Mill Valley, California since 1976.
Prior to his work as a mediator, he practiced law as a trial lawyer with Friedman and Friedman in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After several years as an advocate, he sought a new approach to resolving disputes through increasing the participation of the parties in the resolution of their differences. At that time, he and his colleague, Jack Himmelstein, began to develop the Understanding-based model that is now practiced extensively in the United States and Europe. As one of the first lawyer mediators and a primary force in the current mediation movement, he has used this model to complete over one thousand mediations in the last two decades, including numerous two-party and multi-party disputes in the commercial and non-profit realms, in the area of intellectual property, real estate, corporate, personnel, partnership formations and dissolutions, and family law.
Through the Center for Mediation in Law, Gary has trained lawyers, law professors and judges in the Center’s method of mediation and a mediative approach to lawyering and collaborative practice. Since l989, he has been training lawyers, judges and psychotherapists in the United States, Europe, and Israel. He has taught courses in negotiation and mediation at Stanford University Law School and the New College of Law and has taught at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation and at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.
Gary has written extensively about mediation and conflict resolution and is the author of A Guide to Divorce Mediation, (Workman Publishing, l993) and is the co-author, with Jack Himmelstein, of Challenging Conflict: Mediation Through Understanding (published by the American Bar Association and Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, 2008).
Connect With Gary:
https://understandinginconflict.org/our-teachers/gary-friedman/
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/gary-friedman/6/453/14b
Books:
High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out by Amanda Ripley
A Guide to Divorce Mediation: How to Reach a Fair, Legal Settlement at a Fraction of the Cost
Thursday Aug 19, 2021
Thursday Aug 19, 2021
Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, JD, joins us during this episode of "Why Do Pets Matter?" She's a fantastic veterinarian, repro-vet, attorney, and breeder.
During the height of the pandemic, she wrote "Your Pandemic Puppy" -- a book covering your puppy's physical and mental well-being, as well as training and veterinary care. And, she also started a drive-thru vet practice called "Checkout Veterinary."
She's very generously sharing information pet owners everywhere might find helpful during our conversation.
More About Dr. Marty Greer
Dr. Greer received her Bachelor of Science in 1978 and her DVM in 1981 from Iowa State University.
She has a particular interest in Pediatrics and Reproduction. In 2002, she opened a Canine Semen Freezing Center, International Canine Semen Bank – Wisconsin (ICSB-WI/IL).
During her first attempt at using extended semen, she bred the practice's first litter of pups from frozen semen in 1998.
She and her family raise and show Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Danish Swedish Farmdogs. They have raised 5 puppies for Canine Companions for Independence, a service dog organization.
Her practice has contributed to pharmaceutical and nutritional research as an investigator for Abbott Laboratory, Deprenyl Animal Health, Pfizer, Virbac, and Hill's Pet food Corporation. She has also been featured in articles in Veterinary Economics.
In 2010, she graduated from Marquette Law School. She practices law part-time with her law partner, Attorney Sheila Kessler, at Animal Legal Resources LLC.
In 2014, she wrote Canine Reproduction and Neonatology, a 470-page book about everything reproduction which was the Winner of Dog Writers Association of America's Dogwise Best Book Award.
In 2019 she became certified as a Fear Free professional.
And, in 2020, she wrote Your Pandemic Puppy, which explains how to raise a well-adjusted puppy during a pandemic.
She is an active community member of AVMA, NEWVMA, AAVSB, APDT, AAFP, SVME, The Society for Theriogenology, the Fond du Lac Kennel Club, The Kettle Moraine Kennel Club, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America, Lakeshore Pembroke Welsh Corgi Kennel Club, and the Lomira Area Chamber of Commerce.
And, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics, American Veterinary Medical Law Association, and the Society for Theriogenology. She served on the Animal Welfare Committee and Education Committee for the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association. She is also president of the National Animal Interest Alliance.
She recently started working with Revival Animal Health as their Director of Vet Services.
Connect with Marty:
https://www.facebook.com/MartyGreerDVM/
https://www.facebook.com/Checkout-Veterinary-100856988730575
https://www.facebook.com/VeterinaryVillage/
https://www.smallanimalclinic.com/
Get The Book - Your Pandemic Puppy
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Pandemic-Puppy-Well-Adjusted-COVID-19/dp/1943824509
Thursday Jul 01, 2021
Thursday Jul 01, 2021
My good friend and colleague, Karis Nafte, returns to "Why Do Pets Matter?" this week. She is a certified dog behavior consultant and a mediator. Karis is the BEST pet custody specialist you could ever hope to work with if you have pets and are getting divorced.
We work very closely together because we both understand that divorcing with pets is an emotional experience that often needs assistance to navigate through.
Today, we are taking a look at three common speed bumps couples often hit when divorcing with animals:
1. Humanizing the animal
2. Weaponizing the animal
3. Bargaining with the animal
About Karis Nafte:
Animals are not possessions, nor are they children. They fall into their own unique category that requires a delicate and considered approach when it comes to the issue of custody. For couples who are divorcing and have pets, Karis provides a specialized service offering expert guidance about custody decisions for their dogs, cats, and other companion animals.
Karis brings twenty-five years of experience as a professional animal behaviorist; she provides a neutral, supportive position between the separating couple while keeping the animal's perspective in the forefront. Even for couples working amicably through their divorce, the emotional component surrounding beloved pets can complicate matters.
To learn more about Karis and the work she does, please visit
https://whokeepsthedog.com/, and listen to her first interview on "Why Do Pets Matter?"
You can also find her on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karisnafte/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Karis-Nafte-The-Pet-Custody-Consultant-101736361429277/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karis-nafte-b4b9b81a6/
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
While COVID cooped up many people in their homes, veterinary professionals have been in the hospitals, clinics, and field caring for animals. For veterinary professionals, the "COVID 20" means something different -- it's the extra 20 animals they squeezed in for an exam on any given day!
Working in a highly demanding and giving profession comes with a high cost for many vets -- the time for their self-care often comes last.
The Clinic to 5K Run is for veterinarians (and everyone else) to help themselves shake off the lingering effects of COVID.
Running helps clear your mind, calm anxiety, tame stress, and it will help you with your focus as you juggle all the things you need to juggle in your day-to-day.
Relief Rover wants to help struggling veterinarians, so $10 for every runner will be donated to Not One More Vet, Inc (NOMV) - an organization helping veterinary professionals in crisis.
The Relief Rover Clinic to 5K Virtual Run offers runners and walkers the chance to participate in a 5k at their leisure while knowing that they are helping others.
All entrants will receive the Relief Rover Clinic to 5K Virtual Run Series logo medal, the series logo race bib, and a series logo running cap. The medals, bibs, and caps are Made in the U.S.A.
Charitable beneficiaries of the Relief Rover Clinic to 5K Virtual Run include Not One More Vet, Inc (NOMV). Registrants will have an opportunity to make additional donations to other charities, including Pride VMC and the Stryder Cancer Foundation.
Relief Rover Clinic to 5K:
5k: run or walk any time that works for you or join us on any day in our official one-week window from July 24 - 31.
Summer Challenge: a summer activity to challenge your heart and body. It starts on May 15th and ends on July 31st, 2021.
Registration for Virtual 5k:
$35 - Starting June 1st
You pick the date. You pick your route. You have your FUN knowing you are helping support mental health in the veterinary profession!
Learn More and Join Us:
Connect with Cindy and Juli
https://www.facebook.com/reliefrover/
Here's the link to Cindy's first interview on "Why Do Pets Matter?"
Thursday Jun 03, 2021
Thursday Jun 03, 2021
Kelly Baltzell, founder of Beyond Indigo, a marketing agency that helps progressive pet service providers get the word out about their businesses "to get more tails through the door" is joining us during this episode of "Why Do Pets Matter?"
Beyond our never-ending passion for pets and the unconditional love they have for their people, we are both passionate about human communication.
The kind of communication that reflects self-awareness, honesty, accountability, responsibility, and forgiveness -- first with ourselves and then with others.
In 2020 Kelly and I hosted a highly successful workshop called "Speaking The Right Words" to help professionals navigate their way through "reactive communications" while giving them tools to converse with others in a way that wouldn't be perceived as "offensive" -- a way of having empowering and curious discussions that lead to collaborative outcomes without being quagmired in defensiveness and negativity.
About Kelly Baltzell, M.A.
Kelly is President and CEO of the Beyond Indigo family of companies, which she founded in 1997. Under her leadership, Beyond Indigo companies have developed all types of veterinary websites (small animal, exotic, specialty, equine, mixed animal) that now reach millions of people each year in multiple countries.
As of 2013, Beyond Indigo Pets has worked closely with AAHA as a preferred provider, and in 2015 took part in their new Member Value Program for websites and marketing.
Since 2015, Beyond Indigo has been a certified Google AdWords Partner, and works directly with Google.
Additionally, Kelly has been a monthly columnist for AAHA Marketlink since 2011. She has also spoken and been published in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK.
Kelly speaks frequently about marketing trends and website design at national and international conventions and private functions. Her goal is to keep people up-to-date with the latest information on digital marketing in an easy-to-understand manner. Kelly’s 20-years of experience, passion, and visionary approach to the industry make her an unparalleled leader in internet marketing.
Kelly graduated from George Washington University with a degree in international affairs and economics and received her master’s degree in counseling and psychology from St. Mary’s. Kelly is a proud parent, currently living with her family in Minnesota.
Connect with Kelly:
http://www.beyondindigopets.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beyondindigopets
https://www.instagram.com/beyondindigopets/
https://www.youtube.com/user/beyondindigopets
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellybaltzell/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-indigo-pets