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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 Mar 04, 2021
Thursday Mar 04, 2021
On today's "Why Do Pets Matter?" Podcast we're hearing from a new voice in the animal law community, Jessica Chapman, JD.
Currently, Jessica is pursuing her LLM at Lewis & Clark Law School -- the only University in the country offering an LLM in the field of animal law. (An LLM is a secondary degree for lawyers who have achieved their JD and passed the bar exam, and who are interested in a focused, specialized course of study in a specific topic of law.)
Jessica's work revolves around having a different conversation and approach to animal abuse...
1. Healing abusers of their victimization and trauma from their own abuse or learned violence experiences will protect non-human animals and humans from becoming future victims.
2. Exploitation of animals and the legal abuse that occurs in industries that exploit animals -- like traumatized industrial workers -- which can manifest itself as abuse to companion animals and domestic violence.
3 We as advocates should develop relationships with individuals who the courts have convicted of abuse and with individuals who self-identify as abusers to find out which therapy techniques will help them heal from their past trauma. Condemning the individual and excluding them from therapy discussions enable the abuse to perpetuate. Experts in multiple areas should collaborate on therapeutic and rehabilitative approaches.
More About Jessica:
Jessica Chapman is an Animal Law LLM Candidate at Lewis & Clark Law School. She is a recipient of the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy Domestic Scholarship.
She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where she double majored with a Bachelor of Arts in Slavic Languages and Literature and Native American Studies.
She graduated with a Juris Doctor (cum laude) from Michigan State University College of Law.
She is part of the ALLC (Animal Law Litigation Clinic) and is dedicating her legal career to the protection and representation of animals.
Thursday Feb 25, 2021
Thursday Feb 25, 2021
Today I'm speaking with Dr. Lindsay Evans about the important role our pets have played in helping us maintain good self-care and mental well-being practices and why compassionate, non-judgemental communication for both veterinarians and their clients -- especially when it comes to difficult diagnoses and financial matters -- is critical.
About Dr. Lindsay Evans
Lindsay is a Veterinarian and a Regional Clinical Director for Greencross Vets in Australia. In her role, she focuses on improving the standards of care we offer to our pets and has a passion for open communication, the human-animal bond, and evidence-based medicine. Outside of work she enjoys travelling and spending time with her senior Labrador Phoebe.
Greencross Vets Sandringham:
https://www.greencrossvets.com.au/vets/sandringham/
Thursday Feb 18, 2021
Thursday Feb 18, 2021
"What would happen to your pets if something happened to you?"
That's the question today's guest, Peggy Hoyt, a Trust and Estate attorney and I are exploring in this episode of "Why Do Pets Matter?" and why having a MAAP Plan in place for your pets is so important!
Peggy describes herself as “an attorney, animal advocate, and pet mom.” Her love for animals was developed as a child when her father, John A. Hoyt was the President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States.
Now, her days start by taking care of 3 horses, 6 dogs, and 2 cats before she goes to her office!
She is a founding partner of Hoyt & Bryan, LLC. Peggy is dual-certified by the Florida Bar in Wills, Trusts, and Estates and in Elder Law.
She is the author of All My Children Wear Fur Coats – How to Leave a Legacy for Your Pet, a book for pet parents on the importance of including their pets as part of their estate plan. She also hosts a weekly “paw-cast” on Buzzsprout called All My Children Wear Fur Coats.
Peggy is the Founder and CEO of Animal Care Trust USA, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping pet parents keep loved pets in loving homes. The organization offers several Forever Loved Pet Trust solutions including Forever Home, Forever Family, and Forever Sanctuary. Animal Care Trust USA can act as a corporate Pet Trustee and is leading the animal estate planning world with the creation of the Forever Loved Pet Trust, a community Pet Trust.
Hoyt & Bryan, LLC
https://hoytbryan.com
Pawcast: All My Children Wear Fur Coats with Peggy Hoyt
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-my-children-wear-fur-coats-with-peggy-hoyt/id1460842551
Animal Care Trust USA
https://www.animalcaretrustusa.org/
Book: All My Children Wear Fur Coats
https://www.amazon.com/All-Children-Wear-Fur-Coats-ebook/dp/B009OJQWZ0/
Thursday Feb 11, 2021
Thursday Feb 11, 2021
Scott Fine, founder of Joey's Legacy, returns to "Why Do Pets Matter?" and is chatting with us today about best-selling author JL Robb's new book "Joey's Legacy - Seeking Truth and Integrity In Veterinary Medicine which promises to expose the wrongdoing in the veterinary profession.
Scott also talks about veterinary accountability and responsibility, why it's important to know your rights, and how to resolve disagreements.
Joey's Legacy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is advocacy for companion animals. They assist those whose loved ones have recently become victims of veterinary negligence.
Their nationwide network of veterinary experts and animal law attorneys intervene and seek justice for their members.
The majority of veterinarians -- those who provide ethical, exemplary care for their patients and are always truthful and transparent with their clients -- appreciate the work Joey's Legacy does to hold their unprincipled colleagues accountable for their unprincipled actions.
You can contact Scott:
Text: (833) 310-JOEY (5639)
Thursday Feb 04, 2021
Thursday Feb 04, 2021
Is it possible for veterinarians and their clients to improve how they communicate to help the animals they love and care for live their best lives?
This week's "Why Do Pets Matter?" special guest thinks so.
Dr. Stacee Santi is an extraordinary veterinarian who believes in honesty, integrity, and transparency. And, for her, it all starts with diligent communication between the veterinarian and pet owner.
She is the creator of Vet2Pet, a client engagement platform, designed to help practices connect at a deeper level with clients, bonding them to the practice and helping veterinarians provide the most exceptional care to their patients.
You can learn more about Stacee and the Vet2Pet App on her website:
https://vet2pet.com/
Or connect with her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vet2petapps/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vet2PetApps
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vet2petapps/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vet2pet
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG6slgeFG6fokHQhI7D6j6g
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Today Mindy Dutka from Dogs I Meet is our special guest today! Mindy is a professional photographer based in Boston who helps people take pictures of their dogs for posterity. She also takes pictures of dogs at rescues and shelters so they are more adoptable.
Photography had always piqued her curiosity. The way a picture preserves memory and a single snapshot can tell a story. As a New Yorker, she'd become obsessed with Humans of New York, and had an idea that she could do something similar for dogs.
She decided to travel streets around the world with her camera. And, she made it her mission to capture dog tales, moment by moment, one photograph at a time.
Over the past couple of years, she's documented daily life inside animal shelters and clinics – from Boston to Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Mindy believes in giving back and spends time with rescue organizations all around the world photographing adoption and rescue shelters and veterinary clinics.
You can learn more about Mindy on her website:
https://dogsimeet.com/
Or connect with her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dogsimeet
Instagram: https://instagram.com/dogsimeet
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/dogsimeet
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-dutka-316b09181/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyARV1QJ0JEI524fos0Mw1A/
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Dr. Randall Lockwood is an internationally recognized expert on the connection between animal cruelty and human violence.
He currently consults with the ASPCA about policy, response, and engagement regarding animal abuse since he retired from his position as Senior Vice-President with them.
During this incredibly educational conversation, Randall and I talk about how pets benefit people, public health surrounding pets, and why people harm animals.
We all know that while the pandemic has created a huge spike in pet adoptions -- a very good thing for both the people and pets, it has also been hard on a lot of people, both in terms of their resources and their mental health.
When people are stressed or angry and they're always at home, that anger can be taken out on an animal, or a spouse, or even a child. Family pets are often ‘part of the domestic abuse cycle’ and there has been an increase in that since COVID hit the scene.
Randall has done a lot of work with police agencies on issues related to dog shootings.
Police departments throughout the country need to develop better training so officers can more accurately assess which dogs are life-threatening and dangerous and which are not.
Most officers just aren't adequately trained to quickly and correctly assess the risks a dog poses and determine how to best handle the situation.
Frequently, shooting a dog is a knee-jerk reaction by an officer not familiar with dogs. And, as police officers receive better training, the number of shootings is declining.
Thursday Jan 14, 2021
Thursday Jan 14, 2021
Vivian's passion in life is helping people make real, compassionate connections with the animals in their lives so that both of you are living your best life with one another.
Today she's sharing lots of great tips about living happily and positively with your animal(s) and how to better understand and develop the relationship you and your pet have through observing, decoding, and guiding their behavior and yours.
She has been a dog behavior consultant for 18 years. In 2003 she earned her master's degree in conflict resolution from the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.
Since then she has worked in the field of animal welfare policy and research at the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington, D.C. and she has also volunteered with the rehabilitation of dogs with problem behaviors in the canine rescue community.
In 2010 she took on a full-time position to develop and manage the training department at Fur-Get Me Not in Arlington, VA, creating all the behavior specialty classes, she held this position for 8 years.
In 2018 she co-founded "Positive Dog Solutions" -- a company created to help build strong and healthy relationships between people, their dogs, and the community in which they live, using scientifically proven, practical, and humane methods.
Vivian also mediates custody cases at the Multi-Door dispute resolution division at DC Courts and is a volunteer mediator with Community Mediation DC.
You can learn more about the marvelous work Vivan does at:
https://www.positivedogsolutions.com/
And, you can connect with Vivian here:
https://www.facebook.com/positivedogsolutions
https://www.instagram.com/positivedogsolutions/
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
Jeff Davis, owner of a successful pet services business in Houston, TX and founder of "My Pet Credentials" (MPC) is talking to us today about an online tool he created that will help you keep your pet's information up to date and accessible 24 hours a day -- no matter where you are.
The MPC app allows you to create multiple pet profiles and you can add all of your veterinarian's information, vaccination and other records, your pet's health history, dietary requirements, medications, special needs, grooming preferences, emergency, and other contact numbers, as well as microchip and registration numbers.
It also helps you manage all of your pet's appointments and vaccination reminders.
Pet Owners and pet professionals, including veterinarians, animal hospitals, shelters, pet salons, and trainers can upload and share pet records and vaccinations safely and securely.
You can learn more about this fantastic app at:
https://www.mypetcredentials.com/
And you can connect with Jeff on Facebook at:
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
Sheila Goffe, VP of Government Relations of the American Kennel Club (AKC) joins us on "Why Do Pets Matter?" to discuss the importance, capabilities and credentialing of service animals.
Our dog breeds are a reflection of how humans have evolved. Dogs are very special because they are dogs -- many of them were originally purpose-bred to help their humans stay alive and thrive. They were helpers in so many ways -- they were and continue to be both a physical and emotional lifeline for their people.
This is especially true for us right now while we are in the middle of this COVID pandemic. Our dogs are always happy to see you, loving companions we come home to and they are here for us 24/7 while we are spending more time home now than ever before -- they are keeping us sane and grounded. They are truly functioning as emotional support animals.
The conversation about emotional support animals leads us to a bigger conversation about therapy and individually task trained service dogs.
Currently, the AKC and government relations are focusing more on what is the correct and proper role of service animals and the damage that's being done to these amazing dogs because of fraudulent "emotional support" and "service dog" claims.
They are doing some incredible work to ensure that all those who need to partner with a service dog are able to go out into the public confidently.
American Service Dog Access Coalition (ASDAC)
Fake and poorly trained Service Dogs are inundating airlines, restaurants, hotels and other access providers creating undue burdens for disabled individuals when they travel. In response, industry leaders have come together to form the American Service Dog Access Coalition(ASDAC).
ASDAC prioritizes collaboration with the goal of building the broadest possible coalition of Service/Guide Dog providers and access providers to end the use of fake and poorly trained “service dogs” while simultaneously raising Service Dog training standards through the creation of an opt-in credentialing system.
Unlike other attempts at Service Dog registries, the ASDAC is a stand-alone not-for-profit coalition established by industry leaders with expertise in a canine registry, technology, Service Dog training and advocacy.
The ASDAC recognizes the legitimacy of a variety of sources of Service Dogs but also the issues and confusion caused by a lack of unified behavioral standards for true Service Dogs as defined by federal law.
The ASDAC believes that this is an opportunity for our industry to collectively create a solution for our federal policymakers that will prevent additional policy-induced complications and ensure sustained success for service dog teams moving forward.
Learn more about ASDAC credentialing here: https://warriorsresearchinstitute.org/service-dog-pass-asdac
More About Sheila Goffe
Sheila leads the AKC’s efforts in working to protect the rights of all dog owners and promote responsible dog ownership. She oversees AKC legislative policy strategy and AKC outreach at the federal, state and local levels, works with legislators, legislative staff and regulators on key issues in canine policy, and supervises the AKC Government Relation team. She also serves as Secretary on the AKC PAC Board of Directors.
Sheila joined AKC’s publications department in 2006. In 2008, she returned to her previous career in public policy/government affairs as AKC’s Director of Government Relations. Prior to working for the American Kennel Club, she was a Senior Legislative Analyst/Editor and Deputy Director of Editorial Product Development for Congressional Quarterly in Washington, DC.
Previous experience included federal legislative staffing and advocacy, work as an editor and analyst for The Economist Intelligence Unit, and serving as an adjunct in Political Science/Comparative Politics at the State University of New York/Stony Brook.
Sheila has completed Ph.D. coursework and research in American Politics/Public Policy, earned a Masters of Philosophy in American Politics and an MA in International Political Economy and Development at Fordham University, and is a former Fulbright Scholar, studying Political Economy and Development in Sri Lanka.
Sheila breeds and shows Siberian Huskies. She is a member of the Siberian Husky Club of America, and several other specialty and all-breed kennel clubs.