Raise The Woof

She runs a booming business in Chicago and offers far more than day care and boarding. Catherine Crews from Canine Crews joins me for a candid conversation about running a business in Chicago since 2009! She has seen a ton and in the booming industry that is pet care, she has advice for others who have the same aspirations.

He was a therapy dog that everyone loved. His start to life was difficult, but with the help of Lilo's Promise and his Mom, Michele, Aladdin lived his life as a super star, with so many following his every move. Unfortunately, in 2022, Aladdin passed away leaving many broken hearts. His Mom has done incredible work to keep his memory alive and his legacy continues to help others! Michele joins me on this week's Unmuzzled! Follow Aladdin here: https://www.facebook.com/aladdinnation

Join Sarah Lauch (THE HOST), the Founder of the Live Like Roo Foundation! September 8th marks the 8 year Anniversary of Roo's passing and since then, we have helped over 20,000 families and paid over $2 million in medical grants. The road to get to this point has not been easy and the day-to-day of a Foundation filled with a lot more sadness than greatness can be tough. But we are here to improve lives for the better in the hope that animals can beat cancer and go on to live a healthy, happy life. If you would like to donate in Memory of Roo and to help others going through the same thing, please go to www.livelikeroo.org

A cleft palate does not need to be a death sentence for an animal. Courtney, a registered vet tech, has created a non-profit called Techs for Clefts that is helping vets, breeders, rescues, adopters and so many more feel comfortable raising a pet with a cleft palate. It is not easy, but it is worth it and with Techs for Clefts by your side, you can help these incredible animals live a relatively normal life. Just an incredible pod with so much knowledge! For more: techsforclefts.com 

Bentley's Pet Stuff has become a staple in many Chicagoland (and wayyyy beyond) communities. With a focus on nutrition, Lisa Senafe has made Bentley's a must-shop for pet parents. The path to this point happened quickly and while the first store started in a Chicago suburb, the stellar reputation has launched stores all over America. Lisa joins me for a candid conversation about pet nutrition, starting from the ground up. For more: www.petstuff.com.

A 2-fer podcast with Lost Woods Animal Sanctuary and Bosly's Backyard. Women-owned businesses making a big difference in their communities.    I get tagged on so many animals and some are very unique. Lost Woods Animal Sanctuary is doing incredible work in the suburbs of Illinois. They take in small exotic pets and educate the public on these pets. Unfortunately, they have a waiting list for owner surrenders, so the education portion of their mission is so important. For more on this inspiring sanctuary: www.lostwoodsas.com.   Inspired by her own dog, Kim Theobald created Bosly's Backyard so that dogs could play in a space away from dog parks, busy sidewalks and tiny backyards. Owners can enjoy time with their pet in a sizable space in Ravenswood. To book playtime, a party, donate a play day and learn more: www.boslysbackyard.com

Goats that were in danger of being killed by coyotes, Ariel who was hunted by a Mountain Lion, a cow family that was saved from going to the meat market. The stories from Farm Animal Refuge are incredible. They are doing inspiring work in San Diego and beyond and Live Like Roo Foundation even helped their pig with cancer named Dora, who is NOW CANCER FREE! Matt is a great guest. Join us and learn more about what they do here: https://farmanimalrefuge.org/

When Alanna Rizzo adopted a border collie from a shelter in Colorado, her life changed forever. Eventually, so would the lives of so many others. All it takes is 1 dog to spur a movement. Hear her incredible journey and how helping others has given her hope and healing! To find out more: www.guidrysguardian.org 

A small business named "Bark Pouch" was formed when a trainer noticed a need at a local Chicago rescue. Brandi Barker observed the cutting up of hot dogs and other various training techniques that just were not working. Since then, she has used food scientists and various machines to figure out the perfect combo to make these lickable treats. The road to get there was not easy, but overcoming obstacles is part of what has made her a success. To find out more about Bark Pouch: www.barkpouch.com. 

Jem & The Misfit have given hope to a breed that is euthanized often and can be misunderstood. With some time, patience and love, this breed will thrive.  Jem has created incredible characters that social media has embraced! Jem and I discuss what she has built and how social media can be difficult at times.  Pet Con is this weekend in Chicago. Kelsey, a Senior Talent Relations Manager at The Dog Agency, joins us to tell us how you can make your dog famous and we preview Pet Con, a gathering of social media's biggest pet influencers! 

You will certainly look at squirrels differently after this episode. An incredible bond has formed between a man and a squirrel from the streets of NY! Many people checking in on Peanut have also fallen for Mark, his savior. They are a great match doing special things! Mark has turned this unique journey into a charity called Peanut's Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. Follow Peanut at Peanut_The_Squirrel12 and the sanctuary at pnuts_freedom_farm. 

I am SO honored to bring the podcast back after a 2+ year hiatus. This podcast means so much to me because I get to tell stories and there are SO MANY great stories to tell! After quitting my job in corporate America, I am now the proud owner of 2 businesses. I miss being creative and I miss interviewing people, so here we are. My 1st guest is absolutely brilliant and the work he is doing brought me to tears so many times. Michael J. Baines quit his job as a Chef in Thailand after he met a homeless dog at the back door of his restaurant and what happened next is the stuff of legends. The Man That Rescues Dogs is a must-follow and you have to hear him on the podcast! More here: www.tmtrd.org  Unmuzzled: A Pawcast is presented by Canines Crews, Kiki's Korner and Bark Pouch. Our supporting sponsors are The K9PT, Twin Tails Market and Barkery and Anything is Pawzible. Thank you for listening. I am SO happy to be back. 

Rats! There is so much to know about them and my guest Niki is a Rat Extraordinaire!  For more on rats or to foster or adopt: nmgianni@gmail.com  

When an undercover animal abuse investigator with 20+ years of experience says something bothers him, you know it is legit. Many years ago, the practice of luring racing greyhounds with live rabbits was investigated and many swept the practice under the rug or claimed "it did not happen." Cue investigator Pete Paxton, who conducted an undercover investigation in partnership with Grey2k USA. What they found was beyond shocking and their investigation, with your help, will hopefully lead to a federal bill called the Greyhound Protection Act.  More here (NOTE: this is not for the faint of heart): https://miami.cbslocal.com/2020/07/26/a-culture-of-cruelty-an-exclusive-look-inside-the-secret-world-of-greyhound-training/

This podcast has always been about learning more about animals and to say this particular one opened up my eyes is an understatement. Cailen LaBarge is the Co-Founder of SEED: Strategies for Ethical and Environmental Development. Before the pandemic, they investigated a dairy auction in Texas that revealed far more than they expected. The findings, as shocking as they may be, are so important, especially in this day and age.  For more information: https://www.seedundercoverinvestigations.com/

"He came to the door naked with a gun. We ended up with 63 snakes."  Cindy Steinle has had a LOT of experience with reptiles and while many people may be nervous around them, Cindy shares some amazing reasons why we should embrace snakes, alligators and more.  For more information or ways that you can help:  www.chicagoherp.org https://www.facebook.com/smallscalereptilerescue/  

Molly Downing is the Recreation Coordinator at SEASPAR and created a Pawsitive Pet Therapy program that brings smiles to faces of the participants.  SEASPAR is committed to the mission of providing dynamic recreation programs and quality services for residents with disabilities. More here: SEASPAR.org

Rachel Jensen is the Founder of Pleasant Heart Pet Food Pantry in Michigan. As a former Animal Control Officer, she saw a need in her community and immediately went to work to help by building a non-profit.  https://www.pleasantheartspetfoodpantry.org/

I always believe people. I give them the benefit of the doubt. I am a helper. I run to the bad when others may be running away.  When I woke up on Sunday with overflowing email, I was like wow, this is great. Then I realized something was really wrong.  This is the story of a how a selfish company mysavings.com took advantage of a small 501c3 and has ZERO apologies or regrets for what they did. They have done irreparable damage during our busiest time of the season. 

Comfy Carepacks are given, free of charge, to benefit pets of individuals experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. Vice President Deborah joins me to chat about this amazing organization. https://www.comfycarepacks.org/