Shows
Human AnimalsAnimal Soulmates & Pig Welfare with Dr. Abbie ViscardiEP#07 | This episode is all about exploring the deep connections we share with animals and the ethical challenges in commercial pig farming with Dr. Abbie Viscardi., a PhD in animal welfare and host of the Animal Soulmates podcast. Dr. Abbie shares the touching story of her soulmate dog, Amira, a black lab she raised as a guide dog puppy before adopting her back. Their bond highlights the profound impact animals have on our lives, offering stability, love, and companionship through life’s toughest moments. The conversation then shifts to Dr. Abbie’s work in animal welf...2025-05-0859 min
Animal SoulmatesA Wolfdog named Mo & A Mustang named MikkoIn this episode, I chat with Emma, an animal lover and entrepreneur. She shares her life with horses, pigs, goats, chickens, dogs, and many other animals on her beautiful hobby farm. Emma also founded Mikko’s Choice, a CBD product line for animals, to improve the lives of our pets. We chat about the potential health benefits of CBD, how Emma came to have such an incredible animal haven, and how she connects with species beyond the “classic companion animal” like a dog or cat. We also hear about two very special boys that have made an impact on Emma’s...2024-10-081h 15
Animal SoulmatesEp 20: A Licensed Mental Health Counselor Offering Pet Grief and Loss SupportIn this episode, I chat with Anne Marie Farage-Smith, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and author of Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss: An Animal Lover’s Guide to Grief. Anne Marie discusses the basics of grief, including what it is and what it feels like, and then goes through the different types of grief that may be encountered on your healing journey, including acute, anticipatory, ambiguous, disenfranchised, and complicated. We hear about why it’s so important to address pet loss and the associated grief, even when it feels too painful or overwhelming. We a...2024-10-011h 06
Animal SoulmatesEp 19: An Australian Shepherd named McGradyIn this episode, I chat with Sheley Revis, a general internist and founder of the Fabulous McGrady and Friends Foundation, about the dog who changed her life and would later become the namesake of her organization. McGrady, a deaf, tri-coloured Australian Shepherd, was rescued from Ashe County Animal Control. Sheley had no experience working with deaf dogs but found McGrady to be a quick study, eager to learn with the sweetest temperament. McGrady worked as a therapy dog throughout his life, regularly working at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, to ease stress in travelers and airport staff alike. McGrady’s...2024-09-241h 13
Animal SoulmatesEp 18: A Service Dog named MaxIn this episode, I chat with Allen Frye about his service dog Max. Max, a gorgeous German Shepherd, was trained by Allen to assist with his mobility after he experienced a serious spinal cord injury in 2018. We hear about Allen’s accident, his road to recovery, and how Max has been a constant source of love and support. We talk about the benefits to having a service dog that go beyond the tasks they are trained to do and why general obedience is the key to having a solid service dog like Max....2024-09-171h 14
Animal SoulmatesEp 17: A Doberman named ReckonIn this episode, I continue my chat with Shannon Kiley, a professional dog trainer, who discussed her experience in search and rescue work with her dogs in Ep 16. This week, Shannon shares Reckon’s story. Reckon, a black and tan Doberman, came from a line of successful search and rescue dogs. Instead of following in his family’s footsteps, Reckon entered into the world of musical freestyle, which eventually led him to be featured on Season 13 of America’s Got Talent. While an untimely injury caused his AGT career to be cut short, Reckon stole the hearts of many w...2024-09-031h 08
Animal SoulmatesEp 16: Search and Rescue Dogs with Shannon KileyIn this episode, I chat with Shannon Kiley, a professional dog trainer who was involved in search and rescue work with her dogs for 18 years. Her incredible Dobermans Soleil, Dagger, Never, and Savor, were specialized in human remains detection; we hear about what it takes to train a cadaver dog, why a “one size fits all” approach is not ideal, and we discuss some of the cases that her dogs participated in during the course of their careers. Finally, we chat about the connection Shannon shares with her dobies and her undying love for the breed. 2024-08-271h 15
Animal SoulmatesEp 15: A Pittie mix named RomeoIn this very special bonus episode, I am joined by my significant other, Brandon Reid, and we share the story of Romeo. Romeo, the absolute sweetest pittie boy, was the first dog we ever adopted together. While his time with us was short due to an undiagnosed medical condition, he taught us so much about love and resiliency. I am forever grateful for this boy and hope Romeo’s story will inspire others to take a chance on the underdog and to love your animals intensely, because you never know which day will be their last. 2024-05-281h 03
Animal SoulmatesEp 14: Loving our Reactive Dogs with Krystal HiseIn this bonus episode, I chat again with Krystal Hise, a pet portrait artist and our guest featured in Ep 11, about reactivity in dogs. We talk about what this behaviour looks like in Frank and Freya and share our experiences working through reactive behaviour in our pups. We are honest about the challenges associated with having a reactive dog and discuss the many ways we advocate for them. If you are struggling with reactive behaviour in your dog, I hope you find this conversation helpful. There are a ton of resources available. Also, trazodone. ...2024-05-141h 00
Animal SoulmatesEp 13: Puppy Mills with Dr. Karen FineIn this bonus episode, I chat again with Dr. Karen Fine, a holistic veterinarian and our guest featured in Ep 10, about the issues with puppy mills and how you can avoid them. We talk about some red flags to look out for and how to make sure you are purchasing a puppy from an ethical breeder. With an estimated 7,000 puppy mills currently operating in the United States, this is such an important topic that Dr. Fine and I barely scratched the surface of.Resources:Animal adoption through...2024-04-3037 min
Animal SoulmatesEp 12: A Police K9 named RadarIn this episode, I chat with Eamon O’Reilly, a Sergeant at the Washington County Oregon Sheriff’s Office, about his K9 partner Radar. Radar, a very handsome 9-year old malinois, has been working with Sgt O’Reilly in patrol and specializes in suspect tracking and apprehension, as well as building clearance. We chat about how Sgt O’Reilly started with the K9 unit, what is involved with training a police dog, and what it’s been like having Radar as a partner during his career. We explore the difference in bond with a working dog vs. a companion...2024-04-161h 14
Animal SoulmatesEp 11: A Lab mix named FreyaIn this episode, I chat with Krystal Hise about the love of her life, Freya. Freya is a beautiful, water-obsessed lab mix, who loves a good sniff-walk. Recently, she went through a cancer diagnosis, which required major surgery and six rounds of chemo to treat. We hear about how Krystal and her husband, Trevor, handled this news and how they’ve intentionally kept Freya front and center in every decision they’ve had to make along the way. Outside of being a devoted dog mom, Krystal is a pet portrait artist who also runs a blog, featuring entries that...2024-04-091h 22
Animal SoulmatesEp 10: A Husky mix named RanaIn this episode, I chat with Dr. Karen Fine, a holistic veterinarian and author of The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, And Mortality. We hear the story of Rana (pronounced “Ron-a”), a stray puppy who was brought to Dr. Fine’s clinic in need of medical care. When Dr. Fine met Rana, she knew with absolute certainty that this sweet girl was meant to be in her life. Over the next few years, Rana proved to be a free-spirit who lived her life to the fulles...2024-04-021h 20
Animal SoulmatesEp 9: A Pig Rescuer in Kansas City, Part 2In this episode, I continue my chat with Kayli Houk, the current President and co-founder of the Kansas City Pig Rescue Network. We hear about some of the challenges associated with pig rescue and how this work has impacted Kayli’s view of humanity. Kayli also shares what you can do if you would like to help rescue pigs. And of course, we continue to gush about how incredible pigs are! I promise I’m only a little obsessed and definitely don’t own a “Future Pig Mom” shirt.Links: 2024-03-1952 min
Animal SoulmatesEp 8: A Pig Rescuer in Kansas City, Part 1In this episode, I chat with the current President and co-founder of the Kansas City Pig Rescue Network (KCPRN): Kayli Houk. Through the KCPRN, Kayli and her team have rescued and rehabilitated more than 500 pigs since 2017, many of which have since found loving homes. We chat about the resiliency and emotional capacity of these amazing animals and how deeply bonded pigs can become with their people. Kayli’s dedication to protecting and advocating for a species that is so often forgotten is truly inspiring. I hope this episode provides a unique opportunity for you to see a different si...2024-03-121h 13
Animal SoulmatesEp 7: An Author of a Book on Loving and Losing Pets with E.B. BartelsIn this episode, I chat with E.B. Bartels, a nonfiction writer and author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets Here and Hereafter. Growing up, E.B. had animals of all shapes and sizes, from fish to birds to two Cairn terriers. In her book, she candidly speaks about the life and loss of each one and the lessons they taught her. We chat about different types of grief, including that associated with ambiguous loss, and mourning “the time we were supposed to have together”. We also hear about what it’s like visiting a pet...2024-03-051h 11
Animal SoulmatesEp 6: A Veterinarian Specializing in End-Of-Life Care with Dr. Kathleen CooneyIn this episode, I chat with Dr. Kathleen Cooney, a veterinarian who specializes in euthanasia and end-of-life care of our beloved pets. As a clinician, researcher, and educator, Dr. Cooney is passionate about “all things old and grey”. She has focused her career on determining how veterinary professionals can best honour the human-animal bond when their patients have reached the end of their journey and are ready to cross the rainbow bridge. We learn about what euthanasia means and hear about why it’s important, as pet parents, to think about end-of-life with our animal soulmates before we’re faced...2024-02-271h 04
Animal SoulmatesEp 5: A Kintamani dog named Stevie WonderIn this episode, I continue my chat with Prue Barber from Episode 4, and we hear the story of Stevie Wonder. Stevie was a gorgeous Kintamani dog who had a rough life on the streets of Bali; having lost one eye and suffering from a chronic infection in the other, Stevie was completely blind at the time of his rescue. We hear about the long road between Stevie’s rescue and Prue’s reunion with her animal soulmate. Their love story demonstrates patience, perseverance, and the incredible connection between a dog and his rescuer who were destined to be toge...2024-02-201h 17
Animal SoulmatesEp 4: An Animal Rescuer in BaliIn this episode, I chat with Prue Barber, an Australian who has dedicated her life to helping the animals in Bali, Indonesia. We talk about her journey from a successful career in graphic design in Melbourne to starting Mission Paws’ible in Bali, where she has saved hundreds of forgotten animals. We learn about the Bali Dog breed and the challenges associated with animal rescue in a developing country. We also hear about Winston: the dog that started it all!Links: Mission Paws’ible dogs featured on The D...2024-02-1354 min
Animal SoulmatesEp 3: A Scientist Studying Human-Canine and Human-Equine Interactions with Dr. Leanne NieforthIn this episode, I chat with Dr. Leanne Nieforth, a scientist who studies human-animal interactions in the context of animal-assisted interventions. Dr. Nieforth is putting the science behind what we feel when we interact with an animal. Specifically, we chat about the positive impacts a service dog can have on veterans suffering from PTSD and the healing power of horses. Links: Content warning: this episode includes conversations of suicide, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans. Please take care while listening.Veterans C...2024-02-061h 02
Animal SoulmatesEp 2: A Pit Bull named KonaIn this episode, we hear the story of Kona. Kona, a sweet pit bull, had a taste for adventure! She loved to spend her days running on the beach and paddleboarding with her Mom, Kristen Murray. We learn that “love at first sight” can exist between a dog and their future person, and that there’s never enough time with an animal soulmate. Grab those tissues again; you’ll need them!Links: Content warning: this episode deals with pet loss, which may be difficult for some listeners. A...2024-01-301h 03
Animal SoulmatesEp 1: A Pug named DexterIn this episode, we hear the story of Dexter. Dexter, an adorable pug, charmed his way through veterinary school and was loved by everyone he met. The deep bond he shared with his Mom, Dr. Eduarda Bortoluzzi, continues to this day and is a perfect demonstration of the undying love between pet and pet parent. Grab your tissues; this one’s a doozy!* Content warning: this episode deals with pet loss, which may be difficult for some listeners. ASPCA National Pet Loss Hotline (24 hour support): 1-877-474-3310 ...2024-01-231h 20
Animal SoulmatesTrailer: Animal SoulmatesIn today’s society, animals are so much more than simply “pets”. Many consider their animal to be their very best friend, their constant companion, helping them navigate the world when life gets tough. Animals are now members of the family, who have birthday parties, argyle sweaters, and a stocking with their name embroidered, which is hung by the fireplace during the holidays. In some cases, animals may even be considered soulmates. And while the deep connection between people and animals is undeniable, the immense grief associated with losing a furry best friend, a feathered family member, or an animal...2024-01-1102 min
Have You Herd? AABP PodCastsComparison of Lidocaine Alone or in Combination with a Local Nerve Block of Ethanol, Bupivacaine Liposome Suspension, or Oral Meloxicam to Extend Analgesia after Scoop Dehorning in Holstein CalvesAABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Miriam Martin, Director of Animal Health and Welfare and the North American Meat Institute, and Dr. Michael Kleinhenz, Clinical Associate Professor in Dairy Cattle Production at Texas A&M Vero for this episode to discuss the paper that was published in the Journal of Dairy Science that was the result of the cattle welfare research grant through the AABP Foundation. This episode of Have You Herd? is brought to you by Merck Animal Health. When your clients come to you with a BRD issue, turn t...2023-09-1835 min