Animal Academy Podcast Allison White

The pandemic caused a great deal of stress. It stretched us and forced us to pivot quickly and change certain areas of our lives. As our communities transition through the pandemic, I hope that everyone stays safe and we reach the other side quickly.
Before the pandemic, I had the pleasure of meeting today’s guest, Paige Lynch, for coffee. We spoke about many fascinating and relevant topics, including her work with animal rescue and her private therapy practice.
Paige is the Compassion Fatigue Program Coordinator at Tenth Life, a cat shelter in St. Louis, Missouri. They are a rescue organization with a mission to give cats the lives they deserve, despite their limitations. In her private practice, Paige assists people in the helping profession with self-care and setting boundaries. She also leads seminars and offers resources to help those in the helping profession build resilience.
In this episode, Paige explains what goes on at Tenth Life. She also discusses the work she does as a therapist and talks about compassion fatigue. Stay tuned for more!
Paige’s Bio:
Paige Lynch, LPC
Paige Lynch is a licensed professional counselor in St. Louis City in Missouri. She earned her Masters in Counseling from Webster University in 2012 and has worked in a variety of settings. She now owns and operates her private practice, Lynch Counseling, LLC. Paige has developed her practice to include work with those in the helping professions, including animal rescue. Proper self-care, boundary setting, and self-compassion are primary components of her work with others. She has been a volunteer with local cat rescue, Tenth Life, for several years, where she has extended her practice as a therapist as their Compassion Fatigue Program Coordinator. She leads seminars on the topic and offers resources to the fosters and volunteers of Tenth Life, hoping to generate resilience and eliminate compassion fatigue so that everyone can continue the amazing work they do.
Show highlights:
Paige talks about all the pets she has had.
Paige shares how she feels after the recent passing of her cat, Chester.
How pets can help us and ground us in times of change.
Paige discusses her therapy practice, the people she works with, and the kind of work she does to help them.
Paige defines compassion fatigue and explains how it affects people.
The difference between the symptoms of compassion fatigue and those of burnout.
Paige explains what Tenth Life is all about. She talks about their approach and what they do there.
How to know if you have enough love- and money, to take care of a special needs animal.
Follow your mission, but know your boundaries.
What to do if you find a lost pet.
Learning to practice self-care.
Paige shares her goals for the future.
What you can do to help Tenth Life.
Links and Resources:
www.tenthlifecats.org
www.lynchcounseling.com
Find all episodes of the Animal Academy Podcast https://animal-academy-podcast.captivate.fm/ (here).

It is easy to take the significant role a pet can play in a child’s life for granted. Growing up with pets teaches children many lessons about life, and often, just being in their pet’s presence helps them calm down. Animals provide unconditional love and offer companionship in a different way than human relationships do.
My very first dog gravitated towards my mother, who fed and trained him. He became her loyal companion, which hurt my feelings as a seven-year-old because I wanted him to be my buddy. Then, a rescue dog came into our lives and became mine. I trained her and slept with her, and she became my best friend for the next thirteen years! She was a stable and dependable force in my life and helped me navigate my sometimes painful childhood and teenage experiences. We had a special bond that I will never forget!
Today, my nephew, Andrew, joins me to share his experiences of growing up with pets. He discusses what he learned, and talks about the special friendship he shared with his first dog, Pamet. Be sure to stay tuned today to hear Andrew’s heart-warming story!
Show highlights:
Andrew talks about his life currently.
Andrew discusses the influence that his first pet had on his life.
Andrew shares his earliest memories of his first dog.
How Andrew came to name his puppy Pamet.
Andrew remembers learning about responsibility as a four-year-old pooper-scooper.
Why being seen as a litter-mate by your puppy is not a good idea.
The support and companionship that Andrew received from the animals in his life.
How living with animals differs from relationships with humans.
After having had one dog and five cats, Andrew is still a dog person.
Andrew talks about his life with two kittens.
The difference between having a relationship with a dog and a cat.
How pets help to keep us happy and in the present moment.
Andrew talks about the hardest part of having pets.
Andrew shares the biggest lesson that his pets have taught him.
Andrew Peacock’s Bio
Andrew Peacock and Allison White go way back — not only to Andrew’s birth since they’re aunt and nephew but to the very beginning of a young boy’s love for animals. At the ripe age of four, Allison’s beloved dog, Charity, had a litter of puppies, providing Andrew’s family with their very first pup. The dog was named Pamet, after a waterway on Cape Cod, and quickly became Andrew’s best friend. Andrew learned many lessons from Pamet throughout the pup’s decade of life, including how to befriend, teach, and love another being. But perhaps the most valuable lesson that Andrew continues the journey of embodying every day, is how to cherish and love life, just like Pamet did. Since then, Andrew, now 23, has shared in the joys of owning four fish, three cats, and two frogs throughout his life. He is now undergoing the wonderful yet bewildering journey of looking after two beautiful and quite strange black cats named Noodle and Darcy with his partner, Haley, in Ohio. Andrew graduated from The College of Wooster in May of 2020 and has been working as a freelance editor and barista during the pandemic. He currently looks forward to leaping into graduate school at Georgetown University for a Master’s in Communication, Culture, and Technology. He hopes to one day use his words for some kind of financial benefit, but who knows

We don’t always think about where the food we eat comes from, or the work that happens behind the scenes with raising animals and tending to the crops. Those are hard jobs for farmers, and so is being accountable to the consumers. When choosing the food we buy, we are faced with so many decisions, and many of the labels can be confusing and difficult to understand.
Today, I am happy to welcome Anne Malleau as my guest for the podcast. Anne is the Executive Director for Global Animal Partnerships, the leading farm animal welfare standards and labeling organization in North America. She is an animal scientist with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture, a Master of Science in Poultry Behaviour and Welfare, and an MBA in Agribusiness. Be sure to listen in today to learn about animal welfare, sustainability, and the science behind the decisions made when raising animals for food.
Show highlights:
Anne talks about how she got started in her field.
Anne discusses the science behind the decisions made for whole foods and G.A.P.
Anne explains the difference between animal welfare and animal rights.
There are different sections on Anne’s website, depending on whether you are a consumer, looking for pet food, or business. She explains what that is all about.
Anne discusses the three pillars that form the backbone of the G.A.P. standard.
It is vital to pay attention to the emotional lives of animals.
Anne explains how G.A.P. follows up on the standards.
Anne discusses the different labels, which can be confusing.
What consumers need to know about organic produce, and how it is labeled.
You can find G.A.P. in more than 5000 places. Anne talks about the number of animals they certify annually.
The effects that Covid has had on what Anne is doing.
There are has blog articles and recipes on the G.A.P. website.
Anne talks about the changes that she would like to see in the future.
Bio:
Anne Malleau is the Executive Director for Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.), the leading farm animal welfare standards and labeling organization in North America. In addition to G.A.P.’s commitment to continuous improvement in improving the lives of farm animals, G.A.P. has pioneered ‘farm to fork’ support for their partners - designed to provide additional business support and opportunities for partners where possible.
Established in 2008, G.A.P. impacts the welfare of over 416MM animals annually through third-party certification of more than 3,900 farms across 11 countries, with labeled products in over 5,000 outlets. G.A.P. believes that meaningful label claims, validated by third-party audits on every farm, are key to influencing the industry, raising consumer expectations, and creating long-lasting change for animals.
Anne is also an Executive Leader of Meat and Poultry – Live Production at Whole Foods Market – the leading grocer of natural and organic food in the US - where she provides farm animal production compliance support to the meat teams.
Anne is an animal scientist with a BSc in agriculture, an MSc in poultry behavior and welfare, and an MBA in agribusiness. She has studied and worked in animal agriculture for more than 20 years.
Anne currently lives and works from her farm outside of Toronto, Canada traveling often. She has two young children and enjoys crafting, cooking, gardening, and helping her husband renovate their home.
Links and resources:
https://globalanimalpartnership.org/ (Global Animal Partnership )
G.A.P. on https://www.linkedin.com/company/certifiedgap/ (LinkedIn), https://twitter.com/CertifiedGAP (Twitter), https://www.facebook.com/G.A.P.Certified (Facebook), andhttps://www.instagram.com/g.a.p.certified/ ( Instagram)

While sharing my life with animals, I have depended on the support of the veterinary professionals who have always been there for emergencies, routine visits, and providing education. They have also helped me make difficult medical decisions regarding the care of my pets and worked tirelessly to assist in taking care of their needs.
I was shocked to learn about the high incidences of depression, anxiety, and suicide among veterinary professionals. Even though it must be wonderful to be part of that profession, do something you love, and work with animals all day, many other factors make the everyday work in that field extremely challenging.
In this episode, I will be speaking with Dr. Carrie Jurney. Besides having worked as a veterinarian for more than twenty years, Carrie is also board-certified in neurology and is the President of NOMV (Not One More Vet), one of the world's largest charities with a focus on veterinary well-being. Be sure to stay tuned today to hear Carrie’s story and find out about the day-to-day challenges that veterinary professionals face.
Show highlights:
Carrie talks about what made her decide to become a veterinarian.
Carrie talks about the different roles she has played and the different experiences she has had in the veterinary field.
Veterinary receptionists are the frontline of a veterinary hospital. They have a difficult role to play.
Carrie often has to have tough conversations. That is why she has worked hard at developing non-verbal skills like conveying empathy.
Carrie talks about the growing concern and awareness around the mental health needs within the veterinary profession, and some of the factors that make working in the veterinary profession so hard.
Carrie explains why she recommends pet health insurance.
Carrie talks about the moment that made her decide to become active with mental health education.
Carrie explains what NOMV is all about and the services they provide.
You can ask to join NOMV here. You are welcome on the forums if you work in the veterinary profession.
Compassion fatigue is real. Carrie talks about what she learned in her training that could help to prevent it.
Carrie talks about the Veterinary Human Support Certificate Program that she has almost completed at the University of Tennessee.
Taking care of yourself is just as important as the work you are doing.
Bio:
Dr. Carrie Jurney has worked in veterinary medicine for well over 20 years, filling every role in the clinic from kennel attendant to practice owner. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005 and was boarded in neurology in 2009 after completing a residency at the University of Pennsylvania. Since that time, she has been based out of the San Francisco Bay Area and is currently the practice owner at Jurney Veterinary Neurology.
Her journey to working on veterinary wellness began in 2015 after helping a coworker through a mental health crisis. Shortly thereafter she joined the admin team at NOMV and began taking extensive continuing education courses in crisis intervention and compassion fatigue. She currently has over 400 hours of training and is a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional. She is also a member of the inaugural class of the Veterinary Human Support Certificate Program out of the University of Tennessee Veterinary Social Work Program. She has pioneered multiple programs for mental wellness in the veterinary field, including online educational materials, and an anonymous support program for veterinary professionals in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She is the current president of NOMV and a founding board member of the 501c3. While Carrie has worked at NOMV, it has grown to be the largest wellness-focused charity for veterinary well-being in the world, with over 25,000 global members.
As a passionate speaker about mental health and wellness in veterinary medicine,...

Several years ago, Allison White went to a retreat center called The Equine Experience. There, she learned about and experienced the power and intelligence of horses. What she learned intrigued her, so she began reading more about horses and equine therapy. She even met with a local therapist to see how she used her horses for team-building to help people learn to work together and to find out how she uses horses to help her clients overcome obstacles.
Today’s guest, Dr. Aviva Vincent, is a therapist who grew up with a horse and experienced first-hand how that helped her through many of life's challenges. Later on in her life, that experience guided her education, research, and career.
There are many life lessons that we can learn from animals. Be sure to join me today as I speak to Aviva about horses, equine therapy, and the power of collaborating with horses to heal.
Show highlights:
Aviva gives us some of her background and explains how she got started with equine therapy.
Aviva explains how she used the link between interpersonal violence and animal abuse to reflect on her own childhood experiences.
Aviva explains why she encourages every student who reaches out to her to find a mentor.
I share what I learned about horses several years ago at the Equine Experience retreat center. That experience led me to read more about equine therapy and the power of using horses to heal.
Aviva describes the different models for equine-assisted services and talks about what she loves doing the most.
Aviva talks about the difference between behavior and magic.
Aviva discusses a research study that Fieldstone has recently begun in partnership with NYU to understand the link between interpersonal violence and animal abuse. It is a continuation of the research that she did in her doctoral program. They are using a unique strategy to unpack and learn about the magic that helps young people with anxiety, to self-regulate or manage their feelings and emotions when they are riding.
Aviva explains what someone interested in equine therapy can expect from a typical session.
Aviva talks about the grant available at Fieldstone so that no veterans ever have to pay for the service they offer.
Aviva talks about the project she’s working on currently that excites her the most.
With all the different things that she is involved with, Aviva explains what she does to take care of herself.
Biography: Dr. Aviva Vincent
Dr. Aviva Vincent is a doctoral graduate of Case Western Reserve University, Mandel School of Social Welfare in veterinary social work. Her research focuses on the biological impact that animals have on children, specifically in the reduction of fear and anxiety in stressful situations. Additionally, her research includes integration of physiological measures in social science research (e.g. saliva collection for measures of oxytocin, alpha-amylase, and cortisol).
She is co-owner and founder of Healing Paws, LLC, the only Veterinary Social Work practice in Northeast Ohio. Her background in veterinary social work informs her practice as the Director of Program Quality at Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. In this capacity, she is responsible for ensuring high-quality programs in adaptive riding, hippotherapy, carriage driving, and ground lessons offered to over 1,000 participants annually.
She is an instructor of Animal Assisted Interventions at the University of Tennessee in the Veterinary Social Work Certificate Program. Aviva serves as the co-chair of the human-animal interactions work-group with the National Association of Social Workers-Ohio chapter and serves on the board of the International Association of Veterinary Social Work.
Links, resources, and contact info:
Books:
Memories
https://bookshop.org/books/little-victories-a-true-story-of-the-healing-power-of-horses/9781692591359 (Little Victories)
https://bookshop.org/books/chosen-by-a-horse/9780156031172 (Chosen by a...

I had the pleasure of speaking with today’s guest, Angie Arora, and her colleague several months ago about the research done on the challenges of pet loss and bereavement. They shared so much information during that discussion that I asked Angie to return to the show today. In this episode, Angie takes a deep dive into pet loss and bereavement, the stages of grief, immortalizing a beloved pet, and some of the challenges people had to face during the pandemic.
Angie is a registered social worker from Toronto, Canada, with over sixteen years of experience in the fields of pet loss and veterinary compassion resilience. She is a virtual pet loss facilitator and a lead coach for VetVine’s Wellness and Professional Resiliency Coaching Program. She also continues to research to better support clients through their pet’s end of life. Join us today to hear more about the work Angie is doing to help people through the various stages of the grief process.
Show highlights:
Angie explains what led her to become interested in doing the work she does.
Angie describes the various types of grief.
Angie explains why social support networks are everything when it comes to grief and mourning. And why people need to tap into support networks now more than ever.
Emotional regulation begins with self-awareness. Angie explains what it means to be self-aware.
Angie discusses the importance of the routine that pets bring to our lives.
Kristen Neff wrote an excellent book about self-compassion. Angie explains what self-compassion means and why it is vital to have self-compassion during the grieving process.
Often, when people grieve the loss of a pet, they lose the support networks that are evident in other aspects of their lives.
Validation is a fundamental need. When we are not validated, it can complicate the rest of our healing journey.
We need to find ways to adapt to the pandemic situation without sacrificing our needs in the process. Angie discusses that in the context of pet loss and pet memorial.
Angie discusses the work that David Kessler has been doing around the sixth stage of grief, the meaning stage.
Angie shares some of the greatest lessons she’s learned from the people she has helped.

Angie’s bio:
Angie Arora, MSW, RSW
Angie Arora is a registered Social Worker from Toronto, Canada, with over 16 years of experience in the areas of pet loss and veterinary compassion resilience. She has worked as a hospital Veterinary Social Worker, facilitated community-based pet loss support groups, and engaged in media campaigns to reduce the stigma associated with pet loss. Angie serves as the Board Secretary for the International Association of Veterinary Social Work, is the Research Chair for the International Association for Animal Hospice andPalliative Care, and volunteers her time to address equity issues within veterinary medicine. She works with VetVine as a Virtual Pet Loss Facilitator and is the Lead Coach for their VETPeers Wellness and Professional Resiliency Coaching Program. She is a Professor with Seneca College’s Social Service Worker Program, where she was the principal investigator of a research study that developed guidelines for veterinary teams to better support clients through their pets’ end of life. Angie obtained her Bachelor of Social Work from Ryerson University and Masters of Social Work from York University.
Links and resources:

Contact Angie on https://www.linkedin.com/in/angiearora/ (LinkedIn)
Email Angie – angie.arora@senekacollege.ca
Books:
David Kessler:
“Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief.” https://grief.com/sixth-stage-of-grief/ (https://grief.com/sixth-stage-of-grief/)
Kristen Neff, PhD
Self Compassion- https://self-compassion.org/ (https://self-compassion.org/)
Meg Daley Lomert “Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond”

ONLINE SUPPORT GROUPS and CHAT ROOMS:
Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement...