The Top Dog Podcast

Chris Roy
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Pets & Animals
  • Updated Weekly

We interview the leaders in animal welfare to understand their journey to being the top dog and their vision for how their organization will save more animals lives in the community

  1. 6h ago

    Top Dog Podcast with Aldwin Roman | Why Prevention Is the Future of Animal Sheltering

    What if the best way to save more animals is to prevent them from ever entering a shelter? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Aldwin Roman, Senior VP and COO of the Charleston Animal Society, South Carolina's largest animal organization and shelter. Aldwin shares his unexpected journey from studying political science and wanting to advocate for people to starting as a kennel technician and eventually becoming a senior leader in animal welfare. With Charleston Animal Society taking in roughly 15,000 animals each year, Aldwin has seen firsthand how the industry is shifting from reactive sheltering toward prevention, access to care, and community-based solutions. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ How Aldwin went from kennel tech to senior animal welfare leadership ✔ Why animal welfare is ultimately human welfare through animals ✔ Shifting from reactive sheltering to proactive community support ✔ Expanding access to spay/neuter and veterinary care ✔ Why prevention can have a greater impact than sheltering alone ✔ Leading frontline teams through support rather than micromanagement ✔ The importance of patience, humility, and lifelong learning in leadership ✔ How leaders can step back and focus on the bigger picture Aldwin's story offers a powerful lesson for animal welfare leaders: real community change takes patience, perspective, and a willingness to look beyond the shelter walls. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

    Top Dog Podcast with Aldwin Roman | Why Prevention Is the Future of Animal Sheltering

  2. 2d ago

    Top Dog Podcast with Carrie Ridgway | Why Modern Shelters Must Become Community Resource Centers

    What happens when an animal shelter stops thinking like a shelter and starts becoming a community resource? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Carrie Ridgway, Executive Director of the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center in Riverside, California. After joining the organization in 2008 to help with a capital campaign, Carrie worked her way through the organization before becoming Executive Director in 2015. Today, she leads an organization that has grown from five employees into a comprehensive animal welfare resource center with a high-volume spay/neuter clinic, thrift store, adoption programs, and community services. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Transforming a traditional shelter into a community resource center ✔ Leading with compassion while making difficult decisions ✔ Why shelters need to find reasons to say yes ✔ Building stronger relationships with surrendering pet owners ✔ Keeping teams engaged in a high-stress, compassion-filled industry ✔ The importance of staying open-minded and embracing change ✔ Learning from failure and having the courage to try new things ✔ Why animal welfare leaders must care about both people and animals Carrie shares a powerful perspective on leadership, reminding us that being a great leader isn't about having everything figured out. It's about staying flexible, giving yourself grace, and continuing to become better. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

    Top Dog Podcast with Carrie Ridgway | Why Modern Shelters Must Become Community Resource Centers

  3. Sep 3

    Top Dog Podcast with Bill Crowe | How One Organization Helps Shelters Do More

    What if animal welfare organizations could create more impact by supporting the shelters already doing the work? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Bill Crowe, Executive Director of the Pet Care Foundation, an animal advocacy organization supporting shelters and communities across Los Angeles. For more than two decades, Bill has developed programs that help animals become more adoptable, connect them with families, and prevent animals from entering shelters in the first place. From televised adoption campaigns and large-scale shelter adoption events to grooming, free spay/neuter clinics, and wellness programs, his approach focuses on identifying gaps and building practical solutions around them. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why animal welfare needs more organizations supporting existing shelters ✔ Turning adoption events into high-impact community programs ✔ How grooming can dramatically improve an animal's adoption chances ✔ Expanding access to free spay/neuter and wellness care ✔ Why prevention and education are essential to reducing shelter intake ✔ How social media has transformed animal adoption ✔ What leaders can learn by listening to their communities Bill's story is a powerful reminder that leadership isn't always about building another organization. Sometimes, it's about finding where the biggest gaps are and helping the organizations already doing the work fill them. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

    Top Dog Podcast with Bill Crowe | How One Organization Helps Shelters Do More

  4. Sep 1

    Top Dog Podcast with Katie Dwight | How One Sanctuary Is Changing the Way We See Farm Animals

    What happens when you leave your career behind to build a better future for animals? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Katie Dwight, Co-Founder of Herd and Flock Animal Sanctuary, to explore her remarkable journey from immigration attorney to leading a farm animal sanctuary dedicated to compassion, education, and advocacy. Together with her wife, Katie built a sanctuary that has cared for more than 1,000 rescued animals while inspiring visitors to rethink their relationship with farm animals and the food system. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Building a farm animal sanctuary from the ground up ✔ Caring for permanent sanctuary residents with compassion ✔ The role of education in transforming public perspectives ✔ Expanding advocacy beyond rescue into policy change ✔ Leading through adversity, setbacks, and uncertainty ✔ Why small organizations can create lasting systemic impact Discover how one bold decision grew into a lifelong mission to create a more compassionate world for both animals and people. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

    Top Dog Podcast with Katie Dwight | How One Sanctuary Is Changing the Way We See Farm Animals

  5. Aug 27

    Top Dog Podcast with Finnegan Dowling | How Mutual Rescue Is Helping Shelters Thrive

    What if the biggest opportunity in animal welfare isn't saving more animals—but engaging more people? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Finnegan Dowling, Senior Manager of Shelter Programs at Mutual Rescue. With more than 30 years of experience in animal welfare, Finnegan shares how today's shelters are evolving into community-centered organizations powered by collaboration, accessibility, and data-driven decision-making. From creating nationally used Doggie Day Out programs to developing free multilingual resources for shelters across the country, Finnegan explains why supporting people is one of the best ways to support animals. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why community engagement is reshaping animal shelters ✔ Building innovative programs like Doggie Day Out ✔ Using data and technology to improve shelter outcomes ✔ Expanding language accessibility for diverse communities ✔ Supporting frontline shelter teams through stronger leadership ✔ Creating resources that help every shelter succeed Discover why the future of animal welfare depends on empowering communities—not just organizations. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

    Top Dog Podcast with Finnegan Dowling | How Mutual Rescue Is Helping Shelters Thrive

  6. Aug 25

    Top Dog Podcast with Melissa Shupak | The Future of Animal Welfare in Canada

    What if the future of animal shelters isn't about housing more animals—but helping fewer animals need shelter at all? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Melissa Shupak, Director of Animal Sheltering at the Toronto Humane Society. Drawing from her background in social services and nearly two decades in animal welfare, Melissa shares how shelters are evolving from reactive organizations into proactive community resource centers. From expanding access to veterinary care to keeping families and pets together, Melissa explains why the next generation of animal welfare starts with supporting people. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why community-centered animal welfare is replacing traditional sheltering ✔ Expanding access to affordable veterinary care ✔ Keeping people and pets together during times of crisis ✔ Leading organizational change through empathy and collaboration ✔ Building stronger foster programs for better animal outcomes ✔ Why prevention is the future of animal sheltering Discover how innovative leadership is reshaping what animal shelters can become. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

    Top Dog Podcast with Melissa Shupak | The Future of Animal Welfare in Canada

  7. Aug 20

    Top Dog Podcast with Denise Bynum | How One Volunteer Became a Lifeline for Community Cats

    What happens when one act of kindness becomes a lifelong mission? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Denise Bynum, Director of the Homeless Animals Relief Project (HARP). After retiring from a distinguished 45-year nursing career, Denise found a new calling helping low-income families and community cats through affordable spay/neuter programs across North Mississippi. From coordinating volunteers and transporting cats to building partnerships with veterinarians and rescue organizations, Denise demonstrates how collaboration and compassion can transform entire communities. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Transitioning from nursing leadership to animal welfare leadership ✔ Why affordable spay/neuter changes entire communities ✔ Building volunteer networks that multiply impact ✔ Creative strategies for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) success ✔ Partnering with rescues, veterinarians, and community organizations ✔ Finding purpose through serving both people and animals Discover how one volunteer's willingness to say "yes" has helped thousands of cats and the families who care for them. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

    Top Dog Podcast with Denise Bynum | How One Volunteer Became a Lifeline for Community Cats

  8. Aug 18

    Top Dog Podcast with Cheryl McCormick | Building Stronger Communities for People and Pets

    What if the future of animal welfare starts by helping people first? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Cheryl McCormick, CEO of the Athens Area Humane Society, to explore how modern shelters are evolving into community resource centers that strengthen the bond between people and their pets. Drawing from her background in wildlife ecology and nonprofit leadership, Cheryl shares why empathy, collaboration, and community partnerships are transforming animal welfare across rural Georgia and beyond. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why helping people leads to better outcomes for animals ✔ Building community-centered programs that keep pets with families ✔ Expanding veterinary access in underserved rural communities ✔ Creating a culture of compassion within shelter teams ✔ The importance of trust, partnerships, and relationship-building ✔ Leading with empathy while inspiring staff and volunteers Discover why the strongest animal welfare organizations don't just rescue animals—they strengthen entire communities. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.

    Top Dog Podcast with Cheryl McCormick | Building Stronger Communities for People and Pets
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We interview the leaders in animal welfare to understand their journey to being the top dog and their vision for how their organization will save more animals lives in the community

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