Who Will Let the Dogs Out

About Who Will Let the Dogs Out

Telling the stories of shelter dogs, the heroes who fight for them, and what you can do to help.

Publisher

Cara Achterberg

Category

kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 May 2020

Latest episode

29 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

47 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Moving from Complaint to Change: Advice for Animal Shelter Advocates

   Frustrated with your local animal shelter's conditions, but unsure how to actually bring about meaningful change? In this episode of Who Will Let The Dogs Out?, co-founder Cara Achterberg dives into common pitfalls advocates face when they get stuck in "problem mode" and shares actionable strategies for creating real solutions. Tune in as Cara breaks down three crucial steps for animal advocates: Know where the buck stops: Building relationships with the ultimate decision-makers instead of making them the enemy. Make it a people problem: Framing shelter issues around community needs and metrics that leadership can't ignore. Get inside the building: Volunteering, understanding the staff's perspective, and dropping dangerous assumptions. To learn more about our mission and support our work, visit Who Will Let The Dogs Out (https://whowillletthedogsout.org/).

2. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Rethinking Shelter Work: The 5 Tenets of Responsible Sheltering

   Is the "save them all" narrative unintentionally causing more harm than good in animal welfare? In this special replay of our recent webinar, host Cara takes a deep dive into why focusing strictly on no-kill percentages is leading to unintended consequences like crowded shelters, closed intakes, and long-term warehousing. We break down a realistic, compassionate framework designed to support both animals and the communities that love them: The 5 Tenets of Responsible Sheltering. In this episode, we discuss: Helping Everyone Who Reaches Out: Providing essential resources, rehoming tools, medical support, and open intakes. Promoting & Offering Spay/Neuter Services: Expanding local access, mobile clinics, transport support, and community assistance funds. Engaging the Community: Building strong foster networks, volunteer programs, advisory boards, and public-friendly shelter policies. Proactively Educating: Teaching humane care, owner responsibility, and hosting community clinics and open houses. Managing Shelter Populations to Prevent Suffering: Making tough, ethical decisions to ensure animals are not kept in long-term distress or adopted out unsafely. Whether you work in municipal sheltering, run a local rescue, or care deeply about animal welfare in your town, this episode offers a practical blueprint for moving beyond survival mode and toward creating truly humane communities. Links & Resources Mentioned: Facebook Group: Join WWLDO Shelter Solutions and Support for non-judgmental discussions and shelter resources. Get in Touch: Have feedback or questions? Email Cara directly at cara@wwldo.org. Upcoming Events: Register for our free Stronger Together workshop on November 7th in the Florida Panhandle via our link in bio or Facebook page. For more information, visit WhoWillLettheDogsOut.org (https://www.whowillletthedogsout.org/)

3. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Keeping Pets Home: Animal Harbor's Crisis Care Program

   Host Cara Achterberg sits down with Emily Holland, Executive Director of Animal Harbor in Winchester, Tennessee, to discuss innovative, compassionate approaches to animal welfare in rural communities. Emily shares the inspiration and impact behind their brand-new Crisis Care Program—an initiative designed to help pet owners during sudden emergencies, keep pets in loving homes, and prevent animals from entering shelters in the first place. They also dive into: How small nonprofit rescues can partner with municipal, open-intake shelters to fill critical community gaps. Building strong, trust-based relationships with local veterinarians and donors. The success of Animal Harbor’s Community Pack Walks and how they meet people where they are. Overcoming judgment in animal rescue to preserve the human-animal bond through compassion and proactive support. Tune in to discover how meeting pet owners in their moment of need creates a truly humane community! Learn More & Connect: Visit Animal Harbor (https://www.animalharbor.org/) to explore their programs or support their work. Enjoying the show? Please share this episode, leave us a rating or review, and help us spread the word! To learn more about Who Will Let the Dogs Out, visit our website: www.WWLDO.org Questions? email Cara@WWLDO.org

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Contact Who Will Let the Dogs Out

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  The Animal Advocate

• 

  We Can Do Hard Things

• 

  SmartLess

• 

  Up First

• 

  The Bulwark Podcast

• 

  Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov