Keep it Humane

The Cost of Caring (Episode 306)

Daniel is out this week… which means Ashley Bishop and Ashlee Bishop have taken over the podcast.That’s right—no supervision.In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast, the Ashleys talk about something that isn’t always easy to discuss in animal welfare: compassion fatigue. They dive into the emotional weight of the job, the stress that comes with working in animal control and shelters, and why even the most dedicated professionals sometimes feel completely drained.Along the way they share real experiences from the field, talk about how this work affects people behind the scenes, and discuss resources and strategies that can help professionals take care of themselves while continuing to care for animals.It’s honest, it’s real… and with Daniel gone, it might even be a little less controlled than usual.

Large Scale Impounds (Episode 305)

A recent large-scale animal seizure in Los Angeles County—where more than 300 animals were removed from a single property—serves as the backdrop for this episode. But this isn’t a breakdown of that case.Because the truth is… we don’t have all the facts. And neither does anyone else—yet.Instead, we use this moment to talk about what really happens when a large-scale impound hits an agency.From the outside, these cases look like heroic rescues. And they are. But behind the scenes, they’re also complex, messy, resource-draining operations that can push even the best-run organizations to their limits.In this episode, we dig into:What it actually takes to mobilize for a seizure involving hundreds of animalsThe immediate strain on staffing, space, and decision-makingWhy these cases are rarely as clear-cut as the headlines suggestThe ripple effect across shelters, rescues, and communitiesHow agencies balance enforcement, animal welfare, and public perception in real timeWe also talk about the uncomfortable reality: sometimes these cases involve people who believed they were helping animals—and situations that evolved beyond their capacity to manage.With shelters across the region scrambling to create space, transfer animals, and call on the public for help, this case highlights something bigger: large-scale impounds are not just enforcement actions—they are system-wide events. Whether you’re in animal control, sheltering, rescue, or just care about animal welfare, this episode gives you a real-world look at what happens when “too many animals” becomes everyone’s problem overnight.Because when 300 animals walk through your doors… everything changes.

Five Domains of Animal Welfare (Episode 304)

In this episode, Ashley, Ashlee, and Daniel take a deep dive into the evolution of animal welfare by breaking down the Five Domains of Animal Welfare and how they differ from the traditional Five Freedoms.The team explores how the Five Freedoms laid the foundation for humane care—focusing on preventing suffering—while the Five Domains push the conversation further by emphasizing an animal’s overall experience, including positive mental states. Through real-world examples from animal control and sheltering, they unpack what this shift means for decision-making, enforcement, and daily care.From nutrition and environment to behavior and mental well-being, this episode challenges listeners to rethink what “good welfare” really looks like in modern animal services. Whether you’re in the field or just passionate about animals, this conversation highlights why moving beyond simply avoiding harm—and toward creating positive outcomes—is the future of animal welfare.Because it’s not just about surviving—it’s about thriving.

The $5 Million Dog Bite: When Shelter Transparency Fails (Episode 303)

In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast, Daniel Ettinger and Ashley Bishop unpack a controversial and costly case out of Los Angeles that has many in the animal welfare field asking hard questions.A Los Angeles County jury recently awarded $5.4 million to a woman who was severely injured by a dog while picking it up from a city animal shelter for transport to a rescue group. The dog — a Belgian Malinois named Maximus — reportedly had a documented history of biting multiple people, including incidents that sent a teenager and a shelter employee to the hospital. The transporter alleged she was never warned about the dog’s dangerous history before the attack. Daniel and Ashley break down what happened, what the jury decided, and why the City of Los Angeles was found 62.5% liable, with additional responsibility assigned to the rescue organization and the transporter. But beyond the headlines, this episode explores the deeper issues the case raises for animal shelters and the professionals who work in them every day:What are the legal and ethical obligations when a dog has a serious bite history?How should shelters communicate risk to adopters, transporters, and rescue partners?When does advocacy for saving animals collide with public safety and staff safety?And what lessons should animal control agencies and shelter leaders take from multimillion-dollar verdicts like this one?Drawing on their experience in animal control and shelter operations, Daniel and Ashley discuss how cases like this shape policy, liability, and the public perception of animal shelters — and why transparency and professional judgment are more important than ever in modern animal welfare.If you work in animal control, sheltering, rescue, or law enforcement, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Mumbai to Montreal: A Different Way to Understand Dogs (Episode 302)

In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast, Daniel Ettinger and Ashley Bishop sit down with Sam Amalsadwala, a Montreal-based dog behavior expert whose path into animal behavior is anything but traditional.Originally from India and trained as a chef, Sam shares how a career transition — and a deep curiosity about dogs — led him to build a unique approach to canine behavior grounded in observation, relationship-building, and real-world socialization. Drawing from his cultural background, including the role dogs play within Zoroastrian traditions, Sam offers a perspective on human–animal relationships that challenges many Western assumptions about dog ownership and training.Sam discusses his now well-known work walking large groups of dogs — sometimes up to 35 at a time — off-leash in a private forest environment, and how that experience shaped his philosophy that early socialization and environmental exposure often matter more than traditional obedience training.The conversation explores:Cultural differences in how societies view and live with dogsThe evolution from training-focused models to relationship-based behavior workThe realities and ethics of off-leash freedomUnderstanding both human and canine behaviorThe difficult conversations around behavioral euthanasia and public safetyThis episode challenges listeners to think beyond labels like “good dog” or “bad dog” and instead consider the balance between animal welfare, community safety, and responsible ownership.Whether you work in animal control, shelters, training, or simply love dogs, this conversation offers thoughtful insight into how culture, environment, and expectations shape the animals we live alongside.Learn more about Sam and his work at: samaysam.com