Tails of Resilience x Harrison Edell, CEO of PAWS

This week on Tails of Resilience, we had the honor of sitting down with Harrison Edell, CEO of PAWS—a leader with more than two decades of experience across animal care, conservation, and nonprofit leadership. Harrison shared powerful stories about the wide-ranging impact of PAWS’ work—from rescuing and rehoming our domestic dog and cat companions, to rehabilitating wild animals of all kinds, from birds to bears. His perspective on recognizing the similarities across species and rescue work—rather than getting stuck in the differences—offers a refreshing and unifying lens for those working in animal welfare. We explored the importance of collaboration, learning from those who came before us, and resisting the urge to reinvent the wheel. Harrison emphasized how critical it is to rely on trained experts when encountering an injured or orphaned wild animal, reminding us that even well-intentioned human intervention can cause lifelong harm without proper guidance. Our conversation also dove into the three pillars of resilience—physical, intellectual, and emotional—and how Harrison supports his own wellbeing while leading mission-driven teams. Drawing on twenty years in the field, he shared grounded, heartfelt wisdom for anyone navigating the challenges, pressures, and emotional weight of animal welfare work. It’s a rich, inspiring episode filled with compassion, clarity, and hard-earned insight. You won’t want to miss it. ⚠️ Trigger Warning: Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide and mental health challenges related to trauma and high-stress caregiving roles, as well as references to animal suffering and death. Listener discretion is advised. 🔗 Featured Rescue: PAWS (WA) Website: https://www.paws.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PAWSWashington INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/paws_wa/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pawsvideo 🌟 Links + Resources: Learn more about the Animal Rescue Hub: animalrescuehub.org Explore dog astrology + ZodiPaws books: https://zodipaws.com 🎵 Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/timelapse