Wayside Tails

We talk a lot on this podcast about how to care for domestic animals (pets), but how do we care for wild animals? I got to speak with Kelly Kluthe, the president of the Kansas Herpetological Society, about reptiles and amphibians. Listen in to discover amazing facts about herpetofauna and to learn how to respect these wild species! 

This episode of Wayside Tails features an interview with Dr. Melia Washington, the Chief Veterinarian at Pet Resource Center of Kansas City. PRCKC a non-profit organization that provides low-cost veterinary care, especially spay and neuter surgeries, to Kansas Citians' pets. Why and how did Dr. Washington become a vet? How can you access Pet Resource Center of Kansas City’s services? Those questions will all be answered in the episode!  To learn more about PRCKC, click the link here: https://prckc.org/  

*This episode contains information about puppy mills, which some listeners may find upsetting* This episode features an interview Bob Baker from the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation about how laws have improved animals’ safety and well-being. You’ll even learn how you can get involved in helping new laws pass that protect animals and people! 

**At the time of this recording, Leo and Oso were available for adoption** Looking for a new furry family member? Look no further than Leo and Oso! This episode of Wayside Tails features interviews with these dogs' trainers. Listen in to learn about what Leo and Oso are looking for in their new homes!  To learn more about Leo, visit the link here: https://waysidewaifs.org/adopt-a-pet/pet-detail/?aid=58567605&cid=14&tid=Dog To learn more about Oso, visit the link here: https://waysidewaifs.org/adopt-a-pet/pet-detail/?aid=56164747&cid=14&tid=Dog  

We're excited to welcome Brett (Wayside Waifs' Canine Public Training and Behavior Manager) back to the podcast to talk about dog sports! Dog sports are a fun and unique way to exercise your pet's brain and body, strengthen your bond, and help them have fun!

In this episode of Wayside Waifs' podcast, Wayside Tails, Margaret interviews Megan, the Admissions Manager at Wayside Waifs. She spoke to Margaret about how animals come to Wayside, how we take care of them once they’re here, and about how we show them compassion!   Additional sound credit: ZapSplat

Have you ever wondered how you can help animals at an animal shelter? Have you ever wanted to visit one or hear about them from someone who works there? Today’s episode is going to provide you with the opportunity to do all those things and more! In this very episode, I’m going to tell you about all of the educational programs that we offer at Wayside Waifs. Most of these opportunities are for people currently in kindergarten and above, so adults are definitely included and encouraged to participate, with or without children! Additional music credit to Zapsplat.com

A pet’s death is one of the most difficult parts of your life with them. Thankfully, there are wonderful people who can help pet parents navigate this chapter of a pet’s life. People like Emily Strongin, an animal end-of-life doula who provides support, encouragement, and education to the families of pets at the end of the pets’ lives. On this episode of Wayside Tails, I got to interview Emily about her work and about how we can remember our pets even after they've passed on.

On this episode of Wayside Tails, we get to explore empathy for creatures that are often misunderstood and underestimated: bugs! Our very special guest is Karen Verderame, Assistant Director for Outreach Education at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania! Karen shares her passion for bugs and discusses why and how we can show empathy and compassion to all creatures!

Listen in to learn about the amazing Gilligan, our longest-term dog here at Wayside Waifs animal shelter! Two of our dog trainers tell us all about Gilligan's history, wonderful personality, and preferences. Is he the right dog for you?

In this episode, the campers at Camp Wayside take over the podcast! Listen in to learn about our new teen camp, which we offered for the first time this year! Every summer, Wayside Waifs hosts five weeks of Camp Wayside for students going in to third through eighth grade. For the first time this summer we offered camp for ninth and tenth graders as well! For more information about Camp Wayside, follow the link here. For general information about Wayside Waifs animal shelter, click here!

On our twentieth episode, I get to talk to Molly, the Canine Public Training Coordinator at Wayside Waifs Animal Shelter, about preparing our furry family members for a newborn in the home! The Family Paws resource that Molly mentions can be found here: https://www.familypaws.com/

Summer is almost here, so there's no better time to learn about keeping our pets cool! This episode features an interview with Dr. Andelson, one of Wayside's veterinarians. She shares tips for preventing heat stroke in pets, warning signs of overheating, and advice for when to seek medical attention.

We’ve received a lot of great questions recently from people of all ages and we answer them on this episode of Wayside Tails! If you have a question that you’d like us to answer on the podcast, please email me at [email protected].

Listen in as I talk with Jason, Wayside Waifs' Facilities Manager, about the important (and varied!) work his team does to keep the animal shelter safe and sound!

On this episode of Wayside Tails, we chat with Morgan about Wayside Waif's outreach programs and about how we can support the pets and people in our communities.

Yappy holidays! On this holiday episode of Wayside Tails, we’ll be chatting all about how to keep pets safe and comfortable during the holidays through a sound quiz!  Additional freesound.org credits to: 5ound5murf23, Lauren_Wilson, el_boss, Lsprice, Robinhood76, Gsparrysound, GrayJoy, Sassaby, Barone026, Newlocknew, ShangusBurger, hz37, juskiddink, EverHeat

Get ready to become a real-life superhero in this exciting episode of Wayside Tails! We're diving into the world of bullying prevention for both humans and animals alike. Discover awesome ways to spread kindness, learn how to spot bullying in action, and pick up super-cool tips to make the world a better place for everyone- whether they have two legs or four!  Sound effects from Zapsplat.com and freesound.org (theplax, FunWithSound, M4taiori, 1tmsounds)

It's our Halloween episode! But no scares here. Listen in to celebrate the season with an animal and animal shelter twist! Sound credits are from FreeSound.org: crk365, betchkal, e_govind, Hyperionn, Nivatius, KevinSonger, Rehanjo, Ironi Alef, LudwigMueller, Yolande180138, Caitlin_100, Smokeyvw, Timtube, Aunrea, Garuda1982, and Zapsplat

On this episode, we hear from Tyler, the Foster Program Manager at Wayside Waifs! He discusses how fostering benefits shelter pets and how we can get involved with this amazing program!

In this episode (which does discuss death and briefly euthanasia) we chat with Chloe, who works in the Pet Memorial Services department at Wayside Waifs, about the ways in which we can remember our pets! 

In this episode of Wayside Tails, we chat with Molly (Wayside Waifs' Canine Public Training Coordinator) and get her perspective on why training is important, how dog training involves training people, and more!

Every summer, we host Camp Wayside here at Wayside Waifs! Curious to know more about it? Listen in as campers give their own perspectives!

In this episode, we chat with Brett, one of our wonderful dog trainers at Wayside Waifs. What does a trainer do? Which animals can be trained? Why is training important? Listen in to find out!

In this episode of Wayside Tails, we discuss how to bust pets' boredom with enrichment! Plus, we've got a quiz! How much do you remember from past episodes?

Listen in as we continue to learn about what it's like to be an animal shelter veterinarian with Dr. Marta Andelson! She answers common student questions and describes her work at Wayside Waifs.

In this episode, we speak to Dr. Eric Kelly, one of Wayside Waifs' veterinarians! We talk about his work at the animal shelter, what it takes to become a vet, and how we can take responsibility for our pets' health!

What do educators at an animal shelter do? In this episode, we explore the connection between how we treat people and how we treat animals with Ashley, Wayside Waifs' Director of Community Education and Outreach! Your challenge this week is to practice having self-control with both people and animals. Listen in to find out more!

In this episode, we learn about the ins and outs of the pet adoption process with Becky, Wayside Waifs' Adoptions Manager! Your challenge this week is to practice being humane. Listen in to find out more!

What is Wayside Waifs? What happens here? These questions and more will be answered in today’s episode. 

Welcome to the first episode of Wayside Tails, a podcast all about practicing compassion with people and other animals! Hosted by educator Margaret, this podcast is brought to you by Wayside Waifs, a no-kill animal shelter located in Kansas City, Missouri. Our podcast isn't just for animal lovers – it's also for educators, students, and families who want to learn more about the importance of empathy, kindness, and compassion.