Pawfee Podcats

Jen, formerly referred to as The Bunny Volunteer, graced us with her presence in this episode during her one month serving our humane society as interim Volunteer Coordinator. As a team member who volunteered for 8 years before becoming a staff member (and as a most excellent human being whom we'd all like to be when we grow up), Jen has valuable insights to share in this episode. We are pleased to announce that after her time as a staff member, Jen has now joined our Board of Directors!

Helping Hands Humane Society is an open admission shelter with contracts with city and county Animal Control. We take in over 6,000 lost and homeless animals each year. We are located in Topeka, Kansas and strive to also be a resource center for our community. We have a pet food pantry and just this year opened our Community Clinic which provides low-cost spays and neuters to qualifying individuals, as well as working with local rescue groups to get community and stray animals fixed. We have approximately 50 staff members and hundreds of amazing volunteers and fosters.

If you have any questions, comments, stories, or ideas for our podcast, please email us at grace.clinton@hhhstopeka.org (Director of Philanthropy) or emi.griess@hhhstopeka.org (Communications Coordinator).

We're back! Apologies for the hiatus - it's been a busy season here at Helping Hands Humane Society, but five of our employees from varying departments just returned from the Best Friends Animal Society National Conference with LOTS of ideas and motivation to try some new things at our shelter! This episode is hosted by Grace, Director of Business Development and Special Events Emi, Communications Coordinator, and Shelby, Volunteer Coordinator (now collectively known as "Gremis") with a special guest appearance by Katie, Fundraising Assistant. In this episode we tackle language in response to several comments, memes, and social media posts we have seen lately. When we as a shelter start posting about how many animals are coming in and how full we are, there seems to be an immediate response from the community to blame and shame pet owners. While we do appreciate that perspectives have shifted away from blaming the shelter, we would rather all work together as a team to tackle the issues here, many of which have more to do with a lack of access to resources than malicious intent. We'd also invite everyone to remember that humans make mistakes, and all pet owners are human. We open up about some of our own very human moments and share valuable information we learned from a HeARTs Speak webinar about positive marketing as well as the Best Friends Conference about why positive marketing is really the way to go if you want to help more animals!

Helping Hands Humane Society is an open admission shelter with contracts with city and county Animal Control. We take in over 6,000 lost and homeless animals each year. We are located in Topeka, Kansas and strive to also be a resource center for our community. We have a pet food pantry and just this year opened our Community Clinic which provides low-cost spays and neuters to qualifying individuals, as well as working with local rescue groups to get community and stray animals fixed. We have less than 50 staff members and hundreds of amazing volunteers and fosters. If you have any questions, comments, stories, or ideas for our podcast, please email us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org.

In this episode we interview long-time volunteer Jen, who just so happens to be an expert bunny owner and foster! She tells us all about how she got started volunteering at HHHS, what she's done to advocate for bunnies, and what it's like to foster buns and have buns as pets. We also talk about the recent experience at our shelter of having 14 rabbits abandoned in poor condition. Jen and her daughter Amelia helped immensely in that situation!

In this episode, you're hosts Grace and Emi (Gremi) are joined by coworker, Volunteer Coordinator, Shelby for some updates on adopted pets, painting offices, shelter animals, and more. They are interrupted several times - Lindsay the Behavior Specialist jumps in impromptu to talk about another shelter dog sent to be trained in search and rescue! And Kim the Adoption Counselor pops her head in to let us know staff favorite, cat Channing is going home!

Shelby also reveals the DNA results of her puppy Franklin, recently adopted from HHHS!

If you have questions, ideas, stories to share - please contact us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org.

After a VERY busy season at HHHS, we're back at podcasting with an episode including interviews with TWO of our esteemed coworkers - relative newbie, Shelby, and 5-year dedicated employee, Marrissa! We dive into how they came to work at HHHS and what they do day-to-day at the shelter. Of course, the interviews also include some wacky, funny, and interesting stories that always come along with humane society life. As usual, we are excited to share behind-the-scenes information about working at an animal shelter as well as career insights to those who might be considering a job with animals!

Don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or stories for our podcast at emig@hhhstopeka.org and/or gracec@hhhstopeka.org. Thanks for listening!

In this episode we interview the fabulous Cynthia Huebner about the dog she adopted in 2020, Doug. Doug was a staff favorite here at HHHS and suffered from some doggy anxiety. He landed the perfect home with Cynthia (she says he picked her), and we get some updates about how he adjusted to his new home and how he's doing now. We wanted to cover this topic because August is Clear the Shelters month, and a huge population of shelter animals needing homes is large breed dogs who have some behavior quirks. 

Get ready for a stellar and highly interesting interview in this episode of Pawfee Podcats! As humane society workers and animal lovers, we were very intrigued by but pretty clueless about working police dogs...hence why we were so excited to interview Chris, a local K9 Officer, all about his police dog Rebo. Interviewers on this episode include your regular hosts, Grace and Emi (Gremi), as well as HHHS Behavior Specialist Lindsay, who had a lot of great questions for Chris. 

We also give an in-depth office cat update - Grace is currently office fostering a very special kitten named Starfish who's dealing with a lot of injuries and issues, but the whole team is pulling for her. Your support is much appreciated!

Let us know if you have more questions for K9 Officer Chris, if you watched Fraggle Rock growing up, or if you have any other feedback for our podcast by emailing us at emig@hhhstopeka.org and/or gracec@hhhstopeka.org.

In this episode Gremi (Grace and Emi, your hosts) have the honor of interviewing HHHS summertime employee Mason; a Kansas State University student who has worked in the Helping Hands medical center the last three summers. Mason begins vet school in the fall! She has a lot of great insights and experiences to share with us this episode; also Grace recently learned how to give vaccinations to kittens so that she could vaccinate the foster babies she has at home - if you ever wanted to know just what the experience is like, give this a listen. Of course, we give an office cat update, and we have a whole new crew of kitties! Summer shelter life is hectic and crazy, and we're taking you along for the ride with us.

It's that time of year again...colorful fireworks fill the night skies, but anxiety fills many of our canine friends as they hear unfamiliar booms and screams. In this episode, Grace and Emi interview Margaret (joint name, Gremargie) all about Independence Day at an animal shelter. She also gives advice on summer fun with your pets - how to keep them healthy and safe during the hottest time of year. Whether it's errands around town, camping, fishing, or walking by the lake, there are important facts to know before you go!

We're currently having a Hairy Pawter and the Forever Homes dog adoption spell (magically discounted adoption fees) through June and will be holding a $20 4th of July Microchip Special the week leading up to Independence Day. Call 785-233-7325 to schedule your appointment for a $20 microchip!

We also give you a kitten-filled Office Cat Update and Amos pupdate. As always, don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or stories for our podcast! gracec@hhhstopeka.org and emig@hhhstopeka.org

This episode Gremi (Grace and Emi, employees of Helping Hands Humane Society and your hosts) has the pleasure of interviewing Natalie, our summer intern from Washburn University. This internship is her last step to graduation, and she's been a huge help the last month or so! We often say we just need more hands, more time, and Natalie has absolutely provided that by assisting us with creating graphics for fundraising events, editing videos of adoptable dogs, and she's now working on a transcript to a lost podcast episode that had an issue in recording! She's the dream intern, basically, and you get to hear fun stories about her childhood, fostering kittens, and the work she's doing at HHHS on this episode. She'll be here through the summer, so please reach out to us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org and/or emig@hhhstopeka.org if you have any questions at all for Natalie or about interning at a humane society, non-profit events, fundraising, social media, etc.! We'd be happy to try to answer questions on our podcast.

As you'll hear us explain in our opening remarks, we are moving to once-a-month podcast episodes as we transition into a busier in-person season at HHHS post-pandemic. Look for a new episode on the first Thursday of each month!

We're back from the hiatus called three weeks of insanity at our shelter! We've held major events, fundraising campaigns, received new that made us panic, created a plan of action, and are now in the middle of ANOTHER event/fundraising campaign! Check out this episode to get filled in on all the details in addition to a major office kitten update (major as in 9 cute little babies!). Also this week there has been a fire next door to us (our shelter was fine, thankfully!), the power went out, and now we can't access some of our most important files temporarily--just another week in the life! The most important part, the care of the animals, is still going well. Thanks for your constant support. 

Please get in touch if you have stories, questions, ideas, or feedback for the podcast: emig@hhhstopeka.org and/or gracec@hhhstopeka.org

This week Gremi (Grace and Emi) interview HHHS volunteer groomer, Angie, all about her experiences nail-trimming, mat-shaving, coat-beautifying, and anal-gland-expressing for homeless animals at HHHS (as well as pets at her day-job in a vet's office). Each and every Thursday she faithfully shows up to help give a spa day to the animals who need it most; some have nails who have curled under their paws because they've grown out too long. Others have coats so matted you can't even see their eyes or know that they have a collar on under it, and when she's finally done shaving, the entire coat comes off in a huge, matted piece. She's seen so many walk out of that room with a completely different demeanor; no wonder - they must feel like a whole new dog! 

Angie also gives some helpful tips and insights into grooming so you can make sure your pets at home are staying healthy and beautiful! Please let us know if you have any questions for Angie that we can ask next time we interview her - email us at emig@hhhstopeka.org and/or gracec@hhhstopeka.org.

This week your hosts Gremi (Grace and Emi) at Helping Hands Humane Society interview coworker Kristina who works in the Admissions Lost & Found Department. Kristina has some great insight to share - not only about her job, but life in general! Be kind, don't judge, and learn something new every day. She tells us a little about her foster dog Remi and her experiences so far at the shelter (she just started here last September, but she has gone all in!).

If you have questions, stories, or feedback for us, don't hesitate to reach out at gracec@hhhstopeka.org and/or emig@hhhstopeka.org. 

During this week of the No Place Like Home Challenge to get more lost pets back home, Behavior Specialist Lindsay talks all about dogs getting loose...escape artists, bored pups, un-neutered males, and more! We get to hear from her perspective all the common reasons pet dogs are lost in our community as well as her tips for keeping your fur-baby secure. She shares her experiences of folks being reunited with their pets at HHHS and some of the weirdest and wildest tales from our Admissions department (cats from Colorado, dogs with dyed hair, abandoned pocket pets, etc.).

Your hosts Gremi (Grace and Emi) would love to hear from you anytime! Reach out if you have a question, suggestion, or story: gracec@hhhstopeka.org and/or emig@hhhstopeka.org.

Margaret Price, employee at Helping Hands Humane Society for over 20 years, is back on as a guest in this episode! Gremi (your hosts, Grace and Emi) interview her all about a challenge we're participating in this month - what is it, why are we on board, and how are we working to get even more lost pets reunited with their owners? We discuss our website, a new Facebook page, working with Animal Control Officers, collars and tags, and of course, microchips! We also give some advice about actions we can all take to help animals and pet owners in our community (AKA be supportive and learn about animal behavior and what's best for them! Some of the advice may seem counterintuitive.).

We'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and stories about animal welfare and our podcast. Feel free to reach out to us anytime at emig@hhhstopeka.org and/or gracec@hhhstopeka.org. 

Welcome to Episode 31 of Pawfee Podcats, the podcast of Helping Hands Humane Society, a private animal shelter with a government contract located in Topeka, KS. This episode was supposed to be Part 2 of our interview with Animal Control Officer Tursi. We recorded that interview, and it was filled with interesting facts...but alas, the sound quality of the recording is unusable. Please accept our apology and this short replacement episode - we did our best to fill it with puppies, kittens, and wacky experiences at the shelter to make up for it! Your hosts Gremi (Grace and Emi) recall some of our favorite parts of the interview with Officer Tursi, and we'll be publishing a blog post a bit later to share more of the knowledge we gained.

As always, please reach out to us with questions, stories, or feedback at gracec@hhhstopeka.org and/or emig@hhhstopeka.org. This week in particular, we are wondering about any fosters' experiences with live dog or cat births! 

This episode's interview was SO interesting that we only got through half of our questions in an hour. That means that we (Gremi - Grace and Emi - your hosts) will definitely have Officer Tursi back again to continue all of our prying, numerous, sometimes off-topic questions! Animal Control Officers are so busy, and we are very grateful that he took the time to meet with us and share information about his job, laws and regulations, and what it takes to become an Animal Control Officer. 

We are sure you'll find this just as interesting as we did! While we all know the "dog catcher" from childhood movies, you probably didn't know what an Animal Control Officer's day-to-day job looks like. If you have any questions for Officer Tursi or for us, please email them to emig@hhhstopeka.org or gracec@hhhstopeka.org. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, hosts Gremi (Grace and Emi) of Helping Hands Humane Society interview coworker Katie Jesseph, Volunteer and Off-Site Coordinator. You'll learn all about our volunteer program - how to get started, what volunteers do at HHHS, changes we've had to make during COVID-19 - as well as how Katie got started in this work and her experiences and favorite parts of the job so far (spoiler alert: she adopted a Poodle which is a rare and amazing thing at HHHS!).

If you have any questions about the volunteer program, please email Katie at katiej@hhhstopeka.org. For questions, stories, comments, or feedback regarding the podcast, don't hesitate to get in touch at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org. Thanks for listening!

A special episode 28.5 to bring you the results of Amos's DNA test! Amos is the puppy Grace recently adopted from HHHS.

We also give an office cat update about our feline friends in the administrative offices of Helping Hands Humane Society.

If you're interested in the medical side of animal welfare and shelter life, then you'll be excited about this episode! Your hosts Gremi (Grace and Emi) interview their coworker Rachel all about her job working in the HHHS Medical Center. From surgery prep to advice on how to work efficiently (spoiler alert: you NEED more pockets!), Rachel reveals it all! We are amazed she had time to do an interview with us after she led us through a day in her life at our humane society. Big props to Rachel and our entire medical team for all they do for the hundreds of animals in our care on a daily basis!

If you have follow-up questions for Rachel or any stories, feedback, or ideas for our podcast, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at emig@hhhstopeka.org or gracec@hhhstopeka.org! As always, thanks for listening, and don't forget that we're all in this together.

In this episode, your hosts Gremi (Grace and Emi) interview coworker Jenna Petesch who is the Foster & Rescue Coordinator at HHHS (plus many other hats, like all of our employees, including helping in behavior and intake). We talk all things foster care and transfer to rescue. These are wonderful lifesaving programs that activate a village of supporters in helping homeless animals.

We don't have an official office cat update in this episode, although we do give a little update on Papaw Geppetto and will share more information next week!

Please get in touch if you have further foster/rescue questions or think of other comments, feedback, or stories to share with the podcast. Email us at emig@hhhstopeka.org or gracec@hhhstopeka.org. 

In this episode, Gremi talks about HHHS's Shelter Showdown with Melissa and Doug of WIBW, updates on Amos the puppy and some tips about raising puppies (a hard but important job!), plus of course office cat updates, a myth-bust, plus a little preview of a topic we'll be talking a lot more about in the next couple of months!

In this episode of Helping Hands Humane Society's podcast, Grace and Emi (Gremi - your hosts) interview Kathy Maxwell, Executive Director of HHHS. They discuss project donations for the low-cost spay neuter clinic that will be building right inside the shelter! Kathy touches on why the donors support the project and why it's important to us and our community. If you're interested in donating to help us buy equipment once the clinic is built, please email Kathy at kathym@hhhstopeka.org.

Also, HUGE NEWS, Grace adopted a puppy!!! Lots of puppy discussion. If anyone else is raising a puppy right now or has fond memories or lessons to share, please reach out to us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org. Get ready for regular puppy updates alongside our office cat updates.

Our shelter is located in Topeka, KS and we do have training classes open to the public (puppy, basic obedience, agility, and more). Hop onto our website www.hhhstopeka.org to learn more if you're in our area!

This week we (Gremi, Grace and Emi, your podcats hosts) interview Manager of Customer Care and Adoptions, Michelle McCart. This is her second time on the show, and we discuss a variety of fun topics including changes we've made to our homes just for pets, wacky experiences working at the shelter, double adoptions (sending two animals home together), foster set ups for foster homes and foster offices, etc.

We hope you enjoy these insights into the life of an animal welfare worker. Please feel free to email us at emig@hhhstopeka.org or gracec@hhhstopeka.org with any feedback, questions, comments, or stories for the podcast!

In this episode of the Helping Hands Humane Society podcast, your hosts Grace and Emi (AKA Gremi) are honored and excited to interview their coworker, Pam. Pam is the lead Animal Care Tech at HHHS and has gained a lot of experience in her two years here. She views all of the dogs under her care as her babies, and she has some very insightful wisdom to share about how to work with them and, when necessary, let them go. Pam is our go-to when we're struggling with some emotional turmoil or simple life problems (like losing our keys). She always has a listening ear, kind response, and good advice to give.

Pam busts a myth about adoption expectations and tells us about some of the wacky experiences she's had in her job. If you've adopted a dog from us in the last two years, it's very likely they were one of her babies for a time! We'd love to hear from you if you have an adoption story, comment, or question for the podcast. Email us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org. Thanks for listening!

"Yes," Dr. Grace assures us, "old lady or old man cat fur is definitely a *thing*." In episode 22 of Helping Hands Humane Society's podcast, your hosts Gremi (Grace and Emi) answer a listener question about how we age the stray animals who come up for adoption. We go to two of our in-house experts for answers - Margaret Price, Manager of Admissions (also animal behavior guru, knower of all things pocket pets, and employee of HHHS for 20 years), and Dr. Jami Grace, Veterinarian (tolerator of our ridiculous medical check requests, patient answerer of endless questions like "Why does he smell kinda funny?", and singular full-time on-staff vet for the hundreds of animals in our care). As expected, our conversations with them are enlightening and lead down a few rabbit holes regarding guessing both ages and breeds of incoming animals. Margaret helps bust a couple of common myths while she's at it!

You'll get an important reminder about dental health for pets, some insights into what it's like to work at a humane society, updates on our office felines and the behavior dogs we work with, as well as our thoughts on Starbucks' newest flavor of compassion juice: pistachio. 

As always, thanks for listening, and please don't hesitate to reach out to us at emig@hhhstopeka.org and/or gracec@hhhstopeka.org if you have any questions, comments, feedback, requests, or stories for the podcast!

Here comes 2021! Gremi discusses some goals for the new year, both for our pets at home and for the shelter. We are oh-so-tentatively stepping into this new year as we would toward a shy and scared dog or cat...not making eye contact, body turned non-threateningly to the side, soft voices, treats in hand, hoping to coax it into being our friend! 2020 has taught us many lessons. It held many challenges and revealed some great rewards as we survived through it. 

Please let us know what you'd like to hear from our podcast in 2021! Email us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org. We're also open to your stories, comments, feedback, etc. We love to know who is listening and what you're interested in learning or hearing more about regarding Helping Hands Humane Society.

Have a safe and happy new year!

Special Christmas Eve Day episode! We tell you all about Christmas for the Animals that we held at our shelter and bust some myths surrounding pets as Christmas presents. We also tell you about Grace's super cool next door dog neighbor who has a very serious job and is about to get titanium teeth! As always, we give an office kitten update and serenade you with a pet-related parody. Merry Sniffmas, everyone!

Thanks for listening, and please feel free to reach out by emailing us at emig@hhhstopeka.org or gracec@hhhstopeka.org with your comments, questions, stories, or requests. The goal for our podcast is to give you insight into how our shelter works and the animal welfare world in general. We know so many people out there care a whole lot! We hope to help you understand how you can best help homeless animals in your community.

In this episode Gremi explores their personal "how"s when it comes to working at a humane society. We also tell you about Gunner our latest behavior project dog and give an office feline update! 

Welcome back to Pawfee Podcats! In this episode your hosts Gremi explore the ideal traits of neonatal kitten fosters - those who help bottle feed orphaned baby kittens without moms every 2-3 hours. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it! Could that somebody be you? Listen to this episode to find out if it's a fit for your lifestyle. If not, there is probably another type of pet you could foster or maybe volunteering at the shelter is your calling. There is *always* a way to help homeless pets in need.

As usual, we step back and look at some bigger picture topics within the animal welfare world in this episode - terms like kill vs. no kill shelter and what it really means when you hear you're saving a life when you adopt a shelter pet. You're not necessarily snatching them from the jaws of peril as you walk out the door on their Gotcha Day, but you're making a positive difference in the butterfly effect that is an entire shelter's population of animals! Thank you!

We hope you learn something new and interesting in this episode about animal welfare. Please send us your feedback, comments, stories, and questions at emig@hhhstopeka.org or gracec@hhhstopeka.org. Thanks for listening!

We *keep* on talking about ringworm in this episode because it's at the forefront of our lives in the administrative offices and at home! We want you to know that if you have ringworm or have had ringworm...this is a safe space and you are not alone. We bust myths about ringworm and any skinny animals you may see up for adoption at our shelter. We talk about Giving Tuesday, which is coming up December 1st, and give an update on our office cats (no office kittens currently).

Please reach out to us if you have any questions, comments, funny stories to share, or requests regarding what we discuss on our podcats! You can email Emi at emig@hhhstopeka.org and Grace at gracec@hhhstopeka.org. We hope everyone has a very happy and safe Thanksgiving.

As we near the end of the year and Helping Hands Humane Society's whirlwind event season comes to a close, Gremi reflects on the stressful struggles of 2020 through the lenses of compassion fatigue and burnout. We define these terms and relate them to our experiences in animal welfare. We dip a toe into the sea of the topic of self-care, but there's so much more to the story. Every person in our shelter, our community, our nation, and the world is going through their own particular struggle in 2020. A decrease in resources and increase in stress make for difficult days. We'd be honored to hear from our listenership any thoughts or experiences you have regarding compassion fatigue, burnout, and self-care; feel free to email us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org.

Remember that you are enough - you are valuable and worthwhile. Basic reminders like this feel more important than ever in the face of 2020. If you've felt the burden on your shoulders of trying to carry your small business, your non-profit, your family, etc. throughout this global pandemic, I hope you take a moment to stop and soak in the fact that you have been doing amazing things in the face of a difficulty we couldn't have imagined until it was here.

In this episode we also give you an office cat update and a humorous story of all the bad things Grace's pets did this week. We'd love to hear your naughty pet stories - send them to us! Have a safe week.

On this episode, Gremi interviews Travis Sieve, one of the trainers at Helping Hands Humane Society. Travis teaches dog obedience classes along with speciality classes like tricks for fun. He has 15+ years of experience and is also a biologist by profession, so he's got many interesting insights and stories to share regarding cat and dog biology and behavior!

We discuss many common issues including cats pottying outside the litter box, dogs who make a fool of themselves in public, house training puppies, nervous owners, etc. We also touch on how 2020 has turned your pet's routine upside down just as much as your own and how to help get them back on track, even if you're home together 24/7. 

We bust some myths including the one about old dogs learning new tricks. Did you know according to scientists, you cat *does* know its name? It just chooses not to respond! Mixed breed dogs are generally healthier than purebreds, and please #adoptdontshop if you're adding a pet to the family this holiday season.

Please reach out to us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org if you have questions, comments, or feedback regarding our podcast or Helping Hands Humane Society! We'd love to hear from you.

In this episode Gremi interviews Adoption Counselor Cam all about facilitating falling in love (with cupid's sparrow) and other experiences as an employee at Helping Hands Humane Society (ringworm, sanctuary cats who resemble Game of Thrones characters, being brave around giant dogs, fighting negative pibble stereotypes, and more). Yes, we still managed to get animal parodies into this episode.*

As always, fun facts (like Cam's family gives their pets To Kill a Mockingbird names!), myth busts (kennel reactivity, what a shelter job is *really* like!), and funny stories (meeting THE MAYOR!) included! If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an Adoption Counselor, this is your episode (remember, you must be 18 years old to work at HHHS, but you can volunteer if you're younger).

To learn more about our shelter, visit our website at hhhstopeka.org. You can help the animals in our care by participating in our virtual 5k fundraiser between 11/7 and 11/14! Register at register.chronotrack.com/r/59011. Please email us if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions! Grace: gracec@hhhstopeka.org Emi: emig@hhhstopeka.org

*We can't be held medically responsible if your ears bleed. Sry.

Hi listeners! Our audience has been growing, and Grace and Emi have a couple of very exciting announcements for our shelter in this episode. We talk about pet overpopulation, bust a spay/neuter myth, reflect on some funny stories, and reveal Grace's Halloween costume through an (of course) animal welfare related parody! We also give an office feline update as some special needs kitties graduate from our special care and find furever.

Please let us know why you listen, what you like about our podcats, and what you might want to hear more of! Also, if you've become fond of Helping Hands Humane Society and the people and animals here through listening, please consider taking real life action and participating in Tails on the Trail - our dog-friendly 5k fundraiser that is going VIRTUAL this year! That means you can complete your 1-mile or 5k walk or run anywhere in the world between November 7th and November 14th and submit your time online aside all of our other participants. Registration is $30, and if you live within the continental United States, for an additional $5 donation, we'll be happy to ship the long-sleeve event t-shirt and Hill's swag bag filled with goodies straight to your doorstep! You can register online at register.chronotrack.com/r/59011 and see more information about the event (and pictures of the bag and t-shirt), check it out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/696448677629040

Thanks for listening!

This week Gremi had the extreeeme honor of interviewing Helping Hands Humane Society Executive Director, Kathy Maxwell. As you'll learn in this episode, Kathy has held at least 8 positions at HHHS and has been working here for 18 years! She shares some fun memories and insights with us this episode (like which color of cat is the most chill!). Also, in the spirit of spooOoOOooky Halloween season, Kathy tells us about the ghost, Georgia, who used to haunt (or just hang out?) at our old shelter.

We recorded this in the Bone Appétit auction item pickup room, which is why you'll hear, from time to time, the comforting background chatter of some fabulous HHHS employees and volunteers.

If you've enjoyed learning about our shelter through our podcast episodes and would like to help out animals like our special needs office kitties and the many fabulous dogs we care for here, consider registering for our next fundraiser, Tails on the Trail, a dog-friendly 5k that is going virtual this year. That means you can participate from ANYWHERE, and if you're in the continental US, we'll ship your swag bag and long-sleeve event t-shirt to you for an addition $5 donation! https://register.chronotrack.com/r/59011

We're back AGAIN with more extra material from our interview with Carrigan, the Cat Care Coordinator here at Helping Hands Humane Society. In this episode she gives some tips for safely securing stray cats who need help, shares her own techniques for wrangling feral cats who manage to get out of their kennels at HHHS, and we talk about *when* to bring kittens to your local shelter (pro tip: sometimes it is much better for them to just leave them where they are!).

Gremi (Grace and Emi) give you a quick office kitten update as well as a Bone Appétit update (IT'S THIS SATURDAY)! Check out our online auction at boneappetit2020.givesmart.com and watch our live-stream of this virtual event on 10/17 at 7pm on our Facebook page, website, or YouTube channel.

In the meantime, please let us know if you'd like to hear us talk about any particular shelter topics by emailing us at emig@hhhstopeka.org or gracec@hhhstopeka.org. We appreciate your feedback!

This episode (yet again) fueled by the wonderful compassion juice at Classic Bean Fairlawn Plaza in Topeka, KS.

Gremi interviews Michelle McCart, Manager of Customer Care and Adoptions. Michelle has worked at HHHS for 7 years and has lots of experience to share regarding our adoption process and how we help you pick the perfect pet. If you've ever been curious what it's like to adopt an animal from Helping Hands Humane Society, this episode is for you!

We also reminisce on funny adoption stories, like that time a family wanted to introduce their pet duck to a dog before adopting. Plus you get an office kitty update.

Tune into our podcast every Thursday at 10am for information about our humane society and the animal shelter world. Please feel free to email us at gracec@hhhstopeka.org or emig@hhhstopeka.org with any questions or ideas you have!

In this episode, Gremi interviews Dr. Grace, HHHS's in-house, full-time veterinarian. We get to learn about why Dr. Grace became a veterinarian and what her day-to-day now looks like in shelter medicine, caring for hundreds of animals with her trusty team by her side. She busts a few different myths about spay/neuter, puppy breath, and grain-free pet food. Finally, Dr. Grace performs a dramatic reading of Grace's famous vet checks for the entertainment of all (no singing on this episode, but trust us, these vet checks are a worthy substitute).

A special shout out to our wonderful partner and supporter, Hills Pet Nutrition. We feed all of the shelter animals Hills food (it's complete, has all the things, no supplements necessary!) and sell it in our gift shop.

Dr. Granger's...I mean Dr. Grace's magical time-turner music and segue music:
Aquarium by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5738-aquarium
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episode fueled by the violet vanilla and maple leaf cookie lattes from Classic Bean at Fairlawn Plaza ("It tastes like purple!").

Gremi interviews Nathan Dahlgren, part-time Animal Care Technician at HHHS. This is his second job, and he does it because he LOVES dogs and wants to make their lives better! (When we say we have the most amazing team of people who are passionate about helping animals, we mean it.) Nathan gives us insight into his day-to-day job, the two amazing "pibbles" he's adopted from HHHS, funny experiences with our canine residents, and what he's learned about dogs since beginning his work here. Nathan posts an adoptable dog-of-the-week including videos and pictures on his personal Facebook - keep an eye out for these as we share them on our Helping Hands Humane Society Facebook page! We're happy to report his latest feature dog, Hoyt, has been adopted! https://www.facebook.com/hhhstopeka/posts/10157094499236058

Grace and Emi give you updates on their office felines (congrats to Andi on being adopted, and everyone send love to poor Kent who is now known as "the smelly one"). We also reminisce about a funny photo shoot we once held during a fundraiser - special shoutout to Shae and Kristen for taking our kitten stroller golf course photos! And finally, too much bonus singing at the end of this episode...redeemed by the delightful behind-the-scenes meows of sanctuary cat Paulie (doesn't he have the cutest voice?).

Want to help the dogs Nathan walks every day? Looking for a way to support the special needs kitties chillin' in our offices? Consider making a donation! No amount of money may be able to get rid of Kent's endearing odor, but it can pay for his vaccinations, the cleaning supplies needed to keep his environment comfortable and healthy, and the bills to keep our facility temperature-controlled and air-filtered for the hundreds of animals in our care! http://www.hhhstopeka.org/donate/donate-online/

Episode 4 is fueled by Milk & Honey coffee (and chai!). https://www.facebook.com/milkandhoneycoffee/

In this episode, Gremi interviews Lindsay, our Behavior Specialist here at HHHS (also wonderful cook, The Office enthusiast, and lover of white cats), about all things dog behavior. She touches on the process of owner surrenders, our behavior assessments, and reading dog body language. Lindsay also BUSTS a myth about fearful dogs.

We reminisce about "that time we had to get Lindsay because we didn't know if these dogs liked each other or not" and give you an office kitten update (so much happens in a week with these felines!). Podcast episodes air every Thursday at 10am. Tune in next week for an interview with Carrigan, HHHS's Cat Care Coordinator.

This episode is fueled by Judee's Coffee connected to God's Storehouse (thrift store) in Topeka. Yum!

Gremi interviews Margaret Price who has worked at HHHS for 20 years and is the Manager of Admissions (and so much more...behavior, rescue, foster, training, you name it, she can do it!). She covers what it's like to bring a stray or surrendered animal to our shelter as well as the process those animals go through as they come under our care and move through the humane society. 

If you have lost a pet or find a stray animal in Shawnee County, KS, please get in touch with us right away at 785-233-7325. Also be sure to check the lost & found pet Facebook groups out there for our area--they are very active and effective!

Our office kitties are ever-changing as they get adopted and new ones need our help. We give you the latest update and tell you a story about one of Emi's very first days working at HHHS back in 2012.

Please get in touch if you have any feedback, questions, or ideas for future episodes! New episodes air on Thursdays at 10am (CT). Next week we'll be interviewing our Behavior Specialist, Lindsay.

Meet your Pawfee Podcats hosts - Grace Clinton, Director of Business Development and Special Events (likes dogs), and Emi Griess, Communications Coordinator, both of Helping Hands Humane Society, an open admission private shelter with a municipal contract located in Topeka, Kansas serving Shawnee County and Northeast Kansas. We talk about our hopes for this podcast, our wonderful office felines, and mythbust a euthanasia rumor about our shelter.