Shows / The Animal Advocate
The Animal Advocate
Welcome to The Animal Advocate, the podcast for animal lovers who want to become effective animal advocates. Whether you want to start your own nonprofit, inspire your community to adopt more animal-friendly practices, or push for legislative change, this podcast is here to arm you with the knowledge and inspiration you need. With over 20 years of experience in animal law and advocacy, your host, Penny Ellison, is a long-time devoted animal advocate. From teaching Animal Law and Ethics at the…
Episodes
- The Animal Advocate
How Plastic Pollution Harms Animals (and What We Can Do)
If you toss your plastic bottles in the recycling bin and feel good about it, this one's for you. Only about five percent of plastic waste in the U.S. gets…
- The Animal Advocate
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR): Feral and Community Cats and the Law
Does trap-neuter-return (TNR) reduce feral and community cat populations? The research says it can, but only when a program sterilizes enough cats, in a…
- The Animal Advocate
Careers in Animal Advocacy: Jobs Helping Animals
Looking for a job helping animals that doesn't require a veterinary degree? Animal law, cruelty investigation, grassroots organizing, and shelter…
- The Animal Advocate
What Is Animal Advocacy? How to Become an Animal Advocate
What does it mean to be an animal advocate, and how do you get started in animal advocacy? In this episode, Penny explains how ordinary people can help animals…
- The Animal Advocate
Is Fostering a Dog Right for Me? A Foster's Honest Answer
Ask Kelly Motter what fostering a dog is like and she'll tell you about the moment a dog decides they're safe. Sometimes it's the first tail wag. Once it was a…
- The Animal Advocate
What Is a Puppy Mill? How to Spot One and Help Shut Them Down
A USDA licensed breeder can legally keep a dog in a cage six inches longer than her body, for her entire life. A puppy mill is a commercial breeding operation…
- The Animal Advocate
Why Can't Animal Shelters Save Every Animal?
Somewhere today, a shelter director is going to be told online that she likes killing animals. She doesn't. She runs the one shelter in her city that isn't…
- The Animal Advocate
How to Reduce Shelter Intake: What One Advocate Is Building
Roughly 5.8 million dogs and cats entered U.S. shelters last year. That number has barely moved in 5 years, and BJ Adkins concluded that what animal welfare is…
- The Animal Advocate
Miranda's Rescue: How 138 Dogs Disappeared After Being "Saved"
On April 25th, a man in Fortuna, California sent a shelter worker a photo of a dog named Zora on a leash, with two words: "Zora adopted." Days later, Zora's…
- The Animal Advocate
Philadelphia Bans Carriage Horses. Will New York?
Philadelphia just did something New York still won't: it banned horse-drawn carriages. Earlier this month, Philadelphia banned horse-drawn carriages for good…
- The Animal Advocate
The Win Column: 7 Recent Legislative Wins for Animals
We spend a lot of time on this show talking about problems that need to be fixed. This episode does the opposite. It's a roundup of recent wins for animals…
- The Animal Advocate
Outside Dogs and the Law: How Support Keeps Dogs Out of Shelters
When a dog lives outside 24/7, the first instinct for a lot of animal lovers is to report it as animal cruelty. But what happens when humane law enforcement…
- The Animal Advocate
Why Animal Advocates Need a 501(c)(4): Allie Taylor of Voters for Animal Rights
Most animal welfare organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits. But in this episode, we talk about why advocates focused on law and policy should think about…
- The Animal Advocate
Should Rescues Import Dogs When Local Shelters Are Full?
Should rescues and shelters be importing dogs from other states when local shelters are full and dogs here are being euthanized for space? It feels like there…
- The Animal Advocate
Designer Dogs, Shelter Dogs, and the Small Shift That Would Save Lives
When most people decide to get a dog, they start with a picture in their head — a breed, a look, a particular idea of what the dog at the end of the leash…
- The Animal Advocate
How to Fund Spay/Neuter Programs: Lessons from States That Got It Done
Spay/neuter access is one of the most effective tools for reducing shelter intake, but in most states it's chronically underfunded. Five states have figured…
- The Animal Advocate
Are Humans Inherently Superior to Other Animals? The Question at the Root of Animal Advocacy
What really separates humans from other animals? It's one of the oldest questions we've asked — and the answer keeps changing. Tool use was supposed to be…
- The Animal Advocate
Can a Law Make Shelters Go No Kill?
When animals are dying in shelters, the demand for a law to stop it is completely understandable. But passing legislation that tells shelters when they can and…
- The Animal Advocate
Animal Control Funding: Why Shelters Walk Away from City Contracts
Somewhere in your community, someone sees an injured stray dog and dials for help — and there's no one there to answer. Municipal animal control has been…
- The Animal Advocate
How Philadelphia Passed a Breeding Moratorium 15-0: A Framework for Animal Advocates
Philadelphia's City Council just voted 15 to 0 to pass a 3-year moratorium on unlicensed dog breeding and puppy sales — a bill that Penny Ellison helped draft…
- The Animal Advocate
From Protest to Policy: Ending Horse-Drawn Carriages in Philadelphia
For nearly a decade, one Philadelphia advocate has worked to end horse-drawn carriage rides in the city—not with outrage, but with strategy. In this episode, I…
- The Animal Advocate
Why Public Opinion Is the Most Underrated Tool in Animal Advocacy
What kind of advocacy really improves the lives of animals? Is it public education? Is it passing laws? Is it litigation? Host Penny Ellison spent nearly two…
- The Animal Advocate
How Animal Protection Laws Really Get Passed: Lessons from Texas
Passing animal protection laws is rarely as simple as drafting a good bill and building public support. In this episode, Penny Ellison speaks with Shelby…
- The Animal Advocate
Understanding Animal Shelters: Roles, Challenges, and Misconceptions
Encore episode: This conversation onte different types of animal shelters and how they function has come up repeatedly in recent discussions about social…
- The Animal Advocate
How to Help Animal Shelters on Social Media: Do's and Don'ts from Shelter Staff
If you follow your local animal shelter on social media, your engagement can help save lives—but some well-intended comments and shares make things harder for…
- The Animal Advocate
Beyond Dog Walking: How to Help Animal Shelters in Ways They Actually Need
You don't need to walk dogs, handle animals, or commit to weekly shifts to help shelters. But thinking you do? That's why shelters are buried in work…
- The Animal Advocate
Why French Bulldogs Can't Breathe: The Truth About Breeding for Looks
Everyone loves French Bulldogs. But behind those adorable bat ears and smushed faces lies a troubling reality: many of these dogs struggle to breathe every…
- The Animal Advocate
What Animal Advocates Can Learn from The World of Wine
What can animal advocates learn from the world of wine? At first glance, the connection isn't obvious. One is associated with pleasure and tradition; the other…
- The Animal Advocate
Free Adoptions: Do Fees Really Protect Animals?
Do adoption fees really protect animals — or do they just make us feel better? For years, many in animal welfare have believed that adoption fees act as a…
- The Animal Advocate
Her Name Is Tangi: Why Housing Policy Is Animal Welfare Policy
When a dog ends up in a taped-shut box outside a shelter, it's not a single-issue problem — it's a sign of how many pressures families and animals are facing…
- The Animal Advocate
When Cruelty Laws Collide With Inaccessible Vet Care: What Advocates Can Do
Cruelty laws require pet owners to provide necessary veterinary care, but in many communities that care is financially or geographically out of reach—and the…
- The Animal Advocate
Ending Cat Declawing: Which States Are Enacting Bans in 2025?
Declawing isn't a nail trim—it's the amputation of the last bone of each toe. In this episode, I break down what the procedure involves, the states banning it…
- The Animal Advocate
Emotional Support Animals and the Housing Crisis: Loophole or Lifeline
Rising rents and restrictive housing policies are forcing more families to surrender beloved pets to shelters—a heartbreaking choice driven by systemic issues…
- The Animal Advocate
How to Start an Animal Advocacy Group and Get Results: Lessons from Pennsylvania Voters for Animals
Think you need a law degree or years of experience to pass animal protection laws? Suzanne Gonzalez started Pennsylvania Voters for Animals with no legislative…
- The Animal Advocate
Understanding Retail Pet Sale Bans: What They Do and Why They Matter
Over 400 cities, counties, and several U.S. states have banned or restricted retail pet sales—but why does it matter to animal welfare and shelter…
- The Animal Advocate
How Delaware Created a Statewide Office of Animal Welfare- A Model for Advocates
Over the past decade, Delaware has altered more than 40,000 pets and vaccinated over 31,000 animals against rabies through a single coordinated program…
- The Animal Advocate
Five Advocacy Lessons from Jane Goodall
When animal advocates face criticism, burnout, and tough ethical choices, how can they stay effective and inspired? In this episode of The Animal Advocate, I…
- The Animal Advocate
When Advocacy Brings Backlash: Dr. Crystal Heath on Standing Strong
When animal advocates speak up—especially against powerful industry interests—they often face backlash. To be effecive, advocates have to prepare to face…
- The Animal Advocate
Why Local Governments Should Be Required to Provide Animal Control Services
When you find an injured stray dog in your neighborhood, who do you call? In many communities across America, the answer might surprise you: there's often no…
- The Animal Advocate
How Animal Control Really Works: An Advocate's Guide
When it comes to stray animals, barking dog complaints, and lost pets, why do some towns seem to run efficient shelters while others barely cover the basics?…
- The Animal Advocate
The Pet Care Access Crisis That Telehealth Could Help Solve: A Veterinarian's View
Guest: Dr. Lauren Hughes, Heal House Call Veterinarians When veterinary costs skyrocket and transportation becomes impossible, pets suffer and families face…
- The Animal Advocate
Veterinary Telehealth: Expanding Access for Underserved Pet Owners
Millions of pet owners can't access basic veterinary care—not because vets don't want to help, but because a single legal requirement blocks the technology…
- The Animal Advocate
How Youth Activists are Taking on Unlicensed Breeders with Steve Hughes of Youth4Animals
Fighting Puppy Mills Through Youth Activism and "Samson's Law" After our last episode on cracking down on backyard breeders struck a nerve online, we're diving…
- The Animal Advocate
Unlicensed Breeding and Shelter Overcrowding: A Novel Legislative Approach
Every year, 6.5 million animals enter U.S. shelters while countless puppy ads flood Craigslist and Facebook. What if the solution isn't chasing individual…
- The Animal Advocate
Rethinking Wildlife Protection: From Scarcity to Abundance
Are our wildlife laws failing animals until it's too late? In this episode of The Animal Advocate, Penny Ellison reveals how crisis-based conservation puts…
- The Animal Advocate
Exotic Animal Trafficking and Safe Havens with Bobbi Brink
Have you ever wondered what really happens to lions, tigers, and bears after backyard breeders and shady roadside zoos are finally shut down? Who steps in for…
- The Animal Advocate
Wild Animal Ownership: Exotic Pets, Roadside Zoos and Public Risk
In this episode, host Penny Ellison exposes the $15 billion exotic pet industry and its hidden costs. From 17.6 million exotic animals kept as pets in American…
- The Animal Advocate
Getting Started as an Animal Shelter Volunteer
_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5"> In this practical episode, host Penny Ellison speaks with Megan, a dedicated volunteer with 17 years of experience at the Pennsylvania…
- The Animal Advocate
Beyond the Shelter Walls: Examining Managed Intake and Community Sheltering
In this thought-provoking episode, host Penny Ellison explores two transformative approaches reshaping animal sheltering: managed intake and community…
- The Animal Advocate
Inside 150+ Animal Shelters: Cara Achterberg on Rising Euthanasia Rates and Solutions
Animal shelter advocate and founder of Who Will Let the Dogs Out Cara Achterberg shares insights from visits to 150+ shelters, discussing rising dog euthanasia…
- The Animal Advocate
Lost Dog Recovery: Legal Timelines & Prevention Strategies That Save Lives
Lost your dog? Learn about the critical first 24 hours, legal shelter hold periods, and prevention strategies that reunite families with their pets. Real…
- The Animal Advocate
Beyond Breed Bias: Fighting Discriminatory Housing Policies for Dog Owners
Welcome back to The Animal Advocate, where we're your go-to resource for turning empathy for animals into tangible advocacy. We've been busy behind the scenes…
- The Animal Advocate
Changing the Pit Bull Story: From Fear to Facts
This episode of focuses on changing the narrative around pit bulls. Host Penny Ellison discusses how pit bulls have become unfairly demonized, similar to how…
- The Animal Advocate
Fix It: Making Spay/Neuter Accessible and Affordable
Welcome back to "The Animal Advocate," your guide to transforming your compassion for animals into meaningful action. In our latest episode, we examine shelter…
- The Animal Advocate
Bad Dog Breeders: Spot them to Stop Them
Dog breeding is a controversial topic that affects both animal welfare and consumer protection. In this episode of The Animal Advocate, we explore the complex…
- The Animal Advocate
Understanding State Animal Cruelty Laws
All 50 states have basic protections for pets like dogs and cats, but the details of these laws can vary widely. That's why understanding the laws in your…
- The Animal Advocate
Animal Law 101 - A Framework for Animal Advocacy
Welcome to the first episode of The Animal Advocate podcast! Today, your host Penny Ellison breaks down the top 10 areas of animal protection laws at each…
- The Animal Advocate
Welcome to The Animal Advocate
Welcome to The Animal Advocate, the podcast for animal lovers who want to become effective animal advocates. Whether you want to start your own nonprofit…