Advertise on podcast: For the Love of Dog

The Little Red Dog turns 15 this Sunday, and PJ Rosch and Christine Smith look back on over 8,000 dogs rescued: what it really takes to start a dog rescue, why a foster-based rescue depends on its fosters, the dogs they still think about, and what comes next, from spay and neuter clinics to advocacy. Plus Good News of the Week: a rescue dog who had a rare cancer at one year old, lost the top of his jaw to save his life, and is now a certified therapy dog with the woman who found him by chance at our adoption tents and knew she had to have him. Help us write TLRD's next chapter: our $75K in 30 Days campaign ends October 11. Donate at https://givebutter.com/75k-in-30-days-help-us-write-tlrds-next-chapter-7tto5oSupport the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Found a stray dog? PJ Rosch and Christine Smith of The Little Red Dog explain what to do first: get it scanned for a microchip, post it on lost pet sites, never just let it go, and ask for proof before handing it to anyone who claims it. They also walk through what really happens after a rescue says yes, and the true cost of saving one dog, about $1,200 from transport to spay and neuter. Plus Good News of the Week: a little stray who led a chase across an airport tarmac in Naples, Florida lands in a forever home.Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Why didn't you just take the dog? PJ Rosch and Christine Smith of The Little Red Dog explain why a rescue can't simply take a dog from its owner. In one story, animal control was called six times and nobody came. They also cover why rescues ask so many questions before an adoption, from home checks and full-household interviews to why they never do surprise adoptions. Plus Good News of the Week: Chloe went from a New Mexico euthanasia list to become the first rescue dog to graduate from the US Border Patrol Canine Academy.Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Fifteen dogs at The Little Red Dog have been waiting a year or more for a home, and almost nobody applies for them. PJ and Christine introduce every one of these long-term rescue dogs, from Lucy Ann, who has waited almost five years and adores her mail lady, to Dudley, a blind and deaf dog who is practically bulletproof, and Cookie Crisp, the Frenchie who proves six is not old. They also talk about Bella, the Oregon dog who died after being left in a sheriff's patrol vehicle, what to do if you see a dog in a hot car, and this week's Good News: Milo the Sheltie, revived by Pasadena firefighters after a house fire. If you are thinking about dog adoption or fostering, one of these dogs might be your match.Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Please note: we show the actual messages on screen in the video version of this episode on YouTube. PJ and Christine of The Little Red Dog rescue open up their inbox and read real dog surrender requests: a perfect family dog left behind in a move, a grandmother's dog after a dementia diagnosis, a bulldog "jealous of the baby," surprise litters, and a family facing homelessness. They talk honestly about why rescues without open intake have to say no, why "I've tried everything" rarely holds up, and how training, vet care, and low-cost resources can keep dogs in their homes. Plus foster needs for Diesel, Smokey, Charlotte, and Dudley, and the good news story of Canyon, a shelter stray turned search and rescue hero.Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Attorney, Penn Law professor and Animal Advocate Penny Ellison joins PJ and Christine to talk about pet surrender prevention: why housing restrictions and the cost of vet care drive most surrenders, how Philadelphia passed a three-year moratorium on unlicensed dog breeding and built a subsidized spay/neuter coalition alongside it, and why veterinary telehealth could reach families living in veterinary deserts. Penny also shares the statistic that stopped PJ in her tracks, that we only need about one in six people to choose adoption over a breeder, plus her free Four C's of Legislative Advocacy series for anyone who wants to help change animal laws. Then it's good news of the week: volunteer Jane's dog Angel earns her hospital volunteer badge, and Atlantis, now Atlas, comes through rare aggressive oral cancer and jaw surgery at UC Davis to become a swimming, thriving therapy dog. Penny's free Four C's of Legislative Advocacy series: https://animaladvocacyacademy.com/fourcs/ Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Four police K-9s died in hot cars this summer, and PJ and Christine are not letting it slide. They walk through what happened to Chili, Georgia, Rip and Boomer, why one sheriff claimed there is no such thing as animal neglect under her state's law, and why "the equipment failed" is not an excuse when a dog is your partner. Recorded on Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, the episode closes on better news: puppy Fawn found her forever home, and Charlotte, Diesel and Dudley are still waiting on fosters and adopters from The Little Red Dog.Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

August is Make A Will Month, and PJ and Christine sit down with Spencer Cassidy, co-founder and CEO of LifeLegacy, to talk about the one document most dog owners never get around to: a will. 70% of Americans have no estate plan, and TLRD has pulled countless dogs out of shelters because their person died and nobody had a plan for them. Spencer breaks down pet guardianship, what really happens to your money (and your dog) in probate court, the "I'm too young" myth, and simple ways to support a rescue beyond your lifetime, from beneficiary designations to qualified charitable distributions. Plus: Marshmallow, the American Bully mom bred and discarded with her last two puppies, is finally adopted; the Off Leash 25-Day Challenge is live on Patreon; and a plea for Dudley, a blind, deaf, toothless Cane Corso who needs a new foster or adopter by the end of September. Create your free will through The Little Red Dog at littlereddog.org under Donate, then Planned Giving. Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Five years after adopting Naomi Mae, TLRD VIP Jeff Cohen is back in studio to talk about life with her, why he keeps donating and fostering, and what it's like to raise a dog nobody else wanted into a total sweetheart. Then, PJ and Christine share the true story of Goosey, a Texas pet goose whose honking alerted her family to an emergency. A warm one about second chances.Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Volunteer Caroll Schwartz joins PJ and Christine to talk about what it really takes to walk rescue dogs: the 100-pound pit mix named Rhino who dragged her across a lawn on her fifth outing, why The Little Red Dog runs a walking clinic before anyone takes a leash, and the honest difference between a martingale and a prong collar. She also tells the story of the Halloween foster fail that turned into four years of running the walking schedule, and makes the case that one hour a week is enough to change a dog's life. Plus a happy story: Rufus waited nearly two years in an Ohio rescue before the Liberty Fire Department adopted him into Station 35, Charlotte is still looking for a foster or an adopter, and TLRD's new off-leash training program is now on Patreon. Sign up for TLRD Off-Leash and get early access to the 25-Day Dog Training Challenge! There are daily videos and 5 minute daily drills for you and your pup: https://www.patreon.com/cw/tlrdoffleash Caroll's free Vision Workshop, Tuesday August 11, 5:30pm PT on Zoom: https://scanned.page/p/Y7qr0dSupport the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

Volunteer photographer Christian Shenouda has spent 15 years taking the photos that get shelter dogs adopted. He joins PJ and Christine to explain why the intake photo is usually the worst picture a dog will ever have, and what actually changes their odds. He shares practical tips anyone can use on their own foster or transport, plus the advice his therapist girlfriend gave him for walking into a shelter without falling apart. We have exciting adoption updates on Pita, Sirius, Katniss and Woody, and another ask for Charlotte, a sweet, cat friendly girl whose foster backed out without ever meeting her.Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

A little dog named Prieta went missing over the Fourth of July and turned up two weeks later swimming in San Francisco Bay, fending off seagulls until Menlo Park firefighters scooped her out of the water. PJ and Christine talk about why her microchip got her back to her family within an hour, then celebrate Boerne, Texas, where a town of 24,000 placed 46 shelter dogs into 29 emergency foster homes in just eight hours ahead of the floods. Plus good news from The Little Red Dog: Katniss and Peta adopted, Dudley's DNA results, and an update on Malibu's IVDD journey. Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

PJ and Christine dig into the real reasons adopted dogs get returned: too much love too soon, unrealistic expectations, not enough exercise, no rules or routine, the wrong match, and life changes nobody planned for. They share what The Little Red Dog has learned from 15 years of rescue about setting a new dog up to succeed, and close with the story of a seven-year-old boy who sold his prized Pokemon card collection to save his sick puppy. Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

In 2025, roughly 600,000 animals (including 320,000 dogs) died in America's shelters — many of them alone, scared, in their kennels. PJ and Christine of The Little Red Dog dig into why so many good, adoptable dogs get overlooked: breed mislabeling, the pit bull myths that follow certain dogs, and how the shelter environment itself can turn a happy dog into a so-called "behavior case." A hard but hopeful conversation about dog rescue, adoption, fostering, and why the problem is almost always human error — not the dog. Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

This week on For the Love of Dog, PJ and Christine share must-know Fourth of July safety tips to keep your dog from becoming part of the July 5th shelter surge — from microchips and safe spaces to keeping gates closed during the fireworks. They also dig into the disturbing Miranda's Rescue case, where dogs were found shot and buried, and ask how transfers and adoptions go unchecked. Plus an uplifting finish: Bear, the Australian koala-detection dog who saved 100 koalas and just retired with an award. Support the show Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/ Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog