1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: This is pet Life Radio. Let's talk pets. 2 00:00:22,039 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 2: Welcome to this week's episode of Loving Animals with Robin Gancer. 3 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,079 Thanks so much for tuning in to this week's episode 4 00:00:29,079 --> 00:00:32,320 on our Pet Life Radio. We are here today and 5 00:00:32,399 --> 00:00:36,880 every day to celebrate our love for animals, and today's 6 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,759 guest is a gentleman who loves animals so much that 7 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:44,240 he's devoted his life and his career to building a 8 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,799 better world for our furry friends. Stay tuned and thanks 9 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,240 for tuning in to this week's episode of Loving Animals. 10 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:51,119 We'll be right back. 11 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 3: Tired of wasting money on giant bags, boxes, and jugs 12 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,880 of litter that don't last, switch to World's Best Cat Litter, 13 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,519 the only litter that lets you use less and get more. 14 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,920 World's Best Cat Litter uses the concentrated power of corn 15 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,840 to deliver outstanding odor control and easy cleanup. It's lightweight, 16 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,439 ninety nine percent dust free, and pet people and planet friendly. 17 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,599 It's even fleshible. Make the switch to World's Best Cat 18 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,200 Litter and save two dollars. 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Get one free at dynavite 30 00:01:51,719 --> 00:01:52,640 dot com, d. 31 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 2: N ob t e dot com. 32 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 6: Let's talk beets on Petlifradio dot com. 33 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,599 Speaker 2: Welcome back to Loving Animals with your host, Robin Ganzard. 34 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,400 Please join me in welcoming Rich Anderson, the executive director 35 00:02:19,439 --> 00:02:23,000 and CEO of Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. Rich, Welcome 36 00:02:23,039 --> 00:02:23,560 to our show. 37 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,199 Speaker 5: Thanks so much, Robin, I really appreciate you having me on. 38 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,159 Speaker 2: Well, we're thrilled to have you on. Rich. You've had 39 00:02:29,199 --> 00:02:33,719 an amazing career twenty five years in the nonprofit sector, 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,599 really helping to build a better world with the American 41 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,360 Red Cross. I know you've worked with the Humane Society 42 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,520 of Broward County, ASPCA, north Shore Animal League, World Society 43 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,800 for the Protection of Animals. I mean, the list is stunning, 44 00:02:48,319 --> 00:02:51,800 and I know back in twenty eleven. Peggy Adams Animal 45 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,800 Rescue League was so lucky and fortunate to get you, 46 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,719 as the executive director. Tell us a little bit about 47 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,360 your background, and then I want to know when did 48 00:03:00,439 --> 00:03:02,039 you first know you were going to devote your life 49 00:03:02,039 --> 00:03:03,520 to animals? 50 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,759 Speaker 5: Sure, and you're too kind, but yeah, so I've been 51 00:03:06,759 --> 00:03:11,439 in the nonprofit sector for almost thirty years, ever since 52 00:03:11,439 --> 00:03:12,840 I got out of college, went to work at the 53 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,599 Red Cross, and it was just ended up being my passion. 54 00:03:16,319 --> 00:03:19,240 It's not what I intended to be doing after college, 55 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,759 but I just fell in love with nonprofit work and 56 00:03:22,759 --> 00:03:24,759 I'm just fortunate to be where I am today at 57 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,360 Peggy Adams. You know, my first introduction to animal welfare 58 00:03:28,719 --> 00:03:31,639 was at the Humane Society of Broward County at Fort Lauderdale, 59 00:03:32,039 --> 00:03:36,879 and ever since I've been working with animal welfare organizations 60 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:37,960 around the country. 61 00:03:38,159 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 2: As you mentioned, that's wonderful, I mean, such an incredible 62 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,000 work that I have to go back to your early years, 63 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,120 rich What was your first animal that was in your life, 64 00:03:48,159 --> 00:03:49,919 because I know there had to be a very special 65 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:51,960 first pet that helped. 66 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 5: You there were sure, yeah, I mean we had a number, 67 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,280 you know, our first pet was well, the cat Jenny 68 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,800 beautiful black cat. Yeah, she says, she was our first 69 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,520 family companion animal. We we way back, so that got 70 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,919 things started. We had hamsters, I've had dogs. I had 71 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:14,039 a great dog named Hammy growing up. It was probably 72 00:04:14,319 --> 00:04:16,759 in my youth of the animal that I that I 73 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,480 grew most closely to. I really loved that dog and 74 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,079 it was just a great member of our family. 75 00:04:23,519 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 2: Rich, I have to ask you, where did you grow up? 76 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:26,360 Did you grow up in Florida? 77 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 5: No? No, I grew up in Rhode Island, So, like 78 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,519 maybe many many of us here in Florida, had dreams 79 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:37,439 of warmer climate and gradually made my way down to Florida. 80 00:04:38,079 --> 00:04:41,240 After about ten years in Washington, d C. Finally made 81 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:42,759 my way down to Florida with my family. 82 00:04:43,079 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 2: That's wonderful. I tell you, it's cold today in Washington, 83 00:04:45,959 --> 00:04:48,560 so it's really nice to be in sunny Florida today, 84 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,839 that's for sure. So I think you made the best choice. 85 00:04:52,079 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 5: I love Washington. 86 00:04:53,079 --> 00:04:55,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, I love it too. I love it too. Rich. 87 00:04:55,519 --> 00:05:00,360 Peggy Adams is an amazing organization here in Palm Beach County. 88 00:05:00,439 --> 00:05:02,199 Can you tell our listeners a little bit about what 89 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,360 you do at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League and who 90 00:05:04,399 --> 00:05:05,279 was Peggy Adams? 91 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,879 Speaker 5: So the Animal Rescue League now called Peggy Adams Animal 92 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,839 Rescue League started in nineteen twenty four. A group of 93 00:05:14,079 --> 00:05:17,120 women in Palm Beach felt like they needed to do 94 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,720 something to address an issue that plagued a lot of 95 00:05:20,759 --> 00:05:24,079 Florida back in the day of people coming down during 96 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,480 the winter months and then heading north and sadly heading 97 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,720 back north without their animals and leaving their animals behind. 98 00:05:30,959 --> 00:05:33,360 So again, back in nineteen twenty four, these women in 99 00:05:33,439 --> 00:05:36,000 Palm Beach wanted to do something to solve that problem. 100 00:05:36,079 --> 00:05:39,800 They started as a shelter, incorporated the Animal Rescue League 101 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:45,560 in nineteen twenty five. We are the longest continuously operating 102 00:05:45,959 --> 00:05:49,319 animal welfare organization here in Palm Beach County. And Peggy 103 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,800 Adams A good question, where's the name come from? We 104 00:05:52,879 --> 00:05:54,639 hear that a lot. We get to ask that question 105 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,480 quite a bit. So Peggy Adams was a woman who 106 00:05:57,519 --> 00:06:01,920 lived in Palm Beach, an animal lover animal advocate, passed 107 00:06:01,959 --> 00:06:06,920 away suddenly unexpectedly. Her husband, knowing how much she cared 108 00:06:06,959 --> 00:06:10,000 for and how compassionate she was, and with how dedicated 109 00:06:10,079 --> 00:06:13,800 she was personally to animal Welfare approached the Animal Rescue 110 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:18,720 League and asked, if he made a significant contribution towards 111 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:23,160 the organization's endowment, if they would consider naming the organization 112 00:06:23,399 --> 00:06:27,360 after his wife, And so that is when it became 113 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,360 Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League about forty years ago. 114 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 2: Wow, what a great story and a great tribute to 115 00:06:34,959 --> 00:06:36,920 a woman. I love that it was her husband that 116 00:06:37,079 --> 00:06:39,759 came to the organization to honor her in that very 117 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,839 special way. That's fantastic. Well, I think it's amazing what 118 00:06:43,959 --> 00:06:47,199 you do. Every year. The Rescue League provides services to 119 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:51,959 over forty five thousand cats, dogs, puppies and kittens each year, 120 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,720 which that's amazing. What problems, what issues are you siving 121 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,000 with overpopulation and with animal welfare in pump Beach County 122 00:06:59,079 --> 00:06:59,519 right now. 123 00:07:00,079 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 5: So, like most communities, we have an area where there 124 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,959 still is a challenge of there being too many animals 125 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,800 and the bottom line is too many animals resulting in 126 00:07:09,879 --> 00:07:12,959 too many animals ending up at the government run shelter 127 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,439 here in Palm Beach County where there is a lack 128 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,839 of resources, lack of space to care for all these animals. 129 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,519 And so Peggy Adam's on the Rescue League. Our focus 130 00:07:23,879 --> 00:07:27,000 is to prevent animals from ending up at the county 131 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,839 shelter period and making sure that we are working towards 132 00:07:30,879 --> 00:07:34,399 saving the life of every single adoptable animal here in 133 00:07:34,439 --> 00:07:38,319 Palm Beach County. Peggy Adams has has benefits lives since 134 00:07:38,399 --> 00:07:41,199 nineteen twenty four of more than one million animals in 135 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,839 its history. But I think what's been happening over the 136 00:07:44,879 --> 00:07:48,079 last five six years here in Palm Beach County has 137 00:07:48,319 --> 00:07:51,079 really made a mark here in the community and is 138 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:54,720 really I think showing other parts of Florida, in other 139 00:07:54,759 --> 00:07:57,560 parts of the country, what can be done if the 140 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:04,360 local nonprofit animal welfare community joins together with the government 141 00:08:04,439 --> 00:08:09,079 run operations to solve the problem of pedo population in 142 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:09,759 our community. 143 00:08:10,079 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 2: It's wonderful and part of this effort is really reflected 144 00:08:14,079 --> 00:08:17,639 in Countdown to Zero, which is for listeners, an amazing 145 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:22,000 community collaboration to the commission of endian euthanasia of adoptable 146 00:08:22,079 --> 00:08:25,199 animals in Palm Beach County by twenty twenty four, which 147 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,879 can you share with us? How Countdown to Zero came about? 148 00:08:28,279 --> 00:08:32,679 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's you know, Palmage County was, in many ways 149 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:38,600 your typical community. The nonprofit animal welfare community and the 150 00:08:38,639 --> 00:08:43,320 government run agency had not worked closely together pretty much 151 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,519 at any time over the decades, and so we made 152 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:49,720 a point to reach out to the county and just 153 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:51,919 give you a little bit background. The county shelter is 154 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:57,200 the only shelter that is an open admission shelter, meaning 155 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,879 their doors are always open, and the animal that walks 156 00:09:00,919 --> 00:09:04,600 in that door they take in regardless of its condition. 157 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,600 So they receive a lot of broken animals, animals that 158 00:09:08,759 --> 00:09:12,320 unfortunately are close to death. But all all of our 159 00:09:12,399 --> 00:09:16,080 other animal welfare organizations of Pombage County, you know, when 160 00:09:16,159 --> 00:09:18,879 we are full, we're full, and we can't take any 161 00:09:18,919 --> 00:09:23,879 other animals in. So we approach the county in twenty thirteen, 162 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,519 maybe closer to the end of twenty twelve, and said, 163 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,039 you know, we really want to work together and what 164 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,759 we you know, what we call getting off the hamster wheel, 165 00:09:32,919 --> 00:09:35,039 you know, and just doing the same thing over and 166 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,559 over and over again. Let's see if we can work 167 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:41,200 together to solve this problem of too many animals being 168 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,879 euthanized every year here in Palm Beach County and the county. Thankfully, 169 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,399 it tends to be a relatively progressive community. The county 170 00:09:49,399 --> 00:09:53,159 government tends to be a relatively progressive government. We have 171 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,639 a very progressive leader at Palm Beache County Animal Care 172 00:09:57,639 --> 00:10:01,480 and Control, which is the government run shelter, and she, 173 00:10:01,799 --> 00:10:05,600 Diane Salva, saw the value in a partnership between the 174 00:10:05,639 --> 00:10:08,360 county and peg gy Amzama Rescue League. And so it 175 00:10:08,399 --> 00:10:11,440 took about eighteen months for us to work with the 176 00:10:11,519 --> 00:10:15,159 county to come up with Countdown to Zero. And so, 177 00:10:15,279 --> 00:10:18,320 like you said, Countdown of Zero is this initiative that 178 00:10:18,639 --> 00:10:22,600 was officially launched in twenty fourteen. February twenty fourteenth, that 179 00:10:22,639 --> 00:10:25,840 were coming up on the fourth anniversary of the official 180 00:10:25,879 --> 00:10:28,639 launch of Countdown to Zero with the goal of saving 181 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,240 the life of very animal in Pombach County by the 182 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,240 year twenty twenty four That was a huge step to 183 00:10:35,279 --> 00:10:39,039 get the county, any local government to commit to a 184 00:10:39,159 --> 00:10:45,879 goal that bold when thousands of animals were dying unnecessarily 185 00:10:45,879 --> 00:10:49,000 in twenty thirteen. That was a huge step for Pombach 186 00:10:49,039 --> 00:10:53,559 County and a step that very few communities anywhere in 187 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,679 the country has been able to take. 188 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,919 Speaker 2: It's amazing, rich what is the what's the secret sauce? 189 00:11:00,039 --> 00:11:04,000 It makes home Beach County and the community partners here 190 00:11:04,519 --> 00:11:06,759 be so visionary because you know, I don't see this 191 00:11:06,879 --> 00:11:10,399 being replicated in too many communities around our country, and 192 00:11:10,399 --> 00:11:11,200 that's an objective. 193 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 5: One of our objectives is to obviously succeed in our 194 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,679 effort here in Palmas County, but also to educate other 195 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,320 communities in Florida and beyond to think about adopting some 196 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,919 of the practices that we've adopted. Let me give you 197 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,840 a little bit of a sense of to how bad 198 00:11:27,879 --> 00:11:32,480 the situation was. Just just a few years ago, before 199 00:11:32,519 --> 00:11:37,720 we initiated the countdown to Zero initiative, there were a 200 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:42,320 total of nearly eight thousand, actually more than eight thousand 201 00:11:42,519 --> 00:11:46,639 cats and dogs that were euthanized at the county run 202 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,679 shelter back in twenty thirteen. Fast forward to today, four 203 00:11:50,759 --> 00:11:54,960 years later, we are getting very very close closer and 204 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,840 closer to me that goal of saving every adoptable life 205 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,000 here in Palm Beach County. The euthanasia at the county 206 00:12:01,039 --> 00:12:05,399 shelter has dropped nearly seventy percent in those four short years. 207 00:12:05,639 --> 00:12:09,159 The real number for people to look at is what 208 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,639 does that mean in real lives saved? And from twenty 209 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:18,120 thirteen to twenty seventeen. That equated to five thousand, five 210 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:22,320 hundred fewer animals in a one year period of being euthanized. 211 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,200 So five thousand, five hundred fewer animals lost their lives 212 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,120 in twenty seventeen compared to just four years ago. 213 00:12:29,759 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 2: Unbelievable. What a victory. 214 00:12:32,399 --> 00:12:35,559 Speaker 5: We're getting there. We're getting there. We still got a 215 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,440 ways to go, but we think we're going to reach 216 00:12:38,519 --> 00:12:40,960 that goal of saving every adoptable animal by the year 217 00:12:41,039 --> 00:12:45,200 twenty twenty four, well in advance of twenty twenty four. 218 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:47,720 And you asked the question as to you know, what 219 00:12:47,759 --> 00:12:51,840 does it take to do this? And it takes willing partners, 220 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:53,759 is what I would say. At the bottom line, It 221 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,759 requires collaboration and a willingness to collaborate. You know, when 222 00:12:57,759 --> 00:13:00,759 we reached out to the county tell them that, you know, 223 00:13:00,799 --> 00:13:04,879 we sincerely wanted to work together, I think it was received, 224 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,360 and I had been told it was received with a 225 00:13:08,399 --> 00:13:12,200 great deal of skepticism. You know, decade after decade after 226 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:18,360 decade of the county and the nonprofit community, there was 227 00:13:18,399 --> 00:13:22,039 no collaboration, and so there was a significant degree of 228 00:13:22,639 --> 00:13:24,799 skepticism on the part of the County, and there was 229 00:13:24,799 --> 00:13:27,639 some skepticism on the part of some people here at 230 00:13:27,639 --> 00:13:30,559 Peggy Adams as to whether or not this was going 231 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,639 to be worthwhile, whether this was going to work or not. So, 232 00:13:35,159 --> 00:13:38,399 you know, it was almost one of those times where 233 00:13:38,399 --> 00:13:41,440 all the stars aligned. I had a board of directors 234 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,919 that supported this approach to the county. I had a 235 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,879 counterpart at the County Shelter, Diane Solve, the director there, 236 00:13:50,399 --> 00:13:54,799 wanted to see real change and knew that if we 237 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:59,120 kept doing what we've been doing every year, year after 238 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,480 year after year, thousands of animals would keep losing their 239 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,759 lives year after year after year. And then it was 240 00:14:05,799 --> 00:14:09,080 the county government, you know, that was that was huge 241 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:14,519 that the county had faith in the director of the 242 00:14:14,519 --> 00:14:20,000 County Shelter in Diane, and respected her enough to take 243 00:14:20,039 --> 00:14:23,399 a leap of faith in setting this pretty bold goal 244 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,879 for a community that was euthanizing more than eight thousand 245 00:14:27,919 --> 00:14:31,559 animals each and every year. So, you know, some members 246 00:14:31,559 --> 00:14:36,279 of the Goat County government embraced this initiative because they 247 00:14:36,279 --> 00:14:39,000 are animal lovers. And then there were other members of 248 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:43,000 the County Commission that, as much as they appreciated the 249 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:47,000 life saving goal, What really got their attention, I think 250 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,200 was when we laid out to them the waste of 251 00:14:50,519 --> 00:14:54,759 taxpayer dollars to take it an animal and simply euthanize it. 252 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,919 We pointed out to the county government that they were 253 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:02,240 spending four hundred dollars for every animal that was being 254 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:07,639 utianized at the county shelter. We're talking millions of dollars 255 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,200 being wasted. And when local governments are struggling each and 256 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:16,679 every day to allocate tax resources for very important programs, 257 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:18,480 you know, I think it was really easy for us 258 00:15:18,519 --> 00:15:21,919 to say, Hey, you know, I heard you yesterday trying 259 00:15:21,919 --> 00:15:24,919 to find thirty thousand dollars for a program that you're 260 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:28,039 passionate about. Well, if we can do what we're proposing 261 00:15:28,519 --> 00:15:31,279 and prevent the euthanasia of the animals at the county shelter, 262 00:15:31,679 --> 00:15:33,639 you are going to be saving millions of dollars every 263 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,960 year that can benefit the community and can be spent 264 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:41,120 much more wisely. Obviously, that was a really important case 265 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,960 to be made for some members of the county government. 266 00:15:44,279 --> 00:15:46,039 Speaker 2: That was a brilliant case to make. I just did 267 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,559 your fifty five hundred animals that you've saved in one year. 268 00:15:49,759 --> 00:15:52,799 Times four hundred. That's over two point two million dollars. 269 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 5: Yeah, when you do the math, it's staggering. So you know, 270 00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,759 this is not just a question of life and death 271 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:01,919 for a dog or a cat, and this is a 272 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:07,159 question that every member of our community who pays taxes 273 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,240 should be concerned about. And so I think that really 274 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,440 made a difference in getting the county to embrace the 275 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:14,679 countdown to zero effort. 276 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,399 Speaker 2: It's just fantastic. Rich What an incredible model you're building 277 00:16:18,399 --> 00:16:21,080 that I hope will be replicated around the country to 278 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:24,200 really number one, first of for most save animal lives 279 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,840 and really make a difference in the way people think 280 00:16:26,879 --> 00:16:29,519 about what it is to be humane in communities. We 281 00:16:29,559 --> 00:16:32,759 see such division nowadays, so it's nice to see something 282 00:16:32,759 --> 00:16:35,039 that everyone can agree about. And I think this is 283 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:36,840 one of those programs, one of those efforts. 284 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,399 Speaker 5: Congratulations, thank you, you know, and I think it's you know, 285 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:42,440 and it required a lot of people obviously not just 286 00:16:42,519 --> 00:16:45,200 need to be involved in this, but it really has 287 00:16:45,559 --> 00:16:48,519 set a tone in our community of collaboration and that 288 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,200 we're not you know, whether it's Peggy Adams in the 289 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:55,440 county or it's Peggy Adams and other nonprofit rescues in 290 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:58,120 the community, of which there are you know, several dozen 291 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,799 other rescues in Pombe's County. You know, we try to 292 00:17:01,919 --> 00:17:06,400 impress upon everybody that this issue of petib population and 293 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:11,319 this issue of animals dying unnecessarily in our community was 294 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:16,160 not a problem. It was not strictly the county shelters problem. 295 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:21,000 This was a community problem that required a community collaborative effort, 296 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,680 and it required all of us nonprofits to see that 297 00:17:25,039 --> 00:17:28,160 and to embrace the idea that this is all of 298 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,200 our problem and we're only going to solve this if 299 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,359 we are working together. And I think that's you know, 300 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:35,720 I think it has unified, for the most part, a 301 00:17:35,759 --> 00:17:38,920 lot of rescue groups here in Palm Beach County to 302 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:39,799 to help meet that goal. 303 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:43,119 Speaker 2: It's wonderful. It's wonderful. Well rich when you think about, 304 00:17:43,279 --> 00:17:46,039 you know, this incredible countdown to zero and all the 305 00:17:46,079 --> 00:17:49,000 work you've done in Palm Beach County. One thing that 306 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,759 I really want to compliment you on, in addition to 307 00:17:51,799 --> 00:17:55,680 that incredible model that you're building here, is what you've 308 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,359 done recently with kittens. I picked up the newspaper the 309 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,279 other day and I saw a kit yoga and I 310 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,559 just had to smile. What a brilliant idea to really 311 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,440 promote ad option of kittens. We're not quite in kitten season, 312 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:09,839 but I know there's always a cat problem. So can 313 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:11,359 you talk to us a little bit about how you've 314 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:13,359 been so creative around cats? 315 00:18:13,799 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 5: Well, you know it was you know, it's a case 316 00:18:16,279 --> 00:18:19,400 every day is a case of needing to get creative 317 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:22,119 when it comes to cats, in particular in South Florida 318 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,920 in particular. You know, the cat problem, cat over population 319 00:18:26,039 --> 00:18:28,559 challenge here in Pomish County is by far the biggest 320 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,680 challenge we have in Pomish County and in South Florida 321 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,160 in general, and so we're always trying to find ways 322 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,400 to adopt out as many cats as we can. So 323 00:18:38,759 --> 00:18:40,759 just to give you an idea, and so why it's 324 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,039 so so important to get creative during the peak of 325 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:48,200 kitten season typically around June. So we're we're getting close. 326 00:18:48,279 --> 00:18:50,839 It's starting to see a lot of kittens being born 327 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,359 in our community, so we're gearing up for that. But 328 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,519 at the peak of kitten season, we will have over 329 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:01,960 one thousand cats and kittens in our hair here alone 330 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:03,920 at Peggy AM's and I'm rescue league. 331 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 2: Wow, that's a lot of catchow. 332 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,079 Speaker 5: A lot and it requires a lot of staff, a 333 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:16,599 lot of volunteers, it requires an ever increasing foster volunteer 334 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,960 foster program. We launched a kit nursery two years ago 335 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:25,240 to save the life save the lives of those indy 336 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,839 bitty neonate newborn kittens that have been separated from their 337 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:33,119 mothers and can't survive without twenty four seven care. And 338 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,519 so we've launched that two years ago and last year 339 00:19:35,599 --> 00:19:39,279 that provided support to nearly six hundred newborn kittens that 340 00:19:39,319 --> 00:19:42,000 were born on the streets here in Pombach County. So, 341 00:19:42,079 --> 00:19:44,759 getting back to your your original question about kitt and yoga, 342 00:19:45,279 --> 00:19:48,920 I'll say that we have incredible support in the community. 343 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,599 We can't do what we do without the generous support 344 00:19:52,759 --> 00:19:57,039 of individuals and businesses and foundations here in Pombach County. 345 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,640 So this is an example of the community allowing us 346 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,000 to do something very creative. City Place, which is a 347 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:07,400 big retail shopping center in West Palm Beach. We approached 348 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,920 them to see if we could utilize one of their 349 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:15,440 empty storefronts and we were incredibly grateful when they said yes, 350 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,920 we'd love the idea of you having a what we 351 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,720 call a pop up shop. So in December we opened up. 352 00:20:22,799 --> 00:20:24,880 We opened up what we call a pop up shop 353 00:20:25,079 --> 00:20:28,000 in City Place from downtown West Palm Beach where we 354 00:20:28,079 --> 00:20:32,279 could feature animals available for adoption, cats and dogs, sell 355 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,839 some items, sell all sorts of animal supplies and products. 356 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,160 It's been a huge success, and our staff came up 357 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,640 with this great idea. We had so much space in 358 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,480 this shop that we said, hey, what about doing kitten yoga. 359 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:49,200 We had a relationship with a yoga instructor and she 360 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,480 jumped on board immediately with the idea, and so on 361 00:20:54,039 --> 00:20:57,960 most saturdays at the pop up shop in City Place 362 00:20:58,079 --> 00:21:01,200 in West Palm Beach, we will have of kitten yoga. 363 00:21:01,319 --> 00:21:05,559 As many as twenty people pre register and they do 364 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:10,119 yoga with kittens, and these kittens are roaming around the 365 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:14,559 yoga floor and the people who the people, I mean, 366 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,079 I was blown away by the response the people doing 367 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:22,200 the yoga, and there these are people who are experienced 368 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:27,880 practitioners of yoga, and I've just been surprised, pleasantly surprised 369 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:31,119 that they walk out of these kitten yoga sessions just 370 00:21:31,319 --> 00:21:35,240 beaming and saying how it was the best experience of 371 00:21:35,279 --> 00:21:38,640 their lives, and so people just absolutely eat it up, 372 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,640 and you know, and it promotes the adoption of these cats, 373 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,480 and you know, so we adopt out on average three 374 00:21:44,559 --> 00:21:47,119 or four kittens every weekend that we that were in 375 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:47,599 that store. 376 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:50,559 Speaker 2: That's amazing. Rich Well, I read about in the paper 377 00:21:50,559 --> 00:21:52,720 and I just smiled. I just thought it was brilliant, 378 00:21:52,799 --> 00:21:56,279 absolutely brilliant, and the photo of the kittens was terrific. 379 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:58,640 Speaker 5: When you're here, we'll have to sign you up for 380 00:21:58,640 --> 00:21:59,480 a yoga class. 381 00:21:59,519 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 2: I think so, I think so. I love it. 382 00:22:02,559 --> 00:22:03,119 Speaker 1: I love it. 383 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,559 Speaker 2: Oh, rich Well, rich I have to tell you this 384 00:22:05,599 --> 00:22:08,759 has been just an incredible conversation, as it always is 385 00:22:08,799 --> 00:22:11,640 with you. I want to again offer our congratulations to 386 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,720 you and your incredible successes here in Palm Beach County 387 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,359 as the CEO of Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. It's 388 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,920 incredible how many lives you're saving every year, how many 389 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,880 incredible lives of humans you're touching by introducing them to 390 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:27,920 their new best friends. So thank you for all you 391 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:28,960 do for animal welfare. 392 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,160 Speaker 5: Well, I want to thank you, Robin. You know, Peggy Adams, 393 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,759 we are very grateful for our partnership with American Uniane 394 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,279 the work you do is so important and you know, 395 00:22:38,319 --> 00:22:40,799 saving lives around the country, and you know we're honored 396 00:22:40,839 --> 00:22:42,799 to be a partner with American Unione. 397 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 2: Thank you, The honor is ours, my friend. Well again 398 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,279 you listeners, you've been tuning in this week to Loving 399 00:22:49,279 --> 00:22:53,039 Animals with Rich Anderson, the executive director and CEO of 400 00:22:53,079 --> 00:22:57,039 Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. An incredible conversation with one 401 00:22:57,079 --> 00:23:00,880 of the most amazing animal welfare leaders our country, and 402 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:05,799 countdown to Zero is an incredible again, community collaboration really 403 00:23:05,839 --> 00:23:09,599 designed to end euthanasia of adoptable animals in Palm Beach County. 404 00:23:09,799 --> 00:23:12,720 I hope your community will reach out to Rich and 405 00:23:12,799 --> 00:23:16,039 try to replicate this incredible model so that around our 406 00:23:16,079 --> 00:23:19,960 great country we can save more animal lives. Again, Rich, 407 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,599 thanks so much, and listeners, thank you for tuning in 408 00:23:22,599 --> 00:23:25,559 to this week's episode of Loving Animals. Next week we'll 409 00:23:25,559 --> 00:23:30,079 have another incredible conversation with another animal welfare leader. I 410 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,839 hope you will join me next week and remember this 411 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,519 week and every week, we're Loving Animals. Take care. 412 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 6: Let's talk that every week on demand only on Petlifradio 413 00:23:41,519 --> 00:23:59,599 dot Com.