Tracy Voss—the co-founder of TracysDogs, a San Antonio, Texas-based organization that pulls dogs from high-kill shelters, rehabilitates them, then adopts them out to families across the country, transporting the dogs in their 32-foot trailer—discusses growing up as a dog devotee, and how a beloved black Lab significantly helped her navigate through a somewhat awkward, isolated childhood.
Voss recounts being laid off from her job several years ago, and seeking to do a kind act that would make her feel better, spurred her to visit her local animal shelter, use her iPhone to videotape dogs that were slated to be euthanized, then post the clips on Facebook and elsewhere, urging folks to adopt those dogs. She subsequently was re-hired by the company who laid her off, and while her time to help dogs consequently became more limited, TracysDogs still follows largely the same procedure—but on a larger scale. Voss describes how 
there are monthly adoption events, typically held at PetSmart locations in various parts of the country, and in the run-up to those events, she and her colleagues post pictures and videos of the dogs available for adoption, interested parties submit their applications—some dogs elicit numerous applications, some none, but TracysDogs adoptions 
managers and General Manager/Adoptions Counselor Kerrie Bell Nelson, whom Voss swears has magical matchmaking powers, pair up the humans and the canines. Even though people don’t meet their new dogs until the day they adopt them (a source of some trepidation), this approach appears to be quite successful: For instance, the most recent event—the Saturday before this interview, the event in Secaucus, New Jersey yielded 49 adoptions—and Voss says they have an overall return rate of less than 2%. (www.tracysdogs.com, www.facebook.com/TracysDogs/)
ALSO: I spoke briefly with Amy Jesse, Public Policy Manager for the Puppy Mills Campaign at the Humane Society of the United States, about AB-485, a bill that places California on the cusp of being the first state to ban the sale of puppy mill dogs in pet stores. The bill requires the signature of Governor Jerry Brown to become law. (www.humanesociety.org)
COMEDY CORNER: Paul F. Tompkins’ “Apologize For Your Dog” (portion) (http://paulftompkins.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play Name That Animal Tune today.
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