Arin Greenwood–a wearer of many hats, mostly animal-related, including Director of Philanthropy Communications at Austin Pets Alive! former animal journalist extraordinaire (HuffPost, Washington Post, The Today Show website, et al), and novelist–maintains a sizable social media presence, posting regularly on Facebook, which in a way, spawned this interview. 
That is, I was struck by the poignant story Arin chronicled through a series of Facebook
posts, starting with the emotional gut-punch of losing their longtime, beloved pointer mix, Murray…grieving that profound loss. Then, the posts recounted the ensuing phases and steps they took, reflecting the feeling that they wanted to eventually welcome another dog into their family, while remaining mindful of the peace and well-being of their three cats. Thinking this sort of discussion could help folks who’ve lost a dog, and are navigating through similar stages–an important, and in many ways, universal narrative amongst dog lovers–I invited Arin back on the show (she’s been a guest multiple times) to elaborate on the actions, and emotions, she captured in those FB posts. One facet that stood out in her account is Arin’s and her husband’s inclination to foster dogs, including when they were about to hunker down with a hurricane headed their way. Clearly an advocate of “foster to adopt,” a shelter
practice that introduced the
couple to dogs they almost did adopt, but opted not to—because one of them didn’t feel quite ready emotionally, or the dog (in this case, a handsome canine named Jimmy) turned out to not be a good fit with the cats and as a pooch powerhouse, worried he might be a bit too much dog for her on walks and elsewhere, Arin recalled. And she describes the latest pooch in their “foster to adopt” convention, then named June Bug, urged to meet by a friend, they resisted for a couple of months—then made the acquaintance of a kind, but fearful and super-shy dog. Spoiler alert: Rechristened Judy (full name: Dog Judy), this young lady is now a sweet, relaxed, affectionate pooch, living quite happily with Arin, her husband—and the cats. [Who’s who–upper left: Judy…upper right: Arin, Judy & Elfie…lower left: the late, great Murray, with Chappy…lower right: Judy & Elfie]
ALSO: I spoke briefly with with Steven Meserve, founder and CEO of Loving Cats Worldwide, which organizes sprawling feline-oriented events across multiple countries, very much including the U.S. Indeed, the Tampa CATStravaganza is happening May 18 & 19 at the Tampa Convention Center. It will feature local rescues participating in an adoption event, an International Cat Competition, cats strutting in the CATwalk, a Best in Show competition, a feline-oriented shopping village, and more. For more information, or to enter your cat in a competition, follow this link: https://lcwwgroup.com/events/tampa-may-2024
COMEDY CORNER: Nate Fridson’s “Horse Racing” (DS edit) (https://www.instagram.com/fridskins/x)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
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