Episodes
Join us for a furr-tastic interview with Dr. Mike West. This episode, we had a special host sit down with Dr. West and ask him questions that children have for veterinarians. Dr. West was asked questions from a three-and-a-half-year-old all the way to high schoolers. He answered questions like: do companion animals have identical twins? Why do cats have fluff in their ears? Why do veterinarians wear stethoscopes? Do I have to brush my dog's teeth? And more! After listening to this episode, if you want to book a veterinary appointment for your furry friend, you can visit www.tartantailsvet.c...
Join us for a chat on upcycling for the holidays. Our expert crafter Anya Zub, Regional Manager, Thrift Stores, sat down with us to discuss the value of upcycling. It gives second chances and new life to items, it's a budget friendly approach to Christmas, and a fun way to spend time with friends and family. Anya gave some excellent ideas on the kinds of crafts you can make as well as some tips on how to make them. After listing to this episode, if you want to find out more about our thrift stores, you can visit www.novascotiaspca.ca/thriftstores/.
Join us for an episode dedicated to our special senior pets in honour of National Adopt a Senior Pet Month. Our own Alicia Avendano, Shelter Liaison and Veterinary Assistant, talked to us about what makes senior pets special, what makes them great companions and the benefits of adopting a senior pet. We also touched on our Palliative Care Program, how it helps offer pets the retirement they deserve, and how you can help. After listening to this episode, if you want to find out more about the program or see the furry friends who are looking for loving homes, visit www.novascotiaspca.ca.
Join us for a claws-itively spooky Halloween episode! Sit down with our hosts Scarah Lyon and Joel Booyce, as they discuss their favourite myths and legends about cats. Superstitions have followed cats all throughout human history, some good, some bad. Our hosts discuss both, debunk a myth or two, and offer some tips and tricks on how to ensure our furry friends have a safe and fun Halloween, too. If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your friends so more people find us and subscribe! *Disclaimer: We apologize for any mispronunciations in this episode. Some of the names were diffi...
Join us for a chat with Frances Cheslo, an RVT and Shelter Engagement Specialist with Hill’s Pet Nutrition Canada, where we discuss Hill’s 2025 Canada State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report, specifically their findings surrounding fostering. One of the biggest insights is that the vast majority of people believe they can’t afford to foster! Marni and Frances sit down to discuss what the reality of fostering is like, the different kinds of fostering that the Nova Scotia SPCA offers, and so much more! If you wish to read the report, you can find it here and if you want to become a foster with u...
Join us for a chat with Dr. West from Tartan Tails Veterinary Hospital about how our furry friends tell us they are in pain. Or don’t tell us. September is Animal Pain Awareness Month, and one of the most difficult things about our pets is knowing when they are in pain. Dr. West gave some insights into types of pain in cats and dogs, common signs they are in pain, a few ways we can help ease some of the pain, and more. If you notice anything different with your pet, get in touch with our veterinary hospitals to book an appointment at www.tartantailsvet.ca
Join us for a chat with our friends at PetSmart Charities of Canada, where we discuss the state the veterinary medicine in Canada. In this episode, we’re discussing a study done by PetSmart Charities of Canada and Gallup, what they found, how they are using these findings, and some ways we work together to help animals and their families. You will not want to miss this episode. You can find the full report here.
Join us for a chat with Dr. Shane Bateman about a different topic than usual, but a very interesting one. We’re diving into a fascinating and lesser-known field—veterinary forensic science. What is veterinary forensic science? Why is it important in the industry? How do vets become detectives? We’ll explore all that and more. And if you’re interested in learning more about Dr. Bateman’s work after listening, you can visit www.9livesvet.ca.
Join us for an amazing chat with Judy Layne, a dedicated supporter of Nova Scotia SPCA. In the last episode, we talked about making wills. In this episode, we touched on the why behind making one and helping a charity. Judy brings us back to the start of her journey rescuing pets, how they influenced her life, and why she is honoring them with a $100,000 match and a gift in her will. A short episode packed with a lot of heartwarming memories that you don’t want to miss. And if you want to know more about Judy’s match, visit www.novascotiaspca.ca/judy
Join us for an insightful and vulnerable chat with Dana Garrod from Epilogue Wills about making a will. We touched on why you should make a will, are online wills legal, how you can support a charity, and much more. Spoiler alert, it can take as fast as 20 minutes to do it. Talking about a will can be difficult, making one shouldn’t. And if you are looking at starting one and leaving something to your favourite charity, aka NS SPCA, you can use our link to save 20%: https://epiloguewills.com/give/nsspca
Join us for a chat with Debbie Chaplain to chat all things fostering. Debbie has been a wonder-furr foster with the Kings SPCA Shelter, and today we get to learn more about her motivation to foster, her experience, delve into some great memories, and the most asked question: how do you not adopt them all? Spoiler alert, sometimes there might be a foster fail situation. To learn more about how to become a foster, visit our website at www.novascotiaspca.ca/foster
Reading Pawse with the Nova Scotia SPCA
Join us for a slow Sunday where we read adoption stories from the province written by our fabulous staff and volunteers for the Paw Print newsletter. These feel-good stories remind us why we do the work we do and the happily ever afters we create as a community. If you want to hear or read more, you can subscribe to our newsletter here: www.novascotiaspca.ca/thepawprint/.
Right after a rather chilling experiment, the NS SPCA Deputy Chief Inspector, Paul Hunter, sat down with us to chat about what he went through at –11 degrees for 15 minutes. He also shared tips on what to look for when your pet starts to get cold and some of the common ways they can get hurt if left outside in the cold for too long. And as always, don’t forget if you see an animal in distress, ACT (Assess the situation, Collect information, Time to call). Reports can be made to our team by calling 1-888-703-7722, emailing animals@spcans.ca, or filling out the online form at novascotiaspca.c...
We don’t know about your 2025 resolutions, but we started with a strong one: nap time. Join our host Sarah Lyon and guest Sandra Flemming for a fun episode about Operation Hit Snooze and the benefits naps have on our shelter pups while listening to classical or reggae music for an hour daily. To keep up with this project, you can follow our Instagram account. And if you’re curious to read more on the research behind nap time, visit Lights out for better health.
The last episode of 2024 of the Nova Scotia SPCA PAW'dcast! We want to take a moment to reflect on the year when we started this project, thank everyone involved for making it possible, and tell you about some things that made us realize producing a podcast is harder than we thought. But all worth it!
Join us for a special episode about Giving Tuesday (GT)! Nicole Danesi from CanadaHelps and Creston Rudolph from the Nova Scotia SPCA chatted with us about this day of giving back to the community. We talked about the history of GT, ways you can help and what we are doing here at NS SPCA for the greatest day of the year! Spoiler, there’s a BFF Battle involved. Visit https://www.givingtuesday.ca/ and www.novascotiaspca.ca/catsVSdogs for more information and to help US settle this worldwide debate. Also, you will want to listen until the end of this episode for some special guests.
In today’s episode we sat with Sue O’Neill, Manager of Promising Practices Project at Humane Canada. We touched on a heavy, but important topic about gender-based violence and animal welfare. Sue told us about the ACT Project, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the Promising Practices Project and more work being done and resources offered to people. If you need help, the Nova Scotia SPCA is here for you through our Paws and Support program. Visit www.novascotiaspca.ca/pawssupport/. And for all of the resources Humane Canada offers, please visit humanecanada.ca/en/sector-...
Join us for a special PAW'dcast episode to celebrate National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week and all the hard work of our shelter staff. Alicia Avendano, our own Shelter Liaison, chatted with us about what it is to work at a Nova Scotia SPCA animal shelter. We touched on the path that brought her here today, the behind-the-scenes of a day in the shelter, and we learned some new things about pet enrichment. Shoutout to all animal care workers this week and every day of the year for the love, care and compassion they show to all the furry friends they help. If you want to learn m...
Join us for a chat with one of Tartan Tails Veterinary Hospital’s RVTs, Michelle Doane, to celebrate RVT Month! We chatted about what an RVT is, how you can become one, what a day-to-day looks like, and just great advice for anyone interested in this career path. It was a great conversation that made even us think for a second if we should change careers. And there’s some mention about snacks. To learn more about Michelle, the team she works with and Tartan Tails, visit www.tartantailsvet.ca.
Join us for another inspiring conversation with a Nova Scotia SPCA donor. Cara Boston shared stories and great advice from the start of her involvement with the Nova Scotia SPCA until now, more than a decade later. We chatted about donations, volunteering, and of course, we found out which team Cara is – cats or dogs. This episode will leave you as inspired as it left us. To learn more about the ways to get involved with us, visit www.novascotiaspca.ca
Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a new animal shelter? Join us for a chat with Heather Woodin, Chief of Animal Operations at the Nova Scotia SPCA where we barely scratch the surface on what it took to build the newest SPCA building, North Nova SPCA. It took a village, and this building is proof of that -from the ground digging (get it?) to the importance of the floors to the signs on the walls and fundraising. At the time this episode is out, we aren't yet open to the public, so follow our socials to find out when those dates are. Until then, if you want to learn more about the...
Join us for an impressive and heartfelt conversation about the animals that landed in Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11. Bonnie Harris from Gander SPCA shared the story of what happened in the days following the attacks and how their organization didn’t think twice about helping. There’re tears, laughs, gratefulness – all packed into an episode that will leave you wanting to know more. Or at least watch the musical Come From Away if you haven’t already. Please visit www.ganderandareaspca.com/ to learn more about their work and the current campaign for a new building.
Join us for a fun episode where we chat with this year’s valedictorian, Jennah Bear. She told us all about her journey to becoming a Veterinary Assistant, why she chose the Nova Scotia SPCA College of Animals Welfare, what her time with the College has been like and much more. If you are interested in a VA career, this episode is just for you. Or if you know someone who would love to know more, share it with them. For more info on the college, visit spcacollege.ca
Join us for an episode where we finally spill the secret. We have been bouncing on our heels trying to keep quiet about a change coming to the SPCA Veterinary Hospitals: rebrand. And what is the most exciting thing about a rebrand? The name and the logo. Dr. Mike Akerley has a chat with our host, Sarah Lyon, about the new name, the why behind this rebrand, and our services. Don’t forget to follow us on our social media channels – @novascotiaspca – to find out even more about this mews.
We are taking a little break, but we couldn’t leave you without an episode before coming back for Season 2. So, wherever you’re listening from, enjoy a few minutes of a kitten purring. We hope it will make your day better. And if you are interested in more details about the work we do at the Nova Scotia SPCA you can visit www.novascotiaspca.ca.
Join us for an exciting and informative episode about the dangers of leaving pets in hot cars, what to do if you see a pet in a hot car, and more. Nova Scotia SPCA’s own Deputy Chief Inspector Kevin Strooband sat with us and gave us all the deets about the do’s and don’ts on hot weather and pets. And after you listen to the episode, keep an eye out on our social media to see his experience in a hot car. Follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/novascotiaspca/.
Join us for an exciting episode where we chat all things raffle fundraising. Our guests from Rafflebox are spilling some secrets on the platform that makes raffle and prize fundraising possible – the how, what, and why behind the idea. If you are looking for more information on Rafflebox, visit rafflebox.ca. And if you want to support us in our weekly raffle, you can do so at www.spca5050.com
Join us for an episode filled with laughs, emotions, and some interesting insights into our PAW’dcast. Our own hosts, Sarah Lyon and Taylor Huestis, are, finally, telling us a little bit more about them and are spilling the secrets about how this PAW’dcast came to be. We also tried to settle a worldwide debate. Stay tuned until the end to see if we did. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and share. We’re trying to get to season 10!
Join us for an inspiring conversation about fundraising, donating, helping and more! Brenda Bell has been a supporter of the Nova Scotia SPCA for more than a decade. She has started fundraising projects for the organization, she volunteers, she donates, she does it all. She is paw-ssionate about pets and helping them as much as she can. This episode is for sure going to leave you inspired. If you are looking for more information about anything we touched on in this episode – volunteering or how to leave a legacy gift – you can visit www.novascotiaspca.ca