Co-Authors Lynn Dix and Ruth McKaney-Danner join Peggy to discuss their book "Longing for Love" and share how they got their inspiration from real life rescue stories.

This was an episode of Peggy Hoyt's podcast "All My Children Wear Fur Coats" featuring authors Lynn Dix and Ruth McKaney-Danner, who discussed their book "Longing for Love" about rescue animals. The authors shared personal rescue stories, including Lynn's dog Sugar (a pit bull) and Ruth's cat Fifi, and discussed how they approached writing the book with animals telling their own stories in first person. They explained that all stories were based on real rescue situations, though the animals' perspectives were fictionalized. The conversation covered themes of animal gratitude, emotions, and life lessons, as well as theological discussions about whether animals go to heaven. Peggy shared her own rescue experiences and discussed her "All Horses Go to Heaven" initiative to create a sanctuary for horses whose owners can no longer care for them. The authors encouraged listeners to consider rescue adoption and offered their website http://danner-dix.com for readers to share their own rescue stories.

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Peggy interviews Amy Hurst, Partner at Birds in the Dog House and the founder of the PRISM Bird Program. This podcast focused on Amy's work with birds in therapy and the origin of the Prism Bird Program.

Amy shared how hand-feeding baby parrots during her chemotherapy provided her with physical and emotional support, which inspired her to explore how birds could help others. She described her experience with Pogo, a Quaker parrot born without feet, who formed a unique connection with a young girl with autism. Amy explained that she pursued certifications in animal-assisted therapy and intervention, eventually creating her own research on juvenile Quaker parrots and autism. She told the story of Boo, a 42-year-old cockatoo who was blind for ten years and later regained his sight through a surgery at NC State. Boo became a certified complex therapy bird and has worked with neurodivergent children, senior citizens, and people in drug and alcohol rehab. Amy also discussed the Prism Bird Program, which places birds in special needs households to help children with transitions and emotional regulation. She described the program's success with a boy named Adam and explained that the program has expanded to address PTSD, anxiety, depression, and grief. Amy detailed the history of Birds in the Doghouse, her partnership with Nathaniel, and the organization's various initiatives, including education, community outreach, and bird location services. She emphasized the importance of long-term care and estate planning for birds due to their long lifespans. Finally, Amy announced that Birds in the Doghouse is becoming a nonprofit and plans to expand its services to include other types of therapy animals.

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Peggy interviews Cynthia Chomos, founder of Catio Spaces. They discuss the benefits of Catios as well as Catio safety and construction.

Peggy Hoyt hosted a special episode of "All My Children Wear Fur Coats" featuring Cynthia Chomos, founder of Catio Spaces, to discuss outdoor cat enclosures called catios. Cynthia explained that catios provide safe outdoor access for cats while protecting them from dangers like vehicles, predators, and toxins, and can help reduce veterinary bills. She outlined three options for catios: pre-built kits, custom builds, and DIY plans, emphasizing the importance of proper location selection, level foundations, and escape-proof design. Cynthia shared her personal inspiration for creating catios after adopting a cat and witnessing the positive impact of outdoor access on feline well-being. The discussion covered important considerations including wire selection (avoiding chicken wire in favor of 14-16 gauge welded grid), proper roofing with polycarbonate materials, and the inclusion of bird feeders to provide enrichment while protecting wildlife. Peggy noted that catios should not be used for forcing cats to live outside 24/7 and encouraged responsible pet ownership.

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