In 2025, roughly 600,000 animals (including 320,000 dogs) died in America's shelters — many of them alone, scared, in their kennels. PJ and Christine of The Little Red Dog dig into why so many good, adoptable dogs get overlooked: breed mislabeling, the pit bull myths that follow certain dogs, and how the shelter environment itself can turn a happy dog into a so-called "behavior case." A hard but hopeful conversation about dog rescue, adoption, fostering, and why the problem is almost always human error — not the dog.

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Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/
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This week on For the Love of Dog, PJ and Christine share must-know Fourth of July safety tips to keep your dog from becoming part of the July 5th shelter surge — from microchips and safe spaces to keeping gates closed during the fireworks. They also dig into the disturbing Miranda's Rescue case, where dogs were found shot and buried, and ask how transfers and adoptions go unchecked. Plus an uplifting finish: Bear, the Australian koala-detection dog who saved 100 koalas and just retired with an award.

Support the show

Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/
Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog
Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog

PJ and Christine sit down with adopter Jill Stanton, who almost never found Zahara — a dog pulled off the kill list at one of California's deadliest shelters and now, in Jill's words, “heaven on earth.” Jill shares how she discovered foster-based rescue (the middle ground between a shelter and a breeder that most people don't know exists), why staying open-minded landed her the perfect family dog, and how The Little Red Dog's 30-day protocol made a seamless second-dog adoption. Plus a Feel Good Friday moment with Osito, the bike-riding rescue pup charming the World Cup in Mexico City. A warm reminder of why foster rescue and adoption change lives — for dogs and people both.

Support the show

Donate, adopt, or foster at https://thelittlereddog.org/
Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlereddog
Follow on YouTube to see our virtual adoption events https://www.youtube.com/@TheLittleRedDog