Episode #51
Top Dog Podcast with Christine Kim | Changing the Way We Think About Homelessness and Pets
What happens when people are forced to choose between a safe place to live and the animal they love? In this episode of Top Dog Podcast, we sit down with Christine Kim, Founder and Executive Director of My Dog Is My Home, a national nonprofit working to increase access to shelter and housing for people experiencing homelessness with pets. What began as a storytelling exhibition grew into a national organization focused on changing policies, practices, and perceptions around homelessness and the human-animal bond. Christine shares how listening to people with lived experience became the organization's North Star and how partnerships can help communities create more pet-inclusive services. In this conversation, we discuss: ✔ Why people experiencing homelessness should not have to choose between housing and their pets ✔ How storytelling can change hearts, minds, and policies ✔ Building pet-inclusive practices within homeless services ✔ The importance of centering people with lived experience ✔ Creating partnerships and sharing resources across organizations ✔ How research can help establish better pet-inclusive practices ✔ Leading with values, flexibility, and trust ✔ Building an organization designed to outlive its founder Christine's story is a powerful reminder that the human-animal bond doesn't disappear during a housing crisis. For many people, their pets are a source of stability, companionship, and support when they need it most. Learn more about tools supporting animal welfare organizations: https://doobert.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of animal welfare.
