Episode 68

full
Published on:

17th Aug 2024

Unleashing the Bond with guest Rustin Moore, DVM

Dr. Rustin Moore, Dean of The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine and author of the book "Unleashing the Bond: Harnessing the Benefits and Safeguarding the Risks of Human-Animal Interactions", joins us to discuss the importance of the human-animal bond and his upcoming book release. This book is for all audiences, and shares the science behind the bond as well as stories that highlight the important role animals have in our lives.

To pre-order, visit www.rustinmooredvm.com

Mentioned in this episode:

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Transcript
Speaker:

Dr. G: Hi and welcome to

the Animal Welfare Junction.

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This is your host Dr.

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G and our music is written

and produced by Mike Sullivan.

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Today we have a repeat guest, Dean

of the Ohio State University College

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of Veterinary Medicine and now author

of the upcoming book, Unleashing the

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Bond, Harnessing the Benefits, and

Safeguarding the Risks of Human Animal

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Interactions, Dean Rustin Moore.

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Thank you so much for being here.

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Welcome to the Junction.

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Rustin Moore: Well, thank you so much

and thank you for inviting me back on.

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I appreciate it.

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Dr. G: No, anytime.

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So for anybody that has not,

because you, you were in one

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of our actual first episodes.

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So for anybody that has not listened

to that, can you give a little bit of

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a background on your story and kind of

what drove you to where you are today?

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Rustin Moore: Sure.

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Um, my name is Rustin Moore.

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I grew up in West Virginia and, uh,

to veterinary school here in:

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at Ohio state and graduated in 1989.

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I did a one year internship at

the University of Georgia in

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large animal medicine and surgery.

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I came back here the following

year and did a four year combined

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equine surgery residency and PhD.

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I then went to Louisiana State University

School of Veterinary Medicine, was on

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faculty there for 12 years, and came

back here in:

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of clinical sciences and held a number

of roles since that time, including,

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I'm in my 10th year as the dean.

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So, what got me here, I guess, is, uh,

you know, like all of us, we started

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out, uh, at a very young age wanting

to be a veterinarian, and I guess I'm

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an example, like many people, of where

you can go in veterinary medicine, it's

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endless in terms of the different career

paths that you can take, and, um, so,

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that's where I am today, and on top of

my real job, I've been writing a book.

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Dr. G: And is this the first

book that you have written?

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Rustin Moore: It's the first book that

I have written and, and self publishing.

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I have written chapters in books and

I've written lots of scientific articles.

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And I've done some creative

writing and stuff like that.

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But this is the first book that I have

written and published will be publishing.

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Uh, and it's sort of one of those

hybrid publishing where, um, I'm using a

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company and, but I'm self publishing it.

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Dr. G: So, you know, the human

animal bond, I feel like there's been

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more and more about it, everything

from one health to the importance

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of human animal interactions to

co housing and all of that stuff.

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So what would you say was your

drive behind writing this book?

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Rustin Moore: Well, I had done a TED

talk back in:

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of a Pet, and it's out on YouTube.

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And so back in late fall, I got

an email from the founder of this

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company called Manuscripts, saying,

I saw your TED talk, and I think

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you should turn this into a book.

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And I said, well, thank you very much.

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I don't have time.

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Uh, and I'm really not

the one to write this.

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And then I got another email from the

same person and essentially he said,

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I said, well, thank you so much again.

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I don't have time, blah, blah, blah.

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And then he convinces me to get on a

video remote virtual call with him.

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And I came away from that

agreeing to write the book.

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And the rest is history,

as they would say.

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But I will say, once I committed

to it, I have found it one of

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the most energizing things that

I've done in a long, long time.

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Um, just learning about the

bond more, even more so than I

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knew, and the science behind it.

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And there's so much research being done,

uh, just coming out every day on it.

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And then, the interviews with people.

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I've interviewed probably

over 70 people thus far.

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Um, and still have a few more to

do because as I go into the editing

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process, uh, in the next, uh,

start, uh, next month, and then

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that's the revision editing piece.

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I can still change things

and add some stories.

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So that I have found.

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So.

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It's so interesting and so compelling.

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There's, there's certain things that

I hear that are repeated messages,

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sometimes said different ways.

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It just points to me that the

bond is universal, but yet

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it's very individualistic.

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Um, you know, between a person and

their dog versus some other person

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and their dog or a person, the

same person and their other dog.

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Uh, it's just really, really profound.

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Dr. G: So who would you say is

your target audience for this book?

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Rustin Moore: Well, that's.

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You're right, asking the right questions.

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This one.

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So when I started this process, I was

asked the same thing by the company

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and I said, well, actually, it's.

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It's everyone.

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You know, it's not a textbook.

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So it's not, you know, for veterinarians

or veterinary students or whatever.

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There's stuff in there that I

think veterinarians and veterinary

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students and veterinary techs and

tech students and the whole health

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care team would find interesting

and perhaps informative and helpful.

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But it's also for human health

care workers, social workers.

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It's for just people who are animal

advocates, animal lovers, animal owners.

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When we talk a little bit about the

content, you'll see that there's a lot

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of things in it for just about anyone.

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And I would say even if you don't

have a pet or have never had a pet,

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There's probably something in it

interesting for you, uh, as well

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as the stories that people tell.

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Dr. G: I think, I like that you say, you

know, even though it's not a textbook,

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it's something good for veterinarians and

technicians and all that stuff, because

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I think that there has been a disconnect,

you know, when I was growing up.

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The, the bond between pet owners

and veterinarians was really strong.

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And I feel like we have

lost some of that over time.

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And I don't know if it's technology,

if it's advancement, like what kind of

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things are happening, but I feel like

there's a little bit of a disconnect

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between veterinarians and pet owners.

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And some of that could be just a lack of

truly, really understanding the importance

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of that human animal bond, right?

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Not seeing it as just.

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A person and their dog seeing

it as this human bringing in a

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member of their family for care.

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Rustin Moore: Yeah, no, I agree.

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And actually I was just talking

yesterday to one of our, um, associate

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deans, because I know I was doing

an interview, uh, over the weekend

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and someone asked me a question and

I said, I don't remember ever being

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taught anything about the human animal

bond ever, uh, in school or otherwise.

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So I asked her, I said, what's in our

curriculum around the human animal bond?

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And, you know, we don't

have much of anything.

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And so I imagine we will.

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But I think you might be right that,

you know, back, you know, 10, 20, 30

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years ago or longer, yes, there was,

there were bonds, but I don't think

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they were as intense as they are today.

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Um, and I don't know that back then that I

ever felt like a pet was a family member,

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which I certainly feel that today and as

do 95 percent of people who have a pet.

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So I think you're right that some of that

could be a lack of awareness, uh, about

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how the bond appears with given people.

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And it's not the same with everybody.

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Um,

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Dr. G: yeah, because we have talked

about and I believe that we touched

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on this before the that whole idea

mentality of if you cannot afford

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an animal, you should not have that.

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And that disregards that

human animal bond, right?

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Like this, that disregards the

importance of that, of that animal

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to that person and that person

to that animal because the animal

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doesn't care that the person doesn't

have money or, you know, even, even

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individuals experiencing homelessness.

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That, that dog still is bonded to them

and them to, you know, to that dog.

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Rustin Moore: Yeah, no, I agree

with, uh, completely with that.

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And, um, you know, and there's parts

of that in this book actually about

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the bond, whether it's with, uh, the

bond with, uh, those who are homeless

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or the bond with, um, with prisoners.

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I, or, or those who are incarcerated.

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I visited two, uh, prisons here in

Ohio and interviewed incarcerated

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men who are part of their family.

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Dog programs and their wildlife

rehabilitation programs and, you know,

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the bond is profound and universal,

regardless of people's background,

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their age, their mental capacity.

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Um, it's, it's just.

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This really, really, um, has,

has solidified that in my mind,

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even more so than, than before.

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Dr. G: So for individuals that

do not truly understand what

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the human animal bond is, how

would you explain that to them?

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Rustin Moore: Well, so the, to me,

the, the human animal bond and,

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and, you know, people refer to it

the bond, they refer to it as the,

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uh, connection or the interaction.

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It's, it's basically, I mean, not that

indifferent from say the bond that you

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may have with a family member or a child.

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Uh, so really.

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It's it's yes, there are emotions

associated with it, but there's

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also science associated with it.

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More and more data is coming out.

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So, for example, there's tremendous

positive benefits on people's health,

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physically, socially, behaviorally,

emotionally, mentally, psychologically.

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By interacting with a pet that doesn't

even, that doesn't even mean you have to

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own the pet, but just interaction with it.

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So things like just

petting it or stroking it.

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Uh, we in your body or our bodies,

we release chemicals, biochemicals,

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neurotransmitters like oxytocin

or dopamine, which are feel good

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or uplifting type of hormones.

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Um, and also our cortisol levels or,

uh, or stress hormone goes down, uh,

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heart rate goes down, blood pressure

comes down, uh, and there's so many

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other medical, um, benefits from it.

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But it's that, it's sort of an

emotional yet biochemical reaction,

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uh, in between us and the animal.

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And actually it's been shown

that some of these same, uh,

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things happen in the animal.

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Their oxytocin levels go up, their stress

levels go down, their heart rates start

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coming down, you know, and almost in

synchronous with, with, with the person.

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So, I don't know if that, you know, I

sort of talk about this in the beginning

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of the book, because a lot of times

people, I think, think of this as

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an emotional feel good relationship.

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And it is, but there's

so much more than that.

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And we even know that some people grieve

more when their animal passes than if a

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human family member passes, um, and and

I think 1 of the really important things.

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I mean, there's a lot of important things,

but trying to normalize the, the, the bond

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and that it's okay to grieve and it's okay

to celebrate, you know, a celebration of

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life or a memorial service or whatever.

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You know, I think.

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Years ago, people, if they, if they even

were willing to talk about it, they, you

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know, that about what they're, they're

going through as they lost an animal.

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A lot of people say, well, what's that?

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This is a dog.

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You know, what's the big deal?

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Well, trying to get the word out

that, no, it's not just a dog.

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You know, it's, it's, it's

like losing a family member.

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Dr. G: Yeah, one of the things, in one

of my animal law classes, they were

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discussing the topic, and I don't know if

it's in your book, but about court dogs.

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About how some places are using dogs

to, especially with children, that have

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to endure really difficult situations,

And they have found that these dogs

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make the child be at ease and be

able to testify their information.

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You know, we're talking about

really difficult cases, children

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that have been abused, assaulted.

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And, and these dogs just provide that

comfort to help them get through that.

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Rustin Moore: Yeah, absolutely.

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I cover that.

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There's a whole section on, it's sort of,

I'll say working dog, but that includes

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a lot of things, including emotional

support, therapy dogs, service dogs.

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But yes, there are a lot of places

have what are called facility dogs.

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Um, and so that could be in the courtroom,

that could be in a jail, that could be

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in, uh, a school, that could be in a

nursing home, um, for those very reasons,

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but, uh, yeah, and it just provides

a level of calmness, and it also, I

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think, provides a level of confidence.

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For particularly in in

vulnerable people like Children,

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Dr. G: one of my special

interests with animal animal

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cruelty and neglect is hoarders.

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Right.

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And I think that that's kind of

animal human animal bond gone too far.

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And I think that it is important

to understand the human animal bond

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when dealing with these individuals,

especially when you know they're not

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doing it maliciously they're doing it

because they can't help themselves.

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So is this one of the things

that we need to evaluate as far

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as protecting the animals from

humans and humans from animals.

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Rustin Moore: Yeah, I call

it the dark side of the bond.

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Uh, and I would say most of the, the,

the, the outcomes of the bond are

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very, very positive, but hoarding, uh,

domestic violence, child abuse, um,

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and even, you know, I was interviewing

a couple of people about dog fighting.

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And there is, you know, there's a

bond there between them and that dog.

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Now, it differs clearly from a pet, but

that to me is a bond that's gone too far.

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Way too far.

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You know, but even, we know that, you

know, and we know, and this isn't the

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dark side of the bond, but the bond

can sometimes be so strong that people

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will not do what's best for them,

they'll do what's best for the pet.

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And that's not a bad thing,

but it, you know, it could go

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too far in some situations.

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Dr. G: Yeah, I guess with that we're

talking about, you know, with like

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the homeless and people with lack

of funds that they will feed the dog

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before they will feed themselves.

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Right.

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And it's kind of you got to

take care of yourself so you

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can take care of your family.

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You know, it makes you think of the whole

put your mask, oxygen mask first and

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then put the mask on on everybody else.

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Rustin Moore: Yes.

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Dr. G: So of the I know that

you did a lot of interviews.

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Is there one particular interview

that really touched you as you were

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in your journey to write this book?

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Rustin Moore: Well, I would say every

interview I've had has touched me, moved

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me, and I would say in every interview,

at some point during the interview, I got

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chill bumps, and I'm not making that up.

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It's true.

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But one that comes to mind, because

I would have never, ever expected

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this, So I, the second prison

that I visited was, um, the, the

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Madison, uh, County or the Madison

Correctional Institute in London, Ohio.

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And one of the things I was, I

was at this particular facility.

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They gave me a little office to use and

they would bring, uh, both individually,

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either incarcerated men or sometimes

the staff members in for me to interview

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about this, these programs, the dog

programs, the wildlife programs.

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So, about the 4th person that came in,

came through the door, um, you know,

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probably, well, I know he's probably mid

forties, dark hair, thin, scruffy beard,

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and he had this huge smile on his face.

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And as soon as he came through the door,

he said, when I heard you were coming

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here, I was so hoping I could meet you.

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And I thought, hmm, how do I know you?

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Or, you know, I mean, I was just like,

you know, and I said, well, why is that?

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And he said, my daughter graduated

from your college a few years ago.

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And I said, Really?

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And I said, Who's that?

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And he told me the name.

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And I said, Oh, I know her.

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She's great.

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I said, She's from West

Virginia, where I'm from.

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And he's so what I learned from

that, not only about, I mean, the

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interview was incredible about the

bond and what this program meant

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to him and how it's changed him.

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But he grew up 20 miles

from where I grew up.

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Our high schools were rival high schools.

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Now he was nine years behind me.

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So nine years younger.

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Um, and so when I, when I left,

I actually, this person is a.

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As a Facebook friend, and so

I sent a private message and

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said, I just met your father.

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What an incredible interview and, um,

and so then after I wrote the story,

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I asked her if she would like to read

it and she said, yes, so I emailed

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it to her and then she, I don't know,

several days later, got back to me on

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Facebook and with a message and said,

Something about, oh, it, you know,

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it took me a while to get through it.

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It was so tear, tear jerking or

something like that in a positive way.

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And she then said, could I share

that with my grandmother, which

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would be her father's mother?

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And I said, absolutely go ahead.

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And so that's just shows

how small this world is.

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Um, and that was something

that was pretty moving to me.

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Dr. G: That, that's,

that is a great story.

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It, it actually gave me

chills listening to it.

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Um, so let's talk about the book

sections on your, on your book.

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Um, so I see that there's, as of this

time, there's six different sections.

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So the, let's go over the first section.

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It looks like it's more on like

history of the human animal bond.

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Rustin Moore: Yeah, it's, it's, it's the

history of domestication and how that

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has evolved, uh, there's a chapter on

pet humanization on, on consumer spending

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on, on pets and how much that is and on

what types of things about how society

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is really, you know, Demanding more,

more services, but also to demanding

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that there are more pet inclusive

facilities and pet inclusive amenities.

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So that's what that section is about.

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Dr. G: And then the second one is

about the science behind the bond.

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Rustin Moore: Yeah.

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So that, that starts the first chapter

in that section starts with the science

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and that goes to the research that's

been done and sort of the biochemical

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and, you know, other types of changes

that occur in one's body and how and

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why people benefit from it health

wise, physically, emotionally, etc.

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And, and then there are, you

know, there are a number of, um,

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chapters in there after that,

that sort of go into specifics.

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For example, it's been shown that dogs,

or probably other animals, can benefit

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children with autism, uh, uh, elders,

or people with Alzheimer's or dementia,

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and people with post traumatic stress

disorder or syndrome, as an example.

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There's many others.

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Um, as well as ones that

are on more physical.

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Uh, things like, you know, weight control,

uh, decreased risk of heart disease.

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Um, there's studies that have shown

that you have about a 40 percent

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greater chance of living and surviving

a heart attack if you have a cat.

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Um, which, you know, to me was a

bit surprising that a cat versus a

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dog, but, um, you know, so that's

what that, that section is about.

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Dr. G: So is it, you know, we know

about emotional support animals.

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Do you see, uh, like a health support

animal thing evolving at some point?

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Rustin Moore: I do.

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And actually, that was part of my message

on my TED Talk back in:

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why I think one of the audiences for

this book are healthcare workers, human

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healthcare workers, and social workers.

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Um, imagine, um, well,

let's talk about prevention.

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Let's say somebody is overweight

and they tell, you know, the doctor

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says, you know, you need to exercise.

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Well, you know, like the

compliance level of that.

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Long term is not high, but if you

prescribe them a dog and the dog

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needs to be walked or they're in a

household and they smoke and their

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cat is having problems because of

that, you need to quit smoking.

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They'll do it for the cat.

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They won't do it for themselves.

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So I think there, there are

certainly behavioral changes that

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people can make that a pet can

help them make and stick to it.

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Um, And then there are other, uh,

situations, like, for example, and,

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and this, I think anytime you go into a

healthcare facility, everybody's going

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to have some level of stress, of, you

know, even if it's a wellness check,

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like, what are they going to find today?

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And so, imagine somebody going in

to the ER, and they're there by

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themselves, they, you know, they

may, may be single, they may not have

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family, And I've never once in my

life when I go into a medical facility

347

:

ever been asked, do you have a pet?

348

:

Ever.

349

:

Imagine if they ask, do you have a pet?

350

:

And the person says, yes, um,

it's a dog and, uh, well, is

351

:

someone taking care of it?

352

:

Well, no, I, you know,

this was an emergency.

353

:

Okay, well, how can we help you?

354

:

That would be one.

355

:

The other one is someone

is, is in the hospital.

356

:

They had a total hip replacement.

357

:

They had a quintuple bypass.

358

:

Yes.

359

:

They had whatever and they're

going home and do you have a pet?

360

:

Yes, I have a dog.

361

:

I have a, what is it?

362

:

It's a six month old German shepherd.

363

:

Oh, well, how does it exercise?

364

:

Well, I walk it.

365

:

Well, who's going to walk it because

you're not going to be walking a six

366

:

month old dog right after you go home.

367

:

And more importantly, I think

someone transitioning into

368

:

palliative or hospice care.

369

:

Do you have a pet?

370

:

Yes, I have two dogs.

371

:

Do you have a plan for your dogs?

372

:

After you, you know, know, well,

would you like us to help you find

373

:

a loving home so that you don't

have to, to worry about that.

374

:

Those are just some of the things that

I think should be everyday conversations

375

:

Dr. G: that that's actually

interesting is are my last episode.

376

:

It was about stories from

individuals that have experienced

377

:

homelessness for different reasons.

378

:

And some of them were because they, uh,

one gentleman that shared his story,

379

:

he had to go into the hospital to

have, um, surgery, surgical procedures.

380

:

And his primary concern was who's

going to take care of my dogs.

381

:

And this great organization down

in Cincinnati took care of his dog.

382

:

So then he was able to go

383

:

into the hospital knowing that

the animals were taken care of.

384

:

Another individual shared that

she had suicidal ideations and her

385

:

animals, her cats were the ones

keeping her from ending her life.

386

:

Knowing that if something

happens to me, who's going to

387

:

take care of these cats, right?

388

:

So just like that's psychological support.

389

:

Rustin Moore: And that just, that's

another example of how strong and

390

:

enduring the bond is, regardless of

someone's background, socioeconomic

391

:

status, mental capacity, etc.

392

:

Dr. G: So this brings us then to

the third section, which is the

393

:

stories of the enduring bonds.

394

:

Rustin Moore: There's stories

throughout every chapter.

395

:

Uh, but in, in, in some of

these, there's more, you know,

396

:

it gets in more depth of stories.

397

:

So there's stories of, for example,

uh, and most of these are true,

398

:

they're all true, but they're

authentic stories, meaning I, they

399

:

aren't repurposed off the internet.

400

:

Um, so I've tried to get new

stories through these interviews,

401

:

but there's a, there's a chapter

on sort of called enduring bonds.

402

:

Um, and so, you know, there's, you know,

when a dog is rehomed, you know, 20 miles

403

:

away and it ends up at the back door.

404

:

Uh, or cats or other animals

that find their way home after,

405

:

you know, really long distances.

406

:

And I'm not talking about

with a microchip that somebody

407

:

connects you, but on their own.

408

:

And that's fascinating to me

and the science behind it and

409

:

how they, they navigate that.

410

:

You know, part of it is

nose, you know, smell.

411

:

Part of it, though, is just sort of this

Uh, I don't know, geospatial awareness.

412

:

Um, and then some of it is

landmarks in terms of vis vision.

413

:

And so it, it's really interesting.

414

:

And, and so that's, that's just some

of the stories that are in there.

415

:

Uh, some of them very, very moving.

416

:

Well, they're all moving, but

some of 'em are really profound

417

:

Dr. G: So then the next one is,

as you were talking, you had a

418

:

section on the working dogs and

their handlers and therapy animals.

419

:

Um, so what are, what are some of

the, what are some of these jobs

420

:

that dogs have that have an impact

on the humans that they help?

421

:

Rustin Moore: Sure.

422

:

Well, so I'll give you a few examples.

423

:

One, um, um, human remain

search and rescue dogs.

424

:

So those dogs are trained to detect.

425

:

The scent of human remains.

426

:

So this is not a living person.

427

:

This is, uh, and there is a similar

same, um, um, smells that are

428

:

gases.

429

:

That come off of decomposing human flesh.

430

:

And so when these dogs are trained, and

you go out to look for some, for the

431

:

remains of someone, they'll run right by

a decomposing rabbit, or a decomposing

432

:

deer, or a decomposing anything.

433

:

And they can smell these, these,

um, these, um, remains, whether

434

:

they're buried underground, they're

submerged completely in water.

435

:

I have a classmate in vet school, Dr.

436

:

Kim Stewart, that is, I

highlight in this book.

437

:

Um, she has a dog, Seamus,

who is, um, eight years old

438

:

at the time I interviewed her.

439

:

And he had identified, found

the remains of ten people.

440

:

First time when he was just

under two years of age.

441

:

Two of those ten people, People or

those remains were completely buried

442

:

underground, two were completely submerged

underwater, and the other ones were

443

:

in a variety of different locations.

444

:

Another would be service dogs.

445

:

So, I interviewed a lady who has had a,

has had a service dog since she was, um,

446

:

in high school or, uh, in high school.

447

:

Uh, she, uh, had developed

muscular dystrophy.

448

:

She's had four dogs,

um, and, It's the dogs.

449

:

I mean, she's in a wheelchair and has

been since back in high school, but that's

450

:

what gave her the confidence to go on.

451

:

She became a school teacher.

452

:

She teaches.

453

:

She's married, but I got to interview

her about her four dogs, but I also

454

:

got to interview the puppy raiser

of one of them and the trainer.

455

:

So I had this triad.

456

:

Of the bond between Ezra and Sharon,

Ezra and Beth, Ezra and, um, the

457

:

trainer, uh, Adrena, and then the

bonds that they had with each other.

458

:

So it's really fascinating.

459

:

And so, you know, there are every,

uh, I could go on and on about these

460

:

different uses of dogs, uh, and

these dogs in love what they do,

461

:

and they, they have drive for it.

462

:

Um, so.

463

:

The bond between the handler and

the dog is profound and in most

464

:

of the things it's teamwork.

465

:

Dr. G: Yeah, when, when we were

discussing actually one of my animal

466

:

law classes we were discussing as far

as the working animals and how some

467

:

people feel that the animals are being

used and abused by their handlers.

468

:

And in my personal experience, especially

with like working dogs for police

469

:

dogs, these dogs love their job, right?

470

:

Like these are not dogs that are

picked up and made to do this.

471

:

These are dogs that are picked because

they have certain personalities

472

:

that make them want to do it.

473

:

You know, we talk about people that, that

purchase or adopt certain breeds and then

474

:

they can't deal with them in their house

because the dog is tearing the place

475

:

up or running or hurting or whatever.

476

:

And it's because these dogs have

that drive to do that, right?

477

:

So it makes them happy Yeah,

478

:

Rustin Moore: I interviewed a

guy, Joel, who has been an animal

479

:

trainer for over 30 years with a

variety of different shows, and he

480

:

adopted over 3, 000 animals from shelters.

481

:

And these are the dogs and cats and other

that nobody else wanted because they

482

:

either had too much drive and he told

me a story once about one of the shows

483

:

he needed a cat that would climb a rope.

484

:

And so he went to the shelter and there

was a little card on the front of the cage

485

:

that said the reason it was relinquished

because it climbs curtains constantly.

486

:

And so he asked if he could call the

former owner to talk to the person,

487

:

and he did, and he, she said, yeah,

we had to get, we just couldn't keep

488

:

the cat, I mean, we tried everything,

we squirted it with a squirt water

489

:

gun or a squirt bottle, and he said,

perfect, that's the cat I want.

490

:

Uh, and that cat went on and, and

those animals, a lot of people think

491

:

that those animals that are in those

shows are abused, those animals have

492

:

such a tight bond with the handlers.

493

:

They, they spend hours

a day with the handler.

494

:

How many people, unless you're

retired, how many of us that work

495

:

spend that kind of time with our pets?

496

:

And, uh, when those animals are retired,

they, they adopt them themselves.

497

:

Um, and sometimes when he

told me stories, they would.

498

:

They would retire a dog from some of

these things, and the dog would be

499

:

adopted and go with the, you know, the

trainer, and the dog would go into this,

500

:

like, I'll say depression, just moping

around, not eating, and one time they

501

:

brought it back, uh, and just started

back in one show a day, and the dog

502

:

was completely, you know, so, that

tells me that, you know, and that's

503

:

just one example, but it tells me that

those animals have a pretty good life.

504

:

Dr. G: Yeah, we got to think that

animals as sentient beings, there's

505

:

not that much difference from us as far

as we have drives to do things, right?

506

:

Like we became veterinarians.

507

:

That's our drive.

508

:

There are other people that are

in math and science and whatever.

509

:

So animals have those drives themselves.

510

:

So it takes a little bit of

time to understand what their

511

:

needs are so that then we can

better help them be themselves.

512

:

So the, the next section looks like it's

about strategies to safeguard the health

513

:

and well being of both animals and people.

514

:

Rustin Moore: Yeah, so the way that

there's, uh, there's a number of

515

:

things there, but I'll just say

one of the chapters is on how to

516

:

safeguard your pet and therefore

the bond inside the house and yard.

517

:

So that's around poisons, that's

around, you know, electric cords

518

:

that you could chew on, that's,

that's about, uh, poisonous plants

519

:

in the yard, that's about, uh, And

I have stories of all this stuff.

520

:

There's a, there's one, um, where my

neighbor, my former neighbor, their

521

:

dog was out, a little white dog, little

miniature poodle was out one night.

522

:

And she heard, uh, went out to use the

bathroom and she heard it, you know,

523

:

yelp and went out there and assuming we

think it was an owl because it had these

524

:

scratch marks right up its both sides.

525

:

Um, I had my two dogs when I,

before I got the third one.

526

:

Uh, one time a doe was in the other, in

the neighbor's yard and I saw the doe

527

:

coming toward them and I went down and,

you know, called them to me because I,

528

:

you know, she was coming toward the yard

and, and then they took back toward her

529

:

and she came in and she took both front

feet and smacked one of them four times,

530

:

twice each and, you know, he ran back to

the house, the house, yelping and, you

531

:

know, she could have really injured him.

532

:

Uh, and then that was a Saturday

evening, and I came home about a

533

:

Wednesday afternoon and just let him

out without looking, and that darn

534

:

deer was out there again, and the

other one, she got the same treatment.

535

:

So, it's, it's about, um,

raising awareness about how to

536

:

keep and safeguard your pet.

537

:

The one that's outside the home, that's

everything from, you know, not leaving

538

:

your pet in a car, um, and I have a story

that's just heartbreaking about that.

539

:

Um, you know, things that, uh,

animals could, like, if you're out

540

:

in the water, they, you know, in

terms of lepto or algal bloom or,

541

:

um, you know, all sorts of things.

542

:

So that's a lot of what that

chapter, or that section's about.

543

:

Dr. G: Which would be extremely important

for pet owners, because, I mean, so

544

:

many, so many injuries and accidents are

preventable, and it's just because of lack

545

:

of knowledge or lack of education on it.

546

:

Rustin Moore: Yeah, and, you know, stuff

like fireworks and other stuff, it's,

547

:

you know, Um, I won't, I can't, I'm not

going to say that it's all inclusive

548

:

of every possible thing because that

would be impossible, but it touches

549

:

on, you know, many of it, you know,

chocolate, xylitol, uh, things like that.

550

:

Dr. G: And the last section, section

six is your overview and conclusions.

551

:

So what would you say is your

overall take on all the information

552

:

that, that you learn and all

these stories that you heard?

553

:

Rustin Moore: Well, one of the questions,

well, I ask most every person I

554

:

interview the following five questions.

555

:

Before the reader reads the book,

as they pick it up, what message

556

:

are you hoping to send to them?

557

:

Number two, what emotions do

you hope to evoke in the reader?

558

:

Number three, what call to action do

you hope to inspire in the reader?

559

:

Number four, when they've read

the book and completed it and gone

560

:

on about their daily busy life, a

year later, what do you want them

561

:

to take away and remember from it?

562

:

And number five is, for someone

who's never had a pet, never had a

563

:

working dog, never had a whatever,

I'm interviewing them about, what

564

:

would you tell them they're missing?

565

:

So, you can imagine what those various

things are, but a lot of it's about,

566

:

you know, calls to action is understand

the responsibility of owning a pet.

567

:

Uh, if you don't know this, um,

you know, there are many mutual

568

:

benefits back and forth between the

pet or the animal and the person.

569

:

So, yes, you're benefiting, but

the animal is too, or the animal's

570

:

benefiting and you are too.

571

:

Uh, you know, some calls to

action may be that we need more.

572

:

Public housing that is pet friendly,

uh, or that we need more affordable

573

:

veterinary care, or we need to do

X, Y, and Z to maintain, I say to

574

:

protect, preserve, and promote the bond.

575

:

Um, and so there's a variety of things.

576

:

It could be.

577

:

Um, things that are

about law or regulations.

578

:

It could be just about behavior change.

579

:

It could be about, um, you know,

there, there are a lot of positive

580

:

benefits of children interacting

with animals, cognitive development,

581

:

social skill development, et cetera,

but there's also responsibility

582

:

and there's, you know, done right.

583

:

You can teach them responsibility,

follow through, et cetera.

584

:

Dr. G: So how can our listeners get

their hands on a copy of the book?

585

:

I guess, when, when does the book,

when is it scheduled to come out?

586

:

Rustin Moore: The book is scheduled

to come out sometime in, in the

587

:

first part, first half or first

quarter of:

588

:

The book essentially has been written,

it just needs, I've submitted it to the

589

:

editors, and so the next 3 or 4 months

I will be working with the revisions

590

:

editor to tighten it up, and then it

will go to copyright, or copy editing.

591

:

So right now, people can, between July

31st and September 2nd, people can pre

592

:

order, or sponsor or support the book in a

variety of ways, which are on the website.

593

:

Um, and by doing that, there's a multitude

of perks that other people won't get.

594

:

And that's everything from, um, when you

receive your book or books in the mail,

595

:

they will already have been signed by me.

596

:

Um, there will, there are tickets, uh, to,

there will be an in person launch party.

597

:

Uh, and there will be a virtual launch

party and, uh, I don't know that all

598

:

the details around that yet, but that's

what will be, um, for some of them.

599

:

Um, also, uh, well, anybody who pre

orders a book or does any of those other

600

:

types of sponsorships, uh, will get

an invite to join my, what's called my

601

:

author community, which will be like

a blog and they'll get regular updates

602

:

on the progress of the book excerpts

from the book, they'll be asked

603

:

their opinion about certain things,

including the cover of the book.

604

:

The current cover is not, it's

not what it will look like.

605

:

It's actually just a mock cover.

606

:

Uh, so there will be, uh, I

will be working with someone

607

:

in design to design it.

608

:

But, you know, I will be asking my author

community for, for their ideas and input.

609

:

And there's a whole lot of other things.

610

:

Uh, so, you know, if you want to be

part of that, you can do so by going

611

:

to the website by September the 2nd

and doing whatever, whichever of the

612

:

options that you want to choose from.

613

:

Dr. G: Excellent.

614

:

And we will be sharing the website for

anybody that's listening so that they can

615

:

go in now after, after that deadline of

September 2nd, can people still, uh, like,

616

:

can they get in a wait list or something

like that, or can they still pre order?

617

:

Rustin Moore: I'm trying to figure

that out because the website that,

618

:

where this sits is with the company.

619

:

I also have my own personal site that

has the same information, but I don't

620

:

know how that's going to happen.

621

:

The reason for the pre ordering and

the support is I have to demonstrate to

622

:

the company that I have enough support

to actually continue with the book.

623

:

And I've gotten really good

support so far, so I'm very happy.

624

:

Um, and, um, but certainly there

will be ways to get the book,

625

:

certainly once it's published.

626

:

I don't know about, I'll have to figure

out with the company and also what I

627

:

could do if people missed the, the, uh,

September 2nd deadline for preordering.

628

:

Dr. G: So anybody listening hit

that, hit that website right now.

629

:

I saw that because the time

is, time is running out.

630

:

Um, and, and I saw that you're

asking people when they share the,

631

:

the information or anything to use

the hashtag #UnleashingTheBond.

632

:

Is that right?

633

:

Rustin Moore: Yes, unleashing the bond.

634

:

Um, share wide, far and wide with people.

635

:

Um, absolutely.

636

:

And the people that I interview, as

you've probably seen on social media,

637

:

is I'm trying to highlight each of them

throughout this, you know, between now

638

:

and when the book launch or the book

is published, um, telling just a little

639

:

bit of their story, but thanking them

and showing pictures of them and their

640

:

various pets as a way to say thank you

for your time and sharing so openly.

641

:

Very moving stories.

642

:

Dr. G: Well, I want to congratulate

you and thank you for doing this,

643

:

because I think that it is very

necessary, very needed, very important.

644

:

Um, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

645

:

I will be one of those pre signs.

646

:

And, uh, and yeah, thank

you so much for being here.

647

:

Rustin Moore: Well, thank you for

inviting me, but more importantly, thank

648

:

you for all you do, both with your,

your animal welfare connection, but

649

:

also, uh, is it connection or junction?

650

:

Dr. G: Junction.

651

:

Rustin Moore: Junction.

652

:

Yeah.

653

:

Uh, either way.

654

:

Um, and all you do in the community.

655

:

I mean, whether it's mentoring our

veterinary students or, you know,

656

:

providing care for the vulnerable

populations of people and animals

657

:

to, uh, you're amazing in all you do.

658

:

So thank you for that.

659

:

Dr. G: Well, thank you

so much for saying that.

660

:

It means a lot coming from you.

661

:

So for everybody that's listening,

Unleashing THE Bond, check it

662

:

out, pre-sign, read it, get it.

663

:

And, uh, thank, as always, thank you

for listening and thank you for caring.

664

:

Rustin Moore: Wonderful.

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About the Podcast

The Animal Welfare Junction
Veterinary Forensics
The Animal Welfare Junction is a podcast developed to bring awareness to different topics in animal welfare. The host, Michelle Gonzalez (Dr. G) is a veterinarian who provides affordable veterinary care in the State of Ohio, and also a Forensic Veterinarian helping with the investigation and prosecution of cases of animal cruelty and neglect.
The topics presented are based on the experiences of Dr. G and our guests and include discussions about real cases, humane projects, and legal issues that affect animals and the community. Due to the nature of the discussion, listener discretion is advised as some topics may be too strong for some listeners.

About your host

Profile picture for Alba Gonzalez

Alba Gonzalez

Michelle González (DrG) was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her passion growing up was to become a veterinarian. She obtained a B.S. in Zoology at Michigan State University and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University, followed by a 1-yr Internship in Medicine, Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In 2006 she founded the Rascal Unit, a mobile clinic offering accesible and affordable sterilization, and wellness services throughout the State of Ohio.
Dr. G is involved in many aspects of companion veterinary medicine including education, shelter assistance and help to animals that are victims of cruelty and neglect.
DrG completed a Master’s degree in Veterinary Forensics from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Forensic Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University. She is currently enrolled at the University of Florida Forensic Science program. She assists Humane organizations and animal control officers in the investigation, evaluation, and prosecution of cases of animal cruelty and neglect.