Animal shelters and rescue groups face growing challenges

By Julie Philipp, Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published July 8, 2026 at 2:28 PM EDT

Four women wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman front left has long brown hair and is wearing a black polo shirt with green pants and white shoes; a woman front right has shoulder-length blonde hair and is wearing a blue shirt with tan pants and sandals; a woman back right has long brown hair and is wearing a white shirt; a woman back right is wearing her long blonde hair pulled back, eyeglasses and a purple t-shirt with white lettering. — (foreground) Jennifer Lilly, (background) Wendy Weisberg and Vicky Pape with guest host Julie Philipp on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, July 8, 2026

A woman with long blonde hair sits in front of a microphone in a radio talk studio and wears a light blue button-down shirt. — Julie Philipp

According to the founder of the Bissell Pet Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting animal welfare organizations, the nation’s animal shelters are in crisis.

The economy, the housing market and veterinary deserts are making it harder for people to keep or adopt pets, and shelters are understaffed and overwhelmed.

Guest host Julie Philipp and her guests will look at how this crisis is playing out locally. And we will examine some creative solutions designed to find loving homes for pets, including horses!

In studio:

Jennifer Lilly, co-founder and current president of Begin Again Horse Rescue in Lima, NY
Vicky Pape, director of animal placement at Lollypop Farm
Wendy Weisberg, founder of Second Hand Dog Rescue