In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast, Daniel Ettinger and Ashley Bishop sit down with Sam Amalsadwala, a Montreal-based dog behavior expert whose path into animal behavior is anything but traditional.

Originally from India and trained as a chef, Sam shares how a career transition — and a deep curiosity about dogs — led him to build a unique approach to canine behavior grounded in observation, relationship-building, and real-world socialization. Drawing from his cultural background, including the role dogs play within Zoroastrian traditions, Sam offers a perspective on human–animal relationships that challenges many Western assumptions about dog ownership and training.

Sam discusses his now well-known work walking large groups of dogs — sometimes up to 35 at a time — off-leash in a private forest environment, and how that experience shaped his philosophy that early socialization and environmental exposure often matter more than traditional obedience training.

The conversation explores:

• Cultural differences in how societies view and live with dogs

• The evolution from training-focused models to relationship-based behavior work

• The realities and ethics of off-leash freedom

• Understanding both human and canine behavior

• The difficult conversations around behavioral euthanasia and public safety

This episode challenges listeners to think beyond labels like “good dog” or “bad dog” and instead consider the balance between animal welfare, community safety, and responsible ownership.

Whether you work in animal control, shelters, training, or simply love dogs, this conversation offers thoughtful insight into how culture, environment, and expectations shape the animals we live alongside.

Learn more about Sam and his work at: samaysam.com

In this episode of Keep it Humane: The Podcast, Daniel Ettinger and Ashley Bishop sit down with Dr. Doonerstag, DVM, for an insightful conversation exploring the critical role veterinarians play in animal welfare, shelter medicine, and community-based care.

Dr. Doonerstag shares perspectives from the veterinary field on some of the most complex challenges facing animal control agencies and shelters today — from medical decision-making and capacity for care to collaboration between veterinarians, animal control officers, and shelter professionals. The discussion dives into how veterinary expertise supports humane outcomes, improves field response, and helps agencies balance compassion with practical realities.

Together, we explore the evolving relationship between animal control and veterinary medicine, the importance of communication across disciplines, and how partnerships can better serve both animals and the communities we protect.

Whether you’re an animal control officer, shelter professional, veterinarian, or advocate, this episode offers thoughtful insight into how working together — across roles and perspectives — helps us truly keep it humane.

Before Keep it Humane, there was The Humane Roundup — the show that started it all.

In this special episode, we bring back two of the original hosts of The Humane Roundup — the voices who helped lay the foundation for the conversations we’re still having today. We revisit where it all began, why the show was created, what was happening in animal welfare at the time, and how those early discussions shaped what the podcast has become.

We talk about:

• The original mission behind The Humane Roundup

• How the profession has evolved since those early episodes

• The hard lessons, the proud moments, and the behind-the-scenes stories

• Why the rebrand to Keep it Humane mattered

• And what still needs to change in animal control and sheltering

This isn’t just a reunion. It’s a reflection on growth — personal, professional, and as a field.

If you’ve been with us since the beginning, this one’s for you.
If you’re new here, this is your origin story.

Because the conversations that shaped this profession didn’t start yesterday.
They started with people willing to press record and speak honestly about the work.

And that’s exactly what we’re doing again.