Furball Confidential

• Leia & Archer's Dad (aka “Siberian Derpskies” Content Creator Jonathan Brinksman)

  They’re belligerent. They talk back. They scheme. And if you’re a husky person like Jonathan Brinksman, that’s all part of the furry appeal. Jonathan grew up with two huskies, and is now proud husky dad and “crazy dog mom” to Archer and Leia, known to their millions of social media fans as Siberian Derpskies. In this super fun conversation, we get into the good, the bad and the hilarious when it comes to living with huskies, and why Jonathan is so drawn to the breed when others might yell “run!”Jonathan traces his own long history with pets, which started when he was a kid and his “animals were a safe space” from bullies. (“Don’t worry,” Jonathan says, “it all worked out”). His connection runs deep: “My animals have never been just animals to me. They are the part of me I wish it was all the time.” Plus, Jonathan weighs in on cloned dogs – and let the record show that we taped this episode way before Tom Brady went public with his own.We asked Jonathan what pet-related cause he wanted to shine a light on, and he said All Joy 4 Paws, a rescue in southern California that specializes in huskies and other northern breeds. Huskies, as Jonathan says, are a lot of work - and a lot of owners can’t handle their energy levels. All Joy 4 Paws “is a really cool, very small rescue, very small operation, but they do the really hard work”Follow Jonathan, Leia and Archer on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube - all @siberianderpskies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Thirteen's Mama (aka Rapper Haviah Mighty)

  Haviah had her heart set on adopting the underdog. Or, undercat, as it were. Black cats are often overlooked in the rescue world and as a young Black woman growing up in Canada, the experience of being an underdog resonates deeply with Haviah. But in the end, after a long back and forth at her local rescue, the award-winning rapper realized that the cat who most needed saving was not black. It was Buster. Haviah tells the whole story, which is quite frankly one of the most remarkable pet origin stories we’ve ever heard. She explains how Buster became Thirteen - a number that shows up a lot in her work and life and has deeply poetic, meaningful origins. Haviah also talks about what it was like to adopt Thirteen, only to find that at first he didn’t want anything to do with her - and what she learned from that as a new pet parent. And she shares how Thirteen has taught her to slow down and “find a better baseline.”You can follow what Haviah is up to on her website: https://haviahmighty.ca/Or on Instagram here***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerShe also co-created our theme music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian ForrowMarina Hanna does our audience development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Rex’s Mom (aka “Hudson & Rex” Lead Dog Trainer Sherri Davis)

  Sit. Stay. Safely jump through a fake glass window with dozens of people watching you. Ok, maybe that last command is best reserved for the pros. And it doesn’t get more pro than Sherri Davis.Sherri wears many hats but her main gig is Executive Producer and Lead Dog Trainer for Hudson & Rex, the police drama that stars a crime-solving German Shepherd named Rex. Rex was originally played by Sherri’s beloved dog Diesel, who was diagnosed with late-stage cancer and died while they were shooting season 7. Sherri reflects on what it was like to lose her colleague, friend and “son” all at once. And she shares, with immense pride, how she trained Dillon - Diesel’s nephew - to fill those massive pawprints and take over as Rex in Season 8. Sherri says she was “born with” an uncanny ability to communicate with animals and knew she always wanted to help them. She shares the crazy story of how she got into training animals for the screen - and just how many types of critters she has wrangled (a lot). And she takes us behind the scenes of Death Row Dogs, her effort to save pups others don’t think can be rehabilitated and saved.We asked Sherri Davis for a favourite pet-related cause and she encourages you to check out Rainbow Riders. It’s an organization in St John’s, Newfoundland that provides therapy through horses and horseback riding to people with disabilities.You can watch Season 8 of Hudson & Rex on Citytv or stream it on Citytv Plus.Follow Sherri Davis:On InstaFollow Hudson & Rex:On Insta On Facebook***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerShe also co-created our theme music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian ForrowMarina Hanna does our audience development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Lola, Mowgli and Dodson’s Mom (aka Actor Adrienne C. Moore)

  Meant to be. That’s really the only way to describe the trio of doggos that Adrienne C. Moore - star of Orange is the New Black and Pretty Hard Cases - calls her family. We dive into the remarkable origin stories of all three pups; from the photo of one little black and one little brown dog that Adrienne had up on her fridge long before she ever met Lola (small and black) and Mowgli (small and brown), to rescuing Dodson from the side of a road she never drives down. Never, except that one night.Adrienne will be the first to tell you, there’s magic and manifestation wrapped up in all of it. She’ll give you a glimpse into life with dogs who have three very different personalities, and their deep ability to comfort and ground her, especially with her hectic work life. And we talk about Adrienne’s lifelong respect for and love of animals, from healing injured birds and adopting strays as a kid, to regularly volunteering her time to advocating for rescue dogs as an adult. Giving back is a big theme for Adrienne, who already has had Mowgli trained as a service dog and accompanies him to hospitals and adult learning centres because “he’s the main attraction.” She hopes her dogs will all be service animals one day to spread the love and comfort and healing she says they have brought her. I mean: COME. ON.If you’re looking to support a pet related cause, Adrienne encourages you to check out the ASPCA and Hope for Paws, which is where she got Lola and Mowgli. And if you’re looking to adopt a pet of your own, Adrienne would love for you to check out your local shelter. In her words, “I always believe that, you know, there are enough dogs out there to rescue, to keep our hands and our hearts busy for a while.”Follow Adrienne’s acting updates and animal antics here. You can also follow Lola and Mowgli hereAnd check out Dodson - aka Loddy Doddy - here***Furball Confidential is created and hosted by Jen MorozTalia Schlanger is our producerShe also co-created our theme music with David Travers-Smith, with Brian Kobayakawa on bassReza Dahya does the video and sound design and editing Dani Stover does our social mediaOur show artwork is by Adrian ForrowMarina Hanna does our audience development Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Alfie's Best Friends (aka Actors Naomi Snieckus and Matt Baram)

  When they met at Second City about 15 years ago, Naomi Snieckus and Matt Baram each came to the table with a dependent. Matt had Murphy, a 100 pound black golden labradoodle (yes, they exist). Naomi had Rufus, a little cockapoo. And as she says, they “Brady bunched.” It’s been a dog’s life pretty much ever since for the actor-writer-improviser duo who adopted Alfie this past year. Our conversation is a long dog walk down memory lane, remembering Rufus and Murphy, and revealing some surprisingly deep insights into Alfie’s strengths and areas for growth. We stretch back to Matt’s family’s Lhasa Apso, who “didn’t know how to pee properly.” (Get ready to picture the expression “golden shower” in a whole new light!). We also, of course, answer the burning questions: Who is the fun parent? Who is really the most smitten…and what would you ask your dog if he could speak for a day?We asked Matt and Naomi which pet-related cause they think deserves your attention, and they told us the Pasadena Humane Society. You might have heard news stories earlier this year about how much work they did - and how many animals they took in - during the LA wildfires.Catch Matt and Naomi in their amazing play, Big Stuff, which is on tour across Canada now, with dates in Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Victoria. For info on the show and tickets, visit baramandsnieckus.com.And you can follow their adventures along on Instagram here (Baram Snieckus), here (Snieckus) and here (Baram)Special thanks to Get Leashed and Dominika Gorecki for permission to use the video footage of Matt & Naomi with Rufus and Murphy.Catch Matt and Naomi in their amazing play, Big Stuff, which is on tour across Canada now, with dates in Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Victoria. For info on the show and tickets, visit baramandsnieckus.com.And you can follow their adventures along on Instagram here (Baram Snieckus), here (Snieckus) and here (Baram)Special thanks to Get Leashed and Dominika Gorecki for permission to use the video footage of Matt & Naomi with Rufus and Murphy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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