Unleashing Stories: Pets, Books, and Rescue. The Odd Dog, the 3-3-3 Rule, and Rescue Advocacy with Leah Barrett The Story of My Pet Podcast
Host Julie Marty Pearson welcomes children’s author and rescue advocate Leah Barrett, who shares growing up with greyhounds, adopting “unicorn” dogs like her childhood shelter dog Dixie, and later adopting her own dog Layla, another only-dog-in-the-home personality. They discuss why many adoptions fail without preparation, emphasizing the shelter 3-3-3 rule (three days, three weeks, three months) and the patience, training, boundaries, and empathy needed as dogs decompress and reveal quirks. Leah explains how her nonprofit and arts background led her from writing a classical music story to creating The Odd Dog, inspired by Layla’s flight-risk energy and focused on redirecting behavior rather than changing the animal. We highlight Kansas City’s Wayside Waifs and Leah’s book-signing fundraisers that donate to shelters and rescues. To learn more about Wayside Waifs, visit their Website: https://waysidewaifs.org/
Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaysideWaifs
And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waysidewaifs/
To learn more about Leah and her books, visit her Website: http://storiesbyleia.com
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesbyLeia and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories_byleia/
00:20 Meeting Leah on PodMatch
01:04 Growing Up With Dogs
01:38 Dixie The Unicorn
02:33 Adopting Layla
04:30 Returns And Education
05:31 The 3 3 3 Rule
10:16 Empathy And Training
12:21 Why Kids Books
14:23 Creating The Odd Dog
16:21 Embracing Mutts
17:42 Earning Pet Trust
19:57 Pets Keep Us Moving
20:34 Outdoor Time Safely
21:14 Layla Inspires Odd Dog
23:49 Redirecting Pet Energy
25:38 Senior Dogs Deserve Love
28:37 Wayside Waifs Spotlight
31:07 How to Support Rescues
34:30 Book Signings Fundraisers
37:11 Final Thanks and Subscribe
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About the Host:
Dr. Julie Marty-Pearson is a lifelong animal lover, storytelling strategist, and podcasting mentor. She believes every pet’s story deserves to be heard and uses podcasting to build community, advocacy, and awareness for rescue animals everywhere. Julie also runs her own business, Podcast Your Story Productions, where she helps business owners and entrepreneurs launch their own podcasts, grow existing podcasts, and become sought-after podcast guests. To learn more, visit: https://www.juliemartypearson.com/
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