Caring deeply is a gift… but it can also come at a cost.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted from worrying about your dog, questioning if you’re doing enough, or carrying the weight of the world because your heart is so wide open, you’re not alone. What you may be feeling is compassion fatigue - the very real toll of loving, giving, and advocating without pausing to refill your own cup.

In this episode I sit down with Jennifer Blough, a licensed professional counsellor, pet loss specialist, and host of The Compassion Fatigue Podcast. Jen has dedicated her work to helping animal lovers, activists, and caregivers navigate the “cost of caring” with more resilience, balance, and grace.

Together we explore:
✨ What compassion fatigue actually is and how to recognise it in yourself
✨ Why dog mamas (especially those with challenging or special-needs pups) are especially at risk
✨ The difference between pain and suffering
✨ How guilt and “never enough” thinking fuel burnout
✨ Why prioritising your mental health is not selfish, but essential
✨ Simple ways to protect your heart while still making a difference
✨ How to keep showing up for your dogs, your community, and the planet—without losing yourself in the process

This conversation is an invitation to release the shame, honour your limits, and remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Because when you care for yourself, you create the capacity to care even more deeply, and sustainably, for the beings who depend on you.

Learn more about Jen’s work: https://beyondcompassionfatigue.com

Join our free F.E.T.C.H. First Light Facebook group, our sanctuary where soulful dog mamas like you find clarity, confidence, and connection. https://facebook.com/groups/fetchfirstlight

Grab your FREE copy of our Learn F.E.T.C.H. Starter Pack to begin your F.E.T.C.H. journey with your dog today! https://www.learnfetch.com/pages/fetch-starter-pack

In Greenland, sled dogs are not just animals - they are family, livelihood, and a way of life that has sustained human survival in the Arctic for thousands of years.

In this episode, I sit down with Manumina Lund Jensen, PhD researcher at the University of Greenland and cultural historian, whose work is dedicated to preserving the oral histories and living knowledge of Greenland’s sled dog culture.

Together, we explore:

* The deep ties between hunters, families, and their dogs in Greenlandic tradition

* How Inuit sled dogs once acted as *gateway animals*, enabling human migration into the Arctic

* The mythology of wolves as spiritual guides and their role in ecology

* The impact of climate change and urbanisation on sled dog culture

* How feeding and caring for dogs in a hunting culture differs from modern approaches

* Manumina’s own personal story of the first dog gifted to her by her father, and the song he wrote to honour her

This conversation invites us to see dogs as more than companions. They are cultural carriers, memory keepers, and lifelines that shape the way we live and imagine our place in the world.

To connect with Manumina:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manumina-lund-jensen-5495891a/

https://uk.uni.gl/find-employee/department-of-cultural-social-history/manumina-lund-jensen/

Grab your copy of our guide to speaking with your vet, which is included in our free FETCH Starter Pack: https://www.learnfetch.com/pages/fetch-starter-pack

Join FETCH First Light, our free Facebook group for like-hearted guardians https://facebook.com/groups/fetchfirstlight

Connect with me!

https://mysticdogmama.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease, or replace medical guidance. Please speak with your veterinarian.

What if your home could become a mirror of your healing - a living, breathing reflection of who you are becoming?

In this episode of the Mystic Dog Mama podcast, I sit down with sacred interiors designer Paula Agudelo to explore how the spaces we live in hold the energy of our past and the potential of our future. Paula shares her deeply moving story of awakening to the wisdom of our homes and how she now supports women in transforming their spaces into sanctuaries that empower, nourish, and inspire.

Together, we dive into:
✨ How the story your home tells can either tether you to the past or call you forward
✨ Turning everyday rituals like meal prep for you and your pups into sacred practices
✨ What it means to “let a space breathe” so your home becomes a living vision board
✨ Soul contracts with our homes and our dogs - and why the spaces we inhabit are part of our healing
✨ How creating peace within your home helps ripple compassion and change out into the world

Paula reminds us that when we bring conscious intention into the places we inhabit, our homes stop being static and start becoming allies in our transformation.

Connect with Paula:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/sacredinteriors
Website: https://sacredinteriors.design

Tune in, and let’s begin a new kind of conversation with the spaces that hold us.

Connect with me!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mysticdogmama

Grab your copy of our guide to speaking with your vet, which is included in our free FETCH Starter Pack: https://www.learnfetch.com/pages/fetch-starter-pack

Join FETCH First Light, our free Facebook group for like-hearted guardians https://facebook.com/groups/fetchfirstlight

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease, or replace medical guidance. Please speak with your veterinarian.