286. Kathryn Hurley: Building Wags & Walks Nashville, Saving Thousands of Dogs & Turning Passion Into Purpose

Mar 30, 2026

Kathryn Hurley, founder/director of Wags & Walks Nashville and longtime animal-welfare advocate, built a large rescue focused on medical cases and reducing euthanasia. She discusses starting from a basement to running a 40+ person operation. Topics include fundraising realities, medical rescues, shelter overcrowding, pit bull stigma, and balancing nonprofit work with personal life.

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ADVICE

Fundraise Medical Costs With Transparent Storytelling

Use transparent storytelling to fundraise for expensive medical cases.
Kathryn shares Wags posted vet bills and before/afters; January medical spend hit ~$77,000 showing donors impact and need.

ANECDOTE

Blondie Sparked Wags For Good Medical Grants

Wags for Good began by rescuing Blondie, a German Shepherd whose owner faced an $8,000 amputation bill.
Wags performed the surgery for about $800, reunited dog and owner, then expanded the program into grants and low-cost care.

ADVICE

Advocate For Your Pet's Care At The Vet

Be your pet's advocate at the vet by asking questions and requesting extra tests when needed.
Kathryn's best practice: find a curious vet who tailors care to you instead of defaulting to rote scripts.

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This week, Jason is joined by founder of Wags & Walks Nashville, animal welfare advocate, and his girlfriend, Kathryn Hurley!
Born and raised in Plymouth, Michigan, Kathryn shares how her passion for animal rescue started early — from working at her family’s ice cream shop to dedicating her life to saving dogs. After graduating from Eastern Michigan, she followed her instincts into dog rescue, eventually making the leap to Los Angeles to work with Wags & Walks, where she quickly became a key part of the organization’s growth.
Kathryn opens up about the financial realities of working in nonprofit — starting out making just $26,000 a year — and the difficult decision to leave for a higher-paying job in sports media, only to return after realizing her true purpose was in rescue. From there, she shares how she built Wags & Walks Nashville from the ground up — starting in her basement, then a storage unit, to now running a full-scale operation with 40+ employees and saving thousands of dogs.
She breaks down the business behind animal rescue — from fundraising millions annually just to operate, to the harsh realities of overcrowded shelters, euthanasia rates, and the misconceptions around pit bulls. Kathryn also dives into the medical side of rescue, explaining how organizations like hers step in where the system fails — covering surgeries, saving critically injured dogs, and even reuniting pets with families who otherwise couldn’t afford care.
Beyond rescue, Kathryn and Jason share the story of how they met — through Wags & Walks — and how their relationship evolved from adopting Teddy to building a life together. They talk about communication, partnership, social media, and what it really takes to build a strong, healthy relationship.
From saving dogs to building a nonprofit from scratch, Kathryn gives an honest look at passion, purpose, and what it means to fight for something bigger than yourself.
Kathryn reveals all this and so much more in another episode you can’t afford to miss!

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