Lara’s vision for a kinder world

Lara Shannon is on a mission - and it’s one that’s bound to get tails wagging. Dog lovers might know her as the host of Channel 10’s Pooches at Play, The Dog Down Under, or 7TWO’s Animal SOS Australia. But Lara’s love for our canine friends runs deeper than what you see on screen. She's a published author (check out World of Dogs and Eat, Play, Love [your dog]), a qualified dog behaviourist and trainer, and a pet food nutrition specialist to boot.

When she’s not filming or writing, Lara is putting her passion into action, advocating for animals in need as an Ambassador for charities like Second Chance Animal Rescue and Pets of the Homeless. We caught up with her for a chat about her journey, her tireless work, and her dream of a kinder, more compassionate world for animals. 

Susannah: What inspired you to take on a role in the charity sector? 

Lara: I have spent most of my working life within the charity sector, starting out in environmental conservation with WWF, then Planet Ark and Keep Australia Beautiful, as I have always been passionate about protecting our wildlife, by protecting their environment.  Almost 10 years ago I shifted my focus to the animals in our own backyard, becoming a certified dog trainer and behaviourist, which then led me to take on Ambassador roles with a number of charities in this space. I wanted to use my profile and passion to help reach my overall mission, which is to help reduce euthanasia of adoptable shelter animals to zero.   

Susannah: Can you share more about the work and how you’re involved in supporting the overall organisation mission?   

Lara: I’m the Ambassador for Second Chance Animal Rescue, Companion Animal Network Australia, Pets of the Homeless and the MacKillop Family Services Paw Pals program.  For the three in the pet rescue space I take on a number of roles - profiling their fundraising initiatives on my TV shows and social media, attending and MCing events, organising product donations, introductions to potential sponsors and overall advocacy.   For the Paw Pals program, it is about promoting the important role dogs play in helping children who experience trauma to learn to re-engage in education. Most of my work involves fronting their fundraising and awareness campaigns, promotion on my TV show and introducing potential funding opportunities. 

Susannah: Reflecting on your charitable work, is there a moment or experience that stands out as particularly moving or memorable? 

Lara: For me the biggest moments are when I am able to initiate a brand partnership that brings vital funds into a charity, such as I did for Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCAR) with VitaPet, which helped provide the funds to build SCAR puppy school and also provided the funding for a national TV show featuring SCAR.  Most recently I have been able to help some pets in need of veterinary care by following their stories on my TV show Animal SOS Australia and arranging for product donations and vet care through my relationship with Pet Medical Crisis, which is another charity I work quite closely with as well. Pet Medical Crisis assists people who otherwise couldn’t afford vet care with grants, so where I can, I try to add to this support with fundraising shout-outs or approaching my brand partners to provide products. Most recently our combined efforts saw a surrendered cat rehomed with its former owner the day before Christmas - a wonderful Christmas gift to be able to help facilitate. When I see the difference first hand that we can make to a pet and person’s life, it encourages me to keep going with what I do, even if it’s just one pet at a time.

Susannah: Partnerships can be powerful. Is there a collaboration in your work that’s been especially meaningful to you? Why did it have such an impact? 

Lara: My partnership with Petstock, who is the Major Partner of my main TV show Pooches at Play, and who I am also the Ambassador for, allows me to create and do the work I am passionate about at a national level, and it has also introduced me to a number of other amazing pet brands and partners. I am fortunate to be able to work with like-minded brands and individuals who support my education work and I hope will continue to do so for years to come. 

Susannah: What strategies or habits have helped you overcome moments of doubt or discouragement? 

Lara: Reminding myself of past knock-backs and tough times that I have gone through and overcome, plus the lessons I have learned from them. I have also had to pivot, taking on board all past experiences and applying them to new ideas or opportunities.  I don’t see past experiences as failures, just lessons for what I needed to get me to where I am now. 

Susannah: Along your journey, what’s one life lesson or idea that has shaped how you approach life and work? 

Lara: Be prepared for many knock-backs and to get used to hearing “no” when you are trying to achieve something  that many might consider impossible. Just keep knocking on doors, picking yourself up and dusting yourself off, and remembering your end goal.  When I pivoted to producing my dog shows, I believed in myself and what I was trying to achieve and just kept knocking on doors until I got enough “yesses” (and there were far more “no’s”) to get started.  Even today I still hear “no” a lot, so I just say thanks, move on and don’t let it defeat me. 

Susannah: What advice would you offer to someone struggling to find purpose or stay motivated? 

Lara: Stop and write down what it is you are passionate about and why, what you are trying to achieve, and what you need to do to get there. Focus on that, break it down into small actionable steps, and just keep going.   Remember that one person can absolutely create great change.  Take some time out to re-charge if you need to, let it go for a while and then get back to what you have written down when you are feeling re-charged. Then get going. 

Susannah: What’s your vision for the world you’d like to help create? 

Lara: I would like to create a world where humans treat all animals with respect and understand they are sentient beings who share many of our same emotions. All beings deserve love and respect and if humans realised this, we would have a much more peaceful world.