Tails of Resilience

Staying on Call: Resilience, Moving through Moral Injury & Leading with Heart — with Virginia Borden of OCCRA

In this powerful and deeply human episode, Jolene sits down with Virginia Borden—911 dispatcher, wildlife rescuer, and founder of OCCRA (On-Call Community Rescue for Animals)—to explore the emotional toll of rescue work and what it means to lead with integrity and compassion in the face of constant crisis.
Together, they unpack the realities of misplaced anger often directed at those trying to help, the invisible wounds of moral injury, and how Virginia remains grounded in a world that asks too much. She opens up about the resilience strategies that keep her going, including dark humor, “rage workouts,” and finding strength in the incredible stories of animals who have endured the unimaginable and still fight to survive.
Virginia’s insights into burnout, trauma, community care, and conscious leadership offer a raw and validating space for anyone who’s ever felt the cost of caring too deeply.
⚠️ Trigger Warning:This episode contains discussions of suicide and mental health challenges related to trauma and high-stress caregiving roles. Listener discretion is advised.
 
🔗 Featured Rescue:
OCCRA (On-Call Community Rescue for Animals)
OCCRA FACEBOOKOCCRA IGOCCRA MAIN WEBSITE
Books Referenced: “Bulletproof Spirit” by Captain Dan Willis & The Age of Overwhelm: Strategies for the Long Haul" by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky
🌟 Links + Resources:
Learn more about the Animal Rescue Hub: org
Explore dog astrology + ZodiPaws books: https://zodipaws.com
🎵 Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/timelapse

Hazel's House Rescue: Boundaries, Burnout, and Big Hearts

In our first interview ever on Tails of Resilience, we sit down with Brittany Hazel, the passionate founder of Hazel’s House Rescue, to explore what it really takes to run a small, volunteer-based animal rescue.
Brittany shares how her upbringing shaped her path into rescue work, with a family that fostered and saved animals long before it became her mission. We talk about the misunderstood world of rescue—how public expectations can clash with the reality of limited resources—and why compassion from the community truly matters.
She also opens up about the importance of boundaries as a form of self-care, how she tunes into the early signs of burnout, and the emotional resilience required to keep showing up for animals in need.
🎥 Prefer video? Watch this episode on our Tails of Resilience - YouTube
📢 Don't forget to like, share, and leave a review—it helps others discover the incredible stories behind the scenes of rescue work.
🔗 Featured Rescue:
Hazel’s House Rescue🌐 Website: https://hazelshousepdx.com📸 Instagram: @hazelshousepdx📘 Facebook: Hazel's House Rescue
🌟 Links + Resources:
Learn more about the Animal Rescue Hub: animalrescuehub.org
Explore dog astrology + ZodiPaws books: https://zodipaws.com
🎵 Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/timelapse

Meet Your Host: Why Tails of Resilience Exists and Who It's For

In this first episode of Tails of Resilience, you’ll meet your host—Jolene, a therapist, lifelong dog lover, and founder of ZodiPaws and Animal Rescue Hub. This podcast was born from a deep desire to tell the untold stories of those in animal rescue: the burnout, the beauty, and the bravery of showing up even when it's hard.
You’ll hear the heart behind the show, how grief and healing shaped its creation, and what you can expect from future episodes. And yes—we wrap up with a little zodiac flavor, because that’s just how we do things around here.
🎧 Quick heads-up: There may or may not be a freight-train-level air conditioner and a couple of fighter jets flying by during this episode. Thanks for sticking with me through the noise—it gets better from here.
You Can Watch this Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iuU6F_8umZc 
Follow along @animal.rescuehub and @zodi.paws, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a story that matters.
🌟 About Animal Rescue HubAnimal Rescue Hub is a directory and community platform created to spotlight and support the work of animal rescues, shelters, and advocates. Join, explore, or get listed:🔗 https://linke.ro/animal-rescue-hub
🔮 About ZodiPawsZodiPaws creates personalized astrology books and gifts for dogs and their humans—infused with purpose and playfulness. A portion of proceeds supports rescue organizations.🌐 Discover your dog’s sign or shop the collection: https://zodipaws.com
🎵 Music CreditMusic from #UppbeatTrack: Timelapse by Hemlock🎧 https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/timelapse

More Than Tired: Burnout, Trauma & the Road to Resilience

There’s tired… and then there’s burnout—the kind that steals your joy, fogs your mind, and leaves you wondering if it’s just you. In this deeply validating episode, we explore the relationship between burnout, trauma, and true resilience—especially for helpers, healers, and animal care professionals.
Whether you’re on the edge of exhaustion or trying to heal forward, this one’s for you. You are not alone. You are not broken. And you don’t have to carry it all anymore.
 
🌟 About Animal Rescue HubAnimal Rescue Hub is a directory and community platform created to spotlight and support the work of animal rescues, shelters, and advocates. Join, explore, or get listed:🔗 https://linke.ro/animal-rescue-hub
🔮 About ZodiPawsZodiPaws creates personalized astrology books and gifts for dogs and their humans—infused with purpose and playfulness. A portion of proceeds supports rescue organizations.🌐 Discover your dog’s sign or shop the collection: https://zodipaws.com
🎵 Music CreditMusic from #UppbeatTrack: Timelapse by Hemlock🎧 https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/timelapse

Welcome to Tails of Resilience

🎙️ Episode 1 — Welcome to Tails of Resilience
In this introductory episode, host Jolene Feeney—mental health therapist, lifelong animal lover, and founder of ZodiPaws and Animal Rescue Hub—shares the heart behind Tails of Resilience. This podcast honors the unseen emotional labor of animal rescue work and the people who do it with compassion, courage, and grit.
From shelter teams and wildlife rehabbers to transporters, vet techs, and sanctuary workers, Jolene explores what it means to keep showing up—through heartbreak, healing, and everything in between.
This episode sets the stage for a powerful series of conversations that speak to the burnout, breakthroughs, and deep resilience found in the world of animal rescue.
 
Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/timelapse