Julie Castle, the CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, was the first-ever guest on The Best Friends Podcast, and we were excited to have her back for episode number 52! It's not even been a year since we last spoke, but we had plenty of things to discuss in what has been a very tumultuous year for our field and the country overall. 

Even though the last 11 months have been overwhelming, Julie says she's tried to see this moment as one of opportunity. And as we finally face the complex issues that have held our field back including racism, and classism, we hear Julie's perspective on the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion and learn about the progress of the effort to right those wrongs within Best Friends.

She also explains why she believes No-Kill 2025 is every bit as relevant today as when the goal was announced in 2016 and how she handles criticism, even when it's from the harshest of critics.