We recently connected with Jo Anna Kloster and have shared our conversation below.
Jo Anna, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
The seeds for my purpose were planted in my childhood, although I had no clue I would be an author and animal welfare advocate dedicated to ending puppy mills. I’ve always been an animal lover. Pets were part of my family when I was growing up. And I don’t know why, but I’ve always been drawn to the underdog…to protect and speak up for them.
When I was in fourth grade, I remember two episodes where I defended the underdog. A group of my classmates were walking home. All of a sudden someone started taunting a girl who always stayed on the periphery. She was frequently picked on for her secondhand, worn clothes. She walked the same route as me. Near my street, as the bullying got worse, she was surrounded by the group as they spewed ugly names. This triggered something inside me. I turned to the group, chastising them for their meanness. I didn’t care if they turned on me. I just had to speak up. A few kids called me a loser for defending her before they scattered to their respective homes.
And we had another student in class who was extremely quiet, a loner, with a facial feature that made him a target. Something drew me to this gentle boy. In my head, I could hear my mother’s favorite saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say about someone – then don’t say anything.” Again, when he was made fun of, my inside switch was triggered and I defended him.
So, how did I find my purpose? It’s rather ironic. You could say, my purpose found me. It came packaged in the body of a tiny white Maltese dog. My husband and I had adopted Cagney after falling in love with his photo emailed by friends. They had recently adopted a rescue dog. Their dog and Cagney had been breeder males locked in Wisconsin puppy mill cages. Void of any kind of socialization that dogs need to be happy, healthy, and socially adjusted. This was the first time I had heard of the term puppy mills, with no clue of the suffering dogs in puppy mills endured.
Cagney had the biggest heart for a dog who never experienced love until his adoption at eight months old. He quickly became my best boy and my shadow. And he also started manifesting behaviors common to dogs from puppy mills: overly protective of his pet parents, and very territorial. The worst was his separation anxiety. He hated to be left home alone and became extremely agitated whenever he knew we were leaving. My husband and I adjusted our schedules so he was rarely by himself.
Meanwhile, every day during the writer’s workshop with my third-grade students, I modeled the writing process. I wrote about life with Cagney, the behavior issues we were working on at home, and why he had these issues. My students were shocked. They couldn’t understand how dogs could be treated so cruelly when their dogs were treated like family members.
I searched for books to explain the problems of puppy mills to kids but came up empty. Yes, there were internet sites about puppy mills. But it was hard to look at the photos and even harder to read about it. The story I wanted for my students should explain the reality of puppy mills while inspiring readers to make the world more humane by adopting dogs from shelters and rescues.
I decided to put my undergrad communications degree to good use: I’d write my own book. I had “found” my purpose. To me, puppy mill dogs represented the ultimate “underdogs.” As Lily Grabowski (the main character in my book LILY UNLEASHED) says, “Puppy mill survivors are incredible underdogs. They’ve lived in conditions no dog should ever know. And, believe it or not, they don’t hold it against us.” This book would be the vehicle for creating my business: Empty Cages Press, LLC. Ten years later, after six revised manuscripts, and edits from experts in the field, I published LILY UNLEASHED. And the rest, as they say, is history.
There you have it. My purpose. Publishing my book, marketing it, and sharing it publicly at events and online has been life-changing. It has prompted me to grow and learn way beyond my comfort zone. All because of the love of a tiny puppy mill survivor. But when you find your “why”, your purpose becomes crystal clear and your path unfolds. As long as you keep an open heart, an open mind, and notice what lights your inner spark.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am thrilled to share that at the age of sixty-five, I have become a published author and an animal welfare advocate. All thanks to my tiny white Maltese puppy mill survivor named Cagney. He had the biggest love and inspired me to use my voice to speak up for all the other voiceless dogs still locked behind bars, pumping out litter after litter, at puppy mills
Because of Cagney, I’ve created my own publishing business and brand called Empty Cages Press, LLC. I am an independent author of a “cause” book: LILY UNLEASHED. Its goal is to inspire or “cause” readers to find their next great dog or cat at shelters or rescues. This will help dry up the puppy mill-to-pet-store pipeline. The more people adopt from shelters and rescues the less they go to pet stores or go online to buy puppies. It’s a ripple effect that can truly help end puppy mills. And people need to know more than 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred dogs if that’s what they seek.
My marketing is two-fold: on social media and hands-on in person. Truly grassroots. I visit local farmer’s markets and assorted animal-themed events such as animal adoption days where I sell signed copies of LILY UNLEASHED. Meeting visitors to my booth one-on-one allows me to show people how easy it is to make your voice heard by calling their elected officials and asking them to sponsor legislation that raises standards at puppy mills. Two proposed bills are H.R. 1624 The Puppy Protection Act and H.R. 5041, the Better CARE for Animals Act. Folks can find their congressman/woman at https://www.openstates.org
Getting the word out about how to end puppy mills through this grassroots word-of-mouth campaign is my focus. It’s been a lot of trial and error.
Social media has been a real game changer. It’s been so uplifting connecting with other advocates and groups across the country working to end puppy mills who’ve offered guidance and suggestions. YouTube tutorials and internet research have helped me refine my social media skills. I’ve learned to create more effective posts and reels with music and other special effects.
I’ve met some of the most amazing people working on this cause and we’ve become allies, as they allow me to share their posts. It’s exciting to see others who care about this issue share my posts on their sites as well.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being an animal welfare activist has been the guidance from a powerhouse like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Through them, I’ve learned the ropes of lobbying my elected officials to support legislation that helps animals. It’s quite rewarding when a bill that I worked on becomes law. It is an honor to volunteer with the HSUS and the many other organizations that work so hard to benefit animals.
There’s an upcoming local event I’m excited about that features the specialness of dogs. I’m collaborating with a local group called Paws of War that supports veterans by providing them with service dogs in Craven County, NC. This event, Pooch Playoffs, is a fundraiser. It’s fashioned like the spring March Madness NBA basketball playoffs. My town has a strong network of animal and dog lovers who work together on many events to help shepherd dogs into forever homes. It’s one of the reasons my husband and I fell in love with the New Bern, NC area. And working together with other local groups on animal issues allows me to develop a reputation as an animal welfare supporter locally. I believe this is an important aspect of one who hopes to benefit animals in her community – others see you walk the walk for animals.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three pivotal qualities that impacted my journey are: being curious, finding others who can provide guidance, and being mindful.
As a former elementary teacher who worked with children who were always curious, being curious was an easy one for me. Again, I have to mention the internet. From the comfort of your own home, you can research your topic of interest. Deeply. Follow your curiosity as you never know what insight you will reap.
Also, ask questions from those who know your topic well. It’s how I learned about my topic and what I can do to end the problem of dogs locked in cages. Again, I asked friends for references…who did my friends know that was doing what I wanted to do. I also contacted people who worked in organizations that were fighting to end puppy mills. People usually respond positively if you tell them you contacted them for guidance because of their effectiveness in their position.
Seek out others who are successful at making a difference. Let them know you respect what they are doing. Ask for suggestions that can help you achieve your goals.
For instance, I met with local authors and joined writing groups to learn how to market my book. I learned so much. It was beneficial. Don’t reinvent the wheel, as they say. Find people who are doing what you want to do and pick their brains. There is an incredible wealth of information on the internet as well.
Be mindful and notice things that might help your business by asking “How can this help me?” Don’t be afraid to try something new, even if it’s uncomfortable. Take public speaking. It’s not my favorite activity. But because I know it’s important to share the consumer welfare problems pet store puppies can cause, it drives me to speak to others about it. I share presentations at my local community college and with libraries sharing my PowerPoint slideshow explaining “the problem with the puppy in the pet store window.”
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Yes, I’m looking for people who wish to collaborate and help my grassroots movement to end puppy mills ripple across America. I need people with ideas for promoting this movement besides what I’ve already undertaken since publication in 2022. I’m looking for inroads into schools, Boys and Girls Scouts, libraries, and organizations. As well as novel ways to share my book.
I’d love to collaborate with media ‘influencers’ who could share the message of LILY UNLEASHED and how this will promote the end of the puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline. This could be a movement like what happened with the book Wonder. It was adopted by teachers to spearhead the “Choose Kindness” movement. Classes read it and then created their anti-bullying activities and projects. The same approach can work with educating kids on what’s behind that cute puppy in the window and why it’s a bad idea to pay that high price tag for one of these dogs. Together, with others joining this movement, we can “let the dogs out” and empty the cages at puppy mills. It is my dream and it can’t happen soon enough.
Collaborators who wish to join my Empty Cages campaign are welcome to contact me via email: [email protected], my website contact page: https://www.emptycagespress.com/contact or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EmptyCagesPress
They can find my book, LILY UNLEASHED on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lily-Unleashed-J-D-Kloster/dp/B09SNQBHPC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OA72SAA20SP0&keywords=lily+unleashed&qid=1705537897&sprefix=%2Caps%2C259&sr=8-1
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannakloster.emptycagespress/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmptyCagesPress
- Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/joannakloster.emptycagespress/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoKloster1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Tq7B3wrn54k1yp2bVipzQ
Image Credits
photos are property of Jo Anna D. Kloster
