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July 18, 2025 21 mins
This week on Best Bets for Pets, Michelle Fern sits down with the one and only Brooke Shields! The iconic actress, model, and lifelong animal advocate shares her deeply personal journey into pet wellness and her new partnership with Prospect Pet—a brand dedicated to clean, transparent, and conscious pet care. After her beloved dog Pepper fell ill, Brooke was inspired to take action, asking why it was so hard to find high-quality, healthy products for pets. That question led her to Prospect Pet, where she’s now on a mission to raise the bar for pet health everywhere. Joining the conversation is Julie Spencer, Senior Director of Marketing at Prospect Pet, who gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the brand’s commitment to integrity and wellness. Don’t miss this heartfelt, empowering, and informative episode that proves even Hollywood royalty gets dog mom guilt—and turns it into purpose.

EPISODE NOTES: From Red Carpet to Dog Park: Brooke Shields Gets Real About Pet Health!

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is Pet Life Radio. Let's Talk Pets.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hello, pet lovers, Welcome to Best That's for Pets on
your show, host Michelle Burn, what an exciting show. We're
going to talk about a line of product that their
focus is on clean and transparent ingredients, which is so
much better for your pet. We're going to talk to
their head of marketing and I have a special celebrity
guest in my second half, so stay tuned you don't

(00:45):
want to miss it. We'll be right back.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
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(01:12):
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Speaker 4 (01:26):
Let's talk pets on Petlife Radio dot com.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Welcome back everyone. I'd like to welcome Julie Spencer. She
is the director of marketing at Prospect Pet. Welcome Julie, Oh,
thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 5 (01:47):
We're excited to really talk about the products to your
listeners and educate them on cleaning conscious products.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
I'm so exciting I have you on. Let's first talk
about Prospect Pet. It will be, but it's not quite
a house name yet in the pet industry. What is
Prospect Pet? Well, first of all, I like how you
say yet that's the key word, Prospect That it was
born on a rural farm in Maine. It's grounded on
our values sustainability and stewardship. Those values still drive us today,

(02:15):
even with every ingredient that we select is very purseful.
Our mission on the company.

Speaker 5 (02:21):
And products resonated with Brooke. You could see about how
her dog, Pepper, that was sick and her looking for
products that were clean, that she had it with her
own regiment, but she wasn't finding it with her dog,
and so that's how we kind of came together. And
so she really helped spread the word on a much
bigger platform about clean and effect of pet care well

(02:41):
given it being the voice and concern to pet parents.
So with her help, we're hoping to inspire more families
and make thoughtful choices that help support the Pets for Life.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
And we didn't talk about this yet, but I mean
the second and half of the show. Brooksheld is your
brand officer and she got involved with Prospect Pet because
of the fact that you're very transparent in your ingredients,
use very clean product.

Speaker 5 (03:07):
Right, that's a big thing that makes us different that
you know, we believe that our pets deserve the same
standard care and safety and transparency that we deserve for ourselves.
You know, we're cleaning conscious, not just a slogan, that's
our entire approach. And these ingredients that are clean, effective,
they're pretty tested. Our approach goes into our packaging that

(03:28):
because a lot of companies you can have good ingredients,
but then they lose it on using a BPA plastic bible.
So we're aluminum bottles and FC certified cartons. So it's
about doing things the right way, even if it's sometimes
a little harder, because we care about bets in the planet.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
I love that. Let's talk about the pet industry. Transparency
has been around for several years, really strong in the
last five to seven years. In food, very transparent in
ingredients and you know it's actually been around longer than that.
But in the last five to seven years, not so
much in care product and wellness products. Why do you

(04:06):
think that is?

Speaker 5 (04:07):
We're very correct with that approach. I mean, you look
at what's happened for humans and USD sertifiedganek. We're eating better,
so we're looking for better things for our pets. So
the pen industry is starting to pick up on those
trends and the pet industry is going in the right direction,
which is fantastic, and it is accelerated by the pet
parents who are eating better, looking at the labels, which

(04:28):
is key, and they're expecting the same for their family pets.
So the transparency and labeling is important because not only
does it build trust, but it protects your pets health
and it empowers the pet parents to make better informed
choices so they can be proactive on their pets health
and not just reactive.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yes, and that's definitely what we want to do. How
can clean products potentially increase your pet's lifespan?

Speaker 5 (04:53):
That's a great question. So clean products, I mean they're
really necessary and they reduce the exposure to harmful ingredients
they support or the overall health as artificial ingredients of
toxic fillers. They can put a stress on your pets liver, kidneys,
immune system over time. So we don't use ingredients that
are the known allergens that can produce sensitivities. We take

(05:14):
an intentional approach with our ingredients and they need to
serve a clear purpose to supporting your dog's health, whether
that's like joint function, skin resilience. They just have balance.
There's no fillers. We don't use any of the trendy
ad ins, just clean, functional ingredients that are designed to
work together.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
What are the three products? The three debut products a
prospect pat.

Speaker 5 (05:37):
Well, we have others and works, but yeah, the three
great ones that we are launching. That includes our even
joint Wellness Booster to a joy mobility and that's shellfish
and gluten free. And we also have a skin coat
health Booster that's rich in Omega threes. It supports healthy
immune response and skin comfort and it's also Friends of
the Sea certified. And we have a pop protector that

(06:01):
helps moisturize drying crack paws. It's a great year round product.
It's also beeswax free and it's made the food Great standards.
So what's key about that is it's going to be
safe if your dog licks the paw. So our goal
is really to provide products that are both effective and
easy for pet parents to trust and use daily.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Do you have a favorite?

Speaker 5 (06:21):
Yeah, my favorite right now has been the skin and coat.
It's the salmon oil. And I think it's particularly because
we just adopted our rescue dog about a month ago,
and so you know, sometimes when you adopt a rescue
their coats aren't in the best of health. And so
he had some patchy skin and you could tell he'd scratched.
And so now his skin is soft, it's manageable. It's

(06:44):
just his coat looks great. And I mean it was
even like his nose was drying crusty, and so it's
really helped from the inside out. And I can see
those benefits in just a month.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
Wow, what kind of dog in went boy? Er girl?

Speaker 5 (06:57):
He is a boy, and I would say he's the
I'll spoiled a little good as a boy. His name
is Winston and he's a border Collie and Border Collie retriever.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
Oh my god, that's my favorite breed.

Speaker 5 (07:08):
My favorite breed is the one that's usually right in
front of me. That's what I say.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
That's a good thing to say, I, like Matt said,
my last was mister Zeus was a Border Collie and
flat hair taper mix. He's in doggy heaven now, but
he would have loved the paw protector and the skin
and help booster because he always had a dry nose
in his later years.

Speaker 5 (07:28):
The paw protector used pretty routinely as well, because it's
like where I live, I have a little heartscape in
southern California, and so can tend to be like sandpaper,
so just a rough setup. And so you know, as
I've had him and he's been able to gain a
little more trust, I'm able to kind of put the
pop head on the pads of his paws at night
and see improvement with that.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
Oh that's great. Now for your three products, are they
good for all dogs? Should people check with their vets
before they need it?

Speaker 5 (07:57):
Oh, it's a couple couple of ways. We're on announced
with that. So so yes, all the products are ideal.
Senior dogs really have an advantage with our products, you know,
especially if they're slowing down, like with our hip and
joint booster. But it's developed really for all dogs to
aid them and supports health mobility is development adjoints as
they have rapid growth or even just active working dogs.

(08:20):
The skin and coat booster and the pop protected the
same non helps dogs all ages, all breeds, and the
skin and coat you know, as I mentioned like with
my own dog, it helps support the immune system, provides
a shining coat that prop protectors at daily nourishment for
a name damaged terrain or the elements. And then you
neet a comment about vets. So while products are safe

(08:41):
and known for alergen, you know, we do recommend I
think any responsible pet parents going to check with a
vet on that.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
Okay, thanks, What about products for cats? Or can your
initial three products can they be used for cats as well?

Speaker 5 (08:54):
Cats have a completely different intekine system and they have
a lot of sensitivityes. So currently are products are developed
specifically for dogs, and we've clearly labeled our products the
box packaging on the website that way as well. We've
discussed developing cat products. We know that those feline pet
parents really look for quality, safe products, but that's something
that we'll do further down the line.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
Okay, glad to hear it. Cats generally always run behind
because yeah, there are harder to develop products for even
food products because they're finicky.

Speaker 5 (09:27):
Well and so many people think that the same product
that works for dog is going to be for a cat,
and that's really not the same. So we want to
make sure that when we do that that we're creating
it specifically for that breed exactly.

Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yes. On my other show, Catechude, we talked over the
years about the fact that cats are not little dogs,
so they're entirely different. What can we expect to see
with Prospect Pets as far as new lines in the future.

Speaker 5 (09:53):
Well, safe to say. I mean, we do have several
products that are in development that I'm excited about, and
it'll still be in the pet supplement and wellness category.
So we're looking at all the big heavy hitters that
are in that area and kind of discussing what makes
the most sense for us to roll out first that'll
go into next year.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
Okay, you probably cannot probably embargo on this, but is
there a chance you might go into food or grooming products?

Speaker 5 (10:20):
I would say food. I don't see that we would
get into food. I think grooming kind of gets into
some of the wellness. So that is stuff that we
are looking at so they can buy it on our
Prospect dot dot com. We just developed a brand new
website that's going to be dropping shortly and it's going
to have a lot of content education and information transparency
with our ingredients. And then we'll also have product on

(10:43):
Amazon dot com.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
Okay, wonderful, and the website again Prospect pet dot com.
Okay wonderful. Julie, thank you so much for coming on
Best Bets for Pets My pleasure.

Speaker 5 (10:53):
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.
I really appreciate your footook questions and the opportunity to
share more about Prospect Pets.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
Stay tune eby one. We're going to come right back
with our special celebrity guest.

Speaker 6 (11:07):
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(11:28):
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Speaker 7 (11:50):
Talk, Let's Go PETCOF Radio, Petline Radio, Petlfradio dot Com.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Welcome back everyone, I'd like to welcome a special guest,
Brookshield to Best Bets for Pats. Thank you so much
for coming on the show.

Speaker 8 (12:14):
Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
I'm so excited to have you. Now. The public knows
you as a mother, entrepreneur, acclaimed actor, best selling author.
By the way, I love the title of your new
book Bookshields is Not Allowed to Get Old and great reading,
and also the founder of comments. But not everyone is
aware of your passion for animals, which started when you

(12:38):
were a teenager who actually did an internship at the
San Diego Zoo at seventeen. What was that like?

Speaker 8 (12:44):
It was incredible. I was there for months working with
all sorts of animals. I mean I was doing everything
that they needed, and yeah, obviously my favorite time was,
you know, in the nursery where they were inundated with
like thirteen lemurs that had to eat at a certain
time and they were babies. And then there were some
primates whose mothers rejected them and we had to, you know,

(13:06):
find way to keep them alive and then reintroduce them
to the big kids. And then I mucked stalls and
cut apples and you know, fruit, and so it was.
It was just a really it was a very hands
on experience. I don't think you could have that experience today.
And I'm welcoming the changes because I think it is
even better for the animals. But it was such a

(13:27):
glorious experience that I had when I was seventeen.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
So and you said you did everything. I mean, you
didn't do every did you do like pick up poop?

Speaker 8 (13:36):
And oh, yeah, I know, mucking stalls, That's what I meant.
Every cage had like a huge portion of just put
the boots on, put the walies on, and get in
there and.

Speaker 5 (13:45):
Just yeah, you just do so much respect to that.

Speaker 8 (13:49):
We all pick up poop. It's fine.

Speaker 2 (13:51):
Let's talk about fur babes. How many dogs have you
had over the.

Speaker 5 (13:55):
Years, Clippery.

Speaker 8 (14:00):
So okay, that were really my dog's five. But in
the interiroom, what my mom did when I was in
high school is we would foster dogs all the time
and then find them homes. And it didn't really make
any sense, but people would be like, oh, this was
Brookshield's dog. So we started this like little mini foster
situation where people because maybe it was because of the eighties,

(14:22):
I don't know, but they would take the dog just
because the dog had been my pet. It was very odd,
but it worked. I mean I helped. We had little
jagged rebels, we had little Pi bulls, we had like
every possible dog and my mom would be like all right, okay,
and then we would find somebody to take the dogs.
So it was like a little adoption foster adoption situation.

Speaker 5 (14:44):
So oh nice.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
So with that experience and having all those types of
dogs to foster, do you have a favorite breed?

Speaker 8 (14:51):
You know, I'm a bully bully breed, Like our American
bulldog was just heaven, and we had a Portis water dog.
You know, they were all never really fully they were
given to me, which is always odd. I think the
dogs that I've gotten from from our the pound or

(15:12):
the cats that I've gotten at the ASPCA, there's something
kind of the mixed breeds that have a little bully
in them or have a little something and them like
to me, there's something that I identify with with the
fixed breeds and they seem to be so loving and
so sweet. And I mean our dog now is like
we don't know what she really is.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yes, I want to ask you about your dog now.
I'm a fan of MutS too. You have a new
dog now.

Speaker 8 (15:40):
Her name is Sanusi c Z Yeah for a restaurant
in New York City.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
Oh, I was names.

Speaker 5 (15:47):
Latuzi and is she a rescue?

Speaker 8 (15:51):
She was found by my daughter online by this woman
who lived in was a nurse practitioner or something in
North Carolina. So we didn't go to the pound to
get her, but no one wanted her because she had
this really messed up tail, like she's got this really
kind of crooked, weird tail, and nobody wanted her. And

(16:13):
so the woman was like, nobody wants this dog, and
we were like, oh, well, we're a very crooked tale family.
So absolutely, And you know, my daughter was just so
obsessed with she like combed the internet for dogs.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
Well, I'm glad you asked you here, not.

Speaker 8 (16:28):
A breeder or anything like that.

Speaker 2 (16:30):
But it's so funny how we rescue dogs sometimes and
you know, people don't like some weird quirk about them
and they're perfectly fabulous dogs.

Speaker 8 (16:38):
Well, we can't give her husbands away that easy. Why
would be dogs away?

Speaker 2 (16:43):
I'm going to rush along here, so thank you so
much for sharing that information. So, even though you've remained
in the entertainment industry, you're always been a big animal advocate.
How did being a dog mom for such a long
time and your love for your dog Pepper lead you
to be a brand office at Prospect Pet.

Speaker 8 (17:01):
Well, my dog got sick. Pepper got sick, and so
I was lucky enough to meet the team at Prospect
Pet and just talking to them and their passion for
the animals and their belief in being you know, very
very clean and conscious and all the you know, the
things that we really want to believe is happening for

(17:22):
our pets, their passion for that. I was so impressed
with the farm in Maine and what they believed in
and how every single product is designed purely for the
health of your dog. And you know, I didn't know
things like shellfish free or grain free was important. I
you know, I didn't know. I knew like kosamine helped

(17:43):
with joints, but you know, I didn't know how it
was sourced or where it came from. Ours is not corn,
you know, there were all these things that they sort
of educated me on, and I thought, God, I've been
doing such a good job taking care of myself and
I've been just throwing stuff in a bowl for my
dog like but that was how I was raised, and
that changed everything. And so the more I got to

(18:04):
know them, the more I wanted to facilitate getting their
message out into the world because of the efficacy of
the products. I now have a dog that every time
she runs on the beach, her paws just bleed. And
thank God for the pap protector because I lather it
on her. It's fine if she licks it, and then
she can run like a maniac, which she does on

(18:25):
the beach.

Speaker 2 (18:25):
You mentioned one of the products, the hipp and joint,
the skinning coat and paw protector. Is your PAP protector
your favorite product?

Speaker 8 (18:34):
I want to say the hip and joint because I
think that that really kind of goes into their internal body,
and you know, obviously they're all important. You know, the
skinning coat is important too. Choose to itch a lot
and I didn't know, and now she doesn't, you know,
So I think the hip and joint and the mobility
booster is just it gives everybody peace of mind. Differently,

(18:55):
the skinning coat health is really important for me because
I'm allergic to dogs and my dog, Choosy is not
a hypoallergenic dog, so I'm constantly with a puffer and
take pills. But now her skin doesn't flake as much
and her she doesn't shed as much.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
That is great to know. To wrap up, what would
you like pet parents to know most about prospect pet?
You can give them a couple of sentences as you.

Speaker 8 (19:21):
Master for your animal. It's very easy. It's a pump.
It's a liquid that you put on top of the food.
It's the easiest way to administer the dogs. The animals
love it. They love it, they look forward to it,
and I've noticed differences the way she runs up the stairs.
Now you know it's different. You'll see a difference rather rapidly,

(19:43):
and you're just doing something really good. It's very clean
and conscious. You can feel really good about giving it
to your pet.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
Thank you so much for coming on Best Bets for Pets.
Very nice meeting you again. N all you do for
the pets, well.

Speaker 8 (19:57):
Thanks for all you do for the pet. You're doing
it every day.

Speaker 2 (20:01):
I hope you all enjoyed this show. I had such
a wonderful time with this show. Julie Spencer was amazing,
great information about Prospect Pet and Brooke Shields couldn't have
been more charming. I so I've been a fan of
hers for years. She is an amazing woman, and I
just think it's amazing that she's going into the pet

(20:22):
area and she's done so much to help pets already,
but even more so, you know with Prospect Pets. So
thank you Brook so much for coming on Best Bets
for Pets. Thanks to my cat crew Dennis, Charlotte and
Molly who listened to me prepare for my show today.
Thank you again to my guests Julie Spencer and Brooke
Shields for coming on Best Bets for Pets. I really

(20:45):
appreciate your time. Thank you to my listeners. I hope
you enjoyed this show. You know, clean and transparency and
our wellness products for our pooches is so important, and
of course the show would not be the same without
the magic of my producer, Mark Winter. Thank you so much, Mark,
and remember you never know what will have next on
Best Bets for Pets.

Speaker 4 (21:07):
Let's talk Bets every week on demand only on petlit
radio dot com.
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