Mindy and her dogs Woody & Hayes founded a network of Zen Therapy Dogs to connect volunteers in Orlando.
In this 63rd episode of Therapy Dog Talk, I chat with Mindy and her two hounds, Woody and Hayes. We talk about their volunteer work in Orlando, Florida, where they’ve worked with many organizations like Advent Health, Orlando International Airport’s Paw Pilots program, Give Kids the World, nursing homes, first responder visits, bereavement camps, children’s reading programs, and as emergency mental health partners for Seminole County.
Mindy tells me how being visited by a Therapy Dog inspired her to volunteer with Woody and Hayes. She explains how their special skills have made them successful. She also talks about what it’s like to train hounds for therapy work, with Woody being great at scent work and Hayes doing an excellent job at dock diving.
We discuss why Mindy started the Zen Therapy Dog Network. Its goal is to make therapy dog work easy and affordable for handlers. The network helps new people connect with experienced handlers and organizations that need help.
Mindy also talks about the importance of taking care of herself and her dogs. They relax and have fun by doing things like running on trails, scent trials, and dock diving. We also chat about how therapy work helped Mindy deal with her husband’s passing. She focuses on making others happy and feels supported by her therapy dog friends.
In this episode, you’ll learn more about the fun and challenges of working with therapy dogs. You’ll also hear about Mindy’s journey with Woody and Hayes as they help people in Orlando, Flo
In this episode, we discuss …
- How Mindy’s own experience with being visited by a Therapy Dog led to her volunteering with her dogs.
- What it’s like to train hounds for Therapy Dog work.
- Why she decided to create Zen Dogs Therapy Network.
Key moments you won’t want to miss:
- [02:40] Mindy’s own experience with a Therapy Dog visit led her to volunteer with her dogs Woody and Hayes, and how their special skills help them as Therapy Dogs.
- [05:55] What it’s like to train hounds for Therapy Dog work, with Woody being great at scent work and Hayes doing an excellent job at dock diving.
- [11:23] The reason behind creating the Zen Therapy Dog Network, aiming to make therapy dog work easy and affordable for handlers.
- [12:30] How the Zen Therapy Dog Network connects new people with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs test and partners experienced handlers with organizations needing help.
- [12:59] Zen Therapy Dog Network’s teamwork with Seminole County Emergency Management, helping their team during emergencies like hurricanes.
- [13:50] A touching story of Mindy organizing a dog visit for a lady in a nursing home who missed having a dog after a caroling with the canines event.
- [15:30] Mindy’s advice on starting as a Therapy Dog Team, focusing on the importance of a dog’s personality, training, and passing the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.
- [17:54] How therapy work helped Mindy deal with her husband’s passing, making others happy and feeling supported by her therapy dog friends.
- [18:32] The importance of taking care of Mindy and her dogs, letting them relax and have fun with activities like running on trails, scent trials, and dock diving.
- [20:25] Mindy’s encouragement for others interested in therapy dog work, emphasizing the positive impact it has on both the handler and the people they visit.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do. Give it a watch or a listen and then let me know in the community which part you found the most helpful!
Mentioned in this episode:
- Advent Health
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs
- Give Kids the World
- Orlando International Airport’s Paw Pilots
- Seminole County Emergency Management
- Zen Therapy Dogs Network
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