The vision

The vision for Paws2Heal started with the help of our first therapy dog, Kyla. Kyla was naturally gifted for her line of work and performed ‘therapy’ long before she was a certified therapy dog. She demonstrated an uncanny ability to connect with people in a healing manner, and because of that, I embarked on the quest to get her certified so I could share her gift with others. Kyla demonstrated firsthand the power an animal can have in creating safety, connection, empathy, and compassion, all things vital to establishing a healing environment. Since then, I have been dedicated to incorporating Animal Assisted Therapy into my practice, whether it is through therapy animals in the office, advocating for Emotional Support Animals for client use at home, or connecting individuals with access to Service Dogs. Therapy animals are not limited to dogs, and I work hard to connect my clients to animals they feel drawn to, whether dogs, cats, horses, or smaller animals such as chinchillas and rabbits. There is an animal out there to fit any need for individuals interested in exploring this form of therapy. Unfortunately, we lost Kyla in March of 2019, but her spirit lives on, and the impact she made continues in our mission to help individuals heal through the connection of animals.