The DuPage Paws for People Story

My affiliation with DuPage Paws for People began in 2013 when I certified my terrier, Lollie, as a Therapy Dog through Therapy Dogs International. We began volunteering in a reading program for students at Albright Middle School in Villa Park. I found our work together brought excitement and anticipation to the children each week and I was enthusiastic to have the special opportunity to volunteer at the middle school I attended as a child. I recognize that there is a special relationship that humans share with dogs, and I am in favor of participation of formally trained dogs assisting, supporting and serving humans in public settings. I currently own a Labrador named Silver. As a team, Silver and I are certified as a therapy team through Pet Partners. We volunteer monthly at the READ program for kids at Elmhurst Library. We also participate in dog sport activities including Nose-Work. I volunteered as a puppy raiser for the national service dog organization, Canine Companions for Independence from 2018-2020. I have owned multiple German Shorthair Pointers, as well as mixed breed dogs. My day job involves practicing veterinary medicine and surgery at DuPage Animal Hospital in Villa Park. My professional interests overlap with my personal interests in learning about animal behavior. As part of my professional continuing education, I am certified as a Fear Free Veterinary Professional ensuring that my patients receive the most considerate, safe, and current handling care when they are in my practice. My own dogs, as well as thousands of canine patients, have helped me to understand how genetics and breeding influence behavior and learning. I am excited and optimistic about the future for DuPage Paws for People, as its handler and specially trained dog teams work to support students and teachers in our community.

In 2015 I retired after an over thirty-year career in public school education. I was a Special Education teacher in a variety of school districts for twenty-three years and I had the honor of serving as Department Chair for Special Services at Downers Grove South High School for my last ten years. Upon my retirement, my husband Paul decided I needed a companion to help me transition to my post-teaching life. We welcomed Tula, a rambunctious Goldendoodle, into our family. As she grew, I decided to combine my love for teaching, children, and Tula. Thus began our journey as a therapy dog team. We had successful training to become certified through Pet Partners and we were ready to begin our adventure. We discovered DuPage Paws for People. Since 2018 we have visited every classroom that serves students with special needs in the DuPage Paws for People network. This has been an incredibly joyful and enriching experience for everyone. Tula greatly looks forward to these visits, as do I. Also, she does a great job interacting with the students and they enjoy her immensely. It gives me great pleasure to be able to use my experience as an educator and leader to provide value to students and I am looking forward to serving as a member of the board for DuPage Paws for People.

I have been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 10 years specializing in working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. I have had the pleasure to see how the students interact with the therapy dogs and their handlers when they come for therapy visits. As an SLP I am always thinking about language and how to make interactions more meaningful and accessible. I am excited for the opportunity to serve on the board and join this wonderful community! When not at work I enjoy going for walks with my family at the Brookfield Zoo, listening to audiobooks (my goal is 50 books each year), and cheering on the Fighting Illini football team!

My career continues to evolve from marketing, management, and project management in the lighting industry then crossed over into the nonprofit world working for a national domestic hunger relief organization to currently working with my husband Tom building homes as Trinity Home Developers. I have an MBA with a dual emphasis in marketing and management. And I completed a Certificate in Nonprofit Management covering Board Governance, Finance, Fundraising, Marketing, Operations, and Strategic Planning. Tom and I enjoy and love adventures with our two grandchildren and their wonderful parents. We were lucky to have Sláinte for 14 years. And we are lucky again to be enjoying Berkeley, a Havanese puppy in training in our family. Even though Sláinte is gone, I want to continue the work we started together. I am excited for DuPage Paws for People’s continued growth helping more registered therapy dog teams visit blind & low vision and deaf & hard of hearing students in our community because our therapy dogs’ unconditional love does positively affect these students.