Well Wisconsin Radio

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Jen: Hello and welcome to Well Wisconsin Radio, a podcast discussing health and wellbeing topics with experts from all over the state of Wisconsin. I’m your host, Jennifer Schmidt, and today’s episode is called Pause and Purpose, the Power of Pets in our Lives. Whether you’re a lifelong animal lover, a new pet parent, or simply someone curious about the role animals play in our lives, you’re in for a real treat. Joining me today are two special guests. Lauren Brinkman from Underdog Pet Rescue of Wisconsin and Karen Smith from Dogs on Call, Inc. Ladies, thank you both for joining me today. To get us started, can each of you introduce yourselves and share a little bit about your connection to animals or the pet world?

Lauren: Yeah, thanks for having me. I’m Lauren Brinkman. I am the founder and director of Underdog Pet Rescue and Veterinary Services. Um, I always liked animals and um, as soon as I was able to, I adopted my first dog and it kind of led me to eventually start fostering when I was able to and learning about how the sheltering world worked and I, in 2012, started Underdog. In 2017, we opened up our vet clinic. So, um, I’m excited to be here and talk about the huge impact that pets have had in my life and a lot of people surrounding me.

Karen: Hello and, uh, thank you for inviting me. I’m Karen Smith and I’m a member of Dogs on Call, which is part of the International Group Pet Partners. I’m originally from Baraboo, Wisconsin. I now live here in Madison, but, um, I’ve had the opportunity to live around the country. Uh, I was raised with dogs and cats and parakeets and horses, cows, sheep and pigs. So, um, grew up with quite a few different animals around us. Uh, it was in Phoenix, Arizona where I got my first dog Bear along with three cats. And Bear was my constant running companion. We did all kinds of people running races and it was there that I found my, well had my first experience where I found that people were just drawn to you when you had a, a dog with you and some of the closest friends I have, I got introduced to because they came up to me because Bear was standing there and they really wanted to get to know Bear.

I don’t know that they cared about getting to know me, but they did want to meet Bear. Uh, currently, um, I’ve been with Dogs on Call since 2010 when my first dog, well, my first therapy dog, zombie, a Dutch Shepherd, uh, passed his evaluation. Year later, my other dog, Shaka, also passed, so I had two of them. In 2015, I became an instructor and in 2016 an evaluator and I’m currently president of the organization. Um, currently, uh, I have three Dutch Shepherds, none of whom are suitable for therapy work and unfortunately, um, but I got three in the household, um, right now. We do, we do a lot of flyball and disc and a lot of different dog sports instead of therapy work, since they are not suited for that career choice.
Jen: That’s still okay. We love all of our fur babies, but there’s something truly powerful about the bonds we form with animals regardless of the type. So, let’s dive into the questions, Karen and Lauren. Um, why do you think people develop such meaningful connections with pets?

Lauren: Um, I, I personally think, from what I’ve seen, that people develop really close bonds with animals because, you know, maybe they have a distrust towards people or maybe they, um, have anxiety and it feels like animals don’t judge them. Um, they can be themselves and be truly comfortable. Um, I mean, I certainly am not singing like I am in front of my husband, like I am my dogs when I’m home alone. Um, you know, it’s, I think that there’s a level of comfort that animals bring us and, um, it just feels like it’s unconditional love. So. Yeah.
Karen: Yeah, I definitely agree. Um, pets are just accepting of, of who you are. They’re not judgmental about it. Um, my guys are only judgmental if I’m late with dinner. Um, they love you just, just as you are, um, regardless of what you’ve done or how your day has gone.

Jen: I have to agree with you both about the unconditional love part. Um, yeah. Through thick and thin or when we’re having our bad days. They’re always there knowing that something’s wrong or off and there to offer support. But I have to also agree with you too Karen that if I’m late for my dog’s, uh, dinner, um, all three of them will be letting me know that they are not pleased. So, um, Lauren, how do you, uh, see pets contributing to a person’s sense of wellbeing overall?

Lauren: I mean, I, I see in myself and my family that it kind of brings a sense of calm when our pets are around, when the cat chooses you to sit on your lap on the couch that night. Um, but in a really, um, interesting sense. So, Underdog started working with this national organization called Street Dog Coalition. So, we see folks who come in who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and these folks, um, come in and we provide free veterinary care for them so that we can do basic wellness and um, give them a voucher to get a spay and neuter at our clinic at Underdog. Um, so it’s really, um, it’s hard, but it’s really gratifying work to be helping these people get something for their pets that they wanna do, that they can’t afford. Um, but when I see people who are living in their cars because they can’t, um, take their pet into a shelter in our area, these people keep their act together, you know, whether it’s like they are dealing with addiction or whether they’re dealing with, um, other, other problems in their life, but they, their pet is why they do what they need to do, you know, and they, um, are able to be just better, better versions of their self because they have an animal who hasn’t let them down and they don’t wanna let their pet down. So, it’s, um, it’s been really, really, um, interesting to see that.

Karen: Things, uh, pet partners has done is they, um, finance studies on how animals in general, pets in particular, contribute to a person’s wellbeing. And they’ve documented things like person’s blood pressure goes down when you’re, when you’re petting an animal, or, uh, just sometimes just seeing them around. Um, thinking about when you’re at work, having a particularly lousy day, that you’re going to go home to your partners is, it makes it at least bearable most of the time that you’re going to see them. Um, taking a dog for a walk is not only to get exercise, but a lot of times you’ll have an opportunity to engage with people that you wouldn’t normally get to know. I was sitting in a, a beer garden Tuesday, one of our last beautiful days, and a gentleman showed up with a German Shepherd and there was happened to be a fire pit and we sat there and we had a nice conversation there while he was waiting for his person to show up and I was waiting for mine and all about his dog and where he’d been. And it was just a very lovely evening.

Jen: Karen and Lauren, what would you say are some of the, you know, most rewarding parts of owning? Um, or for those that simply can’t own, um, simply being around a pet in general?
Lauren: Um, I think, you know, the increase in mental health, you know, it really feels like a wonderful division between the workday and my time at night when I am able to take my dog to the dog park and, um, I’m more active because of my pet. Um, you know, whether it’s, uh, I’ve had dogs in the past that I was able to jog with and, um, luckily, they were seniors, so they weren’t mad that I was going so slow. But, um, you know, I think that there’s things that I’ve discovered that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Whether it’s trails that we go find in the woods that I probably wouldn’t have gone and done by myself. Um. And just that bond you make with other people because it, it takes off the anxiety of, you know, meeting a new person when there’s a, a dog in between. Um, and you know, there’s a lot of obviously lousy stuff happening in the world and when I’m sitting in a room doing a volunteer orientation, or whether I’m sitting with potential adopters at PetSmart or, you know, something having to do with the rescue, it doesn’t matter what your politics are, it doesn’t matter what, um, you know, what background do you come from. The animals seem to make everything an even playing ground, and you get to see the good in people, um, when they’re around animals.

Karen: Yeah, again, that unconditional love and, um, there’s something nice about waking up in the morning, and especially on a Monday morning, when you don’t really necessarily wanna go to work and having all the animals just jump on the bed and I’ve been late once or twice on a Monday morning because I just wanted to lay there and enjoy that love and just that, those moments of, Hey, it’s okay. I really don’t wanna go to work today, but they’re making me feel better about going there. Um, definitely comfort in rough times. Um, I had to have, uh, knees replaced here and they seemed to just know not to be their wild, crazy selves and just lay beside me and be nice and just be with me, which was very, very comforting when, yeah, I wasn’t feeling all that hot, uh, after all of that. Um, again, it just, that whole coming home to pets, they only want your love. And as we’ve mentioned dinner after that, I’m number one on their page.
Jen: Yes, they, they do have their priorities for sure. Going on to our kind of next question, Lauren, um, you kind of talked a lot about how, you know, pets can influence our daily routines, especially with like, making us healthier in terms of like getting us out and about to the trails to, you know, uh, increase our physical fitness. Um, but how else do you think pets influence our daily routines or help us build healthier habits?

Lauren: Um, I think that, um, I mean, the activity is, is a huge part, but I think that, um, thinking about how it’s, you know, the world is more just a than what’s in our head. It’s not, it’s more, there’s something more than just us. You know, obviously if you have kids or a partner that you live with, it’s, you think about those things too, and the healthier habits to affect your, your household. But with, um, with animals, I think that seeing somebody else’s needs and putting them at or above your needs is just, it, it’s a healthy thing for me to be thinking like, you know what, I really should probably log onto my computer for a little bit, but my dog needs me to throw a ball for him in the yard. And ultimately that ends up being better for, for me too. And I see that a lot with, um, you know, my kids, if my daughter takes my dog for a walk, it, um, it really increases her mood too.

Jen: When you think of times when, you know, pets have added a real sense of purpose or structure to someone’s life?

Lauren: So sometimes we will do puppy parties as a fundraiser, um, for our organization or, um, to, a lot of times it’s for health. Like a, a business will ask us to come out and, um, they’ll take a break and people get to play with the puppies or the kittens that we bring in and it reduces their stress. But, um, there’s one man who called me and asked me to bring puppies for his wife who was on hospice care and, um, they had their adult kids come over and these puppies just made this woman look happy and alive, and they had not seen her so happy. Like, I was, just to know that the joy that these pets brought to this woman, um, I mean they bring that to everyone, but especially somebody who’s going through a really rough time. It was really, um, it was a huge, a huge positive part of her day.
Jen: Yeah. That’s a great example of how they can just uplift everybody in even the toughest of situations. Thank you for sharing that. Karen. Um, kind of going, um, more into your, um, background with your organization. Do different types of pets, um, and you can explain what type, different types of pets, because I know there are a lot for therapy animals, uh, today, but like dogs, cats, rabbits, or birds or even maybe even donkeys, uh, offer unique forms of companionship.

Karen: Uh, yes. Uh, I guess mentioned earlier, I was raised around all of those as a kid, um, including turtles and anything you could imagine. Um, they each have their own way of being a, a companion. I mean, some like dogs are obvious, um, but even within dogs, different breeds have different ways of being a companion. Some are a little more aloof, some wheat bread just to, hey, all they want is to sit in your lap. Um, so there’s a lot of range of how they, um, become companions even within the dogs. Um, if you think about it, a tank of fish, how often have you seen those in like a dentist’s office? Now we don’t think of those necessarily being a companionship, but they are calming and relaxing and you look at a big thing of tropical fish and most people will just sit there and just stare at them. Now when it comes to actually therapy animals. We have dogs, of course, we have cats, um, which can be extremely independent. We have birds, but the bigger birds, like, um, um, McCaws and that. So not the tiny parakeets, but we can have those. As a kid though we had parakeet. Again, it was fun just learning how to, his name Pete, just how he’d sit on his finger and how you could care for him. Um, horses and we have mini horses and mini donkeys, which I forgot, um, that are really important, like in nursing homes, especially in rural areas where you get people who aren’t on the farm anymore and miss and miss their farm animals. So, the idea of being able to bring in mini horses or mini donkeys, um, we have people that just for anxiety, just grooming them, uh, riding them and that it’s, it’s just very calming to them. Um, and like I said, when you think of alpacas and llamas that we actually have as part of a therapy dog animal set, you don’t necessarily think of those as, but yet again, this one gentleman takes them to nursing homes where, well, the cattle are not there anymore. You’re not on the farm, you’re in the nursing home, and it’s a very rewarding thing for the people in those situations.
Jen: Lauren, can you share a little bit more about your organization and, um, the services you offer to the community so that those you know, that are interested? Um, because I know you gave several different great examples of how your organizations especially helps, you know, um, different families or individuals in need, um, at very tough times in their life. But, um, if there’s anything extra, then I’d love to hear more.

Lauren: Yeah, um, well, when I started Underdog, I just wanted, I envisioned a foster home-based rescue. Um, so out of my basement I was working my healthcare job remotely and I just started, uh, um, applying for my 501 3C and got, um, approved for that. So, I found about 10 local people who were willing to open their homes and foster pets. So I worked with a shelter in Milwaukee and we ended up pulling animals out of there and, um, people would watch ’em, we’d get ’em, vet care around town, and then we would, um, put ’em up for adoption and that was really rewarding, but very expensive. And so we started working with different vets around town, finding different relationships where we could help each other out and get discounts. But still, it was a lot of chasing our tails to get, you know, the ultimate, you know, level of care that we wanted for each animal. So, um, a couple years in, we, um, we started offering vet services to the public, when we found a solid vet that we hired full-time, and that was really a goal of having people come to us for their veterinary care so that we could use the funds from that to put into helping the animals. Um, what we found was that there were people who were pounding on our door, um, saying, my pet’s gonna die, I can’t afford to take it to the emergency pet. What can you do for me? Um, so my plan kind of like failed to bring in the funds, but um, eventually we found a nice medium where anyone can come to us, we’ll provide vet care at an affordable rate, a little bit less than the average vet clinics in town. And then, um, if people self-qualify as having a financial need, then we’ll give them a discount. And then once a month we do these popups where we’re offering free services for people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. So, um. It feels like we can kind of have our cake and eat it too, in terms of bringing in some, some money from doing that. And, um, it’s really great now, we have three vets on staff, so we’re able to provide elevated care also for the animals in our program. Um, so they’re going out to their adoptive homes with, um, a little bit more than we were able to provide, um, in the beginning. Um, and, um. All of our foster homes are volunteers. We’re always looking for, for foster parents, we can only take in the amount of animals, um, from the high volume shelters that face euthanizing pets when they run out of space, um, if we have enough foster homes. So, um, there’s also an awesome camaraderie that you got from working with the, the volunteers and the staff that really, truly care.
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Jen: Karen, can you tell us a little bit more about the work that your organization does? Uh, what makes it unique and what kind of impact, you know, that you’re seeing, especially the different types of locations, because you’ve talked about nursing homes, bringing to other events, but I’d love to hear more.

Karen: Uh, yeah. There are a number of groups that, uh, have therapy teams and their criteria are different depending on the group. So, for ours, we evaluate our teams to determine if therapy work is something they’re really suited for. And as I mentioned earlier, our pet partners allows dogs, cats, rabbits, mini horses, and mini donkeys, llamas, alpacas, Guinea pigs, um, pigs and then birds, like parrots. So, um, there’s quite a, quite a range that is allowed. What we’re looking for, uh, when we’re evaluating the teams is that they’re relatively calm in most situations. Um, and most important of all is they have to the, the partner, the animal has to want to do it. They have to enjoy interacting with people. And one of the saddest things is we’ve, on several occasions, evaluated a team where the person wanted to do it so badly, but their animal partner said, not my cup of tea and you could tell they simply did not enjoy it. Um, and with our group, the human is there to support the animal partner and ensure that that animal is having a safe and pleasant interaction, because obviously if they don’t enjoy it, most people notice it and it, it just doesn’t work out long term. I would say one of the most, um, rewarding things that we’ve seen with the group was I was working with a gal who had had, um, a serious head injury matter. Well, she survived, but obviously in very bad shape. She had not wanted to get out of bed and move around. And so, I had my, my dog a zombie with me cause we were doing physical therapy work with them and I had a leash and she walked with us quite willingly because there’s a dog there now. You took a walk around the aisles with the, the nurse and everything and then we sat down and I have picture books that I use cause uh, she couldn’t speak yet cause she had tracheotomy and I was just, you know, pointing out things in the pictures, in the books with my different dogs and then it was time for her to go back to her room and a relative of hers had been with us and he said that’s the most she’s done in the three weeks she’s been here. And he was just ecstatic. And I happened to go back and see her, I think it was probably about a month later, and she was actually being discharged to go home. So, it’s, that’s what it’s all about for us. I never expected anything like that to happen when I was decided to, you know, give therapy dogs a try. But every one of us that does it has those moments that we aren’t expecting. So, it really brought it home to me that it makes a difference even though you aren’t expecting it.

Jen: Yeah. Great example. So, your animals and organizations have the ability to go to hospitals, nursing homes, what, are there any other types of sites or locations that you navigate to?

Karen: Yeah, we’ve actually wound up expanding that, um. Uh, in the schools, one of our bigger programs, schools and libraries, is the Read With Me Program where we go in and work with kids that, that they feel judgmental about adults listening to them read or their classmates hearing them read. You put a dog there and the funny thing is, I disappear even though I’m sitting there to help with the words and that I somehow get erased and it’s just them reading to my dog and it’s very, very, um, successful program and in demand. Once in a while we do get kids too that come in to read like in the library who are very proficient readers, but it’s their reward to come and, you know, pet the dog and get to read. Our biggest one in the schools right now that I almost forgot about are the dorms, uh, UW dorms right now. I think we had over 70 visits last year. At UW alone, and we do in the hospitals of course. One of the more unusual, you know, visiting, of course the people who are there, but also visiting the people who are there because someone they know is there. For example, um, we’ve been there when people have lost a loved one and we’ve been asked to come into the common room and just have the dog there to kind of help with their grief moments. Uh, same with hospice. A lot of times a person in hospice may not be, you know, able to interact with the, the dog, but their relatives are there and need that also. And I would say one of the things with senior centers where we visit those may be the only visitors some of these people get is that, that dog or that cat or that mini donkey coming through. Uh, so it’s a, a huge. uh, a huge thing for them. One of the newest ones that I almost forgot about is we’re now doing stuff with the, um, fire stations here. Uh, we’ve had, we’re working with them. That’s a very stressful job. And some of the calls that they go out on aren’t, don’t end well for people or their pets or whatever and now we have set up, um, a liaison so that. If they’ve had an especially bad call or maybe a bad, we’ve had a couple of very bad, uh, accidents here in Madison that we can bring in a couple of teams and just, they can just sit and pet a dog or a cat or whatever for a bit, uh, to kind of reduce their stress over everything that happened recently at the fire station. Programs are expanding, especially in this whole emergency response. That’s a brand-new area for us, and we’re just kind of working on how to, how to properly do this.

Jen: Uh, yeah, it brings me into thinking about, you know, your organization, Karen, on how you’re bringing pets to others. You know, of course not everybody is in a place to, you know, own a pet, to be around pets for many reasons, but you know, that brings me into thinking, uh, like Lauren, for those that like can’t have a pet, you know, like right now it’s just not the right time. There are concerns for health, like allergies, um, or you’re living in a place, you know, that doesn’t allow, um, animals. How can people still benefit from being, you know, around animals?

Lauren: Yeah. Um, we do have some folks who travel too much for work or, you know, don’t have a solid setup to have a permanent animal, but sometimes fostering can be a really good opportunity for them, um, or even just to see if, um, you know, how, how their, their child does with a pet before signing the papers to officially adopt. So, um, you know, volunteering in as a foster is a huge way to, um, kind of dip your toes in the water of pet ownership. Um, but we also have opportunities where people can do tabling or, you know, be out in the community and they can handle a dog for the day. If they’re partner is allergic and they can’t have the pet in their home, there’s ways that people can still give back and have that, um, that connection time with a pet who is in need of a home. It seems that, you know, we, we have a lot of people who come to us because they have this mentality of like, I don’t like people, so I’m just gonna spend time with animals. And I think that that’s, you know, some of, a lot of us have been in that moment. Um, but um, I think what healing is that sometimes people connect with other people who also have that compassion in their hearts, and that gives them a little bit of hope that not everyone’s lousy.

Jen: Have you ever seen a pet, you know, kind of transform someone’s life, bring joy, purpose, or healing in an unexpected way?

Lauren: Absolutely. Um, we’ve had, um, we had a veteran who adopted a dog who was a little bit hard to place, but he was, um, the dog had extreme anxiety and, um, the person was on disability, so he was able to spend all the time with his pet and get him certified to go to certain places with him. And so that person, um, that person’s life was, was very much changed by having that companionship. Um, I’ve also had folks who adopted a dog from us and then, um, later their, their spouse passed away. And having that dog was their, their grounding, um, to have, to feel like things were, that they were gonna make it through this terrible life situation. So, um, you know, those are, uh, really neat matches to make where you know that the pets are making a very positive difference in a person’s life. Um, especially when it’s a harder to place animal who struggled in foster care and then they find their person and it just makes you realize it’s worth, it’s worth all the time and energy we’re putting in.
Jen: Karen, can you, um, bring a therapy animal into a space like, you know, a hospital or community center or setting that you’ve mentioned? What do you kind of first notice?
Karen: Um, one of the funny things that, um, we visit all the area hospitals here, and one of the things I found very funny to start with was the first people to come up to the dogs are the staff. They, uh, before you can even get to the room, uh, especially, you usually have to walk by the nurse’s station, and you’re stopped right then and there. And we have, uh, baseball cards of most, I think all the dogs and cats have their own baseball card. And you’ll see a lot of the nurses’ stations, the cards all tacked up on the wall of all the different dogs or cats and that, that have visited. I think one of the more interesting ones that I had done was, uh, visiting with kids as you were speaking, who were like in the homeless shelters, uh, like at the Salvation Army and that, and that is a different kind of energy because they are beyond excited, um, to see, uh, a dog and to be able to pet a dog and it’s also one of the saddest things I’ve ever experienced because they wanted to take my dog with them. They really, really wanted that dog to come back, like to the Salvation Army and stay with them. It would’ve meant so much to them, but again, it just made things a bit brighter for, for at least a little bit.

Jen: That’s always nice to see and brighten somebody’s day, even though it’s just for a few minutes. Um, because it will give them something, a nice memory to, to keep. Lauren, what do you hear from people who kind of foster or volunteer with your, you know, your organization? How does, you know, being around animals maybe for the first time as a, you know, foster home, um, kind of affect them?

Lauren: Um, I almost always hear that people are learning something from every animal, you know, whether it’s, you know, you gaining patience from your dog that you had for the first year where it was a, a struggle, um, or whether it’s, um, you know, learning the importance of a routine or what it’s like to have a cat in your house when you’ve never had one before. But, um, what I think I hear most is that people enjoy the camaraderie. They feel like they have a family, they feel like they have, you know support. And I think, um, having a trainer on our staff is really useful, so that people feel stuck with a dog, um, that they’re fostering and they’re not sure how to deal with a certain behavior that they know they have some support. Or even just foster to foster non-expert to non-expert. Um, just kind of, you know, oh, I’m struggling with potty training, or I’m struggling with, um, crate training. Um, just to have the ability to mentor them, for people who’ve been more experienced, is really valuable to some people. And, um, seeing people kind of work their way up as leaders, as volunteers. People are giving their time. Some people are giving like 40 hours a week of their time to work on everything that we do as an organization to save animals lives and just to help people. And so, I think people are just inspired by each other in, in doing the work, um, but I, I think that the closeness and the camaraderie is a, a really big part of it.

Jen: Yeah, that’s a great example. And such a great way to give back. I have several friends that are fostering different pets and they just find it so rewarding.

Lauren: You often get to meet really good people who wanna adopt and people stay in touch with the people who adopt their animals.

Jen: Mm-hmm.

Lauren: And, um, and that’s really rewarding too, because then even if you’re sad when the animal goes home, you know that, um, you get to get a picture every once in a while and know that they’re doing well.

Jen: Yeah, definitely can see this, um, you know, as a great way to give back. Um, kind of wrap up with some encouragement for our listeners. Lauren, what would you say to someone who wants, wants a pet, but you know, really isn’t sure if they’re ready?I know you talked about, you know, looking into fostering, um, or, or maybe helping out. Um, any other suggestions or ideas?
Lauren: I think spending time with a friend who has pets is a really great way to get started and kind of know what you might be signing up for. Um, and I feel like a broken record, but fostering a pet is a great way to, um, to kind of dip your toes in the water. We have people who volunteer to just foster a weekend a year. So, they go through our training and they just have a pet in their home for a very short period of time where there’s a definitive beginning and end of when they have the pet. And even if the pet isn’t a great fit for their home, you can manage just about anything for 48 hours. Um, so, um, there’s lots of good ways to kind of see if you’re ready. And I think the fact that you’re wondering if you’re ready or not is a really good sign. Cause it means you’re probably gonna do a little bit of research, figure out, you know, what kind of, um, training you wanna do with a pet or what kind of enrichment, and think about those things, making sure you have all the supplies ready to make it as easy as possible.

Jen: Yeah, that’s a great reminder, um, to do your research, learn about the breed, learn about the background of the dog, if you’re adopting, like kind of what they’ve come from, so that you set yourself up essentially for success knowing that you know it’s gonna be a transition. Um, Karen and Lauren, um, any advice for new pet owners about how to build a healthy, lasting bond with their pets?

Lauren: Um, I think that getting involved in training is really a great thing. We really believe in positive based training where you’re like using rewards to get pets to do the things you want them to do. Um, and I think that, you know, a lot of times people strengthen their bond with the pet that they have in their home through doing that, and then it could even be a pathway to becoming a therapy dog. Um, so I think that doing that and, um, making sure that you establish a veterinarian, um, maybe even talking if you’re thinking about adopting a dog who may be tested positive for heartworm and was treated, talking to the vet, you’re planning on using to know, um, you know, what, what do I need to consider with this? Um, and then I think when people feel like they have a team of people who support him with, um, with moving forward with bringing a pet home, it, it really eases the transition.

Jen: Yeah, that’s a great example is kind of set yourself up again for success and know all the things before. Um, you officially have them at your home.

Karen: Yeah, I definitely will second all that. Um, and take a class, take a class, take a class. Um, you will have the opportunity to sit there and see, “I’m not the only one whose dog can’t possibly figure that out.” Now, there’s several others probably sitting next to you that are having the exact same problem. Um, so it’s, it’s good for both of you, um, to see and try different activities with your, your pet. Um, agility, herding, nose work, therapy work, disc dog, hiking, jogging, swimming. I do dog sports and one of the things we joke about is, I maybe wanna do this, but it’s kind of like a kid, maybe I want them to play football, but they’ve decided on soccer. And it’s the same with the dogs and cats. Well, dogs particular, they pick the activity that they want to do and we just have to go along with their decision, sometimes. But yes, try those and you don’t have to compete at them. Although there’s a lot more opportunities now. And when you do that, you find a whole other community of people. Um, one of the sports I do is flyball, and there’s a whole community of us that are friends just because our dogs get together every few weekends here and do this sport together, and it’s really rewarding for me, um, to have all these people as friends and, and people I can go to with questions or advice or, or whatever. And certainly, my dogs absolutely love it. Um, and with that, meet up with people who have, who have pets. Um, there’s really nothing new under the sun that somebody hasn’t seen or had to deal with. And whether it’s their health or their behavior or whatever. Um, it’s, it, you find out you’re not the only person in the world whose kid is screaming in the candy aisle of the grocery store, and you just want that to stop. No, your, your dog is just like every other dog and you just didn’t realize it. So, and it, it’s, again, it’s community and help. You just feel better, like you’re not the worst parent on the entire planet because they’re screaming in the candy aisle of the grocery store.

Jen: Great example. Yes, it’s good to have community, um, or, you know, when we talk about having kids have a village, because you won’t likely need it at some point. So, thank you for that story. Uh, before we go, I’d love to hear this from each of you. Um, what’s one life lesson or piece of wisdom you’ve learned from being around animals?

Lauren: Um, I think to not take things so seriously. You know, I, I’m having a stressful day. I’m ready to explode. I walk in the door and because it’s Gilbert, my senior boxer, who meets me at the door and our new little senior beagle who I took home cause I thought she was gonna die and now she’s gonna live for years. Um, she like, they, they teach me that you should focus on, you know, focus on the things that matter and um, just take a break, you know, smell. Sniff around, like smell the flowers, enjoy, enjoy, um, being in the moment. And I think that that’s a huge, um, a huge thing that I gain from my pets

Karen: Mine was also was enjoy the moment, um, worry less about what might happen because it may or may not enjoy them. And get a laugh out of the, the fact my dog is looking out the window at the bird feeder, that’s more of a chipmunk feeder, and he could not be happier than dancing between the windows, watching the chipmunk scurry between the two windows, and almost stepping on my other one who’s sleeping there, but it’s just, they’re enjoying that moment.

Jen: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it’s, it’s good to take, you know, take a pause from all the chaos that sometimes like brings and just, yeah, enjoy the moment. Enjoy those, you know, maybe moments of chaos, um, that aren’t, you know, necessarily always, um, planned. But at the end of the day, maybe they gave a, a good laugh, calmed you down a little bit, took your mind off things, um, and will be a future story that you can share that will be funny, uh, down the road. So, for anyone who feels, you know, kind of inspired, um, by this episode, um. If people wanna learn more, um, from both of your organizations, um, whether it’s about pet rescue, fostering, therapy services, what’s the best way for them to connect with, um, either of your organizations to inquire, ask questions, or explore getting involved?
Lauren: Yeah. Um, so underdogpetrescue.org is our email or is our website and, um. I love to talk to people to kind of find the thing that they’re interested in doing, whatever amount of time or situation you have. Um, coming into our, our vet clinic to have your pet seen, we have really high-quality vets on staff who are probably do more surgeries than most vets in town. So, I trust them with my pet’s lives. Um, so seeing our vet clinic supports what we do and, um, just coming to some of the events that we have around town to get to, to know us a little bit better and maybe spread the word about how cool rescue animals are.

Karen: Yes, and we’re at dogsoncall.org. That’s our, our local group. And if you Google Pet Partners, they have, again, it’s an international group. They have all sorts of resource materials and they’ll also give you an outline of, you know, what you need to do if you’re thinking about, you know, becoming a therapy dog team. Um, and we’re also at a lot of the same with underdog. A lot of these community events, we tend to have a table or a booth at, um, and you can always, you see one of us walking around just stop us and ask, and we usually have literature in our pockets and more than willing to tell you more about the group and how you can get involved. And even if you don’t have, like right now, I don’t have a partner. My dogs are not suitable for this, for very different reasons for the three of ’em. Um, but you can still be involved in doing things to support the group even if you don’t have a, a partner right now that’s, that’s suitable.

Jen: Thank you both so much for joining me today and for the beautiful work you’re doing. Whether you’re walking your dog right now, cuddling your cat, or simply smiling at the thought of a therapy animal visiting, I hope today’s episode left you feeling a little lighter—and a little more connected. Until next time, take care—and maybe give your furry friend an extra hug or treat today. Thanks for listening to Well Wisconsin Radio. I hope you enjoyed this episode. You can find our survey in the Well Wisconsin portal, and transcripts and previous episodes are all available at www.webmdhealthservices.com/wellwisconsinRadio. If you’re listening on your favorite podcast platform, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.