The Work of Change Agents, Pt. 2
There was a family who was interested in adopting a dog from camp, and the way they found about this is from a very dear friend of mine. Going back to when I first started dog training, this friend was actually one of my students. Her and her nephew had called all of the dog trainers in Central Florida because she was adamant about including her nephew in the training process. To her surprise, she found out that nobody was allowing children to come into their classes. So she contacted me. I was so grateful for this opportunity, and such a great and lifelong friendship has formed out of that. She is one of those people that you meet, and you just know she is a special human being. Especially in the way she sees things. It’s even more powerful when you see how she sees a child, a dog, or really any living being. It’s so amazing. And so we gravitated towards each other for many reasons and really developed this strong friendship over the year, and she sent me this family to me to help them find a dog perfect for their family.
So the family contacts me, and we’re talking back and forth when she asks to come to camp. I said sure you can come, but we won’t know much about these dogs yet. But she was so eager! She said she had heard great things about us, and she really wanted me to be a guide for her. And so, I said “What’s your situation?” She explained that her family currently has a 14-year-old dog and two children who both have autism. They are high-functioning, however, in her words, the daughter has temper tantrums. I’ve worked with children with autism before and they, like all children, vary. So she came to see the camp on Monday, and it was awesome! It was awesome for her and for the kids to hear about her children.
Teena Patel is the founder of the canine enrichment campus, Doglando, for restricted canine companions. The University of Doglando is a place where dogs can be dogs and live a fruitful and purposeful lifestyle. To learn more about Teena Patel and the University of Doglando, please contact us online or call us at (407) 574-3160.