Hey Mutt Fans, Liz here.
Words can scarcely express how it felt to kick off our Life Skills class at The Mission at Kern County last night. This class is what Zach and I discussed the very first time we sat at a Starbucks together (2 years ago), brainstorming, envisioning and manifesting... "Rescued dogs rescuing people".
Walking together in this picture are 15 women in the residential drug and alcohol recovery program at the Mission, 8 Miracle Mutts volunteers, and 9 rescue dogs. We spent the first class getting to know each other via some fun icebreakers. The pack walk was meant, not for teaching leash manners to the dogs or proper dog handling to the students. We will
cover all of that in the weeks to come. But this particular walk was meant to facilitate the women thinking about which dog they felt drawn to or might be most interested in working with. And to encourage everyone to just walk and talk. When we got back to the room, I had the girls write down the top three dogs of their choice in descending order of
preference. Next week, each resident (or in some cases two residents together) will be paired with a dog and that dog's handler. These partnerships will endure throughout the 12 week course, so that everyone has a chance to start with a dog (and themselves) right where they are, and then watch the growth that is sure to unfold before their eyes.
