February 2, 2025 • 23 mins
This episode explores the profound relationships formed between humans and canines, highlighting five organizations actively transforming lives one human-canine alliance at a time. Through their programs, they illustrate the ripple effects human-canine relationships do have, and can have, on communities all over the world. Stacie also discusses the many ways to support and get involved with these impactful organizations:
• K9s For Warriors (US)
• The Underdog Project (South Africa)
• HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response (US)
• Dogs for Good (UK)
• Warrior Canine Connection (US)
Resource(s) used in addition to the organizations' websites:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stacie (00:11):
Hey everyone, it's Stacie with the Human Canine
Alliance.
After hitting the hard statslast week, I wanted to bring
those numbers into the realworld and illustrate how people
and organizations are pairinghumans and canines right now,
proving infinite ripples aroundthe world today.
Last week, I told you about theBig Fix Uganda Project, which,
(00:32):
since 2014, has been pairingUganda survivors living with
severe PTSD and in stigma andisolation with former street
dogs who also have experienced ahigh level of trauma, teaching
them, as pairs, to communicatewith each other.
If you'd like to hear thatwhole story, go back, listen to
episode number three.
It's an incredible example ofhumans and canines working
(00:53):
together to comfort, heal andmove forward, and this week I'm
going to tell you five storiesbased on five different
organizations making adifference through human-canine
alliances all over the worldtoday.
Here we go.
Now let's meet Sergeant JakeThompson, a combat veteran
navigating life after multipledeployments.
(01:13):
The battles he faced overseasleft him invisible wounds, ptsd,
anxiety, a sense ofdisconnection from the world
around him.
Daily life became a struggle,with simple tasks like going to
the grocery store or attendingfamily gatherings triggering
overwhelming stress.
Jake felt isolated, trapped bymemories.
He couldn't escape, but healingcame from an unexpected source.
(01:37):
A rescue dog named Max Maxwasn't bred for service.
In fact, he was once a strayoverlooked in a crowded shelter
with little chance of adoption.
That changed when Canine forWarriors stepped in.
Since 2011, they've rescuedmore than 2,000 dogs, giving
(01:58):
them a second chance at life,while simultaneously providing
veterans with critical support.
Their mission is rooted in thebelief that rescue dogs can
rescue people, creatinglife-saving partnerships that
transform both lives.
Okay, so back to Max.
Max underwent rigorous training, learning not to just follow
commands but to become attunedwith Jake's unique needs
(02:21):
interrupting panic attacks,providing a sense of security in
crowded spaces and offeringunwavering companionship.
Canines for Warriors has ameticulous process.
They begin by identifyingrescue dogs from shelters,
focusing on those with the righttemperament and health to
thrive as service animals.
These dogs undergocomprehensive training, learning
(02:44):
to align with veterans' needsdue to PTSD.
Service dogs are trained inspecific skills, such as brace
and stand, which are designed tointerrupt flashbacks, wake
veterans from nightmares andcreate physical space in crowded
environments.
Simultaneously, veterans likeJake participate in an intensive
(03:06):
three-week residential programwhere they bond with their
service dogs, receive trainingand build a foundation of trust
and mutual support.
But the impact of thesepartnerships goes beyond
individual veterans, canines forWarriors also trains dogs to go
to work in various roles,including station dogs such as
(03:27):
fire stations and policedepartments.
These dogs are trained torecognize signs of trauma and
anxiety, offering groundingtechniques and a comforting
presence during criticalincidents.
Their ability to create acalming environment has proven
invaluable, especially for firstresponders, who often face
intense traumatic situations.
(03:48):
Remember, we learned in my lastepisode that first responders
are one and a half more timeslikely than the average
population to commit suicidebecause of the things that they
see and the things that they gothrough.
So this makes a lot of sense,right?
Since its founding, canines forWarriors has placed over 800
rescue dogs with veterans andfirst responders with remarkable
(04:10):
success.
Listen to this 92% reduction inmedication use.
You guys, that is 736 of the800 rescue dogs and veterans
paired together Amazing,significant drops in suicide
rates and improved quality oflife for both individuals and
(04:30):
their families.
It's such a domino effect.
Oh, and also, let me justmention those 800 rescue dogs
did not get euthanized.
Those 800 rescue dogs are nottaking up 800 cages in the
rescue world.
I mean, how many differentdominoes have to fall before
it's important enough to investmore time, money and energy into
(04:52):
this industry?
These aren't just statistics.
These are real life effects inour society, in our family
members, in our friends today,friends today.
So I also wanted to make sure Iincluded a full picture of what
it takes for Canines forWarriors to make these matches
(05:12):
happen.
So training each service dogcomes with a significant
investment.
It costs approximately $75,000to fully train a service dog.
Fully train a service dog andCan9 for Warriors offers dog
sponsorship packages at $30,000.
These sponsorships play acrucial role in sustaining the
(05:33):
program, ensuring more rescuedogs can be trained to support
veterans and first responders inneed.
In the heart of Cape Town, southAfrica, a groundbreaking
initiative is working totransform the lives of at-risk
youth and shelter dogs alike.
The Underdog Project offers aninspiring story of how
(05:54):
human-canine partnerships canuplift entire communities.
The underdog project is anonprofit organization that
brings together vulnerable youthand abandoned shelter dogs to
create a mutually beneficialbond.
In a society where domesticviolence, gang-related crime and
(06:15):
animal cruelty are prevalent,the underdog project is Helping
break the cycle of violence byteaching positive, nonviolent
communication.
Through the act of trainingshelter dogs, the program offers
at-risk young people a uniqueopportunity to work with
untrained rescue dogs, andthrough these hands-on sessions
(06:38):
the youth learns skills likeempathy, trust, communication,
teamwork, time management allessential life skills that will
help them overcome thechallenges they face and domino
effect.
The benefits don't stop there.
The dogs receive vital mentaland physical stimulation,
(07:01):
improving their chances foradoption and, ultimately, a
better life.
This reciprocal healing processoh, I love that phrase, you
guys reciprocal healing processshows how human canine
partnerships can foster apeaceful society, reducing
(07:23):
violence and promotingcompassion through their work.
The Underdog Project aims toprovide long-term solutions, not
just short-term interventions,and by addressing both the
mistreatment of animals and theneed for positive human behavior
change, the program stands as amodel for how education and
(07:45):
animal-assisted activities canlead to lasting transformation.
The youth the experienceextends beyond training.
Upon graduation, they join thePASC grad program, which focuses
on career guidance, goalsetting and working with more
challenging dogs.
This phase allows them tobecome peer leaders, instilling
(08:06):
a sense of purpose,responsibility as they mentor
younger participants and helptrain even more dogs.
These young leaders becomeambassadors for animal kindness
and, by extension, catalysts forsocietal change in their
communities.
The program is creating aripple effect of compassion and
(08:27):
passion and healing that extendsfar beyond the classroom and
the shelter.
I have chills learning aboutthese organizations because it's
happening around the world andclearly it's just not happening
enough.
Imagine being in the midst of atragedy, whether it's the
(09:00):
aftermath of a natural disaster,a dramatic event or a personal
loss, and unfortunately thisprobably hits a little too close
to home for a lot of peoplethese days.
Hope Animal Assisted CrisisResponse, or HOPE AACR, has been
doing life-changing work byproviding relief to individuals
(09:23):
facing some of the mostdifficult moments they will ever
face in their lives, and theydo it at no charge.
Ho Hope AACR has been on thefront lines of crisis response,
using the calming presence oftrained canines to offer
emotional comfort to peopleaffected by disasters and trauma
.
From helping first respondersdecompress after a long shift to
(09:48):
providing support to victims ofschool tragedies or families
coping with the loss of a lovedone, hope's teams are trained to
bring comfort in ways thatwords alone simply cannot.
These teams don't just show up,they are prepared.
Each handler and dog undergoesrigorous training and
(10:10):
certification process thatincludes training in crisis
intervention, emotional firstaid and even understanding
canine stress management.
Hope AACR's work spans a widerange of situations, from
comforting those affected bytraumatic incidents such as
deaths or accidents, tosupporting people in disaster
(10:31):
zones and emergency rooms.
They also work with behavioralhealth professionals to ensure
the emotional needs of thoseaffected are met, using the
calming nature of their dogs toease anxiety and help people
process their emotions.
For the dogs involved, the workis equally life-changing.
These canines are trained tohandle the intense environments
(10:53):
of crisis situations.
They're desensitized to loudnoises, chaotic scenes and
unfamiliar environments.
But beyond training, these dogsbecome a critical link in the
healing process, offeringunconditional support to those
who need it most.
And you guys.
This is really cool.
The way that Hope builds theirteam of human and canine
(11:17):
partnerships is they take peoplelike you and me and our dogs,
and they do have one requirementyou and your dog have to have
gone through at least one yearof volunteering in animal
assisted activities therapy witha formal animal assisted
activity therapies organization.
(11:37):
So that's the one requirement,but after that you can apply to
the HOPE organization and, ifyou and your dog are selected,
you go through this wholetraining and certification
process and become one of thoseteams that respond during these
crisis situations.
I mean, how cool is that?
(11:59):
I absolutely love how theyinvolve the community and
they're not just involvingpeople, they're involving their
dogs.
Right, these are my people.
Okay, on that note, we're goingto go to break and we're going
to listen to the Human CanineAlliance's first commercial.
(12:21):
We'll see you after the break.
Sirenio (12:35):
Meet Toto, a true hurricane survivor with a heart
big as his story.
After Hurricane Helene, totoshowed up looking for shelter
and he never left.
He's part lab, part pit bull.
We think he's a mid-sized dogwith yellow and white coloring.
He loves car rides, short walksPerfect.
He is smart and likes to bechallenged.
(12:57):
We play hide and seek withtreats in the house and he will
sit, stay and wait until all thetreats are hidden.
He's independent enough tochill solo, but will try to
demand your attention when he'sin the mood for snuggles.
It's hard to refuse, honestly.
Why am I telling you this?
Because Toto needs a home.
His picture is on the HumanCanine Alliance and Burke County
(13:21):
Animal Service Facebook pages,but you can also reach out to
Stacy by sending a directmessage through whatever podcast
app you're using right now orat Stacie.
That's S-T-A-C-I-E atthehumancaninealliancecom.
Stacie (13:55):
Welcome back to the Human-Cay-Not Alliance.
This is Stacie.
The first three stories that Ishared.
All were associated with rescuedogs, or simply pets, right,
that were being used to pairwith humans and have the domino
effects in our society that wetalked about.
So these next two stories Ireally couldn't ignore, because
(14:19):
these organizations are doingamazing things in their own
societies and their owncommunities and the only
difference is that they'reespecially breeding their dogs.
Those dogs are coming intothese relationships and these
trainings as puppies and thenthey're also being bred
accordingly, right.
So that's just a distinction Iwanted to make between the two.
(14:43):
Because the Human CanineAlliance obviously our goal is
to target those rescue dogs andget those rescue dogs off of the
streets, out of cages and intoforever homes.
So I just wanted to make thatdistinction here, because these
organizations all have the samegoals but they're doing it in
slightly different ways.
(15:04):
I'm going to open this storywith a bright, orange, bold
quote on the website of thisEngland and Wales organization
(15:25):
called Dogs for Good, and thequote is we bring people and
dogs together to help makeeveryday life possible in so
many extraordinary ways, and Ijust love that.
I love that quote, I love howmuch it resonates with the human
canine alliance and how much itresonates with the passion I
have behind this organizationand why I'm doing all of this in
(15:48):
the first place.
Dogs for good tailors itssupport to unique needs and
goals of each person or group,whether it's an adult with a
physical disability regainingautonomy through the partnership
with an assistance dog, or anelderly individual with dementia
reconnecting with cherishedmemories through gentle canine
(16:08):
companionship.
The goal is always the same tohelp people thrive through the
profound bond with the dog.
And our last story starts in aquiet training facility where a
young golden retriever namedBailey watches his trainer
intently, tail wagging withanticipation.
(16:29):
Their journey together is justbeginning, but the effects of
this connection will ripple farbeyond the two of them.
Bailey is not just any dog.
He has been raised and trainedwith the purpose to heal,
support and to empower.
Through a carefully designedprogram, dogs like Bailey are
(16:49):
matched with veterans like James, creating a bond that fosters
growth on both sides.
Veterans like James creating abond that fosters growth on both
sides.
As James works with Bailey,teaching commands and practicing
routines, something remarkablehappens the focus required to
train Bailey begins to quiet thenoise in James' mind, giving
him a sense of purpose andstability.
(17:11):
With each sit, stay and heal,james regains confidence, his
world expanding beyond thelimitations of his past traumas.
But the transformation does notstop there.
James's progress brings hope tohis family, who has long
yearned to see him reclaim hislife.
(17:31):
His renewed confidence allowshim to reconnect with his wife,
to laugh with his children, tostep into the world again with
something he thought he had losttrust.
Meanwhile, bailey's journeycontinues to inspire the other
veterans in the program.
Watch as James thrives and theytoo find encouragement to
(17:53):
engage, to believe in theprocess and to push forward.
Some will eventually traintheir own dogs, passing down the
lessons of patience, disciplineand unconditional love.
Others will advocate for theprogram, expanding its reach and
ensuring that more veterans canexperience the same
transformation.
(18:13):
Think about it this way Onematch, one dog and one warrior
sets off a cascade of healingthat touches lives in ways that
no one could have predicted.
This is the power of thewarrior canine connection.
It is not just about a match.
It is about a movement, agrowing force of hope and
(18:34):
resilience, proving that when welift each other up, human and
canine alike, the impact reachesfar beyond what we can see, I
don't know if you hear thecommon thread between all of
these stories, but the commonthread is the positive domino
(18:58):
effects these human and caninealliances undeniably have, not
only on the human and the caninein the relationship.
That's a given, you would thinkright but the ripple effects it
has on the people around thathuman and canine alliance, that
(19:24):
bond, is also undeniable whenyou hear these stories and when
you see what these organizationsare doing.
And it's around the world,right.
This isn't privy to one breed.
This isn't privy to onecommunity.
This isn't privy to onetraining program.
This isn't privy to one type ofneed.
This isn't privy to one race oranything.
(19:47):
It's not privy.
This is universal, is universaland we should be embracing
human canine alliances andoptimizing the benefits of human
canine alliances in 2025.
We should be maximizing theserelationships.
(20:08):
Many of these programs arecompletely maxed out in terms of
their applications.
When you go to their websites,they say we would love to take
your application, but we have somany, we need to make the
matches happen.
They have so many people whowant a trained dog because they
see the benefits of what it cando for their lives.
(20:32):
I'm not saying it's an onlysolution, but it should really
be higher up in terms of beingconsidered a solution versus.
Many people would automaticallysay I couldn't afford a service
dog and so they certainlywouldn't look into it because
they wouldn't think they couldafford one, and they'd probably
be right.
Right, I'm just sayinglistening to these stories, it
(20:55):
just gives me chills.
The benefits that are soobvious, that are so clear as
direct results from theserelationships, and how has that
not become more of an option?
I also wanted to take a momentand give a shout out to all of
the ways that you can supportthese organizations, if you're
(21:18):
interested in doing so.
So, first of all, I have putall of their websites in my show
notes as resources that I useto pull the information for the
show.
All of them accept donations.
Several of them actually acceptdonations on behalf of your
late pet.
You can volunteer as anindividual, as a group or even
as a business.
(21:39):
In some of the cases not all ofthe cases you can purchase gear
from their online stores.
You can become a temporary dogand training parent.
You could hold a communityevent and they would help you do
that, and I thought this onewas really cool.
This was unique to Dogs forGood.
They have the option to give agift of celebration, and that
(22:00):
means it's like in lieu of awedding or a birthday gift, you
would ask people to givedonations to Dogs for Good.
In some cases, a way to supportthe organization is to actually
leave a gift in your will.
You can also do payroll givingso you can actually have money
taken out of your paycheck andhave it just automatically go to
(22:21):
that donation, so it's like anautomatic donation on a regular
basis, and then you can also docontributions from your
charitable trust or foundation.
Thank you so much for listeningto the Human Canine Alliance.
I am Stacie and these storieswere so much fun to research,
uncover and share with you today.
I honestly had no idea how manyorganizations around the world
(22:44):
were actively pairing humans andcanines together for so many
different reasons, but also allfor the same reasons.
Amazing, also, all for the samereasons.
Amazing.
The proof is truly alreadyliving in our societies today,
whether we choose to see it ornot.
Where I see the human caninealliance becoming an asset to
(23:04):
this force that is alreadyhappening around the world is
our matchmaking app.
I feel like we've got somethinghere, guys, which, speaking of
stay tuned for our secondreal-life business episode,
where I provide business updateson the Human Canine Alliance,
and I've been making progress onthe app.
(23:24):
So, anyways, I'll see you nextweek.
I hope you continue to listenyou.
Hey everyone, it's Stacie with the Human Canine
Alliance.
After hitting the hard statslast week, I wanted to bring
those numbers into the realworld and illustrate how people
and organizations are pairinghumans and canines right now,
proving infinite ripples aroundthe world today.
Last week, I told you about theBig Fix Uganda Project, which,
(00:32):
since 2014, has been pairingUganda survivors living with
severe PTSD and in stigma andisolation with former street
dogs who also have experienced ahigh level of trauma, teaching
them, as pairs, to communicatewith each other.
If you'd like to hear thatwhole story, go back, listen to
episode number three.
It's an incredible example ofhumans and canines working
(00:53):
together to comfort, heal andmove forward, and this week I'm
going to tell you five storiesbased on five different
organizations making adifference through human-canine
alliances all over the worldtoday.
Here we go.
Now let's meet Sergeant JakeThompson, a combat veteran
navigating life after multipledeployments.
(01:13):
The battles he faced overseasleft him invisible wounds, ptsd,
anxiety, a sense ofdisconnection from the world
around him.
Daily life became a struggle,with simple tasks like going to
the grocery store or attendingfamily gatherings triggering
overwhelming stress.
Jake felt isolated, trapped bymemories.
He couldn't escape, but healingcame from an unexpected source.
(01:37):
A rescue dog named Max Maxwasn't bred for service.
In fact, he was once a strayoverlooked in a crowded shelter
with little chance of adoption.
That changed when Canine forWarriors stepped in.
Since 2011, they've rescuedmore than 2,000 dogs, giving
(01:58):
them a second chance at life,while simultaneously providing
veterans with critical support.
Their mission is rooted in thebelief that rescue dogs can
rescue people, creatinglife-saving partnerships that
transform both lives.
Okay, so back to Max.
Max underwent rigorous training, learning not to just follow
commands but to become attunedwith Jake's unique needs
(02:21):
interrupting panic attacks,providing a sense of security in
crowded spaces and offeringunwavering companionship.
Canines for Warriors has ameticulous process.
They begin by identifyingrescue dogs from shelters,
focusing on those with the righttemperament and health to
thrive as service animals.
These dogs undergocomprehensive training, learning
(02:44):
to align with veterans' needsdue to PTSD.
Service dogs are trained inspecific skills, such as brace
and stand, which are designed tointerrupt flashbacks, wake
veterans from nightmares andcreate physical space in crowded
environments.
Simultaneously, veterans likeJake participate in an intensive
(03:06):
three-week residential programwhere they bond with their
service dogs, receive trainingand build a foundation of trust
and mutual support.
But the impact of thesepartnerships goes beyond
individual veterans, canines forWarriors also trains dogs to go
to work in various roles,including station dogs such as
(03:27):
fire stations and policedepartments.
These dogs are trained torecognize signs of trauma and
anxiety, offering groundingtechniques and a comforting
presence during criticalincidents.
Their ability to create acalming environment has proven
invaluable, especially for firstresponders, who often face
intense traumatic situations.
(03:48):
Remember, we learned in my lastepisode that first responders
are one and a half more timeslikely than the average
population to commit suicidebecause of the things that they
see and the things that they gothrough.
So this makes a lot of sense,right?
Since its founding, canines forWarriors has placed over 800
rescue dogs with veterans andfirst responders with remarkable
(04:10):
success.
Listen to this 92% reduction inmedication use.
You guys, that is 736 of the800 rescue dogs and veterans
paired together Amazing,significant drops in suicide
rates and improved quality oflife for both individuals and
(04:30):
their families.
It's such a domino effect.
Oh, and also, let me justmention those 800 rescue dogs
did not get euthanized.
Those 800 rescue dogs are nottaking up 800 cages in the
rescue world.
I mean, how many differentdominoes have to fall before
it's important enough to investmore time, money and energy into
(04:52):
this industry?
These aren't just statistics.
These are real life effects inour society, in our family
members, in our friends today,friends today.
So I also wanted to make sure Iincluded a full picture of what
it takes for Canines forWarriors to make these matches
(05:12):
happen.
So training each service dogcomes with a significant
investment.
It costs approximately $75,000to fully train a service dog.
Fully train a service dog andCan9 for Warriors offers dog
sponsorship packages at $30,000.
These sponsorships play acrucial role in sustaining the
(05:33):
program, ensuring more rescuedogs can be trained to support
veterans and first responders inneed.
In the heart of Cape Town, southAfrica, a groundbreaking
initiative is working totransform the lives of at-risk
youth and shelter dogs alike.
The Underdog Project offers aninspiring story of how
(05:54):
human-canine partnerships canuplift entire communities.
The underdog project is anonprofit organization that
brings together vulnerable youthand abandoned shelter dogs to
create a mutually beneficialbond.
In a society where domesticviolence, gang-related crime and
(06:15):
animal cruelty are prevalent,the underdog project is Helping
break the cycle of violence byteaching positive, nonviolent
communication.
Through the act of trainingshelter dogs, the program offers
at-risk young people a uniqueopportunity to work with
untrained rescue dogs, andthrough these hands-on sessions
(06:38):
the youth learns skills likeempathy, trust, communication,
teamwork, time management allessential life skills that will
help them overcome thechallenges they face and domino
effect.
The benefits don't stop there.
The dogs receive vital mentaland physical stimulation,
(07:01):
improving their chances foradoption and, ultimately, a
better life.
This reciprocal healing processoh, I love that phrase, you
guys reciprocal healing processshows how human canine
partnerships can foster apeaceful society, reducing
(07:23):
violence and promotingcompassion through their work.
The Underdog Project aims toprovide long-term solutions, not
just short-term interventions,and by addressing both the
mistreatment of animals and theneed for positive human behavior
change, the program stands as amodel for how education and
(07:45):
animal-assisted activities canlead to lasting transformation.
The youth the experienceextends beyond training.
Upon graduation, they join thePASC grad program, which focuses
on career guidance, goalsetting and working with more
challenging dogs.
This phase allows them tobecome peer leaders, instilling
(08:06):
a sense of purpose,responsibility as they mentor
younger participants and helptrain even more dogs.
These young leaders becomeambassadors for animal kindness
and, by extension, catalysts forsocietal change in their
communities.
The program is creating aripple effect of compassion and
(08:27):
passion and healing that extendsfar beyond the classroom and
the shelter.
I have chills learning aboutthese organizations because it's
happening around the world andclearly it's just not happening
enough.
Imagine being in the midst of atragedy, whether it's the
(09:00):
aftermath of a natural disaster,a dramatic event or a personal
loss, and unfortunately thisprobably hits a little too close
to home for a lot of peoplethese days.
Hope Animal Assisted CrisisResponse, or HOPE AACR, has been
doing life-changing work byproviding relief to individuals
(09:23):
facing some of the mostdifficult moments they will ever
face in their lives, and theydo it at no charge.
Ho Hope AACR has been on thefront lines of crisis response,
using the calming presence oftrained canines to offer
emotional comfort to peopleaffected by disasters and trauma
.
From helping first respondersdecompress after a long shift to
(09:48):
providing support to victims ofschool tragedies or families
coping with the loss of a lovedone, hope's teams are trained to
bring comfort in ways thatwords alone simply cannot.
These teams don't just show up,they are prepared.
Each handler and dog undergoesrigorous training and
(10:10):
certification process thatincludes training in crisis
intervention, emotional firstaid and even understanding
canine stress management.
Hope AACR's work spans a widerange of situations, from
comforting those affected bytraumatic incidents such as
deaths or accidents, tosupporting people in disaster
(10:31):
zones and emergency rooms.
They also work with behavioralhealth professionals to ensure
the emotional needs of thoseaffected are met, using the
calming nature of their dogs toease anxiety and help people
process their emotions.
For the dogs involved, the workis equally life-changing.
These canines are trained tohandle the intense environments
(10:53):
of crisis situations.
They're desensitized to loudnoises, chaotic scenes and
unfamiliar environments.
But beyond training, these dogsbecome a critical link in the
healing process, offeringunconditional support to those
who need it most.
And you guys.
This is really cool.
The way that Hope builds theirteam of human and canine
(11:17):
partnerships is they take peoplelike you and me and our dogs,
and they do have one requirementyou and your dog have to have
gone through at least one yearof volunteering in animal
assisted activities therapy witha formal animal assisted
activity therapies organization.
(11:37):
So that's the one requirement,but after that you can apply to
the HOPE organization and, ifyou and your dog are selected,
you go through this wholetraining and certification
process and become one of thoseteams that respond during these
crisis situations.
I mean, how cool is that?
(11:59):
I absolutely love how theyinvolve the community and
they're not just involvingpeople, they're involving their
dogs.
Right, these are my people.
Okay, on that note, we're goingto go to break and we're going
to listen to the Human CanineAlliance's first commercial.
(12:21):
We'll see you after the break.
Sirenio (12:35):
Meet Toto, a true hurricane survivor with a heart
big as his story.
After Hurricane Helene, totoshowed up looking for shelter
and he never left.
He's part lab, part pit bull.
We think he's a mid-sized dogwith yellow and white coloring.
He loves car rides, short walksPerfect.
He is smart and likes to bechallenged.
(12:57):
We play hide and seek withtreats in the house and he will
sit, stay and wait until all thetreats are hidden.
He's independent enough tochill solo, but will try to
demand your attention when he'sin the mood for snuggles.
It's hard to refuse, honestly.
Why am I telling you this?
Because Toto needs a home.
His picture is on the HumanCanine Alliance and Burke County
(13:21):
Animal Service Facebook pages,but you can also reach out to
Stacy by sending a directmessage through whatever podcast
app you're using right now orat Stacie.
That's S-T-A-C-I-E atthehumancaninealliancecom.
Stacie (13:55):
Welcome back to the Human-Cay-Not Alliance.
This is Stacie.
The first three stories that Ishared.
All were associated with rescuedogs, or simply pets, right,
that were being used to pairwith humans and have the domino
effects in our society that wetalked about.
So these next two stories Ireally couldn't ignore, because
(14:19):
these organizations are doingamazing things in their own
societies and their owncommunities and the only
difference is that they'reespecially breeding their dogs.
Those dogs are coming intothese relationships and these
trainings as puppies and thenthey're also being bred
accordingly, right.
So that's just a distinction Iwanted to make between the two.
(14:43):
Because the Human CanineAlliance obviously our goal is
to target those rescue dogs andget those rescue dogs off of the
streets, out of cages and intoforever homes.
So I just wanted to make thatdistinction here, because these
organizations all have the samegoals but they're doing it in
slightly different ways.
(15:04):
I'm going to open this storywith a bright, orange, bold
quote on the website of thisEngland and Wales organization
(15:25):
called Dogs for Good, and thequote is we bring people and
dogs together to help makeeveryday life possible in so
many extraordinary ways, and Ijust love that.
I love that quote, I love howmuch it resonates with the human
canine alliance and how much itresonates with the passion I
have behind this organizationand why I'm doing all of this in
(15:48):
the first place.
Dogs for good tailors itssupport to unique needs and
goals of each person or group,whether it's an adult with a
physical disability regainingautonomy through the partnership
with an assistance dog, or anelderly individual with dementia
reconnecting with cherishedmemories through gentle canine
(16:08):
companionship.
The goal is always the same tohelp people thrive through the
profound bond with the dog.
And our last story starts in aquiet training facility where a
young golden retriever namedBailey watches his trainer
intently, tail wagging withanticipation.
(16:29):
Their journey together is justbeginning, but the effects of
this connection will ripple farbeyond the two of them.
Bailey is not just any dog.
He has been raised and trainedwith the purpose to heal,
support and to empower.
Through a carefully designedprogram, dogs like Bailey are
(16:49):
matched with veterans like James, creating a bond that fosters
growth on both sides.
Veterans like James creating abond that fosters growth on both
sides.
As James works with Bailey,teaching commands and practicing
routines, something remarkablehappens the focus required to
train Bailey begins to quiet thenoise in James' mind, giving
him a sense of purpose andstability.
(17:11):
With each sit, stay and heal,james regains confidence, his
world expanding beyond thelimitations of his past traumas.
But the transformation does notstop there.
James's progress brings hope tohis family, who has long
yearned to see him reclaim hislife.
(17:31):
His renewed confidence allowshim to reconnect with his wife,
to laugh with his children, tostep into the world again with
something he thought he had losttrust.
Meanwhile, bailey's journeycontinues to inspire the other
veterans in the program.
Watch as James thrives and theytoo find encouragement to
(17:53):
engage, to believe in theprocess and to push forward.
Some will eventually traintheir own dogs, passing down the
lessons of patience, disciplineand unconditional love.
Others will advocate for theprogram, expanding its reach and
ensuring that more veterans canexperience the same
transformation.
(18:13):
Think about it this way Onematch, one dog and one warrior
sets off a cascade of healingthat touches lives in ways that
no one could have predicted.
This is the power of thewarrior canine connection.
It is not just about a match.
It is about a movement, agrowing force of hope and
(18:34):
resilience, proving that when welift each other up, human and
canine alike, the impact reachesfar beyond what we can see, I
don't know if you hear thecommon thread between all of
these stories, but the commonthread is the positive domino
(18:58):
effects these human and caninealliances undeniably have, not
only on the human and the caninein the relationship.
That's a given, you would thinkright but the ripple effects it
has on the people around thathuman and canine alliance, that
(19:24):
bond, is also undeniable whenyou hear these stories and when
you see what these organizationsare doing.
And it's around the world,right.
This isn't privy to one breed.
This isn't privy to onecommunity.
This isn't privy to onetraining program.
This isn't privy to one type ofneed.
This isn't privy to one race oranything.
(19:47):
It's not privy.
This is universal, is universaland we should be embracing
human canine alliances andoptimizing the benefits of human
canine alliances in 2025.
We should be maximizing theserelationships.
(20:08):
Many of these programs arecompletely maxed out in terms of
their applications.
When you go to their websites,they say we would love to take
your application, but we have somany, we need to make the
matches happen.
They have so many people whowant a trained dog because they
see the benefits of what it cando for their lives.
(20:32):
I'm not saying it's an onlysolution, but it should really
be higher up in terms of beingconsidered a solution versus.
Many people would automaticallysay I couldn't afford a service
dog and so they certainlywouldn't look into it because
they wouldn't think they couldafford one, and they'd probably
be right.
Right, I'm just sayinglistening to these stories, it
(20:55):
just gives me chills.
The benefits that are soobvious, that are so clear as
direct results from theserelationships, and how has that
not become more of an option?
I also wanted to take a momentand give a shout out to all of
the ways that you can supportthese organizations, if you're
(21:18):
interested in doing so.
So, first of all, I have putall of their websites in my show
notes as resources that I useto pull the information for the
show.
All of them accept donations.
Several of them actually acceptdonations on behalf of your
late pet.
You can volunteer as anindividual, as a group or even
as a business.
(21:39):
In some of the cases not all ofthe cases you can purchase gear
from their online stores.
You can become a temporary dogand training parent.
You could hold a communityevent and they would help you do
that, and I thought this onewas really cool.
This was unique to Dogs forGood.
They have the option to give agift of celebration, and that
(22:00):
means it's like in lieu of awedding or a birthday gift, you
would ask people to givedonations to Dogs for Good.
In some cases, a way to supportthe organization is to actually
leave a gift in your will.
You can also do payroll givingso you can actually have money
taken out of your paycheck andhave it just automatically go to
(22:21):
that donation, so it's like anautomatic donation on a regular
basis, and then you can also docontributions from your
charitable trust or foundation.
Thank you so much for listeningto the Human Canine Alliance.
I am Stacie and these storieswere so much fun to research,
uncover and share with you today.
I honestly had no idea how manyorganizations around the world
(22:44):
were actively pairing humans andcanines together for so many
different reasons, but also allfor the same reasons.
Amazing, also, all for the samereasons.
Amazing.
The proof is truly alreadyliving in our societies today,
whether we choose to see it ornot.
Where I see the human caninealliance becoming an asset to
(23:04):
this force that is alreadyhappening around the world is
our matchmaking app.
I feel like we've got somethinghere, guys, which, speaking of
stay tuned for our secondreal-life business episode,
where I provide business updateson the Human Canine Alliance,
and I've been making progress onthe app.
(23:24):
So, anyways, I'll see you nextweek.
I hope you continue to listenyou.
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