Alliance of Therapy Dogs
Celebrating Over 30 Years of Sharing Smiles & Joy

Greetings from the Land of 10,000 Lakes! Originally from northern Illinois, my wife, Stephanie, and I have called southeastern Minnesota home for almost 19 years. A photojournalist and photographer by trade, I have been a Member of Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) since 2002 and a Tester/Observer since 2011. I was elected to the Board of Directors in 2016 and became President in July of 2024. I am honored by this opportunity to serve you and ATD.

Stephanie and I currently share our home with a rescued 9-year-old female Newfoundland, Ila, and a 4-year-old French Bulldog, Nouveau. Ila joined us in June 2021, and Nouveau joined us in March 2025. Ila has been certified with ATD since June 2022.

Besides therapy work, Stephanie and I traditionally focus on rescuing giant breeds, especially rare mastiffs. We have owned a Tosa Ken, a Dogue de Bordeaux and 2 Neapolitan mastiffs, as well as a Saint Bernard, an Irish Wolfhound and a Great Dane mix. Two slight curveballs for us from the giant world have been an Olde English Bulldogge and our current Frenchie.

Our Tosa Ken, Saint Bernard, Dogue de Bordeaux, and Olde English Bulldogge all had the honor of being certified ATD dogs, as well. Over the years, my visits have included nursing homes, educational seminars, hospice, a local airport, hospitals, church services and Girl Scouts. For better part of a decade, my focus had been on correctional facilities, including a federal prison, two county jails and a juvenile detention center. My focus that past few years has been with mental health and substance abuse counseling.

In addition to therapy work, our Saint Bernard enjoyed hiking and carting. He even gave weight pulling a go. I love to hit the open road with my wife riding shotgun and our dog(s) in the backseat, ready to explore. If I’m not on the open road, there is a good chance you will find me in the kitchen cooking, my other passion. Last, but not least, if there is snow falling from the sky, I am usually one happy camper!

Do not hesitate to reach out to me or to ATD if we might be of assistance. Please continue sharing smiles and joy!

I have been an Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) Member since 2002, when the impact of a therapy dog team visiting us in a hospital waiting room triggered my interest to get involved. Since then, 9 of the Lewis canines have become certified therapy dogs. I currently have 4 Dachshunds and a Labrador that allow me to partner with them.

Trooper, Legacy, Wendy, Paisley and Penny require me to juggle visit schedules and chauffeur them. Thousands of visits have offered knowledge, joy, and bonds with my dogs that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Becoming a Tester/Observer in 2013 and now starting my fifth year on the Board of Directors, have enhanced my knowledge of therapy dogs and all that they do.

My passions are competitive swimming (I coached for many years and now officiate) and dogs (I train, compete, and have a small breeding program that focuses on preserving the Dachshund breed). We have been a law enforcement family here for decades. When my passions and background intersect with therapy dogs, the concept of “six degrees of separation” gains a whole new meaning, as I find people we visit from unexpected parts of my life. We visit schools, libraries, assisted living, hospitals, cancer center, and our favorite State Patrol post. Volunteering has allowed me to observe incredible things that happen between therapy dogs and the many wonderful people met along the way.

I try to live life with this thought in mind: In a world full of problems, I try to be or offer a solution, even if it is a small one.

Often, I am asked why I get so involved with ATD as a Tester/Observer and on the Board of Directors. Paying it forward for something that has made a positive difference in so many lives, including my own, is the reason. If there is anything I can do for our membership, please know I will listen.

Greetings from South Carolina.
We have a wonderful group of Board Members who work tirelessly to make this
organization the best it can be. It is important to support our Members who, with their
dogs, make such a strong contribution to the lives of others.

I have been an educator all my life. Initially, I taught in the New York City public school
system and then moved on to the corporate world and became the Director of
Education for JP Morgan Chase, a global financial services institution. When I was
ready for a change of pace, I studied and became a dog trainer, combining my expertise
in education with my love and knowledge of dogs to launch this new career.
Working closely with dogs really opened my eyes to the benefit that dogs bring to
people, both emotionally and physically. That started me on my journey working with
therapy dogs.

I currently have 2 therapy dogs who love visiting with adults as well as children. Tia is a
Golden Retriever and is a rescue. Samson, a Miniature Poodle, is also a rescue. It is
wonderful to have dogs that are so different in size as that allows me to tailor my visits
based on my audience and their comfort levels.
We have found our place bringing emotional support through our work with Alliance of
Therapy Dogs.

I am proud to be a Past President of the Board of Directors and continue to be on the
Board. I am also proud of the many Members who have helped to improve the lives of
so many people.

Greetings from North Carolina where I was born and raised. I retired in 2022 and have welcomed the chance to spend even more time doing what I love  spending time with my dogs and supporting families facing the end of life for their loved ones. I joined Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) in 2017 and then became a Tester/Observer (T/O). I am privileged to be serving my fourth year as an ATD Director and my second year as Treasurer. Watching the peace and smiles my dogs provide to the people we visit made me even more committed to the work and to assisting other teams work toward achieving their own amazing experiences.

My mother passed away under hospice care and as a result, when I was provided the opportunity, I began working and volunteering for a local hospice. In 2016, Phoebe (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) came into my life, and we joined ATD. We began visiting hospice patients, hospitals, assisted living facilities and a Ronald McDonald house. She quickly became known as the Corgi in the Tutu. Hailey and Huxley, retired racing greyhounds, joined our pack in 2019 and quickly took to their new roles as therapy dogs, and we added visits to colleges, a rehab hospital and a juvenile detention facility to our schedule. In 2022 Sydney, another retired racing greyhound, joined the Schiller Pack and took to therapy work without missing a step. Of all my dogs, he truly gravitates to children, so we are exploring opportunities that highlight his talents.

When not escorting my therapy partners, I compete in Rally, Obedience and Agility with Phoebe. Phoebe has achieved her Rally Obedience Championship (RACH). She is the first dog I have formally trained with and while therapy work is our primary focus, she amazes me daily with her performance potential. If only she had a handler who could match her potential, she would be unstoppable. Huxley, Hailey and Sydney have no interest in performance games other than FastCat, as they take their retirement very seriously. When not visit as therapy dogs they do enjoy supervising their sisfur’s training and competitions and are currently working with their little brofur, Buttabean (Pembroke Welsh Corgi). He joined our pack but is still working on his manners and we hope he matures into the next Schiller Pack Therapy teammate.

Hello from Lawton, Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Lawton, and I share my house with my 3 English Setters, who are all therapy dogs. Each one of my dogs have their own personalities and have particular places they enjoy visiting. We visit the hospital, cancer center, juvenile detention center and local library as well as the university during finals. We are also active in various community events including parades and trick or treating in the park.

Growing up, I was involved in 4-H and FFA. I have always had a passion for animals and continuing with that, I try to help and support these organizations as much as I can.  I also spent 30 years as a veterinary technician, so I know what it is to have that human/animal bond and what it means to be able to share that special bond with others.

I joined Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) in December 2015 with my first therapy dog and did my first therapy dog visit on Christmas day. A few years later, I became a Tester/Observer for ATD and enjoy helping others become therapy dog teams. I often tell people that this is the best job I have, and it is all volunteer. To get paid in the smiles and happiness that my dogs bring to people is the best reward there is.

I look forward to continuing to work with my dogs to bring happiness and smiles to everyone we meet. I look forward to serving on the ATD Board for this great organization.

Hi there! I’m Jessica Davis, a passionate certified dog trainer and behavior consultant and lifelong animal advocate. My journey into dog training began in 2015, but it all started earlier when I discovered my love for helping dogs and people connect in meaningful ways. I’ve been lucky enough to volunteer with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs alongside my heart dog, Diego, a 5-year-old golden retriever who’s as much of a sidekick as he is a best friend. Together, we visit veteran clinics, assisted senior centers, and schools and help bring joy to those in need – proving that sometimes, dogs truly do heal hearts.

My career in dog training took root unexpectedly. After volunteering at a local shelter, I fell head over heels for the pups and the amazing people working alongside them. What started as a hobby quickly blossomed into a deep, fulfilling passion. As I began working with reactive, fearful, and under-socialized dogs, I knew I needed to take my skills to the next level. Three years later, I became a certified professional dog trainer and earned my certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. This was more than a career milestone – it was a way to honor the bond between dogs and their families.

Greetings and a big “Yee Haw” from Texas!  My journey is still continuing, but I will share some of my experience with y’all.

I have worked as an RN for approximately 30 years. I am retired now and decided that upon retirement, I would go into dog training. I graduated from Karen Pryor Academy in 2017 and have been having fun working with all breeds. Going to people’s homes to train has been a blast! I am also doing dog grooming 3 days/week. In between all this, I love doing pet therapy work with my Newfoundland. I just retired one of my other Newfs. I was an evaluator for another organization for 10 years, before switching to Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) in 2014, and I became a Tester/Observer for ATD in 2020 and now I am continuing my fun journey by becoming a member of the ATD Board.

Since my years of working as an RN, I had always wanted to “give back.” I saw so many patients in the hospital who could benefit from therapy dog visits but, at that time (many moons ago), pets in the hospital was a big NO! As the years went on, pet therapy was evolving and beginning to being accepted in the hospital setting. I knew then that I had found my passion and that when the day came that pet therapy was accepted, I would retire! Fast forward and one of my Newfs and I had the pleasure of starting the first Pet Therapy Program at John Peter Smith County Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, back in 2008. The administration, staff and patients rallied around this idea, and it has since grown into their own program.

I have had 8 therapy dogs, starting with Wheaten Terriers, who have since passed on. The rest of my therapy partners have been Newfoundlands. We visit several different places which include: assisted living; memory care; private counseling sessions at Lena Pope Learning Center; some crisis intervention visits; working with group therapy for abused kids; reading programs; FBI offices; a police station in Dallas area and everything in between! There isn’t an area we don’t enjoy to visit to spread some cheer!

My husband is retired from the medical field as well. He is now very disabled, and the joy our dogs bring him daily is amazing. Therapy work goes on 24/7 right here at our home. We currently have 4 Newfoundlands (one being a rescue) and one Briard puppy (hoping to be a therapy partner in the future) at home. I am looking forward to this new journey to be on the ATD Board. I am honored by this opportunity to serve you and ATD!

Hello from the beautiful front range of northern Colorado! For me, life has always included the companionship of dogs. My journey as a therapy dog handler began in 2002, when I started volunteering with my first therapy dog. Over the years, I’ve devoted many hours to volunteering with my canine partners, spreading joy in schools, medical facilities, libraries, and more. My current canine partners are my Golden Retrievers, Beau and Rudy.

My involvement with Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) expanded in 2022 when I became a Tester/Observer. This rewarding role allowed me to connect with many incredible handlers and their truly exceptional canine partners, further solidifying my admiration for the ATD community. Driven by a desire to contribute even more, I was honored to join the ATD Board of Directors in 2024.

Professionally, my background spans several decades in the fast-paced world of Information Technology, where I’ve held various roles across different industries.

Outside of work and volunteering, I find joy in the simple pleasures of gardening, capturing moments through photography, and exploring the breathtaking landscapes of our national parks. My passion for working with dogs has even inspired my daughter, Katya, who has recently embarked on her own career in the canine world. We live just north of Denver with our 2 wonderful pups. I am honored to continue to serve the ATD community as a Member of the Board of Directors. Together, we will continue to make tails wag and hearts smile!

After I retired from teaching chemistry at a community college in Albuquerque, NM, my husband and I moved back to our hometown in Joplin, MO. My history with dogs began when I got a toy poodle as a child, but I became completely enthralled with the Bedlington terrier my aunt owned. When I encountered an opportunity for dogs to visit in hospitals and nursing homes in Albuquerque, Holly (my first Bedlington) and I jumped right in and joined a national therapy dog organization in 1987. I became an Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) Tester/Observer in 2002, and helped test many new teams along with other T/Os there. All 3 of my Bedlingtons were certified as therapy dogs. With each new puppy, I have continued to grow as a trainer and handler.

Albuquerque offered a large variety of visiting opportunities; in addition to hospitals and nursing homes, we enjoyed assisted living facilities, rehabs, libraries, and school reading programs. In the Joplin area, we also have teams visiting several colleges, medical and dental schools, and some doctor’s offices. I’ve given a number of invited presentations over the years about dog therapy, and ATD in particular, to a variety of civic organizations and senior citizen groups. Most recently, I spoke to a regional group of librarians in Kansas who were interested in starting reading programs with dogs.

My most unusual visiting opportunity happened after an EF5 tornado devastated Joplin in 2011. Ricky and I provided therapy to volunteers who helped families sift through the rubble of their homes. Many of the volunteers just sat with Ricky and me to talk about their extreme experiences in the tornado zone. Ricky also spent time with family members waiting to identify lost loved ones. While it was a very sad time, we were glad we were able to comfort so many hurting people. We did see a lot of smiles those days, and the joy came as so many people joined together to volunteer to help our community recover.

At this time, my next puppy has not yet been identified. Meanwhile, I take every opportunity to pet my friends’ dogs, and I have a beautiful stuffed Bedlington handmade by a very special friend. For me, being involved in therapy with my dogs has been a passion in my life, to help others set aside the concerns of their day and enjoy interacting with the dogs. The dogs soak up the attention, and the people are grateful we have been there. It’s a win-win!

I’m very honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Board of the organization that has supported me and made my passion possible for nearly 40 years.

Hello from sunny southern Florida. My husband, John, and I moved here in 2003 and became permanent residents, although we maintain a home in New Hampshire as our children and grandchildren still reside there. So, we are “snowbirds” and as such I hope to help in increasing Alliance of Therapy Dog’s (ATD) presence in both New England and Southern Florida.

When we retired and moved to Florida, I started volunteering at my local shelter, which had a small but growing therapy dog program. It piqued my interest and as we had raised golden retrievers all our married life, in 2012 my 2-year-old Tally and I became certified. Several years later, I became a Tester/Observer and enjoyed both the therapy work and assisting new teams in reaching their goals.

Having lost Tally in 2022 and getting a new golden last year who will need training and maturity to be certified, I decided now was the time I could best contribute to ATD through Board work.

My background is in brand management and corporate marketing for large national and international companies. I hope to be able to help increase awareness of our organization in select areas and assist in communications with our Members and the communities they serve. I look forward to serving ATD in whatever way I can be of assistance.

Greetings from the deserts of Arizona. I have lived in Arizona for over 20 years. I was raised in the Midwest, Des Moines, Iowa. I was raised to believe that hard work and working hard are key to success. It is important to do your best and be your best, and above all, to help others, especially those in need.

Being a part of Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) allowed me to share my dog with many people who needed an emotional outlet. Octavius “Tae” Bear loves being a therapy dog. Seeing him smile at anyone who makes eye contact brings joy to my heart. I became more involved at ATD, becoming a Tester/Observer because of the joy, peace, and love so infectious it blesses not only others but the dogs and myself.

One thing I have always tried to do is help others to be the best that they can be. I am a certified dog behavior consultant, and as such, I use scientific methods of positive reinforcement and motivation in animal training. I think this science often gets lost when we start talking about humans. It is still better to learn, and retention is increased if we use positive rather than negative methods to uplift one another. This is something I adopted as a philosophy and strive to do consistently.

Hello from Charlottesville, Virginia!

We relocated here from Charleston, South Carolina, where I began my association with Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) in 2021 as a Member doing visits with Jo, my therapy dog, at the Medical University of South Carolina and in assisted living facilities and memory care programs in and around Charleston. There is a very strong group of ATD Members and Tester/Observers (T/O) in Charleston and we enjoyed tremendous support on our journey. Eventually, I became a T/O when I realized just how great the need is for therapy dogs. Every team that Jo and I certify is another team spreading joy and smiles. It expanded our impact exponentially!

My experience with therapy dogs started in 1995, in New York, with my first Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Beau. He was a natural and introduced me to the work. Since then, we have had 2 other Chesapeakes who excelled at other things: dock diving, obedience, rally, scent work, and retrieving, but they were not cut out to be therapy dogs. I am very lucky to now have Jo, also a Chesapeake, to be my partner.

Now that we are in Charlottesville, we visit at UVA Health and at adult enrichment programs. Although hospitals have been where I feel the most at home, the enrichment programs are near and dear to my heart. I have witnessed firsthand the difference that Therapy dogs have made in the emotional wellbeing of patients, families, and care team members. They can bring peace and smiles where they are sorely needed.

When not volunteering with Jo, I have enjoyed having my two granddaughters nearby. I have enjoyed serving on the ATD Board and lending my support to this wonderful organization.

Hello from the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) home office in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I was born and raised here and spent most of my childhood riding horses, participating in 4H, FFA, and team roping. I attended the University of Wyoming, where I received my bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a minor in Marketing. I met and married my husband shortly after moving back to Cheyenne. It’s hard to believe how quickly time goes by but our daughter will be starting 4^th grade this fall. She is looking forward to being a Junior Handler as soon as she turns 12. Being raised in a home with 4 dogs, a cat and a lot of foster dogs coming and going has made her a very dog savvy child.

Before coming to ATD, I worked for the state of Wyoming managing numerous state scholarship programs, as well as the High School Equivalency Program. I also worked in insurance and finance prior to the State, and I do feel all my prior jobs helped me build skills needed for my current role at ATD.

I started as the Office Manager in late 2018 and was promoted to the Executive Director position in 2021. It has been a rollercoaster of challenges and changes, but I appreciate the support of our Board of Directors. This past year, they approved the hiring of additional staff, as well as moving the ATD Office into a more comfortable and professional workspace. I am certain the organization still has some growing pains to navigate, but the work our volunteers do and the impact they have in their communities make the hard and long days worth it. I also sincerely appreciate the hardworking Staff that diligently work to maintain a friendly and positive reputation of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs organization and Office.

My therapy dog Leroy is a large red Doberman who lives to love on people. I’m thankful that he came to my home as a foster dog that we adopted at 6 months old. Leroy and I visit the Laramie County Detention Center regularly and fit in other visits as we can. I am incredibly proud to be a part of ATD as a volunteer and the Executive Director.

Greetings from Charleston, South Carolina! It has been an exciting year for Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). I have begun working full time for ATD as the Education and Marketing Manager and it has been so fun to get to know some of our Members over social media and email. This is truly a dream job for me, meshing my passion and love for therapy dog work and my love for marketing and education. I have loved seeing ATD begin to develop its brand identity, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

I currently share my home with 4 dogs, Disco (Windsprite), Orio (Dalmatian), Quint (Dalmatian), and Hip Hop (Windsprite). While all 4 have done therapy dog work at some point, my current therapy dogs are Orio and Hip Hop. It is important to me that I only do the work with dogs who truly enjoy it. My daughter turned 12 this year and became a Junior Handler with Hip Hop. She is enjoying her visits to the library for their reading program. It makes me so proud seeing them work together to spread smiles and joy to those they visit. I also have an 11-year-old son who currently doesn’t show an interest in being a Junior Handler and that is ok. This work is not for everyone!

Please feel free to reach out to me about anything! We are all available to hear your comments. One of my favorite things about ATD is how willing our organization is to listen to our Members. As we grow, we always strive to keep our mission in mind. I look forward to chatting with you on social media or through email!

I am 4^th-generation born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I have lived here all my life and enjoy everything Wyoming has to offer. I love hiking, camping, swimming, sunbathing, and anything else that involves the great outdoors!

I am delighted to be a part of the team at Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Our mission is one I am proud to be a part of, and I look forward to many years of sharing smiles and joy with all of you.

I worked at Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) for 7 years prior to moving out of state in January 2019 but was able to come back to ATD in February 2021. I now reside in Cheyenne again with my daughter. On the weekends, we are often in northeast Colorado spending time with family who reside there and spoiling the youngest in the family, Rico.

Hey, all! My name is Bridget. I was a transplant from West Virginia; I, my husband, and 2 children moved to Cheyenne in 2021. We recently moved back to West Virginia in early 2023, and I currently work remotely for Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD).

Before moving to Cheyenne, I was the general manager of a national and local award-winning hotel for several years. I have over 15 years’ experience in the hospitality industry.

Before going to work with ATD and moving to Cheyenne, I spent a lot of time volunteering on different boards and committees and finding other ways to give back to my community. When offered the opportunity to work in an organization like Alliance of Therapy Dogs, I was more than excited to go to work with an organization whose mission statement really resonated with me and continuously makes a difference in other lives.

When I am not working, I enjoy gardening, exploring outdoors, and spending time with our pets, family, and friends.

Hello everyone, my name is Nick. I was born and raised here in Wyoming and just recently moved to Cheyenne in 2024. I was excited to join the team at Alliance of Therapy Dogs in 2025 in an IT role. I look forward to being a part of a team that makes a difference in people’s lives.

Although I haven’t had a dog since high school, my wife and I have an Indian ringneck parrot named Blueberry. I always like to describe owning a bird as owning a dog with wings. Outside of work, I spend my free time playing board games with my friends, listening to music, reading books, and spending time with my family.

Greetings from Ypsilanti Township, Michigan! My family has been active in therapy dog work since 2010 with three amazing collies (Bella, Legend, and Bree). My sons, Jordan and Devin, were ATD junior handlers and supporting members.

Bree has been busy at various locations. She visits Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan, the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and American Red Cross activities that involve military veterans. We also comfort first responders throughout our region: two fire departments, a police department, an ambulance service, and the U.S. Coast Guard. But our visits are not limited to in-person. Through Zoom calls, we see residents at extended care facilities nationwide.

We appreciate everyone we meet during our visits, especially those who have a genuine interest in learning more about collies. I’m excited about the future as I train Bree to become a crisis therapy dog.

It’s been a pleasure serving as editor of the ATD Newsmagazine. I look forward to editing the members’ uplifting stories and seeing their photos. Thank you for sharing your dogs!

When I’m not volunteering, I’m busy as the University of Michigan’s lead public relations representative; this involves helping reporters connect with faculty for their expertise and additional research information. The university always has a special place in my heart because it’s where I randomly learned about therapy dogs during a campus event more than 15 years ago.

My husband and I are originally from Central Iowa (go Cyclones) but have called Cheyenne, Wyoming, home for the past 14 years. We have two children, one girl and one boy, who keep us super busy with extracurricular activities.

I have always loved being creative, whether it be drawing, playing music, or being crafty, but after graduating from Iowa State University with a Fine Arts degree, finding a job in the arts proved to be a bit difficult. After working retail, and having my first child, I decided retail hours weren’t for me and ended up moving through a couple different creative jobs searching for the right fit, and I’m happy to report I found it! I currently work at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne as their Graphic Designer, and it’s wonderful. They say if you enjoy your job, you won’t “work” a day in your life. As if designing all day isn’t enough, I also do graphic design on the side with my freelance business, c.r.eate design, where I have clients from Alaska to Hawaii and everywhere in between.

I am definitely new to the world of therapy dogs, and while I don’t currently have a dog (our Springer Spaniel, Triton, passed away a couple of years ago), we have two cats and a bearded dragon!

I am excited about the opportunity to learn more about therapy dogs and look forward to designing many magazines to come!