Robin's Nest from American Humane - Biologist Caleigh Quick and Service dog Willow

Episode Date: December 4, 2023

At the age of 11 weeks, Willow, a black Labrador retriever, became a faithful companion to her owner and immediately commenced her service dog training to aid in the management of PTSD. Willow accompanies Quick in the field for her work rescuing endangered species as a wildlife conservationist.

Welcome to Robin's Nest. So many of us have a deep connection with the animals around us and want to protect them from the pets in our homes to endangered species in the wild. That's why I joined American Humane. As one of the oldest and most effective animal protection groups, we help billions of animals around the world. Join us as we explore how we can build a more humane world together. Hello and welcome to Robin's Nest. I'm Dr. Robin Ganzert and this is the official podcast of American Humane and Global Humane, the nation's first and most experienced humane organization focused on the humane treatment of animals all over the world, from certifying zoos to being the first boots on the ground in crises and rescues, helping to ensure that animals are safe in the filming of movies and sets globally,

and that one billion animals in farms are treated humanely and are military veteran and military dog programs. There's so much to talk about with the Merrick and Humane's power to touch lives and keep animals safe. But today we are talking with Kaylee Quick and her service dog, Willow, who were nominated in this year's 2023 Hero Dog Awards. We want to hear what you think after you've listened. Please make sure to review the podcast on your podcast platform. I'm so excited about this session in the nest because I'm here to welcome an incredible young lady and her service dog. Kaylee Quick is joining us with service dog Willow.

And I tell you, we have a story of inspiration, a story of hope, a story of love. And I'm so excited that we have you, Kaylee and Willow here in Robin's Nest today. And we got to know you through the 2023 Hero Dog Awards where Willow was nominated for this year's service dog category because I know Willow is a hero dog to you. Am I right, Kaylee? Yeah. Thank you so much for having us. She is a true hero.

And she's gorgeous, too. Look at her right there. And I know she loves you. I can just tell she's leaning into you. I love that. Yes. We're best friends. She's funny.

Oh, look. She knew the best friends. Could that be any cuter? Oh, my goodness. I'm missing my best friend, Daisy, today. So you've got me a little jealous here looking at this. Well, I love about your story and there's so many. Willow, you are too cute. There's so many great things to love about your story and your journey. And I couldn't be happier that you're

sharing it on our podcast today. Can you please introduce to our wonderful viewers today? Tell us a little bit about Kaylee Quick. Yeah. So my name is Kaylee. I am a biologist for the United States Geological Survey in Boulder City, Nevada. and I work with Mojave desert tortoises. Sorry, Willow is licking my face. I've been working with desert tortoises for almost four years now. When I first started my job, I actually didn't have a service dog and Willow came into my life. In 2020, I got an accommodation to bring her to work with me. in 2020. I got an accommodation to bring her to work with me. And then I started working with her in the field after she went through like the beginning phases of her training. And it was quite a journey. The training took about 18 months to complete. And throughout the

past few years, she's been working directly with me out in the field. And so we kind of took on a new part of our job, which is educating people on what Willow does with me in the field. So she plays a indirect role or kind of a direct role, I guess, in conserving Mojave Desert tortoises alongside of me by improving my quality of life so that I can continue the work that I do with them. And she also has learned how to detect tortoises as well. So we just have to stop for a second and say, wow. When we talk about a hero dog, a superhero with superpowers, Willow is definitely this. An unbelievable example of unconditional love at the other end of the leash. But you know, also,

let's face it, Kaylee, you've devoted your life to helping an incredible creatures that's the risk of extinction. Do you want to share with us a little bit more about these desert turtles that you are working with and have really devoted the past several years to? Yeah, sure. So Mojave Desert Tortoises are a federally threatened species, and I work on a project at the USGS. It's our Desert Tortoise Habitat Quality Project, which basically the aim of the project is to quantify habitat variables in a biologically meaningful way to improve conservation and management efforts for the species. So we know a lot about like habitat suitability, which will tell us in a yes or no sense whether tortoises will occur in a certain area, but we don't really know why in

certain patches of land there are higher density than others. So essentially what we're trying to figure out is what is keeping them there thriving and surviving. So as a major part of my job, I mentioned I do a lot of field work. And so there's a lot of moving pieces that go into this project. And so we do monthly weights and measurements on tortoises, juvenile tortoises every month. And then we do GPS logger changes on adult tortoises. We radio track the tortoises to look at their location, like where they're moving to. We do biannual health assessments on the animals to look at their overall condition, health condition, and then sample collection as well. So we'll take blood and oral swab tissue samples.

And additionally, we do juvenile tortoise foraging observations, which is where we'll go out and we'll kind of monitor, observe the tortoises from a distance and document what they're eating, what kind of route they're taking, how many bites they're taking of each plant, things like that. So there's a lot of moving pieces. In addition, we do monitor the climate. So we have rain gauges that are set out to collect the amount of precipitation every month. We'll record that. And then we also have weather stations incorporated into the project as well to assist with the monitoring the climate. And Willow does work

with me for every aspect of my job. So she's been out there during the monthly measurements, the GPS logger changes, the sample collection, health assessments, transmitter changes, collection, health assessments, transmitter changes, and the climate monitoring. And before her, I know there was like, I don't know that another dog has done this. And or another service dog, I should say. And there was a lot of like misconceptions about how dogs can work in or if they even could work in the field with their handler. So your science background is remarkable. I mean, you're a true scientist, a true field conservationist. This is wonderful. And was there something early in your life that said,

I'm going to work to save endangered species? I mean, that's fascinating. And what an inspiration you are to the next generation, particularly female scientists, female biologists. I love this. One of my daughters is a biologist. So I'm always very proud of young women who pursue science careers. And you have certainly done that. Yeah. Well, there's kind of a lot in my life that happened to make me kind of go on this career path. And I think the main thing is like when I was a little girl, like all I ever really cared about and still one of the only things I really care about are or were animals. And so from a very young age, my dad kind of like cultivated that and I watched

Steve Irwin on Animal Planet and all those things. And I knew there was really like, I knew I always wanted to be involved with working with animals in some capacity. But as you know, I do have some disabilities. So I have PTSD and autism are the two that Willow assists with. But I do have some disabilities so I have PTSD and autism are the two that Willow assists with but I do have all five diagnosable anxiety disorders and including OCD and so when I was really really young my OCD symptoms were very severe and when I say really young mean, from the time I was maybe four or five until I was about 20. And so it was a very long term thing. But at a point from about 16 to 19 or 20, the symptoms of my disabilities were so severe that I couldn't leave my house. So I would

try to have different jobs and things like that. And I just, I would go for like maybe a day or two and I just could not withstand it. I'd have panic attacks in the bathroom. And then I got my first animal related job at an animal hospital when I was 19 or 20. And the, it basically that job, like I would go there and it was the only job I ever had that alleviated the symptoms of my disabilities. So it was kind of like from that moment, I knew that I, there was no other option for me then to work with animals. And I had always wanted to do that, but was I going to, I wasn't sure until, um, I didn't even know that I would ever be able to work. Um, so then like I ended up going away to school cause I knew that the only way to work with animals would be by getting a

degree. Um, never thought I'd be able to go to school either. And then long story short, I ended up, um, I initially was going to school to become a vet because I didn't know that you could help animals doing wildlife work, I guess, the way that I do now. And so I went to volunteer on this sea turtle project off the coast of Georgia. And the first night there, I saw a loggerhead sea turtle lay a nest and I watched about a hundred hatchlings emerge from their nest and make their way to the ocean and the like series of events that occurred that night completely changed the course of my like like life like the direction I was going and it was my final year of college and I went back to school and I was like I I want to do wildlife work. I don't want to be a vet. And I was able to transition into that, which I'm really grateful for having figured that out late.

But it's never too late. And you're still great. And look at this incredible work you're doing. And boy, you have overcome. You have overcome so many challenges. And look at the amazing contributions back to the greater world you are making, Kaylee. You are the hero at the other end of the leash, which I think is so wonderful. We always talk about our hero dogs as really heroes on both

ends of the leash. And you are a shining example of overcoming adversity through the power of the human-animal bond. That's what I always talk about is the healing power of the human animal bond. Yes. That's what I always talk about is the healing power of the human animal bond, because I always say animals make us better humans, but particularly dog is God spelled backwards, right? Yes. Isn't that wonderful? Yeah.

I love it. Well, let's pivot and talk about this beautiful willow. She knew she was going to be the next topic of conversation, so she pops back up. She pops up, yeah. Isn't she adorable? She's so funny. Again, how you met Willow and how you then went through the process of ensuring that you could utilize her services in your work. You achieved that accommodation, which is not always easy to do.

So people are going to be looking to you for guidance on how they can, but you brought Willow into a space, by the way, that had never been done before. So you championed and you created a whole new pathway for people with invisible disabilities, right? To bring your service dogs to allow you to have an enriched life, this incredible life that you're leading. So tell us how you got started on this and then how did you achieve that accommodation that allowed you to be the very first? Yeah. So Willow came into my life in 2020, as I mentioned, I think a little earlier. So traditional treatment methods weren't really working for me. So I ended up like doing some research and learning that there were service

dogs for the same things that I struggle with. So I did more research into it and I ended up getting Willow from somebody in Vegas that had placed a lot of service dogs with people through the program that Willow was in, which is called Michael's Angel Paws. So I got her when she was... Michael's Angel Paws. Yes. Out of Las Vegas. Yes. So she was 11 weeks when she came to me and I enrolled her in the service dog program through Michael's Angel Paws. And they're really great because they teach disabled people how to train their own service dog under their direction.

It's a more cost effective way of obtaining a service dog, which is really beneficial for me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to afford one. And they're a nonprofit. So she came into my life. And before I got her, I actually made a phone call to my supervisor at the time. Her name was Christina Drake. She has now moved on to another position, but we're still very good friends. She and my current supervisor, his name's Todd Askew, they assisted me with getting my accommodation approved, which was to have my service dog with me when possible. And I don't think that Willow would have succeeded at service dog work if I had gone anywhere else. And I say that, you know,

thinking about past jobs that I've had and also learning of other disabled people's experiences in the workplace in general. And so, and it was unheard of, the whole thing that I did with Willow. So people, like, there were definitely doubts. People had doubts that it was even possible to do. And so it took me a while to start sharing the story of our work and how we got where we are. So there were no resources available on how to do anything. So I learned through trial and error mostly, bringing her into the field, figuring out what worked

and getting little accommodations too that were really helpful. Like the first day I brought Will into the field, usually for the activities we were doing, uh, we would send two people, but that day we sent three so that, cause I was likely going to be a little bit slower cause it was my first time working with the dog. So, um, this stuff that my, or the help that my team gave me is very admirable. Um, and I mean that like, like as deep as possible. I couldn't have done any of it without them. And for a long time, I actually initially, Willow made the symptoms of my disabilities worse before they got better.

And this is another thing. Often happens with service dogs. Yeah, this is. There's more triggering. Yeah, definitely. This is one of the things I think is the most important too, is that she definitely did make them worse. And I initially thought that I had made a mistake with going the service dog route. But then every time I would go to work, my, my coworkers and my supervisors would

be like, where's Willow? Like, they were so excited to see her. And I was like, oh my gosh, I told them that I was going to have a service dog. I need to like follow through with, you know, the training and everything. So they kind of like pushed me to, to go through that. And as Willow's training improved, so did my health. So it was just like this magical thing that happened. Um, and it's incredible. I mean, I didn't even know anyone who had a service dog before I got Willow. So I was completely oblivious to everything. That's amazing. Yeah. That's wonderful.

What a remarkable story that you both have to share. I'd love to know, you know, you talked about your early love for animals. You know, did you have a special dog or cat in your life when you were a little girl? So I had, I don't know that I would say, um, I had like a special dog or cat. I definitely had animals growing up. I never had, um, a pet that I shared the bond with that I do with Willow. Um, yeah. So I always loved animals. They were the only thing I ever cared about, but I never had like a real connection with a, um, family animal, um, the way that I do with my service dog and service, the relationship that you have with a service dog,

I think is much different than, than with a pet. Um, and I I've learned that now, but I hadn't had any animals for a while after moving out of my parents' house until I got Willow. So no like very deep connections with a personal animal, but until Willow. That's wonderful. Well well willow is very very very special yeah and i know you're so proud and i'm so proud that you have really paved the way for more service dogs to actually be partners are partnered up in the u.s geological service and i think that's beautiful because uh your team what a shining example too yeah allowing all of this to happen and actually encouraging it and championing it. So it's a whole victory, not only for you and Willow, but for your entire team to pay it forward now with this example of success

to others who may need the same. So look at what change you have made happen. Aren't you proud? Thank you. Yeah, I'm really proud of Willow. And I agree with everything you said about my team, they were encouraging it. And I wish, it's funny because it's like, if I knew then what I know now, it's funny because it's like, if I knew then what I know now, like all of the, all the ways I've educated myself about the service dog and disability community, if I knew then what I knew now, I don't think I would have ever even tried it. And so I am very grateful for the team that I had and have here, past and present, the team that I had and have here, past and present, just because, like, I'm really, I feel very lucky that I did not have to learn about some of the challenges that people face firsthand.

And that does not happen often. And I'm very, very grateful for it. That's beautiful. So let's just, let me just ask you this. If you saw someone who was asking about how they could get a service dog like Willow, what would you advise them? Because a lot of people are going to be inspired facing invisible, you know, disabilities to actually look at search for a service dog to provide that relief and that opportunity to, to live that very enriched life like you are now. Yeah. I definitely would say to do a lot of research. I did a lot of research before doing it or before getting Willow. And then also deciding if you want to go the owner training route or program training. So Willow is kind of

a mix between the two, just because I technically trained her, so she is considered owner trained. But it was under the direction of a program. Getting a service dog from a program that's, you know, unless they place service dogs for free, it can be very, very expensive. So that's one thing to take in consideration. And then for the ones that place them at no cost, it's usually a very long wait list. So get on it as early as possible, but also if you're going to owner train to just understand the amount of work that goes into that. It's not easy to do. It takes a very long time. And then just doing research on service dogs in general, like I think that anybody in

the community should have a really solid understanding of the laws and their rights as a service animal handler. And, you know, being able to advocate for yourself and things like that, which is very hard. It was very hard for me to learn how to do that. And then research on what kind of tasks the dog can perform to assist with your disabilities is what I would say. So yeah. That's great. You know, we have long been champions of service dogs. We have our Pups for Patriots service dog program that provides free of charge to wounded warriors with facing PTS and TBI a service dog and so we're very familiar with all of the great benefits the service dogs provide in their lives and we know that the service dog can truly absolutely be a change not only for the person who's at the other end of the leash,

but sometimes the entire family. We've had children write in saying the service dog gave them their daddy back or their mom was able to be their mom again. And so how nice is that when you see those success stories? And again, it's all due to the thoughtful and rigorous training that service dogs must undergo so they can perform those functions. And I appreciate you saying that it takes time to do it. And at American Humane, we provide those service dogs free of charge.

Indeed, because it's a very important core value of our mission. But today, what we would like to do is, you love Michael's Angel Paws so much that we're going to be issuing a grant to Michael's Angel Paws in Willow's honor. Oh my gosh. We're very grateful for you sharing your story. And we will be releasing a grant to help support their fine work

in your hometown, in your backyard. Oh, my God. Thank you so much. We hope to pay it forward as you have paid it forward by your beautiful example of being so brave in sharing your story, but also in ensuring that you could bring service dogs to your work and really be the first to pave the way for so many. So thank you. Thank you so much. That's so kind of you. Oh, we're happy. Oh my goodness. We're happy, happy to do it. Do you have any final words

you'd like to share with our listeners who are going to be so touched by your story? I guess when... Look at Willow. Always when she knows it's her time to talk right she does um so you were talking about before how service dogs can impact like other people as well um as not just their handlers um i think willow did that at my work. I like to think that she does or did. I think she taught people how to be a better teammate, like all around. So, yeah, that was one of my favorite things about her. She showed us all how to be better teammates.

I think everyone who's met her. Well, it's wonderful. You know, I do know that animals remind us of compassion, empathy, and unconditional love. And I do think that makes a workplace and the world a much better place. But I particularly admire is Willow's ability to also help work with you to save an endangered species. Yeah, thank you so much. I call it triple bottom line. It's a win, win, win all the way around. And the desert tortoises would also, I know, give a big shout out to have one of the animal species also be its champion. So it's a beautiful story and it's a story of hope. Thank you so much. We love to share these stories of hope in Robin's Nest. story thank you so much we love to share these stories of hope in robin's nest so thank you so much for being a guest on today's show thank you i appreciate it

so much and willow says thank you too oh she's like we're so grateful that you're saying bye say bye her little mouth i love it kaylee thank you so much we look forward to seeing you soon thank you so much. We look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you. You too.