Robin's Nest from American Humane - Hero Dogs Maverick and Moxie

Episode Date: July 15, 2024

In the latest episode of Robin’s Nest, American Humane president and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert sits down with two of our 2023 Hero Dog handlers Kelly Brownfield and Katie Harris. Watch and listen to learn more about their journey and their incredible hero dogs, Maverick and Moxie, respectively. Maverick, the 2023 Hero Dog Award winner and Therapy Dog Finalist, travels with his owner Kelly, offering steadfast support to military members and their families as an official USO member. Moxie, the Service Hero Dog Finalist, provides invaluable assistance to her owner Katie, who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of rare, inherited connective tissue disorders. So many dogs in our lives have an inspiring story to tell and we hope you enjoy Maverick and Moxie’s. Learn more about the upcoming Hero Dog Awards athttps://www.herodogawards.org/. 

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 focused on the humane treatment of animals all over the world,

from certifying zoos to being the first boots on the ground in crisis and rescues, helping to ensure that animals are safe in the filming of movies on sets globally, and that one billion animals in farms are treated humanely, and our military veteran and military dog programs. We are also proud to host the annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards. Now in its 14th year, this nationwide competition searches for and recognizes America's most inspiring dogs. These are often ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things,

from saving lives on the battlefields to lending sight or hearing to a human companion or helping people achieve their goals. Each year we receive hundreds of nominations for Heroic Canines creating impact throughout their communities, our country and even globally. We recognize dogs from five categories including law enforcement and first responder dogs, military dogs, service and guide and hearing dogs, therapy dogs, emerging hero and shelter dogs. After voting by the American public, winners in each category are honored at the star-studded

American Humane Hero Dog Awards Gala in Palm Beach, hosted by Carson Kressley and Kristi Brinkley. At these awards, just one of the category finalists receives the crowning Hero Dog title, an honor that symbolizes the important and inspiring role that canines play in our lives. That's why today I'm excited to welcome the human companions or handlers of two past winners of the Hero Dog Awards. Well today in Robins Nest I'm so excited to have these incredible inspirational ladies and also some incredible dogs. We're here today with Kelly Brownfield. She is the 2024 pet parent handler of Maverick. Maverick is the USO therapy dog who claimed top honors in our 2023 Hero Dogs. I'm so happy, Kelly, to have you with us. Thank you so very much. Thank you for having

us. Oh, thrilled. And we also have Katie Harris in the house. Katie is Moxie's mom and our 2023 service dog, Hero Dog of the Year with Moxie. And Moxie's mission, I know, is so important to you. Oh, gosh. So great to see you again. We had a wonderful time celebrating your huge awards just so recently and the television special on A&E and FYI was gorgeous and most of all your stories that you shared with all of America has really touched so many lives. So thank you for having so much courage to share your story, open up, and tell everybody how much these incredible hero dogs mean to you. Well, thank you for giving us the opportunity to be able to share

what they mean to us and what we're able to do. Well, you are inspiring and paying it forward to so many by being able to share your stories are indeed stories of hope. And they're also stories of the healing power of the human-animal bond. And I want to get into them right now because this is so, so very, very special. Kelly, we'll start with you. And I know that Maverick is this incredible beauty. And you not only have Maverick at home, you've got another great date at home. But I want to start with Maverick's story and how you and Maverick came together and started this incredible

journey together. You know, we always say Maverick was born to serve. And from the day he was, You know, we always say Maverick was born to serve. And from the day he was, from the day he was at my house to the day I had him, he served our military and their family members. And that was his mission. And that is his mission, to help in any way he can. And just to see how he lights up their faces when they have a bad day. how he lights up their faces when they have a bad day or just to see you know I think you all have experienced seeing how someone's body language can go from tense to just completely relaxed and I don't think everyone realizes just the power that animals in general have they each have their own superpower we say yes and just to watch Maverick work with the children of the fallen, working with our military on

suicide watch, seeing the change that he has on those individuals, you know, serving and working alongside our amputees as they're having their prosthetics fitted. You know, that's a hard time during that service member's life. And just to have Maverick by their side changes their whole trajectory of the day. Just when they see him come in and go, oh, you know, I have Maverick today. Forget the physical therapist, you know. Those four guys are put to the side sometimes, you know. But just to have Maverick there.

And he has such a wide range of those he helps. We don't only have good times. There's bad times and good times. But it's those times that are the hardest. The work he does, again, with the children of the fallen or going on the stand to sit with children while they testify those are the the hardest times or i think the most important times um and those are when the impact is felt most so i know he's not in the studio with us today and i know we'll show our

our our listeners to robin's nest some photos and of course everyone can see more about Maverick on the AmericanHumane.org website and HeroDogAwards.org website too. Describe Maverick because he is so huge and so when you meet Maverick for the first time it's a little overwhelming. He is a majestic giant. Yes, that's the word for him. He is a European blue Great Dane, merely 150 pounds, that's it, you know. Only 150 pounds. Only, only. And he truly lives up to the gentle giant term that they always tag with Great Danes. He is big, yes, but he is so gentle and he has such a calming demeanor over him and I joke that sometimes I might have trained him to be too nonchalant you know during training you know he had to be able to get through a 21 gun salute he needed to get through certain noise barriers so that he wouldn't react in situations and so sometimes I think he's almost too stoic.

And it's like, hey, you can loosen up a little. But I think that's what draws people to him too, is just, you know, he's not bouncing around or anything. So having him there, just standing there, is just welcoming though. And like, you know, come in, get a hug from Maverick. Come say hello. You know, yesterday, so many representatives were giving him hugs and they were loving it. And just to see their demeanor change was amazing.

That's exactly right. We're going to talk about our moment on Capitol Hill, too, in just a few minutes because that was so impactful. But I want to go back to something you went through really quickly in talking about Maverick and his story. Because this just gives me the goosebumps and a lot of tears. You share with us that Maverick is a USO therapy dog. And in that role, he sits with the families of the fallen. Please tell us what that means. So it touches my heart every time.

And I don't care if it's raining or sunny. I have to have those sunglasses on when I'm working with them out there. And when he's sitting with families of the fallen, we team up and they will actually escort. Maverick will sit by that child's side or children if there's multiple kids during the service members burial and so so this is a gold star family yeah type of situation where a service member's been lost in the line of duty absolutely and they have children and that funeral has to be so confusing and so emotional and so tragic for the child.

And there you are with this gentle giant. You know, I always say he's there to be their rock. And when that parent sees this is the USO K9. It almost gives them a sense of relief to where they can take time to focus on something else, you know, because there's so much going on during that day. And I always give each child Maverick's challenge coin, his military coin. And I always say, if you need anything or if you're having a hard time during the service, just squeeze it. And I can't tell you how many times I just see the children just squeeze it. But Maverick will literally back up and sit on the chair next to them. And you'll just see the child holding on to him, literally being their rock.

And then at times we also get requests from families of the fallen where they've never seen their loved one's tombstone in place. And that's the first time that they see the name on that headstone. A very emotional time. And so we'll get requests for Maverick to escort the children to the gravesite and sit with that child while they process that moment. Because seeing that, the name in stone makes it real in a way. So we usually will lay Maverick down with the child. A lot of times, depending on their age.

Sometimes that child will write a therapeutic letter to that fallen member, whether it be a father, mother, sister, brother, and just write a letter while leaning on Maverick. And we give them all the time they need. But it is one of the most important missions, I believe, that's needed. I would agree with you so much. And it's not just Maverick doing this work, Kelly. You are too. Such an angel.

Such an angel. There's another group of people that you and Maverick help. It's incredible. Those who are on suicide watch are wounded warriors facing PTSD and TBI, and they're on suicide watch. Tell me, what do you and Maverick do in those cases? You know, and as one soldier told me, that's when she realized the true meaning of unconditional love. She had been in there a little bit and no one, she wasn't accepting any visitors or anything. But she didn't know that we were there for her because I'm allowed to go into the ward at any time. Yes. And we were asked to go see her.

And I just remember her seeing Maverick. Maverick jumped up on the couch with her and just her holding him and just rocking. And just to see that rock. And it was emotional. Like no words had to be spoken. And it was a couple years later that specific soldier came to the USO to thank me. Oh.

And that's when she told me the moment she saw and had Maverick in her arms was when she realized what unconditional love was supposed to be. Isn't that beautiful? And that she was actually processing out of the military, but she wanted to come by and make sure that we knew how important that moment was in her life. And that was the moment that changed her mindset and that made her want to take the steps to get better. It was incredible. When I think about this work it has to be very taxing on your

heart and for those of us in Robin's Nest, you also need to know Kelly is a cancer survivor. She rang that bell. I'm so happy. And I know at the same time you're fighting the battle against cancer, you're also helping so many people who are just in such tragic circumstances. So how do you do it, Kelly? How do you do it? You know, it kept me going no matter the circumstance. I don't think it would have, I don't know if I would have made it

if I had just stayed home. Right. But I also, as I've told you before, contribute my well-being and me making it through three cancer diagnoses in seven years to American Humane. Because a lot of people don't realize I had applied and put in Fandit, our original therapy dog, and then Maverick for the last eight years in American Humane. But I think everything was meant to be because you know every year we would get to those top three almost and but I would use that time to promote and get out no matter what

was going on whether it was chemo or radiation American Humane helped me get out of the house and interact with people. And I think it would have been a lot different if I didn't have the hero dogs to, you know, go out and talk about and say, vote for this dog, please. And so it's just really neat to me that Maverick won when he did at the end of my journey. It was almost like, all right, it's your time now. You're done with your health battle. Now, now it is your time. It's all you. And so I always have said all those years, yes, it was a lot of work, but at the same time, it did keep me going. So I do appreciate that. Oh, I love that. I love that. We're going to talk about your next phase here soon. But in this journey with the Hero Dog Awards, you've met a wonderful new friend with Moxie

and Katie. Isn't this exciting? The Hero Dogs community is such a great family and it does span generations of Hero Dogs and generations of nominees. And I love, love, love that story. And we're going to pivot now to Katie and Moxie's in the house today. Katie, tell us about your incredible journey with Moxie. And I think you celebrated an anniversary just yesterday of six years of bringing Moxie into your life. Absolutely. And it just, when I saw that come up on Facebook memories, it was like, wow, six years ago, I got Moxie this little bundle of fluff that just came prancing around. She was the runt of the litter.

And I can't believe she was the runt of the litter. No, she was the runt. She was meant for me. She was reserved there. And never, ever in a million years when I got that dog did I think that we would be here, that she would be a hero dog, that we would be on the hill continuing to make change? I mean, to say that Moxie has not only saved my life, but impacted my life, is the understatement of the year.

Before I got Moxie, I have a condition called Ehlers-Danlos, which is a connective tissue disorder. Say that again so our listeners can hear it. It's called Ehlers-Danlos. And basically, and there's a lot of different types of Ehlers-Danlos. Mine, the collagen inside of our body, mine is defective. So it just kind of like if you take toilet paper and you pour water on it, that's what's happening inside of me. And none of my joints stay in place. But because the collagen is breaking down, it causes all of these other health struggles. Right. Now, physically, I was struggling.

But mentally, man, that was... A diagnosis like that just had to get you right here. It did because I was struggling for so long and nobody knew what was going on and it just kept getting worse and worse and then we got the diagnosis and then things just continued to keep getting worse. At that time, I was completely wheelchair bound. Couldn't even go to the refrigerator to get water. I couldn't play tennis. I lost all hope, purpose, and I had no idea what my why was anymore. And every, every day I woke up and I was fighting not to end my life. And it was a purposeful fight because my brain kept saying, you don't want to live this way, in this pain, in this pain, in this pain. And there was never relief.

So I just kept trying to keep going and going. But you get to the point that it just gets too much. Yes. Then I got moxie. And there was no guarantee that she would make it through the training. Right, right. To be honest, I was a little skeptical. She was a little puppy, but it was because she was so motivated to work.

But she just brought purpose to me. She brought hope to me. She brought a reason for me to get up because I got to take her out to go to the bathroom. I have to feed her. That's right. But I remember this specific day and I was sitting in my bed and I was in so much pain. Everything was shut down. I couldn't see. And I was like, I'm going to, I'm going to end my life today. Like, I can't, I can't believe this. The death of despair. I can't imagine. It like hit me in the gut.

And I started literally grieving my death and grieving my dreams that I had. Because I had so many dreams. And I had that, you know, that loud wailing cry that just comes deep from your stomach. I just let that out. And all of a sudden this little Moxie comes running up, she jumps on the bed and she just wrapped her paws around me and squeezed. Oh gosh. And it was in that instant looking in her beautiful big brown eyes, something shifted. Right. And I was like, you know what? I have got to stop focusing on all these things I can't do. Right. I have to find

something I can do. I have to find a purpose. I have to find something I can do. I have to find a purpose. I have to find a why. Yes. And knowing how much Moxie has already impacted me before she was trained. Yes. In the process of training, I thought, you know what? So many people could benefit from a service dog. Right. But they can't afford a fully trained one. They can't wait the wait list and they don't have a trainer to train their dog. So I thought what if we can pay it forward and fully fund a service dog for someone in need. I could do that from the hospital bed. I could do that from home. So we did it and we raised that money for that first

service dog. Her name was Grace or is Grace. They're doing incredible now. That's wonderful. She was never be, she was a teacher. She wasn't able to teach in person until she got this dog. Oh. And then it was like, you know what? We're not done. So we continued. We started the nonprofit Moxie's Mission. We wrote a little children's book. And now we just continue to travel around and talk about awareness and hope. Moxie means to overcome obstacles with spirit and courage. And that is exactly what she does for me every day. Every day. Say that again because I just want our listeners in robin's nest to remember this

moxie means to overcome obstacles with spirit and courage and the last line in her children's book that i always tell people because we talk about how everyone has hard times but with kindness courage and a little bit of moxie anything anything is possible. And I believe that. With kindness and courage and that perseverance, we can overcome things. Look at what you've done with your life. Yeah. Look at what, and you know what I love

is you've defined your why now. And your why is so selfless. It's all about serving others and paying it forward. It's beautiful. Well, and I think about back when I was sitting on that bed and I couldn't even go to the refrigerator to get some water. And I lost all hope. One of the biggest things that I missed was tennis.

And it was like, I can't play tennis anymore. I can't do this. I can't do anything anymore. And now I look where I am right now not only not only am I able to walk some now without the wheelchair it's great I saw you walking some yesterday it was beautiful yes I am now playing wheelchair tennis bravo and I'm traveling nationwide playing. And if I would have quit back then, none of these things would have happened. Yes.

Yes. And it's not always easy. No. There are still plenty of times that I'm like, I don't know if I could keep living like this. It just gets exhausting. But you just keep going. It's kind of like what Kelly said. And I think this is why we connected so well.

We met last, the year before, when we both ran together. Oh, I love that. And it brought us together. And I'm going to be hurt. I'm going to be sick. So why not do something with it? And not just sit at home and be sick. And so it just really has given me that determination.

And Moxie's just so cute. Moxie is so cute. She is. I mean, so adorable. A little golden doodle, by the way, friends. And she's here working today right beside Katie. She is so precious. I just, I'm sitting here in the presence of two amazing humane angels, really women who have faced adversity, trials, tribulations that we can't even imagine. And look at what they've done through the healing power of the human animal bond. You two should be so very proud of yourselves because the healing power of the bond has given you a platform to help so many other people. It's so remarkable. We go into schools now with Moxie, and it's always so fun because we'll be in the gym already, and the kids will come in, and they'll be like, oh.

And I'm like, oh, me? We know it's always about Moxie. we know it's always about moxie but it's just there was a story that i had um at one of our schools that we went to and a teacher came up and said we have a student that has a service dog now but they've never met anyone with a service dog and they just want to meet you can she have like a few minutes with you after the presentation i I was like, I got all after her. No, absolutely. So he came up and he had his service dog. And you were talking about the trading and just the pride and just.

And how old was he? He was maybe eight or nine. I think that's spectacular. And it's just seeing how Moxie brings joy to so many people, not just me, and being able to educate. How do you, what is the difference between a therapy dog and a service dog? Absolutely. How do you interact? We're looking to team up on that.

Yes, we want to write a book. Wonderful, wonderful. Because people get very confused when they see a therapy dog. And we see them in airports now. You use them with the USO, which is so important and we see them at airports now. You use them through the USO, which is so important. We see them in children's hospitals and then we have service dogs. So what's a good rule of thumb for our listeners to know the difference between a service dog and a therapy dog? I always say if the dog is in public, it's a service dog

because therapy dogs can only be in public where they're working yes and moxie doesn't wear a vest because it's not legally required so we have a leash wrap and so sometimes people will be like well she doesn't have a vest she's she's in public and yes she's working yes and i think that to me always asking first. Yes. I mean, I have people. I think that's the biggest thing is no matter who the dog is, whether it's at the dog park, at an airport, in an office, ask first. Yes, before you approach. Always a best practice. Absolutely.

I think. But you're right. Service dogs are in public with one person. But you're right. Service dogs are in public with one person. And a therapy dog is in a setting where they're brought into work. A children's hospital, an airport. I love the therapy dogs at airports now for people who are nervous flyers. Of course, the incredible work you're doing with the USO.

But we see them now in nursing homes, too. They're going to a job. They're not out in public with one person. I think that's a really great distinction and always ask. And I think some of the things I go into the schools quite a bit. And so I think it's just a natural fit to team up with Katie where we can both go into schools together to explain the differences and show them therapy dog versus service dog. You know, and I always say, and you know, especially for younger children, remember therapy dogs are for the use of others, whereas service dog is for someone's individual use medical need. Wonderful, wonderful. And then they can understand that. Yeah. And being able to educate, I mean, the amount, I don't think people realize that when we're out working, the distraction is really dangerous.

Yes. And if she misses an alert or she's not focusing on me, I tell the students, when you're all doing math and English, if your neighbor's like, hey, hey, hey, hey, it's hard to work. You can't focus. That's right. It's the adults that you really have to educate. Yes. Not my favorite story, but my biggest frustration is when people come up and go, I know that you're a working dog, so I'm not going to talk to you because you are a working dog. Except you with that voice. They don't know those words.

And so just ignore the service dog. Right. Talk to the handler. Yes. You can always ask them, can I pet your dog? Yes. More often than not, if I'm having an okay day, I will say yes. But I unleash her.

I say the command that she can be pet. Yes. So that she knows. That she doesn't have to focus on you for a minute correct and to me it gives me an opportunity to show awareness and let a little child know what is a service dog and do education with that beautiful but some days no you can't pet her no or some service dogs no it's the it doesn't work with that dog. And you have to respect that and know they are working and it really does make a difference. I'm going to ask you this wonderful question we ask of all

hero dogs, as we're talking about hero dogs, literally, but heroes on both ends of the leash. What is Maverick's superpower and what's Moxie's superpower? I think with Maverick, it's the ability just to bring calmness over anyone in any situation. And just that approach of you just see their whole body change, their whole body language.

So, you know, if there is ability to have a superpower and just bring calmness, I think that's it. And peace. And peace. You know, I think that's an important term to add to that, yes. Yes. I love that. And it's funny because, I mean, Moxie's superpower, being able to recognize my needs is there. But I would say, and it's a little similar but almost the complete opposite Moxie brings this like joy and not calmness when she's like not working with it she's just like this little plushie yeah and so being able to just see the smile that she brings on people and the laughter and she's so goofy.

She is so serious with her work. Yes. She's so silly and goofy and funny. She's a golden doodle. She's living life. She is living life, but she knows when she has a job, she's got that job. And when she is free, she just has fun. She lives a beautiful life. We're going to

pivot here really quickly before we have to close today's episode. I knew everybody would love this episode. We were on Capitol Hill and we were there to launch the 2024 Hero Dog Awards. Wasn't that wonderful? It was so much fun. Tell us your thoughts about our big launch event as we educated members of Congress about heroes on both ends of the leash. You know, I really hope it brings a larger awareness of the Hero Dog Awards because every dog, every animal is a hero in my book. Yes. But just to have that platform to go further. to go further. I love what I've done for the last several years,

but being a part of the Hero Dog Awards has just helped amplify and share that story, but also has brought interest to others about, well, my dog would be able to do that maybe, and bringing additional support to the awareness of the U.S. at Canine Program. Yes. And so seeing you guys get so much publicity, seeing the smiles, the fun we were having yesterday,

I just hope, honestly, that everyone submits their dog in each of the categories for them. And I just hope it brings a lot more awareness. Yes, yes, thank you. I mean, it's just, it's such a huge name. And to be able to be part of that and be able to talk to so many influential people was just an opportunity that never would have been able to happen. But the other thing that I just love about the American Humane Hero Dogs is not only do we have that platform to be able to go out that got

the attention to allow Moxie to be part of Dolly Parton's show. I mean, none of that would have been happening, but now we're networking. We have a team of hero dogs that we stay in touch with from other years. And being able to not do the work on our own is huge. And so I'll be promoting to anyone to be, because like Kelly said, with Moxie, being able to campaign and have tables and to get people to vote for her was dual purpose, obviously, for this. But we were able to share our mission and what we're doing and just get all of that exposure out.

So I am very anxious to see the nominees, hear their stories, and just watch the whole thing unfold. We hear their stories and just watch the whole thing unfold. And I am so excited for the next show that they're going to have to announce the overall winner again. And the five finalists. It's just so exciting. It's so exciting. And I think we can't wait to meet them.

And we want them to know it doesn't stop at the Hero Dog Awards. Yes. You know, it is important that they realize what can come from that and keep that mission, whatever they're doing, keep it going. Yes. You know, it is important that they realize what can come from that and keep that mission, whatever they're doing, keep it going. Yes. And I think that's it just doesn't stop the momentum. Yes. It's a platform. Exactly. It's a platform for advocacy and change. And it's also an opportunity for us to sit back each and every year and be educated, be educated about therapy dogs, service dogs, law enforcement dogs, search and rescue dogs, military dogs, and of course emerging hero dogs or shelter dogs that do amazing things like our 2022 winner, overall winner of hero dog of the year, Ethan. And we all

remember Ethan and Jeff. They were on Capitol Hill with us yesterday as well, kicking off this year's show. Well, this has been such a joy to hear from both of you and to hear your amazing stories and to have you share your heart with everyone in Robbins Nest. Thank you so much for being here. And I just, I know that you've inspired so many people through sharing and we're

grateful. Well thank you for having us and for everything that you're doing for animals. I mean it truly is amazing the amount of things that you are dedicating yourself to and I'm so appreciative to be part of the American Humane Family. Thank you. Well, one thing that you said today, I want to remind our listeners, if you're looking for that why in life, if you have this moment, please go to a local shelter and adopt. Adopt a dog, adopt a cat,

bring an animal into your life and experience that unconditional love. And let's empty out those animal shelters right now. Thank you so much for being part of Robyn's Nest. Wasn't it incredible to have Kelly and Maverick, Katie and Moxie in the nest with us hearing these amazing stories of heroes on both ends of the leash. Reminds me, I have to share with you the Hero Dog Awards

are now open. Please nominate your favorite working dog. We want to celebrate them this year and remember there's five categories of hero dogs. There's law enforcement dog, military working dog, your favorite guide hearing and and service dog, your favorite therapy dog, and service dog your favorite therapy dog and of course your favorite emerging hero dog those are shelter dogs who do amazing things if you have a hero in your life and I know many of you do please check out the hero dog awards.org today let's get our best friends nominated again thanks so much for being part of our family

here at Robins Nest. We're so thrilled that you tuned in this week to hear the stories of these amazing heroes. I hope you'll join forces with American Humane to help us build a more humane world. And tune in next time for our next episode of Robins Nest. Thank you.