On my recent cruise to the Western Caribbean, I met a true heroine, a woman of strength named Bobbi Jo Bottomley. Bobbi Jo is a dog behavior expert who runs a business called Tri-State K9 University, based out of Indiana. Not only does Bobbi Jo take in abused, mistreated, and homeless animals—including a seven-foot, red-tailed boa constrictor—but she also teaches disabled veterans to train their own service dogs in an organization she founded in 2012 called Soldier Dogs for Independence.Soldier dogs help veterans with things like mobility and post-traumatic stress disorder. By teaching dogs to turn lights off and on, to open drawers, pick up fallen objects, even detect emotional and physical states through their senses and respond appropriately, Bobbi Jo gives dogs the skills to make disabled veterans more independent. When I think about what a difference dogs can make in the lives of our fighting men and women, I am so grateful for people like Bobbi Jo, who facilitate the bond between man and beast and make the world a better place for all of God’s creatures.
To contact Bobbi Jo, check out her website at www.TSK9U.com.