Kilyn and her dog Bubbles, a cruelty survivor, have a unique way of reaching children who also have had a difficult past.
In this 81st episode of Therapy Dog Talk, I sit down with Kilyn Horton and her Pitbull rescue, Bubbles. We discuss their heartwarming journey together, focusing on how they help children who have experienced trauma or have disabilities. Kilyn found Bubbles while volunteering at Houston Pets Alive! after Hurricane Harvey. Despite her challenging past and injuries from a gunshot wound, Bubbles’ incredible resilience and loving nature make her a perfect therapy dog.
Kilyn shares the origin of Bubbles’ name, her love of cuddles and how her passion for therapy work began. Together, they volunteer at children’s hospitals, domestic violence shelters, and schools. Kilyn emphasizes that pets with difficult pasts or special abilities, like Bubbles, can still be successful in therapy work.
During our conversation, Kilyn highlights her approach to explaining animal cruelty to children in an age-appropriate way. She also shares the impact of her book, “Bubbles Finds Hope,” which sensitively tells Bubbles’ story and encourages compassion and empathy towards others.
After listening to this episode, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of the powerful bond between a therapy dog and their handler, as well as the transformative impact therapy dogs can have on the lives of others.
In this episode, we discuss …
- How Bubbles’ incredible resilience and loving nature make her a perfect therapy dog.
- Why Kilyn and Bubbles focus on helping children who have experienced trauma or have disabilities.
- How they use their platform to spread awareness and educate children about animal cruelty.
Key moments you won’t want to miss:
Note that the timecodes match the video, not the podcast.
- [00:01:12] Kilyn introduces herself and Bubbles, explaining how they started doing therapy work together.
- [00:01:31] Kilyn recounts finding Bubbles while volunteering at Houston Pets Alive! after Hurricane Harvey.
- [00:03:57] Kilyn shares the story behind Bubbles’ name and its inspiration.
- [00:04:18] Kilyn discusses her familiarity with therapy dogs and her decision to pursue therapy work with Bubbles.
- [00:07:14] Kilyn talks about their volunteer work and registration with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
- [00:08:10] Kilyn emphasizes Bubbles’ connection with children who have experienced trauma or have disabilities.
- [00:09:23] Kilyn introduces their two Instagram accounts for Bubbles, including one for children called @SunnySideOfBubbles.
- [00:10:15] Kilyn explains her approach to discussing animal cruelty with children in an age-appropriate manner.
- [00:11:19] We talk about their book, “Bubbles Finds Hope,” and its sensitive portrayal of Bubbles’ story.
- [00:22:27] Kilyn invites listeners to follow Bubbles’ journey on Instagram at @KHBubbles.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do. Give it a watch or a listen and then let me know in the community which part you found the most helpful!
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Therapy Dog Talk is a podcast where I interview a different team each week via Instagram Live. If you enjoyed this episode please find us over at Apple, Google, or Spotify and give us a follow after you leave a review.
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