Dogs With Jobs

If you attended NAVIGATOR 2025 in Orlando, Florida (USA), you probably saw at least one or two therapy dogs walking around with their handlers in between sessions or in the exhibit hall. Maybe you got to spend one of your breaks petting one of those furry friends. And if you were super lucky, maybe you even got your hands on their trading cards, emblazoned with the therapy dog’s name and adorable mug.

But who were these dogs and their handlers? How did they find out that NAVIGATOR is the gathering place for more than 1,500 of the most stressed people in the country? Keep reading to find out!
 

Abby and Daisy
“I actually never knew about therapy dogs until a few years ago,” said Abigail (or Abby) Jones, Therapy Dog Handler. “I ran into a lady at the place we took Daisy to get trained in 2022, and she told me about all the qualifications, and I was like, ‘Daisy could do this.’”

According to the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, “[t]herapy dogs need to have a calm and gentle disposition. They must be good around other dogs, calm when strangers pet them all over, not jump on others, walk on a leash without pulling, and not startled by things such as strange noises, smells, and medical equipment.”¹

Before undergoing training when Daisy was five months old, Jones brought her in for pet day at the preschool where she works to make sure that Daisy would be able to handle similar situations where she would need to be calm and well-behaved.

“You’d think a five-month-old puppy would be crazy around four- and five-year-old kids, but she sat in my lap and was so sweet and calm,” Jones said. “One little girl was so scared at first, but eventually she came up and kissed Daisy’s head.”

Daisy and Jones then went through the training process required to get her official therapy dog certification. The two of them are part of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Comfort Canines Central Florida—both organizations send out notifications about events that therapy dogs are wanted for, including NAVIGATOR 2025.

The pair also go to nursing homes, colleges, the children’s hospital, behavioral center, the local Veterans Affairs (VA) center, and the airport. In addition to NAVIGATOR 2025, Jones and Daisy have also visited the dispatch center in Sanford, Florida, a couple of times.

When asked if they had anything to say to Emergency Dispatchers, Jones said, “Thank you for everything you do! Whenever we visit a center, it just blows my mind everything you go through throughout the day. Your hearts are so big.”

Ann and Mindy
Ann Diaz, Therapy Dog Handler, and her English springer spaniel Mindy graduated from the therapy dog training program a little over four years ago. Diaz originally bought Mindy for her mom, but when her mom passed away a few months later from an illness, Diaz ended up inheriting Mindy.

“I started doing therapy dog work in honor of my mom,” Diaz said. “She just loved chatting with people. I never thought about doing it for myself.”

Diaz is a retired nurse, and her longest specialty was neonatal intensive care. Before that, she served in the Navy as a Med-Surg (Medical-Surgical Nurse). Because of her background, she does a ton of visits to the VA, including the hospital and the mental health unit inside. She and Mindy also visit a small community hospital, a program for disabled adults, and an elementary school where dyslexic children read to Mindy. They are also members of Comfort Canines Central Florida.

When asked about their experience at NAVIGATOR 2025, Diaz said, “I had a great time! I found the participants just melted all over the dogs. Some of them had their own informal therapy dog programs. They know that having the dog in the center with you after you’ve had a stressful call really helps.”

She has a message for the Emergency Dispatchers she didn’t get to meet at our conference, too: “When something stressful happens, if you can process it in the moment, it’s easier down the line. Some of those jobs are thankless—yet the people in the field just give their hearts in their service. I want to share the dog’s love with them!”

Trading cards
You may still be stuck on the mention of trading cards from the introduction, either because you’ve never heard of anything like it or because you already collect therapy dog trading cards and want Daisy’s and Mindy’s. Therapy dog trading cards are exactly what they sound like—cards with pictures and information about the dog you met. The content of the cards themselves are as varied as the dogs they’re about. Some have information about the dog’s favorite snacks and hobbies, and some have the handler’s information if you’d like to book some time to de-stress.

Daisy has cards for different occasions, like one that looks like branding for the Barbie movie that came out in 2023 or one where she’s dressed up for Halloween. Mindy has a standard card with some fun facts about her (she loves giving kisses!) and one that Diaz gives out at the VA to point veterans in the right direction to get their own service dogs.

Diaz and Mindy and Jones and Daisy are Florida-based, so if you’re in Central Florida and would like to book them to come visit your center, you can find more information on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/comfortcaninescf/

If you’re somewhere else in the country, reach out to the Alliance of Therapy Dogs through their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/allianceoftherapydogs to see if they’d be happy to help you de-stress too!

Source
1. “Join the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.” Alliance of Therapy Dogs. https://www.therapydogs.com/therapy-dog-certification/ (accessed July 16, 2025).