Pivoting with Purpose: Lessons from a Police K9 Graduation

I don’t have a certified therapy dog right now, and I’m okay with that but it took me a while.

Darn perfectionism.

When I found out Mabel had Hemangiosarcoma in July 2025, my first instinct was to get Bruce certified ASAP, maybe even sooner. But life happened. Mabel was gone all too soon, Moses joined our family, and Bruce slipped into depression. I had to work through that, and honestly, I needed help too.

It turns out that what I taught Bruce—the cue “pivot,” meaning turn 180 degrees—was exactly what I needed to do myself. Pivot. Change direction. Slow down.

Yes, we’re still forging ahead with therapy dog work, but first, we had to address some things.

A Night of Inspiration

This week, I attended the Plainfield Police K9 graduation ceremony. Walking into a room full of strangers always makes me a little skeptical, so I sat back, listened, and observed.

The dogs graduating that night were trained by Redemption Ranch K9 Rescue, and the founder, Rob Prichard, served as presenter and emcee. His words were heartfelt—he choked up more than once. His mission?
“To give shelter dogs a second chance at life by transforming them into highly trained police canines. Many of these dogs, once abandoned and overlooked, are given the love, care, and positive reinforcement they need to thrive and serve their communities.”

What a win on all counts.

I watched as Belgian Malinois, Labs, Lab mixes, and even an Aussie mix entered with their officer partners to receive their ceremonial and hard-earned tennis ball. The Malinois’ were eager for a job, while the Labs seemed ready to love—and maybe even offer a little therapy. My eyes welled up as these once-purpose-less dogs stood proudly, squeaking, dropping, and chasing their tennis balls while a room of about 50 people cheered them on.

Then it hit me: Rob’s vision for these dogs is the same as mine for therapy dogs.

Shared Vision, Different Missions

I’ve battled mild depression, and my dogs have saved me in countless ways. I know how to train therapy dogs, and my mission for Kingdom Comfort Dogs is to do just that—then give teams a place to connect in our community. It’s not just the dogs that need connection; they unleash connection possibilities for humans who desperately need it.

Rob spoke about going into shelters and “interviewing” potential K9 candidates. One of his criteria? Tennis-ball frenzy. It’s his quick way to gauge drive and suitability. For therapy dogs, I do something similar—assessing friendliness, calmness, motivation, and patience. Food motivation helps tremendously too!

Rob’s goal is to give shelter dogs a second chance to protect and serve. My goal is to use K9s to improve mental health and foster human connection. Both involve dogs. Both meet critical needs. Both serve others.

The Power of Genuine Intentions

I absolutely love people who are genuine and act with pure intentions. It’s not always easy to discern, but over time, true intentions shine through.

I’m grateful for that “pivot.” It gave me the chance to slow down, attend a police K9 graduation, and meet some incredible people. When the time is right, we’ll pivot again toward our ultimate goal—even if it looks different from the vision I first imagined.

Redemption Ranch K9s and Rob Prichard—salute! Redemption Ranch K9

Sandy