We were lucky to catch up with Janie Heinrich recently and have shared our conversation below.
Janie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?
MobilityDog advances FUNctional independence for people with disabilities through service dogs, education, and empowerment. Natalie’s life was changed forever in the blink of an eye at the age of 21. Natalie sustained a C5 Spinal Cord Injury when she was a passenger in a car that was hit by a drunk driver. Natalie was a senior at the University of Southern California (USC), extremely active, and had secured a paid PR Internship with Nickelodeon. All this changed when Natalie was left with some arm movement but mostly paralyzed from the neck down. She went on to finish her undergraduate degree at USC two years later and worked for the Rollettes- a Los Angeles-based dance team of women in wheelchairs. Natalie wanted more and to be able to truly advocate for and give back to the disabled community. As optimistic, independent and motivated as she is, Natalie needed help to reach her next goal- working on her Masters Degree and living independently. After failed attempts to secure a service dog, because of the lack of understanding and knowledge of spinal cord injuries, Natalie was on the verge of giving up. That is when Natalie found MobiltyDog. After our first conversation, Natalie went from feeling deflated to feeling on top of the world. Service Dog (SD) Roxy and Natalie were quick to bond as they began their journey working together as a MobilityDog SD Team. Together, they attend classes, travel the USA advocating for disability rights, and navigate each day making Natalie FUNctionally independent. SD Roxy assists Natalie with getting dressed and undressed every day, picking up and retrieving objects that fall, opening heavy doors, ascending and descending ramps, transitioning body positions, alerting, and so much more. Because we believed in Natalie, she is able to live vibrantly and independently as she owns the campus at USC with SD Roxy by her side. This is just one of the 27 teams that MobilityDog has matched and created during my time as the Executive Director of MobilityDog. Each handler story is unique, impactful, and amazing to witness.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Working with disabled individuals puts us on the front lines to witness the challenges, barriers, and hurdles that those living with disabilities encounter daily, motivating us to work harder to put the FUN in FUNctional independence.
MobilityDog is a small, grass-roots, volunteer-operated, non-profit service dog organization. We ask all (100%) of our community- volunteers, puppy raisers, service dog handlers, service dog trainers, and veterinarians- to participate in annual fundraising efforts utilizing their networks to raise awareness and funds for the organization.
People with disabilities have to advocate for many things that non-disabled people take for granted. Our work is necessary to educate and empower all people with disabilities. We raise and train service dogs, support our Handlers throughout the Service Dog Team’s entire working life, educate the public, and actively advocate for the disabled. MobilityDog empowers equality for all people. Regardless of how society classifies us, we all want the ability to work, provide for our family, and follow our dreams.
The nature of working with people is to understand it is a process; each day is different. We must accept the reality of medical conditions and step into each unique situation with the honor and knowledge they practice. A Service Dog (SD) is not for everyone, but the possibilities are endless for those with a living medical equipment/device. Each SD Team has its style and grace, living on its terms. We can only create a healthy mingling environment, a strong community. The sparkle and determination to live life make the best SD Handlers. (A handler is a person with a disability using the service dog as their medical equipment/device.)
The observations that embrace my heart and mind are we need to listen, observe, and be as present as the SD. The SD understands their handler regardless of their abilities on any given day as they pay attention to each cell. They intuitively know what task and pathway to keep everyone safe and moving while working together. We only need to listen, pay attention, and be present, as these incredible teams flourish.
MobilityDog is committed to the best environment for each of our dogs. We are committed to each dog’s general health, wellness, treatment, welfare, and the basic rights of each canine that is gifted to us from rescues, breeders, and poodles that ‘show up’ to become our responsibility. We will provide each dog with their basic rights for food, safe and secure shelter, water, exercise, veterinarian care, humane gentle training, space to just be a fun-loving amazing dog, and loving care. We hold wellness checks, weekly puppy meetups, weekly training sessions, and are hands-on. As a top priority, we will always hold the well-being of all of our Service Dogs in Training (SDiT), Service Dogs (SD), and all the dogs we encounter.
The next step is finding a home for MobilityDog to live our best practices -The Wellness Garden and Center for Excellence! We need your assistance to raise funds to create The Center of Excellence and Wellness Garden, AKA The Poodle Palace, creating a positive environment for all.
MobilityDog is working towards increasing the number of service dogs in training we can raise, train and match annually and expand our educational outreach programming to create a more inclusive world. Beyond increasing the number of individuals served and service dogs matched, MobilityDog is positioned and ready to build The Center for Excellence and Wellness Garden, “The Poodle Palace,” in the greater Los Angeles area.
Since 2018, MobilityDog has supported well over 8,000 people through service dogs, public outreach, listening/sharing information for user-friendly pathways, and our educational programs, PAWS, and WAG workshops. The Center of Excellence and Wellness Gardens will fill a huge void for people with disabilities and their families, creating a space they can come to on their own to create FUNctional independence to continue living their lives. We are not asking for special treatment; we are asking for equal treatment. The Wellness Garden’s design will allow everyone to build the confidence to dream, which is essential for everyday joy.
The Center for Excellence and Wellness Garden will be an interactive community supporting the growth of all people with mobility disabilities and their families. It will house our core programming, workshops, and social gatherings. The Wellness Garden with multi-level walkways for all people with disabilities to find solutions to navigate life confidently. A place to gather as you learn to navigate ramps and pathways of different materials and inclines as they find solutions to navigate their life confidently with their chosen medical device. In the Wellness Garden, we will bring in experts who know the healing power of herbs and medicinal plants for balance and healing powers as we learn to grow, dry, and cultivate in the dirt.
The Center will be a space where people with new challenges can learn to navigate ramps and pathways of different materials and inclines, understanding and redefining their needs at home and work. Local students can participate in mentorship programs, learn to raise service dogs, and gain hands-on experience as they learn a trade such as a dog walking, dog grooming, and basic dog training to support themselves as they follow their dreams. Local community members can volunteer can assist with feeding, walking, bathing, and training while learning. A bond will form between the community and MobilityDog.
We need your assistance to raise funds to create The Center of Excellence and Wellness Garden, AKA The Poodle Palace creating a positive environment for all. The space will also serve as an Accessibility and Disability Model for all Corporate and Educational Institutions. The next step is finding a permanent home for MobilityDog to expand our capacity to support the disabled community and drive disability inclusion.
NEED: An old estate, or closed car dealership with low or free rent, or an empty warehouse, or an area of a building with outdoor space your business can let us move in for minimal rent. Outdoor space to create space to be.
CREATE: A Garden area with different level outdoor spaces all accessible. A place everyone will want to come and visit.
WHERE: Walking or rolling distance of the Gold Line -Pasadena, South Pasadena, Highland Park, Frogtown, Los Angeles before Union Station.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Creating community. MobilityDog is not just another Service Dog organization but a community of people seeking to gain the ability in their disability. This sets us apart as an innovative organization. We do not raise Service Dogs to hand them off to their handlers without further contact. MobilityDog combines the best practices of Service Dog training with creating a community for people with disabilities through Service Dogs, education, and empowerment. This innovative approach makes a dynamic forum for individuals to break through barriers of isolation and build a more user-friendly world, one dog at a time. We meet virtually every Tuesday and in person the first Saturday of each month. Each of us is a bio-individual; MobilityDog is here to support the journey and make the pathway kinder by choosing wellness and forward mobility adventures.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Normalizing disabilities through sharing and encouraging to live dreams and embrace all people.
PAWS THAT EMPOWER AND READING CIRCLE
PAWS that Empower (PAWS) is a workshop-style course starting with a reading circle presentation on Tolerance, Kindness, Compassion, Integrity, Gratitude, Confidence, and Empathy. Following the reading circle, we will share the book and discuss the topic. The students embrace the strength of sharing and understanding others without fear and understand why a Service Dog is an important medical device for people with disabilities. Each workshop has an interactive art project about the lesson to bring home to share. PAWS is one-to eight- day programming.
WAG EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY
WAG is “Worthwhile, Awareness, Guidance” workshops. A Service Dog team comes into your business and discusses how to create a user-friendly environment for people with disabilities. We provide interactive workshops exploring what full accessibility means. We present, listen to, and answer questions as we find solutions together. We are asking for equality for all with disabilities. We come to your business, both government and private, in the community settings to answer these questions.
Is your business ADA Accessible and user-friendly?
Does your business respect individuals with disabilities?
Do you allow ADA medical devices (i.e., Service Dogs) to promote
their FUNctional independence in your business?
Do you fall under ADA, FHA, Rehabilitation Act, DOJ, or DOT
requirements?
Is your business prepared in language and entrance for people
with disabilities?
Contact Info:
- Website: mobilitydog.org
- Instagram: @mobilityservicedogs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mobilityservicedogs
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janieheinrich/
- Twitter: @mobility_dog
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAbpa93stgKd1rS3a9Kb1mg
- Other: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mobility-service-dogs-west-coast-project/i-love-dogs https://youtu.be/qZeb7lXDUxI https://youtu.be/TkwPcIZrJt8 https://youtu.be/NDrKT2UNPgE?si=Kb_YKwjxMSjrXbEc https://youtu.be/IvrzO0KLU_Y?si=_zkuANdWzxdwsc0- https://youtu.be/J7Dg65Or81U