Four years ago, when Kim started in the Canines in the Classroom (CIC) program, she was worried that she wasn’t going to make it to graduation. Dropping out of school was starting to be a likely option. She had battled anxiety and depression. In Kim’s own words ‘COPE in a way, saved my life. I will always be thankful for the CIC program. COPE doesn’t just help people with mobility issues; it helps everyone who meets the dogs.’ COPE had a chance to catch up with Kim and this is what she had to say.
“In your last year of high school, you get sick of hearing the same question over and over again. It becomes that dreaded moment when someone asks ‘What do you plan to do when you finish high school? I loved being asked that dreaded question. For once in my life, I had the answer that so many were searching for. If you asked me some days I wanted to own a kennel, other days I wanted to be a dog groomer. All I knew is that I wanted to work with dogs and CIC gave me the opportunity to realize that. It has been two years since I have graduated from high school. Since then I have gained fulltime employment at a kennel, have rescued two beautiful dogs and still work with COPE. The CIC program helped me immensely and I want to pay it forward. This coming fall I will be going to Georgian College to become a Child and Youth Worker. Once I graduate, I want to work with kids who are struggling with mental health problems and teach them to work with dogs as part of their therapy. Training dogs give you the best sense of accomplishment and makes you realize you are worth so much more than you think. My experience with CIC and the COPE dogs means everything to me and has given me a chance at a great life.”