When Erin came to Nantyr in Grade 9 and began her first COPE class, she had never had much success or joy at school. Erin loved animals however, and was game to learn how to train a dog. She was a little worried, as her balance was not the best, and moving backwards was something she found difficult. Even the simple tasks she needed to learn at the beginning were very challenging for her and progress was slow.
But Erin persisted. She began to feel important when she was given accolades for the very thorough grooming job she did with Buddy in each training session.
Three years later Erin takes her job of training COPE dogs very seriously. Her understanding of animal behavior has become quite extensive and she is willing to share her knowledge with her teachers and classmates. Erin has found a purpose, efficiently managing her dog and mentoring new students just beginning their journey.