Pat brings 20 years of animal training and care, and 20 years of teaching and presenting in our local schools to this endeavor. She is a licensed obedience judge for the American Kennel Club.

Liz has a strong teaching background, also, with 14 years in elementary education, and 20 years of animal training, genetics and care, along with conducting ongoing classes in obedience & agility.

With their canine professionals, Pat and Liz present the Responsible Pet Ownership assembly programs and actively participate in the Pawsitive Reading program. They volunteer many hours in pet/animal related areas, including but not limited to Flatirons Kennel Club matches, events, breeders showcases, public education projects, State and County Fair demonstrations, and community health fairs for people and pets.

Our Mission and Goals:

Paws for Responsibility was formed to promote the safety of children around animals. By teaching practical safety rules that are easy to follow, along with teaching respect, and responsible pet ownership, we further our goal of preventing harmful encounters between children and animals. We promote the common welfare of the children and of the animals.

Additionally, we use therapy animals to address literacy concerns by providing positive and effective means for overcoming learning obstacles, and building self-esteem in these children.

Goal #1. To continue to expand our Pawsitive Reading program to meet needs in our community. This would include arranging and coordinating additional venues, training additional volunteer teams of therapy dogs and handlers, and providing more supplies.

Goal #2. To continue our Responsible Pet Ownership programs increasing awareness of pet ownership responsibilities. Improvements would include new and updated materials.

Goal #3. For both our projects, maintaining and updating our web site (www.paws4responsibility.org) is essential to facilitate communication with our constituency.