Kip’s Comments - June 18, 2024

Not Quite Farewell

Maverick - Therapy Dog and EMA Family Member

Among my emergency management family is a four-legged friend named Maverick. Maverick’s handler - Charissa - has been working with Mav as he becomes a therapy dog. Described simply, Maverick can sense people who are under stress and seeks them out. Maverick has searched me out several times. Petting Mav quickly calms a soul in a manner I cannot explain.

I have known Maverick for some time now and have experienced his effects. The first couple/few times Maverick sought me out were humbling and eye-opening for me. I knew I was stressed, but I had not recognized the level of damaging stress I was living - but Maverick did. Whether I thought I needed his company or not, Maverick knew better. A bond was established when a canine knew more about me than I knew about myself.

Maverick and I now seek each other out at meetings. Unless I am missing something, it seems Mav will spend the meetings with me regardless of my stress level. Maverick is a great dog and I like him.

Today I attended my last District 2 meeting - a regular monthly meeting where Maverick and I were together destressing. Soon after Maverick achieved his therapy dog certification my career is coming to an end. I will not be seeing Maverick on a monthly basis any more. With only a couple of days of work left, my stress level has dropped considerably. Still, Maverick was near me for most of the meeting. Yes - he visited Kyle and Chad, but eventually Maverick came to me and spent the meeting sleeping on my foot.

Fortunately I will still see Maverick at another conference I will attend. Hopefully he remembers me. I know I will not forget Maverick.

Today’s picture is an edited version of Maverick as he rested on my foot today. A “straight out of the camera” picture was not enough. Maverick deserved something artistic.

Thank you Charissa for sharing Maverick!