An Introduction...to Marley's "Mutt Militia"

Dear Mutt Militia,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Liz Kover. And those of you who follow Zach's updates regularly may have heard that I will soon be joining this team of extraordinary people in the extraordinary work they're doing for dogs!

First, a bit of history: I was drawn to Marley's Mutts a few months ago via one of Zach's status updates on a mutual Facebook friend's wall. After a little investigating on their fantastic website and FB page, it became clear to me that the path of my life's work might well be destined to intersect with that of Zach and Crew. Beyond the great work Marley's Mutts was already doing, my attention was trained on the work Zach wrote about yearning to begin, and the synchronistic threads connecting our back stories.

As you all know and appreciate, Zach is very open about his alcohol-induced illness being the vehicle through which dogs became angels of mercy during his darkest hour. I, too, was saved by the power of love that is innate and unique to the human-canine relationship. In my story, it was my Mom who had liver disease; and it was in the depths of grief after her death that dogs rescued me.

My Mom contracted hepatits C in her early twenties during a self-destructive phase in which she abused IV drugs. For my entire life growing up, she was 100% clean, sober and seemingly, completely healthy. However, they call hepatitis C the "silent killer", because behind the scenes of a person's "normal blood work" throughout the years, the disease is slowly turning one's liver into scar tissue. And by the time the person shows symptoms of liver cirrhosis, it is often too late for intervention. My Mom became ill when she was (an extraordinarily youthful) 55, at the very peak of her free-spirited, golden-hearted, dance-filled life. And - in spite of my donating half of my liver to her in June of 2004 - she died that New Year's Eve, thirteen minutes before midnight, at age 57.

When her physical life ended, so too did the life I had known. It was an elemental turning point in the evolution of my spirit; and dogs were the earth angels that accompanied me as I picked my broken self up and continued on. I was invited to come stay with friends on the Big Island of Hawaii within a year of my Mom's passing, where I was blessed to spend magical, playful time with my friends' dogs, exploring wild tropical terrain and adventuring across exquisite land and seascapes. Being with dogs at this time allowed for a wide open, honest flow of emotion. As brutal as it was to experience that depth of anguish and sorrow, it allowed me - over time - to reach a place of acceptance; and even for the connection between my Mom and me to grow fathoms deeper, which I never would've imagined possible for souls as close as ours. By living fully and vividly - in the moment, where dogs always exist - I was free to grieve and heal, as all who lose a loved one should be able to do. Only when we allow ourselves this freedom, I believe, can we truly move forward in our lives.

Dogs brought both Zach and me from the brink of ultimate devastation back to life (as they do for countless others in countless ways), and helped us each heal through seemingly insurmountable pain and hardship. Now, we both wish to pay forward the gifts of healing we were given, by helping others know the profound relief and spiritual empowerment that comes from spending time with dogs in a therapeutic capacity.

At this point, my and Marley's Mutts' collective vision for helping people and dogs heal is set to gain unstoppable momentum. We  have great faith in the plan, which is for miracles to abound. Zach has already begun the new social therapy program, bringing Marley's "Miracle Mutts" into partnerships with people in recovery. And my involvement will kick off next week, when I make my move to Tehachapi to live and work full-time! The moving date is set for June 19th, 2013 - what would've been my Mom's 66th birthday, and a day of celebration and new beginnings all around.

While working with Marley's Mutts, I will simultaneously be raising and training a service dog for a child with autism through another wonderful organization called Good Dog Autism Companions (http://www.gooddogautismcompanions.org/). This assignment comes on the heels of my graduating from Bergin University of Canine Studies with an A.S. degree in Assistance Dog Education (http://www.berginu.edu/).

I acquired the puppy a week and a half ago, and have started a Facebook page to document the whole process of little Fred's evolution as a service dog, and my evolution as a service dog trainer. I will write more about autism spectrum disorders, children with autism, and service dogs utilized in this capacity, as the training progresses. This is a whole new world for me, and will no doubt be an incredible learning experience every step of the way! I hope you will come along for the ride, and offer any insight or input you might have!

I know that YOU ALL - The Mutt Militia - are a group of compassionate, caring people whose support and involvement are at the root of Marley's Mutts' great success. So I am honored to know you - if only virtually - and look forward to joining you as we head into the exciting future of this miraculous organization!

Dog Speed,
Liz