Victoria became involved with paws4people through UNCW’s Assistance Dog Training Program (ADTP) and assisted in the placement of her first dog, TRASK, with a veteran client. She continued her education and received her master’s in psychology from UNCW with AIRLIE at her side. AIRLIE was a staple in the research lab and sparked her interest in applying assistance dogs to work with victims and child witnesses of domestic violence who experience post traumatic stress.
Since, Victoria has focused on applying her degrees in psychology to working with clients and their dogs in training while continuing to assist with training numerous dogs for public access. As a member of the paws4people Medical Evaluation Team (pMET), Victoria is able to apply her knowledge of psychopathology and co-morbid disorders while assisting the organization with new clients and their treatment teams.
Victoria and NORAH are attending The University of North Carolina at Charlotte where Victoria has been accepted as a doctoral candidate studying posttraumatic growth and interpersonal relationships. Victoria and NORAH work as a team to help individuals who have experienced traumatic events along their road to recovery. In their free time, they visit local nursing homes, libraries, churches, and schools, giving elderly adults and young children the chance to experience the healing powers of a service dog.
