Being Present: How Courtney Found Purpose And A Reason To Move Forward From Her Dog, Rondo

https://www.dogsavethepeople.com/episodes/courtney-pare

Courtney met her dog Rondo after looking through dogs online to potentially adopt and she was instantly drawn to him. He met him and instantly they formed a connection and she adopted him.

Quickly, she became a dog person. He was really small when she got him and now he has grown quite a bit. She had cats around and they had a playful relationship, too. She got him in Phoenix, then moved around to different places before coming to Virginia, where they’re at now, and going on plenty of traveling adventures along the way. Including being in Massachusetts, where Courtney is originally from.

Courtney was struggling with depression, anxiety, loneliness, and feeling lost. Her sense of purpose was lost and she fell into a dark space. But Rondo was there and kept her motivated to stay active, living her life, and to keep going. She also found her purpose in her career, too, through Rondo - in terms of how mental health and behavior are perceived by society and how we look at and react to each other and our actions.

She also felt responsible for Rondo’s survival, beyond just food and eating, because people would react so negatively to how he was judged and not seeing who he was beyond the surface. Rondo is a Rottweiler and Weimaraner mix and can be intimidating, but people mistook that for always being dangerous and not fit to be around others or even keep living.

She is a naturopathic doctor. She uses holistic modalities to heal the body and focuses mainly on mental health and anxiety disorders in particular. Animal lovers especially, she’s noted, have such a great sense of empathy and also are dependent on their dog’s health and so she also helps them and their dog get into the right place together.