For the Love of K9s with John-Tyler Binfet

Hi Everyone and welcome back to Wild Connection: The Podcast. This week’s episode is pretty special because we are talking about how service animals not only improve well-being but sometimes they save our lives by the love, kindness, compassion, and attentiveness they give us. One thing that came up in the episode that I have not spoken about is the loss of my support, my family,  my beloved companion, best friend, my joy and my breath for 18 years, Senor Antonio Buttones. I’m not ready to talk a whole bunch about him or the loss, but I do want to acknowledge that the love we share with other animals can open us up to connecting with others. And that is the focus of this week’s episode. 

This week's guest Dr. John Tyler Binfet, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. His research looks at understanding the benefits of canine-assisted intervention using certified therapy dogs in young children, young adults, and well also the rest of us! He's the founder of B.A.R.K- Building Academic Retention through K’9s and the Director of the Center for Mindful Engagement.

You can find information on the B.A.R.K. program here: https://bark.ok.ubc.ca

The Center for Mindful engagement here: https://education.ok.ubc.ca/research-partnerships/centre-for-mindful-engagement/

Dr. John-Tyler Binfet 's website is: https://education.ok.ubc.ca/about/contact/john-tyler-binfet/

You can keep up with him and the B.A.R.K program on Twitter @kindnessprof and @barkubc

If you are enjoying the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod and you can follow me on 

Twitter and Instagram: @realdrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV