Meet Trainer Katie Stoll
It would be hard to downplay the impact Katie Stoll’s trainees have had once you have heard about dogs like Abe. “Abe helped save the life of both his Freedom Dogs participant’s roommate, as well as his participant, during two separate occasions. Abe is incredibly intuitive and has an innate ability to alert his participant when he senses something is wrong.”
If Abe did not get a medal (or a nice bone…) for his efforts, perhaps Katie should. With more than 14 years of dog training experience, Katie has spent a majority of that time helping to prepare her furry friends for a life as a devoted part of the Freedom Dogs program. The work has been a big part of her life from a fairly young age.
“I began my career training dogs in 2006, shortly after graduating high school. I worked for a pet store, where I gained a lot of experience teaching classes and private training sessions.” Since then, Katie has struck out on her own and is now certified as a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, KPA-CTP. And after joining Freedom Dogs in 2011, she has now become their lead trainer. Apart from being particularly rewarding, it is a full-spectrum position.
“I am in charge of leading and growing our training program, which includes tasks such as conducting training classes, developing curriculum and workshops for our trainers, and evaluating our dogs. I also raise and train puppies for the organization, as well as assist with transitioning dogs to our participants. I have assisted with raising and training over 10 Freedom Dogs throughout the years.”
But apart from the satisfaction she has had from working with all those lovable creatures, she also relishes the interaction she has had with her fellow trainers. “Our trainers are all volunteers, and the time and effort they put into this organization is such a testament to what amazing human beings they all are. I love that I have the opportunity to learn from all of them, and to implement their skills and knowledge into our training program.”
Among the many moments she treasures throughout her history with Freedom Dogs, is her memory of the very first dog she got to assist with. Jobie, a small female black lab became one of her landmark experiences. “Jobie ended up getting matched with a First Sergeant that came into our program, and I assisted with the transition process.” she remembers. “Jobie ended up being such a huge part of that participant’s recovery, that he credits her with his ability to return to active duty.”
Katie’s best friend NoTorious (“Tori for short!”) is a 10-year-old black lab she has raised from a puppy, who not only accompanies her on offroad adventures, but also has a paw in helping her to train the new dogs that enter the program – which is her favorite part of her job. “Being that I am a huge Labrador and puppy enthusiast, getting to spend time with these amazing dogs and help raise puppies is something I thoroughly enjoy!”