Service Dog Program Manager

Carolyn joined Pawsitive Teams in the Fall of 2002 when she and her dog Goliath enrolled in PT's Therapy Dog Prep School in a Rancho Bernardo assisted living facility. She had rescued Goliath off the streets of San Diego—he was so very exceptional and named after the dog that saved her dad’s life during a house fire. Under the expert guidance of Prep School instructors Carol, Charli, and Barbara, Carolyn quickly fell in love with Pawsitive Teams and its mission. Carol recruited Carolyn from Prep School to volunteer in the Service Dog/Facility Dog Program where she worked closely with Kiwi, Carol's service dog in training at the time. Kiwi was lucky enough to frequently join Carolyn at San Diego State University where she worked; they were even featured together in a televised Aztec Report.

After ten months of watching, reading, learning, and training in the Service Dog/Facility Program, the Training Team asked if Carolyn was ready for her first dog as the Primary Trainer. She definitely was, and "Annie" was our first and only Goldendoodle and first facility dog; Annie worked for many wonderful years with her partner at New Dawn School in the Clairemont neighborhood. When she passed away, the kids dedicated a garden to Annie fully stocked with tennis balls that Annie loved so much. Carolyn has placed five PT dogs since Annie and is currently training her 7th dog, a fun chocolate lab pup named Wilson. In September 2022, PT was fortunate that Carolyn joined our staff as the Service Dog Program Manager. She facilitates training and education opportunities for our service dog training teams, manages applicants and placements, and heads up many other responsibilities to support Pawsitive Teams.