Creating Comebacks
Every dog has a unique story. ..
These are the dogs who inspired our mission of ComeBack K9, LLC. and who have helped shape the Mindful K9 Movement approach.
Luke: The Dog Who Started It All
Luke was a beautiful AKC-registered Golden Retriever who came into our lives when he was just eight months old. He was graciously given to me by someone who cared for him.
From the moment he arrived, Luke embodied everything people love about Golden Retrievers. He was kind, social, gentle, and eager to be part of whatever adventure was happening around him. He quickly became a beloved member of our family.
Luke's life ended far too soon, at just three years old, after he was intentionally poisoned by a disgruntled neighbor. His loss devastated me, but his place in my life didn't end there.
Luke became part of the foundation for how I came to understand the responsibility we have to protect, advocate for, and care for the dogs who depend on us.
Luke was the kind of dog who made it easy to love him. He was gentle, joyful, loyal, and always ready to be part of the adventure.
His life was far too short, but he was deeply loved, and his place in my heart—and in my story—will always remain.
Enola: From Fear to Trust
After losing Luke, I went seventeen years without another dog. Then I saw Enola—a half Golden Retriever who had been on her own for at least six months, abandoned by her former owners and carrying the effects of likely abuse, fear, reactivity, and trauma—and I just knew: "That's my dog."
Through consistent walks, clear guidance, patience, and learning her triggers, Enola began to realize she no longer had to face the world alone. As her trust in me grew, so did her confidence, and the fearful, reactive dog she once was became the balanced dog I now rely on most when navigating interactions with other dogs.
Enola's journey taught me that real progress comes from respecting the dog in front of us—including their physical limitations—while building trust, confidence, and a sense of security. At nearly 12 years old, she continues to remind me every day: Healing happens when we build trust, not when we break it.
Basha:
Hope's Last Gift of Love
"Every behavior has a story. Sometimes, that story begins long before a dog ever comes home."
Basha was entrusted to me by my dear friend Hope, after years of vacation visits that made her feel as though she had always belonged in our home. As I came to know Basha more deeply, I began to understand that the behaviors once described as difficult were not signs of a bad dog—they were rooted in her deep protective instincts and the uncertainty she had experienced.
When Hope entrusted Basha to me in May 2021, she gave me more than a dog—she gave me part of her heart. After Hope's death just seven months later, that gift became an even more profound connection to the woman who had entrusted her to me. Now nearly 12, Basha finally gets to simply be a dog—resting, playing with her favorite toys, chasing squirrels, and enjoying a life where she no longer feels responsible for protecting the people she loves.
Basha taught me that what people often call "bad behavior" may actually be love expressed through fear. Her story taught me to ask not "What's wrong with this dog?" but "What has this dog lived through?"—because healing isn't about erasing the past; it's about creating enough safety that a dog no longer has to spend every day simply surviving.
Lylah
Learning to Navigate a Bigger World
Not every comeback begins with a tragedy. Sometimes, it begins with a puppy who simply didn't know what the world was going to ask of her.
Lylah came home from Ohio at just six months old, leaving behind everything she had known and entering an entirely unfamiliar world. Within weeks, she experienced a frightening attack by another dog, followed by car anxiety and other challenges that left her learning very early that the world could be unpredictable.
Because Lylah is a powerful working-breed mix, we knew fear and reactivity couldn't simply be left to resolve on their own. Through observation, structured walks, training, consistency, patience, and guidance, she gradually learned that she didn't have to meet every perceived threat with a defensive response and could look to us instead.
Lylah taught us that a dog doesn't need to become less of who they are—they may simply need to learn how to use who they are in a different way. Today, she understands that she has choices, that not every dog is a threat, and that sometimes the greatest lesson is simply learning to be present, observe, and trust.
A new dog. A new opportunity. A new beginning.
That's Lylah's comeback.
Jellybean aka Phat Jelly:
The Little Mother with the Biggest Heart
Jellybean came to us as a foster with her puppies when she was only about a year and a half old, already carrying the weight of a life she was far too young to have experienced. Her puppies had been traumatized and abandoned with her at a shelter, yet despite her own exhaustion and fear, Jelly was an extraordinarily patient, attentive, and devoted mother.
After eight months in our home, the shelter had forgotten about her entirely, but Jelly had already made her choice—she was home. Later, when an unleashed dog, unexpectedly attacked our pack, Jelly stepped forward to protect the dogs she loved and as a result, became reactive toward other dogs, but through structured walks, consistency, patience, and guidance, she learned that she didn't have to live in defense mode and could look to me for direction instead.
Jelly's comeback isn't about forgetting what happened to her; it's about learning that what happened to her doesn't have to define who she becomes. The young mother who once cared for a traumatized litter became the mother of our household, taking in all species as her own, and now she is preparing to share that same gentle, nurturing spirit as she works toward becoming a certified therapy dog.
“Sometimes the dog who needed to learn that the world can be safe becomes the dog who helps someone else feel safe, too.”
In loving memory of my dear friend, Hope.
Thank you for trusting me with Basha.
I promise to love her enough for both of us.
I will never forget you~
