Christina: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Taking the Lead podcast where we empower people to be unstoppable. I'm Christina Hepner with my co-host Leslie Hoskins in Timothy Kune. So it is the new year and we have taken quite a bit of time off of recording because the holidays and our schedules just a crazy time, so we have to catch up on what's been happening.
Oh
Leslie: my goodness. Do we? Happy 2025. Everyone. Happy New Year. We obviously have to get right into, into it New
Timothy: Years.
Leslie: Yeah. Timothy, come on
Timothy: Christina. Come on Christine. That's what's wrong with you's,
Christina: right? Alright, come. So Johnny and I got engaged. Yay. Party. Yes, we are getting married in this new year, in 2025.
So, um,
Leslie: tell, okay. You can jump right to that. Tell us the story. I mean the synopsis, obviously I've heard the story several times. It's fantastic. Yes. So give us like the short, abbreviated.
Christina: Yeah, he did a really good job. I cried. Yeah. Um, short, sweet, [00:01:00] simple to the point. He, uh, told me we were doing something else.
He took me to a park near, um, actually not too far from the leader dog campus that had like a lake and it was really pretty, it was fall colors. And, uh, he had a picnic blanket and a picnic basket. And, and when I opened the basket and started reading, um, the note cards that he had telling our. Story. He went to different places and took pictures of that.
We've spent time and he had a mute song that, um, we like playing in the background. And of course I was a bawling mess. And then, um, he had a photographer there, so the photographer . Took pictures of us and then when we went back to our house, our families were there to celebrate.
Leslie: He did fantastic. He checked all the boxes.
Yes. What a great proposal. Good job. Yes.
Timothy (2): Good job Johnny. Good boy. . .
Leslie: He should get a cookie because Yeah, he did such a good job. It was so romantic, so . Thoughtful and personal [00:02:00] and making sure that your family was involved in a piece of it too. And the ring folks is stunning. . It is absolutely gorgeous. Um, so congratulations.
We're very excited for you. Yeah. So what's been going on with you guys? Nothing in comparison. Timothy, what about you? Anything exciting going on with you?
Timothy (2): Uh, just life. I mean, got through the holidays alive, thank God. I mean, it's cold down here in the south.
Holy,
Timothy (2): okay. You know, it's, it's 55 degrees I'm freezing.
Other than that, uh. Looking forward to 2025. Uh, just, just always, I'm always, you hit the reset button, you know, you get to hit the reset button and do things differently, hopefully, and make your life better. That's what my goal is.
Leslie: Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah, I, uh, you know, the holidays were great. It was stressful, as always, as you can imagine.
Um, we hosted several holiday functions at our house, some of them too close together. Then, um, , so we all learned some things. Yeah, like maybe don't host [00:03:00] Thanksgiving and then Christmas the same week. Those are only a couple days apart. Yeah. And turns out it's a lot of work, so walked away learning that.
But we had a great time, great holiday and yeah, I'm excited for 2025. I think we have so many good things happening. It's exciting to hear Christina's planning already and dates and venues, and I love, you know, living through her and her stories, . So, uh, just really, really good things.
Christina: Yeah.
Leslie: Lots of good things in 2025.
Timothy (2): Congratulations, Christina. We've been waiting for this for, what, two, three years now? Two years?
Christina: Well, we've only been together for a little over two years, so not three . I know,
Leslie: but it's, it's very exciting. Yeah. And yes. Congratulations Johnny. We know you're an avid listener, so, um, we're super excited and, and proud to welcome you to the Leader Dog, family
Timothy (2): Agent Johnny, give me a call. I can tell you when you go on your honeymoon, come.
Leslie: So I'm sure, uh, this has now become a wedding podcast, so we'll be updates every week, . [00:04:00] No, no, absolutely not. But we do have, um, an exciting list of guests lined up for the 2025 year and starting off very strong into 2025. Our guest today is bringing a very unique perspective, and we have had her on our right list for a while, so it's exciting to get her here and in studio.
Yes, Amy Rose
Christina: Bonano is a leader dog team member. . And also a leader dog client.
Timothy (2): Amy Rose, glad you're on the podcast. She's one of my favorite people up there. Leslie, Christine
there.
Timothy: Thank you. She puts food in front of me. Yay. So she's important in my life. Absolutely. Can you tell more about yourself?
Amy Rose: Hi everyone.
Congratulations Christina. Thank you. And, uh, I just love the way Timothy says certain words, like my guy dog's name. Yeah, he, uh, he caught caramel. Caramel. Her name is actually caramelo like the candy. So anyway, that's my little nickname for her [00:05:00] sometimes. Aw. With the Southern accent. . Yeah. That's so cute. Um, tell me about myself.
I have been, uh, working now with Leader Dogs, uh, since, uh, towards the end of March, which is been a great honor. But to tell you my, my journey, um, as a guide dog client, um, just in general has been since 2019 when I started a application with another guide dog school. And it was about a year, and then the world went crazy and Covid happened.
And so I got a guy dog later in 2020 and unfortunately a year and a quarter in with that dog, that did not work out. And then I honestly remember. Watching a video, one of the first videos I ever watched was a Leader Dog video about the prison program and uh, I went looking for it, didn't remember the name of the [00:06:00] school, but then I saw it, I heard it on there and I applied and got a, my first leader dog.
And unfortunately it did not work out again. Just she just. Couldn't handle it. She was actually a prison puppy. Yeah. Oh wow. So the joke is that she was institutionalized and couldn't handle the real world ,
but she
Amy Rose: was, she was wonderful. She just couldn't handle the, um, world was busy. Yeah. There's a lot of people, a lot of dogs, a lot of distractions.
And so. Um, you start to question yourself at this point, is it me? What am I doing wrong? Sure. Um, and I've been listening to the podcast since, uh, the beginning of 22. And then, uh, started listening to some of the random podcasts that I had skipped before and heard one with a young lady who said her first two dogs did not work out.[00:07:00]
And you don't hear that story too often. Mm-hmm . Yeah. And, uh, something that she said really stuck with me. She said, if you think that it works, then go for it. So I tried one more time. And thank God I did. 'cause I have an amazing guy, dog now my, uh, trainer, Jamie snatched her up from me and I just recently found out she was actually gonna be snatched up by another trainer, so Oh,
Leslie: I
Amy Rose: got her.
Yeah. Sometimes there's
Leslie: some internal fights
Amy Rose: going on for some of these dogs. . And, uh, she's pretty popular. She is, uh, she was one of the sponsored puppies. Yes. And, uh, her trainer, her, I'm sorry, excuse me. Her puppy raiser is pretty famous for her antlers as she gives out. So caramel's gotten some fuckups with those.
Oh. Um, but caramel is, uh, super smart and, uh. Just a sweetheart. I say that she is the sweetness and [00:08:00] I'm the bitter coffee . And so together we make the good team.
Leslie: Yeah. Yeah. And that's so interesting that you said one of the episodes of the podcast really kind of inspired you. , you know, so we went back and forth sometimes.
Mm-hmm. On these conversations. 'cause sometimes clients don't wanna share the negative, right? Mm-hmm . They don't wanna paint leader dog in a bad light. But yeah, that's the reality of the situation. And it happens at every guide dog organization. Yeah.
Yeah.
Leslie: We aren't, you know, the only ones where that happens, where a guide dog doesn't work out and it's for a variety of reasons.
Um, but I think it is, like you said, it's so important to share those stories and be realistic with people and set those realistic expectations and let people know it's, it's, you're not alone. Right?
Amy Rose: So I think that the thing that we tend to forget is that you, and which I've learned a lot from working here, is there's so much that goes into even putting a guide dog in someone's hands.
Um, and then. It could still not [00:09:00] work out. Yeah. The guide dog could still, um, not wanna work or can't handle when you're traveling and going to different places, which is something I like to do. And so when you have a dog that can't be versatile or, um. It's just hard to, you know, expect it to be a hundred percent.
Honestly, as an employee now, when we have guide dog clients that come from other countries and they've been waiting for so long mm-hmm . I'm praying, praying that it works out for them because I would hate for it them to go home after waiting for, I mean, one person that I know of waited for five years.
Mm-hmm . And you just hope that that. It's not the case.
Leslie: Yeah. We want everybody, you know, to be successful and for it to work out. Do you mind telling us a little bit about, oh, how did you start to identify that it wasn't working with your previous guide dogs?
Amy Rose: Uh, um. With my first guide [00:10:00] dog. Um, he was a puller, so, um, this school, I don't know what Leader Dogs does.
I honestly don't know. So they would have a level of like walking from five, from one to five. He was a five. I was a four. And, um. Together. We made four and a half. Well, at some point we wound up being five and a half and it was becoming dangerous and I didn't feel safe. I was finding myself practicing with him a lot.
People told me I was doing more than I needed to. And um, so I just had to make that decision where I felt like, you know, when you're a team, you both are giving . I felt like I was managing him more than he was giving to me as a guide dog, and so I had to make that decision. And so when I got my second one from here,
I started seeing similar signs, not quite as severe. Mm-hmm . Um, but, um, [00:11:00] it was pretty hard. There was one night I remember talking with my trainer and he was saying like, I've been doing this for 20 years, it's not gonna get better. And I wanted it to work so bad because I already started bonding with her.
And uh, that night she showed me in every way possible. That she didn't wanna work. She banged me into doorframes, lunged me up steps. I almost fell. She started shaking in the car and. Yeah, I mean, there were points where I was thinking about putting a thunder jacket on her when we would go flying, and I'm like, that's crazy.
Yeah. I need her to work for me. Like how is that? And so I was really considering her that she just couldn't handle it and I didn't wanna do that to her or myself. And so I had to make that decision, which was pretty rough. That was a rough decision. It was a mess.
Christina: And Amy Rose, I know that's such a difficult decision to make.
Yeah. Um, for anyone who may be going through that process right now, what, [00:12:00] from your experience, what would you say to them if they're, you know, debating if it's time to retire their G guide dog, or, um, time to understand that maybe they're not ready to work? Yeah.
Amy Rose: Um, definitely talking with your trainer because, or if you know,
They're gonna know how you two did in class. Um, and I wanna say trust your gut. We, uh, sometimes think that it's us and after working with Guide Dogs for, you know, three years, like I just knew it wasn't working out. You there to help you to be a tool to be safe. And if you're starting to not feel safe.
And you're doing all the steps that you're doing or you're getting the additional like recommendations. 'cause I definitely say be part of a support group. Um, you have to do that. They have to be, you know, they're a benefit to you. Working, not [00:13:00] just your pet. And I think that people kind of get that confused.
Leslie: Yeah. That can be challenging when you really Yeah. You just really want it to work. Yes. And you love the dog. Yes. That's never the issue. But yeah, you're right. We have to keep reminding and saying, is this dog benefiting your life? Yeah. Are they making travel better? Right. And if the answer's no, then we definitely need to have some more conversations.
Yeah.
Timothy (2): It's all about safety. I mean, if uh, your dog's not gonna keep you safe, it's time to start re I know it's gonna be tough and one day I'm gonna have to face that with Glacier and we all gonna have to face that as a guide dog. So, uh, that is important.
Amy Rose: Yeah, Timothy and I have gotten to meet 'cause he's now come to campus a couple of times and, uh, our girls have gotten to play together.
It's, it's a constant work, but you also know when, and that's what helped me to make that decision to try again, that I have experienced what it feels like when it works. There's nothing like walking down the street with a guy dog and. They're just gonna pull you out of the way of something. Or, [00:14:00] um, just the other morning we're walking to work.
We work in the, uh, walk to work in the dark. And there was a runner coming. I didn't hear them. There was, they didn't have anything that made them bright, lit up. And Carella pulled me to the side and I had to trust that she was, knew what she was doing. And that person just ran right past me and I didn't even notice them until I heard their music coming out of their earbuds.
Yeah. So I'm so grateful 'cause I would've kept going with my cane and probably tripped them. , not that there's anything wrong with the cane. , . I was waiting out for that.
Leslie's probably looking at you right now. Yeah. Yes.
Christina: Such important information. And you mentioned that you have Kara here with you at work.
So tell us a little bit about your journey on how you came to Leader Dog and now work at Leader Dog.
Amy Rose: Yeah, when I, um, came for my first guy dog here, um, . Uh, it was a small class, so a lot of the people that I [00:15:00] were, were in class with would go to bed early and I would have conversations with a lot of the resident services, um, folks, and just had some great conversations.
There was an o and m and. Intern who used to be a guide dog mobility instructor at different schools at the time here. And we had amazing conversations. And it was something I took for granted going to the school for the blind as a older student. Um, I hadn't been in that kind of conversation for a long time.
And then I went about my way and then I came, I wanted to, I wanted to work. Actually, one of my coworkers got a job towards the end of that. Uh, God dog class. Well, in the, and in both times that I was here was in the same year. So it was like February 23 and then I was here in December of 23. Um, yeah, so caramel and I have been a year together.
Woohoo. Which is awesome. Yay. Um. , I was here for caramel [00:16:00] and, uh, same thing. Just had some amazing conversations with people. The culture I knew that I wanted to give back and I know blindness, so I just kept . Applying was encouraged by one of the staff members and I looked every single day for three months.
And then I saw the job that I wanted, which is a kitchen assistant. I was a produce prep for about 11 years and knew I could be of service somehow and applied. And two weeks later here I was in Michigan, just from up the road from Ohio. Um, and I started working. And I'm so grateful I've gotten to meet so many clients.
I couldn't tell you how many clients are like, wait, you're blind. 'cause I let 'em know every time I introduce myself, I want them to know that they have somebody on the other side who understands. I've really am so grateful to my boss who [00:17:00] has made things. I'm a Braille reader and has made things accessible for me.
I'm thinking of clients as being a client, and so . They're really appreciating all the details that we're starting to implement so they can feel more independent. 'cause that's, that's our journey here, is to help them to become in the, um, independent, whether they've just starting out their journey or they're continuing their journey with a guide dog, or more advanced o and m skills.
I wanna make it as comfortable as po I wanna teach them that it's okay to mess up, but also that they could have all the information. That they would like to have so they can be successful.
Timothy (2): Well, I can imagine you being a visually impaired, uh, client with Leader Dog. You have opened their eyes on some things being that leader dog.
You'd be there every day. So can you give us some examples of things that you've, you know, may have changed because of who you are?
Amy Rose: Um, one of the things that I've [00:18:00] realized is that a lot of the clients, one, they get a lot of information when they first come in. Um, and, uh, two, uh, we like to make things very easy for them to just concentrate on their training, but I give them information so.
There's a lot of things that are labeled on the Lazy. Susan and I, every, we, at least once a week, let 'em know what's there, especially to the guide dog clients. 'cause they're like, oh yeah, I forgot . And I'll tell them, um, what's there, what yummy goodies are there? What creamers, what sugars, um, in the order, um.
Just a lot of things like that. Giving information as they come in, telling them what's in their place mat, um, and what's located where, and that just kind of helps they, I know that they appreciate it.
Leslie: I think, you know, as a team member, right? Mm-hmm . We obviously strive to be as accessible [00:19:00] as we can here at this organization, but we can't always bring the perspective, right?
And so you being on the team and in that role specifically, has helped so many people learn. Different ways to restructure something or the process to do something different so that it's more accessible to everybody. Mm-hmm . Right? Like we were using some really challenging Excel sheets to do and organize certain schedules and things like that, and everybody was having a hard time.
Yeah. Deciphering and figuring it out. So coming up with a new solution. So you've really helped not only your team. Come up and be creative and find different solutions and answers to be more accessible for everybody. But you've also inspired a lot of other team members and other departments here to help do that.
And so, you know, you're a part of the internal accessibility committee and always bring really good perspective to that. And again, just bringing up so many different conversations and kind of saying like, Hey. We're having an all team meeting and we didn't make that accessible for everybody. Those are things that we need that feedback, and you had [00:20:00] definitely been providing that for us.
Yeah. Which is so thankful.
Amy Rose: I think the thing that I'm most grateful for is that, um, I've had opportunities to have conversations with clients who have had to go home without a guide dog and how. Hurtful that feels mm-hmm . And yeah, I went home with one. But to know that I, I try to encourage them that it's better sometimes to go through not getting one than going home and then wondering what am I doing wrong?
'cause that's one of the biggest things. 'cause already. Especially, you're a first time guide dog user. You have no idea what you're doing. . I definitely didn't. Yeah. But sharing
Leslie: your perspective and being a listening ear and saying, you know, there's, there's different ways to look at it or different ways to think of it.
Yeah. One way's not worse than the other, but like, here's something else that's happened to me, or here's another example of how it didn't work out [00:21:00] exactly this way. So just letting people know they're not alone. It is a journey and it looks different for everybody.
Christina: Yeah.
Leslie: Timothy, you were here recently and so you got to visit, and so you said that your, your pups were able to play together and interact a little bit.
Um, how do you think, have you noticed changes like in our dining room or in the residents that have become more accessible or We've been thinking about it in a different capacity because of Amy Rose and other team members and . Perspectives.
Timothy (2): Well, the rooms are being updated. Uh, some of the got better chairs than your, that's for sure.
Uh, , that's, they got nice recliners now stuff. Yeah. Uh, leader Dog is always, always taking steps forward. They, the, it seems like it's easier now in the dining room since Amy's been there. Amy Rose's been there, and so, um. I, I, I see what she does and it's a little bit better now. Back when I was a guide, uh, there for a guide dog, that is for sure.
Uh, she does a real good job explaining everything to everybody. And, uh, so Leader Dog is [00:22:00] always mm-hmm . Uh, never satisfied today. They're always looking for tomorrow. Yeah. And that's what's so good about the organization.
Christina: Yeah. And Amy Rose, is there anything that you've learned since being a leader Dog team member?
Oh, always
Amy Rose: from . looking at it from an organization that it's like I've been shadowing in different areas that are different. Like in, uh, uh, in about a week I get to shadow handing out puppies. I don wanna do that. I get to see it.
See it.
Amy Rose: It's just like learning from how much. Effort. How much, um, is going into providing a guide dog providing o and m skills?
It's a lot from the donations from what Timothy does and the speeches that he gives, and the conversations that he has with donors from, you know, the [00:23:00] lions weekends we've hosted here. . and all these people that are giving of their time, effort, and funds to be able to provide guide dogs and all the different things that we're starting to implement at Leader Dog is huge.
I've gotten to meet, um, Jill Goss, who you recently had on your podcast. And so one of the things that, um, . Starting to learn is American Sign Language so that I can interact with our deaf-blind clients. That's awesome. As they come into the dining room, like I want to continue as Leader Dog, continue to educate myself and keep moving forward.
So that's definitely some of the things. Yeah, those are, I'm seeing
Christina: great takeaways. And for those who don't know, we are a hundred percent philanthropically funded, so we get no, um, government funding. We're only funded by private donors and Lions Club. So when she's speaking to all of that stuff with Timothy going out and speaking to donors, I mean, [00:24:00] they really help people
Our clients to receive the services, so we couldn't be more grateful for our donors.
Amy Rose: I know that Timothy and I are very much thankful for our wonderful guide dogs. Yeah.
Leslie: You know, it's so interesting. I think all of us as team members, we learn so much from each other and how much goes into it. I was in a meeting just.
The other day and learning about the strings of dogs and the number of dogs, and they're already planning for, you know, two years down the road. And, you know, I've been at this organization for 10 years and I've like heard that here and there, you know, but like to sit in a meeting and really hear about the numbers and the tracking and the all that's going into it.
I mean, we work with some really incredible people. Yeah. And it's so exciting to learn about everybody. And you know, from the outside perspective, people don't understand that we're international sometimes, and that we are a big organization providing a lot of really wonderful services completely for free.
Yeah. And so it takes [00:25:00] an army to do that. It takes a. Full team and everybody on this team, whether it be a team member, a volunteer, or a client, we're all a part of the, the journey and team together. So, um, I, I know we always talk about it like being like a family and I feel like sometimes we're so corny on it, , but it really does.
Amy Rose right? It it very much feels
Amy Rose: that way. Yeah. I mean, my team. And the kitchen staff, we, we sit and have meals together. Yes. 'cause we serve clients. And, um, once we make sure that they're good, we go having our meals. And it's just a, a wonderful way to stay connected, to be able to continue to give back.
And, you know. One of the things that I'm starting to do with my job shares is we're having like a group chat. Like, Hey, so and so needs this, so and so is needing a napkin underneath their cup so they can locate it, and these kind of things. And it just keeps the communication going and people are always saying to us, you make it seem so [00:26:00] seamless.
Well, there's . Communication is a big part of that. Just very grateful to be part of a wonderful team. I remember when I first met some of my team members, um, from the kitchen, I just felt like, I was like, Ooh, I'm going into the inner sink town .
Christina: This is
Amy Rose: so cool. I loved it. Absolutely. Yes.
Christina: And we all know the kitchen is a hot spot.
It's the heart of
Leslie: the organization. Yes. Every. Man, if Bacon is cooking, you better believe that everybody in this building knows the bacon, the cookies are being made.
Amy Rose: We'll have like people sneaking in for a cookie.
Leslie: Oh
Amy Rose: my gosh,
Timothy (2): those mint chocolate ones are off the chain. Everybody .
Amy Rose: I'm a SCO off ladies.
Leslie: Scotcheroos are where it's at. I crave those. They're so good.
Amy Rose: I remember Leslie being here for a summer camp asking for Scotchy roof , and uh, that was. Fun.
Leslie: Yeah. They're always making 'em at least three week of camp. I'm like, everybody give me this . [00:27:00] I've tried making them at home, so I have the Leader dog cookbook.
I have tried. There's a secret that somebody in that kitchen's not telling because they are never the same. They're not as good. You need to shadow
Amy Rose: the kitchen so you can work with our chef who makes them. Yes,
Leslie: I do, because I cannot do it the same at home, and they're just my absolute favorite. No, everybody definitely has their thing with the kitchen.
That's their favorite.
Christina: I mean, . Everything I've ever had. So Mile high taco
Leslie: pies. I never, the Southwest chicken salad actually is my absolute. You
Timothy (2): all making me home. I know, right?
Leslie: I know. Oh my goodness. Well, I'm book
Timothy (2): the flight right now.
Leslie: Yeah. . Amy Rose, thank you so much for joining us and for being our first guest in 2025.
What a great way to kick off. Thank you. Thank you. Um, and thank you for all the work that you're doing and being there for clients, right? Yeah. And it being a voice for clients and also just making our organization better and more accessible. Every single day. So thank you. Thank you, thank you. Yeah. Um, we really appreciate it and thank you Of course.
To our listeners for [00:28:00] listening to the Taking the Lead podcast. I am Leslie Hoskins with host Timothy gno and Christina Hepner. We hope you enjoyed learning about Amy Rose and all the incredible work she is doing. Please join us next time as we continue to dive into the world of blindness.
Christina: And if you'd like to learn more about applying to our free services at Leader Dog, you can head to leader dog.org or call us at (888) 777-5332.
Don't forget you can reach us at taking the lead@leaderdog.org with any questions or ideas. If you like today's podcast, make sure to hit subscribe and check us out wherever Podcast Stream.