jenny pavlovic

Remembering Frankie as We Keep on Rolling by Jenny Pavlovic

Posted by Barbara Techel

I’ve been very fortunate in making some wonderful connections with some amazing women doing amazing work because of my work with Frankie.  Jenny is right up there on my list of being a compassionate, kind, and sincere woman!  Thank you to her for this lovely tribute to Frankie!

 

Frankie (short for Francesca), a Dachshund, injured her back and was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Her back legs were paralyzed and her people, Barbara Techel and her husband John of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, first thought they would have to put Frankie down. But Frankie’s amazing spirit and will to ‘keep on rolling’ led Barbara to learn about wheelchairs for dogs. Frankie was fitted with her own chair and Barbara learned how to take care of her in her new condition. Barbara learned a lot from Frankie as she discovered that Frankie could still have a wonderful quality of life and had much to teach us.

I learned of Barbara and Frankie a few years ago whentheir first book, Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog(https://joyfulpaws.com/books/), won the Dog Writers Association of America Merial Human-Animal Bond award. I became pen pal friends with Barbara and watched as Frankie became a therapy dog and Barbara and Frankie reached out to the elderly and to school children. They spread Frankie’s positive messages far and wide, as this differently-abled little dog shared her tremendous spirit and kept on rolling.
Frankie dramatically changed Barbara’s life, gave Barbara a voice and a message that had to be shared, and turned Barbara into an author. In many ways, Barbara’s story with Frankieparalleled my story with 8 State Hurricane Kate. Barbara and I went on the Passions and Possibilities radio show together (listen to our podcast at http://tinyurl.com/passions-and-possibilities) and both contributed our stories to the book Dogs and the Women Who Love Them: Extraordinary True Stories of Loyalty, Healing and Inspiration by Allen and Linda Anderson (http://www.dogsandthewomenwholovethem.com/).

The Passions and Possibilities Network®

Posted by Barbara Techel

This Wednesday, Septeber 22nd, 2010 author Jenny Pavlovic and author Barbara Techel will be guests on Sue Oliver’s Passions and Possibilities Radio Show.  The show will begin at 11:00am CST (12:00 EST).

The Passions and Possibilities® Project. During each show we interview bold, talented individuals who have leaped fully into their passions for making a big difference in the world (aka Passioneers™). These amazing guests share their ups, downs, tips, and wisdom, as they stay committed to their dreams, regardless of circumstances. With these stories, we hope to inspire others who may be scared or discouraged about their own passion leap.We air on Wednesdays at 9am and 9:30am (PST), and we invite you to join us live with questions or in archive. We love your participation. If you or anyone you know would be a great guest, please send their contact info to passioneers@yahoo.com.

Jenny Pavlovic, Ph.D. is a biomedical engineer by vocation and a “dog person” by avocation. She has adopted and rescued purebred and mixed breed dogs, and currently lives in Minnesota with Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) Bandit, rescued ACD-Collie mix Chase, and rescued ACD mix Cayenne. One of her greatest rewards has been seeing rescued dogs break away from pasts of abuse, neglect, or trauma and begin to enjoy life. Jenny has also learned a lot from watching her herding dogs do what they were bred to do. Through working and living with them, she has become a better person and a more confident leader.  She is the author of 8 Kate State and Not without My Dog Resource and Record book.

Barbara Techel  is an advocate for animals with disabilities sharing the story of how her dachshund was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) persevered after surgery, physical therapy and then was custom-fitted for a doggie wheelchair.

Frankie and Barbara educate children and adults through the Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog book series about seeing their challenges in a positive way, understanding disc disease, as well as encouraging others to be of service to their communities, despite obstacles they may face. They visit local schools, organizations, and nursing homes, as well as classrooms across the US and Canada via Skype. They are also active as a therapy dog volunteer team visiting a local hospital, senior assisted living facility, and hospice community regularly each month.

The Pet Playground- Dogs & the Women Who Love Them

Posted by Barbara Techel

If you missed the Pet Playground Radio Show where the book,Dogs and the Women Who Love Them, along with some of the women, and their dogs, featured in this heart warming book, you can now listen to the replay.

Guests on the show were the authors of Dogs and the Women Who Love Them, Linda and Allen Anderson of Angel Animal Network, Jenny Pavlovic, author of 8 State Hurricane Kate, Sage Lewis author of Java: The True Story of Shelter Dog who Rescued a Woman, and myself, author of Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog book series.

It was a powerful discussion of how each of us women have had our lives profoundly affected by some very speical dogs and we are happy to say, we have never to been the same since.