Heddie is a city girl with a country heart. For over 40 years, she and her husband Ron lived in Missouri on a hobby farm with various companion animals, which included chickens, ducks, geese, guinea pigs, cats, fish, birds, dogs, and horses. Their two daughters were never without chores to do. Heddie considers that part of the growing and learning experiences for children. Children exposed to the outdoors, fresh air, and interactions with animals learn life skills that serve them well into their adult years and throughout their lives. She found her place working with children and animals, through animal-assisted interventions and the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI). Her gifts and talents have been shared with thousands of children at schools, libraries, summer camps, special-needs programs, 4-H, Girl and Boy Scouts, children's cancer wards in hospitals, and a myriad of other activities that involve children, including domestic-violence shelters. Her own Sofa Dog, Hero, was an integral part of their many interactions with all of the children and families who have been touched by their simple gifts of time and caring. Her passion for helping others understand canine and animal behavior never ceases. As a Professional Humane Educator, her humane education classes are in high demand. Heddie's household remains one of multiple species that include two dogs, a rescued racehorse, two mini horses, a fish that loves to be hand-fed, and a cat and bird that are friends and playmates. Her husband, Ron, agrees that animals add a zest to life that he didn't expect. Her greatest blessing is spending time with her grandchildren exploring everything about life from their perspectives. Their joy is infectious and their laughter contagious. We each have a bit of our childhood past in us, and grandchildren "re-awaken" that child within.
