In this weeks episode Chris Levens talks with Dr. Orazie Slayton Cook. What if you could understand about the crucial link between domestic violence survivors and their pets? Imagine if you knew exactly how to foster a safer and supportive environment for them. Join us as we welcome Dr. Orazie Slayton Cook, founder of Praline's Backyard Foundation, for a profound discussion on these significant issues. Dr. Cook, who developed her love for animals during her childhood in Atlanta, is a passionate advocate for providing safe housing for the pets of domestic violence survivors.
A significant highlight of our conversation with Dr. Cook is the exploration of the urgent need for pet housing for domestic violence survivors. Evidently, there is a serious lack of awareness and resources addressing this issue. Together, we enlighten our listeners about these barriers, with an emphasis on the high costs of pet boarding. Our dialogue underscores the importance of cooperation with pet boarding facilities to offer discounted or free services, as well as the necessity of community support for people enduring such crises.
Dr. Cook's inspiring insights extend to the power of therapy, self-care, and motivation. She underlines the role of a strong support system for domestic violence survivors, and the importance of pet fostering, executed in a nurturing, non-invasive manner. Through her, we learn that living in the present is not just a motivational phrase, but a way of life. Encouraging the creation of a safer and more supportive environment for domestic violence survivors, and their pets. Join us for this enlightening conversation, and together, let's make a positive difference.
https://pralinesbackyardfoundation.org/
In this weeks episode Chris Levens talks with Dr. Orazie Slayton Cook. What if you could understand about the crucial link between domestic violence survivors and their pets? Imagine if you knew exactly how to foster a safer and supportive environment for them. Join us as we welcome Dr. Orazie Slayton Cook, founder of Praline's Backyard Foundation, for a profound discussion on these significant issues. Dr. Cook, who developed her love for animals during her childhood in Atlanta, is a passionate advocate for providing safe housing for the pets of domestic violence survivors.
A significant highlight of our conversation with Dr. Cook is the exploration of the urgent need for pet housing for domestic violence survivors. Evidently, there is a serious lack of awareness and resources addressing this issue. Together, we enlighten our listeners about these barriers, with an emphasis on the high costs of pet boarding. Our dialogue underscores the importance of cooperation with pet boarding facilities to offer discounted or free services, as well as the necessity of community support for people enduring such crises.
Dr. Cook's inspiring insights extend to the power of therapy, self-care, and motivation. She underlines the role of a strong support system for domestic violence survivors, and the importance of pet fostering, executed in a nurturing, non-invasive manner. Through her, we learn that living in the present is not just a motivational phrase, but a way of life. Encouraging the creation of a safer and more supportive environment for domestic violence survivors, and their pets. Join us for this enlightening conversation, and together, let's make a positive difference.
https://pralinesbackyardfoundation.org/
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening. Wherever you are in the world. Welcome to another episode of Glass Half Full, a podcast and a safe platform where we talk with a variety of teachers, entrepreneurs, spiritualists, uplifters, givers, shakers and serenaders. Everyone has a lesson to learn and a lesson to share. Let's use our life experiences to enrich someone's heart, mind, spirit and soul. Through sharing our experiences, we can be a learning inspiration for one another. I'm your host, chris Levens. Let's welcome today's guest. Today's guest is Dr Orazzi Slayton Cook. Dr Orazzi Cook, the compassionate driving force behind Preylene's Backyard Foundation. Orazzi's journey is marked by a steadfast commitment to creating safer environments for domestic violence survivors and their beloved pets. With a rich background in public health and a heart deeply rooted in animal welfare, she's a visionary advocate who's reshaping how we support those in crisis. Her work not only breaks barriers but also builds bridges of hope and healing, underscoring the profound bond between humans and animals. Let's give a warm welcome to Dr Orazzi Cook. Good morning, good morning, good morning.
Dr. Orazie:Good morning. How are you today? I am good, thank you.
Chris:Thank you so much for taking some time out to be a guest here on Glass Half Full, we're happy to have you today. Thank you, can you tell everyone where you are in the world and what time it is?
Dr. Orazie:I am in Atlanta, georgia, and it is 7.45 Eastern time in the morning. Wow, that's where I am in the world.
Chris:I hope that it's a nice day out. Is the weather good?
Dr. Orazie:Well, it's actually. It's not cold but it's cool, and it's kind of dreary out right now, but it's okay, I woke up, so it's all good.
Chris:Okay, another day above ground? Yes, indeed, I like to. We're going to jump right on in. I like to ask all my guests this first question I believe that our lives are in spiritual design. Can you share your life layout or blueprint with everyone, how you grew up, where your family lifestyle? Oh, definitely.
Dr. Orazie:I grew up in Atlanta. I am a Atlanta native, which is rare. If you've ever visited here, I was called a Grady baby, because it's like the hospital here. I went to school. I became a seven day Adventist in my middle school years, which led me to become vegetarian and to observe the Sabbath and do some other live choices. And then I went on to attend Oakwick College in Huntsville, alabama. It's a seven day Adventist institution and it was there that I was first introduced to. Well, not first, but it's where I got to have insight on the resources available to domestic violence survivors.
Dr. Orazie:I worked at a hotline while I was in undergrad. I went on from there to grad school and then I volunteered at domestic violence shelter while I was in grad school and then I went on to. While I was there I was introduced to the idea that survivors would go back to be with their abuser. Not to be with their abuser but to be with their pet, because they left their pet behind with their abuser and I didn't have context for that then. And then I just I went on to take a volunteer and I later on I volunteered with the Atlanta Humane Society up until COVID, and then I would see something similar happen, where survivors would come and relinquish ownership of their pet because they were going into a housing situation and did not allow for pets. Again, that's the responsible thing to do. So if you don't want to do that with your pet, there has to be another option. And so, in the midst of COVID and assessing my life choices and I should have said I also have a 20-year career in public health oh, wow, okay, that's you.
Dr. Orazie:I also had a job in there while I was volunteering, and so I also have a doctorate in public health and I currently work for the federal government in public health and then full-time. And then I also have the foundation I created in response to really having the experience I had at the domestic violence shelter and the Atlanta Humane Society. It was like there has to be a better solution to this in terms of a survivor is struggling to leave and they leave and they go back to be with their pet, not because they want to be with their abuser. There has to be a better way.
Dr. Orazie:And so I just decided how can I work in partnership with other people to assist with housing pets and survivors? And so I just started reaching out. I started sharing my story. People kept giving me ideas, and Freylin's Backyard Foundation was born out of the insight of a lot of people on social media telling me like, oh, you should do this, you should do this. I'm like, oh, okay, yeah, and it was just that's how my life. Oh, had you told me five years ago that I would be leading an organization like Freylin's Backyard or having my own business, I would have said, no, that's okay, I'm just going to buy this whole government job out and continue on with life. But it definitely. My life path has definitely come to a place where it's like I can see 20 years ago, just being around pets and being around animals. Most of my life is like this is where I belong more than anything else.
Chris:Oh now did you grow up with pets, Did you have some growing up?
Dr. Orazie:Oh, definitely. My family is from Tuskegee, Alabama, home of Tuskegee University, and so I have that to my family. We grew up with every type of pet you can think of. Excuse me, but in my home we had always had a cocker spaniel. I grew up I'm on my fourth cocker spaniel, which is Freylin, and who the foundation is named after.
Chris:Oh wow, I was going to ask you.
Dr. Orazie:I always had cocker spaniels growing up.
Chris:Oh, wow, okay, Nice, I was going to ask you about the name of the foundation, so you beat me to it. Okay so, okay, wow, so you had always had dogs.
Dr. Orazie:Yes, I was a dog.
Chris:Yes, Okay, so you had always had family dogs as well.
Dr. Orazie:I only have a dog now. I only have praline, yeah.
Chris:Okay.
Dr. Orazie:I do, I do.
Chris:And so with this, you're seeing a variety of pets. Am I correct?
Dr. Orazie:Oh yeah, we'll serve as any survivor with any pet. I had a horse a couple months ago, what we have, well, mostly as cats and dogs. I had actually had a I'm sorry I haven't had a bird maybe a month ago a parrot, which is cool because I've never had that, and so it's always like trying to investigate places to foster pets, different pets, I'll say exotic pets but we are able to work in partnership with organizations that do rescue work with different kinds of pets because, as we know, as people begin to adopt different pets into their home, there's always a rescue group that aligns with that pet, like I even had a horse sanctuary reach out to me last week and they are partnering with us. So definitely yeah.
Chris:Wow, this is pretty amazing. You know, it was nothing that I even considered was about the pet. You know, domestic violence is domestic violence, but you know, I'd never thought about the animal and the relationship that they would have with their owner, who is now no longer going to be there for some reason, or maybe they have been around the whole time watching. Well, they have been there watching this go down and you know, yeah, this is huge. It was something that I was really so surprised about and I was like I don't think many people have even thought too deeply about this. So I am really impressed that you have started this, this organization, and have really jumped on the bandwagon for for thinking for the pets. So that is so awesome. That is awesome. So how long has the foundation been going, did you say?
Dr. Orazie:Well, the Ten Way Foundation would have come on a year now. Actually, I should look at the date of the approval letter from the IRS, but because I initially it wasn't about.
Dr. Orazie:it wasn't about having a nonprofit. I just have a dog walking business as well here in Atlanta, and my thing was always I wanted to grow and I wanted to have an actual physical building. And so, in the process of wanting that building, I also wanted to house pets and survivors, which is because I live in Atlanta. That's what I wanted to do. But as things unfolded, I wasn't able to build a building or to buy a building, and then I thought, well, I can still help survivors, but let me work in partnership with established pet boarding facilities. So that's how that started. And so it wasn't.
Dr. Orazie:I never, I, never, I never, my never. My attention was never to build a nonprofit. My attention was just to house pets and survivors. Right, it was just something I wanted to do as part of my business. But through council and I'll say again, I, because I mentioned it on social media and people really ran with it they said, oh, you should get a nonprofit because you'll get support that way, and that's how that unfolded. So it was never so it kind of aligned in that way and so I created the nonprofit and the foundation as a result of that.
Dr. Orazie:So it's been a year, but I've been doing this work for years, so you, technically, the book says so you know what I mean, okay, so yeah, wow, that is awesome.
Chris:That is awesome. So what is the general mission and vision of Praline's backyard?
Dr. Orazie:You went out on me for a second and say that one more time.
Chris:No problem, can you share with us the mission and vision of Praline's backyard foundation?
Dr. Orazie:The mission is that no survivor will stay with an abuser lack of housing for their pet. Our vision is to make sure every survivor is empowered with the information, the knowledge to know that they can leave their abuser and they can bring their pet with them so they can seek safety and their pet will be safe as well.
Chris:And so you're taking in as well as the victim and their pet.
Dr. Orazie:Oh no, we actually. We work in partnership with domestic violence shelters that are not they do not accommodate pets, and with persons who are fleeing a domestic violence situation, who need housing for their pet. So yeah, we don't I don't provide housing to any, any survivor. I provide housing to their pets.
Chris:Okay, it's only just the animals.
Dr. Orazie:Just the animals.
Chris:Okay, you like, that's enough, I'm sure.
Dr. Orazie:Oh yeah, but then because there are other resources, there are lots of resources for survivors themselves. What we're lacking in the States is we're lacking housing for pets, and so I tell people all the time that survivors are very resilient and awesome individuals who know they, who may know they, they're ready to leave, but what they lack is resources when they do leave.
Dr. Orazie:This is so cool and so what I'm doing is buying resources for their pet. That's what they. They need a number of resources, but one resource we want to be able to provide them is housing for their pet.
Chris:Hmm, nice, yeah, that you're right. That's a whole huge, the whole different ball game, definitely, and so is this something that's happening in other places in the world. Is it? Are you aware if this is something that's happening other places or and the United States is kind of behind, or is this something that is? I think it's?
Dr. Orazie:pretty overall. I know Canada. I've worked, I've talked to people in Canada and in the UK in similar situations. There's not enough housing for pets. People don't know it as an issue, people don't recognize it as a barrier, but immediately I think a lot of it has to do with the lack of awareness, and the reason why I'm even on your podcast is really to help raise awareness of the issue, because I think if more people knew about it more, more resources could be created to house pets with survivors.
Dr. Orazie:Because I, because I, because whenever I told anyone they're like, it was like most people that don't know they don't work in animal welfare, they don't work with domestic violence, persons with domestic persons that are affected by domestic violence. They have no idea, they never thought of it. But once you tell them, you know survivors have challenges of leaving and one challenge is the lack of housing for their pet, and people immediately understand that, because people understand the concept of their children right, and so we understand the fact that they may not have the financial aspect to be able to move from your house to a new house. Like what. However, that takes right, there's a, there's a financial impact on a person. So it was like people say they're pet. Oh, it's like it's a aha moment, it's like people realize it, so people knew about it. We could have better resources. So my whole thing is to educate 10 million people about this barrier, and that represents the 10 million people who experienced domestic violence each year in this country. And also, I'll add, that's the documented cases of domestic violence.
Dr. Orazie:We recognize that not all cases are documented, so we know the number is much larger than the 10 million, but I want to educate 10 million, and that 10 million can educate another 10 million.
Chris:You're right about that. You're right about that. Wow, I didn't hear. That number is like shocking. My mouth dropped but no one can see it. But like, wow, that is a number, that is a number, and you're right. The ones that we don't even know about, my gosh.
Dr. Orazie:Yeah, yeah, you know they're.
Chris:They are plenty of those. So, wow, wow, oh my gosh. Yeah, this is an eye opener and I'm happy that you're here and that we can use this platform to educate people, because I was shocked by this. I was like I've never heard this. And then I was asking people. They were like I've never heard anything like that before. You know, and if people love animals and they love pets, you know, and a lot of people love their pets more than they love people, so it's like it's full on. So, yeah, the idea of this is it can totally grow and to be huge, definitely. I think that it's just, it's a great opportunity, definitely. So, really nice, really nice. Let me ask you what do you think are the main challenges you face trying to find housing? Is it the finances? Is it the space? Is it? You know, you spoke about the resources, but what is the actual resource? Is it finance or is it space or something else?
Dr. Orazie:Well, I tell people all the time you know pet health or pet boarding facilities, pet daycares they are. That is a booming industry. It's like a billion dollar industry that goes up every year. So pet housing is not an issue, right? What's an issue is money to house pets of survivors. I actually did it. I was on a live last night with Red Rover, another organization. We talked about the fact that the foundation will pay for seven days of housing for survivors pet and we work in partnership with pet boarding facilities across the US and that partnership can look like the boarding facility can provide free housing. They can provide discounted housing for the survivors pet, but pet boarding is expensive and so the money is what's lacking.
Chris:Can you give us? An idea of like sorry, go ahead. I was asking could you give us an idea of like what is expensive? What are these prices like?
Dr. Orazie:Oh yeah, definitely the game. And the game and put pet boarding is $40 to $60 a night and that goes up based upon, yeah, the most people. You take your dog to board, your pet to board and you bring your own food, but in some cases survivors don't have food to bring to bring to the boarding facility, so you have to pay for every day's food allowance for a dog or a cat or whatever the situation is. So it goes up. I've actually paid.
Dr. Orazie:I was in out of survivor in California. We were paying like $80 a night and we ended up paying for that pet for like two weeks because we were trying to find a foster took a little longer than normal, and so it's just like those costs add up. And so, additionally, what I ran into in the beginning, which I did not foresee, which I plan for now, and that is a lot of people do not have their pets up to date on their vaccination. I cannot put a pet into a pet boarding facility are with the pet foster unless that pet is up to date on its vaccinations. So that's an issue that I didn't. I didn't.
Dr. Orazie:That's an expense I did not, I did not plan for, but one that we we are playing for now, but it's definitely isn't an expense. Housing pets of survivors is definitely an expense, and so that's why I really like to work in partnership with pet boarding facilities to house survivors pets, whether that's again, like I said, free boarding, discounted boarding and we also do social media shout outs to boarding facilities that provide us discounted rates, are free housing for pets as well, because definitely it's a community building idea in a sense of, like these pet board facilities exist in these facilities, why not also give back to the people in your community? That includes domestic violence survivors who going through a moment of crisis that need housing for their pet.
Chris:Yeah, I agree, I agree, definitely, definitely. So the vaccination when you said that, so you had to pay to have the animal vaccinated first.
Dr. Orazie:Yes.
Chris:Which was like ah, surprise.
Dr. Orazie:I guess, I guess, I guess I mean, and I have my pets back saying I've always had. But I know people, sometimes we, sometimes people are not up to date. They just they forget.
Chris:They like a lot of people who are not up to date. Yeah, it's not just not on top of it, for whatever reason might be, but wow, that's like shocking to hear that you would have to pay yourself to have it done when you're already helping. You know, it just seems a little like oxymoron, like okay.
Dr. Orazie:But think about it. I mean you can't, I can't not provide the boarding, like, so it's like I have to provide the boarding. They need to be vaccinated and so. And then I had a case early on.
Chris:So who vaccinate the dog? Who vaccinate the animals? Where does this?
Dr. Orazie:will identify a reduced cost vet clinic in the area and the survivor would take them there. Like we had a Okay, I was a lot of places do low cost clinics Okay that was like is there a compromise?
Chris:Yeah, that's what I want to know. Like, are we compromising with something to get in, you know? So people are paying a lot because that's a surprise and I'm sure that's not cheap. What's the cost of a vaccination, do you know?
Dr. Orazie:vaccinations for annual back to 100 to 150 on average.
Chris:Yeah, oh my.
Dr. Orazie:God, that's the, that's the border teller is the. It's a three in one I can't think of the name of it at the moment, but essentially rabies and there's another one that takes up like three diseases in one shot.
Chris:So but yeah, oh my god, yeah, I would have never thought these costs. And I mean, granted, you're speaking someone who does not have any pets, I would like to have one, but my owner says no, so where I live. So Okay yeah.
Chris:So the pet that I want I can't get. So if it lives underwater, I would like a dog. The carrier is my heart, where my heart lies. But yeah, the owner says no, I know it's true, when it's time, that's what's going to happen for the next place. So I'm just biting the time. I feel it's just not time yet, that's all.
Dr. Orazie:It's not time.
Chris:Yet I want to ask you Do you have any success stories that you can share, maybe where your foundation made an impact on a survivor and their pet?
Dr. Orazie:Oh, definitely, I would say every day we have an impact just by raising awareness and providing health into a survivors pet, just to pick out one. I'll say that because this one, just because the pet foster was so awesome and the story.
Chris:I said yes, please tell us.
Dr. Orazie:Oh yes. So I had a survivor who had two cats. They so what happens when someone is not reached out to us and they're ready for housing of their pet? We'll arrange the pet boarding at a facility. The fiber takes the pet to that facility and then the pet foster will pick up that pet from that facility.
Dr. Orazie:So this particular case, we had a pet foster pick up these two cats from the facility and she kept them for six months, and our max amount for a foster to house a pet is six months, because we feel like six months the adequate enough time for the survivor to get adjusted to provide, to provide safe, stable and pet friendly housing. And so we, the foster, had the cats for six months and then and she was she worked at a cat sanctuary as her normal employment every day and so she had all kinds of cool cat domes and different houses for the cats and different activities she would do with the cats, and what I always asked a foster to do is send me pictures of the cats and how they're doing, and so I can send that to the survivor. And she would always send awesome pictures and video of the cat that I could send to the survivor. And she was just so thankful for that. And then what in the end?
Dr. Orazie:When the foster took the cats back to the pet boarding facility for the survivor to pick them up, she created a whole basket for the survivor that include all kind of cool cat toys and a gift card to really help the survivor. And so it just really spoke to my belief and my encouragement that many hands make light work. This is someone I've never met. I've never met either one of them, but I've engaged with both of them, and this foster felt so impressed for somebody she didn't even know to give back and to invest her time, energy and her money to give the survivor something at as she returned her cats back to her. And so it's just like it's just a beauty, a beautiful story of community and supporting one another, because I believe that many hands make light work and we all join in to help people in need. It makes the lift so much lighter.
Chris:Yeah, wow, that's awesome. What a great story. You're right. Yeah, that's, and you're right definitely, all working together to achieve that goal. I love it. Oh, that's so nice. Thank you for sharing.
Dr. Orazie:Oh, you're welcome.
Chris:So, looking into the future, where do you see your foundation going or doing? What are your goals or your hopes?
Dr. Orazie:Well, for 2024, my goal is to establish a mobile app that could be on anyone's phone, where a foster could log into that app, a survivor could log into that app, a pet boarding facility could log into that app and the app would house training materials as well to train our fosters and our pet boarding facilities on housing and pets that are coming out of trauma, and what I want the app to do is be a hub for everyone to connect.
Dr. Orazie:For example, a survivor would log into the app and say I need housing for my pet, I'm in this city, this town, and then the pet foster and the pet boarding facility in that particular town would get the alert and they could answer the call to that alert and say I'm available to foster, I'm available to house this pet immediately. And then it makes it that connection so succinctly, because right now I'm doing all the connecting through the assistance of doberrowercom. Let me definitely give them a shout out, but right now we're doing that in a more wide, open space, but doing it within a confined app that provides better security and it provides just more ease of use for the survivor and it allows everyone to be a part of the solution. It allows them to see like immediately say, oh, that's a survivor. They'll continue to see alerts as people request assistance and they may not answer the alert every time, but as you continue to be made aware that a survivor needs housing, then you're more apt to say I'm available for that housing.
Dr. Orazie:And so that's why and I want to be able to train postures and pet boarding facilities on the unique challenges that may come with housing a pet coming out of a traumatic situation Just to be sensitive, just like if you adopted a pet from a human society you don't know what kind of background they had to just being sensitive to that as well. That's my goal is to create an app in 2024. That's my goal. So if you're out there and you hear this, you're an app person and you want to help us. Please connect.
Chris:Yes, look, all the information will be there. Yes, and this is it right, just putting it out there. And you know that there are people who are this is it. It's just getting through them, just reaching them. Folks are like oh yeah, I'll do it, you know, like it's definitely. So awesome, awesome, that's great. Well, we're looking forward to that app. Definitely we're looking forward to that app. So, changing a little bit from the foundation, I want to talk a little bit about you.
Dr. Orazie:Okay.
Chris:Okay, so tell me, how do you keep good mental health dealing in a world where things are a little dark maybe darker than others in the type of work that you're dealing with, and the effects of that? How do you maintain that you are in a great mental state while you're working, and when you're not working, what do you do?
Dr. Orazie:Let's see. First of all, I believe in God and I believe that no weapon formed against me will posture. I believe that he is not giving me anything that I cannot handle, and also believe in therapy. I have a therapist. I believe in debriefing.
Chris:You are hilarious. Why are you trying to take me there? Why are you trying to take me there, all around you, like in therapy? Yes, girl.
Dr. Orazie:Thank you, yes, yes.
Chris:Thank you.
Dr. Orazie:I'm an advocate of therapy. I think there is great power in it, great release. So I have that therapist and just to really let go of that, because it can be very, because when I hear these stories, obviously the moments when I have to be calm, I calm, I have to be relaxed, when I can be emotional when someone tells me a story, but I'm heartbreaking at the same time.
Dr. Orazie:So I have to remove myself in a safe space to be able to really help this person. I can't be all emotional the way they are in the moment, even though it can be very traumatizing what they're experiencing. So really I have to take that back to therapy to really have that breakdown situation. And then I struggle with when I have survivors who really are not in a place to leave mentally and so it's like I have to just be patient with them and that patients takes a level of therapy with me, because I can't push my desire for you to leave a violent situation. You have to leave it when you're ready.
Dr. Orazie:And so to hear someone's story and to know they're really, they just they're just struggling. So that's a lot to take on and so, in addition to therapy, I also have. I also believe in self-care. I believe in massage. I have one plan this weekend because I had a hard two weeks, and then I scuba dive as a form of relaxation. I love the water, I love marine life, I love seeing the beauty of God's creation underwater, because so many of us don't get to see it.
Chris:Just to see the color and just the magnificence of our.
Dr. Orazie:this world is amazing, that's me nice, nice, nice.
Chris:I like the array of things that we have from that that you touched upon. There are many different things Good, good, good. Thank you for sharing that.
Dr. Orazie:Oh, you're welcome.
Chris:So who is around you that keeps you motivated? Is there someone that you I mean? I'm sure that you might have some, some fellow shipping friends or church friends that might be there around, but who's around? Who helps keep you motivated?
Dr. Orazie:I would say my mom and my best friend.
Chris:Oh, shout out for mom. We love mom oh yeah, definitely.
Dr. Orazie:My mom is probably probably one of the the reason why I'm in this work and I like she's always been such a giving spirit and it's like so that's probably definitely while she's giving me that and she's always encouraging me and she's always believed in me that I can do this and she's always just been my number one cheerleader and then my best friend. He's always gives me the reality check and, at the same time, encouraging me. He always shows up for me. When he can't show up, he's always like how did it go? Like I had a live last night and he had therapy session. He could be on my live and he was like how, immediately after he finished his therapy session, he called me and said how would, how did it go? And I was just like I just, I just think, appreciate him so much for just being interested and encouraging me through this process.
Chris:Oh nice, that's so awesome. What's his name?
Dr. Orazie:Joseph Joseph.
Chris:All right, give that. Shout out to Joseph. Yes, look, we all need a best friend.
Dr. Orazie:Oh, definitely, definitely.
Chris:The best friend.
Dr. Orazie:That encourages you. And then is your reality check.
Chris:You know, this is it right, this is it. Before you go to the outside world they say, hey, that looks crazy. Or you know what You're about to make a fool of yourself. Stop it, you know. I think if you're going to say, it's okay, yes this is it, and let's go get something to eat and like yeah, keep it moving, oh nice.
Dr. Orazie:Nice.
Chris:So can you tell us what are five things you would say to describe yourself?
Dr. Orazie:five things I would say. I would say that, like I said, because of my mother, I'm a compassionate person. I just really desire people to live the life that they wanna live and I wanna be able to help them to live it however way that I can, and in the midst of building a foundation which I never intended to be. I would say now that I'm a leader and I didn't intend to be there. I would never have thought this in my life five years ago, like I said. So I've become a leader as well in this process to really highlight the barriers survivors of domestic violence experience, and so I'm leading the charge to do that.
Dr. Orazie:And at the same time, as I mentioned earlier, my goal is to educate 10 million people about this area that survivors with pets experience, and so thus I've become an educator. And then, because I believe in partnership with people of different businesses, pet fosters and different groups to help better serve survivors and their pets, I've become a community builder and sense of building community Cause, like I said earlier, many hands make light work. I cannot do this all. Please join me in this effort.
Dr. Orazie:Wherever you are in the world, there's a survivor and a pet that needs you, and I believe that I came into this work and I think, in an innovative way, in the sense of, like I tell people there is no pet boarding facilities are not booked up right, there's a place in a pet boarding facility.
Dr. Orazie:I don't need to build a facility. Let's house pets within existing facilities and let's work in partnership with people who already love animals and they wanna foster them. So let's do something innovative. And so I'll say I'm an innovator in the sense of using resource that already exists. I worked in public health, like I mentioned earlier, and I've traveled the world and I'm thankful that I've been able to do that, but I always hate when we bring people in from the US to go build a house and build a building or build some roads or wherever in, I'll say in Kazakhstan Like really we don't need, there are people in this country that can build this road, so how can we use the resource we already have? And so I'll say that I believe in innovation and serving people in need.
Chris:All right now.
Dr. Orazie:I'm an innovator. How about that?
Chris:Yes, yes, yeah, Okay. So we've got a compassionate, we've got leader, educator, community builder and innovator. That correct.
Dr. Orazie:Yes, that's correct.
Chris:Actually, these are powerful words, doctor.
Dr. Orazie:Well, it's not because I never planned, I can tell you, I would never thought this of myself but because of these situations and the introduction and just working in this work, I have become these things and I can look back over my life and I can see. I can see how I was being equipped with the tools to be these things like 20 years ago and now it's coming to fruition. In a sense, I'm blossoming about that.
Chris:And you know what. And it's in the time that you were ready to receive it. It was in the time when you were ready to accept it and take on that charge, regardless if you thought you were not or not. You know that spiritual design of things. Like you're saying you were already in the place of learning all of this without ever knowing. I love it. I love it when it happens like that oh man, so exciting. You know what I mean. You're like I've been ready, I'm ready, oh, really, I've been getting ready Definitely.
Chris:So awesome, so awesome. That's great. That's great. I did want to ask about safety and well-being. How do you ensure safety and well-being for the pets when they're under your care?
Dr. Orazie:My physical care, like in terms of my business or in terms of a survivor's pet.
Chris:Both.
Dr. Orazie:OK, well, in terms of my business, I only do one-on-one services, not only do dogs, and I have a team of three people, excuse me and so we do dog walks, pet sitting and all that. So, in terms of safety, I believe in training all of my staff for CPR first aid certified and I'm fear-free certified, which means I believe in eliminating fear, anxiety and stress in any interaction with a pet.
Chris:So wait, I'm sorry. Can you break that down? Did you say you're fear certified?
Dr. Orazie:Fear-free certified.
Chris:It's a certification. I've never heard of that. I said yes, can you break it down for us?
Dr. Orazie:Oh yes, fear-free. Certified means that I believe in fear, anxiety and stress-free interactions for dogs. For example, there's some training and some philosophies which inflict pain or inflict evasive tactics for dogs, and so I believe in giving dogs a choice and motivating them to create the behavior I want. That's through treats, that's through hugs, Whatever motivates the pet. That's what I need to do. For example, I gave a shot of insulin this morning to a pet, and so it's like how can I relax them? And so how can I relax them and get them prepared when I'm about to do? And so I gave them treats, let them relax, and then you give insulin and it was done. They didn't even they, just they were ready to receive. And so, like you know how you force. You may not know, but how you force pets to receive medication or you force them to do something is like you get a better response when you do it gently and you let them know what you're doing.
Dr. Orazie:And so that's what kind of supports, free anxiety and stress. You want to not have those three things when you're in an interact with a pet, because it just makes it really. That's when you get bit, really. So that's what you don't want to happen. You get scratch, so you get something negative happens. So definitely if you use a non-invasive and more nurturing way to encounter a pet. As for survivors, is that again.
Chris:I said, that makes sense. I mean, it's just like we would do like a child anyone else.
Dr. Orazie:So yeah, that makes sense.
Dr. Orazie:Yeah, and so with the survivors pet, how we ensure safety is the fact that the survivor, the foster, never meet each other. They never even know each other's name. The only mutual interaction is the pet. The survivor drops the pet off at a pet boarding facility. The owner or the manager of that facility may know the situation in regards to this is a pet of a survivor, but other than that, there's no interaction with. There's no interaction to say this person is a survivor, this person is a foster. There's somebody else picking up the pet, and so that's how I maintain security and safety for the foster and for the survivor.
Chris:Wow, that's really interesting I would have. So it's like a real, like the adoption when they go for kids like they don't know who they're going to and all that. So that's I mean the people. No one's rolling up at anybody's house.
Dr. Orazie:Correct no one, none of that happened at all.
Chris:Yeah.
Dr. Orazie:Not at all.
Chris:That's really good, that's smart. These little details, I tell you, it's like, wow, you guys have thought of everything. I love it. And here in Japan the animals are a little more high, esteemed in care compared to us, as in America they have dog hotels and it's like they have the luxury life, the animals. Here it's totally different.
Dr. Orazie:It's like that now you've been away for a while, but definitely like there's a booming business here in the US. It's pet boarding facilities, everything Like it's the whole thing, and right now we have a restaurant and a restaurant that's spreading, but yeah, it's like one down the street in my house. They built it in the midst of COVID and it's like booked up every all the time. So yeah, it's a huge, it's like maybe a 20,000 square foot facility. Wow Are you in collaboration with them. It's a booming business here.
Chris:Are you in collaboration with the place down the street?
Dr. Orazie:No, I'm actually not. It's a franchise location and I've tried to get in with franchises but they have not. They've not been able to. They've not answered the call. I'll say that. So I'm definitely open to it. So if you're a franchise pet boarding facility, that's head of the franchise. Please reach out.
Chris:Why do you think that they're not?
Dr. Orazie:Because all the franchise, they necessarily can't make independent decisions from the overarching organization.
Chris:Why do you think that they're not on board? Again, I don't know, I couldn't even tell you because I've reached out to all of them and maybe I need to reach out again more consistently.
Dr. Orazie:but again that takes time and I'm kind of like a one person show.
Chris:I have a number of volunteers. It just seems strange, right, you feel like why wouldn't they be on board? But yeah, I get it.
Dr. Orazie:Yeah.
Chris:Well, hey, they can watch the Ted Talk and catch it and they can do, they can oh yeah, I thought about I should do a Ted Talk.
Dr. Orazie:I actually thought about that. Hadn't thought about that.
Chris:I love.
Dr. Orazie:Ted Talks right.
Chris:Yes, you should.
Dr. Orazie:I should do a Ted Talk, yes.
Chris:Look now when it happened. You make sure we remember like we were on Glass half full when it comes to fruition that we decided, yes, it is happening, but yes, you should. This is a huge. When people hear this, they're all the compassion. I don't even have an animal, so only imagine anyone who has one to feel like, oh my gosh, so that's a lot of people. So I feel like this is gonna be.
Dr. Orazie:That is, there's like one in three people has a pet.
Chris:So one of the households rather yes, so yeah. Definitely, this will be something that will continue to grow, for you, for sure. I love it, I love it, I love it. Let me ask you this Do you feel that you're living in the now of life?
Dr. Orazie:I am, I'm living in the. Yeah, I am. Yes, I am. I feel that more than ever Because I felt like, for a long time, I was probably living the life I was told to live, the life that was expected of me to live. But now I'm living in the now for me, and that's a beautiful and a resting feeling. So so, yeah, I love it.
Chris:I love it. Can you tell us how do you know that you're living in the now?
Dr. Orazie:Because I'm doing what I want to do. I'm, um, that's what I'm doing, what I want to do, and I'm being present in it. I'm welcoming the moment. I'm enjoying the space, like I'm taking this moment, as we're talking right now, and just really even just thinking about it, like just just enjoying this moment. I'm looking at my window and it started to rain and I love my view of my house from my window in my office and it's like this is this is my life and I love it, and then I've got great yeah, so yes.
Chris:Awesome, what a great answer. And yeah, you're right, being present, just just being, you know, here trying to do what we need to do, be grateful, and yeah, that's awesome, awesome. Thank you so much. So I like to close with this last question to all my guests Is your glass half empty or half full?
Dr. Orazie:It's half full, hmm.
Chris:No.
Dr. Orazie:Yeah, definitely Good question, as I expected. Yes.
Chris:Awesome. No wrong answer, ever at all. No wrong answer For sure. Can you tell everyone? Final thoughts for our listeners?
Dr. Orazie:I would say I would encourage all of you. Everyone can be an advocate. If you can't donate, you can definitely share, like and follow Praline's backyard on all the social media platforms or on Instagram, tiktok, facebook threads, youtube. Definitely, follow us, like our content, share it. Your interaction is, is means volumes to the algorithms and it helps us educate more people. Our goal is to educate 10 million people and then, if 10 million people are compelled to give, they will give. I believe that I never have to ask people to donate Because if you want to view, compel to give and you care about, you, have an interest in housing pets and survivors, you will give, and so, but definitely, everyone can follow, like and share our content. Help us educate. So definitely do that. I appreciate it. And if you're a survivor of domestic violence and you're experienced in a crisis right now, definitely. And if you have a pet, definitely reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and definitely see how we can help you in the housing of your pet.
Chris:Awesome, awesome. We love that, we love that, and can you tell everyone how they can reach you if they want to find out more about the organization and any information?
Dr. Orazie:Definitely. You can reach us by email at info. I in F? O at Praline's backyard foundation Orging. Praline is built PR a L I in E? S backyard foundation or G. Also our website is Praline's backyard foundation Org and it's Praline's back at all social media platforms and my name is Oris, so you just Google me, you'll find me.
Chris:I'm the only one I love. It Isn't that cool to be the only one.
Dr. Orazie:Yes.
Chris:I love it. I love it. Oh, thank you so much or is it for coming in and just sharing with us about this amazing work that you're doing and that you know you have really found this niche that we are like, huh, Everybody's having these moments about, and I am so glad that you know you have been blessed with this assignment and we just want to encourage you to keep going and that the resources will be there. Girl, they will be there. You know things are going to be coming in and this is just the beginning. You have just started the iceberg of this adventure for you. So I'm so excited and we thank you so much for giving us so much information just about the pets, about your business, about the things that are going on, and from this we can share, we can give this information out. So we thank you and we thank you for being a guest today on glass half full.
Dr. Orazie:Thank you for having me, chris. Thank you for helping me educate 10 million people.
Chris:Yes, yes, I'm down. I'm down for sure. Thank you so much. Have an awesome day. Hello listeners of glass half full, thank you for tuning into another inspiring episode of our podcast. I'm your host, chris Levens, and I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for being a part of our supportive community. Remember, glass half full is not just a podcast. It's a safe platform for everyone to share their life experiences. Your stories and voices matter and we appreciate you for being here with us. If you enjoyed today's episode and want to stay updated with our future content, please subscribe, follow and rate this podcast on Apple Music, spotify and YouTube. Your support means the world to us and it helps us reach even more listeners who can benefit from these valuable life experiences. As we wrap up this episode, always keep in mind you are blessed, no matter the challenges you face. There's a reservoir of strength within you. Until next time, stay positive and remember the glass is always half full, see ya.