Welcome to the Carouse of Happiness Podcast.

On today’s episode, we’ll talk about our healing relationships with animals. What can we learn from animals to make us better humans? How can we support the healing of animals in our lives? I’ll share a conversation I had with Genie Joseph, founder of the Tucson-based nonprofit organization, the Human-Animal Connection. Genie is a dog trainer, animal communicator, and an animal chaplain. Her organization is dedicated to bringing people and animals together for the healing of both. 

Genie is a recipient of President Obama’s Silver Volunteer Service Award. She and her therapy dog, Sophia, have visited and helped more than 4,000 service members, veterans, youth, elderly, and incarcerated people. Genie hosts the Human-Animal Connection podcast on Pet Life Radio, where she reaches more than 12,000 listeners a month. Genie and I talked about how a pitbull named Oscar changed the trajectory of her life, what animals can teach us about our sense of safety, and how curiosity and choice can be revolutionary in the healing of both humans and animals.

Want to learn more about Genie Joseph and the Human Animal Connnection? Check out their website (with lots of free goodies) here: https://www.thehumananimalconnection.org

Do you have a story to share? Leave us a message!

The Carousel of Happiness is a nonprofit arts & culture organization dedicated to inspiring happiness, well-being, and service to others through stories and experiences.

Check out the carousel on the CBS national news! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carousel-daydream-helped-marine-get-through-vietnam-war-he-then-made-that-carousel-a-reality/

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider visiting the Carousel of Happiness online (https://carouselofhappiness.org/), on social media (https://www.facebook.com/carouselofhappiness), or in real life. Or consider donating (https://carouselofhappiness.org/once-donate/) to keep the carousel and its message alive and spinning 'round and 'round.

If you have a story to share, please reach out to Allie Wagner at outreach@carouselofhappiness.org

Special thanks to songwriter, performer, and friend of the carousel, Darryl Purpose (https://darrylpurpose.com/), for sharing his song, "Next Time Around," as ou...