Daily Inspiration: Meet Nancy Mitchell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Mitchell.

Hi Nancy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all started when I began searching for a service dog for my son, who has Down syndrome. I believed a highly trained service dog could help him navigate school and provide one-on-one support throughout his day.

We were placed on a six-year waitlist.

After a year with no progress, I decided to take a leap of faith. I acquired a puppy from a reputable breeder and began training him myself, working alongside a trainer experienced in service dog development.

As we progressed, something became clear: my son wasn’t interested in bringing the dog to school. But the dog had a gift. He was incredibly social, intuitive, and drawn to people. While a service dog is trained to focus solely on one individual and ignore outside distractions, this dog wanted to greet everyone. He thrived on connection.

So we shifted his training toward therapy work — and that’s when everything changed.

We began visiting my son’s school. There was a young girl there with autism who was nonverbal. She showed interest in the dog but kept her distance. After a few weeks of visits, she reached out, gently touched him, and said her first word in that classroom:

“Dog.”

Her teacher stood in stunned amazement.

In that moment, I saw the power of a therapy dog. Not just comfort. Not just companionship. But breakthrough.

I knew this work was bigger than us.

That’s when VIP Dog Teams was born.

We formed a board, became a nonprofit 501(c)(3), and began building something intentional — something goal-oriented. Nine years later, we have:

• Placed three facility dogs in fire stations for peer support, with two more nearing completion
• Placed one facility dog in a police station
• Placed five facility dogs serving in elementary and high schools
• Trained and certified over 20 therapy teams serving our local community

We focus intentionally on firefighters, law enforcement, and schools because mental wellness in these spaces matters deeply. More police officers and firefighters die by suicide than in the line of duty. We are committed to changing that statistic — one trained dog, one handler, one facility at a time.

Our teams don’t simply visit. We practice goal-oriented therapy work, which requires advanced training and a very special dog. Our handlers are trained to adapt to the specific goals and needs of the individuals they serve — whether that’s supporting IEP goals in schools or partnering with therapists to enhance treatment outcomes.

This work is possible because of generous donors and dedicated volunteers who believe in what these dogs can do.

What began as a search for help for my son became a mission to serve an entire community.

And we’re just getting started.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We always need more volunteers, more funds and potential puppy raisers.
Challenges:We struggled with having the right pups to train and decided to start breeding dogs from our dogs who are already working. We health test our breeding dogs and require great health, great temperament and structure. It takes a lot to be a successful therapy and facility dog. We have very high standards. We are currently breeding Labradoodles and Golden doodles in mediums sizes 30-40lbs. The low to no shed works well for schools and facilities in uniforms.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Nancy Mitchell is the founder and head trainer of VIP Dog Teams, a nonprofit dedicated to training therapy and facility dogs alongside their human handlers. With a background as a registered nurse and university educator, Nancy brings deep compassion and clinical insight to her work. She’s passionate about equipping teams to serve in high-impact environments like hospitals, schools, and first responder agencies.

What drives Nancy most is the life-changing difference these dogs make in the lives of the people they go on to help. Her mission is rooted in connection, care, and community — one paw at a time.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Dogs are living ,breathing, beings. SO… there is always risk.

Risks breeding, risks training and placing dogs in very important positions to do very important work.

But we are a little over the top picky when it comes to training our dogs and they don’t get placed and or certified until we are VERY comfortable with the team (dog and handler).

We have had dogs not pass the training. Not every dog is capable and will enjoy doing this kind of work. But when we find the right dog and the right human it’s magical.

Pricing:

• 5,000 cost of training and supplies for a dog for 1-2 years
• $1200 to do health testing on a dog
• $3-4,000 to maintain insurance on our nonprofit
• $1200 to maintain a safe website
• everyone is a volunteer=priceless

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vipdogteams.org
• Instagram: vipdogteams
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXa0nDf2Dqw