12/04/2026
In 2026, Pawsitive Steps' Annual Event transitions to a virtual event.
Our lovable Coco is no more!
However, COCO STILL LEADS THE WAY on her mission closer to her heart, "CREATING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS!"
Follow her journey on Camino Frances!
Coco joined our family at a most difficult time. She was a rescue dog, but "we rescued each other!" She brought happiness and hope. Then she became something much greater. She became a quiet teacher, a co-therapist, and the gentle heart of Pawsitive Steps.
In rooms where conversations about mental health felt heavy, she brought lightness. In spaces where stigma lingered, she brought non-judgement. People who struggled to speak would bend down to pat her, and in that simple act, Coco created safety, without saying a word.
As a psychiatrist, I have spent years helping people understand the mind. Coco reminded me that healing does not always begin with words. It begins with presence. She had an extraordinary way of being fully there.
No judgment.
No analysis.
Just warmth.
Just now.
When children listened to Mindful Coco, they were not just learning techniques. They were learning from her spirit,
how to pause,
how to breathe, and
how to be steady in the moment.
She taught mindfulness not as a concept, but as a way of being.
She walked beside us at community events, in photographs, before speeches. She stood as a symbol of what we believe in: CONNECTION, COMPASSION, and COURAGE.
Coco championed mental health in the Hills community simply by being herself.
And though she has passed peacefully, her work continues, in every child who takes a mindful breath, in every family who felt comfort in her presence, and in every step Pawsitive takes forward.
Thank you, our dear Coco.
You were never “just a dog” and you will never be!
Drs Padmini and Daya Howpage
