Bishop's Mission

06/13/2026

A New Chapter for Bishop's Mission 🐾

The last two weeks have been full of the unexpected.

Between Skye's medical journey, working on the Mission Dogs book, and developing new programs for Bishop's Mission, I finally had a moment this morning where everything clicked.

For a while, I struggled with what Skye's future role in the Mission would be.

When I brought her home, I had a very specific job in mind. I envisioned her becoming Bishop's working partner, helping carry the load during station visits, peer support events, wellness programs, and outreach opportunities.

Then life changed the plan.

As I sat back and looked at everything from a different perspective, I realized something important.

Because of Skye, Bishop's Mission now has:

🐾 A stronger focus on K9 wellness

🐾 Seizure awareness education

🐾 Emergency preparedness education

🐾 Emergency Veterinary Fund validation

🐾 Medication cost resources

🐾 Neurology specialist relationships

🐾 Conversations about quality of life

🐾 Conversations about adapting when a working dog develops a medical condition

🐾 A greater focus on prevention, nutrition, emergency planning, veterinary care, and working dog sustainability

Those things exist because of Skye.

That's a pretty powerful legacy for a dog who I once worried might not be able to fulfill the role I originally brought her home for.

Then it hit me.

Her purpose was never gone.

It had simply changed.

💙 We are excited to announce that Skye will be serving as the Bishop's Mission K9 Wellness Ambassador. 💙

As we continue developing our K9 Wellness Program, Skye will become the face of a program dedicated to supporting first responder and veteran service dogs, along with department-affiliated support dogs.

We know there are resources available to help acquire and train these incredible dogs.

But what happens after that?

What happens when emergency veterinary bills arise?

What happens when specialized nutrition is needed?

What happens when a medical condition changes a dog's ability to work?

What happens when handlers need guidance, resources, or support to help care for the dog that takes care of them?

That is where Bishop's Mission intends to help.

Our K9 Wellness Program will focus on supporting these dogs through wellness resources, education, preparedness, partner discounts, and access to emergency veterinary assistance when available.

Because supporting the handler means supporting the dog, too.

Sometimes the best things in life happen when the plan changes.

As we continue building this program, we invite you to follow along with our Summer Paw Protection Campaign, our first community-focused K9 wellness initiative. Together, we can help educate handlers, protect paws from summer heat, and continue building a stronger wellness network for the dogs that give so much to all of us.

This is only the beginning.

(pic below = Skye at the neurologist office)

06/11/2026

Summer Campaign - Day 2

Yesterday we kicked off our Summer Campaign to help collect cooling gear, paw protection, and emergency resources for dogs facing Arizona's extreme heat.

🔥 If the pavement is too hot for your hand, it's too hot for their paws.

When air temperatures reach 100°F, asphalt and concrete can be significantly hotter. Those surfaces can cause painful burns in a matter of seconds.
Signs of paw burns may include:
Limping
Refusing to walk
Excessive licking or chewing at the feet
Darkened, red, or blistered paw pads Sensitivity when standing

But heat doesn't just affect paws.
Dogs can quickly develop heat exhaustion or heat stroke, especially:
☀️ Brachycephalic breeds
☀️ Puppies and senior dogs
☀️ Dogs with medical conditions
☀️ Dogs exercising during the hottest part of the day

At Bishop's Mission, our goal isn't just to provide equipment—it's to provide education that helps keep dogs safe before an emergency happens.

As we continue our Summer Campaign, we're collecting:
🐾 Paw protection boots

🐾 Cooling products

🐾 Funds to support emergency veterinary care through our Emergency Veterinary Fund

🐾 Resources that help working, service, and support dogs stay safe during the summer months

Every donation, share, and conversation helps us expand the safety net for the dogs who give so much to their people.
💙 Help us spread the word.
💙 Share this post.
💙 Follow along throughout the campaign for more summer safety tips.
Because protecting our dogs starts before the emergency.

06/10/2026

Summer is here, and so is the heat!

Introducing the Bishop's Mission Summer Paw Protection Campaign!

Our goal is simple:

🐾 Educate about hot pavement and paw burns

🐾 Collect dog boots for dogs in need

🐾 Help keep paws safe during the summer

We are now accepting:

✔️ New dog boots

✔️ Gently used dog boots (clean and in good condition)

✔️ Gift cards to pet stores

✔️ Monetary donations

✔️ Sponsors for boot purchases

💙 $20 sponsors a pair of dog boots for a dog in need.

📦 DONATION DROP-OFF LOCATION

Balanced Paws

16748 E. Parkview Ave., Suite E

Fountain Hills, AZ

Look for the Bishop's Mission Paw Protection Donation Box.

PAW PROTECTION DAY

📅 Saturday, July 11

Join us for:

🐾 Free dog boot fittings

🐾 Paw safety & heat injury education

🐾 Meet the Mission Dogs

More details will be announced as we get closer.

Did you know?

🔥 Pavement can reach over 140°F during the summer.

🔥 Paw pad burns can occur in less than a minute.

If it's too hot for your bare feet, it's too hot for their paws.

Let's work together to protect the paws that support us every day.

📧 To donate, sponsor a pair, or learn more:

[email protected]

06/08/2026

At Bishop's Mission, we know the importance of having someone's back when they need it most.

Our partners at Afterwatch continue to provide critical peer support, resources, and hope to first responders navigating some of life's toughest moments. We are proud to support their mission and assist on the peer support team when called upon.

If you're a first responder, family member, or supporter, we encourage you to check out Afterwatch's new campaign and learn more about the resources available. No one should have to carry the weight alone.

Together, we can continue building a stronger network of support for those who spend their lives supporting others.

06/03/2026

Team Skye & The Mission Dogs

One of the things we often say at Bishop's Mission is that support goes both ways down the leash.

Over the past several weeks, Skye has experienced two serious neurological episodes that required emergency veterinary intervention to stop prolonged cluster seizures. While she is currently stable and recovering, we are navigating medication changes and have been referred to a specialist for further evaluation.

The difficult reality is that we don't yet have all the answers.

What we do know is that between episodes, Skye remains the same happy, loving girl who has touched so many lives.

As we've walked this journey, it has reminded us that every one of our Mission Dogs has faced challenges of their own.

🐾 Bishop manages a lifelong genetic condition requiring careful monitoring and prevention.

🐾 Tiny Tim teaches us daily that limitations do not define our abilities.

🐾 Willie is proving that seeing the world through one eye doesn't stop him from embracing life.

🐾 And now Skye is teaching us about resilience, adaptation, and finding purpose even when life doesn't go according to plan.

Because of these experiences, we are beginning to build a Mission Dogs Medical Fund to help provide emergency veterinary care, diagnostics, medications, and wellness support for the dogs behind the mission.

These dogs spend their lives supporting first responders, veterans, and their communities. Like the people they serve, sometimes they need support too.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support as we continue this journey with Skye and all of our Mission Dogs.

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

Bishop’s Mission is proud to sponsor the Thin Line Rock Station 24hr DJ Standoff Fundraiser supporting first responder wellness resources.

Join us LIVE in studio this Thursday, May 21 at 8PM as we talk about responder wellness, peer support, and the mission behind .

We’re also excited that our After Watch Foundation partners have DJs participating in the event!

Tune in, support the cause, and help support those who serve our communities every day. 🎧

05/16/2026

We’re proud to sponsor the Thin Line Rock Radio Station 24-Hour Live DJs Event supporting responder wellness and resources through First Help.

We also want to give a special shoutout to our partner, the afterwatchfoundation.org, whose team has one of the DJs participating in the event! We’re honored to stand alongside organizations making a difference for responders and their families.

Be sure to tune in Thursday night as Bishop’s Mission joins the station LIVE in studio! We’ll be talking about responder wellness, support dogs, and the mission behind what we do.
Because the mission isn’t over when the shift ends.

05/13/2026

Tiny Tim has an announcement… meet Willie!

As Tiny Tim starts partially retiring from some of his visits, we realized just how much we love having those tiny paws making a big impact. So this June, a new little teammate will officially be joining the Bishop’s Mission crew.

Willie will be coming on board the first week of June — and the best part? He’s family. Tiny and Willie are related, so Tiny will be taking on his new role as mentor and showing Willie the ropes of being a Mission pup.

From comfort visits to bringing smiles wherever those little paws go, we can’t wait to watch Willie grow into his role beside Bishop, Skye, and Tiny Tim.

A huge thank you to House of Zen for helping make this possible!
Tiny paws. Big mission.