First responders carry a lot that most people never see. Long shifts, traumatic calls, missed time with family, and emotional weight that doesn’t just disappear when the shift ends.

In this episode, I’m talking with Adrienne, a former EMT and hospital transfer coordinator, about the loneliness, burnout, and emotional toll that can come with first responder work and how therapy dogs are creating small but meaningful moments of relief.

We talk about dispatch life, EMS culture, understaffing, emotional exhaustion, and the work Adrienne now does with Maisie through First Responder Therapy Dogs.

If you care about first responder mental health, therapy dogs, EMS burnout, or the hidden cost of serving others, this conversation is worth hearing.

Learn More:

First Responder Therapy Dogs

Meet Mayzie the Kelpie