Don & Stephanie Vaughan – Therapy Dog Trainers
Don and Stephanie are a husband-wife team with almost 40 years of combined experience as therapy dog handlers. Their hearts are with the giant breeds – rare mastiffs, in particular. They also focus on rescuing giants in need. Over the years, they have owned a Tosa Ken, also known as a Japanese mastiff; a rescued Saint Bernard; a rescued Great Dane mix; two rescued Neapolitan mastiffs, sometimes referred to as an Italian mastiff (think Fang from Harry Potter); a rescued Dogue de Bordeaux, also known as a French mastiff (think Turner & Hooch); and a rescued Irish Wolfhound. Most recently, they adopted a Newfoundland in June 2021 and an Olde English Bulledogge in October 2021.

Don and Stephanie began volunteering in animal-assisted activities with their Japanese mastiff, Majo, in 2002 through Therapy Dogs Inc., now known as Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). Majo’s nine-year career focused on the elderly, with most of her visits in nursing homes. But in 2010, Majo started working at an adult detention center, the beginning of what would turn into a fulfilling new path for Don and Stephanie in the correctional system. Their second registered therapy dog, a rescued Saint Bernard named Gaag, worked for nearly five years with ATD, regularly visiting an adult detention center, a juvenile detention center and hospice patients. Napolean, their Bordeaux, visited for about a year at a number of correctional facilities in the area, including a juvenile detention facility, two area adult detention centers and a federal medical facility.

In August 2011, Don became a tester/observer with ATD, and in June 2016, he was elected to its Board of Directors. In July 2018, Don was elected ATD treasurer. In July 2021, Don was elected ATD vice president. Ila, their Newfoundland, and Henry, their Olde English Bulldogge, are in training to hopefully become their next registered therapy dogs.