Ep14: Courage2Thrive — On today’s show, Rev. Dr. Robert Flanagan interviews three members of the team at First Responder Therapy Dogs, including its founder Heidi Carman, named a CNN Hero for 2025
November 2026: Welcome to this month’s episode of Father Bob’s Courage2Thrive show!
Father Bob talks with Tracy Ryan, chief operating officer of First Responder Therapy Dogs about: The power of joining forces with man’s best friend!
About our guests:
Heidi Carman is the founder and Executive Director of the non-profit First Responder Therapy Dogs, INC. She resides in San Rafael, California, is married and the proud mother of 5 children, one grandson, one granddaughter, and three therapy dogs. Her studies in Psychology and Dog Training led her to create First Responder Therapy Dogs. Her ultimate goal is to provide therapy dogs to every First Responder in the United States. Heidi was most recently named a CNN Hero for 2025!
Tracy Ryan joined First Responder Therapy Dogs in August 2021 with her dog Sparkie to spread therapy dog love to First Responders on the East Coast. She resides in East Bridgewater, MA, where she is a High School Guidance Counselor, mom to 2 boys, and wife of a firefighter. Blaze most recently joined the ranks as her 2nd FRTD-certified dog in 2025. “Being able to share our dogs with first responders has been an absolute perfect fit for me and my family!,” she says.
Stephanie Kiesow serves as Chief Wellness & Impact Officer for First Responder Therapy Dogs (FRTD) and volunteers alongside her therapy dog, Zeena. As CWIO, she leads initiatives focused on strategic partnerships, research and impact measurement, organizational growth, volunteer and canine wellness, agency engagement, and impactful approaches to first responder wellness. A former police officer and 911 dispatcher with 16 years in public safety, Stephanie now specializes in first responder mental health, suicide prevention, and organizational health. She is a Ph.D. student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, national instructor and speaker, and best-selling author of Workicide. Her work centers on building evidence-informed systems that strengthen first responders, the organizations that serve them, and the human-animal bond.
About First Responder Therapy Dogs: Have you ever wondered about the impact of a therapy dog? These remarkable companions do more than offer a wagging tail; they provide a lifeline to our first responders. Research shows therapy dogs can significantly reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and elevate mood. This means our heroes can better focus on serving their communities while receiving the emotional support they deserve.
- In 2025 alone, we’ve reached over 70,000 first responders nationwide.
- Expanded from 1 state to 47 states since 2021.
- Grown from 1 therapy dog to over 500 certified teams, adding 150 new teams just this year.
Learn more: firstrespondertherapydogs.org
About our host: An esteemed Episcopal priest and author, Father Bob has dedicated his life to spiritual transformation and caring for others.
With a profound connection to his faith and an unwavering commitment to helping those in need, he has touched countless lives through his ministry, writings, and teachings. Bob’s book, “Letters of an Unexpected Mystic,” was a 2023 Selah Book Award finalist in the Bible study category.
Learn more: robertdflanagan.com
In his first-person spiritual journal, 
He knows that we do that by relating well to ourselves and others, the world and its various creatures and places—and God. “We thrive when we relate to who and what is around us in a healthy manner. We can discover ourselves—who we are—in beautiful, elegant, hope-filled, positive ways,” says 
