09/02/2026
Member Highlight from San Antonio!
💫September Member Spotlight 💫
Seeing Jesus Through Four Paws: Meet Team Beau and Handler Joyce Kim
What inspired you to get involved?
I’ve always wanted to certify a therapy dog since I brought my first lab puppy, Belle, home at 9 weeks old in 2013. However, she was so high energy I didn’t think she could do it. So I simply loved her as the furry love of my life. Then one day years later I came across Canines for Christ on Facebook. It intrigued me that it was a faith based therapy dog organization and I was inspired to try a 2nd time. That’s where the pursuit of my Beau came in, but it wasn’t Beau that started my incredible journey as a handler. It was Belle.
Meet your therapy partner:
• Name - Beau
• Breed - Labrador Retriever
• Personality - Just can’t seem to get the wiggles out. Everybody’s instant bestie. The biggest ham that knows exactly how to get the attention. The ultimate foodie. A tap dancing fool when he gets excited.
• Favorite things - people, food
What has been your most memorable visit or moment?
Beau is the most incredible therapy dog that brings out the most joyous expressions out of the people he visits. The squeals, the joy, the exclamations are endless and brings me so much indescribable joy when making visits with him. In many ways he is the better therapy dog because he is such a natural. But the most distinct and unforgettable moments were with my first therapy dog, Belle. Maybe because she was the most unlikely candidate, but the work she did was the kind of work that made me see Jesus in the most uncanny places. I don’t know if I can choose just one moment to share. Would it be when those we visited burst into tears at the instant sight of her walking in the room? Would it be the times family members would chase us down the hall to ask us to come visit their loved ones? Would it be when the resident of an assisted living facility repeatedly commented how beautiful she was every few minutes as if she was seeing her for the first time? Or when a resident was so delighted that she worked for Jesus because Belle was the closest she had been to “church” in a long time? Would it be the time she stood beside her child victim in a courtroom as he addressed his abuser at sentencing?
How has serving as a therapy team impacted your life?
Therapy work has allowed me to see Jesus in the tiny crevices of life that I never knew to look. I saw His people the way He saw them—in broken places. I didn’t have to go very far to see it. Many times I felt so ridiculous walking in with nothing to share but my goofy labs. But oh the joy they bring to the people we meet. My faith has grown leaps because of it. However, most importantly, my daughter, Leah, started in the Junior Handler Program when she was 12 years old. She will be 17 this month. Those that have walked alongside our family through this journey won’t be able to deny how it shaped her faith at such a young age. She’s years beyond her youth in seeing God in all circumstances. The ministry has opened so many doors for her to speak about her experiences and how it’s impacted her perspective and faith. Canines for Christ has been a significant part of the village that raised our daughter to be a God fearing young lady that most evidently loves Jesus and for that alone we are so grateful.
What impact do you believe our teams make in the community?
I often don’t believe it’s only the dogs that make the difference in the community. People see us, the handlers. Those family members that chased me down the halls did so because we brought a glimpse of joy for their loved ones in a time of despair. An overwhelming number of people notice us in the field. They talk to us and simply by sharing what we do they are inspired and so grateful for our visits. As much as our dogs are the highlight of the visits, the handlers are clearly noticed. Even when you don’t even utter a word about Jesus, it’s clear to those that notice us where the heart of the visit is rooted.
What advice would you give someone considering becoming a therapy team?
Your dog may not be perfect. You don’t have to wait until he/she is. Both my dogs are so far from the ideal therapy dog, but I have so many stories of how Jesus met us there. Be an advocate for your dog. Be selective of the places they would do best, but you don’t need a perfect dog to bring Jesus to others in this ministry. Just take them to the right places.
Share a fun fact about you or your pup!
His signature move is the belly rub. He purposely drops and rolls over just so you won’t leave. And it actually works every time. There isn’t a soul that can resist!
What is your favorite quote or scripture?
There are many, but the most inspiring to me is one where Paul describes that although it is far better to be with Christ, he remains here for the sake of others. It reminds us how we should serve others—placing their needs above our own.
“I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ — which is far better — but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that, because of my coming to you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound.”
Philippians 1:23-26 CSB
