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COACHELLA VALLEY TEAM

The desert is known for it's older adults and we're here to specifically help you.  With our Core Values:  Empower Others, Have Fun While Getting the Work Done, Respect All, Deliver the WOW and Be Simply the Best! we want to bring a unique boutique service with true 'customer service' to your doorstep.  The desert is known for it's catering so allow us to cater to you.

Our love and passion is the older adults and providing therapy and massage services that enhance functional mobility is what we do.  Give us a call and we'll be On The Move to you.

Kelly Muller, DPT- Founder/President
 

Kelly earned her Masters in Physical Therapy from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN in 1997.  After the physical therapy industry introduced a doctorate program, Kelly returned to school and in 2012 obtained her transitional DPT from Des Moines University. 

She started at a very young age as a candy-striper volunteer and progressed to being the Regional Vice President for a large post acute care provider, where Kelly provided PT/OT/ST leadership to 120+ primarily skilled nursing communities.  Kelly now wants to do what is possible to limit and prevent older adults from needing the services she previously worked so hard to provide.

Kelly has a certification in the Otago Exercise and Balance Program which is geared toward reducing falls by up to 40% in the geriatric population.  She is excited to bring this simple yet regimented program to seniors of the Coachella Valley.

Kelly  often says, "Our older adults have so much to lose: their independence, their dignity and their pride.  We don't want one incident to take away what our patients have spent a lifetime building.  They are the wisdom of our society.  It's up to us and our On The Move Rehab Team to help retain, regain and rebuild what is possible!"

Michele Michael, MSPT
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Michele is a native of the Ohio/Pennsylvania area and moved to California in 2005 with her son and daughter; she made Desert Hot Springs her home in 2011.  Michele earned her Bachelors of Science in Biology from Grove City College in Grove City, PA in 1990 and a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy from Des Moines University in 1992.

Her passion has been consistent---caring for the aging population or any individual less fortunate--- develop a plan of care that will allow for the highest level of independence.

The past 25 years in healthcare have afforded Michele the opportunity to gain perspective on the corporate side of the industry and achieve clinical success while operationally managing multi sites and states.

The passion for improving the lives of others, specifically the geriatric population, remains an opportunity for Michele. She has been consistent in teaching and training others that clinical reasoning, strong supportive plans of care and patient centered quality services will allow successful outcomes. 

As the healthcare industry continues to change and evolve, Michele believes the fundamentals should remain the same. Being an integral part of the On The Move Rehab team will allow Michele to bring additional professional quality care to the Coachella Valley and right to the patient…in their home.

Steve Lockard, MS PT
 

Steve Lockard received his Bachelor of Science Degree and Physical Therapy certification from the University of Iowa in 1973 - a seasoned therapist indeed. After spending several years providing services to pediatric patients with neurologic impairment, Steve returned to school for a Masters in physical therapy specializing in Developmental Disabilities. These interests led him to study with one of his fields major theorist, His career has focused on the care of patients with neurologic disorders – stroke, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, MS, cerebral palsy, head Injury.

After moving to CA in 1978, Steve became a lead therapist in several rehabilitation centers in southern CA. He pursued extensive continued education in his specialty area and provided education and mentoring for graduate therapists at a local and national level. Over his lengthy career, he has provided home based services, ran his own outpatient clinic for neuro-rehabilitation in the south bay, and worked in a skilled nursing facility.

Steve likes to think he has “seen it all”. But he realized over the years, that given the complexity of our central nervous system, each patient has a unique experience in their disability and recovery. He believes a therapeutic encounter should offer patients the opportunity to improve their functional capabilities – “from day to day, week to week, year to year, and sometimes minute to minute”.

Nancy DeMilt, MSPT

Nancy was born, raised, and starting to grow old on Long Island, NY so she decided to move to the California desert for a fresh start and new adventures. She is thrilled this includes being a member of the On The Move Rehab team. Nancy received her Masters of Science in Physical Therapy from Columbia University in 1993 and began her PT career working in several Orthopedic clinics in Manhattan and Long Island. Throughout her career, Nancy has provided physical therapy services to a wide range of patient populations, but in more recent years has focused her treatment on Home Care and Geriatric physical therapy. Nancy also obtained an Executive Certificate in Home Modifications from the USC School of Gerontology and became a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, so that she may provide a number a services to seniors and older adults in their own homes, including home safety and accessibility assessments, falls prevention, balance training, as well as general strengthening and conditioning. Outside of work, Nancy enjoys travelling, hiking, reading and spending time with her two amazing daughters.

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Michael Brackett, DPT
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Coming soon.

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Mitzi Reul, PT
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Mitzi joins On The Move Rehab with over 20 yrs experience in outpatient PT.  Mitzi had a sports and orthopedic Physical Therapy practice in New York City which was the PT clinic of choice for renowned surgeon, Dr. Steadman's, patients sustaining ACL injuries.  While in NYC during the baseball strike of the mid 90's, Mitzi rehabilitated New York City-based pitchers for the Oakland A's and Detroit Tigers working closely with their head trainers and physicians.  She was also the PT for a women's running team called 'Moving Comfort' and spent a couple years working with senior tennis stars such as Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe in Westchester at the Nuveen Tennis Tournament.

Locally, Mitzi has spent a number of years with Eisenhower Medical Center, treating patients in their outpatient based practices.  Mitzi specializes in balance disorders, shoulder injuries, orthopedic ailments, and is well versed in most physical therapy needs from her vast career in outpatient therapy.

Nicole Bower, DPT

Nicole moved to Southern California from New England in 2009 after graduating from Northeastern University with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. 

Nicole has an extensive orthopedic background, and being a lifelong athlete herself, she truly understand the impact on the mind, body and spirit when you are robbed of your ability to perform at an acceptable or functional level. 

 When working with Nicole, you are choosing to identify and treat the cause of your condition or deficit, rather than putting a band-aid on your symptoms or issues. Prevention > Treatment. 

 Her therapeutic approach places an emphasis on functional movement and exercise/strength training with an integration of neuromuscular education, manual therapy and patient education. 

Nicole truly enjoys teaching and empowering individuals to meet their goals and reach their optimum level of function.

“The more opportunities I have to interact with patients, the more they teach me and

Nicole Bower

Imold my practice of physical therapy. My career goal is to be able to help my patients to live a healthier, more balanced life style.”

Mai Nguyen, PT

Mai was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Her brother sustained a spinal cord injury at a young age leaving him a quadriplegic.  From there, stemmed her passion to become a Physical Therapist.  She graduated from LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans receiving her Masters of Physical Therapy in 2006, post Hurricane Katrina.  She started her career in inpatient rehab working with post acute patients of various diagnosis from neurological to orthopedic and transitioned into skilled nursing facilities.  Mai has 15 years of experience mostly with the geriatric population, specializing fall prevention.  Mai is enthusiastic in bringing her skills to the home and community setting.  

Outside of physical therapy, Mai loves being active with her family including playing tennis and hiking.  She also likes painting puppies and oddly enjoys organizing.

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Brielle Robinson, PT (Seasonal)

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Brielle graduated from Boston University with a degree in Physical Therapy. She has experience in providing care for patients with a variety of neurological, orthopedic, cardiac, respiratory, and complex medical conditions. Brielle has worked in a variety of settings across the United States and Canada including Acute Care Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Outpatient Clinics, and the school systems. 

Brielle has even toured with a famous musician as his Private PT.

Brielle is an avid downhill skier and also enjoys hiking and traveling to spend time with each of her 3 adult sons.

Brielle is a seasonal PT for our Coachella Valley On The Move Team.

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Steve Phillips, MPT
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Bio coming soon

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Brian Bonney, DPT
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Bio coming soon

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Diptee Pathak, PT, DPT
 

Diptee's passion for Physical Therapy started early on when she sustained a brachial plexus injury as a child. She saw first-hand how PT helped her regain function and was interested in the amazing field. She went on to study Exercise Physiology and earned her BS at University of Delaware in 2013. During that time, she worked as a PT aide for 5 years and saw how impactful PT was on our society. After graduating she continued her education and became a Physical Therapist Assistant for 6 years where she worked in several settings such a home care, private outpatient practices, hospitals, and other rehab settings. Although she loved what she did, she knew being an assistant wasn't her end goal and was driven to advance in her career. In 2021, she received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Neumann University and moved to California. Since then she has worked as a Travel PT in outpatient clinics and home care where she continues to work with orthopedic conditions and neurological disorders. 

During her free time she likes to go camping, hiking, rock climbing, and road tripping with her friends and family. She enjoys reading books about self development, learning about mental health and

wellness, and going to her pilates class. She also likes to spend time on her charity work. She started a non profit organization where she collected durable medical equipment for low income populations during the pandemic and now continues to work on giving back to the community.  Overall, Diptee has a fun bubbly personality who loves to help her patients achieve their therapeutic goals while spreading positive energy. Her goal is to help empower humans to reach their full potential and optimize their healing process.

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John Carey, PT
 

After working as a transportation aide in Redwood City Sequoia Hospital and seeing the progress and happiness of both the patients and therapists, John set his sights on becoming a PT.  After many rounds of table tennis and handball, John got his PT degree from Loma Linda University in 1973. 

John worked in the acute care hospital setting for 10 years and saw a need for compassionate care in the elderly population.  He transitioned to SNF and worked there for 6 years making his way to the home health setting for 18 years.  John then 'retired' yet continued to work for 3 hospice companies for 14 years. 

If you've done the math that's 48 years of experience with patient care.  He's now joining On The Move Rehab and is looking forward to meeting many more clients to keep them safe and strong at home!  This quality of life John feels is the key to a happy active lifestyle.

In John's free time he enjoys working on cars, cooking, and assisting his wife with home duties.

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Bridget Burden, PT

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Bridget was born and raised in California.  She began her physical therapy training in the Army as a physical therapy specialist.  After her discharge she attended California State University Northridge.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy in 1995.  She began her career by working with the pediatric population at Simi Valley Adventist.  It was through this early exposure to working with neurologically impaired patients that she continued her education in this area.   She transitioned to the sub-acute rehab setting working with several physical and occupational therapists in a dynamic team setting who were trained in NDT. She completed her 3-week Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) certification in North Carolina in 1998.  Her passion for working with neurologically impaired patients took her to Casa Colina in Pomona where she worked with patients who had suffered from traumatic brain injuries, stroke, and spinal cord injuries.  She moved to Palm Desert in 2000 and began working in home health focusing on the Geriatric population. 

In 2003 she was ready for a bit of a change and wanted to work in pediatrics again.  She returned to school to work on a second Bachelor’s in Kinesiology and Adapted Physical Education.  She completed her teaching credential and began teaching Middle School Physical Education in 2007.  She continued her education and earned 

her Master of Arts in Teaching in 2013.  She loves working with the next generation and educating them on how to be active and healthy.  Their energy is contagious and they make you laugh every day.  Bridget wants to bring some of that enthusiasm to her patients and make therapy fun.   Outside of work, she plays on the Colorado river as much as can with family and friends.  She loves to watch football and cook.

Rose Schreiner, OTR/L
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Rose received her B.S. degree in OT from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA.  Returning to CA she began her career as a staff therapist at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital.  During her time at Rancho she worked on stroke, neuro-medical, and cardiac services and also conducted seminars for the medical community.

Her career has taken her to major hospitals along the West Coast including Sacred Heart in Eugene, OR, Emanual Hospital in Portland, OR and the University of WA Medical Center in Seattle, WA.  She has worked primarily with adults in the acute and rehab settings who have had a variety of diagnosis including CVA, spinal cord injury, brain injury, Guillain Barre, cardiac, pulmonary, transplants, bariatric, ortho, and cancer diagnosis.

For the past 15 years Rose has been developing her skills in Home Health, in charge of the entire Snohomish County population of patients seen by a local Home Health Agency.  After living and working in the NW for many years this native Californian is returning home and has joined the 'family' at On The Move Rehab.

Diana Melendez, OTR/L
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Diana is a native of Detroit, MI. She graduated from Wayne State University in 2005 with a Bachelors degree in Occupational Therapy and Psychology. She started her career working in downtown Detroit working with the adult population. Diana moved to the desert in 2007 and has worked in several settings in the Coachella Valley including inpatient rehab, inpatient acute, pediatrics, outpatient rehab and home health.  Through her experiences, she has found she enjoys working with the older adult population when they can be in their home the most rewarding.

Diana lives here in the Coachella Valley with her family.

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Tim Smith, MOT, OTR/L
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Tim earned his Masters in Occupational Therapy from Loma Linda University in 2012. Throughout school, Tim could be found spending his free time helping those in need.  Now he has made a career out of assisting patients of varied abilities, increasing their physical capabilities and what they can do so they can enjoy their everyday independence.

Tim takes great pleasure and pride in providing the absolute best, evidence-based occupational therapy practice there is to offer.  He understands the value of research and what it tells us our patients are capable of.  He partners well with all disciplines to ensure a well-rounded approach to overall patient care.

With an already diverse background in working with individuals of all ages and diagnosis, Tim has an abundance of therapeutic knowledge and a skill set to increase anyone’s functional independence and performance in the aspects of one's life that is most important to them.

Tim is pleased to be a part of On The Move Rehab's Occupational Therapy Team!

Tracy Witty, OTD, OTR/L, CLCP
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Tracy Witty started her career as an occupational therapist (OT) gaining experience in numerous settings including within school districts, acute care hospitals, as well as spent some time in skilled nursing facilities in Washington State.  For the last 20 years, her clinical experience has focused on providing community-based rehabilitation services in Vancouver, BC.  Those OT services include facilitating hospital discharge, setting up adaptive equipment and activation programs, cognitive rehabilitation, wheelchair assessments, return to work/school planning, ergonomic assessments and case management services.  Tracy believes the goal of OT services is to help restore function and with On The Move she wants to return clients as close as possible to their prior level of function participating in daily activities and enjoying all the desert has to offer.

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Jeff Mueller, MOT, OTR/L (Seasonal)
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Jeff has had an exciting working career. As he likes to say, "he started in IT, then enjoyed a career in REALTY, and finally found his home in OT". In 2013 he finished his Masters of Occupational Therapy degree (MOT) at the University of Minnesota.

 Jeff has enjoyed working at many fine Skilled Nursing/Transitional Care Unit facilities and in home health settings both in Minnesota and here in the Coachella Valley. He enjoys working with older adults to improve their functional status in all types of activities of daily living and help them return to safe independent living.  

Jeff enjoys travel and hiking in his free time and exploring all kinds of adventures with his Australian Cattle Dog, Anya.

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Alex Flanick, CCC-SLP

Alex grew up in rural Pennsylvania and moved to the California desert in 2019. She completed her bachelors degree in Communication Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012 and received her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, she has spent years traveling the country treating individuals in multiple environments with different backgrounds and impairments including but not limited to cognitive deficits, voice and speech impairments, and swallowing disorders. Alex discovered her passion for evaluating and treating the adult and geriatric population during her clinical rotations. After this, she has cultivated her skills in acute settings, skilled nursing homes, outpatient clinics, and

home health services. Alex brings years of experience and knowledge to treatments that focus on the individual remaining safe, functional, and independent in their home. 

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Semeli 'Sam' Reyes, MS-CCC, SLP
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Sam was born in Illinois, but has lived in the Coachella Valley since age 6, with the exception of a couple of years in San Diego and a few years in Northern California. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Communicative Disorders from the University of Redlands, finishing in the year 2000. Sam has since worked in the acute setting, the outpatient setting, skilled nursing facilities and in the home health setting. Sam truly loves her job, enjoys meeting new patients and helping them improve their communication, cognition and swallow.

In her off time, Sam loves spending time with her family,(especially trips to the beach). Sam is excited to work with On The Move Rehab!

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Janet Worth, MA, CCC-SLP (Seasonal)
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Janet was born and raised in Canton, Ohio along with two brothers and a sister. Her parents were from Canada, her father from a little prairie town in Saskatchewan and her mother from Ottawa, Ontario.  She attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio obtaining both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in speech-language pathology.   After graduating, Janet pursued an externship at an acute care rehabilitation hospital for more hands-on experiences with primarily stroke patients.  That experience solidified her desire to help older adults.

Upon graduation, Janet set up a private practice in Newark, Ohio. She received doctors’ referrals, private cases and served developmentally disabled adults through the county program. The practice became a clinic when she acquired Medicare and Medicaid certifications. Janet's practice was one of the first freestanding speech pathology outpatient centers in Ohio and expanded over the years to provide audiology, hearing aids, sign language and foreign language interpreting services.

In recent years,  Janet has worked at continuous care and skilled nursing facilities and through home health agencies.  She is certified in VitalStim (NMES) and Deep Pharyngeal Neural Stimulation (DPNS) that augments conventional treatment for chewing and swallowing difficulties. 

Now that Janet's own family has grown, she was been spending most winters in the Coachella Valley.  She is excited to have the opportunity to serve our Coachella Valley residents while enjoying the beautiful desert and mountainscape!

'Manny' Matha, Utility Player
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Manny is a native of India where he is a physical therapist.  His career started out in an acute hospital setting where his primary focus was with cardiopulmonary, post stroke, and acute spinal cord injury patients.  After a couple years gaining clinical experience, Manny opened his own physiotherapy company. His clientele included primarily orthopeadic/post surgical rehab patients.  Manny specializes in manual therapy, mobilization and modalities to ensure good recovery.  Manny also had the pleasure of working along side a neuro MD treating his patients who had cervical and lumbar pain. 

With On The Move Rehab, Manny's priorities will be providing water aerobics classes, 'Fix It' Clinics and Senior Fit Testing with our affiliate partners as well as providing maintenance programs for clients wishing carryover with an established PT/OT or ST program. 

Manny enjoys working with the geriatric population to improve their functional ability in any way possible and is a huge asset to On The Move! 

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Amy Burns, Utility Player
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Amy grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from MATC in Milwaukee in 1993 with an AA in applied science within the field of OT.  Out of school, Amy took a therapy travel position allowing her to work in a variety of settings and with many different diagnoses.  Her travel experiences took her West ending up at UCLA in CA. While there, Amy had the opportunity to study alternative medicine and in 2001 earned her Massage Therapy credentials, becoming a Shiatsu Therapist . She found this an excellent adjunct to her field.  She has worked in geriatric physical disabilities helping older adults regain their mobility for 28 years and is looking forward to assisting clients in gaining/ maintaining their independence at home.

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Casey Bennett, CMT


Casey has been a massage therapist since 2013. His style of massage is both therapeutic and relaxing, combining several different modalities to help you achieve your overall wellness goals.  Each massage is customized to your specific needs and goals for that session creating a totally unique experience each and every massage. 
Some of Casey's achievements with a national provider before joining On The Move Rehab have been:
Massage Therapist of the Year-2015
Massage Therapist of the Year-2016
Massage Therapist of the Year-2017
Massage Therapist of the Year-2019
Regional Massage Therapist of the Year-2017
Regional Massage Therapist of the Year-2019
Casey is also a Certified Injury Prevention Instructor emphasizing his desire to toward staying healthy and doing things the right way.  Casey is a perfect fit for On The Move!

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Eva Simpson, CMT, RYT

 

Eva has spent over 15 years practicing the healing arts of Massage Therapy and Classical Hatha Yoga, creating wellness of mind, body, and spirit. Her integrative approach offers pain relief through re-posturing and relaxation, designed to promote healing and harmony. Drawing on her extensive training in a variety of massage modalities and yogic theory allows Eva to customize your massage through a holistic approach, addressing specific needs and goals.

Eva approaches Deep Tissue and Sports Massage through the lens of St. John Neuromuscular Therapy. These techniques, involving myofascial manipulations and trigger point therapies, are particularly dynamic when combined with traditional Thai Massage stretches, offering a greater context in which to alleviate both chronic pain and acute injury. The integration of Swedish Massage techniques within each session allows for greater circulation and relaxation, integral to experiencing the potential of the combined influence of advanced modalities. With Eva, your massage will be effective and pleasant, creating renewal and bliss through greater freedom of movement.  

Additionally, Eva offers 60 or 90 minute sessions of Manual Lymphatic Massage. These soothing and gentle techniques are honed to create detoxification through the reduction of edema that causes discomfort and restriction of movement.  Accordingly, Lymphatic Massage is recommended for both pre- and post-surgical procedures. While this unique modality offers support to the immune system, it is often sought at the changing of seasons to alleviate the symptoms of allergies, cold, or flu.

While earning over 1200 hours of training, Eva continues to refine her skills through continuing education workshops and retreats. She is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association; Namasta–a mind/body community for professionals; and Yoga Alliance. By synthesizing intuition with a compassionate and sincere analysis of your health, Eva is unique in creating an authentic and healing rapport with her clients. 

Treatment Modalities:

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Therapeutic Integrative Massage
Deep Tissue & Sports Massage
Neuromuscular Massage
Thai Massage
Swedish Massage
Manual Lymphatic Massage
Yoga Instructor

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Little Missy, Choir Girl-New Kid on the Block

 

Missy joined the team in May of 2019.  Somehow she found herself at the young age of 6 months at Golden Retrievers and Friends of S. CA looking for a new home.  I think it was during her short time there she got her BIG personality.  For a 10# MaltiPoo she's got a lot to say.  There is not a choir this girl won't join or start!  And...she loves to be On The Move so she's a perfect fit.  Thank goodness for her friends she gets to visit several days a week while Mom's out working.  Her favorite pasttime is watching TV and she can name that commercial in 1 note!

"The reason a dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail instead of his tongue."                                                                                                           ~unknown

Sexy Lexi, TOP DOG-Chairman of the Board

 

Lexi, now with angel wings watching over the Board, spent her younger years out roaming the streets of the Coachella Valley.  It was in February 2007, at the guesstimated age of 3, that she and Kelly met at a local rescue shelter.  She is an absolute love and brings joy to many.  Thought to be a Shih-Tzu Yorkie Mix, she has bright eyes and a smile you'll remember!  She's spent many days in the therapy gyms of skilled nursing facilities so if you need a little 4-legged love during your treatment put in the request and we'll see if we can't get her there. 

"Not every person knows how to love a dog, but every dog knows how to love a person."                                                                                                           ~unknown

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