A Full-Circle Story of Dedication
Meet Elaine Mori
At PADS, we’re incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by volunteers whose commitment spans years—and often decades. These deep connections don’t just strengthen our community; they create beautiful full-circle moments that remind us why this work matters so much.
One such story comes from Kelowna-based Elaine Mori, whose journey with PADS began more than a decade ago when she welcomed her very first pup, PADS Boomer II, into her home. When Boomer moved on to his forever family as a VIP dog, Elaine didn’t simply say goodbye—she stayed connected, continuing to share in his life and success. This connection was made possible by Jennifer Doherty, Boomer’s human mom – who became very involved with the PADS community and who became and Advanced dog sitter.
That spirit of connection carried forward as Elaine went on to raise four more future service dogs, eventually welcoming a very special dog into her life: PADS Athena.
Over time, Athena’s path evolved, leading her to an important role as a breeding dog with Nicole Byrom and her family. And once again, Elaine’s story came full circle, thanks to Jennifer Doherty. Jennifer encouraged Nicole to reach out to Elaine for help with Athena. And Nicole did. When she was needed, Elaine made the journey from Kelowna to Vancouver—not once, but several times—to support Athena and her future service dog puppies.
From caring for Athena during pregnancy to nurturing newborn litters (and even missing a birth by just a few hours!), Elaine has been there through so many pivotal moments. Most recently, she returned to help care for Athena during her pregnancy and then again after Athena’s newest litter was born. Elaine looked after the tiny one-week-old puppies—continuing a journey that has now included Athena’s remarkable 25 puppies. But the full-circle story doesn’t end there – Elaine is currently raising Tide, one of Athena’s puppies the Whitecaps FC litter – Athena’s second.
From raising a young pup to supporting generations of future service dogs, Elaine’s impact reaches far beyond any single moment—it lives on in every life these dogs will change.
We are so grateful to Elaine Mori—and to every volunteer who gives not only their time, but their heart to this work. Stories like this are made possible because of you.