vailsymposium

Kate Drescher has been a licensed clinical psychologist for more than 20 years and has spent the last seven studying the mutual benefits of the bond between non-human animals and their human counterparts in promoting wellness.

She is the Staff Psychologist at Vail Mountain School where she is joined by her canine partner, Beignet, to support students’ social, emotional and academic needs. Beignet is a Facility Dog who was trained by Canine Companions. Founded in 1975, Canine Companions is a national organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained service dogs at no charge to the recipient. Drescher and Beignet have been a team since November 2019.

Prior to joining forces with Beignet, Drescher completed two post-graduate certificate programs at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection (University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work) that focused on the ethics of interspecies collaboration, including the necessity of treating animal partners as equals, and the importance of safeguarding animals’ physical and emotional well-being. She is currently enrolled in an Animal Law, Master of Studies in Law program at the Center for Animal Law Studies at the Lewis and Clark Law School.

Drescher’s interest in animal welfare predates her graduate training. Since early childhood, she felt a deep connection to animals (all species), and while she did not know what animal sentience was at the time, she intuitively knew animals were thinking, feeling, and sensing beings. She is truly honored to partner with Beignet, who is a skilled therapist in her own right.