Kara Gilmore
Missouri, USA
Kara served as our first Membership Officer from 2007 until the end of her term in 2009.
I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, in a home filled with dogs and cats, and any other critters my sisters and I could convince our parents would make great pets – turtles, frogs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, birds, etc. When I was a junior in college, I adopted my first dog, a black Lab Mix named Dixie, who I rescued from Kansas City Animal Control. I have since added several more dogs to my pack, but the most special, and the one who introduced me to the world of deaf dogs, is Squirt, a tiny Australian Cattle Dog Mix.
In March 2006, Second Chance, a rescue group I adopted another dog from, contacted me about a Cattle Dog puppy they had in rescue that was completely toy addicted. Second Chance asked if I could keep my eye out for a sport home for the puppy, which I said I’d be happy to do. However, about a week later, when Second Chance discovered the puppy was deaf, I told them I’d like to adopt her. Inspired by a friend of mine with a deaf Rat Terrier, I recently had been thinking I would enjoy the challenge of training a deaf dog. When this toy-addicted Cattle Dog puppy found her way to me, I figured it was meant to be.
Squirt came to live with me on March 31, 2006, and life has never been the same. This amazing bundle of energy has been a joy to live with and a joy to train. In a relatively short period of time, Squirt has become an amazing disc dog and performer. Squirt has thrilled crowds throughout the United States and even in South America. Through her performances, Squirt has taught thousands of people that deaf dogs can do anything hearing dogs can do. Squirt has taught me a lot about training dogs, and I look forward to learning much more from her for many years to come.
In addition to competing and performing with my own dogs, I am active in fostering dogs and in rescue. When I am not spending time with dogs, I find time to do some work as a lawyer. I look forward to serving on the D2Care Board.
