Lessons on Becoming Trauma Informed from My Thirteen-Year-Old Dog, Scarlet

This is Scarlet.

She turned thirteen yesterday. She officially joined our family when we rescued her from the Arizona Animal Welfare League when she was five, in October of 2015.

There is a lot we know about Scarlet.

Clearly, she’s adorable. She is also feisty. She is incredibly protective of her family.

She loves chicken and pup cups from Starbucks. She wasn’t sure about her sister, Zoey at first but now they are best friends.

There is a strong possibility that she is the reincarnation of Elizabeth Taylor, but that’s a whole other article.

She is a survivor.

​About a month after she joined us, we found out Scarlet had heartworm. (Obligatory reminder to give your pets a Heartworm preventative). Scarlet went through two rounds of very difficult treatment and made it out the other end only a little worse for wear.

Scarlet before starting her first round of Heartworm treatment.

About six months into 2020, our Vet found a mammary tumor on Scarlet’s belly. Luckily it had not spread, but it had to be removed. The procedure was tough on her, but again, she made it back to her old self in record time.

And although heartworm had some lasting impacts on her health, Scarlet is as feisty and energetic as ever.

There is also a lot that we don’t know and will never know about the time before she was part of our family.

We don’t know if Scarlet had puppies. She wasn’t spayed until she arrived at the shelter.

We don’t know how well Scarlet was taken care of.

We don’t know the total of almost half of her life and much of what shaped who she is today.

And while Scarlet is an impressive little creature, she still hasn’t figured out how to tell us about those years before she joined us.

Scarlet first arriving home with us in October of 2015

Certainly, the people we work with can speak and share their experiences with us- but there are many other barriers beyond just words when it comes to explaining or choosing to share your experiences with others. Especially if those experiences are traumatic ones.

So, the lesson from Scarlet- who cannot share her stories, is to bring empathy and kindness to her behaviors and idiosyncrasies. To understand that although we don’t know her history, we can provide comfort, safety and a good environment for her now and for the rest of her life.

It is the same when we think about building trauma informed workplace cultures for our teams. Regardless of what we do or do not know about our team members’ pasts, we can focus on how we can build environments that a supportive, empathetic, caring, and that empower everyone to succeed.

This is the heart of a trauma informed workplace culture and these cultures support everyone- regardless of their past. Regardless of experiences with trauma.

So, as we work to build trauma informed systems and cultures, remember the power of supporting others without having to know their stories. The power to provide support and tools for success for everyone. It’s worth the journey.