In Loving Memory
Our pups are a part of our families and forever in our hearts. When they team up with Loving Paws, they dedicate their energy to helping & healing others. With that in mind, it's important for us to take time to honor those no longer with us.
In Loving Memory of Shakti
Founding Dog. Heart Healer. Queen.
Shakti was the inspiration behind the Loving Paws Animal Therapy Association — and she was its founding dog. From the very beginning, she carried a quiet magic: a softness, a steadiness, and a depth of love that people felt the moment they met her.
For years, she devoted her life to helping others heal. She visited university students during times of stress and transition, sat with youth in juvenile detention, comforted residents in long-term care facilities, supported patients at the cancer center, and patiently listened to children learning to read. In my private therapy practice, she lay beside client after client as they shared their deepest pain and trauma — offering a grounding presence when words were not enough.
Shakti showed up in ways only a truly extraordinary dog can. Raven called her ‘The Queen.’
Shakti was nominated multiple years in a row as one of the top therapy animals in the community — recognized as Top Five, then Top Three, and for the last two consecutive years, she was voted #1 Best of Lawrence Therapy/Service Animal. She was even nominated in 2025 after her passing — a testament to the profound and lasting impact she made.
On December 24, 2024, Raven received the devastating news that Shakti had late-stage lymphoma. Not knowing how much time she had left, Raven chose to celebrate her while she was still here. In late January, Liberty Hall filled with hundreds of people who came to love on her, thank her, and honor the role she played in their lives.
Shakti’s spent Valentine’s Day spreading love - in classrooms, places of employment & private in-home visits. That day served as her last.
On March 3, 2025, Shakti passed away peacefully in her mom’s arms.
In her honor, The Shakti Place was born — a space dedicated to healing, tenderness, creativity, and community. It exists because she existed. It carries her spirit forward.
Her legacy lives on in every therapy dog team trained, every person who is supported, and in every heart that feels a little less alone.
Forever The Queen.
In Loving Memory of Kekoa
Kekoa was born on the island of Hawaii and spent his first 5 years playing in the ocean and digging the biggest sand holes on the beach. He competed in obedience trials while on the island, winning his puppy and novice classes.
He moved to New Orleans, where his love of dressing up got to shine, before he finally moved home to Lawrence. While in Lawrence, he got to enjoy Clinton Lake and being a member of Loving Paws.
Kekoa loved people more than any dog I’ve ever known. He enjoyed going to the assisted living homes but he really loved the kids at Ballard.
He was a one of a kind dog who will be loved and missed forever.
Baby Kekoa!
Beach Boy. Costume Extraordinaire. Best Friend to All.
In Loving Memory of Stella
Intuitive. Joyful. A True Companion.
Stella brought something truly special into every space she entered.
With a quiet, intuitive presence, she had an extraordinary way of finding the person who needed her most—offering a soft lean, a steady companionship, and a deep sense of comfort that words could never quite capture.
Her mom, Jennifer, beautifully shared, “I’m convinced she didn’t know she was a dog, which was always a great source of entertainment! She loved her therapy dog work and grew to be more comfortable in the job each year. She was a star.” ️
Stella’s gentle spirit, sweet confidence, and her unwavering devotion to her work touched countless lives. She gave so much of herself—so freely, so purely—and in doing so, she leaves behind a legacy of warmth, healing, and connection.
We are better for having known her. We are grateful for every moment, every visit, every life she touched.
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing Stella with Loving Paws and with our greater community. Her imprint will remain in our hearts always.
In Loving Memory of Brahma
Soulful. Tender. A Little Lima Bean.
Brahma—affectionately known as “Beans”—earned his nickname in the most endearing way… bending himself in half and walking sideways in pure excitement to greet the people he loved, looking just like a big, joyful lima bean. And oh, how he loved his people.
Brahma was the sweetest boxer boy, a gentle soul with a heart that seemed to exist solely to connect, comfort, and love. As the sibling of fellow therapy dog Lela, the two of them felt destined for this work—naturals in every sense, carrying a quiet magic that could be felt the moment they entered a space.
He learned from the very best, often found as the steady shadow of Shakti, the founding dog of Loving Paws. And in that presence, Brahma grew into a therapy dog who embodied everything this work is meant to be—soulful, tender, and deeply attuned.
Brahma had a special gift for meeting people exactly where they were. He brought comfort to university students navigating stress and uncertainty, and he offered a steady, compassionate presence during some of life’s most sacred and difficult moments—end-of-life transitions. There was something about him… the way he made eye contact, the way he leaned in, the way he simply stayed… that made people feel seen, safe, and not alone.
He loved nothing more than pets and cuddles. He would gaze deeply into your eyes as if he understood more than words could ever say—and every now and then, he’d sneak in a soft kiss, just to remind you that love was right there.
In his younger years, Brahma was full of playful energy—running, chasing, and mastering the art of fetch with pure joy. And even as his body began to change, as he faced the unfair progression of degenerative myelopathy, his spirit remained steady and full of love. He continued to give, to connect, to be Brahma—right until the very end.
Brahma’s presence was a gift. A quiet, grounding, heart-opening gift.
We are better for having known him, for having loved him, and for the countless lives he touched with his gentle spirit.
Run free, sweet Beans. You were—and always will be—so deeply loved.
In Loving Memory of Layla
Light. Goofy. A Quiet Strength.
Layla was among the very first Loving Paws therapy dogs, certifying in 2014. For over a decade, she gave the truest gift there is — her presence. She spent 11 years walking alongside humanity in its most tender moments… offering comfort, connection, and a steady, gentle kind of love.
In true boxer fashion, Layla was sweet, delightfully goofy, and carried just the right touch of “spice.” That spark was part of what made her so unforgettable — a beautiful balance of softness and personality, warmth and playfulness.
There was an ease about Layla, a quiet, grounding energy that allowed people to exhale in her presence. She didn’t need to do much — just being near her was enough. She had a way of finding those who needed her most, sitting beside grief, holding space for sorrow, and gently reminding people that they were not alone.
And yet, she also brought light — a softness that could turn into joy, a presence that invited smiles, laughter, and moments of ease even in the midst of heaviness.
Layla’s work was never loud, but it was deeply impactful. She moved through the world with a tender strength, leaving behind a trail of comfort and connection that will continue to ripple outward.
She was deeply loved — by her mom Lea, her family, by those who worked alongside her, and by the countless individuals whose lives she touched in ways both big and small.
We are better because of Layla. Softer because of her. More connected because she was here.
Thank you to her mom for sharing such a special soul with Loving Paws and with this community. Layla’s legacy lives on in every quiet moment of comfort, every gentle connection, every softened heart.
