Extension of Me w/ Kimberly Elliott

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Be Like Josh Foundation's Kimberly Elliott Discusses How Josh’s Disability Defines Him In A Beautiful Way

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About The Episode

“Freedom Ride” is a series of individual stories on DSTP that focuses on guests telling their own inspiring, rescue-based tales.

As an active member of the dog rescue community in Arizona, Kimberly Elliott would work with pulling dogs from shelters, fostering them, finding new homes, and more.

One day, while checking on the latest rescue information on Facebook, she saw that a local rescue had posted about needing a foster home for three Goldendoodles that had special needs. Kimberly and her husband had actually already been interested in a dog of that breed, but they were very rare (particularly in rescue, and particularly where they were) so they jumped at the possibility. She immediately reached out and once one of the dogs, Josh, showed up to their house – she immediately fell in love. They agreed to foster and within 24 hours, knew they would adopt.

However, as mentioned, Josh was a special needs dog. He has Cerebellar Hypoplasia, which basically is a neurological disability where there is an underdevelopment of one specific portion of the brain - the cerebellum - which controls all motor functions. So he’s all there and still a smart and capable and emotionally intuitive dog, but he cannot control the actions of his body. Kimberly was nervous about if she would be able to take care of him properly and do a good enough job, but she decided to take the risk.

At the time he came, Kimberly and her husband had just previously rescued two dogs the year prior that needed a lot of training. So they were already working with a trainer at the time and doing orchestrated pack walks every morning. Since Josh couldn’t (and still can’t) walk unassisted, they weren’t sure what exactly to do. Someone suggested a wagon to them, and they decided to try it out. The results were beautiful. There was Josh riding in the wagon, smiling and enjoying the ride (pun intended). She realized he can be part of the pack if they got creative, so that’s what they did. For example: Kimberly and her husband are into camping and backpacking, so they started carrying him on their back (in a backpack) when they went hiking.

Along the way, Kimberly was posting to her personal social media about updates on how Josh was doing. Due to popular demand, she created a separate account just for him. It kept growing and now, to date, has around 150K followers. On there, she has and continues to share about what Josh goes through, how he helps her in many small and big ways, and destigmatizing his disability. It even grew into a hashtag, #BeLikeJosh, about having gratitude and be present in the moment no matter your circumstances.

While a successful platform for Josh on social media was great, Kimberly wanted to make an even bigger impact for him. The started the Be Like Josh Foundation, an official 501c nonprofit. Through the organization, it does a mix of dog rescue (specifically special needs dogs) and community outreach in schools. When visiting, Kimberly and Josh educate young kids in school about his story, breaking down any questions they have and trying to open their minds to being accepting of everyone and that we’re all special and important.

About The Guest - Kimberly Elliott

Kimberly Elliott is the Founder of the Be Like Josh Foundation. She is a proud dog mother to Josh, a dog with cerebellar hypoplasia. While initially being nervous about being able to take care of a dog with a disability and what that might be like, Josh has completely transformed her world for the better. Her aim with his organization is to enlighten others about his condition and using that as a tool for a general acceptance of our fellow beings.

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