Dawn Richard Cook, MA, LCMHC

Dawn Richard Cook grew up with a love for animals and her various pets along with a desire to help people. Growing up as a military dependent, Dawn developed an appreciation for diversity of people at multiple levels. Dawn made the decision to major in Social Work receiving an undergraduate degree from East Carolina University and began her work with children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses. She then furthered her education to earn a Master of Arts degree in Mental Health Counseling from Webster University. Dawn is a licensed professional counselor and national certified counselor working at a group practice in the local Wilmington area.

Dawn became involved with paws4people’s, pMET (medical evaluation team) because of her passion for dogs, her enthusiasm to empower the lives of people and the belief of the human/animal bond for therapeutic benefits. Dawn’s Assistance Dog is RUPP.

RUPP and Dawn are additionally certified as a facility team in which he accompanies her to work to facilitate Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling. Dawn is also a fur-mom to her dog, a Silky Terrier, named Harley.