About Cairo And Friends

Hello, my name is Ryan Hayes, and I am the proud President and founder of “Cairo and Friends.” Ruff-Ruff, that was Cairo saying Hello! Cairo is my companion and service animal. He has been servicing me for nearly two years. If you don’t mind, I will take this time to tell you about our story. I was involved in a car accident in 2014, a horrible one at that. The outcome of this accident has left me having over a dozen injections, three shoulder surgeries, one knee surgery, and two lower back surgeries. Throughout this process, I was utterly devastated. At times I honestly feared the worst for myself.

 

I was depressed, uncertain, and not motivated. I'll be crystal clear, I was in a very dark place and contemplated living. I never thought of actually bringing self-harm or suicidal tendinosis. I just pondered what would happen if I wasn't here on this earth...  If you have ever dwelled in sorrow and depression then it might be safe to say you can relate. After going to countless doctor visits, psychologists, and pain management clinics, I wanted to try an alternative method. Something nontraditional, I then started to research alternative medicines and came across service animals. After countless hours of researching, I finally decided to act on this calling. I finally got Cairo; he was eight weeks old when I got him. I had the opportunity to pick him from his mother’s litter. Since the very first day he imprinted on me, and we’ve had an unbreakable bond. Cairo was first an emotional support animal, and after extensive training, he is now a certified service animal.

 

I know the pain and I know the feeling of isolation very well. Know that you are not alone, you may feel alone but that all can change. Humans tend to feel as if Love can only be transpired from another Human being. In my humble opinion, that is FALSE. Animals can too give the true meaning of unconditional love. Cairo and Friends is a non-profit organization that is located in Tampa Bay, FL. Our mission is to bring awareness to service animals, disabilities, and mental health. Cairo and Friends was officially established in 2019. We have an extraordinary diverse dynamic approach to bring awareness and combat mental health with non-traditional alternative medical practices. 

 

Cairo and Friends is currently researching and conducting surveying with “ADT” Alternative Decompression Therapy which implements a certified service dog with counseling and therapy. This unique approach takes away the traditional textbook setting with a “counselor-asking direct questions to a patient”. With our implementation with “Cairo”, our studies are indicating a higher transparency engagement between both parties. Cairo becomes a vessel/medium for a patient to feel more comfortable, reassured, and emotionally supported while participating in behavioral services, counseling and therapy. 

 

We provide physical interaction with Cairo, such as social interactions, and physical in/outdoor opportunities to all of our clients. We also gift our clients with several physical photos during their interaction with Cairo. We live in a day of technology, where we rarely hold a physical picture of a sentimental moment. Cairo is our official mascot, but we have now added it to our family. Cleo; is a Labradoodle and is 10 months old and Luna; is a Goldendoodle and is nine months old. We are currently training them both to be therapy dogs. In the near future, our mission is to breed Cairo with Cleo and Luna and train the offspring to become certified service dogs, and re-home them to people with disabilities, hospitals, and clinics for alternative therapy.

 

With achieving critical benchmarks and goals we will eventually have "Cairo’s Doodle Farm" up and operating to have a Farm of trained Labradoodles and Goldendoodles to promote Alternative Decompression Therapy. This will be a sanctuary for like-minded people, volunteers, and disabled people to come to decompress, seek therapy, and have a close community atmosphere. Dogs in general give positive health benefits to humans no matter their age. Being around a trained and obedient dog can have a more significant impact.

 

This will run parallel with Cairo Essentials operating. Cairo’s Essentials is our all-natural essential dog-care product brand. We handcraft all of our products. We craft shampoos, conditioners with essential oils that have health benefits factor for dogs and humans. For example, our Peppermint products kill fleas and ticks on contact. We also make dog balms, paw butter, essential odor mist, and organic dog treats. This is our main factor in keeping our operations going. We are currently revamping and scaling to monthly subscriptions. Something similar to Bark-Box, but with all-natural dog-care products. This brings Cairo and Friends to its everlasting dream, to have a storefront and have an employment opportunity for disabled personal. 

 

With your help, you can advocate for our mission and cause. What's most important to our organization is to spread the word to friends, family, and society. LET'S BREAK THE STIGMA TOGETHER!