PEWAUKEE — In hospital rooms, community centers, and Legion posts across southeastern Wisconsin, the greeting is often the same: four paws, a wagging tail, and a quiet kind of healing.
That’s Teddy — Army veteran Sue Zenda’s therapy dog.
Zenda, of Pewaukee, joined the U.S. Army in 1986, inspired by her father, a Korean War veteran. She served two decades with the 84th Division Headquarters, later the 84th Training Division, in administrative and human resources roles supporting Army operations across a six-state region.
“The standards were high, and we always met or exceeded them,” Zenda said. “I always found value in being able to support people. To be part of something bigger than myself was motivation to keep serving.”
Watch: Pewaukee veteran continues her service alongside therapy dog Teddy:
After the military, Zenda continued supporting veterans, first through community outreach, and later, through the healing potential of therapy dogs.
With Teddy by her side, Zenda now makes regular visits to the Milwaukee VA, hospital locations, American Legion Post 71 in Pewaukee, and other outreach stops across the region.
“I knew nothing about therapy dogs at the time,” she said. “But through my own recovery and resilience, I said, ‘We’re doing this.’”
That’s why she founded Precious Memoirs Forever, an organization dedicated to bringing certified therapy dogs to veterans, hospital patients, seniors, and community events.
“By him bringing his compassion, his joy, his happiness — how often do you get a warm welcome like that?” Zenda said.
Zenda says Teddy often works by instinct, approaching — or sometimes steering clear of — people based on what they need most in a moment.
“The dogs have such a good sense,” she said. “You can see when he’s avoiding a certain spot or a certain person because something is there that needs healing.”
Now a certified therapy dog trainer, Zenda also works with Dogs2Dog Tags, a Plymouth-based rescue organization that pairs service and therapy dogs with veterans and first responders.
She hopes to expand training opportunities in Waukesha County and support more veteran-handler teams.
And on top of her advocacy, service is a family legacy.
Zenda’s granddaughters, ages 12 and 8, have logged a combined 14 years of volunteer work with the American Legion Auxiliary in Pewaukee.
“One of my proudest joys has been working with my family over the past eight years,” Zenda said. “Seeing my grandkids stay part of the community in a positive way — that means everything.”
Zenda is a life member of the Association of the United States Army and a member of American Legion Post 71 in Pewaukee and Disabled American Veterans. She is also an associate member of Vietnam Veterans of America and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
For more info or to get involved, you can visit https://preciousmemoirs4ever.com/
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