The Ugly Truth About Fake Service Dogs
Molly Burke joins Rocky KanakaKelly Kanaka for a raw, thoughtful, and surprisingly funny episode of the Dogs & Coffee Podcast.
From the moment doctors told her parents “she’s going to go blind… there’s nothing we can do,” Molly walks listeners through losing her vision in waves with honesty, clarity, and humor. She shares what it was like preparing for blindness while she could still see, learning Braille early, practicing cane skills long before she needed them, and the accident that forced her to use a cane full-time at just eight years old. Molly also opens up about the part most people never see: the neurological panic that comes with rapid vision loss, the language we use around disability, and the realities of working with guide dogs all while debunking one of the biggest myths around service animals. And through every chapter of her life, one constant remains: dogs. For 18½ years, she’s rarely been without a guide dog by her side.
🎙️ Molly’s Coffee & Canine Stats
☕ Order: Medium roast café latte with soy milk
🐶 Dog: Elton John (Guide Dog & proud water connoisseur)
❤️ Adoptable Dog of the Week: Pumpkin
Meet Pumpkin, a 2-year-old Husky/Chow Chow mix currently at Flip Farms in San Diego County.
Please share to help him find his forever home!
Browse all adoptable dogs:
🔗 https://rockykanaka.com/adoption-list/
📘 Books & Links
Molly’s Book: Unseen: How I Lost My Vision but Found My Voice
Get NYT Best Seller Sitting with Dogs: https://amzn.to/4hE9qxx
Follow Molly: @mollyburkeofficial
Follow Rocky: @rockykanaka
🕒 Episode Highlights
00:00 — Introduction
02:30 — Molly talks about being terrified of dogs as a child
07:05 — Doctors tell her parents she will go blind
12:00 — The language around disability
15:30 — Losing her vision at 14
17:00 — A raw conversation about suicidal thoughts
22:00 — What it actually takes to work with a guide dog
41:45 — Clearing up the biggest service dog myth
54:25 — Molly’s book release
🎧 About the Show
The Dogs & Coffee Podcast by Rocky and Kelly Kanaka blends comedy, honesty, and heartfelt conversations about dogs, disability, rescue, and life — all while Rocky tries (and sometimes fails) to be a barista. Flip Coffee is served at local cafés, with hopes to bring it nationwide.
