Therapy Dog News

Middle Schoolers Get A Furry Friend

November 17, 2020

It is 2:11 p.m. on a sun-drenched and breezy November day. The world is spinning a thousand different directions, but in language arts teacher Jessica Blaum’s classroom — inside Bettendorf Middle School — there is calm. No anger, no frustration, no recounts. Below me rests Delta, the world’s coolest Bermese mountain dog — a Shaquille […]

Read More

CMS’s Therapy Dog

November 17, 2020

His full name is Shilohs Magnanimous Black, but he goes by Magnus for short. He’s young, he’s playful, and his blonde hair has a tendency to get everywhere. He’s the new therapy dog at Cody Middle School, training to help the students calm down and even learn. Magnus isn’t a service or emotional support animal […]

Read More

Pet Therapy

November 17, 2020

With coronavirus infections on the rise, seniors and those with pre-existing conditions continue to social distance. But as many are isolated, nonprofit Animal Farm Foundation is making sure they still have fun and friendly interactions with pets by setting up virtual visits. “When the pets come on they really perk up” said Christie Purks, one […]

Read More

SWMC Gets A Therapy Dog

November 17, 2020

At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic only adds to stress levels on a college campus, Sadie the golden retriever is providing some much-needed joy to students and staff at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She is the college’s new therapy dog. “Since she’s been on campus, you kind of see that light in people’s eyes,” said […]

Read More

Missing Therapy Dog

November 17, 2020

A Trail family is urging locals to keep their eyes peeled for Joy Joy, their beloved black cockapoo that went missing Nov. 1. Right after Joy Joy disappeared near Woodland Drive in Glenmerry that Sunday, family and friends began a desperate search for her. But she hasn’t been seen since. Now, they are offering a […]

Read More

Firefighters battling California wildfires visited by Kerith the therapy dog

October 29, 2020

Battling wildfires can take an emotional and physical toll on firefighters, but a two-year-old golden retriever has come to rescue, relieving stress and providing comfort to firefighters on the front lines. Kerith is a certified crisis response therapy animal through a nonprofit organization, Pet Partners. Kerith and her handler, Heidi Carman, started volunteering at MarinHealth […]

Read More

Pet Therapy Program

October 9, 2020

Saturday, October 10 is World Mental Health Day, which this year has a new sense of urgency for many. Covid-19 has taken a mental and emotional toll on healthcare workers across the U.S but there is a program boosting the spirits of doctors and nurses on the frontlines. At UC Irvine Medical Center in Southern […]

Read More

AMR Therapy Dog

October 8, 2020

Rampart, a therapy dog with American Medical Response San Bernardino County, recently passed his Certified Therapy Dog exam. AMR acquired Rampart, a 1½-year-old goldendoodle, when he was 10 weeks old. Rampart started basic obedience classes when he was 4 months old and continued through advanced obedience classes, according to a news release. When he was […]

Read More

Workers Get Canine Interactions

October 8, 2020

It was a long, boring spring and summer for the four-footed members of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, who couldn’t visit nursing homes and hospitals giving tail wags and doggy smiles. The coronavirus paused the professional canine therapeutic interactions with patients and hospital workers. “You could actually see him falling into a depression at home,” said Wendy Kadish of […]

Read More

Therapy Dog Program

October 8, 2020

An initiative by Cyndy Caravelis, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at Western Carolina University, will include a pilot program to use a therapy dog to aid domestic violence victims and their families in Jackson County. Caravelis’ German shepherd Atlas will escort victims and family members into court procedures and stay with children while […]

Read More