Tag: therapy dogs

Funeral Therapy Dogs Provide Furry Comfort to Mourners

If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you know how very difficult those first few weeks can be. If you had pets at the time, they were probably a major source of comfort for you as you grieved, their fur absorbing plenty of your tears.

To help mourners cope, the state of Texas got its first certified funeral therapy dog in 2017. Kermit, a Border Collie mix, was trained in how to deal with grieving people. (Based on my experience with my own dogs, I’m guessing minimal training is necessary.)

Kermit belongs to Melissa Unfred, who works for Affordable Burial and Cremation Service in Austin. She used to take Kermit to work with her before he became certified, and she noticed his demeanor changed when he was inside the business.

“A lot of people have been really surprised that he’s not hyper,” Unfred told KVUE. “You see that as a hand will go out to pet him, it’s like an immediate sigh of relief.”

Kermit can instinctively determine who’s suffering the most. “He’s something of a chameleon — he can kind of sense the energy in the room,” Unfred told KVUE. “Sometimes I will start to go upstairs and Kermit isn’t behind me. He ended up staying behind … He just moves himself into the position where he’s closest to the primary griever.”

In New York, a Goldendoodle named Lulu has been comforting mourners at Ballard-Durand Funeral & Cremation Services for the past few years.

Just like Kermit, Lulu has “an uncanny knack for knowing who needs her,” Matthew Fiorillo, president of the funeral home, told TODAY. “She’ll park herself right next to an older person to let them pet her one minute and the next she’s prancing around with kids. It’s been really impressive to watch.”

Humans need to touch, Fiorillo said. “Even just petting her can be a subtle distraction from the tremendous amount of grief people are going through,” he told TODAY.

Vinny, another Goldendoodle, is currently training to become a funeral therapy dog at the Kuhn Funeral Home in West Reading, Pa.

“Death is hard for all of us,” Michael Kuhn, the funeral home’s president, told WFMZ. “Death is sometimes, I think, even harder at younger ages, so to have sort of a distraction and a loving creature next to you, I think that’s going to serve really well.”

Kuhn told WFMZ the idea of having a funeral therapy dog on the premises “kind of immediately resonated with me. It just makes a lot of sense.”

It really does make sense. Just as therapy dogs comforting hospital patients have become commonplace nowadays, more and more funeral homes across the country are adding therapy dogs to their staffs. As Kermit, Lulu and Vinny have proven, funeral therapy dogs truly help make the process of mourning a little less painful.

If you think your compassionate pet has the makings of a great therapy dog, check out these tips for how to go about making it happen.

This story was originally published on Care2.com.

Photo: henriethaan

Could Your Dog Become a Therapy Animal?

If you have a dog who’s mellow and loves being around people, and the idea of helping your pet bring joy to others appeals to you, you might just have a therapy animal in the making.

Accompanied by their owners, therapeutic visitation animals – which are most commonly dogs, but can also be cats, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, horses, etc. – regularly visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other facilities, providing furry comfort and compassion.

“Four-footed therapists give something special to enhance the health and well-being of others,” says the website of Therapy Dogs International (TDI), a nonprofit organization that regulates, tests and registers therapy dogs and their handlers. “It has been clinically proven that through petting, touching and talking with animals, patients’ blood pressure is lowered, stress is relieved and depression is eased.”

What It Takes to Be a Therapy Dog

Therapy animals are “born, not made,” according to TDI. They must have an outstanding temperament, and be outgoing and friendly to people of all ages. They must also behave well with other animals.

In general, therapy dogs must also be at least one year old; current on all vaccines required by local laws; and be clean and well groomed when visiting people.

Along with the ability to obey basic commands like “Sit,” “Stay,” “Come” and “Leave it,” dogs are tested by therapy dog certification organizations to ensure they can do the following, according to TDI (most of these requirements apply to other species of potential therapy animals as well):

  • Listen to their handlers
  • Allow strangers to touch them all over
  • Not jump on people when interacting
  • Not mind strange noises and smells
  • Be calm for petting
  • Not be afraid of people walking unsteadily

Getting Your Dog Certified as a Therapy Animal

Think your dog has the right stuff to be a therapy animal? To get an idea of the type of testing involved, this TDI brochure describes each of the 13 tests a dog must pass in order to be certified.

Some therapy animal organizations, including Pet Partners, offer workshops so you and your dog can practice the required skills before being tested for certification.

The AKC website has a list of therapy animal organizations all across the U.S. from which your dog can receive certification. Contact the one nearest you for further information.

The Difference Between Therapy and Service Animals

Although the two are often confused, therapy animals are not the same as service animals, which “have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability,” according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“An example of a service dog is a dog who guides an owner who is blind or assists someone who has a physical disability,” the American Kennel Club (AKC) explains. “Service dogs stay with their person and have special access privileges in public places such as planes, restaurants, etc.”

Therapy dogs, on the other hand, are are privately owned. Unlike service animals and their handlers, in most U.S. states, therapy animals and their owners don’t have protections under federal law (ADA, the Fair Housing Act, etc.), reports the National Service Animal Registry.

Additional Resources

You can find out more about therapy animals and getting your dog certified from these organizations:

This story was originally published on Care2.com.

Photo: University of Illinois Library

R.I.P. Smiley, Blind Puppy Mill Survivor Who Became an Inspiring Therapy Dog

Smiley, a 16-year-old Golden Retriever who spent most of his life inspiring people with special needs, crossed the Rainbow Bridge today.

“Dogs can come back from anything. They forget their past,” his dog mom, Joanne George, a dog trainer who lives in Stouffville, Canada, told CBS News two years ago. “We as humans, dwell on the past.”

The particular dog George she was referring to was Smiley, who spent the first couple years of his life in a puppy mill. If that alone wasn’t bad enough, Smiley was born with dwarfism — and without eyes.

George rescued Smiley when he was 2 years old. “He was very scared,” she told ABC News. “[The dogs] had never been out of that barn.”

Although Smiley initially cowered at the sound of George’s other dog, a partially deaf Great Dane named Tyler, the two became best friends as Tyler helped bring Smiley out of his shell. “Tyler was so bouncy and crazy and happy-go-lucky, and [Smiley] turned into the same dog,” George told ABC News. “He came out from underneath the tables where he was always hiding.”

As Smiley blossomed, George noticed the positive effect he had on people who were naturally drawn to and inspired by her special dog. “I realized this dog has to be a therapy dog — I have to share him,” she told CBS News.

Smiley and George joined the St. John Ambulance therapy dog program in Ontario. Smiley helped children with special needs learn to read through a library literacy program, and also comforted people at funeral homes and nursing homes.

Until Smiley came along, the employees of one nursing home had never seen a mute patient named Teddy express any emotion.

“One day, Smiley put his feet up in front of [Teddy], and he started smiling and making noise,” George told CBS News. “All of the nurses rushed into the room and said they’ve never seen him smile — never seen any kind of reaction.”

Smiley touched hearts around the world when he became a social media sensation, with nearly half a million followers on Facebook and Instagram.

In July, veterinarians found tumors on Smiley’s liver and stomach. As his health quickly deteriorated, George made the difficult decision to end his suffering. “It’s the only way we can repay him for all he’s done,” she wrote on Smiley’s Facebook page yesterday. “He’s had enough.”

Farewell, sweet Smiley. All around the world, many of us are shedding tears for a dog we never had the privilege to meet. My heart goes out to George and her family. How lucky Smiley was to have such a loving and devoted dog mom.

“Please, in honor of Smiley — see the world around you with your ❤️, be kind to others and give back in any way you can,” George wrote on Smiley’s Facebook page today in her announcement of her beloved dog’s death.

Let’s all do it.

Photo via Twitter

California Man Finds Therapy Dog Lost During Las Vegas Shooting

Ryan Needham and his fiancee, who live in Phelan, Calif., survived the terrible mass shooting in Las Vegas, but Needham’s beloved therapy dog went missing for a few days.

Needham is an owner of a concession company that had a booth at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Roulette, aka Rou, is a black French Bulldog who was with Needham’s fiancee as she worked there Sunday night. Needham was driving near the venue when the gunfire erupted. One of the employees opened Rou’s crate and tried to grab her, but the terrified dog wriggled away and ran off, getting lost in the crowd of 22,000 people also desperately trying to flee the area.

“There were so many people trying to get away, we didn’t know if she had been stepped on or hurt, or worse,” Needham told KABC. “It was just a horrible, horrible situation.”

The couple remained in Las Vegas for a few days, desperately searching for Needham’s therapy dog. “We haven’t slept yet”, he told News 3.

As the news of Rou’s disappearance spread, thousands of people from around the world volunteered to do what they could to find her. Strangers created Facebook pages and posted the lost dog’s information online. “We never would have guessed so many people would have stepped forward to help,” Needham told KABC. “The best thing is it shows there are so many good people. So many people willing to try to help other people.”

Good news: Needham and his fiancee can now get some much-needed sleep. Their beloved Rou has been found alive and is now safely back at home in California with them.

Needham saw Rou running in a field next to the shooting site. “I jumped over the fence, I kneeled down, she ran and jumped into my arms!” he told News 3 this morning. (According to KABC, however, Rou was found inside an apartment complex. Needham believed she had been running back and forth from there to her crate in the concessions area, part of the crime scene that has been roped off by police. Either way, what’s important is that she was found alive.)

Rou lost some weight and appeared to be somewhat traumatized from her ordeal. Needham was thrilled she’s still alive.

“I’m so glad everybody’s spirits can be lifted by our dog’s story,” he told News 3. “Maybe it can help a little. This dog is a symbol of hope. She’s the new mascot for Vegas.”

Here’s information about how to help victims of the Las Vegas massacre.

Photo via PawBoost.com

LCC Comfort Dogs and Handlers Injured in Random Shooting

The Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) Comfort Dogs are well known for providing solace to people after mass shootings. But today, after a senseless act of violence, it’s some of these dogs and their handlers who will need the comforting.

During a random shooting in Joplin, Mo., around 5 a.m., two dogs and three people were shot as they rode in a van on their way to an LCC Comfort Dogs meeting in Saint Louis.

Two comfort dogs, both Golden Retrievers, were injured. Louie was shot in the neck and Jackson was shot through his ear flap.

Kenneth Eby, who was driving, was shot multiple times and is in critical but stable condition, the Joplin Globe reports. Heidi Gustin was shot in the arm and is in serious but stable condition. Karen Mech, struck by shrapnel and glass, was treated for minor injuries.

A couple in another vehicle were also shot. The man is in serious but stable condition, and the woman had minor injuries.

Tom S. Mourning II, the 26-year-old suspect, fired at the vehicles as he was driving. He has been taken into custody, the Jackson Globe reports. A rifle and handgun were found in his car.

“This came out of the blue and all of a sudden people were shot and going to the hospital,” Jason Glaskey, head of Immanuel Lutheran Church’s comfort dog ministry, told the Globe.

Eby’s wife, Vicki, who was not injured, told ABC News her husband had been shot in the lung. “It was so dark, we didn’t know what was happening,” she said. “If they hadn’t gotten him to the hospital when they did, he wouldn’t be here.”

Louie is recovering after surgery to remove the bullet from his neck. “I’m one sore pup who’s glad to be out of surgery and resting,” says a post on his Facebook page this afternoon. “Please pray for my people as they recover in the hospital (especially Ken who is in critical care), for the other shooting victims, and for my brother Jackson Comfort Dog, who is already home after being shot in the ear flap.”

“We are very grateful that these victims do not appear to have life-threatening wounds because of this act,” Joplin Mayor Mike Seibert said at a press conference today.

‘I’m Friendly. Please Pet Me.’

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs, based in Northbrook, Ill., sends therapy dogs from around the U.S. to areas where tragedies and disasters have occurred, as well as to local churches, hospitals and nursing homes.

The dogs are available for anyone who needs a hug or absorbent fur for their tears. Their vests have the invitation, “I’m Friendly. Please pet me.”

To make a donation to help pay the travel expenses to bring LCC dogs to visit their brethren in Joplin, visit the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs website.

Photo via Facebook

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