Cora is registered with Pet Partners as a Therapy Dog and sometimes that means working outside the norm. This past week we took a fun trip to the Zoo and talked with 25 8th grade students that are interested in veterinary medicine. Dr Molander from Banfield Vet Clinic was there to educate the young people on what it takes to be a Vet and used Cora a a model for examining an animal. Cora was a rock star throughout the exam and even stood still for the eager students to listen with their stethoscopes to her heartbeat! Add another job description to what a therapy dog does. In this case, Cora became a teacher to these young people, who where eager to learn about the training and work that a Therapy Dog undertakes.
Cora and I had a busy 2 days at Mayo this week. It's always brings a smile to my face when I see the positive reception that is given to us by the patients and their families. Today brought not only that big smile, but also, filled my heart with pride. A gentleman that was waiting for his radiation treatment had several questions about therapy dogs and how they functioned in the medical setting. After several minutes of telling him about the training involved and how we volunteer our time with the dogs, he looked down at Cora who was stretched out across his feet and said, "You are heroes, to be sharing in our moment of weakness"! Wow, I never would have imagined anyone calling us a hero. Looking up the true definition, it states, "a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act". Strange thing is that I look at these patients and draw strength from them. They stare cancer in the face, ...


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