Our first day at the Mayo Clinic

Our first day volunteering with Mayo Clinic's Caring Canines program. It's a humbling place where hopefully we can bring some smiles to both patients and staff. Cora made herself right at home in the Radiation and Chemo area where we are assigned. Even the most leery eyed gentlemen broke into a grin when she demonstrated her "hookie pookie"and then gave a big salute. We then wandered into a waiting room filled with new members of the "glow club". These are the people waiting to receive a tour of the area that they will receive their radiation treatments. I sat down next to a woman who's face was marked with fear. Cora laid down at her feet and I could hear her sigh of relief as she reached down and started petting Cora. She told me that Cora's presence made the waiting a little more bearable. I asked God as we drove down the long drive to the Mayo to "walk with me" and give me the strength that I needed to be a volunteer and handler for Cora with this program. He did more than that, he sent two special angels to be by my side, my Mother and Grandmother.

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Origin of Therapy Dogs

Cora the Therapy Dog I have been wondering for a while now just "who" the person was that initiated the concept of therapy dogs. Found this article to be quite informative from "Wikipedia" and wanted to share with all of our readers. "During World War II, under combat operations against Japanese forces on the island of New Guinea, Corporal William Wynne came into possession of a young adult Yorkshire Terrier abandoned on the battlefield. He named the female dog Smoky . Smoky accompanied Wynne on numerous combat missions, provided comfort and entertainment for troops, and even assisted the Signal Corps in running a telegraph cable through an underground pipe, completing in minutes what might have been a dangerous, three-day construction job which would have exposed men and equipment to enemy bombers. Smoky's service as a therapy dog began when Corporal Wynne was hospitalized for a jungle disease. As Wynne recovered, Wynne's Army pals br...

Happy Valentine's Day

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a41774d7a6b344d6a593d0d0a&blogview=true The link above is a short slideshow with one of my favorite songs, my favorite dog and my heart's work as a Therapy Dog handler. Happy Valentine's Day to Everyone, may the heart of an animal touch you today!

Therapy Dog Journey

Question is always the same. How did you get your dog to become a Therapy Dog. Answer is never short. I begin telling them that Cora was a rescue, 1 yr of age and a victim of neglect and abuse. Started out with some home loving, good food and socialization skills. Then off to the local PetSmart where I met with the trainer. Julie Eskoff introduced me to the world of dogs like I'd never known. Several classes under our belts and we applied to be tested for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. After passing that Cora and I were elvaluated for "divine canines" a therapy dog group out of Austin, TX that we hold near to our hearts. We passed our evaluation after 6 weeks of training at the Austin State Hospital. For the next 2 years Cora and I visited Life Skill classrooms and worked with the most wonderful special needs children. We were also welcomed at a local Alzhiemers unit weekly. There the residents became young men and women, t...

Cora's Magic

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