Touched by an Angel

Caring Canine Cora

Cora had a full day today at Mayo Hospital Speciality Building. So many friends it was hard to decide which direction to take, so I let her decide. But one by one she took on the entire room of our friends waiting for treatment with a tail that never stopped wagging and eyes and ears waiting for the next person to happily call her to their side. We celebrated a "bell ringing" today to mark the last day of treatment for a special friend. At the check in desk a small piece of paper was wrapped around 2 dog biscuits with Cora's name from an admirer. We met again with an ex military young man that dubbed Cora as a "morale booster". Visiting with our "special hat Lady" certainly boosted both her and our spirits as she prompted Cora into a "bottoms up"! We had 2 special requests today as we were ready to leave. One of our friends was now an inpatient and was missing his dog at home. Could we wait until after his treatment and spend a few minutes with him, "Certainly, we can"! Cora walked over to his wheelchair and sat beside him. Petting her, he began to tell me that his dog Scooter was the same color as Cora. He thanked us and we began to leave, but were stopped by another staff member asking for a few more minutes of Cora's time with a patient. So many encounters, so many stories, all the same outcome. Touched by an angel, "a therapy dog"! God made some of his angels with paws instead of wings!

Cora outside of Mayo Hospital

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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...

Bowling for Smiles!

Cora arrived today at the Mayo wearing her new red collar and full of holiday spirit as she tapped the "jingle bells" in perfect rhythm with her paws. For the first time, I actually heard true laughter from several people in the waiting area. One woman laughed so hard and long that it actually brought tears to her eyes. Her first visit was today at the Clinic and she said "it felt good to have a good laugh". We brought with us today what will be now referred to as "Cora's Cart". Inside the wheeled bag are all of her favorite things to share with her friends. We brought out the puzzle next and hid her treats in the wells. Cora quickly solved the puzzle and was rewarded with her favorite treats. The people seated in the area clapped and giggled watching her "take a bow" for her efforts. Ever seen a dog bowl? Well, ask Cora to do that and you'll find a room full eager watchers. I set up 5 pins and placed the ball a sho...

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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