Path of Shadows and Light

Cora and I returned to Mayo today after a few weeks on sabbatical. Entering the unit we found all new faces, many just beginning to walk the path to a hopeful cure. Smiles broke out on their faces as
this tail-wagging Caring Canine made her way to greet them one by one. "What does she do here?" was voiced by one gentlemen. We've had this question posed several times before, so I didn't hesitate to answer. "Well, she shares her heart with anyone that needs to smile, laugh or be touched by a "heeling spirit".

In the treatment area we met a little girl that was there waiting for her Grandmother, who was receiving radiation therapy. She giggled and ran over to Cora throwing her arms around her. Together they played with the piano book and bowling set, both crawling under the chairs to find the ball. How much fun is that, to come to a hospital and actually be able to play with a four-legged friend! It was a good day, one that our new friends will remember in the course of their treatment. Therapy dogs provide an avenue of unconditional love.

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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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