Paws and kisses spread comfort and love
Sweet Pea and Roscoe love their outings spreading love and comfort.
Roscoe and Sweet Pea, owned by siblings Hal Quinn and Karen Ferguson of Lake Wylie, respectively, are registered therapy dogs. They have met requirements of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which provides support and liability insurance to members, assuring officials of the care settings, colleges, airports and other places these dogs are vaccinated and well-socialized therapy ambassadors.
Pet therapy teams visit Charlotte-Douglas International Airport greeting harried travelers. In fact, Roscoe and Sweet Pea have personalized leash sleeves from there.
Pets offer encouragement to stressed out college students facing final exams. They also spread cheer at retirement facilities and nursing homes.
Sweet Pea, now 12, is a retired racing greyhound Ferguson adopted several years ago. She’s a member of Greyhound Friends of North Carolina, which finds homes for retired racers.
“Sweet Pea was a washout as a racer,” Karen said on a recent visit to White Oak Manor in York.
But she’s a champ as a therapy pet, Ferguson said as she watched Sweet Pea stand gracefully as residents petted and played with her.
“Pet therapy is very good for relieving stress,” Ferguson said. “We enjoy it, too.”
Sweet Pea and Roscoe, along with other local therapy dogs and their people, regularly visit White Oak Manor in York and Lake Wylie Assisted Living.
Keon Love, a member of the activities staff at White Oak, said the residents and staff enjoy the visits. After checking in, the dogs and people stroll the halls and ask if residents want the dogs to visit. If so, they’ll enter the rooms, where residents enjoy stroking their fur and receiving an occasional doggie kiss.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Love said of the visits. “It just makes them light up when the dogs come around.”
A Lake Wylie Assisted Living resident shared stories of his own hunting dogs with Hal while Roscoe, a foxhound who looks like a stretch version of a beagle, nuzzled his hands.
“That’s a fine hound there,” the resident said.
Roscoe never had much luck chasing rabbits.
“He was a failure as a hunter,” Hal said. “He’s scared of fireworks, so at the sound of a gun ... well, you figure.”
But Hal adopted Roscoe, now 4, and Roscoe makes friends everywhere he visits.
Other pet owners agreed. Paco, a “chiweenie” dachshund-Chihuahua mix, and Chihuahua Sara, are owned by Judy Brown and Maxine German or Rock Hill, respectively. Paco sometimes dresses in costume while tiny Sara enjoys being petted as she completes her training.
Marita Copeland rescued her mixed breed, Carly Rose, from an animal shelter. Her furry, rather strange-looking white pal brought delighted stares as one resident wondered, “Just what is that dog?”
“She’s a people dog,” Copeland replied with a scratch of Carly’s mismatched, white and brown ears.
Many residents enjoy reminiscing.
“We had dogs all my life,” said a gentleman at Lake Wylie. “So it’s nice to see these dogs.”
Therapy dog shortage
Locally, Ferguson said, there are not enough people and pets trained and evaluated for therapy.
“We get two or three new calls a month” from facilities wanting to arrange visits, she said.
To be registered by ATD, a dog must be at least one year old, be healthy and well-mannered, and enjoy contact with people and other dogs.
They also must be vaccinated for rabies, and pass tests and evaluation by an ATD Tester/Observer such as Ferguson.
There is no particular breed or size dog best suited for pet therapy, she said.
“It’s temperament more than training,” Ferguson said. “As long as they can behave and enjoy other dogs and people, they might be just right.”
Unsocialized or aggressive dogs would be unsuitable, she said.
“But there are so many people with dogs who would enjoy this,” she said.
People who care about other people and pets are what are wanted, she said.
“This is so rewarding, for us, for our dogs and for the people they visit,” Ferguson said. “I just know there are lots of people who would love doing this.”
Want to know more?
The Alliance of Therapy Dogs is one of many organizations promoting Animal Assisted Therapy. Substantial scientific evidence suggests the physical and mental benefits of animal assisted therapy apply to handlers, the people visited and the animals themselves.
These dogs provide comfort and affection only. To find out more or to become certified, email FergieQ@aol.com or visit therapydogs.com.
This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Paws and kisses spread comfort and love."