Last November, we wrote a story about Roxie, a beautiful Golden Retriever who is being raised to become a therapy dog. Roxie will turn 1 year old on May 21st and Sharon Newman, her owner and handler, states that she is growing and maturing beautifully and that her training is progressing well. She hopes that Roxie will pass her Lend A Paw Certification in July. But in the meantime, she tries to expose Roxie to as many people and situations as possible. Here is her account of a wonderful encounter:
Today we were walking our usual route through my neighborhood and, once again, came upon a resident of the Headway House, a residence for adults with brain traumas. A gentleman was sitting outside in his wheelchair waiting for the arrival of the Access Paratransit van to give him a ride. We stopped to visit with him. The man, who introduced himself as Kim, immediately reached out to pet Roxie. She greeted him calmly but with enthusiasm. Kim's face lit up as he petted her and he became very talkative.
It was very evident from his reaction how much joy and comfort our dogs bring to people. Kim was sitting and staring off at nothing, tuned out to the world around him. The moment Roxie approached him, his world came alive again. It's what we've all witnessed and why we continue to volunteer as therapy dog handlers.
Photo and Story by Sharon Newman
No comments:
Post a Comment