I have been volunteering for Creature Comfort Pet Therapy since December 2018. Three of my Labradors are certified therapy dogs with CCPT and I have completed 152 visits with them in just over 1 year. They are wonderful teammates ranging in age from 3 years old to 13 years old. We have visited hospitals, nursing homes, schools, mental health facilities, adult day care facilities, colleges/universities, public libraries where children read to the dogs, cancer treatment facilities, and rehabilitation centers. The dogs instantly bring smiles and joy to each person they meet on therapy visits, which is why our team is called The Labrador Smile Retrievers. They retrieve smiles on every visit!
One particular visit truly shows the importance of pet therapy visits. I was told that a woman with dementia had not smiled or engaged in social activities for quite some time. However, when she stroked the soft fur of my therapy dog, a smile lit up her face and she stayed engaged during our hour-long visit that was filled with dog tricks, petting the dog, and listening to stories about the dogs.
We will be walking to raise funds for this wonderful organization during the month of October. Please take a moment to learn more about CCPT via the link and thank you in advance for any donations!
With thanks,
Fran and The Labrador Smile Retrievers (Gracie, Keira, & Bonnie)