Last Saturday I went on a therapy dog visit with Teckla Schlaich. She has a German Sheppard named Bridget who is six years old. Schlaich said she wanted to make Bridget into a therapy dog because she saw the benefits the animals had on her mother when she was in the hospital. For right now Bridget is only visiting elderly housing facilities. The place we went to was about thirty minutes from my house but not located in a very nice area. Considering the downfall of the area, the building was very kept up and secure. I think it was about 15 or so floors and had a great big dining room and sitting area. We visited the second floor which is more of the hospital area with around the clock care. We went from room to room, some people were more into petting the dogs then others but it seemed that everyone liked Bridget. As we made out way around the floor I found myself in what looked to be like an art room. There were about seven or eight people working on Easter decorations. Some more able-bodied than others, but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. This is where we met a woman who was the most friendly to German Sheppard. She even carried around dog biscuits even though she did not have a dog! We must have chatted with her for forty-five minutes as she went on and on about the dogs she had and found out more information about us. As we left the woman she made sure to find out when Bridget would be visiting again and told us she would be waiting. As we walked back to the car I realized how much these visits really do mean to the people who live in the home. Some don't have any family that come visit them and these therapy dog sessions are the highlight of their week. Even if just one person says they appreciate the visit that is enough to keep going back week after week. This has made me consider making my dog into a therapy dog sometime in the next couple of years. Hopefully she can impact the lives of people just as Bridget has.
No comments:
Post a Comment