Most of you know about my special Therapy Dog Deacon (Labradoodle)! A therapy dog is a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, people with learning difficulties, and stressful situations, such as disaster areas.
Therapy dogs come in all sizes and breeds. The most important characteristic of a therapy dog is its temperament. A good therapy dog must be friendly, patient, confident, gentle, and at ease in all situations. Therapy dogs must enjoy human contact and be content to be petted and handled, sometimes clumsily.
A therapy dog's primary job is to allow unfamiliar people to make physical contact with it and to enjoy that contact. Children in particular enjoy hugging animals; adults usually enjoy simply petting the dog. The dog might need to be lifted onto, or climb onto, an individual's lap or bed and sit or lie comfortably there. In hospice environments, therapy dogs can play a role in palliative care by reducing death anxiety.
Deacon is a tremendous blessing to me and it is my goal for him to be a blessing to others. Currently, he volunteers at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in the emergency room and on the private floors in patient rooms. He also volunteers at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital as well as nursing homes, schools and libraries.
Deacon will surely offer me comfort in the days ahead. He will be my constant companion and friend!
2 Kings 8:13
Hazael said, "How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat?" "The LORD has shown me that you will become king of Aram," answered Elisha.
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