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Local Dog Quickly Learned to be a “Therapy Dog”

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A couple of years ago, right before Christmas, Jan and Dick adopted an 8 week old Maltipoo. They named her Bitsy and immediately fell in love with her great disposition.
A month after Christmas, Dick had a stroke and was hospitalized for a long period of time. Jan began to think that maybe getting a puppy just then was not such a good idea, but Dick said it was perfect: it gave them someone to come home to instead of a quiet house.
Now this is the point where the friends and neighbors come in. Housebreaking the puppy became a team effort. She learned fast and was loved by all. Everybody wanted to be in on the act. Jan had no problem recruiting volunteers to walk Bitsy when she couldn’t be there. Little did they know that they were also helping to socialize her and prepare her for her future “career”.
Earlier this year, Dick was again hospitalized and went to John Knox Rehab for 4 months. Bitsy was allowed to visit him and became a hit among the patients on his floor. Everyone wanted to hold her and pet her. She loved it!
Obviously, Bitsy was meant to be a Therapy Dog. She grew up around a wheelchair and a walker and medical equipment and never seemed bothered by it. She learned a long time ago to stay out of the way and not trip her “daddy”. The only thing left was for her to have some training and become “official”.
Bitsy graduated with Class #16 of Tranquil Pawz Therapy Dogs right before Thanksgiving. This Christmas, she is a little dog with BIG plans for the New Year. One of those plans is to once again visit John Knox Rehab…officially…as a Registered Therapy Dog.
For more information about Therapy Dog training contact Charlotte Swindell at (352)568-7762 or aggybaby2@atlantic.n

Thank you Mary Evermann for submitting this article and photo.