CASD Therapy Dog Teams are our gift to the community and the people who have backed us from the moment we started our mission. Under the direction of Jeanne Maxon, our therapy program has expanded from a couple of pups to more than three dozen handlers and dogs.
Our teams regularly visit more than 20 facilities, bringing delighted smiles to elderly patients and enthusiastic children alike. Last year, our teams logged more than 1,000 hours making their goodwill visits to:
√ Lighten the mood of patients, staff and families in health facilities
√ Take patients’ minds off the enormity of their problems
√ Ease college students’ stress during finals
√ Inspire elementary school readers to gain confidence
√ Bring delighted smiles to the elderly and infirm
Our therapy dogs come in all ages, sizes and shapes. We have everything from a tiny Pomeranian to a 100-pound Bernese Mountain Dog. We even have a hairless Chinese Crested with three legs that survived terrible abuse. His jovial attitude helps people look beyond their personal challenges.
Therapy dogs are very different from service dogs. Service dogs serve one handler and have the legal right to be in public places. Therapy dogs do not. Wherever they go, they are invited guests.
All our therapy dog teams go through our training program and certification test to be sure they are obedient, responsive to their handlers, well groomed, and safe to be around all kinds of people, including children and vulnerable adults.
For information on joining our team, contact Jeanne Maxon at jmmaxon@atmc.net.
