Canine Therapeutic Visitation Service

[Svnt4God]

I am Sooooo excited.  I am finally launching my Canine Therapeutic Visitation services with my "puppies".  I am mainly going to be focusing on Senior Citizen communities and going there on Saturdays or Sundays and just hanging out with them in the activities room or in their own room privately, allowing them to interact with my dogs.

I have started emailing and faxing Senior centers and have received two contacts that want me to start my services right away.  This is a completely volunteer service ... my payment is the happiness and satisfaction that it will bring to the Seniors, to my dogs, and to myself.

So, starting this Sunday afternoon, I will be going to Westminster Terrace, just a mile down the street from my home. Then on next Saturday, March 25th, I have two locations to visit (hopefully more by that time).

This service has been a life long passion of mine.  My love for senior citizens is almost as strong for my love for my pets.  The service that I am offering allows Seniors, that have given up their own furry loved ones because they could no longer take care of them, (or could not take them with them to a Senior Citizen Community) to have a little bit of love and compassion restored again from a furry friend.   Some seniors do not have any outside human visitors at all ... this will give them the human contact that they so desperately need also.

I have just recently become a member of a Nationwide organization called Therapy Dogs, Inc.  This service has evaluated both of my dogs and my dogs have passed their tests to become a Therapy Dog through them.  With this membership, certification and recognization, this will open up more doors to me to bring my dogs to more facilities.

I am also hoping to get involved with mentally and physically disabled children and adults in the future.

You can check out my website at :
http://home.socal.rr.com/bjlaird/therapydog.html

I will let you know how the visits go.
 

Sincerely,

Barbara Laird
http://home.socal.rr.com/bjlaird/therapydog.html

[roxygirl]

That is great news!! Congratulation s on fulfilling a dream Please let us all know how it goes.
Kim

[nostaw]

Brilliant, well done

Andy

[newflvr]

Wow, Barbara, fantastic!  I have been trying to figure out 'work' for Cowboy and I since he got his TDI last spring.  He had a tough summer, healthwise, but he's good now.  We're in So Cal as well (but in the Torrance area) and you've inspired me to try nursing homes.  We were turned down, sight unseen, by our local hospital who said they didn't want giant, drooling dogs around their patients.  That put me off....but you've reinspired me!

Thanks!!

[NoDogNow]

Not only are you the ANTI GGR GODDESS doing good for all big dogs in the whole southwest, but you're the TDI Queen of Orange County! 

Barb, you have to be one of the five nicest people in the whole Southland 

[Svnt4God]

Awww... don't be fooled.  Three's gotta be more than FIVE nice people in the Southland.  If there really IS only five ... I'm certainly NOT on that Top Five list.

 

[Svnt4God]

Wow, Barbara, fantastic!  I have been trying to figure out 'work' for Cowboy and I since he got his TDI last spring.  He had a tough summer, healthwise, but he's good now.  We're in So Cal as well (but in the Torrance area) and you've inspired me to try nursing homes.  We were turned down, sight unseen, by our local hospital who said they didn't want giant, drooling dogs around their patients.  That put me off....but you've reinspired me!

Thanks!!

You may also want to try working with Children.  Look into seeing if the schools and librarys in your area has a "Reading to Dogs" program.   Since your dogs are pretty content with just "laying around" that might be a great Therapy program for you.  Plus ... kids are fun to watch when they've been drooooooled on.