Therapy Dogs at Brodancroft

Do not underestimate the joy that your dog can bring to the lives of others. Imagine if you never got to see or cuddle a dog, how happy you would be to meet a volunteer who is sharing his or her friendly dog with you for a while.

Therapy dog visits may take place at such care facilities as hospitals, retirement communities, nursing homes, treatment or rehabilitation centers, and children’s care facilities, as well as other diverse settings where people may benefit from the calming effect of animals.

Much has been said about the benefits that people reap from interaction with animals. Pet assisted therapy can increase people’s emotional well being by reducing isolation, stimulating conversation, enabling nonverbal communication and physical contact, breaking daily routines, encouraging physical activity, creating a focus of attention beyond one’s self, taking one’s mind off one’s troubles, and providing recreation just to name a few benefits. Animals are nonjudgmental and supply unconditional love, and those they visit enjoy a sense of acceptance and affection.

Do you have it in your heart to volunteer? There are organizations that test and certify dogs for their suitability for these animal assisted activities. For more information, visit www.deltasociety.org or www.tdi-dog.org .

The Therapy Dogs International TDIAOV title recognizes Therapy Dog International Active Outstanding Volunteers who have documented at least 150 therapy dog visits. Our Mastiff Harry has dedicated many hundreds of hours of service as a friend to people in long-term care facilities and serves as a proud ambassador of the breed. His service began in 2002 at the Hunterdon Care Center in Flemington New Jersey and he continues today at the Rockingham County Nursing Home in Brentwood, New Hampshire. We are so grateful for all the wonderful and inspirational friendships that we have made over Harry's last four years of service as a therapy dog. Harry's latest endeavor has been to institute a Children Reading To Dogs at our local library program with his buddy Puddin. This program has proven to be very popular and inspires young reluctant readers to read books aloud to the dogs. Thank you Carol Sanborn, Children's Librarian of the Hampton Falls Public Library, for helping us to create this environment for young readers.

Harry is extremely people oriented and is as excited to meet his 25th new friend of the day as he is to meet his first great old buddy. We joke that he should sweep the floors clean with his constantly wagging tail. We are so fortunate to have a dog like Harry to share with people who love him so. Thank you Kristen Dixon for breeding this amazing dog and trusting him to our care.

Our French Bulldog Puddin has attained her TDIA title recognizing at least 50 documented therapy dog visits and is well on her way to the highest title offered by TDI, the TDIAOV recognizing 150 visits. Her service began in 2003 at the Hunterdon Care Center in Flemington New Jersey and he continues today at the Rockingham County Nursing Home in Brentwood, New Hampshire.

Puddin is a gentle charmer that is always ready to love and be loved. She can often be found cuddling up on the residents' beds at the nursing home that we visit. Thank you Shauna Woodruff for sending us this cuddly sweetheart so we can share her with so many people who enjoy her company and cuteness!

Puddin joins her buddy Harry in creating a Children Reading To Dogs program at our local library, which helps to inspire young children to read aloud to a non-judgmental audience, the dogs.

Our other previously active therapy dogs include Plato and Ike. We now do therapy visits with Violet.