A Registered Therapy Dog
Sep 30 2010
PETA just created a website for those of you who are interested in animal friendly products. Here is the website and link www.caringconsumer.com or http://origin.www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/default.aspx.
Sep 29 2010
When Coco and I visit with children, or senior citizens, I usually get asked this question. “Why is Coco a therapy dog, and how does she differ from other dogs that help people?” This article will clear up any confusion that you may have. Basically, these dogs are divided into two groups. The first is assistance dogs and the second is therapy dogs.
Assistance dogs are trained to help a disabled person in their daily life. Many of these dogs are trained by a specific organization. Others are trained only by their handler, or by a professional trainer. There are the three types of assistance dogs:
It takes a lot of time, and a lot of money to train an assistance dog. The people who need assistance are usually elderly, handicapped, or recently injured soldiers returning from war. Many people cannot afford to pay the thousands of dollars necessary to train an animal. For more information about assistance dogs, you can visit www.assistancedogsinternational.org.
But, there are several local organizations, such as NEAFA, that help connect animals with the people who need them. NEAFA stands for New England Art For Animals. This non-profit group of artists contribute a percentage of the profits from their paintings to raise money for these animals to receive the training to become assistance dogs. If you want more information, the website is www.neartsforanimals.org .
Therapy dogs are very different from assistance dogs. They are usually personal pets trained by organizations to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and disaster areas. Some dogs, like Coco, receive additional training. Coco and I also have our registered reading partnership certification. This allows us to visit schools and libraries where children practice reading aloud to us. Many children are self conscious about there reading skills and we provide a safe non-judgmental way for them to practice. For more information about therapy dogs, like Coco, please visit www.tdi-dog.org, or her website at www.cocochaneltherapydog.com.
There is also a difference in the legal rights of these dogs, where they can visit, and what they can do. Assistance Dogs are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and can go most public places including restaurants. In Massachusetts, they are even allowed on the subway! But, therapy dogs are not protected by any federal laws and must be invited in order to visit a hospital, library, or school.
In summary, guide, service, and hearing dogs are trained to help disabled people in their daily life. Therapy dogs, like Coco, provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and retirement homes. Maybe someday, you will be fortunate enough to meet a therapy dog and watch it make a difference in someone’s life.
Sep 29 2010
Sep 29 2010
Sep 25 2010
Please check out this link for more pet safety information. http://www.youtube.com/user/BeSmartRideSafe#p/f/3/F458CYI6m9s
Sep 23 2010
Here is some info on how to care for a deaf animal. Hope you find it helpful. http://www.petside.com/health/pets-with-disabilities-series-deaf-pets.php
Sep 23 2010
Sep 22 2010
Check out this link for more info.
Sep 19 2010
For the latest info on pet safety, please visit www.besmartridesafe.com.
Sep 18 2010
Please visit this website at www.BringFido.com before you travel. It is full of useful info on pet friendly airlines, hotels, and restaurants.