Bright Spot Therapy Dogs Lily, Tucker, Lilo, and Gus in Newtown.
We are very excited to participate in the Whole Community Preparedness Summit Conference at UMass next Wednesday, May 22, 2013. This is an emerging field for therapy dogs. We are eager to talk with professionals involved in this field and gain important information to guide us in preparing our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs Emergency Response Initiative.
Five Bright Spot volunteers will attend the conference. We will be bringing 4 therapy dogs. Several of us have been involved with the recent tragedies in Newtown, Connecticut, and Boston, Massachusetts. We have seen firsthand the benefit of bringing our therapy dogs to comfort those in need during these devastating times.
I will write in detail about our experience at the conference. I, unfortunately, must leave my therapy dog Lily at home because I just had surgery on my hand, restricting the handling of my dogs to the confines of the farm and our fenced-in backfield for the next few weeks. Lily did an outstanding job in Newtown, but Bright Spot Therapy Dogs will be well-represented by Newfoundland Gus, Great Danes Lilo and Tucker – all who went to Newtown, and Mix-Breed Chief who is visiting those who were injured in the Boston Marathon as they recover in the hospital. Newfoundland Gus responded to the needs of those effected by the tragedy in Boston, as well.