David Frei with Ern Damon, Lilo & Tucker, Lily and me
David Frei, known to many fans and viewers as the co-host of the annual telecast of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden, was in Newtown, Connecticut, yesterday as the emcee of the town’s special Thank You Event to the 70 Therapy Dogs that came to Newtown in the wake of the horrible tragedy on December 14, 2012.
State and local officials were in attendance and worked through the crowd of an estimated 200 people to personally thank the therapy dog handlers and to hug these sweet, gentle dogs themselves.
Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc. was represented by the three teams that drove to Newtown on the Wednesday after the shootings. Newfoundland Gus, Great Danes Lilo and Tucker, and my English Setter Lily received hundreds of hugs and kisses from children and their parents. High School students who had hugged our Bright Spot therapy dogs for hours in the High School lobby, came over to see the dogs that had brought them so much comfort that day.
Bright Spot Team Gus and Nancy LaFountain-Blow
When Bright Spot was called to the podium to be personally thanked and cheered on by a sea of onlookers, I was so proud that our special Bright Spots had been apart of the response in December. One parent told us that of all the kindnesses that have been bestowed upon the folks of Newtown, the presence of the therapy dogs has been what has made a difference.
On a personal note, I was so very proud of my Lily, still a young English Setter at 4 years. Born in Wisconsin, she spent the first two years of her life in Italy, and ended here at Bridgvale Farm in western Massachusetts. She and I have been training very hard these past two years for her role as a therapy dog. In this short time, she has proven herself many times over… offering comfort and caring wherever needed. She will never make it to the Westminster Dog Show, but when she and I stood with David Frei for a photo, he pet her head saying, What a sweet, pretty girl you are. That’s good enough for me!
When Lily and I returned home, we were both exhausted. I lay on the couch and Lily gently came up and lay along side me, her head resting on my chest. This morning, she is back out romping in the hayfield. The last time I looked out to check on her, she was loping across the field, a snake dangling from her mouth! Back to country life!
I am forever in awe of the amazing volunteers we have in Bright Spot Therapy Dogs. They give countless hours of their time to share the love of their wonderful dogs with others. A Very Special Thank You to Nancy LaFountain-Blow, Gus’ teammate, and Ern Damon, Lilo & Tucker’s teammate, for answering the call…. to bring comfort and caring to the folks in Newtown in their time of need.
, is the founder of Angel On a Leash.