Cynthia Hinckley, executive director of Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, along with volunteers Mary Ellen Smith and Megan Marshall pose with their dogs Lily, a blue belton English Setter, Finn, a white Golden Retriever, and Cadence, an Australian Labradoodle.
Twenty-two Bright Spot Therapy Dogs and their handlers gathered at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Hadley last Saturday for our 2nd annual FUN DAY WITH DOGS.
It was a terrific event designed to educate people about the meaningful work therapy dogs do, showcasing a variety of dog breeds and mixed-breeds – some seldom seen, and introduce people to fun activities they can do with their own dogs, like agility and tricks, specialized therapy dog work like Hope Crisis Response, and Reading Buddies.
Bright Spot therapy dog trainer Michell Karb talks with a shopper about getting her dog certified.
Shoppers walking through the entrance of Barnes & Noble first stopped at our Bright Spot information booth where they were handed a list of the FUN DAY WITH DOGS activities happening throughout the store.
Many shoppers hung out for several hours spending time meeting each of the therapy dogs working at the event. Some shoppers left for awhile and came back for more…
Who could resist spending time with little Peanut?
Peanut greets shoppers as they walk around the store.
Or our tiniest pup Jeanne with her over-sized ears?
Our tiniest Bright Spot Jeanne is an attention-getter with her over-sized ears.
And, gentle Kaezli, the biggest girl at the event.
Bernese Mountain Dog Kaezli, our largest dog at the event, is such a gentle loving dog who is a Bright Spot Reading Buddy for young children learning to read, as well as a participant in our therapy dog stress-relief events on college campuses
There was something for every age group. For those interested in getting their dog certified as a therapy dog, they had the opportunity to talk with volunteers at our information booth who explained the steps one goes through to become a certified Bright Spot Team.
This young shopper loved petting Bright Spot Jake who was handled by his owner JoAnn Bernhard.
Many interested folks said they were going home to sign up for our last Therapy Dog Training Class of 2016 running December 4 and 11. For more information about certification and signing up for this class, or an upcoming class in 2017, visit our website.
Check out more photos from our FUN DAY WITH DOGS on our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs Facebook page.