Pre-Kindergartners greet Lilo when she arrives for reading time.
I am preparing a talk for Stonehill College on April 5, 2013. Along with my oral presentation on the Bond Between People and Dogs as Seen Through Visits with Therapy Dogs, I am preparing a slideshow and display showcasing photos our volunteer Therapy Dogs in action.
Pre-K teacher Sarah gets a special hug from Lilo before the reading begins.
Today, I went to the Westhampton Elementary School to observe therapy dog Lilo, one of volunteer Ern Damon’s gentle Great Danes, in her role as a Bright Spot Reading Buddy for third graders and pre-kindergarteners. It was fun to be behind the camera lens, observing the reading program in action, as opposed to being a volunteer participant with one of my two therapy dogs – Lily, an English Setter, and Violet, an Australian Labradoodle – who are Bright Spot Reading Buddies with WES first and second graders on Tuesdays and fourth and fifth graders on Thursdays.
Pre-K child reads to Lilo
In addition, Lilo (also Ern’s therapy dog Tucker), Lily and Violet, are Reading Buddies at our newly established Bright Spot Reading Buddies Program at the Hilltown Charter School in Haydenville, MA. I hope to get over to Hilltown, as well, to snap some photos of our wonderful Bright Spot Therapy Dogs listening to the young readers (grades K-1 and 2-3) read their books to the dogs.
Third grader pets Lilo after reading his book.
Through the years, I have managed to take some wonderful photos of our therapy dogs visiting in healthcare facilities. These photos – actually all photos – are not easy to come by. Every photo we use for Bright Spot Therapy Dogs (and for my blog Say Hello Spot) needs to have our official photo release form signed, allowing our use of the photo. For the most part, this is not a problem at all. Most folks love having their photo in our therapy dog publications and on our website. Photos are so important. Photos showing the meaningful work of our therapy dogs are worth a thousand words!