Last Saturday, eleven teams of Bright Spot Therapy Dogs gathered at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, to spend the afternoon with the soldiers who live there. King and I were among the teams who signed up for the visit. We all made rounds of the entire facility, ending up at the Canteen, as a central location.
This is the third of the monthly visits organized by Bright Spot volunteer and therapy dog trainer Dawn Kimball. Dawn has been visiting at the Soldiers Home for the past eight years with her Bright Spot Therapy Dogs Gus and Winston. She has dreamt of the day when the Home would allow a group of our therapy dogs to come together to brighten the day for so many of the soldiers who live there.
On Saturday afternoons, many family members are visiting their loved ones at the Home. The Canteen is their big gathering spot. The dogs make a huge hit.
From the positive feedback Dawn has been receiving after each visit, it looks like Bright Spot Therapy Dogs may become a monthly gig on the calendar. Everyone wants the wonderful therapy dogs back!