Say Hello Spot

Living and working with therapy dogs

Main navigation

You are here: Home / Archives for At Work

At Work

TEACH and FARGO: Hospice Care Visits

By

therapy dogs ,english setters, hospice visits

With their Bright Spot vests and badges on, Teach and Fargo are ready to visit

After our move to South Carolina a year ago, we started visiting hospice patients yesterday.

Al and I are volunteering through Agape, a hospice care organization that covers many states throughout the South. We have been assigned ten wonderful folks to visit at a local assisted living facility near our home.

Teach and Fargo were beyond excited to don their blue Bright Spot vests and jump in the car.

We were so proud of these two – heading into a new visiting location after a long hiatus from their visiting routine. Al and I had expected to separate the two dogs while we visited different people, but Teach and Fargo just naturally worked so well together that we followed their lead.

Lots of smiles and laughter, with one patient speaking to Fargo when she hadn’t spoken in months.

My heart fills with joy just standing at the other end of the lead watching our dogs bring such happiness to these folks. We’ll be back next Tuesday, we told each patient. To which each was so pleased to hear. It feels so good to be back doing our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs visiting once again.

 

 

Pet Therapy: Friday’s Topic on Coffee and Chat with Quan

By

 It was my pleasure to be the guest speaker Friday morning for Coffee and Chat with Quan.

Quan Brewington is the Community Liason for Caregiver Homes of western Massachusetts. The subject of my chat was The Magic of Pet Therapy and Pet Ownership.

Caregiver Homes is an Adult Family Care or Adult Foster Care Program.

It is an NCQA accredited MassHealth program for age 16 or older who cannot safely live alone due to medical, physical, cognitive or behavioral health difficulties. Caregiver Homes provides bi-monthly stipend to live-in caregivers. They support the family through a professional team (Registered Nurse and Case Manager) to support the caregiver in the home, as they’re caring for their loved ones.  They currently have a little over 700 families in western Massachusetts that they support.

One aspect of Quan’s multifaceted role as a Community Liaison with Caregiver Homes is to engage with other community agencies and help connect her case managers and nurses to resources so that they in turn can help families that need assistance.

My therapy dog TEACH sat by my side during the webinar

In thinking of ways to reach out to the people she works with, Quan decided to start holding a monthly mini webinar on a topic of interest to heath care workers. She gave the webinar series the catchy name of Coffee and Chat with Quan. She wanted to launch her new Friday morning series with an uplifting topic. My name came up in topic discussions. I happily accepted. What more uplifting topic to discuss than the happiness dogs bring into to the lives of those they interact with.

With my twenty-nine years of experience living and working with therapy dogs, I had plenty to talk about.

Nine of my dogs have been Bright Spot Therapy Dogs and together we have made over 30,000 visits to assisted living facilities, Alzheimer’s units, mental health facilities, and hospice care, preschools, elementary schools, colleges, libraries, and an airport. Wherever a therapy dog goes, he or she offers unconditional love and companionship. With every single visit I have made with one of my therapy dogs, I have left knowing that I have made at least one person feel happier, less lonely, and comforted. There is no greater joy than watching one of my dogs work his or her magic as I stand at the other end of the leash.

Quan is an excellent interviewer and the time flew by too quickly. It was such an enjoyable experience participating in Coffee and Chat with Quan. I wish her much success with her webinar series.

Mondays with TEACH: Reading Buddy Time

By

orange and white colored dog wearing pink bandana sits by the alphabet rug

Reading Buddy Teach appears very interested in learning about snakes.

We awoke Monday morning to find that it had snowed all night, resulting in school cancellations and delays across our entire area of western Massachusetts.

I quickly texted the librarian at Westhampton Elementary School to see if Teach’s Reading Buddy time could be rescheduled for a different day this week. She had already been thinking about it, knowing the Kindergartners would be disappointed if they didn’t get to read with Teach this week.

So, it was Friday with Teach this week.

orange and white colored dog wearing pink bandana sits by the alphabet rug

Reading Buddy Teach awaits the arrival of the Kindergartners in the library at Westhampton Elementary School

As is the custom, Teach meets the entire class around the alphabet rug in the back of the library where all the children get a chance to pet Teach and ask a question about him (there are always questions – or comments about their own dogs!). Then, Mrs. R. announces the readers for the day. Five lucky boys had a chance to read – or simply show pictures – to Teach. Teach knows the drill… he settles in comfortably in the special Reading Corner and, as all good Reading Buddies do, he listens intently to the story as the proud reader reads aloud the story he has chosen especially for Teach.

It just happened to be Valentine’s Day and the last day of school before winter break, so Mrs. R. wanted to do something special for the first and second graders who don’t get to spend time with Teach.

She asked if we could stay longer today and meet with the combined classes around the alphabet rug. Of course, Teach was in his element spending more time with the kids. All had a chance to pet him and ask questions. Perhaps, a time could be set at a later date for these students to read to Teach, too. I know Teach would gladly accommodate!

Mondays With TEACH: Off to the Airport

By

English Setter wearing blue vest and red bandana lying on a lounge

Teach stationed himself on a bench right next to the security checkpoints. The perfect place to get lots of attention!

After four weeks of therapy dog duty at home helping me recover from a back injury, Teach was glad we were heading out to work!

All the signs were in place. Weekend – a bath and a trim. Monday morning, the vest, leash, and badge on the kitchen table. These were the cues signaling to Teach that this Monday we’d be hitting the road. His excitement was nearly uncontrollable… prancing around the room, tailing wagging. A quick romp out in the back field to race off that excess energy, inside for a bushing – then a leap into the car!

This Monday morning Teach and I were headed to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut were he’s on duty as a Bradley Buddy on alternate Monday mornings.

The visiting experience is unlike any other. Teach gets to meet so many people in a short amount of time. People from all other the country, traveling for all kinds of reasons. It’s a busy place with lots of hustle and bustle. He loves the attention he gets when people stop to admire his orange belton good looks, beautiful soft fur, and sweet face. I love that here at the airport many people from around the country actually know that he’s an English Setter! Not many in our area of western Massachusetts have ever seen one!

I was extra proud of my boy today. Before visiting around the airport could start, we had a meeting upstairs with the director of our Bradley Buddies Program.

There was much business to cover and for an entire 90 minutes Teach lay at my feet, perfectly content. He would have stayed there all day, if need be. As long as he’s next to me, he’s a happy boy! When I rose from the table, he quietly got to his feet. Down the elevator we went to the main area and began to make the rounds.

You’re so gorgeous!

May I pet him?

This is the best…having these dogs here at the airport that we can actually pet!

Teach responded with smiles, tail wags, and extra leaning in for those hugs. Before ending our visit and heading to the parking garage, Teach always stops at the Information Desk on the 1st floor level/Baggage Claim area. The friendly people there are volunteers, too, who offer there time to people people coming off their flights. These folks love a visit from Teach and he adores all that extra attention. Once in the car, Teach naps on the way home…. a job well done!

Teach: Therapy Dog On Duty at Home

By

English setter Teach sits on footstool looking at me

Teach, therapy dog on-duty, keeping watch over me as I recover.

At the start of the New Year, Teach and I were full of enthusiasm and energy. We were ready to set out as a Bright Spot Therapy Dog Team to the four different facilities we signed up to visit this year.

Our visiting day is Monday. So here it was January 6th and we planned to visit two facilities that morning. First on the agenda was a new place for us, a preschool, a 30-minute ride from our home. This age group is a new one for both of us. We were looking forward to starting there. Coupled with that visit was a stop at an assisted living facility where Teach visits the folks in the Alzheimer’s Unit. Oh, how they love Teach – and the feeling is mutual! Teach and I both enjoy going there. For me, I see how much it helps people afflicted with Alzheimer’s. Visits from my therapy dogs often elicit memories seemingly locked away forever.

Both of us were pretty excited to get started. Teach jumped into his vest as he always does on visiting day. The night before, I lay out the gear we need for visiting: Teach’s vest, leash and collar, brush for last minute touch-ups, and his ID badge and mine. All the while, Teach is watching. We all know dogs are smart…. so he knows with these cues that tomorrow is Monday, Visits with Teach day.

What I didn’t count on was snow. It wasn’t in the forecast – and it was coming down hard. Schools in our area were cancelled, but not the preschool where we were headed nor other schools that much further north. Heck, I thought, it’s winter. If we let snow stop us we won’t be visiting for several months. On with the gear and off we went. I knew immediately that the untreated roads were slippery. Maybe you should head back home and cancel, said my little voice inside. But, no, on we pressed, arriving at the preschool on time, signing in and heading down the hallway to visit with two different classrooms. The young children surrounded Teach, petting his speckled fur and soft feathering. Teach, of course, was in his element! Since this was our first visit, we kept it to 45 minutes. Always good for the dog to ease into a new visiting experience.

Back in the car, we were headed over to the assisted living facility. Once again my little voice advised me to abort the visit and start driving home. The weather was getting worse.

But my determination to brighten the day for the Alzheimer’s folks who have very few visitors, moved us on. The facility is a mere six minutes from the school. The parking lots in front of the facility were completely full. So, we headed to a side lot and found the last spot. The sidewalk from that lot into the facility was not as well tended as the main sidewalks, but good enough to by-pass the patches of ice dotting it’s surface. Inside the facility it was warm and cozy and Teach was immediately embraced by several residents sitting in the lobby. We  then headed down the hallway to the left, pressed the code opening the locked doors to the unit and proceeded to spend time with every resident on the unit. Teach was all smiles (you know how dogs smile!) and his tail was wagging. Pure joy all around. Worries of inclement weather were replaced by the overwhelming sense of pride I felt in the way Teach brought smiles, laughter, and, in some cases, words to these folks. We had just finished having a little visit with each resident (and some even got a second visit!) when the food was being delivered to the small dining area in the unit. Time for lunch, signaled time for us to leave.

As Teach and I headed out of the assisted living facility we both felt very happy with our morning. Out the door we went, turning to the sidewalk that was now covered with a thin layer of slippery snow.

With just 8′ of sidewalk left to take, down I went with a slam and I couldn’t get up. Dear Teach sat there next to me, staring down into my face. Pain shot through my back as I lay there assessing the damage. After 10 minutes of lying on the snow-covered icy sidewalk, I slowly got to my feet and headed to the car. The half-hour drive home took one-hour to make and I got in the house, sat in an upright chair with the heating pad on my back until my physician-husband arrived home to assess my injury. Nope, no broken bones. Just severe muscular damage to my upper back.

That’s when Teach began his therapy dog work at home. Dogs are extremely intuitive. They know when something is wrong with a family member.

He’s been right there for me, watching every painful movement I make. Here we are, now the end of January. I am finally able to move around and take deep breathes with little pain. I remain thankful that I didn’t break any bones… such a fall could have resulted in far worse an outcome. And, Teach will be resuming his therapy dog duties outside the home. Starting in February, Teach will be seen at the Westhampton Elementary School as a Reading Buddy for the kindergarteners, at Bradley International Airport as a Bradley Buddy, the Academy of Learning, and Charlene Manor. He’ll be a busy boy… and he hopes his teammate can stay on her feet! Perhaps it’s wise in the long run to listen to that little voice inside. It may be little but it’s very wise!

 

Bright Spot FUN DAY WITH DOGS Coming Soon

By

volunteer with dog hands information to a shopper

Volunteers staffing our Bright Spot Therapy Dogs information booth explain to shoppers how to get their dogs certified.

Bright Spot Therapy Dogs is busy preparing for its 4th annual FUN DAY WITH DOGS at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Hadley, Massachusetts, taking place on Saturday, November 3rd.

It’s a fun event for all. Our volunteers love talking to shoppers about their dogs’ breeds or mix-breeds, and about the therapy dog visiting they do with their dogs.

Bookstore customers delight in meeting all the Bright Spot Therapy Dogs while they shop for books on their reading lists. Therapy Dog Teams will be circulating the store or participating in one of the many activities we have planned during our FUN DAY WITH DOGS Event.

Golden Retriever offers his paw to two children sitting on floor next to him

FUN DAY WITH DOGS is a great time for children to interact with our well-trained, friendly Bright Spot Therapy Dogs.

Activities will be ongoing throughout the day from 10:30-3:30. Below is a schedule of activities we will be conducting.

Learn about Therapy Dogs: Our Bright Spot information booth will be set up with photos of our Therapy Dog Teams visiting in healthcare, educational, and business settings. Copies of our print publications will be available as handouts, and our knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to describe the meaningful work our therapy dogs do and explain how dogs get trained and certified as therapy dogs through Bright Spot.

Read to a Bright Spot Reading Buddy Dog:Dogs are wonderful listeners and enjoy all kinds of books! Young children will have the opportunity to read to one of the Reading Buddy dogs for a 15-minute time slot. Different Reading Buddy dogs will be scheduled throughout the day. Bring a favorite book from home or choose one from the store to read to the dog.

Agility and Obedience: Caroline Moore, the new owner of Animal Alliances, will be demonstrating agility and lots more training skills people can do with their dogs. Demonstrations will be on-going throughout the day. Shoppers will have the chance to talk with Caroline about the schedule of classes offered at Animal Alliances, which is located on Damon Road in Northampton, Massachusetts. We are pleased to have Animal Alliances, our training facility sponsor, joining us for our event.

Meet the Breeds: Find out what it’s like to live with an Australian Cobber Dog (aka Labradoodle), an English Setter, a Standard Poodle, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a Golden Retriever, an All-American-Mix, and lots more. A variety of Bright Spot therapy dogs will be scheduled throughout the day. Event attendees will have the chance to meet the breeds in person and talk to the dogs’ owners.

The Fun Sport of Geocaching with Your Dog: Meet Comet and Clementine, geocaching companions extraordinaire, and learn from their teammate Nancy Ronan what geocaching is all about. The pair has trekked all over western Massachusetts in search of geocaches. Stop by the demo area and learn all about their adventures.

Meet Brinkley and Raven, certified Hope Animal-Assisted Crisis Response Dogs: Brinkley and Raven and their teammates Ned Polan and Karyn Cordner would love to talk with you about the meaningful work they do helping on the national level in times of crisis, along with the training and certification involved. Brinkley has served at a military kids’ grief camp, the Revere tornado, a weekend encampment for homeless and at-risk veterans, and four weeks with survivors and the families of victims at the Washington Navy Yard shooting. For his work, Brinkley received an Award of Merit from the Secretary of the Navy. Raven is new to Hope Animal-Assisted Crisis Response Dogs, having received her training and certification this year.

TRICKS TRICKS TRICKS: Tricks are a fun activity to do with your dog. Stop by our demonstration area and watch some of our Bright Spot dogs performing a variety of tricks. Ask the volunteers to show you how to teach them to your dog at home.

volunteer with black dog stands talking to a person shopping in the store

Bright Spot volunteers love talking to shoppers about their dogs.

Whether you have a dog or are planning to add one to your family in the future, you’ll surely have a good time at FUN DAY WITH DOGS!

Join us if you can – and remember: we’ll be at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Hadley, Massachusetts. We hope to see you there on Saturday, November 3rd.

small white and tan colored dog sits looking up at camera

COME! Meet Peanut! He’ll be at the event all day and would love to meet you!

 

 

Bradley International Airport Celebrates National Therapy Animal Day

By

eleven dogs and handlers pose for photo

Eleven of our Bradley Buddies Teams gathered at Bradley International Airport today in celebration of National Therapy Animal Day. Absent from photo was Jan Dumond with Oliver.

April 30th marks National Therapy Animal Day and Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, known at Bradley International Airport as the Bradley Buddies, were honored with a celebration thanking these special dogs for their service.

Their job? Greeting passengers checking in for flights, welcoming travelers at the gate as they arrive at Bradley, and helping them pass time and relax while waiting for their luggage at baggage claim. Basically, the Bradley Buddies are ambassadors of friendship. People love that they actually get to pet the Buddies. At airports around the country, travelers are accustomed to seeing service dogs and security dogs, both which cannot be petted due to the types of jobs they perform.

The Bradley Buddies bring smiles, and sometimes tears, to the faces of young and old, alike.

A child with a fear of flying forgets all about his worries after hugging and petting Lily, my sweet, gentle English Setter, and a woman whose flight has been delayed an extra hour enjoys petting Comet, a super-friendly Golden Retriever and talking to his handler. Some are flying in or out of Bradley to visit a sick or dying relative. Petting a Buddy offers much needed comfort at a difficult time. And, some travelers want to learn how to get their dog certified as a Bright Spot Therapy Dog. The dogs elicit lots of happy conversations and promote a relaxed atmosphere.

Bradley International is one of only a few airports in the country with certified therapy dogs on hand.

The Bradley Buddies have been at work just eight months since the program launched last August 2017. We currently have fourteen Bright Spot Therapy Dogs and twelve handlers in the program. Eleven out of fourteen of the Buddies were present at today’s National Therapy Animal Celebration and posed for their official Bradley Buddies group photo.

Special treats were given to the honored Buddies…

Each Bradley Buddy left with a new blue leash embroidered with Bradley Buddies, a collapsible water bowl, and Bradley Buddies red bandana. While the dogs did their job – mingling with travelers stopping by the celebration area, the Bradley Buddies’ handlers enjoyed goodies and coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, a chance to interact with one another, and of course, chat with passengers.

It’s very clear that the Bright Spot Therapy Dogs Bradley Buddies are helping travelers Love the Journey.

Watch for our Bradley Buddies wearing their blue Buddies vests when you’re traveling in and out of Bradley! With 12 Buddies Teams visiting at various times during the week, you just might meet King (or sister Lily), Comet (or sister Clementine), Raven, James, Sally, Deja vu, Jackson, Faith, Frigo, Chief, Watson, or Oliver!

Florence Bank Honors Bright Spot Therapy Dogs

By

two women hold a replica of a giant check given to Bright Spot Therapy Dogs

Executive Director Cynthia Hinckley (lt) and Treasurer & Board Member Nancy Ronan (rt) accept the giant replica of the grant awarded to Bright Spot Therapy Dogs at a special awards ceremony held at The Garden House in Northampton, MA.

What an honor for Bright Spot Therapy Dogs to be among the wonderful non-profit organizations servicing the Pioneer Valley to receive a grant from Florence Bank.

What makes this extra special is that recipients of these grants are chosen by customers of the Bank. We are humbled and honored to have so many people believe in the meaningful work our volunteer therapy dog teams do for those in need throughout the area and beyond.

The funds received will go a long way to bring a bright spot in the lives of many…

Well-trained, certified therapy dog teams are critical in strengthening our current programs in healthcare and education, and in building new programs wherever therapy dogs can be of help. The funds will be used to defray the costs of training and certifying our ever-growing volunteer force, making it possible to keep costs to our dedicated volunteers as low as possible.

Voting for this year’s Florence Bank Customers’ Choice Community Grants runs January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.

If you are a customer of Florence Bank, why not vote TODAY and help us win another CCCG again when grants are awarded early in 2019. Bright Spot keeps growing and growing as more facilities recognize the power of the human-canine bond. We need your help to meet these needs. THANK YOU for your support!

From a 106 year old hospice patient: Dogs and Longevity

By

Bright Spot Therapy Dog James with hospice patient

James, my sweet, gentle hospice care dog

For a period of three years, my wonderful dog James and I visited hospice patients at a nursing care facility.

Even though I had spent over twenty years visiting the elderly in assisted living facilities, hospice care took our visiting to an entirely different level. When our first patient died, I wept into the phone when I received the call from the nurse in charge of her case telling me she had passed. We had visited this woman every Wednesday afternoon for seven months. We grew attached, and the last time we visited, she petted James on his head and said, See you next week, boy. See waved and smiled at us as we headed out the door.

I was shocked by my reaction to the news of her passing, even telling the nurse that I wasn’t sure I was cut-out for this type of work.

The nurse responded by saying, Your dog’s visits meant the word to that patient. She talked about James all the time and how much his visits brightened her days. The last few days leading up to her death, she became extremely weak and knew she was ready to pass. As weak as she was, she kept talking about James and how much she appreciated seeing him each week. The nurse ended the call by saying, I hope you don’t stop. Your visits are so meaningful.

To this day, I am so glad she said that to me. James went on to brighten the days left here on earth for several long-term patients, and a few we visited for just two or three weeks before they passed.

I learned a lot about life and living from these folks. Each of them in their own way, told a story about their lives. The good things and the bad. Their joys and their regrets. They always spoke directly to James – and he looked right up into their eyes, as though listening and understanding every word.

James and I had the honor of visiting a dear lady who was 106 years old.

She had been living in her own home, just a block away from her daughter, up unto she entered the nursing care facility several weeks before she died. On our first visit, I stood at the door, asking my usual question, Would you like a visit from the dog? 

I will never forget her response…

By all means, come in! I love dogs! I’ve had dogs all my life. Big ones. Small ones. All different kinds of breeds and mixed-breeds. I was never without a dog. We love dogs so much!

Then, she said, I’m 106 years old, you know! And, I’m sure I’ve lived this long because of the dogs! Dogs make me feel happy! They’ve kept me feeling young!

All this while she sat in her chair petting James and smiling.

James and I had six wonderful visits with this exceptional 106 year old woman, who looked more like 80.

She told James and me that she had been through two World Wars, and other bad times…

…but enough of that. I never dwell on the bad times, just all the good times with my family and my dogs.”

Start the New Year Off With Bright Spot Therapy Dog Training

By

woman lying on chaises lounge covered with a blanket while a dog and woman sit next to her

Participants in our December Class practice techniques taught in class while others role-play as patients.

Making New Year’s resolutions? How about making a resolution to start Bright Spot Therapy Dog Training with your sweet, friendly, outgoing, well-trained dog?

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about doing this for a long time, but just haven’t set your mind to do it. What better time to start than the beginning of a new year?

Bright Spot Therapy Dogs will begin its first class of the new year on Sunday, January 21st.

Our Therapy Dog Team Training Course runs for two, 2-hour sessions from 9:30-11:30. Classes are kept small to offer each handler and dog personalized attention and opportunities to practice and ask questions during class. Participants come away from our classes with the skills and techniques needed to conduct meaningful therapy dog visits in all types of healthcare, educational, and business settings.

Upon successful completion of our Therapy Dog Team Training Course, the participating teams move on to the evaluation process.

Each team is evaluated individually in an actual nursing home setting where a Bright Spot evaluator observes the team performing the skills and techniques learned in class while interacting with the nursing home residents. The evaluator offers tips and suggestions throughout the evaluation that takes 45-60 minutes.

Our trainer and our evaluators are all Bright Spot volunteers themselves.

They all have two or more Bright Spot certified therapy dogs and have years of experience visiting in a number of environments making them well-prepared to train and help new handlers and and their dogs become Bright Spot certified teams and speak to you about the many kinds of places you can visit with your own dog.

young girl sitting on floor reads from a book while a yellow dog and a women look on.

This December class team is practicing skills needed to participate in our special Reading Buddy Program held in schools and libraries.

If you’ve been thinking about do therapy dog work with your dog, now is the time to act.

Please visit our website and click on Certify Your Dog where you will find directions on how to get started. While on the website, click on Therapy Dog Training where you will find the information about our upcoming class. Come! Join in the fun! Soon, you and your certified therapy dog will be among the more than 200 Bright Spot Therapy Dog Teams throughout New England bringing comfort and caring to those who need it most.

Keep in mind that Bright Spot certifies teams from all over New England and New York state…

and has a members-only List of Visiting Opportunities with over 185 healthcare, educational, and business facilities requesting the volunteer services of our well-trained certified therapy dog teams.