Having Therapy Dogs is a trend that continues to rise over the years. With the comfort Fidos can provide, it is not a surprise that they are highly effective. There is a sense of happiness when living with a dog.
Caregiver Canines is just one of the many Emotional Support organizations which cater to this kind of service. A volunteer team, consisting of the dog and owner, visits senior citizens who can no longer take care of pets but craves the company of one.
Pogo is one of the many volunteer dogs at Caregiver Canines. Matched with Fran and Doug from Jackson, New Jersey, Pogo meets them once a week. This couple used to have dogs and missed them badly. Pogo’s visits lift their longing and give them more and more reason to smile.
But Pogo’s journey of helping others was not a smooth one. Things would have ended differently for him if not for her mother. That one decision she made that day saved Pogo from the grim uncertainty.
Pogo was a feisty terrier mix on a dog park when Bonnie Derhay first met him. A woman who owned Pogo at that time told Derhay that she had plans to abandon the pup because her husband disapproves of him. Refusing to let it happen to the poor little dog, she took him instead.
Derhay noticed Pogo’s fright the entire ride back home, suspecting abuse from the previous owner’s husband. Bonnie then gave Pogo all the care he did not receive and showered him with lots of love he deserved. And in no time, a frightful pup turned into an affectionate dog.
Noticing that Pogo has no problem socializing with new people, Bonnie made him take classes for Therapy dogs certification. Pogo’s journey to complete healing began the first time he stepped into that class.
The once unwanted dog now gives therapeutic service to those who need it. Indeed, of all the forces on earth, love is the strongest.
Source: Caregiver Canines via a Facebook post
