After I retired from teaching chemistry at a community college in Albuquerque, NM, my husband and I moved back to our hometown in Joplin, MO. My history with dogs began when I got a toy poodle as a child, but I became completely enthralled with the Bedlington terrier my aunt owned. When I encountered an opportunity for dogs to visit in hospitals and nursing homes in Albuquerque, Holly (my first Bedlington) and I jumped right in and joined a national therapy dog organization in 1987. I became an Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) Tester/Observer in 2002, and helped test many new teams along with other T/Os there. All 3 of my Bedlingtons were certified as therapy dogs. With each new puppy, I have continued to grow as a trainer and handler.

Albuquerque offered a large variety of visiting opportunities; in addition to hospitals and nursing homes, we enjoyed assisted living facilities, rehabs, libraries, and school reading programs. In the Joplin area, we also have teams visiting several colleges, medical and dental schools, and some doctor’s offices. I’ve given a number of invited presentations over the years about dog therapy, and ATD in particular, to a variety of civic organizations and senior citizen groups. Most recently, I spoke to a regional group of librarians in Kansas who were interested in starting reading programs with dogs.

My most unusual visiting opportunity happened after an EF5 tornado devastated Joplin in 2011. Ricky and I provided therapy to volunteers who helped families sift through the rubble of their homes. Many of the volunteers just sat with Ricky and me to talk about their extreme experiences in the tornado zone. Ricky also spent time with family members waiting to identify lost loved ones. While it was a very sad time, we were glad we were able to comfort so many hurting people. We did see a lot of smiles those days, and the joy came as so many people joined together to volunteer to help our community recover.

At this time, my next puppy has not yet been identified. Meanwhile, I take every opportunity to pet my friends’ dogs, and I have a beautiful stuffed Bedlington handmade by a very special friend. For me, being involved in therapy with my dogs has been a passion in my life, to help others set aside the concerns of their day and enjoy interacting with the dogs. The dogs soak up the attention, and the people are grateful we have been there. It’s a win-win!

I’m very honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Board of the organization that has supported me and made my passion possible for nearly 40 years.