Inception of WOOF Therapy Dogs: 2011
WOOF stands for We Offer Our Friends. “Our friends” are our dogs and are owned and trained by each handler. Therapy dogs come in all sizes and breeds. The most important characteristic of a therapy dog is its temperament. A good therapy dog must be friendly, patient, confident, gentle and at ease in all situations. Therapy dogs must enjoy human contact and be content to be petted and handled. Service dogs and Therapy dogs have distinct differences. Service dogs are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Therapy dogs are trained to provide affection, comfort and love to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, and disaster areas. Therapy Dog Benefits: Therapy dogs are most commonly used to help people heal emotionally, physically and mentally. These programs usually visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools and recovery centers. The dog’s presence reduces stress, creates a relationship, helps people feel loved and needed, provides a listening ear without judgment, improves social skills and boosts the confidence of an individual. New Visit Requests: WOOF Therapy Dogs has a relatively small group of teams. While we welcome new facility visit requests, we must take into consideration our current schedule of facilities already in a regular rotation and the location of any new facility.
