Sign In

Therapy dogs visit residents

April 27, 2020

Some friends of the Continuing Care Center stopped by the center on Monday to do a long-distance hello; therapy dogs Gunner, Pippin, Cheyenne and Sequoia said “hi” to their friends through a window.

Gunner and Pippin are owned by Laura Finion and Cheyenne and Sequoia are owned by Lori Herbel. They are a part of the HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis response Dog Team — a national nonprofit that has been working since 2001 to bring comfort to the victims of disasters.

Trained as therapy dogs, the teams can be deployed by FEMA or other organizations to disaster areas.

The dogs have been visiting the center weekly for the last two years and Finion said the staff and residents have become family to them over the years.

“We miss them and the dogs miss them even more,” she said.

“We stayed outside and visited through windows to residents and staff,” Finion said. “We knocked at windows and did a distance hello from both us and the dogs.”

Finion said the visit was scheduled with staff from CCC and they all worked hard to do it in a way that kept residents and staff members protected. Finios and Herbel wore masks and the dog wore signs saying “Hi, we have missed you!”

Finion said that she and Herbel hope to be able to do this weekly as until they can return to their regular visits with residents in the center.

“We had not wanted to stop our visits and found a way to do it safely for us and for staff,” Finion said. “It’s such a hard  time, and a time that the dogs are so needed to bring a smile to all.”

Register your Dog Schedule a Visit

  • Recent News

    Students Get Therapy Dog

    When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dogtor

    Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dog Pups

    When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dogs At School

    Those who own a dog can attest to their ability to lift mood, improve stress and bring joy by simply being there, unanswering, seemingly all-knowing and always delighted to see you.  Therapy animals are known for their calm and comforting nature, giving people a way to relax, de-stress and interact with a loving pet.  They […]

    Read more

    Wonder Dog

    For those of us with dogs, we know they quickly become major parts of the family. You live for and care for just like one of your own children, and one dog right here in Oklahoma City is beating the odds, and helping others recover as a therapy dog, despite all of the issues he’s […]

    Read more

    Scott And Charlie

    Cherokee Middle School students may do a little more “doodling” second semester starting this month (January), but also will improve their attendance marks because of a special attraction at the school, courtesy of Principal Scott Aden. Aden, an effective, caring administrator, has acquired and will house and handle a young female Golden Doodle (Charlie) that […]

    Read more

    Hope For Veterans

    E5 Therapy opened in April with a different way to help veterans in therapy. They offer canine-assisted therapy along with talk therapy to veterans and veterans’ families in Solano County. Owner Matthew Decker is a licensed clinical social worker in Northern California, focused on helping veterans achieve their mental health goals. Along with his team, […]

    Read more