The first time Coco and I visited a long term care facility for adults living with HIV/AIDS, we were greeted at the door by an irate woman. She was screaming “Why is that d*** dog here? Go away.”
No one smiled at us.
No one asked us to come in.
No one wanted to interact with Coco.
The volunteer coordinator found us sitting alone in the lounge. He asked us to come back and come back and come back and to give it time. He said it was very difficult for his residents to trust new people.
So Coco and I visited every other Sunday for weeks. And one day we were greeted at the door by the same woman who turned us away by her saying “Where’s my dog?”
So we stayed – for six years.
Every other Sunday we visited with residents and their families, attended church services, celebrated birthdays and mourned losses together.
What I learned from that experience all those years ago was that being a successful animal assisted therapy pair requires patience and commitment.
Ask for little but give a lot.
That is the true power of the pooch.
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Sue Grundfest is a licensed team Evaluator for Delta Society, the national animal assisted therapy program. If you would like to see if you and your pet are suitable for therapy work, please contact Sue at coco@cocothelovedog.com
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