New Therapy Dogs

On Wednesday morning, MUSC introduced its two newest employees – Baskin and Agnes.

Baskin and Agnes, a golden retriever and goldendoodle, are therapy dogs for the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.

The two therapy dogs will spread joy and comfort to young patients.

“To help every day in the life of a child in the hospital, have a little more normalcy, a little more urge to get out of bed and go for a walk, a little less afraid to get chemotherapy,” said George Ross, CEO of Coastal Franchising.

MUSC received the two dogs from a $150,000 grant handed from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation.

Now, both dogs are officially a part of MUSC’s staff, even with a badge to prove it.

Bringing Therapy Dogs To School

While Chip the Sheltie patiently waits for students to return to Verellen Elementary School, students at Garber High School have embarked on a mission to bring the Shetland Sheepdog some co-workers in the district.

An after-school program there is now competing for a $25,000 grant that would bring therapy dogs to each of the four schools in the Essexville-Hampton Public Schools district.

Ethan Shannon and Lori Flippin are lead mentors for FRC Team 5216, or The E-Ville Empire, at Garber High. The team is part of the FIRST Robotics Competition, a national network of after-school programs that compete in robotics competitions.

While robotics competitions often focus on STEM topics – or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – FIRST Robotics is different. A community service aspect is built into the organization’s mission.

“It’s about more than just robots. The organization pushes its teams and mentors. It’s more than just technology; it’s about empathy,” Shannon says. Lead mentor for the E-Ville Empire, Shannon is also a chemistry, AP chemistry, and AP computer science teacher at Garber High.

“The world needs good human beings, too.” And dogs.

While community service projects in each of the past several years have focused on physical safety, the most recent robotics team wanted to switch things up and focus on mental health instead. A fundraising campaign would go on to raise almost $5,000 to purchase Chip the Sheltie, a therapy dog that has been dispatched to Verellen Elementary.

Now Garber High as well as Cramer Junior High and Bush Elementary schools may get therapy dogs of their own, too.

The E-Ville Empire team’s therapy dog project has been selected as one of 200 projects nationwide, vying for the chance to win one of 40 $25,000 grants from State Farm Insurance. Shannon says that winning the grant would save five to six

All they need is the community’s votes.

“As of right now, our program is placed 15 out of 200 entries. Winning is not a pipe dream,” Shannon says.

“We can do it if the community comes out and supports us.”

Therapy Dogs Visit Patients

Police Therapy Dog Missing

St. Paul police reported Friday a therapy dog who was missing since last week was found.

In the update, St. Paul police said a man called 911 to report a dog who resembled Ernest, the therapy dog, was walking along Lawson Avenue.

Officers responded to the area and found Ernest.

St. Paul police said Ernest has been returned to his owners.

The St. Paul Police Department is searching for a suspect who let out a therapy dog in training from its yard last week.

Police say at about 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 10, “Earnest,” a German Shepard, was in a fenced-in backyard of a house on the 900 block of Arcade Street when someone approached the yard, shined a flashlight at the house and then opened the gate, leading Ernest away.

If anyone has any information regarding the suspect or have seen the dog, they are asked to email investigator Steve Carlson at Steve.Carlson@stpaul.gov.

Presley The ESA

Going to the dentist can be a stressful experience, especially for younger children. That’s why Vestavia Family Dentistry & Facial Aesthetics is trying a new strategy. Meet Presley, the new emotional support dog helping patients smile and relax! Dogs have long played an integral role in the American family, offering unconditional love and—of course—lots of snuggles. In fact, research shows that close contact with dogs can help lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and improve overall health. However, the concept of a live-in pet has been lagging behind in the dental field—until now.

A couple of months ago, Dr, Pruitt of Vestavia Family Dentistry & Facial Aesthetics  announced his new employee—a toy Aussiedoodle named Presley. Aside from being adorable, Presley is being trained to provide comfort and affection—and to detect when patients need it.

If a patient is nervous or uncertain, Presley will place her head on a patient’s lap, climb into the dentist’s chair and wag her tail or offer her soft fur to calm a patient’s nervous system and remind the patient that everything will be okay. For most appointments, Presley just sleeps in the patients lap during the procedure. I can’t say I blame her—being adorable 24/7 must be exhausting!

From elderly patients to young children, Presley has been a hit at Vestavia Family Dentistry & Facial Aesthetics. Here’s what a few patients have said about Presley:

Tracey: “Having Presley to pet and hold during my multiple dental procedures helped me to stay relaxed and calm. She is so adorable! She took my mind off of my mouth and all I could think about was how I could put her in my purse and take her home with me! Such an added benefit of being a patient of Dr Pruitt and Vestavia Family Dentistry!”

Olivia, age 11: “I really don’t like getting my teeth cleaned but when I found out Presley was there, she comforted me so much and now I’m never scared to get my teethed cleaned at that office again! The only bad thing was that I couldn’t take her home with me. She’s such a nice sweet puppy!”

Miranda: “I was very anxious about my dental appointment, and that’s when Dr. Pruitt brought Presley in. She is such a sweet puppy and being able to love on her during my appointment was very comforting and helped me relax. It was a special experience for me and definitely one I’ll never forget. I’m grateful for Dr. Pruitt and Presley for a truly unforgettable dental visit.”

Carson Pruitt: “Even as a dental student, I can relate to patients in that I also do not like going to the dentist. Having Presley in my lap for the duration of my appointment really helped with my dental anxiety and is something unique to Vestavia Family Dentistry. Every dentist should have a trained dental anxiety dog, like Presley, to help ease patients at their appointments and to help them forget they are sitting in a dental chair!”

Kala: “I love Presley, I’m starting to want one just like her. She made all of my dental appointments go by so smooth and easy and she helped to keep me relaxed and calm. I said I would never get another dog but she might have changed my heart.” If you want a chance to meet Presley, plan a visit to Vestavia Family Dentistry & Facial Aesthetics. The team has been taking extra precautions to stay safe at the office, including taking the temperature of each guest and asking a short questionnaire.

Jordan And Service Dog Vargas

Life for a family in Greencastle, Franklin County has been changed, as they’ve welcomed their first service dog into their home.

They say it’s all thanks to the community who helped fundraise.

Back in 2017, abc27 brought you to the bingo fundraiser for the Woodruffs.

They were thrilled when they hit their $17,000 goal for a service dog, but they could’ve never imagined the difference Vargas would make as he entered their home, three years later.

The bond between Vargas and Jordan Woodruff is one you just have to see for yourself.

Eight-year-old Jordan is the happiest he’s ever been, now that Vargas is by his side.

“He does great work for Jordan,” said Jeffrey Woodruff, Jordan’s brother.

Jordan has autism.

“He’s an eloper,” said Jacqueline Woodruff, Jordan’s mom. “He will actually take off and run, and he (Vargas) is actually trained to find him. He can find him based on his cells, the dry cells that fall to the ground. He can actually track him.”

The two are attached at the hip, literally, whenever they’re out.

“If he tries to run away, we can just put Vargas in a down, and he will just sit there and Jordan won’t be able to go anywhere,” said Joshua Woodruff, Jordan’s other brother.

Jordan’s parents used to always have to physically hold onto him.

Now, they can enjoy the little things.

“Going out to eat was a thing that did not happen,” said Aaron Woodruff, Jordan’s dad. “Now we go pretty much every Sunday after church.”

They go every Sunday since the spring, which is when Vargas came into their lives.

The pup is a calming presence, who helps Jordan focus.

“Within days, Jordan was talking more,” said Aaron Woodruff.

“He fell in love with the dog, and the dog fell in love with him,” said Jacqueline Woodruff. “It was amazing.”

Jordan and Vargas have a new morning routine, as they head to school together.

They both love the bus.

Once Jordan gets on that bus, his parents are confident he’ll be noticed by kids at school in a positive way. They say Vargas broke the social barrier.

“It’s just amazing to see that, that someone sees my child,” said Jacqueline Woodruff.

“He’s not invisible any more,” said Aaron Woodruff.

The Woodruffs got Vargas through the nonprofit 4 Paws for Ability.

Healer Service Dog Makes Difference

“The healing power of dogs is incredible,” Jill Kesler said. The Draper art teacher and cancer survivor adopted her English Cream Golden Retriever, Gus, shortly after she was diagnosed. Not only did the then 8-week-old puppy bring some much-needed joy to Kesler’s family, but Gus seemed to intuit when Kesler wasn’t feeling well and would sit with her and comfort her.

That intuitive nature and sensitivity is characteristic of the dogs at Golden Healer Service Dogs who are bred and trained to become therapy and service dogs. Some, like Gus, become beloved pets. Kesler adopted Gus from Golden Healer Service Dogs founder Mike Carlson last year. “Mike’s program is amazing,” Kesler said.

“There is no other organization like ours in the area,” explained Carlson. “There are organizations that help vets and people who train dogs, but no group that breeds and trains therapy and service dogs.”

Carlson started breeding and training Labrador Retrievers as pets over 25 years as a hobby. In 2008, during the economic downturn, he lost his business and had to regroup. “That was the only time in my life I didn’t have a dog,” he said. “Roughest years of my life.”

In the ensuing years, Carlson held various jobs, including one in the field of behavioral health which he found rewarding. “It’s a great field to really help people,” he said. “I asked myself, ‘What’s my passion?’ I wanted to do something that had more meaning in life. I love animals and really enjoy being around them. I thought about what I could do to bring that to others.”

Back in the business of breeding Golden Retrievers, Carlson came across the English Cream Golden Retriever breed in 2014. He learned that many of them are used as emotional support and service dogs due to their temperament and disposition.

Golden Healers Service Dogs was officially founded in 2019 and the nonprofit’s first batch of puppies was born in February of that year. Currently, the program has around 30 dogs in various stages of training.

According to their website, Golden Healers can offer clients service dogs to assist them with a variety of issues. There are dogs that are specifically trained to help people of all ages with autism, PTSD and mobility issues. Dogs can be trained to alert family members when someone is about to have a seizure or experience changes in blood sugar levels due to diabetes. There are also emotional support and therapy dogs.

Carlson explained that emotional support dogs are trained in basic obedience while service dogs receive an additional six to 12 months of training in performing specific tasks. “There is no one size fits all scenario in this business,” he said. The needs of each individual are taken into consideration.

Golden Healers relies on volunteers to help with everything from puppy sitting and raising to training. Raquel Mills became a puppy raiser last spring during the quarantine. “We were home and had an older dog. That cute puppy just brought life to our whole house and joy in the midst of uncertainty,” she said.

The family named the new pup Chrystal and Mills decided to train her to become a therapy dog. She was inspired by the story of a woman in Las Vegas who brought her dog to visit first responders in the aftermath of the 2017 mass shooting. The power of animals to calm anxiety in humans is well established by science.

“We’re going through the training to be on a pet therapy team,” Mills explained. “We’ve visited hospice patients and nursing homes.”

Utah State University student Kiara D’Amico also started out volunteering as a puppy raiser in December 2019. “Puppy raisers basically take the dog everywhere,” D’Amico explained. The idea is to thoroughly socialize the puppy.

“Every month we have a big group training which all the dogs come to,” she said. “We take the dogs different places. Last time we went on TRAX to get them used to trains. We’ve been to the mall. The goal is to keep the dogs focused in different environments.”

D’Amico enjoys taking her dog, Violet, to interact with people living in nursing homes. “That’s really rewarding,” she said. “It’s the best part.”

Around the same time that she started working with Violet, D’Amico was diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) which causes problems with breathing and other serious symptoms. D’Amico has decided to train Violet as her service dog.

“Violet has made me realize how lucky I am, that I am still able to get around,” she explained. “It helps to have the responsibility of caring for someone else. Having to take her out gets me out of the house.”

D’Amico also suffers from a failing kidney and will learn in September if she is a candidate for a transplant. “If I get the transplant, I’ll need Violet a lot more because I’ll be bedridden,” she said. D’Amico plans to start training her dog to do tasks such as bringing her medication and alerting family members if she needs help.

Volunteers such as Mills and D’Amico are central to the success of Golden Healers. Mike Carlson explained that it can cost between $30 to $40K to care for and train a service dog. “We don’t ask the client to pay that, just assist with fundraising,” he said.

ESA Passes Away

A Leukemia patient named Hannah suffered an incredible loss at the hands of a trusted airline. After making the journey from Dubai to Washington for cancer treatment, their landing came with the devastating news that her two beloved French Bulldogs did not survive the flight.

When Hannah discovered that her best option for Leukemia treatment would be in the US, she knew she could not relocate without her two dogs, Panda and Beluga. Not only were Panda and Beluga her very best friends, but Panda was also her emotional support animal. These dogs were her world, so there was no way she could leave them behind.

During Hannah’s preparation for her flight with Emirates, she was told that Panda and Beluga could not fly in the cabin with her since they weighed more than 8 pounds. She was informed that they would instead fly in a specific pet holding area below the cabin, even though she provided medical paperwork claiming Panda as an emotional support animal.

With no other option, Hannah was forced to pay the $2,600 fee to fly her beloved Frenchies in the pet cargo area. This fee includes mandatory pet checks on all stops, as well as ensuring their safety throughout each flight. Unfortunately for Panda and Beluga, they never made it into the pet safe cargo area.

Apparently, at some point throughout their journey, the two Frenchies were put into the luggage cargo hold instead of the pet safe area. As the flight from Dubai to Washington was over 12 hours long, Panda and Beluga died of oxygen deprivation along the way. A necropsy confirmed the cause of death, and also mentioned the presence of blood on Panda.

Other pets on this flight that were placed in the proper pet holding area survived the flight unscathed. This proves that if Panda and Beluga were placed in the pet safe area, they likely would be here with Hannah today. Hannah was absolutely heartbroken when they delivered the devastating news upon her landing in Washington. Not only is she grieving the loss of her furry family members, but she is still fighting an epic battle with leukemia. This is more stress than anyone should have to bear. Hannah has enlisted the help of an attorney to help bring justice for the loss of her beloved French Bulldogs. Evan Oshan is dedicated to fighting in the memory of Panda and Beluga and helping to make sure this never happens again. We are sending our love to Hannah and her family during this difficult time, and hope that Panda and Beluga receive the justice they deserve.

ESA’s In Dental Facilities

NC dental board could put limits on emotional support animals inside dental facilities.

The thought of going to the dentist can instill anxiety and panic in some, especially children.

The UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry brought in a new team member in October 2018 to help soothe fearful little ones getting care at their pediatrics dentistry clinic.

Grayson, a golden retriever with a Paws4People graduation certificate, is a facility dog that has gained quite the reputation as an emotional healer in the clinic.

With her special work vest on, Grayson has been known to hop into the dentist’s chair to rest her head on the lap of a child who might need a tooth pulled, filled or be worried about a routine cleaning.

That could change if an amendment to an infection control and sterilization rule goes forward as proposed by the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners.

In August, the board sent a proposed change to the Rules Review Commission, an executive agency created by the General Assembly more than three decades ago to analyze rules of various state agencies.

The dental board proposal would limit where therapy dogs and other animals that are not qualified service dogs, as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act, could go in clinical dental settings.

The topic came up during a briefing to the board by Douglas Brocker, the attorney who advises the organization overseeing the practice of dentistry in North Carolina.

Turning guidelines into regulations
Shortly after Gov. Roy Cooper eased the statewide stay-at-home order to allow dentists to provide more than the emergency care they were limited to in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, the board began receiving complaints that some practices were not adhering to American Dental Association COVID-19 safety guidelines.

“Even before COVID, we were having complaints about sterilization and infection control, and as we looked through, it became very difficult to try to enforce,” Brocker said. “There just isn’t much substance in the sterilization rules.”

The problem was many of the safety and infection control protocols were recommendations, not requirements with regulatory teeth to them. That makes it difficult for the board to impose sanctions against dentists not following the guidelines.

The board could go through a comprehensive analysis and rewriting of the protocols, a process that would require lots of hearings and lots of input.

Instead, Brocker suggested that North Carolina follow the path of other states that have adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines as requirements of their dental boards.

It will be up to the Rules Review Commission to determine whether the proposal is too extensive a change to simply amend the rule. If that’s the case, then the board would have to open up the process to the more traditional and time-consuming amending of law.

Even if the rules commission agrees that the change can be made without legislation, there will be a public comment period that could potentially put the issue in front of lawmakers, nonetheless.

The portion of the proposal sent to the Rules Review Commission about animals states:

“No animals shall be allowed in any area of a dental office where clinical work is being performed except service animals in accordance with GS 168-4.2 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

The language now prohibits animals except “certified assistance animals required to assist disabled individuals,” lacking clarity on which animals and how much training is necessary to meet that definition.

Bobby White, the chief executive officer and legal counsel for the North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners, said recently that complaints had been coming in about therapy dogs and animals in dental offices.

“Some people like seeing the animals and others do not,” White said.

Beloved Grayson
At its August meeting, the dental board mentioned Grayson by name and asked whether she would be out of a job because of the change.

Alec Parker, executive director of the North Carolina Dental Society and a dog lover, has seen the power a pup can have in dental facilities.

When he was in private practice, a hygienist on his team often brought her dog to work. It provided many a nuzzle and warm companionship to patients in the waiting room.

Parker also is familiar with Grayson.

Under the rule change as written, facility animals could be in reception areas but not in dental chairs and clinical settings.

“I know that Grayson is beloved,” Parker said. “She may not have the freedom to roam the halls anymore, but I think it would be OK for her to be there as long as she’s in the reception area.”

Vest off, hair comes down a bit

Grayson came to UNC as a 2-year-old.

As a puppy, Paws4People sent her to the West Virginia prison system where she was trained for nearly a year, learning the basics of being a facility dog.

After a year, Grayson returned to Wilmington, where she got more training as a therapy dog.

Siggi Saemundsson, a UNC-CH dental school professor in pediatric and public health, recounted Grayson’s tour to Chapel Hill in a phone interview this week.

As Grayson’s chief handler and housemate during their downtime, Saemundsson noted that Grayson has worked with people in wheelchairs. Through more than 1,000 hours of training, Grayson has learned how to push buttons and open doors, even open a refrigerator under the right circumstances.

During the week, Grayson is mostly inside at the pediatric clinic, except for the couple of times during the workday when she gets a walk outside to some of the grassy areas near the building.

“When she gets home, we get more relaxed,” Saemundsson said. “We take her vest off. She becomes sort of a different dog when that happens, more relaxed. She sort of lets her hair down.”

At the clinic, her professional therapy dog demeanor returns.

Danielle Cockerham, deputy executive director of operations and information technology at Paws4People, said this week that her organization understands the need for standards, but she thinks there might be a way to add facility animals, such as those with the extensive training provided to Grayson, as acceptable, too.

Facility dogs are trained for their specific environment, Cockerham said, so in this case being able to perform the deep pressure and to de-escalate the anxiety of the patient during the treatment and appointment is what sets Grayson apart from therapy animals.

Paws4People, which is accredited by both Assistance Dogs International and Animal Assisted Intervention International, and UNC dental school representatives plan to outline a broader definition for the board to consider.

“We are in support of more standards as we know and understand that people are taking advantage by taking their non-certified, non-credentialed pets in,” Cockerham said.

Emotional support boa constrictors?

During the dental board meeting in August, the attorneys elaborated on why they were sticking with the service animal definition in the federal disabilities act.

“The problem is if you get away from the ADA service animal it pretty much opens it up to anything,” Brocker said. “Largely anything goes. Your emotional support boa constrictor. You got to kind of draw a line. … There just aren’t many standards when you get out of that area.”

The Rules Review Commission process can take a month or two. If the commission decides it’s a change that falls within the realm of rule changing, the dental board will publish the proposed change on its web site and seek comments.

They expect to hear from people.

“When you’re dealing with pets and children, I think publication of this rule will bring that out,” White, the board’s chief executive director, told members last month.

He reiterated that in mid-September.

“I imagine we’re going to hear a lot about this,” White said.

Canine Advocate Joins Center

 When child victims of sexual abuse or physical abuse prepare to recount their experiences to a forensic interviewer, or a jury, they’ll now have a four-legged companion for added support.

Alfred, a 20-month-old golden/Labrador retriever mix, received his official neckkerchief Monday from Canine Advocacy Program (CAP) Coordinator Dan Cojanu, and started his training at the Ionia-Montcalm Secure and Friendly Environment Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Fenwick.

Ionia County Prosecutor Kyle Butler, who serves as vice president of the CAC Board, credits CAC Executive Director Lori Kirkhoff for her expanding vision for the agency — which includes Alfred.

“I’m thrilled to see the CAC continue to grow. Lori has done a fantastic job navigating our non-profit through the difficult waters we’ve all experienced with COVID,” Butler said. “Now, her efforts have resulted in the addition of a canine advocate, Alfred. 

Alfred is the latest canine to join CAP, which provides a highly trained dog to advocate for child abuse victims by accompanying them throughout the criminal justice process. CAP dogs are trained and donated by Leader Dogs for the Blind.

“Having a canine advocate at the CAC will be a tremendous addition to our staff,” said Andrea Krause, Montcalm County prosecutor and president of the CAC Board. “I believe he will provide friendly and caring comfort to our child victims.”

Alfred is officially Kirkhoff’s dog. He joined Kirkhoff and her family Sept. 13 and spent the first week getting to know them and bonding in his new home. However, his handlers in the office will be CAC Family Advocate Hannah Lenz and Intake Coordinator Katie Krueger.

Lenz and Kreuger greet families when they enter the CAC at the beginning of the process, and are with them throughout, so it made sense for them to be assigned as handlers, according to Kirkhoff.

“Those two people are specially trained to be bonded with that dog, and they are taught all the commands the dog knows too, so the dog knows to listen to them and what the rules are. They’re the ones who have control of the dog in the office,” Kirkhoff said. “When I come in, I just hand over the leash. I go about my business and leave, and he has to learn to ignore me. He did a great job of it today.”

What makes Alfred different from other therapy or facility canines is that he will follow children and their families through the entire process of child abuse cases, from the interview, investigation and prosecution to trauma treatment, according to Kirkhoff.

“Research shows that when children are physically connected to and in the presence of dogs, there is a shift in their brain chemistry,” she said. “This change helps to lower stress, to increase ease of connection with others, and to promote a greater sense of safety and well-being.”

When each family is called to set up their appointment at the CAC, they are told about the dog to be sure there are no children who are fearful, have a traumatic issue with a dog from the past, or are allergic.

“If the child has no issues, when the child arrives at the center, the canine advocate will greet (them). The idea is to reduce the stress level of the child while they’re waiting for their interview,”said  Kirkhoff, adding that the intake process with the parents can take up to 30 minutes, during which time the child is playing in the waiting room. “This is another distraction for that kid … so that way they are more calm when they go back for the interview.”

Alfred doesn’t accompany the child to the interview — it’s not part of the CAC protocol. The child is told that when they are finished with the interview, the dog will be there waiting for them to visit again.

“That way the child will have something to look forward to when they come back out, and they’re able to hug and love on Alfred and, again, reduce the stress after the interview,” Kirkhoff said. “During the interview is when they are telling their traumatic story.”

The same is true with counseling clients, who can visit with Alfred before and after their session “for extra emotional support,” she said.

Alfred will also receive training to go to court when the child testifies. The dog can sit with them during the trial, preliminary hearing or in the hallway — whatever the child needs.

“He is there for the child from the beginning to the end, which is nice, so that there is somebody consistently involved,” Kirkhoff said.

The Ionia County Prosecutor’s Office has had a canine advocate working in the courthouse for many years: first Patty and currently Naudus. Butler said he has seen firsthand how a dog’s presence can settle a victim. 

“I have seen that calming presence result in a victim being just a bit more comfortable in discussing the traumatic events they endured. I have no doubt that this will be the same result at the CAC,” Butler said. “In the end, this will be just one more tool that the CAC can provide for families going through the unimaginable, and for that I am extremely excited and grateful that this service can be offered by our local CAC.” 

If a child chooses to have the dog accompany them to court in Montcalm County that will be Alfred’s job, because Krause’s office doesn’t have a canine advocate.

Krause said as prosecutor, she is excited about the prospect of using Alfred in court with a child victim.

“The canine advocate will hopefully help make the child’s appearance in court less stressful for them,” she said.

In Ionia County court cases, the child can choose to have Naudus accompany them; or, if they have already developed a rapport with Alfred, he can be there for support.

“We will honor whatever the child wants,” Kirkhoff said.

This week will be all training for Alfred, Lenz and Krueger. Next Monday, Cojanu will return to test Alfred to be sure he is ready to interact with children. If all goes well, the dog will begin working with children next week.

“He is so sweet. He just wants to please everybody, and just wants you to rub his ears and give him love,” Kirkhoff said. “The IM SAFE CAC is very excited and we can’t wait to start offering this service to our clients.”