PAWS of CNY was honored to receive a request from Camden Girl Scout Troop 20132 to assist the young girls in earning their animal helper badge. On Thursday April 23, PAWS of CNY volunteer Lindsey Lehmann and her beagle Ellie Grace met with the troop to teach them what it takes to be a therapy dog.
“The Girl Scouts loved [Ellie]”, said Lehmann. “They were immediately taken with her and engaged…Ellie loves kids so she was very chill and let them all pet her.”
PAWS of CNY offers educational presentations to children of all ages, with material ranging from pet safety to therapy dog training class observations and on-site therapy dog visit shadowing.
According to Lehmann, the most important lesson that the girls in Troop 20132 learned from PAWS of CNY was how important a responsibility it is to take care of a pet.
“[The girls learned that] having a dog is a lot of responsibility, but it brings joy to many,” said Lehmann. “The owners, the people who benefit from therapy, they just put a smile on people’s faces.”
Lehmann and Ellie Grace have been volunteering with PAWS of CNY since the fall of 2014.
“Ellie is one of the best dogs I’ve ever owned and her chill demeanor and personality makes her the perfect therapy dog,” said Lehmann. “She loves kids and people in all environments.”
If you believe that your dog could bring positive experiences to the community, and if you are interested in volunteering with PAWS of CNY, visit our How to Volunteer page to learn more.