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June 8, 2016 By jmarabella Leave a Comment

PAWS of CNY Volunteers Teach Boces Students the Benefits of Pet Therapy

By Mary Beth Coniglio

PAWS of CNY volunteers recently had an opportunity to provide both wellness and education services at the same time. Volunteers participated in a pet therapy session at Liberty Resources in Cortland. To learn about the benefits of pet therapy, the session was observed by a class of 15 public health students from Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Boces interested in learning about the benefits of pet therapy.

The PAWS of CNY volunteers who attended the event included Sue Visconti and her Jack Russell Terrier mix Chloe, Eric Dayon and his Golden Retriever Cody, and Jessica Marabella and her Chocolate Labrador Blue.

The Liberty Resources Center for Brain Injury and Rehabilitation is a community-based program that provides support and services to assist individuals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury with successful inclusion within their community. The PAWS of CNY pet therapy program provided the residents with an opportunity to interact with loving, non-judgmental therapy dogs.

One wheelchair-bound patient pulled-out a pocket sized photo album and showed the volunteers a picture of his dog and family. There was a real connection made through the experience of interacting with animals.

A non-verbal resident could only move one hand slightly to pet the dogs. His therapist asked him to write down on a small dry eraser board if he liked the dog. He wrote “yes,” and wrote the word “dog” and then he wrote the word “smile.” Visiting with the dog made him happy and the volunteer could see in his eyes that he was smiling.

All the patients showed the volunteers and their dogs much love and appreciation. It was a very rewarding experience for the volunteers and the patients.

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Filed Under: Events, Uncategorized Tagged With: Pet Therapy Cortland

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About PAWS OF CNY

PAWS of CNY, Inc. is a non-profit organization located in Central New York that is dedicated to enriching the lives of people and animals through mutually beneficial interaction. Over 100 volunteers across Onondaga, Oswego, Cortland, Madison and Cayuga Counties bring their pets to visit residents at more than 100 facilities in Central New York, bringing smiles to more than 1,200 people every week. Read about our available programs.

Recent Posts

  • Sadie Retires After Seven Years of Service
  • Therapy Dogs 101: Do You and Your Pup Have What it Takes?
  • Benefits of Pet Therapy
  • Volunteer John Neuffer joins WCNY’s Cycle of Health’s “How to be Happier”
  • Upstate Hospital Says Goodbye to Beloved Therapy Dog, Lumpi

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