Myriad Benefits MIAMI-- Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is getting help from some four-legged friends. Because firefighters work and live as a group for up to 48 hours at a time, a therapy dog’s ability to provide consolation and support to multiple individuals make them perfect as a firehouse dog or a welcome visitor after a difficult day. Fitzgerald commented that visiting and playing with these dogs — which included an 8-month-old Irish wolfhound and a 2-year-old English toy spaniel — provided the overworked and grieving firefighters with a brief period of normalcy. All donations are tax deductible. But there is always one thing after a long shift that helps make the firefighters smile: the embrace of their canine pal Kerith. Kerith the golden retriever, that’s who. Phoebe is a one-year-old Goldendoodle who helps firefighters and emergency crews through the stresses of their jobs. With designated firefighters on all three shifts specially trained to be Wally’s handlers, Wally can now sense when firefighters are stressed, and he goes directly to them, without them having to reach out for help. "She brings levity and a sense of playfulness even though they know the task of the day will be challenging.". Slower breathing. As you can imagine, fighting fires is a dangerous and stressful job. ... to become therapy animals for fire department. In October, Taka the Shiba Inu nearly died in a house fire. The 2-year-old golden retriever, a certified crisis response therapy dog, takes her job very seriously, spreading love to firefighters as they take on the Woodward fire in California's Marin County. What’s important is that these therapy dogs have shown real, undoubtedly beneficial results for these people who see more trauma and tragedy than anyone else. The Porterville Fire Department took to Facebook on Monday to introduce the newest member of the department, a 10-week-old English Cream Golden Retriever puppy named Gardner. Source The Animal Rescue Site via … Henry Steinman + 11 months ago. Once fully trained, Hallie will … Therapy dogs can help them to cope with the interview and examination processes. A dog left scarred for life after suffering severe burns in a house fire is now training to be a therapy dog for burn victims. Later, the pooch earned certification as a comfort dog through the Pet Partners therapy dog organization -- and she began making the rounds as a therapy dog in her local hospital emergency ward, Carmen said. Therapy dogs are specially trained by their owners to help stressed-out people feel relief from their problems or anxieties — at least temporarily. Enter therapy dogs. Similarly, therapy dogs are also being used in educational settings to … Therapy dog joins Snoqualmie Fire Department as stress reliever. The senior dog was sleeping on his screened-in porch in his home in Georgia when the house caught fire… Therapy Dog Gets Caught Red-Pawed Stealing Donations from Toy Drive at Police Station The Franklin Police Department found their dog, Ben Franklin, hoarding presents meant for children Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others, by Kathy Diamond Davis, Dogwise Publishing, 2002 The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be … It's also where she first developed her affinity for firefighters who invited the lively dog to visit their stations. The best potential therapy dogs are pups that are well-mannered, well-behaved, and generally get along with people. Research by UCLA Health confirmed that interaction with therapy dogs provides both mental and physical health benefits, including: Additionally, a study by the American Journal of Critical Care found that just 12 minutes with a therapy dog provided greater neurological and psychosocial improvements in heart patients than a 12-minute visit with a human volunteer. Hope Idahosa. Copyright © 2017 Alliance of Therapy Dogs, All Rights Reserved, Relieving the Rescuers: Therapy Dogs and Firefighters. By Rachel Shapiro Contributor at Animal Channel In October 2018, nine-year-old Taka got badly burned in a house fire. Kerith handing out a hug to a firefighter at the staging area of the Woodward fire. Kerith was bred to be a guide dog for the blind in San Rafael, California. She is a pet therapy dog and a best friend to these heroes in Marin County. Dog Injured in Fire Is Dedicating His Life to Supporting and Comforting Burn Victims. When the firefighters know that Kerith is scheduled for a visit, they get excited and look forward to seeing her during their shift, Carmen said. Wally comes Fire Station 32, Fairview, as part of a pilot program instituted by the Fire and Rescue Department that hopes to use a highly trained and certified therapy dog to benefit on-duty personnel at the fire station. In the last days of December 2017, California firefighters were dealing with not only the unrelenting exhaustion of fighting the state’s largest-ever wildfire for weeks without a break, but also trying to cope with the loss of one of their own. ... Smokey, one of the first fire department comfort dogs in America, works at a fire station helping to lower stress levels and provide emotional support to firefighters. 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