Entrant's First Name
Mary

Tell us a story about how pet therapy touched your life.
Hi! We are Nigel and Anna Clair. We're a "Poster Pair." Anna Clair is a 2 1/2 year old Chocolate Lab and Nigel is a 1 1/2 year old Golden Retriever. We are best friends, almost inseparable. Both of us are in training and hope to be R.E.A.D. therapy dogs one day. Our mom has done R.E.A.D. therapy for five years at Spring Park Elementary in Jacksonville and she loved having young students read to her dog, a Yellow Lab called Roxie. They were a great team but Roxie got cancer and passed away. So we hope to follow in Roxie's paw-steps and make reading fun for lots of school kids. She says we just need a few more classes with Miss Stacy and a few more years to grow up so we can behave better when there are lots of people (especially kids) around. We get too excited. It's just because we love everybody and want to make sure they know.

Give us an example of a special interaction between your therapy animal and the person they were visiting.
When we still had Roxie, she and I were at our weekly school visit. She and I had completed our last session of reading with students and were walking to a classroom to return a book. In the hallway was a young student having a meltdown. With him were the principal and a volunteer we all called "Grandpa." The young boy was kicking, screaming, biting, spitting – all manner of struggling to express his anger at the world. I knew the boy as we had done READ with him in the past. I stopped and said softly to the principal "Can Roxie and I help?" She said to the boy "Would you like to visit with Roxie?" He nodded "yes" and calmed down. He reached out his hand which I took to guide him, reminding him to pet her gently. He stroked Roxie's head and down her back and collapsed on the floor hugging her. Roxie sat down with him, gave him a big kiss on the face and the two sat that way for 5 minutes until the boy was ready to go back to class. It was the most heartwarming scene I've ever witnessed.

If you are not an active therapy animal team, explain how your dog provides therapy to you through the human animal bond.
I live with four dogs. Anna Clair and Nigel plus Harry and Princeton, two rescued dachshunds. Recently I had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. Recovery has been two months in a cast with no weight on one foot. It hasn't always been easy maneuvering with all the furry friends. But having them here has certainly kept my spirits high and aided my ability to relax and stay with the recovery program. If I feel down and start to pity myself for my condition, I just have to find a tennis ball or a favorite toy for one of my "pack" and start them playing to find I soon have a smile on my face and less tension in my body. They are definitely healing hounds!