GREENSBURG (KDKA) – In at the moment’s KD Sunday Spotlight, we’re highlighting a crew of dogs working to carry pleasure and luxury to folks of all ages in western Pennsylvania.
Top Dog Therapy Team was just lately voted the second-best nonprofit in Westmoreland County and we obtained to go to their coaching facility in Greensburg to see how they’re touching lives one paw at a time.
Dogs can unleash a sure sort of therapeutic energy, you possibly can name them therapists with fur.
The canines on the Top Dog Therapy Team are execs at offering conditional love.
“Our dogs are skilled for folks to hug them, to cry on them, they’re skilled to be round emotional misery as effectively,” stated Rodney Little.
It’s a narrative of tragedy to triumph and Army veteran Rodney Little was in a bike accident and have become paralyzed from the waist down. His canine, Sarge, who has since handed away, stayed by his facet within the hospital and rehabilitation middle.
“Sarge was the one happiness I obtained and I did not understand it within the second of my storm, however he introduced different folks happiness too,” he recalled.
Little’s finest pal grew to become an authorized service canine and helped him get better at home till he may walk once more.
The Top Dog Therapy Team was then born in Westmoreland County.
“I began studying that phrases did not imply loads anymore however the consolation {that a} canine can provide you, you did not actually need to talk any phrases, no phrases want spoken, and that love, that spotlight, that affection that Sarge manifested for me, I took that and began giving it again to others,” he stated.
His crew is made up of greater than 100 human volunteers and 86 remedy dogs with many breeds and mutts, even some as small as 4 kilos and as huge as 107 kilos.
“Izzy is 3-and-a-half-year-old Coton de Tulear,” stated Sharon Danko. “It’s her persona and the way she cherished everyone and lit up the room when she walked in, wagging her tail.”
“This is Harper, she is 17 months, and she or he is a golden doodle,” stated Garrity Bungard as we met Harper. “She’s introduced a lot pleasure to my life in doing this.”
Some of the pups, like Molly, are nonetheless in coaching.
“This is Molly she’s a gold retriever she is 4 years outdated, and that is her sister, Micah,” stated Dick Boyle. “I’m seeking to retire and hopefully we begin doing extra visits to varsities and hospitals and nursing houses.”
The dogs go to amenities in eight counties to supply consolation to kids in school rooms, carry pleasure to the aged in care houses, and carry sufferers’ spirits in hospitals and restoration facilities.
“We let the dogs’ actions come alive and every one in every of these dogs brings uniquely one thing particular to the crew and apart from simply people who find themselves at medical facilities, instructional facilities,” Little stated. “We even have two dogs right here at the moment they’re additionally a part of our bereavement crew. If there is a college that has a trainer, or a pupil who passes away they will name us at midnight and we’ll be there the subsequent morning.”
Their trainers work for Little’s business, Youngwood Top Dog Services, and as you may think about, a number of work goes into coaching the canines.
“About 6 to eight months on common earlier than they get hold of certification then their working objective is to go love, consideration, and affection to everyone they arrive throughout,” he defined.
Little’s subsequent aim is to purchase a bit of property to allow them to build three coaching facilities.
“One for the disabled veterans that we work with, one for our medical sufferers and kids, and one open coaching bay with hopefully a future doggy swimming pool that we are able to add in there too,” he stated.
Once the pups get their blue vests on, they’re able to get to work and make visits full with wagging tails, cuddles, and kisses.
“This sort of consolation that began with one canine has grown to over 80 dogs, from one facility to hundreds of amenities, from one county to eight, and we have magnified and professionalized it and put coaching implementations and checks and balances in and it is actually grown into one thing lovely,” Little stated with satisfaction.
Turning ache into one thing “paw”sitive, whereas protecting the primary Top Dog Therapy canine of their hearts – all the time.
The organization’s fifth annual cookout is going on at New Stanton Park on September 30 and whereas solely Top Dog Therapy dogs are allowed to attend, all people are welcome to return meet the pups whereas having fun with meals and video games.
Donations can be made on their website the place you should purchase a brick for the brand new facility in honor of a pet or veteran.
If you wish to see an organization highlighted in KDKA’S Sunday Spotlight phase, ship Jessica Guay an e mail at [email protected]
