When Kado (AUS CH Glamourford Falcon Unreal) was a pup, he was a very easily excitable pup and loved playing roughly with my other dogs. At a young age, though, we saw a very different behaviour when we would encounter small kids, toddlers, people with walking aids or people with wheel chairs, and older people. Somehow, he knew that these people were fragile and he needed to be gentle with them. There were no sudden movements or his usual kangaroo hopping, etc.
As we started his training with our dog club, the trainers observed this as well and said he would be a wonderful Therapy
Dog. That started our journey into the world of therapy work with Delta Therapy Dogs (https://www.deltasociety.com.au). We started going to hospitals, visiting the stroke/neuroscience ward and the children’s ward. Turns out that the staff need therapy just as much as the patients. We started a trend of visiting the wards on Christmas Day to bring some smiles to everyone who was spending the day at the hospital.
When Kado was about two and a half years of age, we came across another state-run program called “Responsible Pet Ownership” (https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/community-and-education/responsible-pet-ownership-for-children). This is run by the Victorian State Government with the intent of educating children about the do’s and don’ts around dogs.
My wife, Gori, used to take Kado to schools and run a very interactive session on how to approach dogs and what to do when an unknown dog approaches them, etc. The program is intended to help children understand the responsibilities of being a pet owner and make the experience a happy one for all involved. And also there is the opportunity for children to pass on what they have learned in the session to their parents and friends who could not meet Kado.
For the rest of his life, Kado remained a “Therapy Dog” and a “Pet Educator.” He passed away in recent months, and his loss was felt by so many of those he so positively impacted. May his legacy go on through his family here.
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