Therapy dog visits Dwyer Center
Therapy dog Tikka, with owner Christina Spaetzel, models the goggles she must wear to protect her eyes in a crisis situation. She also has boots to protect her paws. Photo by Ann Orin
The seniors at the Bay Village Dwyer Center were welcomed with tail wags and dog “smiles” when certified therapy dog Tikka visited the center on Dec. 1. Tikka’s owner, Christina Spaetzel, discussed the training, testing, and many requirements a dog and its owner must accomplish in order to become a certified Therapy and Crisis Response Dog. She also explained the comfort these animals provide for people who are ill, stressed and/or in crisis, whether working with victims or emergency response workers.
Tikka and Christina are members of PAWS and Pet Partners, and visit patients at Fairview Hospital regularly. Tikka, a one-and-a-half-year-old rescued black lab, will take her Crisis Response test in March. She and her owner might then be deployed to assist in an emergency situation anywhere in the country.
Leslie Selig
Leslie Selig, Director of Community Services for Bay Village