No pet therapy program is made up of just one, or even a few, dogs. Here are some fabulous dogs that I’ve gotten to know over the years.

An illustration of a Pembroke Welsh Corgi rolling over. The Corgi has a big grin on his face.

Darwin in his prime.

Illustration of a tan and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi getting his teeth brushed. He is tolerating it, but glaring at the tooth-brusher.

Darwin getting his teeth brushed. He had the most expressive face of any dog I’ve ever seen.

Illustration of a black and tan chihuahua mix looks up at an Old English Sheepdog.

We use dogs of any size and shape for pet therapy.

An illustration of a young woman in an electric wheelchair tricked out with everything she'll need for the day -- an umbrella strapped to the side, a raincoat hanging from the back and a smile on her face as her Chocolate lab service dog presses the "Walk" button on a light pole.

Service dogs are different from pet therapy dogs — while therapy dogs greet everybody, service dogs help just their owners. But tasks they do are invaluable.

Here are the Pet Therapy Dogs I’ve had through the years.

A red Chow Chow does a play bow in the snow. She has a blue ball in her mouth. The caption reads "Kurama".
Kurama

My first Pet Therapy Dog, Kurama

A tan and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi sits outside in front of a shrub. His tongue is out and fat at the end, which means he is happy. The caption reads "Darwin."
Darwin
A Black and tan mutt with tan "pumpkin seeds" above its eyes smiles at the camera. The caption reads "Tegan"
Tegan
A tan and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi sits outside on a sidewalk. The Corgi is smiling up at its handler. The caption says "Zoe".
Zoe

Other Pet Therapy Dogs in the Program Through the Years

Three Shetland Sheepdogs sit in front of a table with a purple table cloth on it, and awards on top of that. The caption reads "the Shelties".
The Shelties
A small, bright-eyed American Eskimo looks directly at the camera. Her mouth is open as she pants happily. The caption reads "Cissy".
Cissy The American Eskimo
Four Pet Therapy handlers and their dogs pose outside for photographs. All the handlers and dogs are in their purple uniforms,, and the handlers have on masks. The caption reads
Pet Therapy had to adapt during Covid.
A tan and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi sits in a meeting hall, looking to the side. Its eyes are happy, and its mouth is open in a Corgi grin. He has a bow tie around his neck. The caption reads "Darwin looking dapper."
Darwin looking dapper
A brown Newfoundand dog lies on the floor, looking back at its owner. People sitting on chairs at meeting room-style tables and chairs are behind the dog. The caption reads "Truffles teh Newfoundland".
Truffles the Newfoundland
A sleek black Greyhound with a white muzzle gently accepts a treat from a seated woman's hand. The caption reads "Lilly."
Lilly
A brown and white Springer Spanial looks up at its owner, who is out of the photograph. The caption reads "Barron Looks for instructions."
Barron looks for instructions.
A small terrier with a black face looks at the photographer. Its eyes are squinty.
When a dog squints its eyes, its giving you a hug.
Profile photo of a small black and tan chihuahua. It's tongue lolls out of its mouth. The caption reads "Bindi"
Bindi
A black dog with tan points
Tegan

There’s usually too much going on when we visit patients for me to remember to take pictures, but this patient asked me to snap a shot with Tegan, and so I whipped out my own cell phone and got a photo.

Seven dogs of five different breeds sit in a meeting room. Most of the dogs have purple bandanas around their necks. None of the dogs is looking at either any of the other dogs, or the viewer. Behind the dogs is a table covered in a purple table cloth. Several awards are on the table.

Some of the dogs at our most recent Pet Therapy gathering. This is a lot of dogs to sit and stay at once.

A tan and white Welsh Corgi sits outside, in front of a tan brick building. The Corgi's eyes are bright and she is panting happily, her tongue just showing. The caption reads "Zoe".
Zoe

Zoe poses on her first day of pet therapy.

An apricot Standard Poodle sits in a break room. The Poodle is wearing a white lab coat with its ID badge cliped to the chest pocket, and a purple bandana. It has the ends of a stethescope stuck in it's ears. The caption reads "Dog-ter Sam will see you now."

Dogter Sam will see you now.

A black dog with tan points sits at the feet of a woman sitting in an office chair. The woman is petting the dog. The caption reads "Tegan visiting hospital staff."

Tegan visiting hospital staff.

Tegan gets so excited when we are getting ready that she jumps up on my bed and lies down on my uniform so I DON’T FORGET TO TAKE A HER.

A black dog with tan points lies on my pet therapy uniform.

Bye now! Come back soon!