Do you do volunteer work?
Yes - with my dogs. They are certified therapy dogs, and we go to nursing homes, rehab centers, hospitals, and other places to cheer up the patients.
What you you do exactly?
I belong to our local therapy dog club, and we take our dogs (one dog per handler) to scheduled visits to local facilities. Our calendar has visits scheduled practically every weekday of the month, and several weekend visits, and we have a waiting list of facilities that want to have us visit, but at the time we don't have enough dog/handler teams to cover them. We go into the facility, and generally walk from room to room, letting our dogs interact with with patients.
How long have you been doing this?
For about 15 years now at least.
What do you like about volunteer work?
I like to see the patients' faces light up when I go into a room with my dog, and they get to pet them and talk to them. Some people are so depressed or ill or mentally unstable, they don't utter a word to other people, but when then see the dogs come in, it's all different. They open up to the dogs, talk to them, and try to communicate with them. It's so heartwarming to see people who haven't uttered a sound to anyone in months, trying to talk to, hug or kiss our dogs. Dogs are so non-judgmental - they don't care what people look like or what disabilities they may have; just a pat on the head or a kind word is all it takes for them to be overjoyed and happy to be near you.
If you have a paid job, how do you fit it into your daily life?
Yes, I have a full time job, am single, and live alone (with my 3 dogs and 2 cats) and it is difficult to find the time to get my dogs ready to go on a therapy visit. The visits I do are mostly weekend visits or special request visits.