Animal-Assisted Therapy

Meet Rio Grand the “Wonder Dog”.

Meet Rio Grand

Much like the rest of us, sometimes life changes, throws a curve ball, and you find yourself “re-purposing”. What seemed so instinctual suddenly becomes more challenging, and you suddenly have to change your path, even if you don’t know where it’s going to lead. Scary. Depending on how you decide to look at it. If we rely on the wisdom of great Grandma Happe (per legend) it becomes a little less scary “If I’m not there….I’ll be somewhere else”.

Rio was born to hunt, and she is, and continues to be magnificent to watch in the field. Unfortunately, she has developed a condition in her joints that has limited her mobility making this more challenging for her, so she has had to rely on her backup skill of being a “loving companion”.  She has recently completed training and successfully achieved the status of Certified Therapy Dog through Therapy Dogs International (TDI).

 Good news!!  This skill is just as natural for her, and she is a master at both. Her “somewhere else” also appears to bring much greater happiness. A lesson for all of us.

She’d love to meet you if animal-assisted therapy is the right path for you, or just to say a warm hello.

Quote: “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.”
― Milan Kundera