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Service and therapy dogs praised for boosting independence, easing stress in Pasadena
Summary
Speakers described how Mobility Dog trains service dogs to help people with disabilities with daily activities, how the Pasadena Police Department’s therapy team uses dogs to reduce officer stress, and how Huntington Hospital volunteers use pet therapy to comfort patients.
Janie Lynn Heinrich, founder and CEO of Mobility Dog in Pasadena, said Mobility Dog "advances functional independence for people with disabilities through education, service dogs, and empowerment," and described the practical daily tasks those dogs perform to help handlers live fuller lives.
Heinrich said a service dog team is a partnership: "Every team is different... They become an extension of you. You do not become an extension of them," and listed specific supports such as fetching medication, opening doors and counterbalancing a handler to assist walking. She added that each handler team "affects personally anywhere from 10 to 14 people" in the handler's support network.
The remarks underscored…
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