Gretchen's three dogs
(L to R) Phineas, Thelma, Jimmy

I have had dogs since age seven, when I cried so hard (and subsequently everyone in the house cried) that my father finally gave in and said that we could have the puppy!

My interest in pet therapy came slightly later, when, in 1974 I first began to work at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Canandaigua, New York. This was a psychiatric hospital. I started taking in my dog, Frodo, a big Golden/Saint Bernard mix and she was an instant hit. Patients who were unable to talk to me, talked to Frodo. They cuddled with her, played with her and patted her – much to her pleasure. But it was their pleasure too. They began to look forward to her visits, anticipating something good for a change – a great antidote to depression.

There have been many anecdotes, some sad, most very happy over my 33 year career with VA. There have been many animals, mostly dogs, that I have had the pleasure of sharing with patients as part of a Recreation Therapy program.

These experiences have made me committed to having pet therapy programs continue as part of the Recreation Therapy program at the VAMC in Manchester and at other facilities.

Currently, I share my home with Thelma (her middle name IS Louise), a 9 ½ year old Great Pyrenees; Jimmy, a 10 year old white (sometimes) mini poodle and Phineas, a very energetic 3 ½ year old black, standard poodle. I have made a solemn promise to the poodles that they never will have pom pom. Jimmy has a history of significant abuse, so is not a therapy dog, but Thelma and Phineas have both worked at the Medical Center. And . . . each dog has their own cat . . . Shasta, Tig and Niner.