Therapy dog program in need of 'friendly teams'

It’s one of Abby’s first days on the job as a therapy dog, and she’s doing just fine.

“Our therapy dogs are meant to be pet. They are evaluated to be friendly, calm dogs. And a service dog is for one person, whereas the therapy dogs can have many people pet them, and they’re just trying to give joy to people,” said Bruce-Grey-Huron St. John’s Ambulance Therapy Dog Coordinator, Wendy Donaldson.

For the past 30 years, St. John’s Ambulance therapy dogs have been travelling to schools, hospitals, nursing homes and hospices to provide an uplifting moment to anyone willing to reach down a give them a pet.

It’s immediate free therapy for those in need.

“A lot of people inn long-term care have to give up their pets. So, quite often Abby gets called different names. We just go with it, because people are smiling, and it’s an emotional connection,” said Mel Coultes, Abby’s owner and handler.

St. John Ambulance therapy dogs visit FE Madill Secondary School in Wingham, Ont. on Dec. 9, 2022. -The dogs are interacting with students on 25th anniversary of Bruce-Grey-Huron chapter of St. John’s Ambulance Therapy dog program. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

St. John’s Ambulance is celebrating their 25th anniversary of the therapy dog program in Bruce-Grey-Huron, by putting the call out for more therapy dog “teams.”

“COVID was hard on our membership. We went from 80 teams to 20 teams,” said Donaldson.

Donaldson said they have worked their way back to 34 dog-handler teams touring midwestern Ontario, but are eager to add more, with no special training required.

“If anyone has a nice, calm dog, and they have an hour to spare a week, we’d love for them to get a hold of us, cause we’d be happy to have them join our organization,” said Donaldson.

St. John Ambulance therapy dogs visit FE Madill Secondary School in Wingham, Ont. on Dec. 9, 2022. -The dogs are interacting with students on 25th anniversary of Bruce-Grey-Huron chapter of St. John’s Ambulance Therapy dog program. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Coultes, who brought her previous dog, and now Abby, to schools, hospitals, and nursing homes for the past three years, said it’s a really rewarding experience to simply make people smile.

“I just like to give back to the community. It’s a chance to visit with people who don’t always get a chance to visit,” she said.

To learn more about the St. John’s Ambulance Therapy Dog Program, you can contact [e-mail] or call [phone].