About Annabelle
Annabelle is a Golden Retriever, and the two of us are a certified Therapy Dog Team. She also holds a Canine Good Citizen Certificate from the American Kennel Club. At this time, we make a weekly visit to our Children’s Hospital, followed by a visit to other parts of the hospital to see adults.
She was born September 21, 2015. When she was only six months old it was clear she had an unusually calm and accepting demeanor, so we decided to try and train her for what’s known as animal assisted therapy. We had a little help from experts along the way, and her apparently deep calling for the work made her an enthusiastic learner.
When she’s not working she enjoys long walks, chasing balls and being anywhere it’s wet. She also likes spending time with Sweet Pea the cat, and chasing and wrestling with our other pup, Ladybug. Ice cubes are her favorite snack.
Pictures of Annabelle by Her Friends
I never take pictures of Annabelle when she’s working. Not only is it required that a handler stay focused on the dog and its behavior at all times, but there are myriad privacy rules within institutions that forbid it. Patients, families and staff are allowed to photograph her however, and sometimes they send us copies.
About Ladybug
Ladybug is Annabelle’s understudy. She is an English Springer Spaniel, born December 12, 2022. She earned her Canine Good Citizen Certificate in December, 2023 and was certified as a Therapy Dog in February of 2024. Although she will never replace Annabelle, she’s working hard to earn her own cadre of friends.
We did not acquire Annabelle with animal assisted therapy in mind; that was an idea she brought to us. Ladybug on the other hand was adopted specifically to continue the work after Annabelle retires. Springers have high energy and are rarely thought of for this activity, but the breeder supported our goals and selected for us the calmest pup in the litter.
In training volunteers to care for patients at our Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco, we tell them that they receive more from their service than they give. Initially volunteers might feel that their role is to give comfort and spiritual support as an act of charity. But in the end, volunteers experience that they are the ones to whom charity has been done. The patients, acting however unintentionally as good spiritual teachers, have somehow guided the volunteers to open up, to become whole. Besides, whatever you think you are giving - time, money, possessions, love - was never yours in the first place. It was a gift, given for no particular reason, and you are merely passing it on.
From The World Could be Otherwise, by Norman Fischer