Brothers Deputy Barney Fife and Sheriff Andy Taylor, two therapy dogs, which are always a hit at assisted living facilities, have been on the job for five years.
his paws on the side of the chair, the res- ident rolled their head over, smiled and petted the dog. Besides senior facilities, Paws of Love
members also work in the medical and educational fields. Groups visit Baxter Regional Medical
Center’s acute rehabilitation wing and the Hensley Behavioral Health Center on a regular basis. Two members also do hospice work. Paws of Love members also visit the Donald W. Reynolds Library serving Baxter County twice a month for its Paws for Reading program, which allows students in kindergarten through sixth
22 JULY/AUGUST 2019 LIVING WELL
grade to read one-on-one to a dog. The activity offers reading encouragement to any student, but especially struggling or reluctant readers. Members of the therapy dog group also visit school classrooms. Once a week, Arlene Myslinski of
Midway brings one of her two Bedling- ton terriers, Cassidy, 5, or Carson, 2, to the kindergarten class taught by Jenni- fer Bauss at Amanda Gist Elementary in Cotter. Jennifer says the therapy dogs help the children, who are just learning to read, feel comfortable because they do not feel the pressure of reading to an
adult. Myslinski, a retired teacher, says the
activity is as beneficial to her dogs as to the students. “The kids absolutely love it,” Jennifer
says.
Special qualities It takes a certain kind of dog to be a
therapy dog. They need to be calm, well-behaved,
like being around people, and allow oth- ers to pet them anywhere on their bod- ies, say the therapy dog handlers. They must not be bothered by moving objects
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