WHAT'S IN A NAME?

"And Chance? He’s the dog she needed."

“Joey” is what Labrador Rescue had called him -- a stray with a terrible skin condition – so bad, he was supposed to have been euthanized. Sandra Frost, Therapeutic Paws Of Canada Team Leader for Pickering-Ajax, saw his photo and thought the dog behind those intelligent eyes deserved another chance… and a new name. “Chance” joined Sandra and her certified therapy dog, a Golden Retriever named Tea. At that time, Sandra’s mother was in a nursing home and during visits to the home, Chance demonstrated that he, too, had The Calling – the stuff of a therapy dog – a caring, loving disposition that is the hallmark of a Lab.

Chance quickly showed his aptitude for therapy work in the way he responded to training. Now a happy, confident dog (with skin issues resolved), Chance passed his certification evaluation and started visiting in seniors’ residences and participating in the acclaimed PAWS Rooms at universities to help students de-stress during exam time.

But Chance didn’t stop there – he later became a child certified pet therapist so he could spread the love to kids in hospital and libraries. Sandra reports that when they enter a facility and Chance hears his name being called he gets that look on his face – the one saying “there’s work to do – let’s get at it.”
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Sandra’s other therapy dog, Tea, will be featured in a future column. Interestingly, Sandra says Tea was the dog she wanted. And Chance? He’s the dog she needed.