For PetSmart Canada's Kent Griffin, a donation to the St.John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program was close to home.
"My grandmother lives in an assisted living facility in Barrie here and they happen to get a therapy dog in on every Thursday. Judith was here today with Summer the dog. They visit the home that my grandmother is in so I think it connects to a lot of people," said Griffin.
PetSmart Charities of Canada presented a cheque for $15,000 to St. John Ambulance’s Ontario branches to go toward the Therapy Dog Program.
Seven adorable and well-behaved therapy dogs sporting their signature red and white bandanas - Bosley, Summer, Crissy, Taffy, Piper, Maddison, Tipsy, Hugo - attended the event Wednesday with their handlers at the PetSmart on Bayfield.
"It's an early Christmas gift," laughed a grateful Cathy Banting, branch manager for St. John Ambulance’s Barrie, Simcoe and Muskoka operation.
The donation will allow the organization to expand the program it's best known for -- offering pet therapy visits within seniors’ residences.
But it will also help expand other programs including more “Bite Free” dog safety training days in elementary schools and additional Paws 4 Stories visits to community libraries.
The library program pairs children with early literacy challenges with canine reading companions that provide non-judgmental support.
"The grant will also help increase the number of visits to colleges and universities to ease anxiety in students who may be away from home for the first time, missing their family pet or experiencing exam-time stress,” said Banting.
"We know that petting dogs or any animal releases stress, lowers blood pressure. It fits in with St. John's mission to enable Canadians to increase their health and safety."
In Ontario, 75 therapy dogs from seven local branches of St. John Ambulance provide nearly 30,000 therapy dog visits to 596 different facilities with over 90,000 hours of volunteer service.
The funding came from PetSmart Charities of Canada’s field grant program. Each year, PetSmart Charities invites PetSmart’s district leaders to nominate a local organization for a grant of $5,000. Three district leaders overseeing PetSmart stores in Ontario pooled their field grant funds to create one larger $15,000 grant to support St. John Ambulance’s renowned Therapy Dog programs.
"We believe strongly in the healing power of the animal bond. It's wonderful. Who doesn't love a dog. Everybody can feel a dog's warmth or cold for that matter. it breaks any barriers," said Griffin.
"PetSmart Charities contributes over $2.5 million annually but it means a little bit more when you get to select something local. Our hope is that with those funds they can expand it. There's a lot more requests than dogs."
