Alicia Harantschuk, president of Comfort Caring Canines, guest lectured to our “Dying in the 21st Century” class, a solutions-based approach to care for aging, terminally-ill, and differently-abled people. Alicia was joined by two of her pet therapy pups, Vegas and May Belle. Studies epeatedly show the benefits of pet therapy and we saw the benefits firsthand in class! Thinking outside of the box to manage pain, decrease isolation, and help with feelings of sadness and loss, pet therapy offers much to patients and families. Our class learned about pet therapy and how to integrate it into the therapy and hospital settings. We also enjoyed watching Vegas perform tricks, including playing basketball!

Comfort Caring Canines Therapy Dogs, Inc. is made up of a dedicated group of volunteers who share the love of their canine companions trained and tested Therapy Dogs with others. Comfort Caring Canines is a non-profit and offers free visits to community nursing homes, child care centers, schools, hospitals, and senior citizen centers in southeastern PA, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.