Dogs needed for therapy work in Colorado Springs

Fort Carson is in need of few good man’s best friends. The army post has reached out to the National Therapy Dog Registry in Colorado Springs for more dogs to offer comfort and therapy to soldiers.

“They desperately need dogs,” said Christine Kelly, a certified trainer with the therapy group.

Dogs for the program come from the general public. After training, dogs and their handlers visit those in need of help all over the community from schools to nursing homes. Right now, demand is high at Fort Carson for these special helpers.

“The people that say ‘I have a really nice dog which loves people,’ those are who we are looking for,” said Kelly. “They will visit Evans Army Community Hospital, counseling sessions or anywhere in town but right now this is for the soldiers.”

One reason dogs are effective in providing relief and comfort is because some people are more comfortable talking to a dog about what’s troubling them rather than a therapist.

The group trains any kind of dog for therapy assistance. The dog goes through a two-part test in which evaluators try to rule out aggressive or reactive dogs. They also don’t want possessive dogs in the program or dogs that need corrective actions from their handlers like jerking or pulling on the dog to respond to commands.

Kelly said they are in need of more small dogs in their ranks.

If you’re interested in helping you can find information through the National Therapy Dog Registry or by calling Kelly at (719) 238-8118.