Arabella Hein and her dog Leo are a formidable combination. Arabella was born with diastrophic dysplasia, a condition that has caused her to have multiple surgeries. Leo, on the other hand, is a Border Collie that was adopted from Vryheid Animal Welfare Services (VAWS) as a companion for Arabella. However, Leo soon ‘suggested’ to the family that he could be more than just a companion.
This sparked the idea of sending Leo to Honey’s Garden Medical Alert Dogs for training to be a service dog and provide mobility assistance to Arabella. Leo now assists her to walk and be freer; he is Arabella’s counter-balance and performs a range of mobility tasks.
Leo recently graduated as a Multipurpose Assistance Dog and also as an HG Fur-Therapist. This is the first double graduation for the training facility. The purpose of therapy dogs is also to serve a crucial emotional support function. They provide unconditional love and acceptance, which can be healing for children as well as elderly people who may have experienced trauma. By interacting with these gentle animals, people can begin to rebuild their sense of trust.
In order to qualify as a Certified Therapy Dog, Leo had to convince the training facility that he loves attention but is able to keep his excitement under control. This was the final exam during their Cape Town trip. He graduated with flying colours and was awarded a blue vest and bow tie to identify him as a Certified Fur-Therapist.
To qualify as a therapy dog, Leo had to undergo a few tests. One of the tests was a public access test where they rode the Cape Wheel. As a celebration for passing the CGC Tests, Leo and his humans went to the movies.
Although it seems like just fun and games, it all formed part of his public access tests to be certified as a Honey’s Garden for Medical Alert Dogs service dog. He again passed the test and wasn’t even tempted to eat the popcorn on the floor. The public access and tasks test took place on an ongoing basis. Every time Leo and his family were out and about with the trainer, Leo had to be mentally and physically fit and able to perform, no matter what the situation was. He also had to pass the KUSA CGC Bronze and Silver – an independent examination that he aced with no issues.
The day before Leo’s graduation, they visited a retirement home where he spread love, kindness and cuddles. Although it’s technically work, he loved all the snuggling. His extraordinary abilities awarded him the double graduation as both service and therapy dog. Leo will officially start his duties as a therapy dog at the Paulpieterburg Old Age Home, while being a mobility assistance dog to his little human. Congratulations, Leo!
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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.
