This is a series of caches at or nearby sites that my geodog, Redtail, visited as a certified therapy dog. Redtail is my golden retriever who loves to geocache with me. He’s got a nose for a cache and knows when to sit and stay while I sign the log. He is exceptionally sweet and kind. When he was a puppy Mr. Redtail2000 and I promised that we would get him certified as a therapy dog. Admittedly, he had to take Canine Good Citizenship twice because during the final exam he jumped on the instructor… but only because he loved her so much. Those goldens sure do love to be a puppy! Finally at the mature age of eight, he’s made the ranks as a therapy dog certified by the Southwest Canine Corps of Volunteers. Now I get to share with you some of the more poignant events that occurred during our visits. Please always be mindful and respectful of your surroundings when caching at these sites.
Redtail and I attended the 22nd Family Cancer Retreat sponsored by the Cancer Center of New Mexico. This was actually an event that Mr. Redtail2000 and I had wanted to attend after he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2009 but by the time the event took place he was too weak to attend. As a result, it really brought everything full circle for me. There were ten therapy dog teams that gathered with children who have family members facing cancer. I was very excited to meet all of the kiddos whose parents were attending workshops and seminars on health issues, nutrition, financial assistance, etc. There were kids in attendance from six months to eighteen years old. As we entered the ballroom, I could see the grief on the faces of the older children. The time together was spent discussing how to approach dogs with our Loose Dog and Bite Safety presentation. The best part of this presentation was when they practiced giving the dogs treats. We also had a Read to the Dogs session where we gave out books that the kids were able to take home but only after reading it to a dog. This was also a big hit because Redtail loves story time. Then we practiced cuddling and walking the dogs. Redtail just loved cuddling and having his tummy pet with the kids. He absolutely adores children so he was a big hit...as were they. We were so pleased to be there to make a difference in their lives.
Cache on…
Congrats to wer2ys4u, NMJEEP and fgfsumh on their FTFs. We love a show of good sportsmanship:)