INDIANAPOLIS — Paws & Think will have two special guests at St. Vincent Ascension Hospital. These special guests are two golden retriever puppies named Journey and Gus Gus who are training to be therapy dogs. Staff/Associates are invited to visit with the puppies for stress-relief while helping the puppies learn appropriate socialization skills.
The next visit will be held Thursday, Dec. 13. This event is not open to the public.
The Paws to Heal pet therapy program at St. Vincent is a program of Paws & Think and allows people with great dogs to share them with hospital patients and staff in need of emotional support. Paws & Think offers therapy skills classes for anyone looking to get involved in the pet therapy program. Upon completion of the training, an evaluation will determine whether the handler and dog will be successful working in certain setting. Paws & Think also schedules visits with approved venues. Paws & Think is a volunteer-led non-profit dedicated to improving lives through the power of the human-dog connection.
Paws & Think partners with schools, health care facilities, the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center, humane societies/shelters and other organizations to improve the quality of life for at-risk youth, seniors, people with disabilities/special needs and others who can benefit from interacting with the dogs in its programs. The organization was incorporated as Paws and Think, Inc. in 2001. To learn more about Paws & Think, please visit the organization’s website at www.pawsandthink.org.
