Troupe Member of the Month - Jeff Schofield and OpieJeff has been a dedicated member of the PAWSitive Therapy Troupe since 2021 and a registered Pet Partner team since 2009. His Pet Partner therapy dog is Opie, a 9-year-old Goldendoodle. Jeff and Opie have been faithful visitors at the Oak Park Infant Welfare League where they provide comfort and support to children coming into the after-school health clinics. Opie enjoys “Read With Me” programs at local elementary schools and libraries where he listens intently as children read their books to him. Jeff and Opie also provide stress relief for students at Dominican University and University of Illinois and support to patients and healthcare staff at MacNeal hospital. Here is what Jeff has to say about his PAWSitive Therapy Troupe experiences: “I can honestly say that we do not have just one “favorite” place that we go. I have yet to leave a visit where we didn't have a positive impact with either an individual or group of people. Whether it's a visit of only a few or a few hundred, Opie and I as a team always have felt appreciated for what we do. Over the past 7 1/2 years that Opie and I have been making therapy visits I've estimated we have visited with over 5,000 people. Some of the larger venues like Dominican University, UIC, corporate events or the many elementary or high schools we go to always have large turnouts. I can't say enough about Opie’s willingness to show affection towards people and the affection he gets in return is a wonderful thing to see. It has happened often where we will be at the park or the pet store or at a pet friendly restaurant where random people will come up to us and want to pet him. They will remember him from a visit we made at their school or with their parents while they were hospitalized. It's this kind of situation that makes animal-assisted therapy such a great experience. I personally get so much satisfaction contributing to such a rewarding cause with the sweetest and most devoted teammate a person could ask for.” On behalf of all of us in the PAWSitive Therapy Troupe, thank YOU Jeff and Opie for your dedicated service! |
Mission Statement
The PAWSitive Therapy Troupe is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to sharing registered therapy dogs with individuals in a wide variety of health care and educational settings--bringing comfort, support and encouragement through the unique healing power of the human-animal bond.
What is the PAWSitive Therapy Troupe?
The PAWSitive Therapy Troupe is an Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy program designed to share registered therapy dogs with patients and students in a variety of health care and educational settings.
What are Animal-Assisted Activities / Therapy?
Animal-Assisted Activities
Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) share registered therapy dogs with patients or students in a variety of activities such as individual bedside visits, entertaining demonstrations or educational sessions. Animal- Assisted Activities are not necessarily goal-directed, but they are nonetheless certainly therapeutic in nature.
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is goal-directed intervention in which a therapy dog is an integral part of the clinical treatment process. It is directed by a licensed health care or education professional with specialized expertise and within the scope of his or her profession. AAT is designed to promote improvement in physical, social, emotional and / or cognitive functioning / reading skills. This process is documented in the health care record by the health care professional or in the education plan by the education professional.
Is there a Difference Between a Therapy Dog and a Service Dog?
Yes! Therapy dogs are NOT “service”, or “assistance” dogs. Service dogs include guide dogs for the blind; hearing dogs that alert their owners to sounds; mobility assistance dogs, which may pull a wheelchair or directly support a person; seizure alert dogs; and others like them. Service dogs are covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act. People with disabilities can BY LAW, take their service dogs with them wherever they go, including planes, restaurants, sporting events, etc.
Many people are under the mistaken impression that therapy dogs and their handlers have the same rights of access as people with disabilities and their service animals. Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs. They are NOT allowed to accompany their handlers wherever they go. Therapy dogs are invited into hospitals, nursing homes or schools to work with patients or students on very specific tasks, or simply to bring their unconditional love to the many people who need them in these facilities. Therapy dogs and their handlers have no more rights of access than anyone with a companion animal or pet.
Therapy dogs are always first and foremost beloved family pets. You cannot “buy” a ready made therapy dog. Therapy dogs and their owners, because of their interest in therapy work have undergone additional rigorous training to prepare them to function reliably in health care or educational settings. Therapy dogs live at home with their families when they are not working.
Missing You
When visits from our troupe therapy dogs were suspended during the global pandemic our troupe members put together a video message for our friends.
(April 30, 2020)
20 Years at Loyola
Loyola Celebrates 20 Years of Pet Therapy - For 20 years, the PAWsitive Therapy Troupe has been visiting patients, families and colleagues at Loyola Medicine. These canine caregivers bring comfort, support and encouragement through the unique healing power of the human-animal bond.
(July 2017)
NBC News
PAWSitive Therapy teams on the NBC News "Making a Difference" segment -- How Therapy Dogs are Helping Sick Kids at Loyola University Medical Center.
(April 30, 2019)
PBS "In the Loop"
PAWSitive Therapy Troupe Featured on PBS's "In the Loop"
(May 25, 2017)
Amy and Buster CBS News
PAWSitive Therapy team Amy and Buster on CBS News
(February 16, 2018)