Sunday, May 5, 2024
A local dog named Bedford is working toward becoming an asset for the Granbury community one visit at a time.
Bedford, the almost 3-year-old labradoodle, became a registered therapy dog through Pet Partners four months ago. He and his partner, Kay Dykes, are working to become an essential part of the community and made a stop at the Hood County Library for story time Feb. 21.
Diana “Cookie” Haun serves as the youth librarian/assistant director at the library and reads books to attendees to educate them and encourage them to read.
During story time, attendees had a special visit from Bedford but before his appearance, Haun read a book to the kids about a dog who dreamed of being a service dog. The students also sang along to “Bingo was his Name-O,” encouraging both spelling and learning for the kids.
After some education, the students got the chance to meet Bedford and give him pets, treats and to brush his curly fur.
Bedford’s plan was not always to become a therapy dog, though. He had some training previously through a boot camp at Clover Pets in Granbury and did some agility training classes last year with Donna Allison.
“He loved the agility training, but I realized about six months into it that what he really enjoyed was going places and meeting new people more than the actual performance part of agility work,” Dykes told the HCN.
While on vacation last fall, Dykes met a woman and her dog on the beach; the dog had recently become a registered therapy dog through Pet Partners.
“I thought that might be the perfect fit for Bedford,” Dykes shared. “Because he had done a lot of obedience and education work previously, there were just a few things we needed to tweak for him to pass the testing (to become a registered therapy dog).
Dykes added there are many specific skills a dog must exhibit to pass the in-person credentialing evaluation. There is also an extensive behavior questionnaire and health form for Bedford that both Dykes and Bedford’s vet have to fill out. She also took online classes before she and Bedford went for the team evaluation that lasted about an hour.
“We went through a series of scenarios with several groups of people posing as clients/patients we would likely encounter in a therapy animal setting such as a school, hospital or nursing home,” Dykes shared. “They also simulated stress situations to watch Bedford and (my) responses and interactions. It’s a fairly intense process because they want us safe, and after registering, Bedford is insured with a $2 million liability policy.”
Every two years, Bedford and Dykes will be re-evaluated in person to keep both the credentials and liability policy current.
“The human animal bond is powerful. The joy and acceptance therapy animals bring to everyday routines can be a tremendous boost for mental health,” Dykes added. “There’s nothing like a little unconditional love from a four-legged friend when you’re having a difficult day.”
The duo has been volunteering in Fort Worth at JPS Hospital where they visit nurses and other hospital staff. The plan is for the two to get more involved within the Granbury Community. Pet Partners has a program for children called “Read with Me” that allows kids struggling with reading or needing more practice to read to a therapy dog. This program allows for children’s confidence to be built up.
The two will soon start making more frequent visits to the Hood County Library for story time. They also hope to begin volunteering at Granbury ISD schools starting later this spring, but Dyke’s ultimate goal is for Bedford to help kids and adults in trauma situations.
To keep up with Bedford, follow him on Instagram at @BedfordtheLabradoodle. To learn more about Pet Partners visit petpartners.org.
