Carla Foy grew up in Bethlehem, PA. Her father was an airline pilot, and her mother owns a used/rare bookstore called The Old Library Bookshop. She has always loved children and teaching, and she was encouraged by her grandmother to pursue education as a career. Before coming to Council Rock, she taught in a Catholic…
FEARFUL STUDENTS AND THERAPY DOGS
We often encounter students who have anxiety and fear when around dogs. It seems that our therapy dogs are then thrust into the role of helping students overcome these issues. The gentle and calm demeanor of a therapy dog is the first step in working with these students. It’s heartwarming to see our therapy dogs…
SUMMER READING FUN!
SOME GREAT DOG-THEMED BOOKS FOR STUDENTS It’s summertime and a great time to catch up on pleasure reading. Our therapy dogs recommended some wonderful dog stories and encourage you to visit your local public library! The Nor’wester therapy dogs will be visiting the Free Library at Northampton Township in Richboro on Thursdays now through August…
KATHY GARDOSH AND PATRICK ARE A HIT AT THOMAS FITZWATER ELEMENTARY! (Part 3)
More letters from the kids. . . Patrick makes me more happy and more confident when he’s around. He’s good to have near because he’s soft and gives confidence and happiness. That’s why I like having Patrick around. Grant Patrick has been a very good therapy dog. He has helped me by making me overcome…
KATHY GARDOSH AND PATRICK ARE A HIT AT THOMAS FITZWATER ELEMENTARY! (Part 2)
By Shelby Wetzel Crawford and her kids More letters from the kids. . . Patrick is something that I look forward to because I had a dog come in my classroom before. It is so cool to have a dog in your classroom. I like Patrick coming into my class. Scarlett Patrick is so amazing…
“TAILS” FROM A TESTER
Sue Oakes of Oakes K9 Training and Kathy Gardosh are both evaluators who are certified to do the AKC Canine Good Citizen and the Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs tests. Sue has over 30 years of experience training dogs and specializes in canine behavioral cases. She is a former certified animal control officer and a…
KATHY GARDOSH AND PATRICK ARE A HIT AT THOMAS FITZWATER ELEMENTARY! (Part 1)
By Mrs. Shelby Wetzel Crawford and her kids Mrs. Shelby Wetzel Crawford, teacher, writes: “Ms. Kathy and Patrick have been an amazing highlight of our year in second grade. The students constantly ask when they will be coming and if they could come more often. They look forward to studying with Patrick, reading with him,…
NOR’WESTER THERAPY DOGS APPRECIATION BREAKFAST
Our volunteers were invited to our annual Appreciation Breakfast to express the organization’s gratitude for their commitment to our therapy dog program. This year we held the celebration at Corner Bakery Café in Newtown, PA. During the gathering we present annual certificates of service and do special recognition for five and ten year honorees. We…
FREE EYE EXAMS FOR THERAPY AND SERVICE DOGS
Free eye exams!? Yes, many of our Nor’wester therapy dogs were fortunate to receive free sight-preserving screenings in May. Each year the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) collaborates with StokesRx to offer free ocular-screening eye exams to qualified service, working, and therapy dogs. This philanthropic event benefits formally trained service, working, and therapy dogs…
Casey the Blind Wonder Dog (Part 2)
Casey’s Journey to Becoming a Registered Therapy Dog When I adopted Casey, I had no idea what to expect or how to train a blind dog. I had no idea that a dog born without eyes could run circles around sighted dogs. . . literally! Being a Border Collie with natural herding instincts, Casey always…