Kilgore Public Library patrons were able to put their busy summer schedules on “paws” and chill out with two therapy dogs as part of the library’s summer event schedule recently.
Doyle and Sissy Lawhorn visited KPL and brought along two very special friends: therapy dogs Jozie and Lily, who demonstrated their excellent training and befriended kids and adults alike.
“There is a difference between a therapy dog and a service dog,” Doyle explained.
“Some of y’all may have been out and seen a service dog. They’re usually wearing a vest that says ‘Do Not Pet’ and there’s a reason for that. The difference between a therapy dog and a service dog is that a service dog is trained to adapt to particular individuals and they are there for that particular person, whatever their needs are, and the reason that you don’t approach them, don’t distract them, don’t try to pet them, is because that person may be blind and that dog serves as their eyes. If you distract them, that person might trip and fall. Therapy dogs are totally different. They are everybody’s dog! They like to make new friends and meet people.”
The Lawhorns explained they first adopted Jozie and Lily to begin training them as therapy dogs as a project for retirement. Doyle showed library patrons a picture book about the lives of their dogs, showing their canine parents and some of the places where they have visited. He adopted Jozie during the COVID shutdowns, when many dogs weren’t available for adoption.
“I was looking on the internet and there was a picture of Jozie and I said that’s the one I want. We had to drive to Oklahoma City to get her, a seven hour drive. When we got home, we decided that we wanted to train Jozie, obedience training. About six months later, we decided we wanted another dog and that Jozie needed a baby sister and that’s when we got Lily. After that, we started with the training program.”
He explained they got in touch with a trainer at PetSmart who trains service dogs and therapy dogs. The trainer suggested special training for therapy dogs.
“I didn’t know anything about therapy dogs at the time. I thought, I’m fixing to retire, I need something to do. It would be nice to have a therapy dog and go around and visit people. The therapy dog training process took over a year and they have to be a year old when they are certified,” Doyle said, noting the pups were certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which is based in Wyoming and has certified over 20,000 therapy dogs.
“It was a learning process for me as well,” Doyle said. Many animals can become certified as therapy animals, including llamas, horses, cats and even rats.
Jozie and Lily demonstrated some of their top-notch training for the group. As Doyle showed Jozie two buttons which play an audio recording of “yes” or “no” when pressed, Jozie was able to respond to simple questions by tapping the buttons with her paw. She was also able to sit, shake hands, lay down and even respond to instructions written on paper.
At the conclusion of the demonstration, patrons were able to greet and pet Jozie and Lily, who were more than happy to make new friends.
According to the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which has been providing training and certifications for over 30 years, caring volunteers with specially-trained dogs can visit nursing homes, hospitals schools and special needs centers to bring smiles and joy to people, young and old alike. These dogs are intended to bring affection, comfort and emotional support to people facing loneliness, traumatic events, illnesses or other challenges.
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