For 20 years, a local woman has worked with her therapy dogs to bring love and smiles to so many in Lake County.This week’s WESH 2 CommUNITY Champion has no plans of slowing down. Sally Guggino has been volunteering for two decades with Paws for Therapy. Merlin is her third lovable and loyal therapy dog.”I guess the most important thing is when you have a therapy dog, you and your therapy dog become a team, and you are very attached to each other,” Guggino said. “When a dog can make a person open up and feel good and smile, it is. It’s worth it.”Merlin and Guggino have been a team for seven years. Merlin was a rescue, and every month, they visit residents at Madison at Clermont, an assisted living facility.”We’ve had dogs in our lifetime, and we just love them. To see them come in here and, kind of see the brightness in people’s eyes, he just has that pleasing look on his face as you pet him and so on. It’s just comforting,” said resident Gerald Kole.Mark Wright-Ahern is the lifestyle director at Madison at Clermont and says these visits go a long way.”Sally herself comes in and they sit down with the residents, and they take their time and spend quality time with the residents, with the animals. And that’s priceless. She definitely deserves being recognized for what you do for the community,” Wright-Ahern said.Sally goes all over Lake County with about five visits a week. From the Harvest Festival in Clermont to reading to children at the library, she wants to reach everyone.It was another Paws for Therapy volunteer who nominated Sally as a WESH 2’s CommUNITY Champion.”She makes people feel at ease. Whether it’s in the hospital, whether it’s in a nursing home, whether it’s with children, every single facet. She can reach that person,” said volunteer Jackie Kelly. Guggino wasn’t so sure about being named a CommUNITY Champion — she likes to stay under the radar — but her giving spirit and kindness toward others shows she is the perfect person to shine a light on. “I’m 77 years old. This has never happened to me before. Ever. So this is unreal. This means so much to me. You have no idea. This makes everything worthwhile, although not as worthwhile as somebody saying to you, we appreciate what you do, and that’s all we need,” Guggino said.
For 20 years, a local woman has worked with her therapy dogs to bring love and smiles to so many in Lake County.
This week’s WESH 2 CommUNITY Champion has no plans of slowing down.
Sally Guggino has been volunteering for two decades with Paws for Therapy. Merlin is her third lovable and loyal therapy dog.
“I guess the most important thing is when you have a therapy dog, you and your therapy dog become a team, and you are very attached to each other,” Guggino said. “When a dog can make a person open up and feel good and smile, it is. It’s worth it.”
Merlin and Guggino have been a team for seven years. Merlin was a rescue, and every month, they visit residents at Madison at Clermont, an assisted living facility.
“We’ve had dogs in our lifetime, and we just love them. To see them come in here and, kind of see the brightness in people’s eyes, he just has that pleasing look on his face as you pet him and so on. It’s just comforting,” said resident Gerald Kole.
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Mark Wright-Ahern is the lifestyle director at Madison at Clermont and says these visits go a long way.
“Sally herself comes in and they sit down with the residents, and they take their time and spend quality time with the residents, with the animals. And that’s priceless. She definitely deserves being recognized for what you do for the community,” Wright-Ahern said.
Sally goes all over Lake County with about five visits a week. From the Harvest Festival in Clermont to reading to children at the library, she wants to reach everyone.
It was another Paws for Therapy volunteer who nominated Sally as a WESH 2’s CommUNITY Champion.
“She makes people feel at ease. Whether it’s in the hospital, whether it’s in a nursing home, whether it’s with children, every single facet. She can reach that person,” said volunteer Jackie Kelly.
Guggino wasn’t so sure about being named a CommUNITY Champion — she likes to stay under the radar — but her giving spirit and kindness toward others shows she is the perfect person to shine a light on.
“I’m 77 years old. This has never happened to me before. Ever. So this is unreal. This means so much to me. You have no idea. This makes everything worthwhile, although not as worthwhile as somebody saying to you, we appreciate what you do, and that’s all we need,” Guggino said.
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