WORTHINGTON — The Sunset Hospice Cottage in Worthington is now getting visits from a furry, four-legged guest named Jet, a border collie. Licensed and insured through Therapy Dogs International (TDI), Jet is a 5-year-old therapy dog with show and shepherd titles.
His owner and breeder, Stacy Einck-Paul, of rural Rushmore, said his knack for therapy is in his blood. Jet showed promise when he was just a puppy.
They have a certain sensitivity that’s pretty easy to see. His grandmother and great-grandfather were also therapy dogs.
Stacy Einck-Paul
“A lot of it is (that) they’re born with it,” Einck-Paul said. “They have a certain sensitivity that’s pretty easy to see. His grandmother and great-grandfather were also therapy dogs. When he was younger, seeing that he had potential to be a therapy dog, I did a lot of socializing; taking him to Runnings, to Tractor Supply (Company), to training classes in Sioux Falls, anywhere where there was lots of noise, lots of people, lots of commotion. It just becomes kind of an everyday thing to him.”
Training Jet to become a licensed therapy dog, however, was a whole other story.
Samuel Martin / The Globe
“It’s a pretty intensive test,” Einck-Paul shared. “We were tested in a room with five other dogs and five other owners. We had to walk them on a loose lead, people were dropping food in front of them, we had people in wheelchairs and crutches rolling around near his feet while they were petting him. When he was least expecting it when we were walking on a loose lead, someone would drop a metal pan behind him and the dogs could not react. They could not freak out in any way, they had to be steady.”
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Einck-Paul said it’s easy to see the effect Jet has on people he visits.
“He’s got a natural calming energy,” she said. “There hasn’t been anyone that hasn’t smiled when he walks into the room — no matter what kind of day they’re having. The minute he walks in, there’s a smile. I’ve even seen a couple of visitors at the hospice house I could tell were not fond of dogs, but by the end of the visit, they were petting him and he had warmed up to them!”
As a therapy dog, Jet’s visits in Worthington are volunteer visits at no cost to those who request a visit from him. Einck-Paul said that in addition to hospice, she would like to expand where Jet can offer his services and company.
“Being a therapy dog, we’re all volunteer (based),” she said. “We don’t accept any money, it’s all totally volunteer. Right now, he’s doing (visits) at the hospice house in town. He’s been to several businesses in town and basically anybody that would like a visit from him. I would really like to speak to the school because I think he could benefit a lot of the kids in school.”
Einck-Paul said her favorite part of bringing a therapy dog out into the community is seeing the happiness Jet brings to people.
“I enjoy watching him make people’s day a little brighter,” she said. “He loves to do it. It’s not something I make him do, he naturally likes to do it. Like coming to work with me, even to visit at the office, he jumps out of the car and he runs to the front door! A group of us that do TDI, we always say we’re a group of volunteers that love dogs and for us to be able to share what they can do is very rewarding.”
To request a visit from Jet and Einck-Paul, email
Samuel Martin became a reporter for The Globe in September 2023. He has a bachelor’s degree in media studies from the University of Sioux Falls.
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