To honor Veteran’s Day we wanted to highlight some of the deaf dogs who serve our Veterans every single day like deaf dog Lothair in the article below.
We also want to give out a big shout out and THANK YOU to all of our Veterans who have served in our Armed Forces by giving so much! You are the foundation of this great Nation!
~ Christina, Chris, Nitro, Bud and Bowie – Deaf Dogs Rock
Deaf therapy dog provides support to Langley patients from www.dailypress.com January 26, 2015
By Andrea Castillo – acastillo@dailypress.com
Lothair, a deaf therapy dog that owner Melanie Paul, left, takes to Langley AFB weekly, looks backs as he walks down the hospital corridor on the way to visitation. Paul says this is the first deaf therapy dog that understands/uses American Sign Language. Walking with them is SrA Brittany… (Judith Lowery / Daily Press
As Lothair, a white Sheltie therapy dog, makes his way in to USAF Hospital Langley in Hampton for his weekly visit to meet with patients, he walks tall and proud into the building and is immediately greeted with a hug from a receptionist at the front desk.
Lothair continues walking down the hall, carrying himself like royalty, appropriate for a dog named after a French monarch. From the time the dog was a puppy, he had a proud, dignified air about him, his owner, Hampton resident Melanie Paul said.
“He was beautiful,” she said. “He was like a king.”
Lothair, a deaf therapy dog that owner Melanie Paul, right in yellow, takes to Langley AFB weekly,is having his visitation skills explained to a group of new nurses. (Judith Lowery / Daily Press)
Watching the way Lothair moves and interacts with patients at the hospital, it is not obvious that Lothair has been deaf since birth.”Deafness is an invisible disability,” she said via email.
Lothair began serving as a therapy dog — providing emotional support to patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other settings — several years ago.
He is registered with New Jersey-based Therapy Dogs International, which has dogs registered in all 50 states and Canada. Along with tests required by the organization to become a certified therapy dog, deaf dogs must also undergo a startle test. During the test, someone will come up behind the dog and pet and touch its rear quarters, and the dog cannot be startled or react negatively, TDI’s website states.
Paul has had therapy dogs for more than 15 years, with experience that includes starting a pet therapy program at Sentara CarePlex Hospital more than a decade ago and starting the same program at Langley about five years ago. Click here to read the entire article on www.daileypress.com
