Old Dominion Humane Society Rescue Dog’s Visits Bring Cheer to Children and Adults

When Diane Wheeler and her family adopted Honey from Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) five years ago, they knew she was special. They fell in love with the small, mixed breed rescue dog, who had a wonderful personality for being around people.

“I felt that Honey’s temperament lined up with becoming a therapy dog,” said Wheeler, of Spotsylvania. “At this point, we had her for five years before we decided to see if she could test to be a therapy dog.”

Wheeler’s intuition was correct, and Honey passed all the tests to become certified with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) in 2024. ATD is an international registry of certified therapy dogs that provides testing, certification, registration, support and insurance for members who volunteer with their dogs in animal-assisted activities. Dogs that are certified through ATD are well-mannered, well-behaved and like to meet people.

The testing process was created to ensure the owner and dog have a good relationship, with the canine having the correct temperament for therapy dog work. Following the test, a Tester/Observer (T/O) monitors owner and dog during three visits to facilities. With the supervised visits, the T/O instructs owner and dog on visiting, providing advice and guidance during the observation. The T/O then determines a dog’s certification with ATD.

“When we adopted Honey, I simply worked with her on obedience, recall and behavior while she was acclimating to our family,” said Wheeler. “She’s always been very laid back, and she passed the certification with flying colors.”

Honey, now a decade old, visits children’s therapy and memory care facilities, rehabilitation centers and a local hematology/oncology infusion center. Her work is done as part of Blue Gray Therapy Dogs in Fredericksburg, which is a group of therapy dog teams that provide comfort to the community with animal-assisted therapy programs and activities.

Studies have shown petting an animal, or just a mere touch, increases the endorphins in the pleasure centers of the brain. This lowers blood pressure, provides pain relief and gives a feeling of relaxation to people.

Join Honey, the tiny rescue dog, in celebrating National Therapy Animal Day on April 30. The day was created by Pet Partners, a nonprofit organization specializing in therapy animals, and it honors the teams that make more than three million visits annually. The time and invaluable work of these animals—and their dedicated handlers--is important to the health and well-being of humans.