Dakota and Handler Melanie

Regional Area: Central

Breed: Golden Retriever

Dakota and Melanie pay regular visits to Madison Retirement and Memory Care Center and Give Kids the World. Among the events they have participated in are: National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference, Dog Day at Harry P. Leu Gardens, Universal Studios Employee Appreciation Week and Poocharella. Melanie readily admits that she and Dakota don’t have a favorite facility because they love them all! Wherever they go, they meet or re-visit the most wonderful people.

One of Melanie’s most memorable therapy visits with Dakota was at Madison Retirement and Memory Care Center. As they and the two other therapy teams were leaving, Melanie heard a voice from down the hall. An elderly woman and her daughter were walking quickly to catch them, and Dakota immediately turned to greet them. The elderly woman began to cry, explaining that she had just moved in. Clearly overwhelmed and nervous about being there, her tears turned to laughter when she said meeting the dogs was just what she needed, and that it had made her day. Overjoyed to learn of the teams’ monthly visits, she now had something to look forward to. The Hearts of Gold dogs had given her hope.

“Off the clock,” Dakota attends Saturday morning play dates where her favorite friends are Olivia, Ruby, Honey, Milo and Tink. They spend two hours running after Frisbees, playing with toys, chasing each other, sniffing, rolling in the grass and drinking lots of water. She also loves walking, hiking and camping, going to the beach and being with her humans.

Heart meltingly adorable: Dakota’s favorite toys are her plushy toys and sticks. Although she loves playing with balls, she’s never been able to catch them. Despite her family’s efforts to improve her skills – they even tried tossing popcorn her way — everything simply hits Dakota in the nose and bounces off before she realizes it!

As for the future: Melanie plans on visiting new facilities and attending more events with young Dakota to bolster her confidence and help her to mature.

Training/Certifications
Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
Hearts of Gold Therapy Team

Watch our Hearts of Gold Therapy Teams in action: Hearts of Gold YouTube channel

To learn more about what to consider for joining our Hearts of Gold team, click here!