Regional Area: East
Breed: Golden Retriever
When Colby enters a room, plush tail wagging, she brightens the faces of everyone there. Never
is this more evident than during her visits with mom Mary to the Wabasso School for Special Needs Children. A natural, due to her calming presence, she’s happy to say hello and, at the same time, soak up the children’s love. And when she truly likes someone, she flops over onto her back for belly rubs!
For this passionate team, each visit is different, whether it’s to a school for special needs children or to an Assisted Living and Memory Care facility. Some of the older people who see Colby reminisce about the dogs they once had and share their good memories of them. For their part, the children love petting her, while eagerly plying Mary with questions.
Never shy about showing off her sillier side, Colby gets the “zoomies” some mornings and tears around the house and lanai with the biggest smile on her face. Always attuned to dedicated dog lovers, she’ll lean against them, then with that same, wide smile, flop over onto her back for the belly rubs she adores. Last but not least, there’s the quality snuggle time she spends with her mom.
As active as she is affectionate, Colby LOVES catching Frisbees and tennis balls, running along the beach and jumping over the waves, and playing with her two BFF’s, Stella, a fellow Golden, and Charley, a Labradoodle.
Mary soon hopes to visit more schools with Colby, especially at exam time, as well as libraries, where children read to the dogs.
Training/Certifications:
Basic Manners
Alliance for Therapy Dogs certified (ATD)
Hearts of Gold Therapy Team
Watch our Hearts of Gold Therapy Teams in action: Hearts of Gold YouTube channel
To learn more about how your dog can be part of the Hearts of Gold Therapy Team go to our Volunteer section of this webpage.
