Regional Area: West
Gender: Female
Breed: Golden Retriever
Keeva holds the key to people’s hearts in her paws!
Keeva is one in a million, according to her adoring mom, Jill! Together, they focus most of their visits on the University of South Florida where they interact with students, faculty and staff who are always grateful for such de-stressing moments. But then, Keeva melts hearts wherever she goes.
One of the team’s most memorable visits was in October 2025 at the USF’s Shimberg Library. Keeva wore a set of bat wings and entertained the students with a “bounce” on command. The students thought she might be trying to fly, earning her copious smiles and snuggles.
Extremely competitive at agility, FastCat and dock diving, Keeva has placed among the top tier Goldens in the country. Very much a “thinking” dog, she also does well at Scent Work. What Jill finds so remarkable is that Keeva can race through an agility course one minute and then leave the ring already in “therapy mode”, visiting the spectators’ children and engaging with the crowd. A rarity among high-energy working dogs, she has a superior “off switch.”
Melting Jill’s heart is Keeva’s quiet way of sidling up to people, putting her head under their hand and looking up. She has very expressive eyes, knows how to use them and gets much love in return. Fond of carrying toys around in her mouth, she’s even fonder of “walking” her big brother with his leash!
Jill warmly recalls an event at the USF Med College where a student in a wheelchair wanted a photo with Keeva and another therapy dog, an Irish Wolfhound. Since both dogs had been quietly visiting this student, they sat on either side and leaned in for the photo. The look on the student’s face was unforgettable.
Now this team looks forward to more visits with the University crowd they love!
Training/Certifications
Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
AKC Agility, AKC Scent Work, AKC FastCat and NADD Dock Diving
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!
