George as ‘Rufus’ in Legally Blonde at Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre (Summer 2016)
There are some people that claim to not be a “dog person”. Those people haven’t met George.
“Even people who profess to not like dogs have been won over by George’s gentle charm,” says Maggie Ward, the owner of the Corgi/Border Collie mix. “I wanted to be able to share his happy attitude with other people,” she says of her decision to form a therapy team with George in March 2015.
George has charmed his way into the hearts of many since starting to “work” with Paws & Think. He is quite the adventurer so his career trajectory has been a little different than other dogs in the organization. “George gets bored with sitting in one place for too long so I know he couldn’t be a Paws to R.E.A.D.(r) dog,” recalls Maggie.
However, his adventuresome spirit has been a perfect fit for assisted living centers, where he gets to hop from room to room, making friends with each resident he meets. “He’s never met a stranger, everyone is his friend,” says Maggie. “He will be friends with any human or pet.”
One of George’s favorite “assignments” is going to colleges to visit stressed students during exam time. “He’s a ham for all the attention,” says Maggie. Upon arriving at the IUPUI library one night last winter, “George dragged me over to the circle of students so he could start climbing into and rolling around in everyone’s lap. He worked his way around the entire circle, taking turns in everyone’s laps, loving on them and getting pets.”
For anyone considering forming a therapy team with their dog, Maggie offers some advice. “Know your dog’s temperament. Not every venue is going to be a good fit. If you can tune into your dog’s likes and dislikes, that will go a long way with finding the right venue and atmosphere that makes your dog the happiest. Once you find the right fit, your dog will love heading out ‘to work’ at your favorite venues.”
