advertisement

Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club receives $2,500 charitable gift

The Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club received a $2,500 donation from PetSmart July 23. This presentation took place during a PetSmart company meeting at their Distribution Center in Ottawa.

While the Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club offers its services for free, donations make its work possible and are greatly appreciated.

The volunteer organization provides a variety of canine-assisted therapy programs and services in the communities of Kendall, Kane and DuPage counties in Illinois since 2002.

With more than 50 members, its volunteers provide a unique "medium" through which they educate, communicate and implement their therapy programs. The medium is their well-trained dogs.

Currently, the dog and handler teams travel to locations where there is a need and request for animal-assisted therapy in the Fox Valley area. They visit hospitals, nursing and rehabilitation facilities, schools, libraries, fairs, 4-H groups, Scout groups and attend community events in Yorkville, Oswego, Aurora, North Aurora, Sandwich, Plano, Plainfield, Wheaton, Sugar Grove and Naperville.

"We believe that with our companion therapy dogs, we can make the world a better place, one person and one dog at a time," said Diane Obey, fundraising coordinator.

"On behalf of the Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club, I would like to sincerely thank PetSmart, whose donation will greatly assist our organization in providing our therapy services throughout the local community."

PetSmart will provide this charitable donation through its PetSmart Gives Back initiative, which focuses on giving back to local communities throughout the nation in support of organizations that enrich people's lives through the power of pets.

"At PetSmart, we believe pets make us better people, and we're dedicated to supporting organizations that help us bring this mission to life," said John Kerns, general manager of the PetSmart Distribution Center in Ottawa.

"We're very proud to partner with the Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club and look forward to helping more people heal through the power of pets."

The Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club is comprised of dog enthusiasts of all kinds who are interested in animal-assisted therapy. Their club members are business owners, educators, businessmen and women, retirees, dog trainers, and even junior handlers. They reside in and serve the communities in the Fox Valley area of Northern Illinois, including Kendall, Kane and DuPage counties.

The canine companions are just as varied as the membership. These therapy dogs are mixed breeds, purebreds, show dogs, dogs from shelters and rescue organizations, and even couch-potato dogs.

These highly trained dogs give "their all" in every therapy visit they make. For details, visit www.fvtherapydogs.org.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.