"Strengthening the canine-human connection through education and compassionate Interactions"
We've changed our name
Treasure Valley Therapy Dogs, Inc.
We changed our name to more clearly reflect our mission: to serving the community through pet-assisted therapy and enhancing the canine-human bond through education in Idaho’s Treasure Valley.
Our commitment to providing the same excellent service remains unchanged from when we operated as Helping Idaho Dogs.
Please update your records to note our new web address:
www.TVtherapydogs.org
Who We Are
Treasure Valley Therapy Dogs, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the human-canine bond through our programs in the Treasure Valley area of southwest Idaho. Our entirely volunteer-based team, including nationally certified therapy dog teams, offers education, support, and comfort, always accompanied by friendly smiles and wagging tails.
We invite you to explore our mission, policies, and team details by following the link below to learn more...
Our Programs
Humane Education
Treasure Valley Therapy Dogs provides age appropriate education on how to safely interact with dogs, be a responsible pet owner, and how to interpret a dog’s body language – building relationships of love, trust, and respect.
Therapy Dog Visits
Treasure Valley Therapy Dogs strives to connect our certified therapy dog teams to locations requesting one-time or recurring visits from therapy dogs to bring the mental and physical enrichment, joy, and comfort our therapy dog teams can bring. We provide mentoring, support and encouragement to our certified therapy dog teams to keep our teams current with the latest certification skills.
April Activities
April Visits
Here's a recap of the types of visits our
therapy dogs completed this past month:
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Hospice/Memory Care - 29
& Senior Living
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Hospital Visits - 20
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Library Reading Pgm. - 4
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Other Community Svcs- 18
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School Visits - 19
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Humane Education Events - 2
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Team Meetings/Training. 1
Sophie and her handler Mike were honored at the Ronald McDonald House Gala for their visits at the Boise location.
Power of A Therapy Dog
Along with the Chaplain, Matisse and I visited a hospice patient, who was failing rapidly. The daughter, late twenties, opened the door with her father. Her mom lay on a hospital bed in the living room, alert, but frail. A second younger daughter, maybe early twenties, blond with eye LASHES, sat on her mom’s bed.
Matisse went to the mom, who melted when she saw her. Petted her, stroked her, talked to her. We compared dog notes. Matisse sat by the bed, making the mom lean over a bit to reach her.
Then, M. had to make the rounds – she went to the dad, the husband, the daughter who was pregnant and then returned to the mom.
After a while, Matisse went back to the pregnant daughter, sat by her, lay next to her, then got in her lap and leaned her back against the daughter’s belly. Finally, she went back to the floor, lay on her back, legs splayed, completely vulnerable and trusting. We all laughed and speculated that she could hear or feel or sense the baby.
When we left, the chaplain said she found it interesting that Matisse wanted to be next to the daughter, longer than with the patient. Maybe it was the baby she noticed.
She wrote the other chaplain and hospice nurse to tell them about Matisse’s reaction. The nurse wrote back:
“The daughter is having a hard time, is really sad, and is not sleeping because she’s afraid her mom will die while she’s asleep. Grieving in a big way.”
The daughter said none of this to us. But Matisse knew. (submitted by Nancy K. Napier, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emerita and Executive Coach and proud therapy partner with Matisse)
Just a few of our 33 certified therapy dogs
Ellie Mae
Falito
Freya