Amanda Bush Earns Girl Scout Gold Award

Amanda Bush, now a freshman at Fordham University, completed her Girl Scout Gold Award this past summer. She focused this 80-hour project on raising awareness about pet therapy and its extensive benefits. Amanda was inspired by her own pet therapy dog, Jessie, who visits various facilities and cheers up the many people she greets.
For her project, Amanda joined Jessie on some of her pet therapy visits to nursing homes and healthcare facilities in order to witness and take part in the benefits of pet therapy firsthand. Additionally, Amanda made a brochure about these benefits and the simple steps for getting involved with pet therapy. She then went to various events for St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, an animal shelter based in Madison, NJ that has a pet therapy certification program, and handed out her brochures at the events. Amanda spoke with different people at these events, at the Springfield Holistic Wellness Center, and just to any interested people about her experience with pet therapy and its many benefits and instructions on how to get their pets involved. Finally, Amanda created a video that features pictures of her dog and includes a list of the benefits and the steps necessary for getting a pet certified.
Some of the most prominent benefits that a therapy dog can provide for people are decreasing anxiety, reducing loneliness, improving socialization and communication, motivating patients to participate in exercise and activities, improving self-esteem, reducing depression, assisting people in dealing with illness or loss, and being an overall source of touch and companionship.
If you are interested in getting your pet certified, you first need to make sure your pet is up to date on all vaccinations. Then, find a local animal shelter that offers pet therapy certification (St. Hubert’s offers a pet therapy program). If offered by the shelter, your pet can complete an obedience training course before taking the evaluation. Your pet then needs to pass the quick evaluation test to become certified and begin working! Amanda encourages everyone to follow these steps to get their dogs or other pets certified for pet therapy today! And spread the word so more therapy animals can brighten the days of those who need it.