Some of Idaho’s best therapists come with a listening ear, a gentle smile, and a wet nose.
GO TEAM Therapy, Crisis, and Airport Dogs is a national volunteer organization, pairing therapy dogs and their handlers with people who could use some slobbery smooches.
Nancy Trepagnier founded GO TEAM Therapy Dogs in 2012 after seeing the impact therapy dogs had on the residents of Colorado Springs, Colorado after the devastating Waldo Canyon fire. Now, more than 4,000 teams have gone through the organization’s training program.
In Idaho, Cheryl Minto serves as one of three GO TEAM coordinators. Together with her dog Winston, they’ve made nearly 800 visits to schools, military bases, and other events with other GO TEAM pairs.
“We go anywhere somebody has asked us to come and bring some fluffy joy to their lives,” she said.
Winston’s status as a rough collie makes him a particular favorite at senior centers.
“A lot of those people grew up with collies because they were more popular when ‘Lassie’ was on TV,” Minto said. “He gets a lot of ‘Hey, Lassie! Where’s Timmy?’ and they light up and everybody's got their story about the collie that raised them as a child.”
Volunteers range from 10 years old to well into their 90s, and a wide variety of canines serve as therapy dogs.
“Purebreds, mixed breeds, rescues, and all different kinds,” Minto said. “And every one of them, there's a person that had a dog just like that. The connections that they make, it's amazing to see people's faces light up.”
Minto has seen the monumental impact Winston and the other dogs have on the community. One example, from the Boise Veterans Medical Center hospice wing, is her favorite.
“This gentleman started petting the dogs, he was talking to the dog, and it was just a nice visit," Minto said. “And before we left the floor, the nurses came over and said, ‘Hey, we just want you to know that when you went into that room, that gentleman had not been talking.’ They could tell something was wrong with him, but he wouldn't talk to the nurses. But after petting the dogs and talking to the dogs, he let them know what was bothering him. They were able to get him some assistance that he needed and made a huge impact in his life. They just felt so grateful that we were able to help make that breakthrough because they'd been trying a whole lot of different things. But the dogs were the magic link to getting him to open up.”
Think your pup could make it as a therapy dog? Dogs must be at least one year old, have strong obedience skills, a good temperament, be an AKC Canine Good Citizen, and be good with both people and other dogs. There’s also a two-day GO TEAMS training, held in April and September for the Idaho teams.
“We're going to help you as much as we can to be successful because there's a lot of need for therapy dogs throughout the Treasure Valley,” Minto said. “And the bigger our team gets, the more people we can help.”
To request teams visit your organization, or to find out more about joining, visit goteamdogs.org.