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March 8, 2025
Laika officially started visiting as a therapy dog on this date two years ago but her journey started much earlier.
We adopted Laika in May of 2018 from the Wolf Trap Animal Rescue group in Northern Virginia.
She was born in Booneville, Mississippi and is officially a Mississippi Rescue Mutt.
She was about six weeks old when we took her home and her temporary rescue name was Primavera.
Our son Mike was working at NASA at the time so we thought something space related might make a good permanent name.
That's how we came up with Laika - which was the name of the first dog that went into space back in 1957 on Sputnik 2.
From the day we brought her home we noticed that she was very perceptive of people's emotions and if she noticed that someone was sad or anxious she would naturally go to them and try to comfort them.
Over the next two years we took her everywhere and one of her favorite places to visit was our local Irish Pub - the legendary O'Faolains - especially on Thursday afternoons when they would have "Yappy Hour" on the patio and all dogs were invited to attend.
During that time we met a dear friend named Gene Wooden who had just turned 90.
Every Thursday during the summer I would take Laika to the pub and we would often sit on the patio at a table with Gene.
In late 2019, Gene suffered a series of strokes and after several months in a rehab facility he was moved to hospice care.
A friend of ours from the Pub called me to tell me that she was going to visit Gene and asked if I wanted to join her.
I said yes and met her at the Capital Caring hospice in Aldie, Va.
During my first visit with Gene, I asked him if he would like me to bring Laika on a future visit and he said yes.
So the next week I packed Laika up on the car and drove out to the hospice facility.
The facility was amazing - it looked like a ski lodge and many patients had rooms with French Doors that would allow their beds to be moved out to a patio if the weather permitted.
When we arrived, Laika hopped out of the car and pranced about as she normally would do when visiting a new place.
But when we walked through the front door, I noticed her demeanor change and she had instinctively switched into "comfort mode".
She was calm - no jumping around - and she walked slowly and deliberately making eye contact with everyone we encountered including staff and patients' families.
When we arrived at Gene's room Laika walked up to his bed and sat down as if waiting for direction.
I asked Gene if he wanted to see Laika and when he said yes, I picked her up and placed her on the bed.
She instinctively laid down and curled up next to him and he gently stroked her head.
She knew he needed comfort and she was there to provide it.
After a while, I picked Laika back up and set her down next to the bed where she again sat quietly at attention.
This visit reinforced my belief that Laika had a special ability to sense and respond to people's emotional needs.
We visited with Gene a few more time before he passed and it was then that I decided to explore how to become a therapy dog so Laika could share her empathy with other people in need.
I contacted the American Kennel Club and they suggested we start with taking the Canine Good Citizenship class which is a six week class where dogs and their owners learn 10 foundational skills that help them favorably interact with the world.
Once you complete the course you can move on to more advanced training such as how to become a therapy dog and that was our plan.
Laika and I completed the CGC training and we graduated on March 15, 2020.
The next day, the world shut down due to the pandemic.
No visits to hospitals, schools or nursing homes for almost two years.
We moved to Lewes, DE in April of 2022 and joined the local dog park where one day I noticed a dog wearing a PAWS for People bandana.
PAWS for People (Pet-Assisted Visitation Volunteer Services, or PAWS) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing therapeutic visits to any person in the community who would benefit from interaction with a well-trained, loving pet
Laika and I contacted PAWS and after attending several training classes and passing a test, Laika and I became a certified therapy team.
PAWS has relationships with local hospitals, military bases, schools and retirement communities and they place their teams at the various locations based on availability and fit.
Since joining PAWS, Laika and I have visited with the Medical Examiners team at Dover Air Force Base, attended the morning briefing for Sussex County EMTs and visited with Down Syndrome Summer Campers.
We also have a regular gig each Wednesday when we visit staff and patients at the Tunnell Cancer Center.
When I put on her green bandana each Wednesday, Laika knows exactly what is going to happen and she prances and parades around the house in front of the other dogs as if to say - I am going somewhere special, Na, Na, Na.
After two years, I am confident that I could drop Laika off at 1 PM at the entrance and when I came back an hour later she would have made the rounds to staff and patients on her own.
She knows who has treats in their desks and which desk drawer they keep the treats in.
Laika and I both enjoy our weekly visits and if we can help brighten someone's spirits on a difficult day we have accomplished our mission.
Who is a Good Dog?
Laika is a Good Dog.
