Our Dogs
West TN Therapy Dogs would like to introduce you to Tanglewood's Special Team Player, aka Kicker.
Kicker and Jo Anne have been a team for 8 years. Jo Anne states that "he is amazing at what he does and I'm just lucky to be along for the ride." Some of his special traits are his visits to St Jude Children's Research Hospital and LeBonheur Children's Hospital. Kicker is the only dog nominated as "Volunteer of the Year" at St Jude. Kicker was also invited to be introduced at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Gardens in New York City, in honor of his work as a therapy dog.
Jo Anne would love to introduce you to Kicker, an English cream Golden Retriever, and to tell you about visits, his "read program" at the local schools, his hospice visits and much more.
Sammie is a Bearded Collie and has recently completed her training to be a registered Therapy Dog. Sammie is a senior rescue dog that came to
Memphis through the National Bearded Collie Rescue group. She had lived a very confined life for her first 8 years and with her training for a therapy dog, she has become a friendly, outgoing dog. She has passed both the TDInternational test and the TDInc testing. She will be out working several days a week....look for Sammie. Her owner Anne, started therapy work with Andy, Ch. Crisch Double Deluxe CGC, HT,TD in 2003. He was a nationally ranked Bearded Collie that loved being in the show ring . When his career was over, she looked around for something to keep him busy and ended up with a marvelous, friendly, outgoing therapy dog. Anne was instrumental in forming the therapy committee for the Bearded Collie Club of America and Andy was the first Bearded Collie awarded "Therapy dog of the Year" for the most hours worked. He retired at 12 from therapy work but still did "on call" jobs, which he loved. Sammie, is going to follow in Andy's footsteps.
You can contact Anne via Tonia rescued Cooper from being taken to a local dump and she knew he was going to make a great therapy dog because despite all that he had been through before he was rescued he still had a great personality and loveseveryone he comes in contact with. Contact Tonia via Don's last Puli, Barney,was a Conformation Champion, who was also titled in Obedience, Agility and Herding. L.E. tried conformation, but she is smaller than the Puli standard for conformation, so she was not able to earn her Championship. Don would bring her with him to watch Barney practice herding and to trials. She stayed in Barney's shadow for two years until Barney retired with his Herding Advanced title (#10) on his 13th birthday!
In less than 2 years L.E. became the number one herding Puli in America with 12 titles (HSA, HRDI, HTDI, STD, HTADI & II, OFTD, STDd, AFTD, RLFD, OFTDd, OTDd, CGC, Therapy Dog), never placing below 3rd place and was awarded an AKC High In Trial over all breeds!
Being familiar with Therapy visits with his beloved Barney(100 hours) L.E. was tested and Susi Marcy-Sisco was kind enough to give Don and L.E. such wonderful compliments and L.E. easily qualified as a Therapy Dog.
With her long cords,she makes an instant hit with everyone and we look forward to work as a team to bring a little joy to all who we visit of all ages. Don can be contacted through
Contact Andrea Williford through
Cletus attended obedience classes at Shelby County Obedience Club and loved it.
He has never met a stranger and loves everyone. People and pets. He is Christas little social butterfly. He enjoys long walks at Shelby Farms and the off leash areas, where he can run with the big dogs.
They are very excited about being a therapy dog team because Christa wants him to have the chance to make others as happy as he makes her. "Cletus makes me laugh every single day, whether I want to or not. I am as lucky to have him as he is to have me."
Christa can be contacted through
Later in life, she married a man who also has a big heart for animals and they have always had pets in their house through 39 years of marriage.
In the last few years, Paula heard many wonderful stories about therapy dogs and the work they did in hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, etc. and thought how great it would be to become a pet partner team. Paula has a very well behaved miniature poodle named Tootsie and decided to find out where to trained to be a pet partner team.
Tootsie and Paula successfully completed training in 2008 and began visiting in an assisted living facility, visiting on Saturday mornings twice a month. However, in early 2010, Tootsie tore a ligament in her knee and had to have surgery on it twice in order to repair it.
Once she recovered and, with the veterinarian's approval, Tootsie and Paula began looking for a local organization to test and register them as a therapy pet partner team. They recently received their approval from TDInc.
Paula can be contacted via
Jo Anne would also like you to meet Tanglewood's Stylin'by Hugo Boss aka Boss. Boss was just certified and will be visiting schools and nursing homes and can't wait to get started!!!
Kicker and Spooky with Matt Lauer and Marlo Thomas
at St Jude Children's Research Hospital
West TN Therapy Dogs would also like you to meet Samantha, aka Sammie.
Sonny is a 10 year old Weimaraner rescue that has gone through heart worm treatment and also stem cell treatment for his severe arthritis. Sonny lost 30 lbs and today he is a marvelous, friendly dog with a gift that will allow him to be a wonderful therapy dog. Sonny has worked as an ambassador for Weimaraner Rescue of the South at several adoption days. Tonia is very active in rescue, and currently is serving as VP of Weimaraner Rescue of the South. They are a very special team.
Don Gold would like you to meet Vastsjo L.E. of Talisman, aka L.E. L.E. is a PULI (Hungarian Sheepdog). She was born in Veje,Sweden and is now 9 years old.)
Sallie is a 20 month old Yellow Labrador Retriever, who shares her home with Andrea Williford and who has recently been certified through TDINC. Sallie loves people and animals and looks forward to beginning visits at LeBonheur Childrens' Hospital. One of Sallie's favorite activities is going to Shelby Farms with her 3 sisters where she can swim, run, sniff, and dig until her heart is content.
Cletus is a two year old male Pug adopted by Christa Gilliland from Pug Rescue of Memphis in October of 2010. From the moment Christa saw his little picture on their web site she new he was going to be her perfect companion. He has a silly sweet disposition which makes him perfect for therapy work.
Paula Gentry has been an animal lover her whole life and was always the one in the family who brought strays home from school. Of course, they always "followed" her home!
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