Peach Therapy

Peaches is a Limited Edition Rescue Terrier Hybrid with origami ears, a speckled pig nose and a penchant for hugging cats.  She was rescued at 10 days old near Detroit, Michigan, along with six of her orphaned siblings, by a local pit bull rescue group.  After fostering her and two of her brothers from age six weeks to four months, we decided to make “The Peach” a permanent part of the family.

Peaches’ Vitals:

• Registered therapy dog with Therapy Dogs Incorporated and Intermountain Therapy Animals‘ R.E.A.D. program (she took a hiatus from therapy work starting in 2015)
• Visited regularly at Chelsea Community Hospital in the Head Pain Unit, with students at Ann Arbor Open School and with the campers at the Humane Society of Huron Valley’s Camp PAWS
• Has participated in local events and programs such as the Southeast Michigan Girls on the Run 5k, the Mitchell Scarlett Summer ESL Learning Academy, Girl Scout Troop Meetings and the Michigan Youth Arts’ Arts In Motion 5k
• Favorite Foods:  Apples, Carrots, Cheese, Sticks
• Favorite Activities:  Cuddling, hugging, and barking at invisible boogeymen
• Favorite Blog Post on Therapy Dog Work:  Patricia McConnell’s “Therapy Dogs: Born or Made?”

“Peach Therapy” is the term we use to symbolize the interdependent relationship between Peaches providing therapy for others and others providing therapy for Peaches.  In other words,  sometimes Peaches gives the therapy and sometimes she gets the therapy–and oftentimes it’s both.

For example, here she is giving Reading Therapy:

Here she is getting Laugh Therapy:

Here she is giving-getting Hug Therapy:

Here she is giving-getting Smile Therapy:

And of course we also have Kitty Therapy:

And Puppy Therapy:

And Art Therapy:

And Michigan Hockey Season Therapy:

And . . . well, I think you get the idea.  You can read more about Peaches in some of the following blog posts, or check her out in action in the videos below!

Therapy Dogs: Not Born, Not Made, But Shaped

Finding “Mr. Right” . . . even though it seems so wrong

A Peach in Motion:  Dealing with issues surrounding photo and video releases in therapy dog work

Pit Bull Family Reunion with Peaches’ Littermate, Moose

Friday’s Forbidden Love with Peaches and Mose the Cat