Representatives from Therapy Pals of Golden Triangle, their therapy dogs, and Happy Tails Dog Club members at the June 11 meeting
Lorraine Wilson
At the Happy Tails Dog Club meeting on June 11, we had several representatives from Therapy Pals of Golden Triangle. Founded by Harriet Tunnell in 2006, it was the first therapy dog organization in North Texas to be recognized by the AKC. The organization proudly provides animal-assisted therapy at several locations in and around Denton County. They also offer a four-week course where dogs and handlers are introduced to the special skills needed to participate in animal-assisted therapy, including the added distractions of the sights and sounds of wheelchairs, walkers, and therapy equipment that the team may encounter on visits. All the representatives brought their therapy dogs with them, so our members were able to hear about this wonderful organization and also meet several therapy dogs.
Our July 9 meeting was also an informative meeting, with Stephan Knight of Dogs Matter as our guest speaker. Dogs Matter offers a safe and healthy environment for their clients’ dogs while they are seeking inpatient treatment and, if necessary, until they are healthy and stable enough to take care of their dog again. Founded in 2014 by Stephen Knight, they are the only nonprofit organization providing temporary foster care placement and supportive services specifically for addicts and alcoholics seeking treatment and transitioning into recovery. Dogs Matter understands the great need that exists for our services in the local recovery community, not just here in Dallas, but all over the country for those willing to seek treatment for their substance use disorder. They take care of your best friend while you take care of yourself!
At our Aug. 13 meeting, our guest speaker will be Gary B. Wells, Attorney at Law. Gary will give us a presentation about general estate planning needs, including pets and firearms. Gary is licensed to practice law in the States of Texas and California. He has also been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the Northern and the Eastern Districts of California. Our club is fortunate to have Gary present this important information so that our dear pets are taken care of should anything happen to us.
The Robson Ranch Happy Tails Dog Club meets the second Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. in the CATC building, Room 103. We invite everyone who has a dog, is interested in dog-related topics, or just likes to hang out with some great dog people to join our club. New membership dues are $10 per household per year, and renewal is $5. Check out our club and our pets on our website, rrhappytailsdogclub.weebly.com.