Silverado Hospice – Giving Back

By Sue Subkow, Pet Therapy Volunteer for Silverado Hospice and the La Jolla VA Hospital

My therapy dog Kona and I do many therapy visits throughout the month. We enjoy each and every visit we do, especially those with our nation’s Veterans. My father was a combat Veteran and so when Kona and I became a certified Therapy Team, I wanted to make Veteran visits a main focus for us.

There is something special about visiting with our Veterans. They are always extremely appreciative of our visits, whether we are able to stop by a bedside for a couple of minutes or chat while they are sitting in one of the large waiting rooms.

We are often treated to a quick story about a favorite childhood dog, or how they worked with canines in battle. Many of our Vets seem to have very special connections to the dogs in their lives and our visits have extra special meaning to them, especially the older Vets who are no longer able to care for a dog of their own.

One of our greatest compliments is when a Veteran thanks Kona and me for visiting. Our response is always the same, “Thank YOU for serving our country.” The least we can do for these brave men and women is to give a little back to them by sharing some “furry love.”