A Day of Thanks to the Newtown Therapy Dogs Presented by Newtown Veterinary Specialists

On June 22, 2013 over 70 therapy dog teams who have been in our community for months will gather at Fairfield Hills in Newtown, CT and will be on hand to receive thanks from our community. This event is about learning their stories, taking some pictures, seeing the dogs and offering heartfelt thanks to all they’ve done over the past few months in Newtown. These dog therapy teams have become like family to us all: • Yale-New Haven Hospital Therapy Dog Volunteers • LLC K-9 Comfort Dog of Addison, IL • Therapy Dogs International of Flanders, NJ • Newtown-Strong Therapy Dogs • Pet Partners • Good Dog Foundation of NYC • Hudson Valley Golden Retrievers Club (HVGRC) • Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc. • Plus, many individuals not affiliated with any particular local therapy dog group. Together, these dogs have come into our homes, churches, fire stations, community centers, and schools. They’ve worked together with the Crisis Intervention Team and Reed Intermediate School from day one and are still offering support with our schools and community centers today. They have partnered with school counselors, teachers, mental health personnel and countless other professionals in helping the survivors, parents, first responders and their families cope with the trauma and stress of that tragic day. Newtown schools requested dogs in all the schools during that tragic time. They have helped to set a new standard when tragic events happen in neighboring communities like Boston and Oklahoma. They have set a tone for the nation that’s fast becoming a safe and reliable way to communicate with each other on a personal level and simply heal. These four legged friends have helped this great town of Newtown decompress, feel safe and provided a level of comfort at the schools and the community in general. They have provided a neutral topic of conversation as well as just providing something special to those people in need. A Day of Thanks to the Newtown Therapy Dogs Event will also let some of the key players from our community speak for a few minutes about the dogs including Dr. Irvin Jennings , Family & Children’s Aid, Dr. John Smith, Principal Reed Intermediate School, Deidre Croce, Counselor at Newtown High School and Ken Murdoch from Save The Children. Therapy dogs have been an active part of our community since December 14th and each dog comes with business cards that have become tradable commodities with our children. These dogs have made us just “feel good” and now, it’s time to come out and offer our heartfelt thanks to our four legged therapy dogs. Location: Fairfield Hills (Rain or Shine) Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013 Time: 10:00 -12:00 PM Special Request: No outside “dogs/pets” will be allowed at this event.