Hi! My name is Georgia and I am a Canine Assisted Therapy Dog, a.k.a. C.A.T. Dog.

My human sister, Sarah Meile, created me by drawing me on a sketch pad.  I was named after a wonderful woman named Georgia Imhoff.  I was named Georgia because of what she stood for and meant to everyone.  My creators want me to be just like Georgia.

Being like Georgia means that I am a volunteer.  Being a volunteer means that I do things for people to make them feel loved and happy. Being a good volunteer, just like Georgia, means that I give love unconditionally to anyone who is in need of what I have to give.  Being a dog, it's easy for me to give my love unconditionally.   It's easy to let people pet me because it makes them feel better.  I like listening to stories that children read to me too.  I love being a volunteer!  

I am happy that my name is Georgia and I hope I can be just like her.  I want to help everyone that is a part of C.A.T. Dogs to be just like her too.   Every year, C.A.T. Dogs will give an award called the Georgia Award to a volunteer that is just like me and just like my namesake, Georgia.  It will be a doggy black-tie where all my friends and I get to wear fancy collars and eat lots of cookies.  I can hardly wait to put on a beautiful collar and mingle with my C.A.T. Dog friends!

I have lots of experience being a C.A.T. Dog volunteer.  I can help you be a good volunteer and a good C.A.T. Dog volunteer too.  Send me an email with your questions, and I will do my best to answer them.  Together, we can be just like my namesake, Georgia, and be the best volunteers ever!

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Dear Georgia: My dog and I visit the same facility each week. How can I make the most of my visits? - Trying to be the best we can be.

Dear Motivated Mutt: Much of keeping your visits interesting depends on the type of facility that you are visiting.  Visiting a nursing home or assisted living facility can be made more exciting for the patients and resident by bringing photos to show them, specifically photos of your dog.  Photos of the dog as a puppy may bring fond memories to the patient and create great conversation.  C.A.T. has bookmarks that they are happy to supply to you.  Even though it's small, giving the patients a bookmark is a wonderful way to show them that you care and may initiate talking about books that they have read or intend to read.

If you are visiting a children's facility or medical center, try to go on a day of the week when they have the most appointments.  If there aren't a lot of children, grab a book and try to get the child or children to read with you or better yet, get them to read to your dog.  Some children will love to "walk" your dog.  If the dog is up for it, and with the parent's permission, let the child hold the center of the leash while you continue to hold the very end, and let them walk the dog up a hallway or around the waiting room.  Children love to see photos especially of puppies.  Keeping a little photo book with pictures of your dog will almost always be of interest to children.  Don't forget to have your dog perform little tricks for everyone.  There is nothing like the smiles that you see when your dog does something entertaining.  

Don't forget about the staff! The stresses of caring for patients everyday can easily be relieved by the simple act of petting your dog.  This not only benefits the staff members, but having them walk away from your dog with a smile, they take that smile directly to the patients.

All these things may not seem like much to you as a volunteer, but remember, you may be the only person that visits these people for the entire week.  Don't under estimate the joy that you bring to them simply by being there and saying "hello". - Georgia

Email your questions to DearGeorgia@catdogs.org

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