I’m Blaze, a good boy who works at the Children’s Therapy Center. My two favorite activities are chasing tennis balls and helping kids.

As a facility dog, I come to the Children’s Therapy Center every weekday just like my human coworkers. A sign at the front desk will tell you if I am free to lend a paw during a therapy session. I love to go for walks, so I can help with tasks like gait training, and I’m great at turning on toys by bonking the switches with my nose. I also can wait patiently for a session to end and make myself available for petting and hugs as a reward for a job well done.

I received special training for two years — that’s equal to 14 years for you humans — at Duo Dogs in St. Louis, where I learned to be gentle and follow commands. I’ll admit I can’t read, but I’m told research shows that animal-assisted therapy can help kids in many ways, including motivating them to reach goals and making clinic visits feel more normal and less stressful.

A generous gift from Gary and Missy Pinkel’s GP M.A.D.E Foundation supports my upkeep, so I never run out of nutritious food or tennis balls. In my free time, I let my fur down and enjoy acting silly like any other dog. But when it’s time to work, I put on my blue vest and get serious about helping kids who are going through a rough time.

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