PAWS for People, the Newark -based pet therapy organization just added two more stars to its list of accomplishments. A group of pet therapy teams from PAWS was selected to be members of the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team and, at the same time, took part in Bark Ranger training at the Valley Forge National Historical Park.

As members of the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team, PAWS teams will participate in a series of local and regional events leading up to the National Dog Show which takes place in November outside of Philadelphia.  One of these events is the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Symposium which, once a year brings together therapy dog handlers, healthcare experts, academics, and others who want to get involved with the community of certified therapy dogs. This year’s event will be held both live and virtually, and traditionally draws attendance from multiple states, representing a range of therapy dog groups.  PAWS for People teams will participate in this Symposium.

The Bark Ranger training event took place in early May at the Valley Forge National Historical Park. This program was instituted by the park to enhance visitors’ experience by teaching dogs and their owners park-friendly best practices. Members of the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team engaged in the 30-minute training session to build on their skillset as certified therapy dogs and handlers.

Six PAWS for People therapy teams participated in the training and received official Bark Ranger scarves after the swearing-in ceremony.

“We were excited and honored to be named members of the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Ambassador Team and to participate in Valley Forge’s Bark Ranger training program,” said Lynne Robinson, executive director, PAWS for People. “Involvement in these programs will help extend PAWS’ reach in the area and, at the same time, enhance our teams’ therapy skills.”