Summer is here in Minnesota

Gopher and I wanted to take a moment to remind people of some basic canine safety for the heat of summer.

-Your dog needs to acclimate to the heat as well, take time when exercising, take a lot of break, and have plenty of water.

-Never leave your dog unattended in a vehicle, not only dangerous and harmful, but also illegal in many states.

-When hot cool your dog by using a cool towel on the inner thighs, just like humans, don't give an extremely cold item when the core temperature is high, also don't feed immediately following exercise allow their internal temperature to come down.

-Just like with kids, when a dog is swimming they should not be left unattended.

Thanks From Gopher!! Don't forget to stay cool,  Gopher likes to stay cool by singing to sirens.

And bobbing for ice cubes to beat the summer heat.

The Summer preview, more stories from working with kids, and coming soon "Final Visits: Hospice Care".

Have a great summer!!

Video: Sent By A Fan

Good Afternoon,

This Video was sent in by a fan of Gophers' Shows the benefits of therapy animals and some of the reactions I get to see on every visit.

Back to the Beginning: How Gopher Came Into Our Lives?

The two things that can be said about my wife, Carla, and I is that we love animals and we have an innate sense that we need to help our fellow human. Carla and I were college sweethearts meeting early in our freshman year at the University of Minnesota. We were best friends from the beginning and even now after over seven years of marriage, and over 11 years of being together I still can’t imagine a better day than one spent with her. We have had our tumultuous times. Difficulties in college, financially and two layoffs, but no matter what we stick together and always seem to make it through.

In 2008 after being together for all of our adult lives Carla and I knew we wanted one thing, a dog. Not just any dog, but a Golden Retriever and we would name him Gopher. We had been living in a rental house for a number of years and despite having a good relationship with the land lord he would not budge and let us get a dog. The economy of the United States was and still is difficult and full of uncertainty, but we decided to see if we could get a house. Not because it made financial sense, or that we knew we would be remaining in Minnesota for the rest of our lives, but because we wanted a dog. So we set out to do just that and were surprisingly approved and began the house hunting. Over a couple of months we saw a number of homes particularly in Saint Paul and the surrounding communities, we saw and looked at just as many websites for Golden Retrievers.

We knew we wanted a Golden Retriever as it had long been a desire of mine to work with a Therapy Animal and hopefully bring a few moments of laughter and peace to those in difficult or troubling situations. I had read and witnessed their effect on the people they visited. We decided on a Golden Retriever as we wanted to stack the deck in our favor and knew that this was an “eager to please breed”. Our intention at the time was start off with a Golden but maybe a different breed in the future, after having a Golden we now know in our home there will be no other breed. We also wanted to go through a reputable breeder. Being novice trainers we wanted to have a better idea of how the dog might act as an adult and raise it up from a puppy so we would have a better idea of how it would respond since we had known the animal most of it’s life. 

The house search droned on, and we settled on a few top contenders and called in the support of our families for their insight and know how before settling on any one house. The house we finally ended up purchasing was never the top of the list, but it always fit. Our parents approved of the little house knowing the neighborhood would hold its value better than some of the other homes. We made the offer and it was approved, before the date was finalized we had also chosen our breeder and made a deposit on the pup. The time for the pup to be picked up and the close date on the house were only a week and a half apart. When a hiccup in the closing process caused a delay we became very concerned as we did not want to forfeit our deposit and we wanted our dog. We had even purchased all of his immediate needs, found a veterinarian and where we would attend training classes.

The sale of the house went through the Monday after it was supposed to and we moved into our first home. We have always been quick to setup our living spaces as neither of us could feel truly comfortable and at home until family photos were on the wall and boxes did not fill living spaces. We also had more inspiration as our new pup would need a home box free so he would not hurt himself and so he could learn what it was like to live in a home. We set up our home and anxiously waited for the day to arrive.

My parents were going to come up from Iowa the Friday night before we would go and meet our new pup on Saturday morning. They had originally planned on coming up to help us move but due to the closing hiccup we asked them if they wanted to come and help us settle in, clean the rental house and meet their new grand son. Working in Des Moines and having a four hour drive to Saint Paul caused them to arrive very late, and to top off what had been a couple of weeks of poor timing my father went off without his medication so we found ourselves at a 24 hour Walgreens at one am a mere 4 hours before we were due to leave on another four hour drive north to near where the Mississippi river begins to get our new pup.

Carla and I had arranged everything. We made thermoses of Hot Chocolate and Coffee for the early drive. Picked up bagels and made breakfast sandwiches and packed chips and sandwiches for a picnic we would have on the way home. I had printed off a list of radio stations that would play the football game, Gophers versus Ohio State in Columbus, as Carla and I were die hard fans of our alma mater and my parents who don’t care for football agreed to let us listen to the game.

So on a typical crisp September morning in Minnesota we loaded the car and were off at 5 am in the dark to meet our pup born just a few weeks before on August 7^th. The drive was long and tiresome as none of us had really slept either due to late arrivals and early morning pharmacy trips or for Carla and I we were restless with anticipation. The sun was still low in the sky when we made the final turn on the dirt road that would take us to the breeder’s home. He had a beautiful place in northern Minnesota a spot that was half prairie and half Northern Pine Forest.

Our breeder, Brad, is a very nice older man, a retired school teacher with a lot of love for Golden Retrievers. He stood very tall, but you could see this man had a heart not unlike a Golden Retriever full of love and compassion. We spoke with him for a few moments and he advised us again that we would have a choice of two remaining males. He showed us the bitch and the sire, and then released the litter from their confinement so we could make our choice. If you only can do one thing in your life and even have a minor inclination towards dogs nothing in this world could be better than watching seven Golden Retriever puppies come running at you in a herd of fluffy squishiness. 

Brad pointed out our two choices a purple collared pup that was a deeper red and had a thinner coat and a green collared guy that was blonder and fluffier. Carla picked up the blond fluffy one first and I picked up the guy with the purple collar. There was something about him and I already had an inclination towards him, but I didn’t say anything to Carla as I did not want to influence her decision. She was leaning toward the blonde fluff ball but as we traded the puppies back and forth she also said “How do we choose, I can’t decide.” Brad suggested we set the pups down and let them play with their litter mates while we took time to discuss. So we set them down, and the blonde fluff ball tore off to go rummage in the garden with his littermates. The redder one with the purple collar started to follow suit and then after going five feet from us did a 180 and returned to my side in a perfect heel, and looked up at me as if to say, “Well we going or what?” That purple collar was to be our Gopher and he had made up our minds for us. We knew many things, that we would love him, care for him, spoil him and keep him safe. We also knew we would do our best to make him into a Therapy Dog. What we didn’t know was that this little 7.5 lb ball of fur and energy would have an innate sense to be a therapy animal, that he would take us to a level of compassion and empathy that we could not even imagine then, and that he would provide us with insight into ourselves and the persons we didn’t even know we wanted to be.

A Place to Belong

Disclaimer:

Names and other personal information from a Therapy Visit cannot be shared.

Chad Burgess, Carla Donovan-Burgess and Gopher are volunteers and do not officially represent any institution mentioned in these visits.

 The experiences, conversations are true and really took place the names of persons, if given have only been changed to protect the confidentiality of those we visit.

You know that feeling you get after going someplace new for a while, whether it is work for school and you’re not sure when it happened, but you suddenly realize you belong there. Gopher and I have that feeling now at one of our facilities, not sure when it happened, but now we both feel like we belong there. Gopher directs me down the hall to sign in and back to our room where the visits take place with no direction from me.

Another thing that I am pleased to report is his presence has matured in the therapy setting. He now stays acutely
focused on me and waits more patiently for my direction. With the slightest flick of my finger I am able to tell him to go and say hi to someone. He will sometimes look at me while doing this and I will say, “Its okay, say hello” then he will turn his head and give the visitor the full attention of his precious brown eyes.

In the time we have had to take in adjusting to our role in this facility, we also were able to watch a little girl take the time to get adjusted to us. Dualla is only three years old and has Downs Syndrome, as with many children born with Downs she has had to have multiple surgeries to repair other birth defects. Gopher and I have seen Dualla at nearly every single visit we have had over the past three months. She always smiles at me and Gopher and blows kisses to Gopher on her own and when asked to do so by her Mom. Both Mom and I always ask Dualla every time and sometimes multiple times in a single visit if she would like to see Gopher. She always answers us with a very emphatic shaking her head no.

Dualla still always insisted on seeing Gopher, but only from afar. She would refuse to visit with him directly any time either of us asked, but she would always blow him kisses and get excited to see him. Then after nearly 8 weeks of solid visits something else had changed. I met Dualla as soon as I walked in, and she was so excited, a little more than normal to see Gopher. I said Hi to Dualla and her mother and told them I would be in the room in a moment, after I had signed in for the day.

When Gopher and I returned to the room, Dualla and her mother and father were waiting. She nearly jumped out of her chair and we didn’t even have to ask if she wanted to see Gopher as she crawled over to him. After 8 weeks of not wanting him to be too close, Dualla would spend the next forty-five minutes, loving him and playing with him on the floor. She zoomed up to Gopher and immediately hugged him and gave him kisses. She examined his ears, his face and the rest of this body while leaning against him as if he was a special living cushion just for her.  Mom, Dad and I couldn’t believe what we saw, and spent the time talking about the sudden change and laughing with Dualla as she played with Gopher on the floor. I guess Gopher and I have found a place we truly belong, now that Dualla has fully accepted us.

How does this work?

Gopher and I have been continuing weekly visits to one facility. We have a wonderful time and it is almost indescribable the happiness these visits bring us. What is also equally indescribable were the feelings that came upon myself at our last visit.

Gopher had the pleasure of one little boy who had visited him a few times over many weeks. He appeared to really like him that there was a special connection that Gopher had with him not unlike his excitement he has for his Uncle Duck or Aunt Emily. He is a typical Golden who seems to love everyone he meets, but as his handler I can easily see without being anthropomorphic certain special people who bring out something more in his excitement. This was his relationship with this boy.

Now, being in my position I do not have the luxury to ask questions pertaining to the health of any one we may visit, or where they have gone if I don't see them. So when this little boy stopped coming, I presumed he was either getting more treatment or home for some much deserved rest. Then I heard the news and I was awestruck to discover he had lost his fight. He appeared to be doing very well, and honestly it would take a very discerning eye to know he wasn't a typical healthy kid.

Now I have to ask myself how does this work? I did not really know him, but I feel a sense of loss, but not enough to really grieve. When I help Gopher get ready for another visit his image pops into my head. When I can't sleep at night (for other stresses in my life) my mind will wander to him. I have been in a position due to my parents family business that I have seen loss on many occasions, some people I knew well, others only by name and face, but their deaths rather young or older did not leave me with this lasting impression.

There is not a moment when I feel like stopping or not doing this throwing away all we have worked for, but I am left to wonder how long will this last? Will he stick with me for the rest of the time I do this with Gopher? Will it just fade? So does anyone know, how does this work?

The 'Tail' of Steve

Disclaimer:

Names/conditions and other personal information from a Therapy Visit cannot be shared.

Chad Burgess, Carla Donovan-Burgess and Gopher are volunteers and do not officially represent any institution mentioned in these visits.

 The experiences, conversations are true and really took place the names of persons, if given have only been changed to protect the privacy of those we visit.

Carla and I were both warned that at some point in our therapy visits there would be one patient that would really touch us. This is not to say we aren’t touched by all the people we visit, it is that at least one would cause you to look past your objectivity, get close to your dog, and make you stay longer than scheduled. The time has come and for the purpose of this story we will call him Steve.

Steve is a shy little boy who is extremely ill. He is undergoing a dangerous treatment to help him fight a disease that could take this life before he gets the chance to grow up. Steve is only seven and is a typical little boy at first appearance. He is terribly shy and when he talks with you it he never looks at you, always down or through his mother. When I wrote this I had three wonderful opportunities to learn about Steve.

Gopher and I arrived and we took our typical place by the fireplace in the little room where our visits are held. There was a mother and a little boy that were already there waiting for us. This was Steve and I couldn’t help but notice that he smiled at Gopher as soon as we walked into the room. In the therapy setting with a dog it is the opposite as in the public, when walking down the street you should always ask for permission to pet a dog. In the therapy setting you ask the person if they want to say hi and do not approach until there is an affirmation. Steve looked for a moment over his portable video game device then quickly turned to look at his mom who told him it was okay. Instead of getting up and coming over he seemed in sink deeper into the chair, covering his face leaving only narrow slits of his eyes looking over his gaming device. I could not help but smile when I noted the power light indicator was not black and not the glowing crimson or jade when this device was in operation. I looked down at Gopher smiling and gave him a pet. Steve stayed put in his chair.

After a few minutes a few more kids started to arrive and began visiting with Gopher. I couldn’t help but notice the gaming device had slumped away from Steve’s face and he watched closely how the kids were interacting with Gopher and how I was interacting with them. I am not quite sure when or how it came about but without me noticing Steve had moved from his chair and was thoroughly petting Gopher and Gopher focused his soft loving brown eyes directly on Steve and somewhat embarrassingly did not acknowledge the other kids as much. I don’t know if I can ever knowingly explain why he did that, Steve was not stroking a particular spot that Gopher desires he was softly patting his chest something done 100’s of times a day and a move that has never drawn his focus so intently. Did Gopher know Steve needed him ‘more’ than the other kids at that moment? Did he know they were beginning to form a friendship? I don’t think any of us will ever know, but there he was a dog who instinctually will avoid direct eye contact was taking those deep chestnut brown eyes that seem to have wisdom beyond my understanding were staring directly into Steve’s eyes.

The other kids many of them had seen and played with Gopher before excitedly ran off to join in the arts and craft activity happening in the room adjacent to us. This left Steve alone with Gopher. I spoke with Steve a few times, and he would respond, but always kept looking at Gopher. Gopher decided to settle in and lay down on his side to take in the full massage given by Steve. This would continue for nearly thirty minutes when Steve suddenly got up. Gopher raised his head at the loss of his masseur. Steve went over to the chair and picked up his gaming device cam back over and lay down on the floor resting his head on Gopher’s chest and shoulder. I learned as this moment that only the day before Steve had undergone a long and exhausting treatment. His mother asked him if he needed to go upstairs and go to bed, Steve looked at his mother and in a loud affirmative tone said “NO MOM!” His mother had told him how happy this time was making her that due to his illness and his innate shyness he was not engaging with anyone or any thing. I looked back to Gopher and Steve during this discussion and discovered that Steve had turned the gaming device on this time and the glow of the screen illuminating his and Gophers face who had draped his neck over Steve’s shoulder and rested his head on Steve’s chest. I was startled at first and exchanged looks with Steve’s mom to see if this was okay or if I needed to move Gopher. She shook her head no with tears in her eyes watching her son interact with another living being for the first time in months.

Amazed by this I watched as Steve continued to play his game and noticed that he was talking the entire time. Gopher also did not go to sleep or close this eyes he just kept his eyes open looking at the gaming screen and Steve through the corners of his eyes, moving those Golden eyebrows back and forth with his eyes. The time came for Gopher and I to leave came too quickly, and I ignored the clock fifteen more minutes passed this way, when Steve’s mom asked me if I wasn’t supposed to leave. I acknowledged that I was, and Steve sat straight up and turned to Gopher. He looked right into his face and said “I don’t want you to leave Gopher.” I told him I was sorry but it was time for Gopher to go home and get his dinner, Steve kept looking at Gopher and asked “Gopher, can you come back, when will you be back?” I told him we would be back in just a few days as we were visiting the facility twice that week. Gopher had moved into a sit and place one paw on Steve’s arm not breaking the gaze. Steve then said “I will see you when you come back.” putting both arms around Gopher Steve gave him a hug., and Gopher reciprocated by resting his head on Steve’s back. Steve’s mom thanked me for my visit and bringing Gopher and I told her not hanks needed it is always a pleasure to come here. I grabbed Gopher’s pack and quickly and headed out the door before anyone could notice the tears I had in my eyes.

I loaded Gopher in the car and after I regained my composure called Carla and my father immediately to tell them the story. I added that if Gopher decided that this was it and he didn’t want to do therapy work anymore that I could retire him that night and still feel that all the work, time and money spent was well worth it. I am pleased to say that Gopher is not interested in retirement yet.

The time had arrived for Gopher and I to return and he began to whimper in excitement as soon as we turned the corner to approach the facility. We came in and logged in at the office passing the fireplace room on the way. I was disappointed to see that Steve and his mom were not waiting for us. We logged in and went to the fireplace room and took our typical positions. Kids and families started arriving and playing with and petting Gopher, before I knew it nearly twenty minutes had passed and I was concerned we had not seen Steve, when his mother arrived carrying a milk bone. She came right over to me giving Gopher a pat on the head.

“Steve isn’t feeling well today.” she reported to me.

“Sorry to hear that” was my response, keeping a close eye on the crowd of kids that were now surrounding Gopher.

“He has not stopped talking about Gopher since your last visit. He has created all these stories of things they were going to do today. Then last night he started feeling really bad, a side effect of his treatment. He told me this morning that he had to feel better soon ‘cause Gopher was coming to see him. When the time came for your visit he was upset and said he didn’t think he could go, he asked me to bring down this treat and give it to Gopher and tell him he was sorry. May I give him the treat?”

“Sure Gopher can have the treat, tell Steve thank you and that Gopher loves treats, and hopes he can see him next time.”

She knelt down gave Gopher the treat and a hug as well and whispered a “Thank you” into his ear and left.

Gopher and I continued the visit and when it was time to leave we left, no less emotional than the last visit. This is truly why I chose to do therapy work, there is no pay it takes time out of your day, but rewards like this make all the difference.

Gopher and I would return again and this time Steve was waiting for us. Gopher and him played and interacted the entire time. At one point Gopher laid on his side while Steve and another little boy played with Dinosaur toys on his side, becoming his own Jurassic Park. When the time came for us to leave came Steve gave him another hug and told Gopher he would see him next time.

Now I am torn, I cannot wait to return to see Steve and Gopher interact again it is one of the greatest moments I have had the opportunity to witness. Equally though I will be happy for the day when Steve can go home recovered and get to be a child, perhaps even getting his own Golden Retriever to play with, since he asked shortly before we left on our last visits. “Mom, I know I can’t have Gopher, but when I am better can I get a dog just like him?” 

Thank you Steve for letting Gopher and I come see you and be a part of your life. I hope to see you again but more than that I hope to hear you have gone home and are awaiting the arrival of your own Golden.

Is there value in a Therapy Session when you don’t see a patient?

Names/conditions and other personal information from a Therapy Visit cannot be shared.

Chad Burgess, Carla Donovan-Burgess and Gopher are volunteers and do not officially represent any institution mentioned in these visits.

The experiences, conversations are true and really took place the names of persons, if given have only been changed to protect the privacy of those we visit.


Gopher, Carla and I went on a Therapy visit recently to a local Ronald McDonald House. For those not familiar with this charity, the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides living arrangements for families and very sick children whom have to be near a hospital for a series of long treatments.

While visiting I have had two experiences one with patients and their families, and sometimes with only the families. The advantages of Therapy Animal Visits with patients are well documented and researched, and are the images most people have in their heads when they think about Therapy visits. When you start training I know our instructor informed us that this is not always the case and sometimes it is just as much for the families and the staff of a facility.

I have witnessed this as well. There are times when a patient getting a visit might not be up for the visit or is unavailable as they are currently undergoing a treatment. The interactions with the families are no less rewarding and it is my judgment no less beneficial to the patient. An ill person especially a child relies heavily on their family and staff for support. This is a stressful place to be especially in regards to a child who is ill and could be fighting for their life before they even have had a chance conceptualize life and death. In some sad instances a child might only know hospitals, clinics, and a facility like RMH. The support and break a therapy animal is able to give these families and staff is no less important than the break it gives the patient. In a previous entry I spoke about a woman who used the fur of a wonderful Golden to dry her tears, not only was that wonderful animal in a place to provide fur as a Kleenex, it gave this mother the opportunity to cry, show vulnerability, not often afforded to her due to the strength she has to show for her child.

Gopher had this opportunity recently, but this time is wasn’t for the mother it was for the sibling. Fifteen minutes after our arrival a young boy approached Gopher, Carla and I where we sat by a fireplace in a public sitting area of RMH and began to talk. He was very curious about Gopher and anxious to share stories about his experiences with family dogs. He would be our primary and almost our only guest during our one hour visit. I don’t think a moment went by when he wasn’t talking and/or petting Gopher. His stories were wild and improbable typical of a young boy his age, speckled with elements of truth and embellished to add excitement, or the ideas of both wisdom and experience on his part. I can’t even begin to recall all of the stories or where one story ended and another began, but I can tell you some truth, not embellished as this young boys story.

Truth: He was young and his sibling was facing an uncertain future, fighting for his life.
Truth: He was living with his family at RMH where due to this illness he had to be part of a very difficult time, attempting to grasp and understand concepts that were beyond his limited years.
Truth: He was not sick, but his sibling was, and due to the care needed he had to live in an environment where everyone he interacted with was sick or caring for the sick.
Truth: For 45 minutes he was with Gopher and us, not directly caring for the sick, and for those 45 minutes he got to be a kid and maybe forget for a moment the scary things going on around him.

Upon leaving, Carla, Gopher and I were exhausted heads spinning from the stories we had been hearing, and watching him tell them. We did not directly interact with a patient that day, but our visit was no less worthwhile, we gave a young boy an opportunity to be a boy. With that respite I can only imagine the stories he told his parents or sibling perhaps making them laugh for a moment in a place where tears are very common.