Author Proves Dogs Can Lend a Helping Hand

Dogs can make a difference. That was the message of Rachel McPherson, the founder and executive director of The Good Dog Foundation and author of "Every Dog Has a Gift: True Stories of Dogs Who Bring Hope and Healing into Our Lives." On Tuesday night, she signed books and addressed fans at Book Revue in Huntington.

"Our therapy dogs have made a difference in so many lives," McPherson said. "It just comes so naturally to them."

The Good Dog Foundation's mission is to educate and inform the public of the benefits and possibilities of animal assisted therapy. McPherson created the non-profit organization 13 years ago when she found out that it was against the law in New York for a dog to go into a major medical facility. Dogs were limited to nursing homes or assisted living centers, but now Good Dog is the largest animal assisted therapy organization on the east coast.

McPherson shared many stories about dogs who had an effect on people, both young and old. A dog named Fidel, who spent a lot of time at Ground Zero helping the families who were affected by the attacks of September 11, was one special case.

"He went there daily, and was awarded the American Red Cross Hero Award," McPherson said. "He was also asked to be on the mental health team for Hurricane Katrina."

People in attendance had all sorts of connections to pet therapy, and they were eager to share their stories with McPherson as well.

Suzanne Surdo of Deer Park spoke about a special experience she had with her therapy dog, Daisy. "We once went to visit some people, and there was this one woman who doctors could not get a response from," Surdo said. "We put Daisy on her lap and the woman started to sing gospel, and then everyone in the room started to cry."

Beth Goldin, who owns a pet sitting business in Huntington, praised the caliber of McPherson's book.

"I thought the book was absolutely fantastic," Goldin said. "It really epitomized what dogs are about."

McPherson urged the people in attendance to pay respect to dogs that are providing a service for the disabled and also said that the foundation is always looking for more help.

"We are always looking for people," McPherson said. "We could always use a helping hand."