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JJ HOSPICE THERAPY DOG

JJ was a petite female golden retriever who had been the primary therapy dog at our local in patient hospice unit in Albany, Oregon since it opened in 2012, working alongside her nurse partner Tracy until her death in December 2017. She was a part of the hospice team, visiting patients and families, as well as hospice and facility staff members, along with her mother Gamine, who came out of therapy dog retirement in 2015. They were a part of our  

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​"unpaid" volunteer staff, rewarded with love and treats. Tracy helped develop pet visitation policies for the inpatient hospice and coordinated Callie's Fund. She has been involved with therapy dogs since the mid 1990's.

JJ was a certified therapy dog through Project Canine and also did volunteer therapy dog visits in addition to her hospice work. Tracy was a licensed Instructor/Examiner through Project Canine, and was selected as their first breeder in the Puppy Partnership Program. She is now a board member of Project Canine. JJ's great niece Ember was her successor, showing early aptitude for the work her aunt excelled at. Ember has been our third generation of Project Canine therapy dogs.

JJ and Tracy were members of HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response, a national all-volunteer organization that provides comfort and encouragement through animal-assisted support to individuals affected by crises and disasters. They were deployed regionally for many call outs prior to JJ's death. 

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