Darling! Come here!” Violet Shubert, 96, exclaims from her wheelchair and reaches out to her visitor. Not to shake hands or to hug, but to give a sweet scratch behind the ear.
Olaf, the 210-pound great Dane-mastiff mix, has come to call. The dog pads gently across the room to receive Shubert’s affections, patient while she fusses over him. Then, he raises his paw and sets it over Shubert’s much smaller wrist.
Olaf, 5, is a therapy dog. He is trained, evaluated and certified by the national, Wyoming-based Alliance of Therapy Dogs. He can safely work with people at schools, medical facilities, care homes and assisted living facilities. Olaf has had to prove he can remain calm in a crowd, withstand sudden noises, maneuver gently around walkers and into elevators and remain unflappable before oxygen machines.
He is among the many certified therapy animals in Nevada County: dogs, cats and even small horses that offer a feeling of connection, emotional support and love to people who need it.
Therapy dogs’ effectiveness in soothing human emotion – including fear and anxiety – takes Olaf twice weekly to the county courthouse. Proceedings in Family Court and Juvenile Court flow more smoothly with his presence. That includes accompanying a 10-year-old girl as she confronted her adult abuser, says Olaf ’s human, Cindy Morgan, 54, of Nevada City. “That’s a scary thing to do as an adult, and for a child, it’s even more scary,” Morgan notes.
At Cascades of Grass Valley, where Shubert lives, Olaf ’s visits “put a sparkle in (residents’) eyes,” says Life Enrichment Director Kimm Slaton. In the dementia unit, women who had been sitting vacantly under afghans reach out, smile, murmur endearments and ask to take pictures when the canine approaches. In the main halls, residents call Olaf “sweetie” and “the love of my life.”
Taking a break, Olaf flops down at the feet of Community Relations Director Brianna Phillips, who jokes that his visits “lower my blood pressure.”
“He was just born for this,” Morgan says.
Coming Full Circle
Morgan had wanted horses as a girl. But growing up in suburban San Jose, she realized the closest she would get was a very large dog. At a dog show, Morgan perused the large breeds and was “mesmerized” by great Danes’ grace – and impressed by their lack of the usual, big-dog slobber, she recalls. She acquired her first great Dane as a teen, worked with the local Humane Society and became a veterinary technician before entering law enforcement. All through – even when starting her family – she had great Danes. “They’re fantastic with kids,” she adds.
Morgan acquired Olaf after he was given up at 18 months of age. Morgan sensed something special about this dog, found the Alliance and got Olaf trained and certified. Now retired, Morgan dedicates much of her week to sharing the company of her big, lovey boy.
After 25 years with the California Highway Patrol, Morgan finds satisfaction in the “positive” interactions she facilitates between Olaf and crime victims in court, she says. Visits to care homes like Cascade touch a pay-it-forward sense of service: “I’ve been an animal lover since I was little,” Morgan says. “If I were in an environment like this, I know I would want animals to come visit me… Even a five-minute visit makes their day.”
