Sirius Healing Founder Laurie Hardman and her cadre of Portuguese Water Dogs have been providing visits and training others to provide animal assisted activities and therapy since the early 1990s.

Laurie's canine partners

Roughrider's Mandy Lifeboat, Am. Can. CD, 1998 Western US Therapy Animal of the Year, Delta Society Pet Partner, TDI. Mandy crossed the Rainbow Bridge on May 30, 2007 at the age of 16.

Ch. Dacher's Gaia Criansa Do Rio, Am./Can. CD, Delta Society Pet Partner, TDI. Rio crossed the Rainbow Bridge on July 2, 2005 at the age of 14.

Ch. Stargazer's Gatinha Do Algarve, RN, our "Kitty", has retired from her registration with Delta Society and TDI, but is an active founding canine for ProjectCANINE's Connecting Canines program. Kitty also acts as my Service Dog (seizure alert).

Ch. Do Gato's Catwoman, our "Pickles" has followed her mother Kitty; she has also retired her original therapy dog registrations and visits as a founding ProjectCANINE Connecting Canine pooch. And, like her mother, Pickles also alerts my seizures.

Our latest addition is “Billie”

RainCity Do Gato Miss Brown To You, "Billie", is our latest addition. Billie is Kitty's granddaughter. Her father is Pickles' brother Am./Int'l. Ch. Do Gato's A Cura Com Amor (Jonah). Billie is our first brown PWD! Billie has achieved her full ProjectCANINE Connecting Canine endorsements. Billie is taking a break from her pursuit toward her AKC Championship — her first litter is due 10/9/2009, sired by Am./Int'. Ch. Driftwood's Bacchus Dos. Yes, we like Deuce!

Like her Aunt Pickles and her Granny Kitty, Billie also alerts my seizures.

2008 marked the launch of the non-profit, ProjectCANINE (www.projectcanine.org). Laurie Hardman is Director of the therapy dog arm, Connecting Canines. Leslie Csokasy (Founder and Co-Owner of Great Dog - www.gogreatdog.com); Judi Anderson-Wright, MA, CPDT, (Co-Owner of Great Dog); Carolin Behrend, M.E., Healing Species Puget Sound (www.healingspeciespugetsound.com), Kim Bogart (University of Washington) and Laurie Hardman comprise the Board of Directors and Program Directors for Project Canine.

Please visit ProjectCANINE at www.projectcanine.org, or my website at www.siriushealing.com.

— Laurie Hardman

All photos above were taken by Stefanie Felix (www.stefaniefelix.com), and are of Kitty visiting residents of Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center, Shoreline, WA (www.fircrestfriends.org).

Important Definitions

Animal Assisted Therapy ( AAT )

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is goal-directed intervention in which a therapy animal is an integral part of the clinical treatment process. AAT is directed by a healthcare or human services professional (i.e. Occupational/Physical/Speech Therapists, Social Workers, etc.). AAT is done in the form of group sessions, one-to-one visits, or co-treatment sessions. AAT visit outcomes are documented by the healthcare or human services professional. AAT providers may work under the direction of healthcare or human services providers, or directly with therapists in client sessions.

Animal Assisted Activities ( AAA )

Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) are educational, entertaining, and motivating activities delivered by specially trained and certified professionals, para-professionals and/or volunteers and their animals who have met specific criteria and have become registered Delta Society© Pet Partner© teams.

Typical Animal Assisted Activities may be entertaining "shows", visits to schools, or one-to-one visits with patients and residents in healthcare facilities. Animal Assisted Activities are not necessarily "goal driven", but are still very therapeutic in nature.

In Memory of Rio and Mandy It is with great sorrow we said goodbye to Rio (Ch. Dacher's Gaia Criansa Do Rio), Delta Society Pet Partner 10+ years (retired) and Therapy Dogs International TD. On July 2, 2005, Rio, at 14 3/4 years of age, lost his battle with old age and congestive heart failure. Rio's more than 10 years of therapy work touched thousands of people. His ability to sing was legendary. May he sing forever across the Rainbow Bridge. Our saddest news to date: On May 30, 2007, our pioneer PWD, Roughrider's Mandy Lifeboat, left this world at the age of 16+. Mandy was our first PWD, our first therapy dog, and a dog who touched thousands of lives in her 12+ years of therapy visits, as well as being an outstanding ambassador for the breed. Our hearts are heavy with her absence, but we know she's joined Rio over the Rainbow Bridge, and we know we will see our dear "Diva" again. — Jim and Laurie Hardman and the Do Gato pack