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, ThD, SD, ProjectCANINE's Connecting Canines founding canine, semi-retired:

In Spring of 2012, Kitty became the recipient of the first PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap County 'PAWS Spotlight on Community Hero Pets, Heroic Service Award, Therapy Animal Category (and People's Choice Award Winner) 2012; Nominee for the AHA Hero Dog Award, Therapy Dog, 2012; Finalist, American Kennel Club ACE (Award for Canine Excellence), Therapy Dog Category, 2012.

At the age of 13 1/2, Summer 2012 finds Kitty easing into retirement, though often much to her unhappines at NOT being the one chosen to go.

Ch. Do Gato's Catwoman, ThD, SD, ProjectCANINE Connecting Canines founding dog. At just 9, our "Pickles" has a long way to go to fill her mother Kitty's nearly 19,000 hours of therapy visits, but she is well on her way. Her specialty is the wildly successful, critically acclaimed Campus Canines Program, visiting thousands of University of Washingto students at the various UW Residence Halls, Seattle Pacific University, and a growing number of Colleges and Universities in the Puget Sound area. Like her mother, Kitty, Pickles has been trained to alert to my seizures.

Int'l. Ch. Raincity Do Gato Miss Brown to You, ThD, SD, Project CANINE Connecting Canines founding dog.

At 5, Billie is our youngest, following her Grandmother Kitty and Aunt Pickles. Billie's father is Am./Int'l. Ch. Do Gato's A Cura Com Amor, AOM, who also happens to be Pickles' brother. Billie is our first brown PWD! Billie herself has a good career going, and her antics with the now infamous “NO!” button at the UW Campus Canine visits (as well as her willingness to show her “WHISPER” whenever anyone is willing to look) are fast making her the ideal girl to partner with her somewhat more laid back Aunt Pickles on Campus Canine visits. Billie is also trained to alert 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