Twenty-four dog therapy teams from the K-9 Angels Dog Therapy Ministry were recognized Nov. 24, for the organization giving 10 years’ service to local communities.
The dogs and their guardians gathered at First United Methodist Church (FUMC) campuses on Carey Station Road and in downtown Greensboro to celebrate the milestone.
The founders of K9 Angels—Ginny Spurlock, Tanya Kingsley and Ann Maddox—spoke to the congregation about how the ministry was founded and relayed what its presence has meant to the local colleges, assisted- living facilities, hospitals and schools it serves throughout Baldwin, Clarke, Greene, Morgan and Putnam counties.
Once Spurlock retired from teaching, she realized she wanted to pursue pet therapy.
“I had previously written a research paper about the wonderful benefits of dog therapy. Tanya Kingsley, a dog and horse trainer, approached me before I retired about bringing a therapy dog to our school and after seeing the children interact with therapy dogs, I knew this is what I wanted to do when I retired,” Spurlock explained to the congregation.
To begin her journey toward understanding what the mission would entail, she also turned to Corey Crouse, her FUMC Sunday School teacher.
“We approached the minister at FUMC about starting K-9 Angels as part of Congregational Care and the rest is history,” Spurlock said.
Crouse also is responsible for creating an inspiring video about the K-9 Angels that was shared with everyone who attended the ceremony.
K-9 Angels has grown from its original three teams to an impressive 50 over the five-county area. Many past K-9 Angels team members held pictures of their dogs, as their canine angels had already earned their heavenly wings. Among them, Paul Guillette had driven from Florida just to be a part of the 10-year celebration.
Spurlock concluded the ceremony by saying the K-9 Angels teams will continue their mission to share love, licks and wagging tails with everyone that needs them, no matter their age or demographic.
“We are so appreciative of the support that we have received from the members of FUMC and the community, and we appreciate Pastor Chris Laskey for giving us the opportunity to celebrate 10 wonderful years of this ministry,” she said.
For additional information on the K-9 Therapy Ministry, contact Ginny Spurlock at lakepepl@att.net. For more information about therapy dogs, visit the Alliance of Therapy Dogs online at therapydogs.com.
- Contributed