Sign In

Care Centers Get Visitors

May 13, 2020

Paula Seck had an idea to cheer up folks that were confined to nursing homes or care centers over these last two months.

She loaded up the horses and “Diesel” the dog, along with volunteers who brought animals, and went about to bring joy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We work with an Oklahoma-owned home health and hospice,” said Seck. “During the coronavirus, we could not see our customers. We started doing pet therapy. We owned ponies and dogs.”

A lot of elderly patients had horses so Seck thought they would appreciate being around them.

The group, made up mainly of people connected with Oklahoma-owned Complete Home Health and Hospice, hit the road in Wagoner and Muskogee.

At the Wagoner Care Center: “It was a wonderful day. We did window therapy. Some opened their windows and talked to us and thanked us. That was so rewarding,” Seck said.

At Muskogee’s Pleasant Valley: “They brought residents outside and served popcorn and snow cones. The horses got to eat out of their hands and we kept six feet away for social distancing,” Seck added.

Kerissa Seck had the horses. She also joined in greeting the folks.

Others that made the trips were Kathy Gosselin, Donna Byers and Nan Perryman with her grandson.

Why did they do this?

“We love giving back to the community. It’s neighbors caring for neighbors. We wanted to be there for them,” Seck concluded.

Register Your Dog

  • Most Recent News

    Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life

    When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]

    Read more

    Students Get Therapy Dog

    When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dogtor

    Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]

    Read more

    Therapy Dog Pups

    When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]

    Read more

    Puppy Cams

    A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]

    Read more

    Pet Committee

    When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]

    Read more