Therapy With Trapper

Trapper had a job to do. He sat quietly on a chair beside my husband Ken's hospital bed to shake hands, to be stroked, and to comfort. That's what it's all about for Jill Honer and her golden lab, Trapper.

After Trapper takes a leisurely sudsy bath on Saturday morning and dons his red Delta Society vest, it's all business. Trapper's silky coat is hugged and tenderly patted in care facilities throughout our county.

At an assisted living residence, a dear old fellow in his frail 90s, who had no family nearby, saw Trapper's visits as a godsend. Their meetings prompted him to begin speaking passionately about his own dog and even asking the nurses to retrieve long forgotten pictures. It was a huge breakthrough for a gentleman who, for years, had rarely responded to anyone or anything.

At a children's rehabilitation center, there was a particular boy who, over dozens of weekly visits, was always the first to greet Trapper and the last to say good-bye. Though scarred by physical and mental abuse, the ongoing visits with his favorite and only visitor became his lifeline. He had struggled, but at long last the screaming, violence, and hateful language ceased. The boy was adopted recently, and his only request was to have a dog of his own. His puppy's name is Trapper.

But Christmas is Honer's and Trapper's favorite time of year. When they visit children's centers, Trapper wears his Santa hat and magically turns into each child's fondest wish. Honer's heart breaks as she watches kids playing with Trapper, and caressing the dog with a kind of devotion she sees nowhere else. Somehow the dog knows these children need a no-strings-attached affection that only a risk-free and loving canine can offer.

Honer, an RN, saw Trapper's potential early, and turned the dog into a gentle and loving therapist. Under her tutelage, Trapper has worked hard to earn the title "Therapy Dog," as well as a place on calendars and in various magazines throughout the west.

Now the pair is about to embark on a new journey. They've been invited to train with Hope Crisis Response. This is a tough program that offers emotional rescue, recovery, and on-going support to individuals and responders involved in school shootings, natural disasters like floods, and national disasters, like 9-11. Honer and Trapper will work in and around wailing rescue vehicles, burning buildings, and torrents of water.

No two are more qualified.

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