Michele the therapy dog at Fraser Library

Michele the therapy dog will be at the Fraser Library from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on the first and third Thursday and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Students who are stressed, miss their pets, or are studying at the Fraser Library are encouraged to take a break to say hi to Michele and her handler, Marci Frutkoff.

According to Frutkoff, Michele was trained to be a guide dog, but she ultimately ended up working as a therapy dog after Frutkoff adopted her.  Frutkoff was certified with Michele as a therapy dog team, and she emphasized that her and Michele are a team wherever they go. 

“I love dogs with jobs and therapy dog work was always something I wanted to do. I went to a dog training school because I love dog training, and it was just a lot of fun to be working with her. We took eight weeks of classes, and then we took the test and we passed,” Frutkoff said. “There’s lots of different places that we go. You can go to hospitals, you can do nursing homes, hospice, and schools. And every once in a while, there are emails that come out from people looking for a therapy dog for a specific event.” 

According to Frutkoff, as a therapy dog, Michele is comfortable around a lot of people and is very friendly. To be certified as a therapy dog, Michele “must feel comfortable being patted and pet, and she must feel comfortable being around people in wheelchairs and walkers. Things like walking calmly through a crowd is very important.” 

To be certified under Therapy Dog International (TDI) Michele “must feel comfortable being patted. She must feel comfortable being around people in wheelchairs and walkers. Walking through a crowd is very important, [but]…she cannot accept food from people. TDI rules are she does not get treats [when working].”

According to Frutkoff, students of all kinds are the most enthusiastic to meet and play with Michele. 

“Everybody who sees us on campus is so happy to see [Michele]. A lot of times I'll just walk on campus with my dog and the kids come over naturally. They miss their pets at home,” she said.

Frutkoff recounted a story about a fourth-grade elementary class she met with and how she found her and Michele’s motto.

“Michele and I sat down with them, and they were talking and asking me questions. One of the girls says, ‘Well, how do you communicate with Michele?’ And I said, ‘all dogs, all animals communicate with us. We just must listen differently because it’s not a word conversation like you and I have,’ and the little girl turned around and said, ‘Oh, you must listen with your heart.’”

“Michele and I must listen with our hearts,” Frutkoff said. “So, just listen with yours.”