Residents at the Jewish Home Assisted Living in River Vale look forward to visits from “therapy dogs” - dogs that are at least a year old and picked for their ability to relate to people. Wendy Zuckerberg and her dog Coco regularly visit JHAL where her grandmother Ida Mayer lives. Coco is a cockapoo, a hybrid that is a cross between a cocker spaniel and poodle.
![[photo]](images/dogs01.jpg)
Wendy, a resident of Woodcliff Lake, works with Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs in Morris Plains, NJ. Bright and Beautiful is a non-profit organization that “tests, trains and qualifies” therapy dogs for the “purpose of giving loving and empathic support.” They vouch for the dogs that they send out for visits to nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities, confirming that the dogs have been certified by a qualified evaluator as suitable to do this sort of work.
When asked how she and Coco got started with this endeavor, Wendy said, “I heard about therapy dogs. I thought Coco had a great personality for it, so I contacted Bright and Beautiful and had Coco tested and certified. They make sure that the dogs are not afraid.”
“My grandmother really enjoys Coco’s visits,” Wendy said, and “Coco loves all the attention.” Her recent visit in October was a great success, with many residents participating and enjoying their time with Coco. “I’ll be back every Thursday morning,” said Wendy.