Working with dogs gives a person an opportunity to experience complete acceptance. Dogs don’t care how smart people are, how beautiful, how popular, how proficient, or how wealthy they are. They only care about how people treat them, and that they care about deeply. This is a valuable model to us all. The dogs at First Light Farm are trained therapy dogs, and thoroughly enjoy helping people heal and grow.

Dogs are highly social pack animals with a strong desire to please their leaders and a willingness to cooperate. They are sensitive to the feelings of those around them, and they are quick to learn new skills. They are particularly expressive and use their entire bodies to convey their enthusiasm and joy for whatever we are about to do!

Meet the Dogs, et al at First Light Farm:

Abby was a black Labrador Retriever who sadly passed from us June 8, 2017. She was the penultimate “fetcher” who was constantly looking for something to fetch. She would retrieve on land but her favorite was to fly through the air to retrieve from the water! Abby was  a Registered Therapy Dog with Therapy Dogs International. She was a therapy dog in schools, on the farm,  and participated in Paws to Read programs.

Lizzie was a very calm and good natured Labradoodle with a real mischievous streak. If you weren’t watching she would borrow gloves or toys or whatever else she can find. She generally forgot to bring them back (quite the Doodle Brain)! She often volunteered and was quick to greet people with a warm snuffle. Her sweet temperament and fuzzy fur made her great for hugs. (Lizzie would be a Registered Therapy Dog if she didn’t get car sick!)

Tucker, Raven, Cinder and Pumpkin have all been cats who have graced our farm with their presence for years and have died. Now they are helping us learn about healthy grieving. Apollo joined them in the happy mousing grounds in 2017.  Currently we have no house cats.

In Loving Memory...

Clare  is a born therapy dog. She is a brown Labradoodle who is determined to be the FIRST to greet everyone who comes to the farm! She gets quite perturbed if I don’t let her! She welcomes all comers with her waggy tail and her big smile. She’ll play fetch, she’ll play chase, and if things get sad she’s quick to come up to tell you she’s there for you. Clare is still going through the training process to become a registered therapy dog, but in the mean time she knows exactly what’s needed!

Occasionally the cats will volunteer to work with us. Since there is simply nothing quite like a purr generator in the lap, we always welcome them when they do! Our current barn cat is Momma Cat!