Therapy dogs bring pawsitivity to the New Mexico State Fair

Sep. 9—When the twinkling bright lights, smell of fried corn dogs and crowds of people at the New Mexico State Fair become too overwhelming, furry friends from the Southwest Canine Corps of Volunteers (SCCV) are there to lend a helping paw.

SCCV is a local nonprofit organization with more than 70 members and several dogs. The organization has brought four-legged friends to more than 35 facilities to provide humans some companionship and emotional support.

For eight years-plus, SCCV and its therapy dogs have provided services at the state fair to help visitors enjoy their fair experience and have a moments of relaxation between fair fun.

"You meet a dog and you smile," said Donna Collins, SCCV member, "even if something has gone wrong that day and that's the idea behind this."

How it begins

SCCV handlers and dogs are evaluated to see if a dog is eligible to become a therapy dog. Dogs must demonstrate good grooming, friendly temperament, and tolerance in close proximity to strangers and other dogs, according to the SCVV website.

If a pet and its owner pass, they begin the development phase of training, during which handlers and pets attend development classes and begin closely supervised visits.

Once a dog has completed five supervised visits, the dog and owner can volunteer at more SCCV events, including the State Fair. When the therapy dogs aren't wagging their tails near Ferris wheels, they can be found at hospitals, emergency dispatch centers, libraries, schools and colleges and more places.

What do the dogs do, and how can I find them?

Therapy dogs will walk around the state fair with their handlers, looking for people who want to quickly pet the dogs. During their rotation, handlers will take a peek into the sensory station, a station dedicated to fair guests who need a break from the crowd.

Teams of two to four handlers and pets will take rotations throughout the duration of the fair with morning and night shifts. Therapy dogs can enter almost all the spaces at the fair, though not in areas where other animals might be present.

One of the most common things therapy dogs are needed for is when children get separated from their parents. When this occurs, children are brought to the state police booth. State police will contact handlers and let them know a child is at the booth and would benefit from a therapy dog visit.

Handlers also provide information about therapy dogs, highlighting the differences between service dogs and therapy dogs. They also spread the word about their organization to help interested people connect with the group.

While the SCCV serves many communities, members say they look forward to the fair each year. They also say their dogs get equally excited to meet people.

"It's a whole lot of fun, and I look forward to it every year," Collins said. "I love walking down Main Street (at the fair) because there's crowds of people and people will stop right away and ask to pet your dog. And before you know it, a crowd of people are lining up to see the dog. It's one of our favorite gigs. The dogs would go on strike if they couldn't go to Expo New Mexico.

"To see people's reactions and how invariably people smile, it continues to amaze me when they see the dog and their eyes light up and they're full of life and energy, it's just a very positive experience and helps my endorphins too," Collins added.