Therapy Dog Visits the Windows of Senior Center to Cheer Up Residents Amid Coronavirus

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Tonka is hard to miss.

The great Dane, a certified therapy dog with The Dog Alliance in Cedar Park, Texas, has a big teddy bear personality to match his large frame.

According to KXAN, this caring canine is doing his part to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Before the spread of COVID-19, Tonka would visit senior centers in the Cedar Park area to spread joy to residents. Now, with senior centers across the country temporarily prohibiting outside visitors in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to their residents, Tonka has gotten creative with how he cheers up senior citizens.

The dog and his owner/handler Courtney Leigh are doing a sort of curbside pick-me-up for the residents of Cedar Pointe Health and Wellness Suites. Recently, Tonka has been pawing up to the outside windows of the senior center and saying hello to residents through the glass.

“We learned that with the recent events all therapy visits will be discontinued for safety purposes, of course, and containment. We really missed our visits, and I thought, what can I do personally, on my own, to try and continue some of the feelgood that this wonderful dog gives to everyone? So they were kind enough to go with the idea I had,” Leigh told KXAN.

Leigh added that these window-side interactions are important to the senior citizens and to her and Tonka as well.

“We’re so excited to be able to just make them smile today,” she added.

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