"Fidel's pitter patter on your leg opens your heart to receive his constant love."
-Rachel McPherson

Fidel, a Good Dog Foundation therapy dog, won honorable mention in the American Kennel Club's Awards for Canine Excellence in 2002, the ASPCA "Trooper" award and was one of three honored by the American Red Cross for outstanding service as a therapy dog in serving those affected by the 9/11 World Trade Center Tragedy - making over 9 visits to Ground Zero.

Rachel McPherson is the founder and Executive Director of the Good Dog Foundation, a New York City - based pet therapy organization. After September 11 the Good Dog Foundation worked with families of those who had been killed and with members of other impacted communities at the Pier 94 Family Assistance Center. Fidel and Annie were apart of this effort. Click here to listen to Rachel talk about the role played by the trained therapy dogs at the Center and at the WTC site and the effect they had.
From the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Website

Fidel.…my little man.  Well, not “my” little man – but Rachel McPherson’s little man, you get the idea.  And, as of this writing, Fidel is still going strong – perhaps in part due to his strong personality, buffered by his unconditional love.  The story I remember from Fidel’s mom was how he was their little innocent boy until bedtime.  Then, he would jump up into bed with her and protect her from her husband, growling at him when he tried to retire for the night.  I guess we know who the man was in that house.

-Ron Burns

The Good Dog Foundation makes a concerted effort to educate and inform the public of the benefits and possibilities of animal assisted therapy. The incredible benefits of this age-old practice are still not widely known. Therefore, The Good Dog Foundation utilizes many venues to inform people about this amazing practice. From events, such as educational appearances, community events, and therapy training classes to media, such as press coverage, brochures, and electronic communication, our team is working to get the message out. The Good Dog Foundation feels it is our responsibility to educate the public about the benefits of animal assisted therapy and to help loving dogs and their handlers lend their own unique gifts to the practice.

Click here for more information about the Good Dog Foundation

Click here to make a donation to the Good Dog Foundation

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Never forget. Two simple words we’ve all heard many times before. Sometimes though, words can lose meaning with time if we are not reminded of why the sentiment exists in the first place. Fidel's story may just be one of thousands tied to that fateful day in September, 2001, but I believe it is one that deserves to be told and re-told. His story, in part, will help us continue to remember why we should never forget. Your story will too.

This month, September 2011, marks the ten year anniversary of 9/11. I encourage you to use this time as a moment for reflection – to recall where you were that day and share your story with others. Our world, in many ways, is very different from the way that it was ten years ago. In many other ways, it is very much the same. Today we face new challenges, much as we did then, that cannot be solved with just one answer. While I recognize that our world moves at a pace that is hard to even keep up with - perhaps if we all pause for just a moment to reflect and ask ourselves how we each can help make the world a better place, we will find the answers we are looking for.

Regards,
Ron Burns

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