Although she may not look the part, Mischa takes her job as a therapy dog quite seriously.

Her owner, Gilles Giguere, said he swears the purebred Rottweiler wears a smile to every senior's facility she visits. With her nub of a tail wiggling back and forth and her big brown eyes surveying the crowd, it doesn't take long before her enthusiasm spreads.

“She passes on that smile to other people,” Giguere said.

The two have been part of Magical Paws Pet Therapy since its inception in the summer of 2011. Every week, they visit two different facilities with the hope of brightening the day for the residents.

Time after time, they've been successful.

“I love the results of what we do,” Giguere said. “The residents are so full of life when they see the dogs.”

It's part of what makes dog and handler so eager to continue their work. The other part is what they get from it.

“I give, and Mischa gives, but we both also receive from it,” Giguere said. Watching an elderly resident light up with a smile at the site of Mischa, or become emotion when they pet her, is beyond rewarding.

It doesn't always come easy for the team though — Giguere said he sometimes has to work for a positive reaction.

“I don't give up,” he said.

To help engage as many residents as possible, the dog-lover has taught Mischa several tricks. She can wave, bark and cuddle on command — feats that have proven useful to those who aren't entirely comfortable in the presence of the large dog, or dogs in general.

On a recent visit to St. Josephs Continuing Care Centre, one resident said she had no interest in a visit from the team.

Not wanting to be pushy, but wanting to see her smile, Giguere instructed Mischa to step to the side of the woman's bed. When the resident could see the dog, Giguere had her drop the front half of her body to the ground, bowing for the resident.

By the time they left the room, the woman was smiling from ear to ear.

“(It is) such a small thing you can do to bring the life out of the resident,” Giguere said.

Annette Lumbis, co-ordinator of Magical Paws, said this is a common scenario for any handler and dog team.

“There is no medicine in the world that can do that,” she said. “I think the dogs are magical. They can reach a soul when others have failed.”

There are currently about 50 dog-and-handler teams in the program who visit residents at 27 different facilities, from seniors' centres to group homes to special needs classes in schools. Branches of Magical Paws have sprouted up in surrounding communities like Elliot Lake and Sault Ste. Marie, too.

“There is such a demand,” Lumbis said. “There are not enough dogs in the community to fill the need.”

There are no rules as to which dogs can be part of the program — as long as they are well behaved and exposed to the sorts of things they'll encounter on the job, they will be just fine. Lumbis said anyone thinking of becoming involved in the program should spend time getting their dog used to other dogs and people.

Then, they should be ready for a life-changing experience.

Lumbis said most people want to get involved to spend more time with their dogs and help a good cause, but many reap the rewards themselves.

“What (people) don't realize is what it does for them,” she said.

The end result?

“It's an amazing feeling knowing you put a smile on somebody's face,” Lumbis said.

On Feb. 27, Magical Paws is hosting a community information session at Pioneer Manor. Who Let the Dogs In? will allow the public to meet the dogs involved and learn more about the program.

For more information, visit between 6:30-8 p.m., or e-mail magicalpaws.pt@gmail.com.

Posted by Arron Pickard