Of all Buttercup’s accomplishments, the one that has mattered the most to us is her work as a therapy dog. Volunteering alongside her has been a tremendous blessing. Together, we get to show people just how wonderful this breed truly is. We began our therapy dog journey in the summer of 2024, and she quickly earned her Therapy Dog Novice title. Since then, we’ve visited locations across the community — pharmacies, business offices, fire departments, an adult developmental disability community, hospice patients, assisted living and memory care units.

Buttercup loves making new friends, and she brings genuine joy to both patients and healthcare workers. Some memory care residents even remember her name. I’ve watched her gently rest her head on the leg of a resident in a wheelchair when they couldn’t lift their arms to pet her, and I’ll never forget the moment a resident with mobility challenges got down on one knee to love on her and said, “I haven’t done that in decades.” Her tender, intuitive nature has made her visits well known throughout the community.

In the summer of 2025, a hospice volunteer coordinator invited Team Buttercup to begin visiting their patients. After completing the approval process, we began serving several hospice families, where Buttercup brought comfort and calm into some of life’s most tender moments. Seniors are always thrilled to meet a Bloodhound, and many express how much they appreciate the time we spend with them. She has already reached the milestone of 50 therapy visits and the next title of Therapy Dog.

Because the need for therapy dogs in our area is so great — and testing opportunities are limited — I applied to become a Certified Evaluator. After a tremendous amount of work from both of us, I was approved, and Buttercup officially became a Bone‑A‑Fide Test Dog for Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs. We can now provide testing for dogs whose owners want to begin their own therapy dog journey, which feels like a natural extension of the work we’ve been doing from the start.

As Team Buttercup works toward the next milestone of 100 therapy visits, my hope is to continue this service with future generations of Rays of Sunshine Bloodhounds, sharing their gentle spirits and healing presence with the people who need it most.