Negan the Golden Retriever is a registered therapy dog who spreads joy to everyone in his path, from hospitals and schools to fire departments and nursing homes.“When we’re at the hospital and walking down the hallway, they just scream his name,” Charlene Rothe, his owner, said.Rothe started the nonprofit, Paws Be With You, because of the joy a therapy dog brought her late father during a hospital stay.“As soon as we got Negan, I was determined that no matter what, we are starting this,” she said.Service Dogs for Veterans: Program at the West Palm VA helps connect veterans with resources to get a service animalHer father was a Philadelphia firefighter and forced to retire after the Gulf Oil Refinery 11-alarm fire in 1975. Eight firefighters died and more than a dozen, including Charlene’s father, George, were hurt.“He went through a lot and I never knew, and it’s probably because he wanted to save everyone,” she said.Now, Negan and Charlene visit the Greenacres Fire Department, one of Palm Beach County’s busiest, every week to give back to first responders.“They witness traumatic events much more frequently than the average human,” Greenacres Fire Rescue Chief Brian Fuller said.A moment of joy: News We LoveIn the past five years, 20 first responders in Palm Beach County died by suicide, a statistic that leads the state of Florida.Fuller said he could tell a noticeable shift in morale since therapy dogs started visiting, but he had a hard time finding an organization to visit.“I think it’s because the public isn’t aware of the need,” he said.Life-saving procedure: Vet at south Florida rescue removes glass, BB pellets and metal from former stray dog’s stomachAfter posting on Facebook asking for guidance in finding a therapy dog program for the fire department, a friend connected him with Charlene Rothe.“I wake up every day with a smile on my face,” Rothe said. “It is my dream come true and I know my dad is so happy smiling down.”Negan has seven weekly visits, including Delray Medical Center and the Best Buddies Program of Spanish River High School.Rothe hopes to continue these visits, go to more community events and eventually have more dogs be part of Paws Be With You.Negan, meanwhile, is a TikTok sensation with more than one million likes and 41,000 followers.Greenacres Fire added another dog to it’s therapy program, Charlie visits every Sunday.
Negan the Golden Retriever is a registered therapy dog who spreads joy to everyone in his path, from hospitals and schools to fire departments and nursing homes.
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“When we’re at the hospital and walking down the hallway, they just scream his name,” Charlene Rothe, his owner, said.
Rothe started the nonprofit, Paws Be With You, because of the joy a therapy dog brought her late father during a hospital stay.
“As soon as we got Negan, I was determined that no matter what, we are starting this,” she said.
Service Dogs for Veterans: Program at the West Palm VA helps connect veterans with resources to get a service animal
Her father was a Philadelphia firefighter and forced to retire after the Gulf Oil Refinery 11-alarm fire in 1975. Eight firefighters died and more than a dozen, including Charlene’s father, George, were hurt.
“He went through a lot and I never knew, and it’s probably because he wanted to save everyone,” she said.
Now, Negan and Charlene visit the Greenacres Fire Department, one of Palm Beach County’s busiest, every week to give back to first responders.
“They witness traumatic events much more frequently than the average human,” Greenacres Fire Rescue Chief Brian Fuller said.
A moment of joy: News We Love
In the past five years, 20 first responders in Palm Beach County died by suicide, a statistic that leads the state of Florida.
Fuller said he could tell a noticeable shift in morale since therapy dogs started visiting, but he had a hard time finding an organization to visit.
“I think it’s because the public isn’t aware of the need,” he said.
Life-saving procedure: Vet at south Florida rescue removes glass, BB pellets and metal from former stray dog’s stomach
After posting on Facebook asking for guidance in finding a therapy dog program for the fire department, a friend connected him with Charlene Rothe.
“I wake up every day with a smile on my face,” Rothe said. “It is my dream come true and I know my dad is so happy smiling down.”
Negan has seven weekly visits, including Delray Medical Center and the Best Buddies Program of Spanish River High School.
Rothe hopes to continue these visits, go to more community events and eventually have more dogs be part of Paws Be With You.
Negan, meanwhile, is a TikTok sensation with more than one million likes and 41,000 followers.
Greenacres Fire added another dog to it’s therapy program, Charlie visits every Sunday.