Every Dog Has His Day:
Every Wednesday at 3:00 pm at Digital Provisions, one of LI’s leading security and safety providers, a key employee named Louie (last name withheld) disappears.
It’s not a kidnapping nor an incident to report to the FBI. It’s a mission of love and healing. Louie is a dog, a mini-golden doodle to be exact, and a very special pooch who brings smiles and happiness everywhere he goes. He is a certified therapy dog with a most engaging personality. Just ask the patients at St. Catherine’s of Siena Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Smithtown, NY, on any given Wednesday.
Digital Provisions co-founder and CEO Brian Selltiz got Louie as a pup and became interested in training through Partners in Restorative Animal Assisted Therapy (PRAAT) in Patchogue, NY. At one, Louie passed his assessment with flying colors and earned a 10-week training, then passed a final evaluation test and an on-site evaluation. And for the last four years, the sight of Louie in his official blue vest raises the spirits of adults and children every Wednesday.
Louie’s routine includes two wings of the facility, and he interacts with each patient. In the Center’s common areas, Louie does some tricks much to everyone’s delight. One patient formerly had a fear of dogs, and now she kisses Louie on the head as soon as she sees him.
Brian Selltiz commented, “The warm smiles and genuine looks of love and appreciation that Louie brings to people’s faces are difficult to convey. His presence is enlightening. Thecomfort and healing effects that certified therapy dogs like Louie provide through the human-animal bond is absolutely outstanding.”
The rest of his time Louie lives up to his title as the official Company Canine of Digital Provisions where he greets visitors with a wagging tail wag and a willing paw to shake.