Koa, the therapy dog working in Manhattan schools and hospitals

Short but sweet, this episode of Dogs with Jobs was recorded in New York City, on the run up to Thanksgiving holiday.

Koa is a Rhodesian Ridgeback - not a breed you see in therapy work too often.

His owner, Andy Honda, is a Rhodesian Ridgeback fan, and chose Koa as a future running partner. They live a couple of blocks from Central Park in Manhattan, New York City.

Andy explains how Koa ended up working in the therapy field with Dogs with Jobs presenter, Kate Fairweather.

More about Koa's life and the book Andy mentions on Christmas in New York here.

Other therapy and wellbeing dog stories:

• Baloo, the injured police dog turned award-winning wellbeing dog
• Champ, the engagement dog working in child protection in the Victoria police in Australia
• Sprout, the care home visitor
• Mika, the support dog working in the UK's Metropolitan Police
• Louis the hospital volunteer attends a veterans' support session
• Mabel, emotional support worker in the fire service
• Phantom, the secondary school reading assistant

Interested in therapy work with your dog?

These are just some of the orgnaisations – there are many others so please do research this wherever you are based.

• Koa and Andy volunteer in New York City: The Good Dog Foundation
• Therapy Dog organisations in the UK: Pets as Therapy, Therapy Dogs Nationwide
• Patricia Bland of Pets as Therapy, the UK charity, explains what qualities she looks for in a therapy dog

Do you work your dog?

Or perhaps you know someone else who might like to come on the show?  I love all and any working dogs - and am always looking for dogs to come on the show. 

Get in touch with me, Kate, via [email protected].

Find more dogs with interesting jobs. 

© & ℗ Kate Fairweather, 2025

 

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