Chief Wins G.R.A.C.E. Award for 2008 in Education and Animal Assisted Therapy

On September 22, 2008, Tammy Renaud and Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue president Cil Henson, traveled to Providence, Rhode Island to accept an award given to Tammy's four legged therapy partner, Chief. This national award, the G.R.A.C.E. award, is a prestigious award given to golden retriever rescue groups across the United States. The purpose of the G.R.A.C.E. Awards is to recognize Rescued Goldens that have accomplished something significant and exceptional. G.R.A.C.E. stands for Golden Rescue and Community Excellence and awards are given for four categories of service: service dogs, military/law enforcement, animal assisted therapy, and education.

Nominated by his rescue group, Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue of Houston, TX because of the work he is doing at Kidz TherapEZE in Killeen, TX, Chief was found to have "outstanding skills" in the field of education and animal assisted therapy, according to Deb Orwig, President of Rescue A Golden of Arizona, the group who sponsors these annual awards. Chief was awarded the first ever dual award, for the categories of Education and Animal Assisted Therapy.

Taken from G.R.A.C.E Award Ceremony Brochure: "A day care center staff member arrived at work on November 2004 to find two 6-week old Golden puppies in a cardboard box on the front steps. Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue was contacted. The pups, then known as Desi (who became Chief) and Lucy, were riddled with intestinal parasites and had demodetic mange. After getting cleaned up and cleaned out, Chief was adopted by a family who loved him very much. However, after 2 1/2 years of trying unsuccessfully to train Chief not to chase after their rare-breed goats, they surrendered him back to GBGRR. He was then adopted by Tammy Renaud, who had been looking for a dog she could use in her work as an occupational therapist.

Chief award has both an educational and therapeutic aspect. During therapy, he plays educational games with children, and these games are designed to stimulate and improve various physical movements, decision making, perception and dexterity. In one activity, a dog biscuit is placed inside a dog puzzle by the child and given to Chief to remove. The child needs to have dexterity and visual motor skills to place the piece of food into the apparatus. In other activities, Chief assists with visual perceptual skills, such as sequential memory, touching different objects for the child to later remember in sequential order. Chief even paints with the children by grasping a paintbrush holder in his mouth.

Chief has helped children with a variety of developmental delays, sensory processing dysfunction, and social and emotional delays improve their life skills. It is with great honor that Chief is awarded the G.R.A.C.E. Award for 2008 for his work in education and therapeutic activities."

Way to go Chief!! We are so proud of you buddy!!