Dog brings joy to bilingual kids
Dog is a man’s best friend — especially one that understands two languages.
So says Guillermo Roa, 55, who 20 years ago fled violence in Colombia and immigrated to the U.S., where he dedicated his life to becoming a specialized dog trainer.
In 2015, he began working with Molly, a 3-year-old chocolate Labrador.
“She wants to be with people,” he said. “She wants to be gentle.”
On Friday, Molly and Roa made their monthly pet thereapy visit to Covenant House homeless youth shelter in Manhattan.
Roa credits a bilingual approach he has taken to pet therapy for its success.
The trainer said it “opens a door” when Hispanic residents see Roa instructing Molly in their native language. “There’s a connection. It’s very important to me,” he said. “There’s a friendship.”
Danelle Pimentel has been at Covenant House for two months. When the 20-year-old began rolling around with the dog, it was hard to tell who was having more fun.
“I started speaking to her, and I guess she just got more connected to me,” he said.
Pimentel found himself at the youth shelter on Manhattan’s West Side in October after leaving another spot for the homeless. He said his sessions with Molly make life a little easier. “She makes me feel alive again.”
Roa says society is starting to take animals’ healing powers seriously.
Shakeema North, the shelter’s director of youth development, said often young people are wary of psychiatrists or psychologists. “There’s also a stigma around going to traditional therapy services,” she said. For them, pet therapy is a “perfect match.”
“The anxiety level comes down. The sense of hopelessness they have — they get a pause from that when they’re with Molly,” North said.