Olive therapy dog and children’s book star courtesy Therapy Paws
Chrystal Blair, producer/reporter, Missouri News service, a bureau of Public News Service.
A Missouri-based therapy dog has an inspiring journey that began as a homeless stray on the streets of Los Angeles.
Olive, a ten-pound poodle mix, is now the lead character in a new children’s book, “Olive, She’s All Love.” She was rescued by Brandon McMillan, host of CBS’s “Lucky Dog,” where she received specialized training and became a certified therapy dog.
Lisa Groves-Bax, a children’s advocate and owner of Therapy Paws, became Olive’s owner in 2016, where the dog has been used to comfort Missouri children in the court system and inspired Groves-Bax to share her story. She said their mission to support kids who are hurting extends beyond the courtroom.
“There’s schools, there’s foster homes, there’s libraries, all these places who are wanting a therapy dog just to help with kiddos,” Groves-Bax outlined. “We have 23 certified handlers along with their certified therapy dogs, and three currently in training.”
Olive is scheduled to visit Glasgow’s Lewis Library and grade school in Missouri on Jan. 8 for an event for kindergartners through grade five.
Deborah Zemke, illustrator of the book, will also be there to share more about Olive’s work. She said working on this book brought about a unique experience in her career.
“I’ve done a lot of books. This is the first time that I’ve, like, met my hero character in person before I started,” Zemke recounted. “That was kind of unusual and kind of fun.”
“Olive, She’s All Love” can be found online and at local bookstores.
