Meet Our Volunteers

Our volunteers give countless hours each week to facilities and events around Treasure Valley of Southwest Idaho. Their dedication to bringing comfort and the pleasure of a dog's love is admirable.

Adam

Adam publishes our quarterly newsletter.

Adam is shown here with Stanley a Standard Poodle who loved shaking hands and making new friends.

Adam and Stanley were a certified pet therapy team for many years. Sadly Stanley passed away this year. Adam is training "Tootie" who shoul dbe ready forr certification soon.

Alayne & Hank

Hank is a labrador retriever. He and Alayne and family works with horse and livestock owners teaching land management practices.

Alayne and Hank are a certified therapy dog team anxious to visit through out the Treasure Valley.

Aubrey

Photo Not Available

Wesley was a cream Golden Retriever with a happy open face. He recently passed and will greatly missed.

Aubrey and Wesley were a certified therapy dog team visiting at an area hospital.

Auriane & Freyja

Freyja, a bloodhound, loves hiking, swimming, and all animals. Freyja is bilingual, and most of her commands are in French. Auriane and Freyja recently moved to Boise from Phoenix. While they are new to pet therapy, they can’t wait to spend time meeting and helping people in their community.

Auriane and Frejya are a Certified pet therapy team.

Bonnie & Bentley

Bonnie also serves as secretary of our Board of Directors.

Bentley is an English Mastiff who enjoys all his visits. Bentley and Bonnie joined HIDI in January 2022 and have had lots of fun doing visits. Bentley especially loves visits when there are kids! He is Bonnie's 7th English Mastiff, the 4th therapy dog.

Caitlin & Simon

Caitlin is the Community Events Program manager coordinating or involvement in many community events each year. Caitlin also on the Board for Helping Idaho Dogs.

Simon is a Goldendoodle who is mellow and calm in all circumstances but always ready to join the fun.

Caitlin and Simon are a certified therapy dog team and enjoy participating in Events.

Carole

Carole is the Executive Director of Helping Idaho Dogs. . She brings prior experience building and managing a therapy dog group in California.

She is an AKC approved Canine Good Citizen evaluator, Alliance of Therapy Dogs tester/observer, and long time dog trainer and therapy dog handler.

She provides mentoring and guidance to the volunteers and organization.

Carole is shown here with Chaos her therapy dog who served for over 10 years before his passing.

Clare & Dottie

Clare and Dottie area therapy dog team that relocated to the Treasure Valley of Southwest Idaho with years of therapy dog experience from their previous home in California.

Dottie may be small....but she's all heart and love and enjoys her visits to hospitals, libraries, and many other events.

Clare and Dottie are a Certified Therapy Dog Team.

Claudia & Snickers

Snickers is a very mellow 13 year old Kelpie Mix who was adopted from the Meridian Human Society 11 years ago. She doesn't know a stranger and enjoys getting endless pets. We have visited some care and memory care facilities but would like to also be part of library programs and school programs as well as events.

Claudia and Snickers are a certified therapy dog team.

David & Martin

Martin is a 3 year old Bernedoodle and he is 95 bs. Martin likes going on hikes, swimming, running on the beach, and going to the dog park with his sister Lucy and his humans.

David and Martin became a certified therapy dog team in 2022 and are eager to visit in hospitals and other opportunities.

Dawn J

Dawn is the Assistant Humane Education Director focusing on k-4th grade presentations.

Dawn L & Fen

Fen is a Golden Retriever who melts into your lap and makes you feel like you are the most special person in the world. Fen retired in April, 2024.

Dawn and Fen were a certified pet therapy team and enjoy visiting senior facilities and providing stress relief in both high schools and colleges.

Denise & Barkli, Oakli

My name is Denise Parrish. Berkli is my 9 year old golden retriever who has been ATD certified for 7 years and enjoys every minute! She especially loves when a group of people are around her so she can enjoy a full body massage. She does therapy at St. Luke’s Hospital, nursing homes, libraries and community events. Oakli is my one year old Bernese Mountain dog who is still growing but loves to be in my lap every chance she gets. Oakli is brand new to therapy work but is learning well from her sister. We look forward to meeting all of you!

Diana & Kirby

Diana is the Assistant Director of Helping Idaho Dogs.

Kirby is a Labradoodle who quickly wins the hearts of everyone he meets.

Diana and Kirby are a certified therapy dog team who visit regularly at hospitals, memory care, and many Community Events.

Elizabeth (Liz) & Gus

Liz and Gus are originally from Hillsboro, Oregon. They love to go hiking, camping, and on road trips together. One of Gus’s favorite things is fetching stick from lakes and rivers. He loves to swim! They became a therapy team in 2023 and Gus loves all the attention he’s been getting from people on therapy visits. They especially enjoy visiting schools and assisted living facilities.

Ellen

Kalli was a Golden Retriever with a sweet, loving nature.

Kalli recently passed away but spent her final year mentoring Ellen's new therapy dog in training, Cooper. Cooper couldn't have a better role model.

Ellen and Kalli were a certified pet therapy team active in hospital visits and community events.

Jennifer & Harley

Harley is 2 1/2 and might be the only perfect dachshund on the planet. He’s friendly, happy, confident, likes other dogs, kids, even tall men in funny hats! I’m pretty sure he has a sense of humor too! I’ve had dachshunds for years, but only the temperamental ones! When we adopted Harley, and discovered his fantastic personality, I knew he needed to be shared with others.

Jennifer and Harley are a certified therapy dog team.

Karen & Rafa

Rafa is a 5 year old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. Wheaten’s are an Irish breed and were bred to be a general farm dog. Because of their high intelligence that job fits them perfectly, nothing gets unnoticed by a Wheaten. He’s a handsome very busy terrier but loves to cuddle at the end of the day.

Karen and Rafa are a certified therapy dog team and are members of the Idaho Capital City Kennel Club and Boise Agility Runners and Climbers.

Kim & Petey and Charlie

Petey is a Springer Spaniel and Charlie is a Springer Doodle. While both love taking walks and chasing the ball their true, happy place is with their family and visiting people.

Kim has certified as a pet therapy team with each of her dogs. Petey and Charlie take turns going with Kim visiting in hospitals, assisted living, and libraries.

Leslie & Stout

Photo Not Available

Stout is a Italian Mastiff - She is black with startling amber eyes and a sweet demeanor.

Leslie and Stout are a newly certiied pet therapy team

Mary & Falito

Falito is a Goldendoodle who got the height of a standard poodle. Falito enjoys meeting new friends young and old, people or puppies.

Mary and Falito are a certified therapy dog team who visits with Mary's co-workers, libraries, and many community events.

Michael & Sophie

Sophie is a six year old golden retriever who enjoys her visits at hospitals, BSU, and many special events.

Mike and Sophie are a Certified Therapy Dog team.

Michelle & Becky

Michelle serves on the Helping Idaho Dogs Board as Treasurer.

She also is the Therapy Dogs Program Manager matching therapy dog teams for requests for one time or recurring pet therapy visits.

Becky is a Landseer Newfoundland who loves reading with kids at the Collister library, visiting at an area hospital, and various assisted living locations. Michelle and Becky are a certified therapy dog team.

Nancy E & Cooper

Nancy provides web support and data base support for Helping Idaho Dogs.

Cooper is a Golden Retriever who makes people laugh with his energetic smile and wagging tail. Nancy and Cooper are a certified therapy dog team.

Nancy N & Matisse

Matisse is an Australian Labradoodle. She had two litters of puppies before she joined Nancy in Boise and that may be why she is sooooo mellow. Or maybe, she’s mellow because of that “No worries, mate” attitude of her home country.

Nancy and Matisse are a certified pet therapy team visiting weekly in hospitals, senior living and participate in many community events.

Pam & Rambo & Max

Both Maks and Rambo are rescue dogs. Rambo also competes in agility and performs at assisted living facilities as a dancing dog. Maks was seven years old when he joined Pam's family and has trained himself to do tricks by watching the other dogs. Maks is a reading dog at area libraries.

Pam and Maks and Pam and Rambo are certified therapy dog teams and active in hospital visits, assisted living, and various community events.

Pam is a tester/observer for Alliance of Therapy Dogs

Pat & Timber

Pat serves on the Board of Directors for Helping Idaho Dogs.

Timber is a golden retriever. She recently certified with Pat as a therapy dog team. She is following in the paw prints of Sage who recently passed away. She will visit at area libraries and schools in their reading programs and participate in Community Events and Humane Education presentations.

Samantha and Josie

Josie and I greatly enjoy doing pet therapy together. We've been volunteering every other week in assisted living facilities for the last year and a half, but are looking for new opportunities to spread puppy love in our valley. When not doing pet therapy, we love taking our morning bike ride together, learning new tricks and skills, and spending time outdoors with our family."

Sandie & Sophie

Sophie is a Yorkie/Shih Tzu mix adopted from Boise Rescue. She is friendly and loves meeting new people. She is a tiny little ball of love that warms the hearts of many.

Sandie and Sophie are a certified therapy dog team participating in Humane Education and other events.

Sandra

Sandra is shown here with Chase. Sandra and Chase were a long time therapy dog team active in many special events and visits at an area in-patient program.

Chase passed away but Sandra remain an active volunteer with our organization.

Sandra is training a rescue golden retriever named Jake and plans to certify with him as a therapy dog team soon.

Shannon & Dosi

Shannon serves on the Board of Helping Idaho Dogs.

Shannon is shown here with Dosi-Do, who passed away at 14 in April 2024. Dosi accompanied Shannon to work bringing her loving nature to visit hospice patients as well as doing therapy visits in her "free time".

Susan & Ellie Mae

Ellie Mae is a sweet doodle who enjoys visiting with Helping Idaho Dogs

Susan and Ellie Mae are a Certified Therapy Dog Team

Toni & Carly

Carly and Toni have been a therapy team since 2014 doing hospice visits and the reading program at a library. Carly absolutely loves children, and loves showing off her tricks for them.

Toni and Carly recently moved to Idaho and were certified as a therapy dog team. They have become active in Community Events at BSU and other activities since ariving.

Valerie & Penny

Penny is an 8-year old labradoodle. Valerie and Penny have done therapy dog visits together since she was 2-years old including the reading program at the library, senior care facilities, an Adult with Disabilities class, school campuses, businesses, and special events.

Since moving to Idaho, Valerie and Penny have joined Helping Idaho Dogs and are continuing their pet therapy work here.