COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — With the holidays here, many of us relish extra time and celebrations with our friends and family, but sometimes our loved ones live in nursing homes are away from the ones they miss the most.

One organization, the Happy Go Lucky dog company, is bringing the love to them, in the form of therapy dogs.

Local 10’s Animal Advocate Jacey Birch was there when four therapy dogs – Chase, Amigo, Rolex and Buddy – visited Your Life in Coconut Creek.

Once inside, the dogs got straight to work, delivering cute cuddled, sloppy kisses and layers of love to the residents in the facility’s memory care ward.

Resident Kay Groth lit up when the pups walked in.

“Everybody’s in here to see the dogs,” she said. “They love the dogs.”

Fellow resident Francine Newton never stopped smiling once the dogs took center stage.

“Oh gosh, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said. “What’s so nice is having everybody together, and everybody here loves dogs, you just know it. Just look at their faces and you can see how much they are loved.”

Birch also spoke to 90-year-old resident Paula Friedman, who explained how good it feels to be in the presence of unconditional love.

“We enjoy being with them, we forget all our troubles when we are with them,” she said. “Really, the mind is on them or the exercise, and it’s good. It’s a good feeling.”

That is exactly why the Happy Go Lucky dog company started making the weekly doggy visits to those who appreciate it most.

“How can we use what we have to brighten other people’s days, and the kicker is it brightened our day,” said Andrew Goldberg with Happy Go Lucky.

Added Happy Go Lucky trainer Patricia Murphy: “There’s no better feeling than making someone else feel good.”

Murphy was inspired to join up with Happy Go Lucky through her own family experience.

“My dog Chance he loves all types of people,” she said. “My great grandmother has dementia and he helps her a lot, so I have always wanted to bring him and do this type of thing. I really think that dogs can feel emotions. They can feel who needs it the most.”

These dog visits are even more meaningful because many of the residents had to give up their pets, or leave them with family members, just so that they could live there.

“They couldn’t bring their pets here, so even though they may see their families, they don’t get to see their loved ones, their loved ones are their fur babies,” said Your Life Engagement Director Caprice Schmitt.

Just one hour, once a week, makes a world of difference, bringing new memories and happies, all thanks to just a few loving dogs.

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