Meet Alexis and Biscuit: A Therapy Dog Team Bringing Comfort Through Volunteering

By Alexis G., Hospice Volunteer in Oklahoma

Hi, I’m Alexis, and my therapy dog partner is Biscuit. Since May 2025, we’ve had the privilege of volunteering with Elara Caring, bringing comfort and companionship to patients, families and staff.

Biscuit’s journey began when I adopted him at just four months old. He is a double Merle Border Collie, a genetic combination that left him completely blind and partially deaf. Although many people saw his disabilities, I saw a dog full of potential. After discovering how therapy dogs were changing lives, I committed to training Biscuit myself while working full-time. Over the course of a year and a half, we trained at home before earning his AKC Canine Good Citizen certification, completing advanced evaluations through H.A.L.O. (Human Animal Link of Oklahoma) and officially becoming a certified therapy dog team.

Biscuit isn’t a service dog — his purpose is different. His job is to provide comfort, companionship and emotional support to people during some of life’s most difficult moments. We spend our weekends visiting nursing homes, memory care facilities, hospice patients, libraries and community events. Time and again, we hear people say, “I miss my dog so much,” and while they can’t always be reunited with their own pets, Biscuit happily fills that space with unconditional love.

One of the greatest joys of therapy work is watching patients who may struggle to remember names or dates instantly light up when Biscuit walks into the room. Whether someone calls him a dog, a “kitty cat” or simply smiles as they pet him, none of that matters to Biscuit. He simply enjoys making people laugh, smile and feel loved. His visits don’t only benefit patients; they also provide comfort to family members, caregivers and healthcare staff.

Therapy work is equally rewarding for Biscuit. As an energetic Border Collie, the visits provide the mental stimulation he thrives on, and he eagerly puts on his therapy gear because he knows it’s time to “go to work.” I’ve always promised that if Biscuit ever stopped enjoying visits, we would stop. We are partners, and his happiness is just as important as the people we serve.

Being part of this journey has changed my life. Biscuit has taught me that disabilities do not define ability, and every visit reminds me how powerful kindness, connection and unconditional love can be. While Biscuit may never realize the countless lives he has touched, I have the privilege of witnessing those moments every day, and for that, I am endlessly grateful.