Mario The Therapy Dog Visits Sunnyside Manor In Wall

WALL, NJ – The residents at Sunnyside Manor recently received a friendly visit from Mario, a certified therapy dog through The Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, a New Jersey-based non-profit organization is dedicated to training, evaluating, and qualifying people and their well-behaved dogs as therapy dog teams.

Like the recent one with Mario, therapy dog visits have become an activity that many residents look forward to.

“Being a dog owner myself, I know the strong bond and positive influence a pet can have on everyone in the family. It provides a sense of connection, which has been especially important to our residents during this time,” Mary Ellen Keane, Vice President of Sunnyside Manor, said in a statement.

According to Mario’s handler, Karen Stuppi said that due to the pandemic, this was Mario’s first visit in a while, and both he and the residents at Sunnyside were looking forward to it.

“I saw several of the residents smile upon seeing Mario. And some shared stories of dogs they had in the past,” Stuppi said.

John F. Keane, Jr., Vice President of Sunnyside Manor, said that he was grateful for volunteers like Stuppi, who bring dogs like Marlo to visit the community.

“As soon as they walk through the doors, you can see the smiles spread across everyone’s faces. There’s a special kind of feeling of comfort and happiness that only a four-legged friend can give,” Keane Jr. said in a statement.