Marielle Mohs is thrilled to be telling stories in her home state of Minnesota. She grew up in Eden Prairie and South Minneapolis.
Helping Paws has been in the spotlight since a moment of tragedy in June. Late House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman fostered for the nonprofit for several years before she was killed.
The nonprofit has long trained golden retrievers to work with people with disabilities and veterans with PTSD, but new this year, Helping Paws began a partnership with English Rose senior care homes.
Since the spring, Helping Paws volunteers have been bringing dogs to the Twin Cities senior care homes once a month. On Sunday, service dogs, Humphrey and Tenley, paid a visit to the English Rose - Oak Ridge senior assisted living home.
"Well, it's pretty special," said Elizabeth Plummer, one of the senior residents.
These service dogs not only have a loveable presence, Plummer says they're "fun to be around and pet." But the service dogs are also learning from the residents on how to put items like socks into bins and turn on light switches.
"It's enrichment for everyone. It's a win-win for both sides," said Susan Smith, Humphrey's owner and a Helping Paws volunteer.
Humphrey graduated as a service dog and helps Smith live an independent life, providing balance and safety, now that she's walking after 25 years using a wheelchair.
"I go to concerts with just Humphrey, and he gets me through the crowds safely, and we get to enjoy each other's company. It's a beautiful thing," Smith said.
Tenley is training to be a full-time service dog. At English Rose, she's practicing her skills to graduate someday. Smith says these senior homes make for really beneficial environments to train in.
"Exposing [the dogs] to these real-world settings, and being out there where there's different sounds, bells, different alarms going off, people moving, people talking," Smith said.
While these dogs learn, the senior residents benefit too.
"It's very purposeful for [the residents]. They feel it's meaningful in they're helping train the dogs versus just being visited by the dogs," said Zach Parlier, an administrator at English Rose.
Humphrey and Tenley also visit English Rose memory care homes, where the dogs learn to be a quiet presence. In response, the residents learn to open up and tap into fond memories.
"Humphrey will go up in front of [the memory care residents] and they'll start talking to Humphrey, and from there I can continue the story and ask them about those long-term memories that they have," said Smith.
It's a short visit that goes a long way for everyone in the room.
Helping Paws goes to five English Rose senior homes every month. Later this fall, they're opening a sixth home in the Twin Cities that the service dogs will also visit.