Who We Are
We are a group of dog-lovers who share a concern for those suffering from emotional and mental illness and loneliness. We believe that the company of dogs can help.
Alan Harman started Sunshine Therapy Dogs in 2020. He was inspired by the warm, calming effect his daughter’s Bernese Mountain Dog Hershey had on every person he came into contact with. Since then, Alan’s dog Tico along with 70 other volunteer dogs have been hanging out with, and getting belly rubs from, students, seniors and employees across the GTA.
Executive Director
Kendra Casey: Kendra is the Executive Director of our pack! As a clinical social worker, Kendra understands the great importance of mental wellness. She is passionate about dog therapy and the sensational comfort each dog can bring to an individual. Kendra's love of animals has always been a part of her identity. Before heading into the social work field she completed a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology and worked at an animal hospital as a veterinarian assistant. Now she aims to combine her two designations in the form of dog therapy - which encourages people and animals to form connections in otherwise difficult times.
Board of Directors
Alan Harman: Alan is the Founder and President of Sunshine Therapy Dogs. He is a Director and Portfolio Manager at ScotiaMcLeod where he has managed socially and environmentally responsible portfolios since 1987. Alan started his first charity at the age of 27 - a dog rescue - and has shown a weakness for founding social purpose organizations since then. He has held senior roles in a variety of civil society initiatives and has sat on several charity boards. Currently, he is mostly busy with The Alma Children’s Education Foundation a charity he started in 2009.
Jocelyn Luk: Jocelyn is very passionate about helping others and excited about the opportunity to work with Sunshine Therapy Dogs. Jocelyn works as a Business Analyst at Raymond James and also owns an Amazon business (Belladdy) named after her two dogs, Bella and Addie. She spends her spare time keeping active with her dogs and trains as a member of the Canadian National Dodgeball team.
Mike McCarthy: Michael has held senior management roles in Fortune 500 software companies for 30 years. In the not-for-profit world, Michael worked for TV Ontario and The Art Gallery of Ontario. He is a lifelong dog-lover.
Kate Carcone: Kate Carcone is a full-service real estate professional, formerly a marketing executive, who has been surrounded by dogs since she was a baby. Kate sits on the Board of Directors of Kerry’s Place (autism services).
Pat McNamara: Pat is a retired Pathology Supervisor having worked at Michael Garron Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital and Hospital for Sick Children. She was also the Union Local President at MGH for 17 years.
Pat first got involved in dog therapy with Dory, her black lab. Dory was missing her sister Hali, a yellow lab, who had passed away, and during this time Dory always wanted lots of cuddles. Pat’s daughter, Karley who volunteers at a nursing home, suggested that the residents would love Dory, and they really did. Now Gracey is following in her big sister’s footsteps as a therapy dog.
Pat can’t think of a more rewarding and heartwarming volunteer position.
Amanda Sorsak: Amanda has always loved being involved in community and volunteer organizations and is a lifelong dog lover – so Sunshine Therapy dogs was a perfect match for her. Amanda is an SVP at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and is a board member and chair of several other organizations. She and her husband spend most of their time outdoors and being active with their young daughter and Brussels Griffons – Mattie (8) and Zoey (13).
Our Dog Tester
Maggi Burtt, CPDT-KA: Maggi is a training and behaviour specialist in Toronto, Ontario who works with dogs of all breeds and ages. Through her company Tailspin Petworx, her goal is to help dogs and their people have relationships built on trust and joy and to educate owners on creating safe, happy dogs. She has special interests in fearful dogs and helping them develop resilience and confidence through consent and choice-based positive reinforcement protocols.
She also enjoys creating webinars and seminars to help more people have access to safe and reliable information on dealing with their dogs in safe and humane ways. Her webinars and seminars have been produced through www.EduCanine.org
Maggi’s certification is Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed and is through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, (CCPDT), the only independent certification board for dog trainers in North America. Part of maintaining her certification is continuing education on all aspects of learning and behaviour.
Volunteers
Kevin Bellefontaine, Alanna Abramsky, Irina Fakotakis, Michael McCarthy, Katie Andrien, Lauren Alpern, Ann B. , and Jessica Lutchman.
of Canadian youth are affected by mental illness or a mental disorder.
of all Canadians fall into the “high risk” category for mental health issues.
people will have experienced a mental health issue.
Dogs and Mental Health
One in five North Americans has a diagnosable mental health condition. Many more suffer from loneliness, anxiety and stress. The benefits of human-dog interaction have been studied in-depth and are well-proven. It is clear that the physical presence of a dog can reduce stress, anxiety and depression in humans. Dogs are increasingly playing an important role in mental health management. (1)
Young people/students
Companionship and social support: Companionship and social support of pet dogs have shown to be extremely effective at reducing stress levels in children. A reason why dogs are strong companions for children is their non-judgemental and accepting character, which allows them to help combat stress more effectively in young people than through other human interactions. (2)
Social and emotional development: Studies have shown that positive attachments between dogs and children aids in the development of empathy in children. Child-dog relationships may help prevent emotional problems or disorders from occurring later in life. (3)
Emotional and physical well-being: Various studies have shown that having a pet dog may help ward off loneliness, social isolation and depression in children and young adults.(3)
Animal-assisted therapy has also shown to reduce stress on students in academic environments. (4) Many studies have demonstrated how human-animal relationships can reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety associated with school environments in general and testing in particular. The presence of dogs around students with depression has been associated with moderating the effects of depression and enhancing survival. Dog ownership and exposure to dogs can also greatly help with cardiovascular health for young people with high stress, anxiety and depression.(5) The exposure of dogs has also been proven to reduce symptoms of PTSD to individuals who have suffered traumas by reducing levels of depression, improving quality of life and wellbeing due to their comforting nature and companionship. (6)
3.Purewal, R., Christley, R., Kordas, K., Joinson, C., Meints, K., Gee, N., & Westgarth, C. (2017). Companion animals and child/adolescent development: a systematic review of the evidence. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(3), 234.
4. Kertes DA, Liu J, Hall NJ, Hadad NA, Wynne CDL, Bhatt SS. Effect of Pet Dogs on Children’s Perceived Stress and Cortisol Stress Response. Soc Dev. 2017;26(2):382–401. doi:10.1111/sode.12203
Elderly people
Enhance quality of life: One in four older adults live with a mental disorder. (1)
The companionship of dogs can help enhance the quality of life for the elderly by promoting relaxation, aiding with daily schedules and promoting mobility. Research has shown that dog-human relations also help create a sense of community and an added value to their life. Seniors that are exposed to dogs have reported higher life satisfaction than non-dog owners. (2)
Social support and emotional well-being: The presence of dogs can help reduce depression, isolation and loneliness among the elderly through the social support provided. (3) Social isolation and loneliness are growing public health epidemics, especially among the elderly who largely live alone. Being in the presence of dogs and facilitating these dog-human relationships with the elderly helps reduce isolation and loneliness by providing a sense of connection and thus lowering depression. Elderly people with dementia living in aged care facilities have benefited from dog-assisted therapy. (4)
People in the workplace
Physical and emotional benefits for employees: Studies have shown that employees that work in dog-friendly workplaces have reduced stress levels compared to employees in non-dog friendly workplaces. (1) Having a pet-friendly workplace promotes a more comfortable work environment for employees and a sense of companionship in the workplace. (2)
Social benefits: Having a dog-friendly workplace can help create social cohesion and teamwork among employees. Studies have shown that dog-friendly workplaces can help improve problem-solving skills by facilitating verbal cohesion, trust, physical intimacy and cooperation among coworkers. Behavioral indicators have shown that employees feel increasingly cooperative, comfortable, friendly, active and enthusiastic while exposed to dogs in the workplace. (3)
Workplace effectiveness: An extensive research project done by Nationwide and HABRI (June 12, 2018) found that employees in dog-friendly workplaces feel healthier, report more positive relationships with their colleagues and have a deeper engagement with their work. Employees in dog-friendly companies are more likely to recommend their workplace to others.