Elevate Branson welcomes new fluffy worker

Elevate Branson is happy to introduce their newest member, Theo.

Theo is a rescue dog who resides on the Elevate Branson campus five days a week and is excited to meet everyone who visits who needs a stress reliever and desires a furry companion.

“I wouldn’t have dreamt this,” said Kids Director at Elevate Branson Cathy Brown. “I came on board in January, Bryan (Stallings, founder/CEO of Elevate Branson) always wanted a therapy dog and I have always been a dog lover. It was a total God thing when we got him because when we did our research it was like just the price tag for a therapy dog was real expensive and during COVID, we were trying to apply for grants for a therapy dog. When organizations were deciding on grant recipients we were just never awarded. Then this opportunity came up through an acquaintance. It was a total God thing the way we got him.”

According to Brown, Theo is a lab, red heeler mix from Rescue One in Springfield, MO and is believed to be between 3 and 4 years old.

Theo has been working hard with his trainers once a week from Off Leash K9 in Springfield and will soon be certified as Elevate Branson’s official on-site therapy dog as early as March of this year.

“We call him our ‘Gentle Giant’ because he is so calm with everybody; with the adults that come in, with the kids that come in,” said Brown. “The kids that we support in extended-stay hotels, their lives are a little chaos. They love coming into the building, they get a good hot meal, we help them with homework, we get to love on them, we have a sensory room that they get to hang out in, and then there’s always Theo. Everybody loves Theo.”

According to Elevate Branson’s January newsletter, Theo is already a pro at making kids smile and helping adults relax.

“He has been such a blessing because we all get to watch people walk into our building and watch our neighbors walk in, and they’re always stressed; otherwise they wouldn’t be coming in to see us, and just five minutes with Theo we see bodies relax,” said Brown. “We see Theo during a lot of the interviews when the community connection ladies are finding out needs and stuff. A lot of times they ask me to bring Theo up and Theo just sits there and our neighbors get to pet him the whole time and it’s just so cool to watch how he changes, just demeanor, and how he relaxes people.”

According to Brown, Theo is available for support during business hours with a few exceptions.

“Monday and Wednesday evening we’re currently doing our first class of the year with Elevate Work and, coinciding with Elevate Work, if any of the participants have children, then I do Elevate Kids during that same time and Theo is always here with us,” said Brown. “He’s here Monday and Wednesday evening, but of course that’s only playing with kids that are involved with that class so it’s not a public thing that evening. Then Tuesday we run an after school program and that is limited, too.”

Elevate Branson’s business hours are Monday 9 a.m. till 6 p.m.; Tuesday 1 till 6 p.m.; Wednesday 9 a.m. till 6 p.m.; Thursday 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. till 4 p.m.

Theo, if desired, is also available during reunification visits that are offered at Elevate Branson.

“Here at Elevate Branson we also do a lot of reunification visits with parents and kids with the Division of Social Services and Theo is always available for that, too,” said Brown. “He can hang with those kids and those parents if they want him in the room. Some do, some don’t. But at least it’s a start when they’re waiting on everybody to show up because they get to love on Theo.

“We do a lot of those visits at Elevate Branson just because we’re a safe place. The rooms are a safe place. We have toys, all of the rooms have a camera in them; it’s a safe place for those visits. Especially now that (a lot of other businesses have closed their buildings).”