Comfort on Command

Yoshi, the Texarkana Children’s Advocacy Center’s newest—and furriest—team member, helps children find hope and healing
By Phoebe Warren

Comfort can take many different forms. Sometimes, comfort comes with a wagging tail and a heart full of patience. At the Texarkana Children’s Advocacy Center (TCAC), a yellow Labrador retriever named Yoshi is offering children a kind of comfort that words can’t provide. Trained by Dogs for Better Lives (DBL) and supported by the Kiwanis Club of Texarkana, she’s the newest member of the team at TCAC. Yoshi began her job with TCAC this past September, and she is already making a world of difference. 

Dogs for Better Lives (formerly known as Dogs for the Deaf) is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit. DBL rescues, breeds, trains, and places assistance dogs free of charge with Deaf and hard-of-hearing adults, autistic children, and licensed professionals working with vulnerable communities. TCAC therapist and Yoshi’s handler, Shane Roach, discovered Dogs for Better Lives about two years ago while researching service-dog organizations. TCAC had wanted a service dog for years but hadn’t found the right fit or opportunity. Shane took the initiative to apply through DBL, and about two years later, TCAC got the exciting call that Yoshi was ready for their center.

DBL’s training process covers everything from basic obedience to highly specialized skills for comfort and emotional support. “When Yoshi arrived, one of their trainers spent several days here at TCAC working directly with our staff and her handlers to ensure everyone was comfortable with her commands and that Yoshi could acclimate smoothly to her new environment,” said Breanna Bradshaw, TCAC’s chief advancement officer. “It was a wonderful, hands-on process that really set her—and us—up for success.” 

When the Kiwanis Club of Texarkana heard that Yoshi was joining the TCAC team, they stepped up to serve as Yoshi’s official “Welcome Home Sponsor.” They helped ensure access to the supplies and care Yoshi needed to settle in comfortably at the center.

Yoshi lives and comes in to work with her handler, Shane, and spends her days offering comfort to the children TCAC serves. Yoshi provides comfort through pressure. “Think of her as a warm, steady weighted blanket with four paws,” said Breanne. Yoshi has several commands for comfort, which vary in intensity. Her “visit” command is for gentle comfort; when prompted, she will lay her head on a child’s lap so that they can pet her during a therapy session. Her “lap” command means that she places her front paws on a child’s lap so that they can look into her eyes and pet her face-to-face. Her most intense behavior is “squish,” when she gently lays her weight across a child’s lap, applying grounding pressure that helps reduce anxiety and stress.

“And for fun, she can wave, which never fails to make the kids smile,” Breanne said.

Yoshi will eventually be trained for additional tasks, including accompanying children during forensic interviews and even court testimony, helping them feel safe and supported in difficult moments. DBL will continue to check in with TCAC to offer training and guidance as needed throughout Yoshi’s time at the center. Thanks to the dedicated individuals at TCAC, DBL, and Kiwanis Club of Texarkana, Yoshi is already making a difference in the lives of children in need. “Most of all, we’re grateful to Yoshi herself,” said Breanne, “for her heart, her patience, and her quiet ability to make some of our bravest little heroes feel safe.”