Rescued Aussie Named Therapy Dog of the Year

Lizzie excels in and out of the ring.

This article was originally published in the June 2024 OVERview digital magazine.

Lizzie the rescued Aussie wasn’t supposed to do agility. Her owner, Claudia Schmitt of Flint, Texas, chose her as a potential therapy dog. She would follow in the pawprints of Claudia’s previous rescued Australian Shepherd, who had recently passed away.

Said Claudia, “I was working with a children’s therapy program called Hearts in Harmony, and I got Lizzie so I could continue with that.”

Then Hearts in Harmony closed down. “So I started volunteering at Therapet,” said Claudia, “which provides Animal Assisted Therapy for stroke victims, amputees and other individuals with various conditions that involve regaining motor control and language skills.”

Animal Assisted Therapy uses dogs, cats, horses and even birds to offer physical, mental, emotional and/or social rehabilitation to patients at hospitals and other facilities. Goals include improving range of motion, balance and strength; addressing cognitive and perceptual deficits; increasing self-esteem and motivation; and reducing stress. To become a Therapet, Lizzie needed to have obedience training, undergo a veterinary screening, complete a class, pass Therapet’s skills and temperament tests, and serve a one- to three-month apprenticeship.

At the time, Lizzie was about a year old. Dave and Robin Visniski’s Lucky Dog Training Center in nearby Tyler offered various manners-oriented classes, so Claudia signed up for the most convenient time slot, which happened to be Robin’s pre-agility class.

“She took to it right away,” said Claudia. ”It was just basic stuff — going around cones, that kind of thing. But Lizzie loved it! Then one day Dave said, ‘Let’s get her measured.’ I told him, ‘Dave, we are NOT going to do agility!’ and he said, ‘Let’s get her measured.’’’

Then COVID hit. “Just for something to do, we tried USDAA@Home!^SM” Claudia said, “and Lizzie successfully completed almost every module on her first try!”

Meanwhile, Lizzie earned Therapet status and is currently part of READ — Reading Education Assistance Dogs — a program that helps schoolchildren address literacy deficits by reading aloud to a therapy dog. Said Claudia, “Reading to Lizzie gets kids excited about reading. Data shows that they develop more self-confidence and are more willing to try new things, too.”

At the end of 2022, Lizzie was voted Therapet’s New Animal Assisted Therapy Dog of the Year. “It’s quite an honor,” said Claudia. “Someone has to nominate you, then all the volunteers vote.”

In March 2023, Lizzie and Claudia clinched their Agility Dog Champion^® (ADCH) with a final Masters Snooker qualification (Q). The therapy dog who wasn’t supposed to do agility proved to be a champion at both.

“I love USDAA,” said Claudia, “and so does Lizzie. The courses are wide open, and other handlers are so friendly. USDAA is just more fun!”