I intended to do volunteer work in hospitals and senior homes etc. when I retired. It was actually with that in mind that I selected Labradoodles to be my therapy partners. The breed had everything I was looking for in a therapy dog and much more as I discovered later. Both my dogs became certified for therapy work at the age of 6 months. Their temperaments were so well suited to interacting with people that all I had to add was some basic obedience, and establish a bond that enabled them to trust me in new or difficult situations. They are intuitive and bright and their love of life is a joy to experience. They are able to reach seniors who do not otherwise communicate and children who are traumatized or withdrawn from neglect. They are my inspiration on a daily basis.

For more information about this wonderful breed you can go to www.rutlandmanor.com. Not only is Beverley Manors Amber and Bella's breeder, she was also one of the originators of the Australian Labradoodle. Her website contains a wealth of information and pictures.

For more information about the therapy organization we work with you can go to www.pawsforhealing.org. This site describes the work we do, what it takes to become qualified and lots of information on therapy work in general.

I began making scarves for Amber and Bella when I realized how much the people we visit enjoyed seeing them in fancy dress. They are required to be in uniform except on special occasions, but they can have fancy neckwear to wear with their uniforms. I started knitting with fun furs but found them too flimsy, so I added a strand of knitting worsted to give them more substance. I decorated them with beads and crystals depending on the occasion and added velcro fasteners to make them easy to put on and take off. And voila, canine angel scarves were born.

Various people asked me to make them one and so I gradually began a cottage industry designing neckwear for dogs and cats. Requests were varied and on occasion included a matching scarf for the owner. It seemed to me that this would be an opportunity to raise funds for the organizations I am so passionate about and also provide products that are quite unique. Accordingly I will be contributing a portion of the profits from sales from this website to Paws for Healing, Inc. or in the case of cat products to S.C.A.R.F. for whom we are a foster home.

For more information on SCARF you can go to www.scanimalfoundation.org.

Please look through our products and if anything strikes your fancy remember that we are fund raising for two excellent non-profit organizations.

Shop till you drop - it's for a good cause!