• Home
  • AIR® Store
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Newsletter
Quick Links
Search This Site
InstagramFlickrYouTubeTwitterFacebook
Attitudes In ReverseAttitudes In Reverse
Attitudes In Reverse
Start THE Conversation, Reverse an Attitude, Save a Life!
  • About AIR®
    • Awards and Honors
    • Recommendations
    • AIR® Blog
    • History of AIR®
    • Mission
    • Board of Trustees
    • Advisory Board
    • Partners
    • Financials
    • AIR® Factsheet (PDF)
    • Testimonials
    • FAQ
  • Donate
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • AIR® Fundraising
      • AIR® Hero℠
      • AIR® Butterfly Release℠
      • Fundraising Partners
      • Miki & Friends 5K Walk/Run For AIR®
      • Start AIR® Fundraiser
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Opportunity
      • Volunteer Calendar
      • Volunteer Hours Entry Form
      • Volunteer Waiver
    • Resources
    • Forms
  • Programs
    • AIR® Awareness Outreach
      • AIR® Community of Kindness
      • AIR® & NJAMHAA Suicide Prevention Conference
      • T-Shirt Design Concept Contest
    • AIR® Community
      • Kenny Baker Memorial Scholarship
      • Warm AIR® 4 Winter℠
    • AIR® Fundraising
      • AIR Hero®
      • AIR® Butterfly Release
      • Miki & Friends 5K Walk/Run For AIR®
      • Taste of Hope℠
    • AIR® Therapy Dog Programs
      • AIR® Therapy Dogs: Paws For Minds℠ Program
        • AIR® Therapy Dogs: Paws For Minds℠ Program
        • AIR® Dog teams
        • AIR® Dog Memorial
      • AIR® School Therapy Dog Program
      • AIR®-HVRSD Therapy Dog Teams
    • AIR® Educational Programs
      • AIR® Business Lunch & Learn
      • Coming Up For AIR®
      • Gratitude Jars
      • Miki & Friends: Exploring Emotions through the Eyes of Dogs
      • In Their Shoes®
      • Mental Health Toolkit®
      • Youth Mental Health Toolkit℠ – For Elementary Students
  • Media Center
    • Videos
    • Press Releases
  • Calendar
  • Store
    • Wristbands
Menu back  

AIR Dogs Volunteer Spotlight: Cathy Szur and Reka

April 29, 2019Article, Get Involved, SpecialBy Sandra Lee

AIR Dogs Paws for Minds Volunteer Cathy Szur remembers what inspired her to eventually become part of a pet therapy team. She was visiting her sister in the hospital, when a therapy dog came in.

“What a difference it made,” recalled Cathy who has been an AIR Dogs volunteer nearly 2 years. “I just knew I wanted to do it.”
When she got her golden retriever puppy, Reka, she immediately took her to obedience training — and that’s when she met AIR Co-Founder Tricia Baker. That led to her becoming a certified therapy team and AIR Dog volunteer with Reka, who will be 4 years old this August.
“Tricia kind of draws you in,” said Cathy. “This woman is so driven. I can’t think of any greater cause than AIR.”
Although Cathy and Reka have been through various training classes and have earned Canine Good Citizen, Community Canine Good Citizen and a Dog Tricks title, it’s Reka’s intuitive nature that makes her such a great therapy dog.
“She just knows exactly who to go to, whenever someone needs help. She just seems to know,” said Cathy.
There are so many visits where Cathy has seen Reka make a visible impact, but a recent visit was particularly moving. Recently, Tricia was presenting Coming Up for Air to students at John Witherspoon Middle School in Princeton. Sadly, there was a boy in attendance who had recently lost his brother and Cathy and Reka were asked to sit by him.
Reka snuggled up to him and put her head on his lap and stayed there,” remembered Cathy. “She just stayed with him. He pet her the whole time and was whispering to her the whole time. If he stopped petting, she would nudge him with her paw. He put his AIR bracelet on her.”
After the presentation, he asked if Reka could come back the following day because he had an exam and was a little nervous. After checking with school personnel, Reka did return to quickly wish him luck outside the school.
“Making a difference like this, it’s what we want,” said Cathy. “I’m very lucky to be part of this.”
When Reka isn’t volunteering, she enjoys her downtime playing with her stuffed Santa Claus and running with her brother, River, in the backyard.
Cathy has recently started taking guitar lessons.“We need to make music,” said Cathy. “I have stubby, sausage, fingers so it’s challenging, but we’re making it work.”
Cathy, who was formerly in accounting, now works as an assistant dog trainer with Tricia, when she isn’t volunteering for AIR.
And if that isn’t enough to keep her busy, Cathy and Reka recently passed the certification to become a Crisis Response Team.
“Watching Reka when we go into schools, I saw the comfort she was giving to them,” said Cathy. “I was thinking she would be absolutely marvelous. I’m really excited about it.”
AIR DogsAIR volunteersAttitudes In Reversedog therapypet therapytherapy dogs
About the author

Sandra Lee

Related posts
January is National Train Your Dog Month
January 31, 2022
Remembering Emily Murillo: From a Sibling’s Point of View
January 31, 2022
Attitudes in Reverse – 2021 Highlights
January 17, 2022
A Conversation with West Windsor Police Chief Robert Garofalo
December 5, 2021
AIR Is Thankful For Volunteers This Thanksgiving
November 21, 2021
AIR Is Grateful For Its School Connections
November 15, 2021
Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events.

View Calendar
Add
  • Add to Timely Calendar
  • Add to Google
  • Add to Outlook
  • Add to Apple Calendar
  • Add to other calendar
  • Export to XML
Attitudes In Reverse
© 2009-2022 | 61 Princeton Hightstown Rd, Princeton Jct, NJ 08550 | PO Box 3127, Princeton, NJ 08543 | 609-945-3200
  • Home
  • AIR® Store
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Newsletter
Quick Links