Therapy dog Hazel pictured here with Cory Bentz, owner and funeral director of Titus Funeral Home. Photo provided.

WARSAW — The healing power of animals is no secret. Anyone who has ever had to attend a funeral or make arrangements for a loved one knows how sad and grief-stricken one feels. 

But, what if, amidst the immense sadness and grief, one was greeted by a 68 pound, tail-wagging, loving canine? 

Titus Funeral Home’s newest employee, Hazel, is a 5-year-old Sheepadoodle, owned by funeral home associate, Stacy Huffer. With Huffer’s help, Hazel has recently finished training for certification as a therapy dog, according to a news release from the company.

She is certified through Alliance of Therapy Dogs to bring comfort and joy to others.

Hazel is trained to respond to visual cues and has learned hand signals for commands such as sit, stay and lie down. Communicating visually with Hazel is less distracting during her use in grief therapy for events such as visitations and funerals.

Therapy dogs make the perfect companion to help ease anxiety and confusion associated with loss. Even if Hazel only creates a distraction for a moment or two from the stress and grief a person is experiencing, her mere presence is enough to release “feel good” hormones like serotonin and oxytocin.

When Hazel isn’t working at Titus Funeral Home, she enjoys chasing squirrels in the backyard, napping on her handler’s bed and cuddling on the couch. She may weigh 68 pounds but she thinks she is a lap dog.