This therapy dog’s name is Banner. He is a Golden Retriever, and his handler’s name is Bruce Evashevski.

This duet has been going on visits with Paws2Care since 2004. They really enjoy going to Carolina Behavioral, St. Francis and South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. Banner is also active outside pet therapy having earned a dozen titles in obedience, confirmation, rally and field events. They got their start in pet therapy with First Paws, a pet therapy ministry group from First Presbyterian Church in Greenville.

Bruce said he enjoys going on visits because, “I enjoy seeing the pleasure and joy that the dogs bring to the patients.” He continued, “I also like to see the satisfaction of the dogs in interacting with the patients.”

Bruce recalls one of the visits to Carolina Behavioral when one of the patients came over and petted and talked to Banner for a full 20 minutes. As they were leaving, one of the staff came over and made the observation “That patient has been here almost a week and this is the first time the patient has reacted or talked to anyone.” That’s been you realize the impact the dogs are having on people’s lives.