Noah the therapy dog helps Coaldale residents in times of need

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

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oah, a seven-year-old Havanese therapy dog has been helping Coaldale residents deal with difficult situations, navigate overwhelming emotions or overcome every day stresses of life. 

The Havanese breed from Cuba is a non-shedding, hypoallergenic dog and are often used as a companion dog.  

“They’re a lap dog, which makes them excellent for visiting,” said Noah’s owner Holly Bandelow, who is also the social media and marketing coordinator for the 

Coaldale and Regional PAWS organization. 

Bandelow said she’s had Noah since he was just six weeks old and from birth he was chosen to do therapy work.

“In my previous role, (in Chestermere) I was a volunteer coordinator for therapy dogs so I would dispatch dogs out to hospitals, seniors homes and schools in  Chestermere and Calgary,” she said, noting that when she moved to Coaldale and began working with Coaldale and Regional PAWS, she began taking Noah out to visit seniors homes and children at Alberta Health Services locations for vaccinations appointments. 

“Having a dog present would calm the children more,” said Bandelow. “He already had the ‘I love people, I love everybody’ (personality). He had the attitude, so we just had to teach him sit, stay, come and leave it.”

Noah attended dog training school in Calgary three times a week, for an hour and a half class for one entire year, in order to be classified as a therapy dog. 

  “Noah and I currently visit at Sunny South Lodge here in Coaldale,” said Bandelow, adding that Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) often calls them in to participate in their wellness series for seniors, and at the end of the five-week program Noah visits with the seniors and “congratulates them on taking care of their wellness,” she added, noting a similar event they did recently, in Nobleford.  

In addition to his work with children and seniors, Noah the therapy dog is often requested at local businesses in Coaldale. 

“He usually is travelling with me and he’s developed a reputation in the community for being almost like Coaldale’s kindness dog,” said Bandelow.  

She said Noah loves seniors and enjoys being a source of happiness for them.   

“We’re going to continue his therapy work here in Coldale,” said Bandelow, pointing out that while service dogs are often recognized, as a therapy dog, there is no designation as such for Noah. 

“Noah’s been doing presentations with service dogs (but) he is not a service dog,” she said, noting service dogs undergo specific training and are often for people that have impairments. Service dogs are also often paired with a particular person. 

“Therapy dogs are for everybody else,” said Bandelow. “We encourage you to pet the dog – but always ask before you pet a dog. That’s dog etiquette, whether it’s a service dog, a therapy dog, or a companion dog.”

Following his training in Calgary, which included a therapy dog component, Noah joined a therapy dog organization where he was fitted with a special vest. 

“Then after that he went into a specialized area or practical. Some dogs will go into scent, some dogs will go into agility,” said Bandelow. “He was picked for his disposition and his calmness.”

Noah is a dog who likes to chill and is very relaxed – that is exactly how he helps people, said Bandelow. 

“He helps with emotions … it’s not necessarily the physical petting and the touch, but just his presence and his calmness that affects people,” she added. “He may cheer them up or he may make them feel calmer.” 

At Sunny South Lodge, she and Noah are often called in if it’s been a rough week for staff and residents. 

“Staff have commented that they can tell when Noah and I have been there. The residents are so much happier,” said Bandelow. 

As a therapy dog, Noah absorbs all emotions from people when he’s “working”, and often helps relieve people’s stress and anxiety, leaving them in a better state and place of mind. However, it’s important to remember Noah is just a dog and needs time to decompress, just like humans do.   

“As soon as I take this vest off, he knows it’s time to play – he gets to be a dog,” said Bandelow. “After visits he goes home, we degress and decompress. Decompressing consists of taking off his vest, playing with him and if he wants to sleep, he can sleep.”

In addition to visiting seniors at Sunny South Lodge once a week and children at some schools, Noah has also helped in crisis situations and has also worked with Alberta Health Services staff members.   

While Noah does most of the work as a therapy dog, Bandelow said she enjoys volunteering their time to help people in need in Coaldale and seeing the smiles after a visit, makes it all worth while.  

“I just go do it because I want to give back to my community,” said Bandelow. “He’s my best friend – him and I have so much fun together.”