Stories with Dunkin: A Legacy & Comfort Program
Because Every Story Matters
1. Program Overview
Stories with Dunkin is a PupMedics program that preserves personal life stories of older adults and community members in the calming presence of a certified therapy dog. Through gentle, consent-based recording sessions, participants are given the opportunity to reflect, share, and be heard—often during seasons of transition, loss, aging, or recovery.
Each participant’s stories are recorded and organized into a private or unlisted digital playlist that can be shared with family and loved ones, creating a lasting emotional and historical legacy.
2. Purpose & Impact
This program exists to:
- Reduce anxiety and emotional distress during storytelling
- Provide comfort through therapy dog presence
- Honor lived experience and personal dignity
- Preserve family and community history
- Support emotional well-being, especially for older adults and those facing loss or transition
Stories with Dunkin recognizes that being heard is healing.
Every story matters because every person matters.
3. Role of the Therapy Dog
Dunkin, a certified crisis response therapy dog, is present during each session to:
- Provide emotional grounding
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Encourage openness and calm
- Offer nonjudgmental companionship
The therapy dog’s presence is central to the program’s success and differentiates this work from traditional oral history projects.