Dogs bring joy to nursing homes through volunteers

BOSTON – When Harriet Koch realized her dog Tembi was "pretty terrific," she decided to introduce her to seniors as a volunteer at Sherrill House, a nursing home on South Huntington Avenue in Jamaica Plain. For the past five years, Koch, who is 87, has been delighting nursing home residents with Tembi, a lhasa apso small enough to fit on her lap, and gaining new friends along the way. Koch likens her pooch to an infant in explaining the animal's effect on those she visits.

BOSTON – When Harriet Koch realized her dog Tembi was "pretty terrific," she decided to introduce her to seniors as a volunteer at Sherrill House, a nursing home on South Huntington Avenue in Jamaica Plain. For the past five years, Koch, who is 87, has been delighting nursing home residents with Tembi, a lhasa apso small enough to fit on her lap, and gaining new friends along the way. Koch likens her pooch to an infant in explaining the animal's effect on those she visits.…