Four-Legged Friend Brings Joy to Sycamore Run

_{April 12, 2023}
Sycamore Run Nursing and Rehabilitation would like to take a moment to recognize one of our notable volunteers for Volunteer Month and share the importance of volunteering! We are proud to introduce Nicole Abate and Koda and honor the time they generously spend serving our residents.

Nicole and Koda have been visiting Sycamore Run for almost a year now. Twice a month, they come in, and you can feel the love radiating from them. Koda knows when he is on his way to our facility, and by the time he gets to Holmesville, he is wagging his tail and using his voice to let Nicole know how excited he is. When he comes in, he is quick to say hello to everyone who will let him as he welcomes their pets and scratches. Koda is very well-behaved, and the whole facility fills with joy from their presence.



Koda is a German Shepard who just turned three on March 10th, 2023. He is a therapy dog with credentials from the K9 Good Citizen Test and the K9 Caring Angels Therapy Test. He is great at his job and volunteers at multiple places around town!

Nicole loves volunteering and giving back. “Sycamore Run really caught our eye," says Nicole. In the past, her sister was sick, and she saw how therapy dogs would visit and really help her sister mentally and physically. That is why she decided to get into this line of volunteer work. They use the K9 Caring Angels Program to be able to go to different places and visit. It is a great program that is doing incredible things!

At home, Koda is your average high-energy dog. He enjoys swimming and hiking and has a cat at home that he loves as well. He visits different stores and other groups, including Sit Means Sit, a group training class. Koda is very helpful with his K9 friends too, teaching them the ways of becoming a therapy dog.

Nicole’s favorite part about visiting our facility is the smiles Koda brings to our residents. She enjoys hearing our residents' stories when they reminisce about their four-legged friends. Koda loves all the attention he gets from coming here. Our residents and staff feel the same way too. One resident said, “He really brightens my day when I get to have a visit with him.” Another shared, “It makes me feel good. I like it when he gives me kisses.” One of our newer staff members described it as being, “happiness on a leash!”

We thoroughly enjoy Nicole and Koda's visits to Sycamore Run and are always looking forward to the next one. They are doing great things for our residents and our community with the work they do. The smallest gestures sometimes mean the world to someone else. Keep doing great things, Nicole and Koda, and thank you for the love you bring to Sycamore Run!

If you're interested in getting more involved with our residents, we have many different ways you can volunteer! Our Activities Department is always open to welcoming new faces who want to spend time with our residents. Whether it's on an outing or helping with a craft, we'd love to hear from you. For more information on how to volunteer, please contact us at (330) 674-0015.