PHOTO GALLERY: Petting power as pooches work their magic

Boasting his own resume under the job description of “animal assisted activities,” Reggie the poodle has made himself a much anticipated fixture each Friday at the Sanitasole facility on Marco Island.

The 6-year-old dog — described by owner/trainer Florie Enders as “90 percent poodle and 10 percent sass” — occupies laps, accepts kisses, does a couple of tricks, and radiates the unconditional love so characteristic of man’s best friend at the hour-long weekly sessions.

Beneficiaries are mostly an elderly group of men and women at Sanitasole, a day care center which caters to people with special needs, including those with Alzheimer’s and other age-associated diseases.

“They light up when Reggie comes in,” says Enders, who put her pet through special training in order to receive Delta Society certification.

The certification permits trained dogs to participate in animal assisted therapy.

On this particular Friday, Reggie was joined by rookie Maltese poodle Toby, the pet of Jan Ross, on his first such outing.

Enders said although the therapeutic value of dogs on humans is enormously well documented, it manifests itself anew every time Reggie makes an appearance, whether it be at a school, a library or a hospital cancer ward.

“Dog and human interaction is simply amazing,” she said.

Rose “Rosebud” Buchetto bore that out as Ross placed Toby the Maltese on the octogenarian’s lap to enjoy a snuggle.

Buchetto closed her eyes as the dog nuzzled in closer, and the twosome clearly experienced emotion that was, for a few precious moments, reserved just for the two of them.

The other benefit is that this interaction also rubs off positively on families, who hear all about the sessions in the evenings following them, Enders said.

By the same token, she agreed that “reverse therapy” is a by-product of the exercise, because the dogs themselves benefit as well.

Animal assisted activities at Sanitasole have human parallels — each Wednesday, musician and singer Craig Gruesel of the Marco Lutheran Church plays for the gracious and appreciative group, almost always inspiring them to song.