Cynthia Hinckley, founder of Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc., has had dogs in her life since childhood. She learned early on that dogs are an important part of our lives and are very special companions.

Ms. Hinckley has a M.Ed. and has worked in the field of education for more than twenty years. She has been working with therapy dogs since 1992 and has evaluated and mentored hundreds of therapy dog teams in western Massachusetts and Connecticut. Through her involvement with therapy dogs, she has witnessed over and over again the magical connection between humans and canines.

Hinckley’s therapy dog visits began when she took her first therapy dog, Beatrice, to a psychiatric facility and watched a patient who had not spoken in twenty years speak for the first time to her dog. This was a life changing experience for Hinckley. There was no turning back.

In her early days of visiting, Hinckley joined several therapy dog organizations and for a period of seven years served as the volunteer coordinator of the MSPCA Pet Visitation Program. She grew compelled to create a therapy dog organization that took many of the elements of the various programs and develop them further into a program dedicated to serving communities with thoroughly screened therapy dog teams that are placed in programs designed to capture the true benefits of the human-canine bond. In August, 2004, Hinckley founded Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc.