When Bob Turino retired from the working life in 1991, he knew he needed to find something to fill the void.

For Turino, a Roxborough resident who has served as president of the Upper Roxborough Civic Association for more than a decade, this was an opportunity to tap into one of his favorite passions.

Today, Turino is president of Comfort Caring Canines, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to boost the quality of life for those in need by offering some four-legged companionship. Those helped range from Alzheimer's patients at area hospitals and nursing homes to sick youngsters to folks who simply require a bit of cheering up.

"I never met a dog I didn't like, but I've met a hell of a lot of people I didn't like," Turino joked.

Comfort Caring Canines provide what are known as therapy dogs. They aren't service dogs, such as ones who assist the blind. These canines are simply there to put smiles on faces and raise spirits.

Comfort Caring Canines started in Montgomery County about 15 years ago, Turino said. The majority of the Comfort Caring Canine members reside in Montgomery County, although the group works throughout the five-county region and South Jersey.

The organization currently has about 100 active members who visit almost 60 facilities.

Turino, a longtime dog lover, joined the organization about 12 years ago. He ran for president a year later, and has remained in that leadership role ever since.

Turino has five dogs at home, only one of which is a therapy dog. Her name is Honey Girl, and she's a Pomeranian-Chihuahua.

His now-deceased corgi, Tommy, also was a therapy dog. Tommy's favorite visits were with Alzheimer's patients. One time, a patient called Tommy's name upon seeing the dog approach. Turino was pulled aside by the woman's son, who asked, "Why is it she knows the dog's name, but doesn't know me or my granddaughter," he recalled.

To Turino, the episode proved therapy dogs have the ability to really touch those with whom they come in contact.

Herta Clements has seen Turino in action firsthand. Clements is the vice president of ancillary services at Roxborough's Bishop White Lodge at Cathedral Village, a senior care facility.

Clements can't recall how long Turino and his fellow dog lovers have been coming around, but she has been with Bishop White Lodge for 15 years, and has recognized Turino and his cohorts as friendly faces for quite some time.

For the folks who reside at the nursing facility, especially those in the dementia unit, the therapy dogs are truly a godsend, Clements said.

"It's just a wonderful thing for the residents. They really relate well to the dogs," she said. "It's a calming effect."

Part of the appeal, she said, is that to dogs gladly interact with residents no matter the circumstance.

"They can pet them, and they don't shy away from the residents like some people do when they see someone who looks a little different and acts a little different than themselves," Clements said.

Comfort Caring Canines hosts its regular meetings at Bishop White Lodge, Clements said.

Tonya Foster, a veterinary nurse by day, has been a member of Comfort Caring Canines for more than three years.

She learned about the organization through the Internet. Foster joined the group as a way to make her dog, Cade, feel useful again after a bout with cancer.

Prior to going through six months of chemotherapy when she was just 3 years old, Cade was a guide dog, assisting the blind in getting around.

"She was used to being with people all the time, and being out and about all the time," said Foster, who lives in King of Prussia. "It didn't feel right just keeping her as a house pet."

After the dog's cancer went into remission, Foster wanted her black Lab to once again feel a sense of self-worth.

"She definitely doesn't let anything stop her," Foster said about Cade, who is an amputee.

Today, Cade, 7, seems to enjoy her visits with folks at nursing homes and hospitals and schools.

Cade, like all dogs considered for Comfort Caring Canines, had to go through both a temperament test and a behavior test prior to acceptance.

The former tests how well a dog can be in social situations, with both other dogs and humans, while the latter ensures the dog knows his or her basic commands. The dogs also have to be OK with things they might not otherwise encounter, such as wheelchairs, crutches and loud noises.

Foster takes Cade to ManorCare Health Services, a nursing home in King of Prussia, one or two Saturdays a month. And on some Wednesday evenings the two will travel to Center City to visit children at the Ronald McDonald House on Chestnut Street.

"Pretty much every visit people always say 'thank you for coming,'" Foster said, "and I say it's good for you guys, but it's also good for us. It's like a two-way street. It's such a rewarding program."

Turino said the organization carries liability insurance to cover members during visits. In order to be eligible for the insurance, groups like Comfort Caring Canines need to be affiliated with a therapy umbrella organization. Currently, there are three of these nationwide - the Delta Society, based in Washington state, New Jersey-based Therapy Dogs International, and Therapy Dogs Inc. out of Cheyenne, Wyo.

Billie Smith, administrative manager with Therapy Dogs Inc., said the therapy dog field has grown by leaps and bounds since she first got involved 18 years ago. Visits used to only be to hospitals and nursing homes, but today's canine companions go to prisons, schools, psychiatric institutions, libraries and juvenile detention centers. So many can benefit from the service, she said.

"That dog is truly helping that person by just being there," Smith said by phone from Wyoming. "It's an awesome thing to do."

Smith, who made visits with her Doberman for 11 years, said the service is also a way to dispel myths about so-called bad breeds, such as Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers and pit bulls.

"To bring those breeds into the therapy world is also a big plus for the breed," she said. "It's an area where those dogs can participate and be accepted, wherein some other parts of the dog world they may not."

Turino couldn't agree more. He's witnessed children play patty cake on the throat of a pit bull named Angel.

"There's an old saying," Turino said, "there's not a bad dog, just bad owners."

To learn more about Comfort Caring Canines, visit www.comfortcaringcanines.org.

Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com