The Cayce Fire Department is launching their Midlands Gives campaign request by unveiling the state’s first registered Fire Department Therapy Horse, Muffin.

Muffin, a 5-year-old mini horse, has gone through extensive training to be a registered therapy horse per Pet Partners’ equine standards for pet therapy. Muffin and her handler, Lindsay McDade, Cayce’s Community Risk Reduction Manager, received the highest rating during the team evaluation through Pet Partners and are officially a registered pet therapy team.

The new “Muffin Cares” program is about meeting a community need of connection, reducing stigma, and providing hope. The program will include fire safety information, drug prevention and resiliency resources and will connect people to nonprofit partners like The Courage Center and LRADAC.

Cayce Fire Chief, Steven Bullard explained, “Society has become technology driven, making face-to-face interaction harder to come by, especially for the younger generations. Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) helps to bring back face-to-face communication and meet people where they are at. This could be at a variety of rehabilitation, community-based, education or other events.”

Cayce Community Risk Reduction Manager, Lindsay McDade, said she hopes to raise $10,000 during the May 7^th Midlands Gives event. “We would like the Cayce Public Safety Foundation to raise funds through Midlands Gives to provide additional equipment for Muffin and coloring books and outreach materials to be distributed across the Midlands.”