New Therapy Dog

Campbell Police has added a four-legged officer to its team, but not for the reason you might think. K9 Ainsley will be the department’s very first therapy dog.

Ainsley is an 8-week old Bernedoodle. She joined the department on December 10 and was partnered with one of the department’s records specialists.

She is currently being trained to help both victims and officers, and act as an ambassador for the department.

“We’re going to want to make sure that she’s able to be out there in the community,” said Campbell Police Capt. Ian White. “children, victims, witnesses. She’s going to have to be able to have the right mannerisms for that, be the right demeanor type of dog.”

Canine experts say that therapy dogs help people cope with stress and exposure to traumatic experiences. They can help lower anxiety for officers, victims, and witnesses.Ainsley will be the first-ever therapy dog at a law enforcement agency in all of Santa Clara County.

PTSD Service Dog

For nearly a year and a half, a Labrador retriever named Archie helped Debbie Carleton get out of bed every day.

Archie was matched with Carleton, a Halifax Regional Police detective who logged more than two decades on the job, by Canadian Intervention and Assistance Dogs, or CIAD.

But Carleton, who now lives in New Brunswick, will spend Christmas without Archie, after the service dog organization took him back.

It’s left her grieving the loss of the bond she had with Archie and without a service dog to navigate daily life.

“It’s like you have a best friend and now it’s gone,” Carleton said.

Carleton started with the Halifax Regional Police in 1995. As a detective, she investigated difficult cases, from sex crimes to human trafficking. But she said she also had to deal with homophobia, sexism and sexual harassment on the job.

She’s been off work for the last five years after being diagnosed with severe work-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

“It’s been a rough time to say the least, because the stigma of being a police officer, especially a female police officer, you’re always having to prove yourself over and over and over again.”

During the time Carleton has been off work, CIAD was founded in Nova Scotia as part of a group of service dog training schools that were chosen and funded by the mental-health services provider Wounded Warriors Canada.

CIAD is a non-profit run primarily by volunteers and focused specifically on matching service dogs with first responders. It has since expanded to also include veterans.

After an application process, Carleton was matched with Archie. She said he was dropped off at her house on June 30, 2019.

“It just seemed like the perfect thing for me to have a service dog, to be able to help me in my recovery and to get some kind of quality of life back,” Carleton said.

“Archie gave that to me, even though we weren’t perfect.”

Carleton suffers from flashbacks and nightmares. Archie helped by waking her and bringing her back to the present moment.

“He would always come and wake me or nudge, something to get my attention, or just lay right across me,” she said.  “He always was beside me, like, never left my side.”

But Carleton noticed some issues with Archie’s obedience training. She said Archie would react to other dogs while on leash, which made it difficult to even take him for a walk.

She said she raised the issue with CIAD numerous times, asking for help with Archie’s training. But she said the organization didn’t seem to have the expertise or resources to fix the issues.

Carleton’s psychiatrist, Dr. Marina Sokolenko, also wrote to the organization’s board about the problems.

“Having known Ms. Carleton for a long time and having had an opportunity to observe the dog, from the very beginning Archie, unfortunately, did not behave like that of other service dogs who I had an opportunity to observe,” Sokolenko said in an email Sept. 30.

“As time passed, I saw the dog’s behaviour improve, with much of [the] training done by Ms. Carleton.”

Carleton said she even found a trainer to work with her in New Brunswick, so that trainers wouldn’t have to travel from Nova Scotia. But, she said, CIAD didn’t allow it.

At the end of November, CIAD took Archie for a two-week reassessment.

“I gave Archie in good faith that he would be returned,” Carleton said.

Sokolenko also advocated for Archie to be returned after his assessment, warning CIAD that keeping him could have “grave consequences.”

“It is my strong belief that if the dog is not returned to Ms. Carleton, it will have [a] very detrimental effect on Ms. Carleton’s mental state and may increase the risk to her safety,” Sokolenko’s Sept. 30 email said.

Sokolenko went on to say the action was “inhumane” and “absolutely inappropriate” for a patient with PTSD.

But on Dec. 10, CIAD told Carleton over a Zoom meeting that Archie hadn’t passed key testing that allows a service dog to accompany a handler to public places.

“[They said] that his demeanour now, he’s very anxious, that he may have to be put on anxiety medication, that his needs are not being met by me and it’s not safe for him to return to this environment,” Carleton said.

She said the call seemed to rule out getting Archie back even as a pet.

“They did say I could say goodbye to him in a nice, quiet, non-anxious environment.… It’s torturous,” Carleton said.

“It’s like, where’s the humanity from their end?”

Carleton said she understands that Archie may not have had the right temperament to be a service dog, but she wishes the organization realized it before they built a bond.

Jenna Conter, CIAD’s communications co-ordinator, says there was a “miscommunication” in the match between Archie and Carleton.

Conter said there were several “red flags” over the year and a half that indicated they may not be the best match.

“We all love our animals, but sometimes it’s just not a perfect match,” Conter said.

“Though the 18 months that she had Archie, I think there was a general miscommunication as to if it was a good mix of her personality and his personality, where she lived and his needs as a dog to have the best outcome.”

She said the decision to remove Archie “was not made easily.”

When asked whether it’s possible for Archie to be reunited with Carleton as a pet, Conter said she wasn’t sure.

“If the dog can be suited to be a pet within that home, then that would be a beautiful ending, so at least she can reconnect with that,” Conter said.

“And if not, we just have to deal with the — I guess what I don’t want to say — but is the business side of it, as this animal is not happy in this home and this client and handler will not benefit from a dog with those behaviours. And that’s just something that we both have to sort of accept.”

Carleton’s friend Doug Pynch, who also has a service dog from CIAD, was in “disbelief” when he found out that Carleton and Archie were separated.

“I can’t believe a woman that’s served her community for as long as she has and asked for help and has PTSD as bad as she does, for them to come and take that dog after two years…. I feel so sorry for that woman,” he said.

“They just put her so far behind in her training and her PTSD. They set her back three, four years now because of what they’ve done.”

During 30 years as a volunteer firefighter, most recently with the Windsor Fire Department in Nova Scotia, Pynch has been to a lot of bad calls. It exacerbated the PTSD he was first diagnosed with at 16 due to childhood trauma.

Nearly three years ago, CIAD matched Pynch with a PTSD service dog named Catie. Pynch said he was only given a piece of looseleaf with a few commands written on it.

Like Carleton, he found the golden retriever helped him, but she had issues with obedience.

“To me, a service dog should already have been trained before I got her,” Pynch said. “That didn’t happen.”

Conter emphasized that CIAD is still a new organization with its first generation of puppies.

“I think any organization learns from any difficulties they’ve had along the way,” she said.

Conter said the organization would be willing to look into connecting Pynch and Carleton with another service dog that “better suits their living conditions and better suits their needs, if that is what they desire.”

After watching what happened to Carleton, Pynch is worried he’ll lose Catie, too.

“I kind of felt like me and Deb and a couple of the other handlers were guinea pigs, and it didn’t work out so now they’re backpedalling,” he said.

“Well, it’s too late to backpedal for us. It’s two and a half years. We don’t want to give these dogs up. We love them. They’re part of our families.”

Carleton doesn’t hold out much hope that she’ll get Archie back. It’s a loss she’s still grieving. Since Archie left quickly, his toys are still piled in a toy box in the corner, his leash hanging on a personalized wooden holder at the front door.

She’s hopeful she can get another service dog someday and it will help her in her recovery.

“I would like to see Debbie be able to have a smile on her face, to want to get out of bed, to go to a store and feel safe,” Cheryl Smith, Carleton’s partner, said.

“That’s what a service dog was there for, is to give her that safety. And unfortunately that didn’t happen.”

K9s For Warriors

Pet Therapy Program

Youth Consultation Service in Hackensack, an over-century-old nonprofit that provides behavioral health services to New Jersey families who have children with special needs, was one of 14 recipients who received a portion of a $1.5 million donation from PSE&G and the PSE&G Foundation.

The donation was a surprise to assist families who have struggled through the Covid-19 pandemic with issues such as food insecurity, unemployment, mental and physical health, and poverty, in addition to support for ongoing issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse and child neglect.

Other recipients included Eva’s Village in Paterson, Mental Health Association of Morris and Essex in Montclair, Newark Working Kitchens in Newark, and HomeFront in Ewing, whose mission is to end homelessness in central New Jersey, among others.

To date, PSE&G and the PSE&G Foundation have committed $5 million in foundation and corporate giving initiatives since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. In April, committed $2.5 million to pandemic relief organizations and $1 million to a Powering Equity and Social Justice Initiative in June.

“It is our privilege to be able to support community organizations that are providing much-needed assistance to countless families and communities who are facing enormous hardship because of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Rick Thigpen, PSEG’s senior vice president for Corporate Citizenship and chairman of the PSEG Foundation. “In the spirit of the season, we’re proud to make these Community Gifts on behalf of our employees across New Jersey and New York, and support these organizations that are helping to make things better for people throughout the many diverse communities we serve.”

Youth Consultation Service, Inc. in Hackensack will use its $50,000 reward toward their pet therapy program, which helps children recover from trauma, depression, or other behavioral health challenges to children and young adults in 35 YCS therapeutic group homes across the state.

YCS Chief Executive Officer Tara Augustine said throughout #Giving Tuesday, the nonprofit has been raising funds during December to go towards the provision of weekly visits of a therapy dog at every home — a goal that will be reached with their donation.

“YCS is so grateful for this unexpected grant from PSEG,” said Augustine in a press release. “During this pandemic, the children have often been sheltered in place in order to keep them safe. Family visits have been very limited and so have hugs. When children engage with a pet, they become more relaxed and are better able to self regulate — feelings of isolation and loneliness dissipate as they experience the unconditional love, acceptance and affection of a therapy pet. This is especially true for children who YCS cares for who are affected by autism. Therapy dogs play a crucial role in helping children develop communication and social skills. The soothing affects of a therapy pet reduces stress and anxiety during therapy sessions, and in general, creates a more relaxed environment in the homes.”

Popular Pets

Covid-19 lockdowns have brought with them a worldwide upsurge in pet adoptions as people finally found time to care for a furry family member – and enjoy the stress-relieving benefits animals can bring.

This has been a global phenomenon: in New York, demand for dogs was “totally unprecedented”, according to non-profit Foster Dogs. In Australia, the RSPCA’s phones have been “running off the hook”. And in the United Kingdom, according to one survey, nearly half of all Britons who already own a pet went and got at least one more.

However, as devoted pet parents faced the prospect of returning to the office and their normal social lives outside the home, it prompted the question: who would take care of a pet newly accustomed to so much attention?

Given that pet ownership was on the rise well before the pandemic and flat living has become the norm in cities everywhere, a number of developers have already taken animal welfare into account.

For example, Waterline Square, a two-hectare, three-building residential development designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, Richard Meier & Partners Architects and KPF on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, provides equally for pets and human residents. The Waterline Club – an extraordinary indoor amenity space designed by the renowned Rockwell Group – is home to an indoor playroom where dogs can socialise, a dog washing station and a dog training studio. At the centre of the development, a park provides outdoor space for canines to run around.

Winter can get chilly in New York City. To save frosty paws, 555TEN, Extell Development’s luxury rental by Hudson Yards, has an outdoor dog run on the 12th floor that is both covered and heated. The property’s management has also teamed with partner company Throw Me a Bone to offer in-house dog walking and feeding services, including people who will spend time with pups when residents are away.

Deborah DeMaria, sales director at Quay Tower, a luxury condominium located at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, says that for many people, a pet can be viewed as “their child or their sibling or their best friend”.

“Pets are an important part of the family so it makes sense that their daily needs factor into the home-buying equation,” she said.

Quay Tower is surrounded by 32 hectares of green space. To avoid muddy paws messing up the floor after an outdoor romp, many of the expansive residences feature a mud room.

A rare amenity in New York, each mud room is accessed via a second entrance to the home, and is equipped with a sink and washing machine. For an extra thorough scrub, the building also offers a pet washing station. Nearby, there are more perks, like the Pier 6 Dog Run and Wag Club, a doggy day care and grooming centre.

Developer Matthew Messinger – a dog lover who is married to a veterinary surgeon – considered pets’ needs when designing 77 Greenwich, Trinity Place Holdings’ luxury condominium project in Manhattan’s “new downtown”.

Featuring architecture by FXCollaborative, interiors by Deborah Berke Partners and stunning water panoramas, the building’s amenities include extensive outdoor space designed by Future Green Studio. Messinger chose to reserve a portion of a separate 2,350 sq ft terrace for a dog run, ensuring that residents have a space similar to a backyard to exercise and entertain their canine companions – without having to leave the building. For those who would rather take their dogs out, the building is located across the street from the forthcoming 20,000 sq ft Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza park and is close to Battery Park and the Hudson River waterfront.

If you don’t have time to walk Fido yourself, a luxury pet concierge at 30 Park Place Four Seasons Private Residences can do the leg work for you. In addition to GPS-tracked walks with daily updates and plenty of pictures, services provided by Poochi’s professionally trained and certified staff include feeding, washing, playtime and vet care, with overnight boarding also available when owners are away.

Continuing this trend in Florida, a dedicated pet concierge and on-call veterinary surgeon will also be available to cater to pets’ every need at the new Four Seasons Private Residences Fort Lauderdale, the first five-star development coming to Broward County.

Still in the US, New Jersey developer KRE Group has partnered with in-home pet service provider Bark Buildings to create a new pet concierge and canine club amenity programme across its portfolio of Jersey City rental buildings. The KRE in JC Canine Club is free to residents and consists of monthly events such as themed play dates and dog-friendly photo shoots, welcoming new residents with gifts including dog toys and treats.

Signing up for the programme will also give residents access to on-site and on-demand pet care services for an additional fee, such as daily walks, play dates, in-home sitting, obedience training and cat visits. The KRE in JC Canine Club is now open at Journal Squared, 485 Marin, Grove Point, 18 Park and 225 Grand.

Over in the UK, 80 Holland Park, the first fully serviced residential development in London’s W11 postcode, has a back gate which opens directly onto the 21.8-hectare Holland Park – perfect for dog owners and walkers. In addition to a mud room for residents’ wet coats and muddy boots, there’s also a dedicated dog room complete with a purpose-designed and installed dog shower and drying facility.

The prime London boutique development comprises 24 carefully crafted homes, including lateral penthouses and duplex town houses, each one unique but all finished with the consideration and quality for which Christian Candy’s CPC Group is renowned.

Mayfair Park Residences by Clivedale in London also offers dog walking and pet care facilities. Over and beyond the 24-hour concierge and security, valet parking and chauffeur services, one call is all it takes to organise some pet pampering.

Singaporean developer GuocoLand has also picked up on this trend. “In Singapore, more people are owning pets today. We’ve noticed this trend at our completed developments such as Leedon Residence and Goodwood Residence, too,” said Dora Chng, general manager (residential) at GuocoLand.

“As such, we decided to dedicate an area at Martin Modern [due for completion in 2021] where our residents’ pets can move freely without being kept on a leash.

Keeping in line with the botanical garden concept of Martin Modern, we applied the creative use of landscaping to keep the pets within the area instead of using conventional fencing barriers.”

At Martin Modern, a two-tower development located in Singapore’s prime District 9, 80 per cent of the land area will be developed into a unique botanical garden and native flora arboretum with various concepts – such as a party lawn, a forest trail, rain gardens and even a maze.

Chng said there will also be a pet corner at the group’s upcoming development, Midtown Modern, which is targeted to be launched for sale next year.

Service Dogs For Veterans

When his U.S. Army detachment was sent to serve in the War in Afghanistan, Tim Kellermann’s first stop was the massive Bagram Air Base.

“You can actually see pictures of it in the first ‘Iron Man’ movie,” he said, his voice containing perhaps a hint of pride in having arrived at such a high-profile destination.

Then there’s the flipside. “The first two weeks I was there,” he said, “a suicide bomber hit the front gate.”

A serviceman and some civilians were killed in the attack, which turned out to be a portent of what Zimmermann would experience during a nightmare of a year of duty in the war-torn country.

When he returned stateside in March 2008, he continued to suffer, through the trauma of a divorce and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I barely left my house for almost eight years, besides just the basic needs, in and out,” Zimmermann, who recently moved to Charleroi from Belle Vernon, recalled. “And it would be tough to even do that.”

Then he was paired with Pilot, a medical service dog who became his constant companion. Four years later, he and his wife, Amber, are the parents of two young children, Serena and Julian.

Zimmermann often speaks about his life-revitalizing experience with Pilot to help raise awareness and encourage support for the nonprofit Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans and the Florida-based organization it supports, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc.

On Monday, he and members of his family – Pilot, too, of course – visited a Peters Township restaurant to say thank you for helping the cause. Joining them was Bill Jeffcoat, Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans president.

“The Dairy Queen Chill and Grill was approached by some of our members, asking if we could put a donation jar in the store,” said Jeffcoat, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “Since then, we’ve been able to receive over $3,000 in donations.”

Coordinating the effort is Shirley Hruby, another LCSDFV member.

“With the pandemic, it’s been hard to fund raise. So this has been awesome. It’s consistent. It’s all the time,” she said. “People will put $20 in there. They’ll write, ‘Thank you to our veterans.’ ‘Thank you for doing this.’ ‘How can I help?’”

The money goes toward the substantial cost, about $25,000, of Guardian Angels’ two-year training program for each of the service dogs.

“They’re trained to mitigate the physical and cognitive injuries resulting from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, insulin dependence, mobility issues and/or a combination of those,” Jeffcoat said. “With the support that Western Pennsylvania has given us, we’ve been able to raise $1.7 million. We’ve paired 30 veterans with 30 dogs, and we have enough for 60 dogs.”

The regional outpouring of support on behalf of veterans helped prompt Guardian Angels to purchase 102 acres in Robinson Township, Washington County.

“The goal is to build a new campus where we can breed, raise and train medical service dogs,” Jeffcoat said. “We’ve exceeded the capacity to train down in Williston, Fla., so that’s why we’ve taken the initiative to build this new campus up here.”

Zimmermann’s situation is indicative of what members of the service can face when they try to adjust to life after war.

As a member of the Army’s 19th Engineer Battalion, he spent much of his time in Afghanistan at numerous outposts set up in the Korengal Valley, a hot spot for fighting until U.S. forces withdrew from the region in April 2010.

“The Apache helicopters were absolutely annihilating the hillsides, mortar rounds upon mortar rounds,” he recalled. “If we weren’t getting attacked, the bases next to us were. Every day, it was some type of contact. I literally had a two-star general come up and say to me, ‘You are in the worst of the worst of all the war.’”

By that, the general meant American military operations throughout the world at the time.

The ordeal of spending so much of his time amid the dangers of the Korengal Valley – two of the outposts at which he was stationed, Restrepo and Vimoto, were named for soldiers who died there – weighed on Zimmermann to the point where he barely could function.

Thanks to Pilot, he now can enjoy taking part in everyday activities that the rest of us tend to take for granted.

“Instead of waiting to go to Walmart at midnight, I could actually go during the day,” he said. “It’s not so stressful. And if I do start getting stressed out, the dog will lean into me or paw up on me. It actually gives me a moment to collect myself.”

And he wants to see as many other veterans as possible be able to overcome their issues in a similar manner.

Charlotte Animal Shelter

Stories about homeless dogs and cats are emotional risks, especially for those of us who cry at SPCA commercials and refuse to finish Marley & Me. It’s been a hard year; no one needs suspense. So I’ll give it away now:

This is a happy story made up of nearly 5,000 other happy stories of rescued cats and dogs, which may lead to an even happier milestone for Charlotte — having one of the most successful municipal animal shelters in North Carolina.

One of those happy stories is Tiger’s. The former stray dog took his first trip to Asheville this summer, where he discovered a love of hiking and barbecue.

Another belongs to Sweet Potato, the kitten who learned that any place is a good place to nap: on a dog, in a potted plant, atop her owner’s head.

Tiger and Sweet Potato began their journeys this spring at Animal Care and Control, a division of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, at its southwest Charlotte shelter. Nine years ago, only 35 percent of the cats and dogs who came through here were saved. This year, almost 90 percent have found their happily-ever-afters.

Almost 90 percent. That’s a big almost. A 90 percent save rate would mean the shelter has earned the no-kill designation. While that’s fairly common for nonprofit rescue groups that control how many animals they accept, it’s the exception for municipal shelters that, as a public service, must accept all stray and surrendered animals — even when they run low on space or budget.

Charlotte’s municipal shelter just might make it. It comes down to the next eight days.

As of mid-December, AC&C’s annual save rate is 89.7 percent, up from 79 percent last year — and way up from that 35 percent nine years ago. Depending on how many dogs and cats are adopted in the next week and a half, AC&C might earn the no-kill designation for the first time.

Things looked bleak in spring. When Governor Roy Cooper issued stay-at-home orders on March 27, some government shelters closed their doors to adoptions.

“We had a meeting of the management team here and we said, ‘Listen, as long as we have animals coming in — from the field, through owner surrender, however else — we have got to find a way to get them out in a positive manner,” says Josh Fisher, AC&C’s director. “It just was simply not acceptable to us to do anything but that.”

Fisher joined other animal control professionals who petitioned Cooper to designate municipal animal shelters an essential service. Cooper granted their request, and AC&C remained open for adoptions, with limits on the staff and visitors allowed inside.

But, Fisher wondered, would anyone even want to adopt a pet during a pandemic?

Oh, how they did. Adoptions accelerated. He was stunned.

Nicole Beasley of Plaza Midwood isn’t surprised by the rush on adoptions. She adopted Tiger — hiking-loving, barbecue-loving Tiger — from AC&C in April, while grieving the death of her grandfather and coping with the stress of the quarantine.

Outdoor exercise. Staying home. Laughing. The most helpful things we could do for our physical and mental health were moments so easily inspired by our pets.

In 2020, it’s up for debate: Between pets and people, who’s really talking care of whom?

“They are the ultimate antidepressants,” Russell Varner says of dogs and cats. In early April, he and his wife, Sara Borer, decided to foster a cat after they read that animal shelters were in danger of filling. They ended up fostering six from AC&C: a mama and her five two-week-old kittens.

“Especially in the early months (of the pandemic) — when cases were rising, no one really knew what was going on, some people were following rules and some weren’t — there was so much negativity,” Varner says. “If I needed a distraction, I’d just go upstairs and play with all the kittens, and they’d just pile on you and lick you.”

One day as Varner worked, Sweet Potato — the runt of the litter — climbed on top of his head and fell asleep there. That moment, Sweet Potato was no longer a foster. She was home.

A study published by the American Psychological Association showed that pets have alleviated the stress of uncertainty and isolation during Covid-19. But a city like Charlotte — no stranger to dogs at breweries or cats on leashes — doesn’t need a study to teach us the importance of pets.

“It speaks to the value that Charlotte has for the human-animal bond … not just the pets themselves but caring for both ends of the leash,” Fisher says.

AC&C’s success comes from tapping into that community spirit. It continually unveils programs for the public, including the popular staycations that allow people to borrow a dog or cat for several nights to give it a break from the shelter. (Not surprisingly, 70 percent of those staycationers become permanent pets.) AC&C also collects funds and supplies for Human Animal Support Services (HASS); when people facing financial hardship come to the shelter to surrender loved pets, HASS offers them support to bring their pets back home.

“For a long time, people viewed animal overpopulation as a shelter problem,” Fisher says. “But they know now: it’s a community problem that needs a community solution.”

It’d give us more dogs like Tiger, who began the year wandering a field as a stray and now has a stack of Christmas presents waiting for him. It’d give us more cats like Sweet Potato, born in an animal shelter but who is probably — as you read this — playing with ornaments and garland on the tree. And it’d give us more people like Beasley and Varner, who found the love of a pet is a powerful medicine, even in a pandemic.

“I’ve joked that Sara and I wouldn’t have kept our sanity this year if we didn’t have the kittens,” Varner says. “But every joke has a little bit of truth to it.”

Dogs Help During Pandemic

Eileen Nagle sees her family in video chats and drive-by visits, but that hasn’t made up for the lack of warm hugs in the nine months since the pandemic led her nursing home to shut its doors to visitors.

Enter Zeus.

“Zeus is a friendly little snowball, very happy,” said Nagle, 79, after the peppy bichon frise paid a visit to her room at Hebrew Home at Riverdale, overlooking the Hudson River in the Bronx. “Petting and playing with the dogs breaks up the day and gets you to forget about yourself for a while.”

Hebrew Home has had a pet therapy program for 20 years; tiny Zeus and gentle giant Marley the Great Dane are the current snugglers in residence. Now, the activities department is expanding the canine corps with two new recruits in training to give residents more of the affectionate physical contact that has become so scarce and precious in the coronavirus era.

“It’s uplifting to have Zeus come and visit me, especially with COVID and being restricted to my room,” said 80-year-old Jeff Philipson, beaming as he ran his fingers through Zeus’ silky white fur while the dog clambered on his bed. “I talk on the phone every day with my daughter and my son, but that’s as good as it can get for now.”

When the pandemic lockdown began in March, dog therapy was suspended along with most other activities at the nursing home.

“I decided we needed to re-energize the pet visiting program since there’s no outside visitation allowed,” said Daniel Reingold, founder of the pet therapy program and president and CEO of RiverSpring Health, nonprofit operator of 103-year-old Hebrew Home. “They’ve been on the floors bringing happiness and unconditional love to residents and staff alike.”

The dogs belong to staff members who bring them to work every day. But the program doesn’t allow just any dog.

“It has to be a combination of the right owner, right dog and right temperament,” said Reingold, whose own rescue dog, Kida, is one of the new recruits. “The dogs have to be assessed, follow basic commands and be able to cope with wheelchairs, elevators, medication carts and all the other things they’ll encounter on a floor.”

Cats are also used in the pet therapy program — but only robotic ones. Hebrew Home has numerous lifelike animatronic cats that purr and meow as residents hold them in their laps and stroke their fur. “The cats are especially soothing to people with dementia,” said Catherine Farrell, director of therapeutic activities, primary dog handler and owner of Marley.

“The love of an animal is incredible,” Farrell said. “It releases endorphins, reduces blood pressure, reduces anxiety. For people here who had animals in their life history, seeing dogs triggers memories and opens communication.”

While Farrell has to remain 6 feet away from residents and wear a face mask and plastic shield, Marley can plop his head on their beds as they pet him.

“To break through the social distancing barrier is really important,” Farrell said. “It’s one of the only ways they’re able to touch another living being and gain satisfaction from that physical connection.”

But it’s not just about petting a dog, said Olivia Cohen, dog handler and assistant director of the therapeutic activities program. For some residents, the interaction can break down barriers and open communication and emotional expression, she said.

Cohen recalls one woman who was struggling with anxiety and having trouble coping with the new environment when she moved into the home. “Nothing would get through to her to help her,” Cohen said. “But when I brought the dog to her, her complete affect changed from crying to having her face light up and telling stories about her own experiences.”

For resident Elizabeth Pagan, dog visits are a welcome respite from the isolation she has endured since she’s been restricted to FaceTime visits with her children, grandchildren and terrier-dachshund mix Ruby.

“It means a lot to me, makes me feel good when I pet the dogs,” said Pagan, who’s recovering from a stroke. “My favorite is Marley. He gives me a lot of comfort.”

Therapy Dogs Go Virtual

Ted The Therapy Dog

There’s a friendly, four-legged face roaming the hallways at Blair High School.

Ted, a 2-year-old goldendoodle, joined the staff at BHS as part of the school’s new therapy dog program.

“He just accepts everyone. Not one student feels like they can’t pet Ted because he won’t like them. Everyone comes up to Ted,” special education teacher Monica Maly said.

Maly and her family got Ted when he was just four months old.

“We just wanted a family dog” she said.

But after seeing his calm demeanor and suggestions from students to bring him to school, Maly began exploring the idea of using Ted as a therapy dog. She started with a basic obedience class.

“He craved going. He wanted to go. He loved going,” she said. “He had this separation of home and work. I knew it would be a good fit before we even pursued it.”

That’s when she approached then-BHS principal Tom Anderson, who already had interest in implementing such a program.

Following the obedience class, Ted had to complete the AKC Canine Good Citizen class, a six- to eight-week class that tested him on 10 different scenarios, including being around other dogs, accepting a friendly stranger, walking through a crowd and loose-leash walking.

“It was just a really intense class,” Maly said.

Ted passed, but because he was still so young, Maly decided to put him through the class again.

Maly then applied for Ted to be a part of the Edu-Pup program through Domesti-Pups in Lincoln. He worked with a trainer in Fremont for 10 weeks, finishing in July. He was then tested and placed on probation.

Ted was officially certified in October. That’s when he became a regular visitor to BHS, spending two to three days a week in Maly’s classroom.

“The kids have started picking up on his schedule,” she said. “He’s off leash. He can go roam at his pleasure.”

Ted has a calming effect on students in Maly’s classes, particularly to those who face anxiety issues.

“He’s just an additional tool to reach those kids’ needs and support them in a way that none of us can,” Maly said.

Sophomore Heather Gaver said Ted knows when students are feeling down.

“If there’s just a day I’m struggling, he just kind of walks by and sits there and wants to be petted,” she said. “Today has been a little bit of hard day and he walked by and just gave me kisses.”

Ted also offers some relief during what has been a very stressful year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“He has offered a point of physical touch and a friend that will come sit by your desk and be part of your group,” Maly said. “I think it’s just been a great thing this year because it’s way out of normal and no one could even imagine. But having him has helped them have something positive through this whole thing.”

Ted has become a benefit not just for the special education students, but all high school students.

“That’s why I really like to make a point of bringing him out during passing periods,” Maly said. “We have passersby that come every day to see him. They go out of their way during passing period to come say hi to him.”

This fall, Ted and Maly visited kindergartners at Deerfield Primary School. Maly said the hope is Ted can visit all of the primary schools once visitors are allowed again following the pandemic.