Reading To Therapy Dogs

A fun program in the D.C. area gives kids the opportunity to read to therapy dogs.

The D.C. nonprofit People Animals Love (PAL), switched from in-person to virtual meetings, and sessions are booking up fast. To meet demand, PAL is adding 120 reading slots next week.

Sessions are free and done over Zoom. In Bethesda, 8-year-old Zac Wancjer and his mom Dana told News4 the sessions give them something to look forward to.

“Zac is a huge dog-lover,” his mom began to say.

“And a huge reading lover!” Zac interjected.

“So the combination of the two has made it the perfect activity,” Dana Wancjer continued.

Before the pandemic, PAL visited 30 D.C.-area libraries. The nonprofit coordinates about 500 individually owned dogs, and a few cats, to provide comfort to people in places including hospitals, schools and prisons.

Now children are practicing reading virtually. Sessions start with introductions involving the entire group. Then each child goes into a virtual breakout room and reads to a therapy dog and their handler. After about 12 minutes, they switch and read to another dog.

“Dogs are not critical when kids make mistakes. So, I think it helps give them confidence, and it’s also a lot of fun,” Dana Wancjer said.

PAL Volunteer Kerri Schepers says the sessions have been rewarding and give parents a much-needed break.

“They don’t have to be responsible for 30 minutes of a 16-hour day, in this time of COVID. So, I think for them, it gives them a little bit of relief and their child learns something at the same time,” she said.

Hero Dog Awards

Dolly Pawton, a 4-year-old black Labrador Retriever, has been Amy Sherwood’s constant companion ever since Sherwood helped deliver Dolly in her own home. Dolly is also a trained service animal who helps monitor Sherwood’s cardiac health and assists Sherwood in her daily tasks.

Dolly is one of three national semifinalists in the service dog category for the 2020 American Humane Society’s Hero Dog Awards. She emerged from a pool of 408 dogs as one of the 21 overall semifinalists, which includes Aura of Brunswick, who is competing in the separate hearing/service dog category.

If Dolly wins in the next round of online voting in her category, she and Sherwood will go to Los Angeles to compete in the final round, which will be featured on the Hero Dog Awards Broadcast on the Hallmark Channel in October.

Sherwood has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, congestive heart failure and adrenal insufficiency and uses a wheelchair. Dolly is able to alert her if her heart rate gets too high or her blood pressure falls too low, in addition to helping Sherwood with her laundry, paying for items at stores or other ways to “help maintain the normalcy in life,” Sherwood said.

If Sherwood’s heart rate gets too high or her blood pressure drops too low, Dolly will come up to Sherwood and paw at her leg until she pays attention to her. But sometimes Dolly is too good at her job.

“I started playing in a pool league and my heart rate (becomes) escalated. I’ve tried to get her to not alert me and she’s like, no, you don’t feel good, so she’ll break free from my wheelchair and she’ll go get someone.”

Sherwood trained Dolly herself after picking up tips from former trainers and watching and comparing YouTube videos. When your heart rate goes up or your blood pressure goes down, Sherwood said, you give off a different smell that dogs can detect. In order to train Dolly to recognize the difference, Sherwood would put a cotton ball in her mouth when her heart rate was up and then when it was normal and keep each in a bag. She would present each of them to Dolly at different times and give her a treat when she reacted to the high heart rate cotton ball, and ignore her if she reacted to the normal heart rate cotton ball.

Sherwood also took Dolly to casinos and arcades to teach her how to use buttons and be comfortable in a crowd.

“I don’t even think she’s a dog. She does so many things that humans do. She likes fireworks. I trained her to like things that move and loud noises. When we go to the fair she actually likes going on the rides. Just because one service dog doesn’t like something, doesn’t mean another can’t,” Sherwood said.

Dolly has also given Sherwood more confidence and comfort especially, she said, as a survivor of domestic violence.

“Having people stare at me (in public) I felt different with a dog by my side because I felt like they were staring at the dog and not at me … It helped with the anxiety and the PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) with having people around me when I wasn’t comfortable.”

Sherwood is proud of Dolly.

“It’s pretty exciting because if she actually makes it to the next round … she’ll be able to share her story with everybody and show the show (that) she’s not just a service dog for me … She’s going to be able to show a lot of different things (that) a service dog can do and show that a service dog can have free time to be a typical dog,” Sherwood said.

At the end of the day, Sherwood said, the contest isn’t about the award, but “about teaching people about service dogs and what they can do.”

Anyone aged 18 and up who lives in the United States can vote for Dolly at herodogawards.org/dog/dolly-pawton. Voting ends July 16.

“The American Humane Hero Dog Awards are our way of honoring the best of our best friends,” noted Dr. Robin Ganzert, American Humane president and CEO. “This unique effort brings attention to the life-changing, life-saving power of the human-animal bond.”

Assistance Dogs Support Kids

The last few months have been an emotional roller coaster, but for just a moment imagine what it has been like for children who may have learning disabilities or need additional emotional support.

Tailwags and Bookbags is a non-profit organization that is continuing to help children in need by paying it forward with a “pawsome” helper.

Executive Director of Tailwags and Bookbags Karin Hemphill, introduced Bingo to our viewers during Good Day DC.

Bingo is a 7-year-old female Labrador Retriever facility service dog.

Hemphill said before the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools she and Bingo attended classes to support students with reading skills, speech skills, spatial awareness, anxiety and depression, along with a host of other challenges.

Now with the closures and lockdown they’ve had to hit the road, supporting students through home visits.

The organization usually has a full schedule with student support during the school year and into the summer months.

Hemphill admits she would love to have another K9 to help them help more kids.

That’s where Easterns Automotive Group and the FOX 5 Pay It Forward crew stepped in.

Corey Bassam, along with his little brother Ameen, presented Tailwags and Bookbags with a $7,000 check to cover the purchase of a new facility service dog. Bingo has made visits to the Lab Shool where Ameen is a student.

“I’m happy Bingo helps in so many ways.”

Pet A Pooch

Lex, a rescued Great Dane, and his owner Jennifer Neily have been a therapy team for about four years.

They often visit CC Young Senior Living but haven’t been able to attend since the coronavirus hit.

It was clear Lex missed his work, Neily said.

“We’d go for walks about every day, and he’d just go up to people in their driveway,” she said.

In mid April, Neily put Lex back to work outside their home on Belmont Avenue between Skillman Street and Abrams Road.

The pair sit outside from 6-7 p.m. and provide free therapy for anyone who wants to stop and say hello.

“He just eats it up,” Neily said. “We have some regulars who stop by. If someone doesn’t want to say hello, his feelings get hurt.”

The pair will continue “until the heat gets too unbearable,” Neily said.

Comfort Dog Gives Virtual Visits

Aidan is only 10 years old, but he’s already made quite the name for himself.

He’s the chief comfort officer at Brookfield-based ThoughtFocus, and the subject of a book. And he takes his work seriously — minus the occasional sloppy kiss.

Aidan is a comfort dog, and a unique one at that. He’s a crossbreed, part golden retriever and part poodle. And he’s been working as a comfort dog for eight years, since he was a puppy.

On June 1, Aidan and his owner, Samantha Kandah, made a virtual visit to the second-grade classes at Elmwood Elementary School in New Berlin. After students were given a copy of the book “Aidan the Hugging Goldendoodle,” they read the book with Aidan and his owner.

“We feel this is when the children need it,” Kandah said. “It’s a time of uncertainty for children. This is a way to bring them together.”

Originally, Aidan worked as a therapy dog at a hospital in Illinois. But after meeting with his trainer, it was decided he would be better suited as a comfort dog.

He specializes in giving emotional support. He works with children who have cancer and seniors in hospice care. He works with veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder.

He’s also worked with seniors in memory loss units.

“They don’t always remember their children or grandchildren but they remember Aidan, every single time,” Kandah said.

Kandah said Aidan has a big personality.

“He takes his work serious, but he’s goofy at the same time,” she said. “He just makes everybody’s day.”

Kandah is the marketing director for ThoughtFocus, a technology services company. She brought him with her to work one day.

The CEO of the company fell in love with him.

Shortly after, Aidan was given the title of chief comfort officer at ThoughtFocus.

Kandah said plans with a publisher fell through for the book. But she knew an illustrator, Jim Carlson, and author, Amy Albright, who have both known Aidan since he was a puppy.

So they went ahead and made the book themselves.

Kandah said the book is about Aidan finding his purpose in life.

As a puppy, his parents notice he has a special gift for kindness. So they send him to Chicago.

Chewie The Therapy Dog

Chewie the therapy dog is not quite Clifford the Big Red Dog, but at 85 pounds, he’s a pretty big guy. He’s also a pretty big help at Park Hill Elementary.

Chewie, a goldendoodle, is a certified therapy dog who spends much of his time at Park Hill helping special needs students. It’s his calling, his owner Jen Gage said.

Gage, who is the office manager at Gage Chiropractic, had a lifelong calling to work with special needs kids. As a child, reading was something that Gage struggled with in school.

“As a kid, I hated to read out loud,” Gage said. “I felt very insecure, and I would have to go to special reading groups.”

A few years ago, Gage started researching how dogs could be helpful to kids struggling with reading. She thought that “maybe I could help a child and make them feel a little bit more confident and competent.”

Chewie got his therapy dog certification back in 2016. He started out by spending time with young cancer patients at Wesley Medical Center.

The cancer doctor she was connected to at Wesley ended up leaving the hospital, so Gage needed to find somewhere else for Chewie to help.

“Around that time, [Park Hill Principal Sandy Rusher, a client at Gage Chiropractic], brought it to my attention that she would love to have a dog,” Gage said. “So I thought, ‘Well, here’s my opportunity. God works in mysterious ways.’”

Before the coronavirus shut down schools, Gage and Chewie would go to Park Hill and spend time each week with the SLC classes. They would go to recess with special needs students every Monday. On Wednesdays, she and Chewie would visit kids in different classrooms and grade levels and read with them.

“It’s been extremely rewarding,” Gage said. “It just makes my heart happy when I see those children light up just because of a dog.”

Sandy Rusher will serve as principal at the new Stone Creek Elementary in the fall, and Gage and Chewie plan to follow her there too.

“But I’m also going to continue at Park Hill, because the SLC class has made such great strides in two years,” Gage said. “I don’t want to stop doing that, so I’ll continue at both schools.”

When he’s not at a school, Chewie can be found at the Gage Chiropractic office. Patients young and old love seeing him there.

“A grown man will walk in here, and then it’s just baby talk,” Gage said. “There’s a woman who’s 87 years old who brings treats for him every time she sees him.”

Chewie may be a big guy, but he’s got a cool demeanor. Gage said she sometimes calls him Bob Marley “because he’s just so calm.”

“With the kids, he’ll lay down, and they’ll lay on top of him and read,” Gage said. “He’s just very relaxed.”

Chewie may soon be expanding his services even further. Recently Gage and Chewie crossed paths with a Derby High School SRO officer, and the officer recognized Chewie and asked for his business card. Chewie might help at the high school with some of the higher-anxiety students.

Wherever he goes next, there’s one thing Chewie will definitely keep doing: “Bringing a smile to somebody’s face,” Gage said.

Animal Allies

Animal Allies is in need of help and generous donations from the community after responding to a hoarding situation involving 24 dogs.

There’s a GoFundMe page for the dogs, where Animal Allies explains the situation. The 24 Basenji mix dogs were discovered in a Animal Allies service area.

Animal Allies says the dogs come from a challenging situation. They lived together with limited human contact. Animal Allies said each dog will need its own individual care plan. Some are already available for adoption and others will be with the animal shelter for an extended amount of time.

Animal Allies is asking for donations to provide care for the dogs. They said some of them are in better physical and mental health than others. Six of the dogs will need significant medical treatment beyond what they can provide at the shelter.

Thankfully, Animal Allies was able to find a placement for them with rescue groups that specialize in the type of care they need.

The medical team is assessing the needs of the remaining 18 dogs. Some of them need hernia surgery and dental work. All of the dogs will be given medical exams, vaccinations and will be spayed or neutered.

Animal Allies said taking in a large group of special needs dogs like this is a huge strain on shelter resources. They said the adoption fees will only cover a fraction of the real cost of caring for the dogs. They estimate the cost will be between $350 and $1500 per dog. That’s why Animal Allies is asking the community to step in and help.

Animal Allies says these dogs have likely never lived in a traditional home environment, adding that they are going to require work, patience and special training on the part of the adopters, which Animal Allies says they will help with.

The donations have reached over $5,000 with a goal of $10,000 to give all the dogs the care they need.

Bentley And Friends

As with our own life experience, we age, so aches and pains become a little more frequent and a little more noticeable.

The same is the case with our dogs. They get a little slower with age and even though they can’t tell us, they are in a little more pain.

How can we help? Well, there are plenty of therapies out there that are proven to work! We’ll start with cold laser therapy. Dr. Cooke administered cold laser therapy on Bentley and has seen many success stories surrounding it.

“Cold laser is very helpful for arthritic conditions particularly of the limbs, the knees, the elbows, the hips and it can also be useful for the spine,” Dr. Cooke explained.

It is a simple, non-invasive therapy that is painless for the dog. Dr. Cooke also says this therapy can speed up the healing process after surgery.

Acupuncture is another therapy with big benefits as your pets grow older.

“Just about every pet can benefit, especially every dog as they age. Because of that, it helps relax them, it helps with endorphins, it helps with inflammatory properties, it helps with neurotransmitters in the brain,” Dr. Cooke said.

The relaxation is real. Bentley, after just one treatment, acted more like a puppy with a new spring in his step!

A chiropractic adjustment first comes to mind if we kink our back. We can do the same with our dogs. The practice of manipulating the spine and adjusting the vertebrae can have a huge impact on a dog’s well-being and happiness.

“They never complain, never squawk out in pain so when we adjust them and when we do a motion palpation, we feel the individual motion segments throughout the body. We can feel if there is a restriction and then correct that restriction and then we look to see how they respond to it.”

Dr. Cooke says it’s beneficial to start chiropractic as soon as you get a new pup! This will ensure proper adjustment and being ahead of any issues before they arise.

As your dog enters their golden years be sure to do a little research and consult your veterinarian about these therapies and how they could really help any conditions your dog may have.

Therapy Dog Rusty

The owner of Rusty, the well-known therapy dog who comforted patients and staff at St. Boniface Hospital, has adopted a new dog, Hero, to take up Rusty’s work.

A new pup is about to fill the shoes, or paws rather, of Winnipeg’s most beloved therapy dog.

The glasses-wearing hospital therapy dog Rusty died in February, after retiring from his 10-year post at St. Boniface Hospital in November.

His owner, George Ames, decided to look for another dog with Rusty’s calm temperament who could take up Rusty’s work, comforting patients and hospital staff. He posted an ad on Kijiji a few weeks ago, looking for a dog that might be suitable, and got a response from a woman in the Selkirk area who breeds Siberian huskies.

“She said, ‘Come meet Hero. If you think he’s right for you, he’s yours,'” Ames said.

Ames said he could tell right away that Hero had the kind and calm demeanour he was looking for in a new dog.

“He is so gentle, wants to be loved. And when we put the Rusty glasses and name tag and scarf on him, he just stood so still, and I said we have a new Rusty dog and his name is Hero.”

The part-time breeder, who had planned to keep Hero, gave Ames the dog for free, he said.

Hero is already very well-trained, Ames said, and he thinks the four-year-old dog could start doing therapy work right away.

“Plus his natural temperament is a huge asset. I just think there are some dogs that are possibly very difficult to train at this level, and he is just a gift.”

He’s planning to take his new pup into hospitals once Hero is certified and the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Treats For Furry Friends

For many of us, the last few months have brought us even closer to our furry friends. Families, couples, and singles who may or may not have had a pet found themselves adopting at record highs. For many it wasn’t just about helping animals, it was also about adding additional spirit and love into our homes.

As human beings we need affection. There’s a comfort in the unconditional love of an animal spirit that is unlike anything human. Our pets could care less where we come from, if we are young or old, male or female, or even the color of our skin. As long as we return that love the best way we can. Animals can give us affection when we least expect or ask for it. There’s a feeling of hope in a sincere look, an affectionate paw on your hand, or furry lick on your cheek, or even a roll over on their back begging for a belly rub.

Animals have an unconditional love and even a sixth sense about them, that we don’t normally find in most humans. For decades now my family has had therapy dogs. Primarily little fluffy bichon’s frise. As therapy dogs, they took their job seriously, and went person to person giving wiggles and kisses. They just saw love. They would have cared less how old, short, tall, young, beautiful, ugly, maybe a little stinky or maybe a little sweet, anyone was. It always amazed me how the loving pets tuned into someone who maybe had lost a loved one or even were simply having a rough day. That’s when we need affection the most and we don’t even know it. A person’s entire demeanor or mood, could change after five minutes with that little ball of fluff.

Many of our fur babies have enjoyed us being home more than anyone else. They still follow us room to room, but that’s just showing us love. We’ve all eaten and often treated ourselves to all sorts of next level deliciousness a time or two, at least, these last few months. Have you treated your pet to a little extra spoiling?

When given the opportunity to spoil us with their love, pet’s don’t miss a beat. One of my favorite ways to spoil my furry friends is with homemade treats. Today I have included two of my favorite easy ingredients and easy pet biscuit recipes. What better way to spoil the light in your life, or give this wonderful gift when going to a friend or relatives house.

When you know what ingredients are going into the treat you can relax that you are also helping your pet. It amazes me the ingredients list that can go into store bought treats. Many times these are things I wouldn’t want to put in a human body, let alone an animal. Today’s treats are great for pets with allergies or training treats. Don’t limit the treats to only for cats or only for dogs. A lot of dogs love salmon, and some cats love peanut butter.

Homemade Salmon Kitty Treats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

(Quantity depends on cookie cutter size. These may be frozen, but if kept out Don’t keep for more than two weeks).

10 oz canned salmon, undrained

1 egg, (farm fresh it you can), beaten

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cookie cutter of your choice, (if you can find a fish, they make it a little extra fun)

Place salmon in a food processor (pulse setting) or chop very fine. Move to a standing mixer, or mix by hand and add egg and flour. A ball of dough will begin to form. If too dry, add a little bit of water slowly. If too wet, add a little more flour. You don’t want dough to be sticky.

Sprinkle a little flour down on a cutting board or clean surface and place dough on top. Roll with a lightly sprinkled rolling pin until the dough is about 1/4 of an inch thick. Begin to cut dough with a cookie cutter.

Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for at least 20 minutes. Result should be beautiful golden brown cookies with a nice crunch. Allow to cool and serve immediately. Your pet will be ready.

Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

(Quantity depends on cookie cutter size. When I use a mini bone cookie cutter I can easily make over a hundred. These can be frozen, or even kept in a mason jar.)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas (I love to use a little bit of both.)

1/4 cup broth/stock (veg/chicken/or beef….but use the real thing, don’t cut this corner and use a quick cube. Your pet doesn’t need all that sodium or MSG.)

1 cookie cutter of your choice, or even the bottom of a small cup if you don’t have any.

Combine all ingredients except broth. Once thoroughly blended, add broth/stock. Mix until well blended. The result will be a thick dough. Start to use your hands and press into a ball of dough.

Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Result should be beautiful golden brown cookies. Store in an airtight container, but serve one or two, or three immediately. Depends how many pets you have.