Animals Visits

Residents of Good Samaritan Society Wolf Home were treated to a visit by animals outside their windows on Sunday afternoon, June 7.
Making the rounds outside the nursing home were (phot, l.-r.) Sharon Casper with her therapy dog Max, Tyler Bettencourt and his fiance Landi Peregrine with their goat, miniature calf and two dogs, and Eric and Michelle Casper with their therapy dog Charlee.

Virtual Pet Visits

While stress is at an all-time high for many residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, one organization is using therapy pets to provide support to the community.

Pets on Wheels is a nonprofit which matches facilities in Maryland with volunteer pet therapy teams, free of charge. Most visits are made to residents in nursing homes, assisted living communities, hospitals and facilities for the physically and mentally challenged, but the group also services schools and libraries and responds to stressful situations within communities.

Sharon Stapf, Southern Maryland coordinator of Pet on Wheels, told The Enterprise the organization started in 1982 with a study regarding therapy pets easing loneliness for the homebound and eventually evolved into a pet therapy organization, serving most of Maryland including St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert counties. Owner of Sky and Callie, two certified therapy dogs, Stapf said the COVID-19 related shutdowns did not stop them from continuing to help people, along with many other volunteers, while also following social distancing guidelines.

When the state’s stay-at-home order was enacted, Stapf said they had to “get creative” with their response and started virtual visits “right away.” While Pets on Wheels was already visiting with the University of Maryland Medical Center, they tried their first virtual hour-long visit through their already-existing Zoom link.

“The first visit took some tweaking” and it was a challenge to get the animals to understand what was happening, she said, but adjustments were made and now three times a week, twice a day, a virtual pet therapy meeting is held at the medical center.

Stapf claimed “people loved it” and they got a lot of “good feedback and people are spreading the word.” She said recently there have been more requests for virtual sessions from the regular places they visit.

To protect privacy, the therapy pet teams cannot see patients, but the teams are seen and heard by patients and staff who sign in to the meeting. The liaison staff person relays questions or greetings to the pets via chat. Waves, smiles, wags and pet tricks are often involved.

In-person visits were often made at Discovery Commons Senior Living facility in California, but now Stapf said the group is planning a virtual session at the home on June 26, which is also National Take Your Dog to Work Day.

According to Kaitlin Roy, activities director at Discovery Commons, the facility will be hooking up video chat to a projector so residents can interact with the dog and the owner. She said when in-person visits were made prior to COVID-19, “everyone got excited” and would “swarm” out of their rooms to see the pets.

“It raises [the residents’] spirits and it makes them happy as animals usually do,” she said

At the La Plata branch of the Charles County library system, the first Paws to Read program began in April 2011, Leigh Batty, assistant branch manger, said in an email, and they have since “expanded the program to include our Waldorf West branch.”

Although the COVID-19 pandemic closed library facilities, “we felt it was very important to continue connecting with and serving our community through virtual library programs,” Batty said.

Virtual Paws to Read will soon be offered on the third Wednesday of every month from 6 to 7:15 p.m. using Zoom and although the program is geared toward kids, adults are welcome to sign up as well, she said, adding, “We love this program.”

She said they use “a combination of Pet on Wheels therapy dogs as well as Charles County Humane Society certified therapy dogs for their in-person programs … we find it is a great way to encourage kids to read and help overcome shyness about reading out loud.”

Pets on Wheels was scheduled to visit the College of Southern Maryland’s Prince Frederick campus in May for stress relief sessions during finals, Natasha Miller, professional counselor on the campus, said during a Zoom interview, but after campuses closed for COVID-19, a virtual therapy pets session took its place.

Kellie Jamison, professional mental health counselor at the La Plata campus, said the session “went very well” and was a nice break from their typical Zoom meetings. She said the session lasted around an hour and about ten students participated.

“Students really enjoyed hearing the stories” about the animals, she said, which included several dogs and a rabbit.

Although the pet therapy session was not in-person as planned, Jennifer Fossell, a professional counselor at the Leonardtown campus, said, “It was still very beneficial,” and described the experience as “uplifting” and “heart-warming.”

Stapf made it clear the therapy pets are not service animals. Rather, owners volunteer with their pets, which must pass a temperament screening to be certified. Something interesting about the virtual meetings, she said, was non-therapy pets tend to wander into frame from time to time and appearances have been made by bearded dragons, birds and kittens that wouldn’t normally have been included. She said “more exotic [animals] from Baltimore” have been able to virtually visit Southern Maryland and vice-versa.

“It’s hard to explain social distancing to dogs. They did not understand at first that putting on their custom blue work vest did not mean a ride in the car to see the many friends they have at their facilities but instead meant sitting in front of the computer to make a visit,” Stapf said. “With a help of a few treats, however, they soon caught on and have even started to recognize the other therapy pets from other regions across the state that they have not met in person but see regularly now on the screen.”

In addition to the virtual visits, Pets on Wheels have been notes and cards to residents and staff at nursing homes and hospitals, as well as pictures, donations and even hand made paw print art and some volunteers are doing their own direct Skype visits.

Guide Dog Teams

In this time when so many of our social rituals have changed to accommodate the new rules of a global pandemic, one thing remains a constant: the need to remember to always use your powers of observation and offer a comfortable “physical distance” around a guide dog and his human handler when they are out in a public setting.

Guide dogs are the eyes of their handler — they are trained to lead the way safely and securely. But we can’t expect guide dogs to understand the current physical distancing practice of maintaining 6-foot clearances.

Guide dogs are trained to be decision makers. Even under stressful situations the intent of the dogs’ presence is to protect their handlers from harmful situations involving clearances around obstacles and navigating over dangerous under footings. When another party is in too close proximity, it can distract the dog from its tasks. Just as we humans like our space, guide dogs need space as well to perform their duties. Our wonderful guide dogs are specifically trained to make safe choices in public settings. This includes on stairways, elevators, and escalators; in supermarket aisles; around restaurant tables and along sidewalks. The long-standing message of being a careful observer applies when you are in the same vicinity as the guide dog team —especially when locating, entering, or exiting doorways. Remember that the dog knows to lead his handler with safe clearance, but he does not know how to create a 6-foot gap. I believe the guide dog’s presence should tell the story and that we humans must observe and react with care. The responsibility for recommended physical spacing in the presence of a working team should fall to the sighted party. Please decide when it is necessary to make the adjustment for 6-feet of distance between you, and do it in a casual manner. When you see a guide dog team approaching, be observant and add a small amount of space between you as needed. There is no reason for exaggeration, but it’s easy to add a little physical separation to comply with safety practices. A slight movement one way or another will help a lot. We each do it every day in our people-to-people encounters.  And please do this with subtlety and tact. The blind person approaching you does not want to feel awkward or to be put on the spot. Nor do they want to be given preferential treatment. Blindness in and of itself can be the cause of social isolation and often results in loneliness and distancing from life and human interaction. We are in no way suggesting that you avoid engaging with a visually impaired person — just not when that can interfere with their safety and health. We are all having to make adjustments to adhere to the new protocols and safety measures designed to flatten the curve of COVID-19 in our daily lives. Thank you for being sensitive about giving our life-changing guide dogs a little more space in theirs. Southeastern Guide Dogs transforms lives by creating and nurturing extraordinary partnerships between people and dogs. Our organization operates the most advanced training facilities of any service dog organization in the world. Our experts breed, raise, and train elite working dogs—including guide dogs, service dogs, and skilled companion dogs—and provide life-changing services for people with vision loss, veterans with disabilities, and children with significant challenges such as vision loss or the loss of a parent in the military.

ESA Bella

Most days at the City of Webster’s dispatch center are chaotic, according to Assistant Chief of Police Pete Bacon. The center takes calls from fire departments, emergency medical service stations and police departments across the region 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which often takes a toll on the mental health of the telecommunications officers (TCOs).

“There are times when there are phones ringing off the wall constantly,” Bacon said. “It’s a pressure-cooker environment.”

The center is run by 14 TCOs that are the city’s first line of defense in emergency situations. Bacon said after Hurricane Harvey inundated the call center in 2018, it was decided the TCOs would benefit from more mental health services, such as an emotional support dog.

Since Harvey, the city has been searching for ways to help alleviate the stresses TCOs deal with on a day-to-day basis. At the end of 2019, officers found the perfect answer when the city adopted a deaf, 6-year-old British bulldog named Bella.

“Bella is a calm and affectionate bulldog. She is deaf, which is a good thing since the call center can be pretty chaotic,” TCO Tiffany Swanson said in a Facebook post from the city. “You can’t stay upset when you’re petting a dog.”

“She [Trover] is a behind-the-scenes hero, she doesn’t get enough credit for what she does,” Bacon said. “She recognized that that dog was the right fit for us and she was right.”

Bella lives at the dispatch center and is cared for by the 14 TCO’s and police officers that routinely drop in to visit her. Dog beds are spread throughout the call center and she has her own spot in the employee lounge where she spends her time snoozing and snacking. A local veterinarian visits Bella once a week for free and has helped the dog recover from her kennel cough and an ear infection that she was diagnosed with when she first came to the center.

Since news of Bella’s adoption spread, Bacon said she has basically become famous. Bella is even attracting potential employees that Bacon said have reached out and said they wanted to apply simply because of the adorable bulldog they know would make their job much more enjoyable.

“The social media feedback we have had has been overwhelmingly positive,” Bacon said. “Just the fact that we have Bella [also makes] a difference for us in recruiting.”

Bacon said adding Bella to the center has been a win-win for everyone involved. The officers enjoy her company during stressful situations and Bella has been given a new lease on life.

“She is just very sweet and loving and calm,” Bacon said. “She loves to visit with people and her favorite game is to chase the officer’s flashlights on the ground. She is a very gentle soul.”

Lex The Therapy Dog

 

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.

Veteran Receives Service Dog

When Master Sergeant Steven Doty, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Webster University graduate who is now the executive director at Webster’s Hill Air Force Base campus in Utah, arrives at work, his co-workers often make comments such as “he’s a good boy” and “he’s so cute!”

But those comments aren’t aimed at Doty, rather, they are reserved for his service dog Filos, which accompanies him to help him cope with his PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Doty, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Media Communications and Rhetoric in 2016 through the School of Communications, was paired with his dog, Filos, a few months ago through the program K9’s for Warriors, a non-profit organization that provides service dogs to disabled American veterans.

He is now helping raise awareness of PTSD by publicly sharing his story. He recently was featured on featured on FOX 13 news about PTSD and how service dogs help.

According to Doty, K9’s for Warriors pairs veterans with dogs based on medical submissions, personality profiles, interview questions, the temperament of the dogs, and the advice of the dog trainers. “They offer you about four solid days of bonding with your dog,” he said. “The intent is to strictly develop a strong bond with your animal and develop a respect and mutual connection before pursuing any further through the training course.”

Doty said he had many doubts—not so much about the science behind the program, but about whether he was ready to have his condition made public by a vest-wearing dog, along with the attention that would come with it. “Filos would sense this emotional adversity and conduct small gestures of his acknowledgement and calm me down. It was as if he was attempting to communicate trust and affection,” he said.

“It is very hard to explain, and it nearly sounds mythical, but in all honesty, had it not been for his loyal companionship and earnest and instinctual affection, I very-well would have chosen to remove myself from the program and attempt to pursue this recovery in continual solitude,” Doty continued. “He certainly chose me before I chose him.”

Although he wasn’t medically discharged from the service until 2019, Doty said he’d been diagnosed with PTSD long before that, in 2010. “I didn’t truly acknowledge the severity or validity of the diagnosis until much later in mid-2012,” he said. “I believe the catalyst came when I acknowledged a serious chronic pain from a back and leg injury in Afghanistan, and my career and life were slowed as a result or frequent medical procedures, including serious surgery.”

Doty continued, “I believe it was this sudden, nearly abrupt halt of a kinetic and active life which thrust my thoughts to more active, transitioned my subconscious to overly conscious, and cultivated my self-awareness – even doubt – to a keener state. Even then, I had a difficult time accepting that there was a cognitive problem, and while some of it had to do with stigma and social norms regarding mental health, much of it was fear of what it would do to my life, my career and to the relationships that were a significant part of my life at the time.”

Doty said that Webster University has been supportive throughout his entire journey. “As a student, faculty and student-support staff were understanding, personable and approachable,” he said. “If and when circumstances were overwhelming personally, medically or professionally, it was certainly easy to reach out and discuss the factors impacting my life with my superiors and resolve work-arounds, discuss alternative strategies, or simply to voice my troubles to a compassionate ear.”

“As an employee, I was offered reasonable accommodation after surgeries to sustain the workload required, and was fully endorsed when the discussion of a service dog arose as a part of my new lifestyle; there was excitement, elation and genuine interest in the promise they hoped it brought to my recovery. I sometimes question how an organization can be so understanding to a condition so many are fearful of, even hesitant to acknowledge.”

Doty noted that as a team member of the Military Campus Network, having co-workers familiar with the military life and the various stressors, cultural norms and emotions associated with post-military life were instrumental in this caring and compassionate spirit.

“My supervisor, Benjamin Brink [senior director Military Campus Operations], was a former Navy Commander and his ability to relate and connect with my background allowed me to have not only a mutual understanding of my circumstances, but an ‘offline’ mentor at any time, day or night,” he said.

Susan Schultz, Scott Air Force Base Campus Director, is another colleague Doty found extremely helpful. “Susan and I have always had a wonderful, professional connection, but in learning more about each other, we realized we had a great deal more to offer each other,” he stated. “When I was wrestling with stressors, magnified as the result of PTSD/TBI, she detected this and provided a safe, effective avenue for me to express my thoughts and feelings in an empathetic, healthy and productive manner.”Doty went on, “That’s the truest testament to Webster’s accommodations: the notion that they cared more about supporting whatever was necessary for me to get better, than caring about the background experiences or specific factors that arose for my need of such a visual and tangible resource like a service dog.”

Doty said that the best thing other people who are suffering from PTSD can do is acknowledge it. “If there was any headline to my prior management of a very present health condition, it was ‘avoidance,’” he said. “Whether PTSD, or any other medical condition, and no matter the person, keeping yourself locked-in with those adversities only serves to stifle growth. Acknowledgment of our adversities helps us to achieve even more than we first believed.”

Doty said it’s also important to seek help by any means necessary. “Open yourself up to someone, anyone you trust. That might very well be the conversation that transports you into the desired path to a better, more optimal life,” he said. “The road to healing and recovery is arduous, daunting and unfamiliar. The ‘new normal’ feels absent, even awkward. Yet, as time pushes forward, you’ll see more clearly what that toxicity was doing to your life and how you’re prouder and more relatable to the person you were without the negative impacts imparting your daily life. You’ll get better, but you’ll never be the same.”

“I hope that one day, there is no need for Filos to serve as my service dog, my ‘supplemental resource,’ Doty said. “That I can one day ‘de-vest’ and ‘break’ him for the last time, and introduce him simply as, ‘my dog, my best friend…my Filos.’”

Therapy Dogs

Brody and Marge McDaniel were among the dogs and their owners who brought smiles to residents.Following social distancing guidelines due to coronavirus, several dog groups visited Solaris HealthCare Nursing and Rehab facility in Merritt Island on June 9. Space Coast Therapy Dogs, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, and Canine Star Training Academy teamed up for their third visit since the COVID-19 pandemic prevented their indoor face to face visits. Residents smiled and waved at the dogs from behind windows, and are looking forward to the return of contact visits. Smiles on both sides of the windows. This little dog Hope was with her owner Lisa McCann. Following social distancing guidelines due to coronavirus, several dog groups visited Solaris Healthcare Nursing and Rehab facility in Merritt Island on June 9. Space Coast Therapy Dogs, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, and Canine Star Training Academy teamed up for their third visit since the COVID-19 pandemic prevented their indoor face to face visits. Residents smiled and waved at the dogs from behind windows, and are looking forward to the return of contact visits. Trekker, a lovable bearded collie and show dog, was here with Jewel McDonald of Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Following social distancing guidelines due to coronavirus, several dog groups visited Solaris HeathCare in Merritt Island on June 9. Space Coast Therapy Dogs, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, and Canine Star Training Academy teamed up for their third visit since the COVID-19 pandemic prevented their indoor face to face visits. Residents smiled and waved at the dogs from behind windows, and are looking forward to the return of contact visits.

Therapy 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 doesn’t take his work too lightly — 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 that 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.

But he gets a little lost and doesn’t understand his purpose in life until he hears a child’s cry, Kandah said.

The philanthropic arm of ThoughtFocus, ComfortGives, was looking for ways to reach out to the community during the coronavirus pandemic. So they decided to host a virtual reading of the book with a nearby school.

A book was distributed to every student of the class — 100 books, all told.

Tonia Becker of ThoughtFocus said literacy, mental health and stress reduction are causes that ComfortGives cares about.

Michelle Breitenfeldt, a second-grade teacher at Elmwood, said the storytime fit well into their social-emotional learning (SEL) instruction.

SEL is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions, according to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

She said her students loved the storytime.

“This meeting was an engaging way to focus on those skills and help children see a real-world example of people, and a dog, reaching out to help others,” she said. “Hopefully, through the example of a comfort dog, children will see the benefit of identifying their feelings and seeking out ways to get their social-emotional needs met.”

Aidan is currently offering virtual hugs at no cost to children across Wisconsin.

During the visits, Aidan and Kandah learn a little about the child. Aidan will even kiss the screen for the child.

He’s done 50 so far, and is ready for more.

Animals Roles In Ecosystem

Many of the environmental problems that are plaguing Earth right now is caused by various activities created by humans and it’s affecting all life forms on our planet.

As the earth, its ecosystems, and its creatures are all deeply connected, the existence of many species depends on the survival of others.

While humans are now relying on complex technologies and science to fix what they have caused, animals are continuously doing their natural roles in their environment to help save our Earth.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways animals help us in maintaining  Mother Nature.

Elephants

Elephants are one of the most intelligent species on Earth.

Not only are they capable of strong emotions, but they also play a key role in the environment. During dry seasons, elephants use their large tusks to dig for water—providing some much-needed relief from the heat for other animals.

They also create gaps in the forest vegetation when they eat, thus creating space for new plants to grow and for smaller animals to find new paths through the forest.

Bees

We all know that bees sting. But they also have a sweet side. Between all the buzzing, these insects help pollinate plenty of plants, keeping our environment rich and thriving. Science has also discovered bees make great detectors. They have been used to locate abandoned but active landmines and as indicators of when toxic chemicals have been released in an area.

Dogs

Dogs are considered by many to be humanity’s best friend for many reasons.

From astute service dogs guiding those with visual impairments to loyal friends providing emotional support to search and rescue canines saving lives, this animal has broad positive effects on our world and well-being.

Paws Program