Finding A Furry Friend

The things that are especially easy, when it comes to loving a tail-swishing, whisker-rubbing, tongue-lapping, wet-nosed cuddler?

Refilling the water bowl is easy. Making sure your cutie’s go-to toy is in good shape, and not too gnawed upon, is easy. Keeping their favorite blankie clean? So easy.

And now meeting your potential soul mate, of the four-footed variety, has gotten truly easy, thanks to a fresh feature on the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services site.

It’s a new pet search function that gives potential pet parents the chance to view animals that are in foster care, a service that will offer “… a more extensive list” of the cats, dogs, and other critters needing forever homes.

“Prior to the new pet search, only shelter guests in our Animal Services Centers were viewable on our site. The addition of the pets in foster care now allows the public to see animals currently in foster who are also available for adoption,” reveals the department.

As for how many pets are in foster care at any one time?

The number is sizable: Right now over 300 felines and Fidos are in temporary homes, awaiting a permanent placement.

“When animals are in foster, we are able to gain valuable information about these wonderful animals from their foster families, like whether these pets enjoy being with children, other dogs or cats in the home as well as their personalities and activity levels – would they make great running and hiking partners or prefer to hang out and binge watch with owners on the latest shows,” shared Brenda Barnette, the general manager at LA Animal Services.

“These kinds of insights are helpful to know when looking to place our companion animals with permanent families.”

Therapy Dogs On Zoom

Nicholas Gaiani grinned as he narrated the lyrics to a beloved Louis Armstrong song for his furry audience on Zoom from his home in Bethesda.

“And I think to myself, what a wonderful world,” Nicholas, 6, read from the illustrated book version of the song, as he does each week during his “Read to a PAL Therapy Dog!” session.

The Washington-based nonprofit group called People. Animals. Love. has switched its in-person meetups to virtual sessions during the pandemic to serve hundreds of kids per month who are practicing reading.

No hard feelings. They’re judgment-free sessions, so dog naps are okay. And if new readers want to strut their stuff – or even if they struggle with some words – that’s all right, too.

PAL coordinates about 500 individually owned dogs and a few cats to provide comfort to people in places such as care facilities, libraries and prisons. During the pandemic, the young readers program moved online to keep the service going.

Kids are often frightened if a teacher asks them to read in front of the classroom, but they are not intimidated by dogs, which makes the pooches a more comfortable audience.

“He’s enjoying meeting the different types of dogs, and he gets excited when he recognizes a name,” said Gaiani, 41. “He’s just been happy to read to someone other than his parents. It’s been a really good outlet for that.”

The Zoom sessions are also helping Nicholas, a kindergartner at Burning Tree Elementary School in Bethesda, cope with isolation.

“In the beginning, the kids were excited to be home. . . . Now, some of that excitement has worn off,” she said. “He misses his friends. This is something for him to look forward to – something different in his daily routine.”

BPSO Therapy Dog

The Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office is enlisting a four-legged friend to assist detectives when interacting with child victims.

On Monday, Sheriff-elect Mark Herford announced BPSO would now be working with Blue, a certified therapy dog and his handler, Judy Bailey. Herford said the pair will be called in whenever detectives will be interacting or interviewing children who have been involved in a crime that they are investigating.

Herford said most often the children that detectives are speaking with have been exposed to traumatic events, which can lead to anxiety and even fear when having to speak with detectives about those events. By introducing Blue to those children or juveniles, Herford said he hopes to ease those anxieties and help the children be more at ease before having to speak or be interviewed.

“We are immediately rolling out this new effort to bring in Blue and allow him to be available to these children prior to having to speak to detectives, and afterwards as well. Our goal is to lessen the stress that child victims have to endure in these difficult situations; they have been through enough already by the time officers are involved,” Herford said.

Blue, a rescue catahoula and Australian Shepherd mix, has been a certified therapeutic visitation dog for the past five years, and previously worked with the Beauregard Parish juvenile court system where he visited with children awaiting their appearance in court.

Most of those children were caught in difficult family situations at the time, but Blue’s handler said being able to play with a dog like Blue and watch him perform simple tricks allowed those children to feel less anxious during their wait time.

“It’s always amazing to see the difference a therapy dog can make in the life of someone who is hurting, be it physically or emotionally,” Bailey told the American Press.

Virtual Therapy Dogs

Ricochet has been surfing with wounded warriors and helping people with PTSD for years. Now, her human is finding opportunities for people to see her virtually.

Care Centers Get Visitors

Paula Seck had an idea to cheer up folks that were confined to nursing homes or care centers over these last two months.

She loaded up the horses and “Diesel” the dog, along with volunteers who brought animals, and went about to bring joy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We work with an Oklahoma-owned home health and hospice,” said Seck. “During the coronavirus, we could not see our customers. We started doing pet therapy. We owned ponies and dogs.”

A lot of elderly patients had horses so Seck thought they would appreciate being around them.

The group, made up mainly of people connected with Oklahoma-owned Complete Home Health and Hospice, hit the road in Wagoner and Muskogee.

At the Wagoner Care Center: “It was a wonderful day. We did window therapy. Some opened their windows and talked to us and thanked us. That was so rewarding,” Seck said.

At Muskogee’s Pleasant Valley: “They brought residents outside and served popcorn and snow cones. The horses got to eat out of their hands and we kept six feet away for social distancing,” Seck added.

Kerissa Seck had the horses. She also joined in greeting the folks.

Others that made the trips were Kathy Gosselin, Donna Byers and Nan Perryman with her grandson.

Why did they do this?

“We love giving back to the community. It’s neighbors caring for neighbors. We wanted to be there for them,” Seck concluded.

Therapy Dogs And Snack Packs

Riverbank Elementary is closed but that hasn’t stopped school nurse Ruth Neese.

Her mission is helping others.

The Lexington 2 school nurse  has taken her work into the community to reach students and others.

Neese started with goody bags after schools were closed by covid-19.

“I shopped for the items to fill my first 50 bags.

“I started with drop-off yard visits, so I could see the faces of sweet children and send words of encouragement to their families.”

She later put together 350 bags for Easter, thanks to candy donations made to the Scooter Scott Project.

She delivered those bags to Riverbank Elementary  along with snack bags toto the weekday drive-thru and bus delivery meal service.

“Now, I’m collecting donations of toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and other self-care items,” Neese said.

“I just couldn’t see a candy bag without a dental care follow-up!”

She also has 2 certified therapy dogs, Jet and Lu.

They have been working on read-alouds, drive-by visits and stops to some Lexington County Fire Service stations.

“We have been temporarily displaced from our usual pet therapy commitments, so staying in touch with our community has kept our ministry moving forward,” she said

Her dogs typically visit extended care and adult day care centers and greet Sunday travelers passing through Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

She hopes this fall to visit children at Lexington County Library’s Cayce-West Columbia branch, and return to regular commitments with Jet and Lu.

Riverbank Elementary Principal David Sims said Neese “definitely chose the right profession.

“She loves helping others and meeting their needs.

“Ruth has partnered with community resources to provide food, assistance, and comfort.

“She even took time to share her therapy dogs with first responders.”

Therapy Dogs Are Spreading Cheer

Video call meetings and work-from-home regulations are no longer just for humans. Illinois-based organisations that offer therapy dog services are having their canines offer their emotional support online.

Typically in disasters, therapy dogs are dispatched to physically comfort those affected, said Tim Hetzner, president and CEO of Lutheran Church Charities.

But, with growing concerns and physical limitations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, video calls have comforted those who need it the most.

With the physical restrictions of the state’s stay-at-home order, many Chicagoans are also choosing to foster pets for companionship.

“Many states have stay-at-home orders, and we thought of how we could continue to touch people without being able to physically go out with the animals,” Hetzner said.

The organisation, based in Northbrook, has a comfort dog ministry that trains dogs and dispatches them to other churches, schools and universities as well as places hit by disaster or crisis.

Virtual appointments with the dogs can be made by filling out an online form.

Currently, there are 130 trained comfort golden retrievers in 26 states, with 39 dogs across Illinois, according to the organisation.

The dogs work from home and are available for virtual visits around the clock. Trained caregivers house the good boys (and girls) when they are not hard at work.

“Many visits are for nurses and doctors,” Hetzner said. “We’ve done visits in emergency rooms where they have us on an iPad and pass the iPad around.

It’s been rewarding because a lot of hurting people right now just need to talk and have a friendly face and a friendly canine face.”

The benefits of a friendly canine face even translate virtually, he said.

Megan Kirchen, a nurse at Amita Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, has helped coordinate Zoom calls with the comfort dogs over the last several weeks.

Nurses working both day and night shifts in the COVID-19 ICU, COVID-19 medical unit and oncology nurses have had virtual visits with the dogs, said.

Calls have lasted up to 45 minutes, with nurses cycling through the video chats for a glimpse of the dogs, Kirchen said. She estimates more than 30 nurses have interacted with the dogs online.

“I’ve seen tears and smiles,” she said. “It’s great for the nurses to hear the gratitude from the local community. It’s good to see people come together nationally for the nurses and for the sacrifice that they’re giving. The visits are like a little break for their minds as they’re taking care of other people.”

According to recent research, physicians and nurses who interact with a therapy dog for several minutes have lower stress levels.

“We weren’t sure how the virtual visits would work, but people on calls just start smiling,” Hetzner said.

Though Canine Therapy Corps has suspended all training, certification and programs due to COVID-19, the organisation is still looking for ways to engage people with their therapy dogs, said Ann Davidson, an operations manager with the organisation.

People in search of virtual companionship can request video chat sessions and photos of the dogs, Davidson said.

“It’s tough for all of us right now. We can’t do the type of work we want to do,” she said of physical visits. “We are figuring out ways to keep helping.

We know our dogs could help, but the risks are just too high and it’s just heart-breaking for every one of us.”

Davidson also mentioned people can seek animal companionship by fostering or adopting pets.

Since March 13, there have been more than 286 animals placed in foster homes said Bridget Bittman, a spokeswoman for The Anti-Cruelty Society.

Simon Elliott of West Town decided to foster a pet during the pandemic to help an animal rescue group, and get a little extra companionship.

Elliot and his wife are fostering Taco, a 7-month-old hound mix, from The Anti-Cruelty Society.

Willow Bringing Joy

A 1-year-old black Labradoodle named Willow helped brighten the lives of St. Marys Catholic Elementary School students this year, and is still doing so for some during the coronavirus closure.

Kim Sloff, inclusion coordinator at the school, is an avid animal lover. Her son was diagnosed with autism at 2 years old, and the family looked into a therapy dog then, but found it would be costly.

Sloff’s background includes working as a preschool aid and in mental health and case work, she said. Since the school doesn’t have a special education department, her position was developed to better serve children with special needs.

In February 2019, she attended an inclusion conference, visiting a school with a therapy dog in action, where the idea of securing one for the St. Marys school was inspired.

The Sloff family got Willow when she was a puppy. She’s classified as an emotional support dog, and was officially certified in February of this year.

“She went into the school every day as a puppy and walked around with me,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how she took to the process at just five months old. She became a fixture immediately, and the kids loved her.”

Sloff’s responsibilities include tutoring, testing and reading to children, she said, many of whom have extreme test anxiety or struggle with behavioral issues. Some children will sit and pet Willow for comfort and for others she is part of a “reward” program.

“If a student comes in upset, by the time they leave us, they’re laughing and smiling,” Sloff said.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sloff says she has been doing tutoring sessions via video chat, and Willow will sit next to her. She has sent a video of herself and Willow to a boy struggling at home during the closure.

“It made his day,” she said.

Willow is such a part of the school that she is even pictured in the yearbook under faculty, Sloff adds.

Not just during quarantine, but all the time, Willow brings so much comfort and unconditional love to Sloff and her family’s life, she said, referring to her as her “kindred spirit.”

“I have an absolute connection with her I’ve never had with any animal,” she said.

Dogs Used For Emotional Support

According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, courthouses in Oklahoma are using emotional support animals to help children testify during difficult cases.

Many of the dogs that are being used as emotional support animals are trained in Oklahoma state prisons.

The dogs are rescued from local shelters and taught skills needed to be emotional support animals.

Inmates in the prisons are also learning about responsibility and dedication through the training of the dogs.

Doggy Day Care

It might seem like a trivial thing for some, but a North Side day care center for dogs has been a huge help for some medical professionals and essential workers by remaining open during the pandemic. Pathways to Independence of Central Ohio has helped the workers to stay afloat during a tough time.

Parents count on Maryellen Anderson to help them find the right doctors or the best treatments or maybe a wheelchair to help their children with serious illnesses.

It’s critical that Anderson have peace and quiet at home while helping people navigate the complex medical world.

The registered nurse/case manager loves her dog, June, but she counts on a day care center for dogs in North Columbus the way her families count on her.

“Having June out of the house is a big deal,” said Anderson, 28, who goes by Mea and has been working from home since March 12. “June likes to talk and play. I can do my job because Pathways continued doing theirs in a tough time.”

The majority of the 35 dogs in the sprawling kennel at Pathways to Independence of Central Ohio belong to health care workers or essential employees in other fields.

Pathways is both a nonprofit organization that employs 20 young adults with disabilities and a for-profit dog day care center that helps fund the operation.

It was started in 2015 by Stephanie Sanzo, 36, and Megan Ramage, 57, both of whom are former special-education teachers in Worthington. They saw how their students responded to a service dog named Karma, who greets folks at the door, and decided they could give disabled adults more independence and confidence by starting the nonprofit.

Pathways usually cares for about 75 dogs, but the pandemic has cut its business by more than half. It would have been easy to close the 7,000-square-foot complex, but the owners didn’t want to lay off their employees or let down the people counting on them to care for their dogs. The owners have barely paid themselves the past two months, but they continue to pay the disabled adults who play with, feed, bathe and care for all the dogs between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The owners are grateful to their landlord for giving them a break on rent, and to all the people who have continued supporting them.

“So humbling to have people trying to keep us afloat even though so many are struggling themselves,” Sanzo said. “The dog owners are appreciative of us, and vice versa. We do have some exhausted dog owners trying to do their jobs who just hand us the leash and say ‘Please just take her or him.’”

Caitlin Beebe and her husband, Josh, who are medical professionals at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, are exhausted when they finish their shifts.

They also had their first child in January, but at times it’s harder to deal with the energy of Moose, a 1-year-old German shepherd-beagle mix.

It comforts Caitlin to know that Moose, a rescue dog, is burning off some of his vigor at Pathways and learning to interact with other dogs.

“When we come home from a long day, it’s a huge help,” said Caitlin, 30, who helps patients recover from heart and lung surgeries or conditions. “Pathways helps Moose and us.”