Meet the Members

A "Paycheck" Experience
By Karen Stalmann
Arvada, CO

Diagnosed with lymphoma in November of 2008 and given only weeks to live, my 7 year old German Shepherd Dog Caleb is not only still with us, she is still chasing the squirrels and keeping my other two therapy dogs in line!

We continue our visits but for shorter times. Recently we were called to a local hospice and asked to see "Sandy", who loves dogs. We found him in his wheelchair. His eyes weren't focusing. I got down on one knee in front of him while introducing Caleb and myself. As I described Caleb's age and history of sport and service, he started to move his head toward me. In a few moments his eyes focused on me and I took his cold hand to place it on Caleb's head. I moved his hand to help him stroke Caleb, who is an extremely confident dog that makes good eye contact with people.

I asked Sandy how many dogs he had owned, and he held up three fingers. Then as I shifted from one knee to the other I kicked someone behind me. When I turned to look, there was a ring of nurses gathered behind me watching the scene. Some were getting teary-eyed. One nurse knelt down on the other side of Sandy with a huge smile. She stroked his shoulder very gently, and asked if he was enjoying the dog. He tried to nod. When Sandy's hand fell off the top of Caleb's head, I placed it back up and said "pet her here. She's really soft here." In my mind I thought "here is a dog who isn't supposed to be with us, communicating with someone who is getting ready to leave."

A nurse called me to the side and told me that she had never seen anything like it before. They didn't expect Sandy to make it through the night. I decided to drive to the head office and share our story with the volunteer coordinator. When we got there everyone came out of the offices to meet us, as the nurses had already called ahead. Caleb was Queen of the Day!

The experience was our reward—like a paycheck for Caleb and me. You just can't love enough people in a lifetime!

Larry and Dusty… a Marvelous Team!
By Karen Rynbrandt
Zeeland, MI

I really didn't know why I was going to the Harbor Humane Society on that cold spring day about 10 years ago, but as I walked to the end of the first row of cages I knew why I had gone there that day. Standing in radiant golden light was a young male purebred Golden Retriever, about six months old. He had kind eyes and a very tender, gentle disposition.

He walked out with me on a leash and I helped boost him up into the pickup truck. He put his chin on my shoulder as if we had been best friends since the day he was born. When my husband Larry got home from work and took Dusty out of his crate, they were immediate friends. Dusty blended well with our other dogs, a Collie named Amber, a deaf Dalmatian (Teara) and Oliver, a Border collie mix that I found at a different rescue center.

The first several years we had Dusty my husband was working as a long-haul truck driver so on short day trips he would take Dusty with him and teach him to "shake paws". Then he'd give him a French fry as a treat for learning the trick. Dusty has the wonderful habit of sitting next to us while we are standing and then leaning into the side of our legs with all of his weight. This is his very special Dusty "hug!" Many other truck drivers spoke with my husband Larry over the CB and commented what a nice "co-pilot" he had in the truck with him.

My twin niece and nephew Olivia and Nicholas have always enjoyed visiting with Dusty at my parent's house for holidays. He would sit in the middle of everything and quietly take it all in, a treat slipped to him there and a hug here. When Olivia and Nicholas were in the 4th grade they had to make something to sell for a Christmas Bazaar so they made homemade dog bones in their oven at home. The whole family was involved in the dog bone making and packaging production line! Dusty gave the bones his "paw stamp" of approval as he ate them as if he was starving!

When Dusty was about 5 years old my husband was forced to retire from his job as he had a severe back disability. Dusty was his constant companion and support through long hours of severe pain. After reading a story in my local newspaper about Therapy Dogs Incorporated, Larry and Dusty tested, registered and found their life's calling.

One Alzheimer's patient thought that Dusty was her own dog back when she was living at home in her farmhouse. That was OK with Dusty! He has met blind people, very young children, and patients over 100 years old.

Dusty used to like to carry Larry's jacket, cap, shirt, or the daily mail from the mailbox to the house. When Dusty and Larry pulled into a nursing home driveway Dusty always knew why he was there. He would get excited and bark and wag his tail and couldn't get out of the van quick enough. Once he was in such a hurry to start his therapy job at Zeeland Hospital that Larry had to run with his back-pack of supplies for pet therapy as Dusty had grabbed part of the leash while racing through the revolving door into the main lobby, heading for the elevators!

As years went on Dusty experienced some arthritis and Larry retired with him. What a great team!

Jr. League of Florida
Goes to the Dogs
Submitted by Tania Paredes
Coral Gables, FL

Gulliver Academy in Coral Gables, FL invited Therapy Dogs Incorporated member teams to participate in the Read Across America celebrations.

Michelle Ramires-Patricios (shown in photo), President of the Junior League of Miami (FL) responded with enthusiasm. Michelle reports that as the only junior league in Florida to have a therapy dog program, they have thirteen members who visit both nursing homes as well as public libraries to promote literacy.

Carol Chenet, a teacher at Gulliver Academy, sent a letter of appreciation after the event. She says: "Three different teachers, three different grades and three different experiences, but with one very important thread. The children felt comfortable and enjoyed reading to the dogs. This was not a small task and a lot of credit needs to be given to the handlers. I would love to see this experience develop into a regular program for all our children, but specially for our reluctant readers!"

Mrs. Fay, a fourth grade teacher, reported in the letter that she has a "low" group of readers and they are often inhibited when reading aloud to others. "Having them read to the dogs was a brilliant idea. The dogs naturally calmed the children and they sat patiently, petting the dog, waiting for their turn to read."

One of the third grade teachers, Ms. Cunningham, wrote that "One child had a bad experience with a small dog and so fears dogs, and the other was afraid of large dogs. I feel that this experience helped them see that dogs are not always mean or to be feared."

A second grade teacher, Mrs. Ludder, asked her students what they liked best about spending time with the therapy dogs. They responded "The dog seemed to understand what we were reading" and "They were gentle and super listeners."

Congratulations to the members of the Junior League of Florida therapy dog program. Keep up the good work!

Heartbreak Turns into Healing Victory
By Stacey J. Nelson, PhD
Delray Beach, FL

My dog Tweedle and I make up a therapy dog team here in Delray Beach, FL. Tweedle is a three-year old Yellow Labrador Retriever who is always happy to give kisses and a smile, but is just as glad to wait patiently for a belly rub or a pat on the head. She wears her blue TDInc. scarf with pride. Tweedle's AKC name is "Surry's Talk of the Town" and we really are the talk of the town as we make our rounds! We visit the St. Andrews Community for Independent and Assisted Living, the Willowbrook Nursing Wing at St. Andrews Life Care Facility, and The Avante Nursing Facility, both in Boca Raton, FL.

I met my first therapy dogs when my mother, now deceased, was in a nursing home with Alzheimer's disease and numerous other medical conditions. After her passing, getting Tweedle helped me heal from the grief of the loss of my mother, and soon I learned about Therapy Dogs Inc.

Tweedle is a well-bred young lady and had a future as a show, agility and hunting dog, so it was emotionally devastating to discover that she has a congenital heart defect known as Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia (TVD). My husband had bred fifteen generations of field trial Master Hunter champion Labradors and now Tweedle would not be following in their footsteps.

We discovered the heart condition when, as a pup, Tweedle fractured all four canine teeth on a knuckle bone. The dental specialist discovered before surgery that she has an irregular heartbeat and would need special care when placed under anesthesia. After her teeth were extracted, we contacted canine cardiologists at the University of Florida Veterinary School in Gainesville and in private practice closer to our home. The diagnostic equipment (an Echo Doppler) and test they use is similar to that made for human patients. Tweedle's condition is stable now but we watch her closely for signs of congestive heart failure and I'm always careful to check her breathing patterns when we're out on a visit.

Little did I know that Tweedle's heart condition and skin allergies would lead me into yet another new world! I began to develop healthy natural and organic gluten-free gourmet treats for dogs and cats, containing no wheat, soy, or corn, no added salt or sugar, and no artificial or chemical preservatives. I formed a corporation in November 2008 and in a very short time, developed a product line that Tweedle and other dogs and cats find irresistible! We donate a portion of sales to a research project at the University of Pennsylvania, to discover the genetic basis for TVD, and the development of a blood test to detect this cardiac condition in other dogs.

Between baking treats and visiting facilities, my life is busier than I ever thought it would be, and it's all because of my friend Tweedle. The direction your life takes isn't in your own hands, but if you have a positive attitude in life it can be a victory nonetheless!

A Team Effort in Florida
By Merilee Kelley
Orlando, FL

Here in Orlando we are always looking for something new and different to do with our dogs to showcase the synergy between humans and animals. Our door of opportunity opened in December 2009 when TDInc. teams were requested to provide AAA (Animal Assisted Activities) at the MPS Society Family Conference at the Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World. (www.MPSsociety.org) Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) and related diseases are genetic lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) caused by the body's inability to produce specific enzymes. We were told there would be one hundred and fifty children; those family members with the disorder, their siblings and parents. Quite a tall order! Some of these children have their own service dogs, so these were canine attendees at their conference that they could all pet and love. It gave us a fabulous opportunity to explain and show the difference between service dogs and therapy dogs.

Our TDInc teams, Jaira Baco & Januz and Sherry Smith & Hector, came together with two Delta Pet Partner teams, Jan Vena & Belle and Tom Patterson & Casey, and provided AAA for over an hour to some extremely excited children. After their "unofficial" visiting in the hallways, we set up a large room with cordoned off areas so the children could enter, visit and exit in a controlled fashion with two of the teams. Two other teams worked the crowd, climbing around children's wheelchairs, positioning their animals appropriately for petting, and making the most of the time with the children. While the teams were fabulous, we were all exhausted! The MPS Society treated us to some wonderful professional photos of our teams after the event.

Photo courtesy of Gina Yra of Contagious Photography.
www.contagiousphotography.com

In Memoriam

Click here to read more stories from our newsmagazine