Pet Pals is a group of folks and their dogs (Dogs Rock!) from this area who have undergone testing and training so they can go to nursing homes, retirement centers, schools, hospitals, camps, festivals, Special Olympics... pretty much anywhere there are people who would enjoy a visit. We are organized and insured by Therapy Dogs International, a national group which provides support, guidelines, and insurance for Pet Pals and other groups like us.
We visit many places in the community, and most of the folks seem to enjoy seeing us. Of course, there is always a party pooper somewhere! And I am OK with the fact that not everyone can appreciate us for who we are and what we do. But most faces light up when they see us, and I think I can vouch for the other dogs when I say that we have a job to do and we take it seriously!
Katie Malone is responsible for starting the Pet Pals here in the area and she is a Certified Trainer. She has really done a fine job of organizing and looking after all the picky little details... and her dog, Ziggy, is very cool and is a good friend of mine!
We dogs, and our handlers, go through an initial temperment test. Anyone who bites or growls or acts like a loony-tune will fail! We have to be calm enough, and nice enough, to be around young children, fragile folks, and those who are bedridden or who don't understand us. We are trained how to behave around crutches and walkers, wheelchairs and oxygen tubes, and lots of other equipment that we might find in various facilities. Rowdy dogs could knock someone down and hurt them, even if they didn't mean to, or get tangled in someone's tubes, so being calm matters. Some of the smaller dogs can sit in peoples' laps to be petted. Many people (and dogs) enjoy this very much. Needless to say, my butt is too big to sit in anyone's lap!
One time at White Oak Estates, there was a lady who was bedridden and she wanted so very badly to touch me, so I tried, very carefully, to get up into her bed and lay down. I was stopped from doing this, even though I think I could have done it. I guess some of us just will never make it as lap dogs! (I was able stretch up high so she could pat me. I would have enjoyed lying on the bed though!)
We are also tested around other dogs to make sure there are no "incidents" while visiting. We are not even allowed to sniff noses (or the other end) of the other animals during a visit. Trust me, I have tried it all! We are tested around strangers to make sure we react kindly and calmly to them all settings. Laurelwoods here in Columbus has been very helpful in letting us use their facility to train. We love their staff and enjoy visiting the residents there very much!
We desperately need more dogs and handlers to volunteer! There are just not enough of us to go around, and it is such a rewarding job! There were a whole bunch of really terrific dogs in our last training session and I miss seeing them! So all you trained dogs out there, please have your handler bring you to one of our visiting sessions! We have so many places to visit that you can pick and choose your times and places... days, evenings, weekends, whatever you and your handler want, well... mostly. But we really need you to go on at least one visit each month.
And if you have a dog that you think might qualify as a Therapy Dog, please consider taking the test and training with us. I can say from experience that even though everyone tells us that seeing us just "makes their day" the truth is that they make MY day! We all get a whole lot more than we give. Our Katie is planning another training session in January, so if you think you have what it takes, please have your person call Katie at 864-415-5804.
The last time I was visiting, a lady called several of us back over and said that "she thanked us from the bottom of her heart for coming."
That made my week.
So you see... YOU can make a difference!
Woof!
— Champ
