they never humped my leg, but they obviously loved me

[luv4dogs]

When I was 17 years old, this car accident put me in a coma, well, during that time, my parents brought in my pets at that time (2 dogs and 1 cat) to come see me, and I believe the presence of my pets saved my life. (I was 17 then).

[Cry Tears]

Well here's a story of Satin, my pet therapist Lab. She's registered and insured to go into hospitals and clinics to visit with people.
She's really an awesome dog.
We volunteered at Portland Adventist Hospital here in Oregon many years without incidence....only good things!

There was a patient, I'll call "Jenni"....A 23 YO woman who became totally paralized from eating botulism tainted food. She was on a resperator for a very long time. On day 72 the ICU nurses requested a visit with Satin...her favorite type dog. "Jenni" was getting very depressed as she could only lay in her bouncing bed, unable to talk, blink or cry. We turned off the bouncing bed, had Satin climb right up there with her. Her mother put Jenni's hand on top of Satins ear. Jenni felt her soft ear and began to "pet" ever so slightly. It was her first movement in ages!
She would lay there taking her fingers to feel Satins ear.
As time passed, Jenni began stroking both ears and then her head.
Within months she was up and walking...using Satin as a motivation to get up and go.
Jenni spent months in Re-hab.....and when she came to visit the nurses who helped her through her near death poisening....she brought along with her a black Lab puppy.
Sadly....because of one very nasty doctor....that hospital no longer allows Pet Therapy to visit with patients.
This doctor claims a zoonatic disease my cause problems.
Funny...they allow the patients to bring in their pets from home.
Its the only Hospital in the entire Pacific North West that doesn't have Pet Therapy Program.
Because of privacy HPPA laws, I have changed her name and some details.
Blessings, Cheryl

[ginnybean32]

My ginnybean a lab/golden mix whom I rescued 8yrs ago this month has been and is still the light of my life. Although she has reached old age and can not keep up with the demands of pet therapy anymore as well as my TOS..she and I miss it terribly!
The smiles on the faces of patients, and too many stories to tell will remain with me for all the days of my life. I now have a 8 month old Maltese puppy I am training and hopefully when she is 1.5yrs old she too will pass Delta Society's regulations and become my next therapy animal. She is soo laid back and loves to be held. I just pray she will stay under 5 or 6lbs so I can carry her around to all those patients ginnybean and I can not visit now.
I think the kids benefit especially the most from our visits..if you have an animal you think would be appropriate that is well trained and loves people call or go online to Deltasociety.org I think is the link and see what local agency will help you get your certification to become a pet therapy partner.
If you dont have an animal you can always volunteer to help the pet partners during the visits as someone to help things go smoothly is always needed as well..

[Cry Tears]

Good idea Ginnybean....never thought of taking a helper along for this.
When I took my cat along I needed 2 hands...one for the dog therapy, one for the cat.
My cat, Mittey, was very docile and loved being passed from person to person....gosh darned those coyoties!
Its been 2 years now and I'm still missing her.
Do you think people like the smaller animals that can easily be held on laps?
I'm grooming Bitty-Boo for this by taking him everywhere in my truck.
He's my 6 toed long haired black cat....I had him declawed because his claws stuck like velcro to everything.....having 24 claws was a bit akward being an indoor kitty.
So far he's doing "OK" with traveling...doesnt freak out like at first.
Our old Scottie, Thistle, was perfect for pet therapy, but I never got her certified...I was too lazy...but now she's way too old and fat...has a large tumor on her side and avoids our stairs.
I'm hoping to get another Scotty that has the personality for pet therapy, but Terriors are notorious for being stinkers!

In my years of doing pet therapy I've run across so much...makes me thankful for what I have...and don't have!
I keep telling myself that I will make up some "business" cards with a photo of my animal with a few catchy words about my dog.
I know this card would be something they'd want to show off...I met a lady in a grocery store when she stopped to pet my dog Satin (She's also my service animal....for when my anemia was too low)
This lady had to tell me all about her pet therapy visit when she was hospitlaized years ago...she pulled out a business card with its picture.
Thats where I got the idea. I did make up a few cards to pass around, seemed well received...but I ran out of them.
I'll see if I have the picture from it...will post it if I do.
Blessings to all! cheryl

PS.Remember to change the battery in your smoke alarms!

[leeoh9]

I used to do pet therapy with my dogs at a nursing home....they were long haired dogs, and each dog would have a bath beforehand ( a 4-hour ordeal from combing to blow-drying for each of them) They were wonderful dogs, and the residents loved them, and it was such a satisfying experience for us all.

I would love to do it again...but guess what? In this new world that we live in, we have restrictions about animals visiting from patient to patient. If its not the animal that is considered "unclean", then its the fact that patients are petting the animal, and then when the next patient is petting it, they may pick up germs :eek: from the previous patient. It just is no longer worth the time spent to take my dogs in, if that is the attitude of administrations.

I wonder how they handle it if one patient happens to touch the hand or the arm of another patient in compassion. We live in a strange, strange world.:rolleyes:

[Buttons2]

Strange world indeed, and we have a better chance of being killed by staph infections in hospitals than from a dog!

I watch "Dogs with Jobs" on National Geographic. Most of the service dogs seem to be in Canada or Europe. It brings tears to see the little kids in wheelchairs that won't talk to people but will stroke the dog & give kisses & talk. Dogs are amazing & it's good to see their intelligience put to use.

I didn't realize Malteze were so small,must be all that fur that makes them look larger! What cuties they are!

My big mutt,Rags, seems to be catching on about my health problems. Sometimes I can't walk him for as much as 3 days @ a time.He has begun to walk more slow to keep the pace with me,used to he'd just run ahead as fast as he could. He knows as soon as I put on my glasses to grab his squeeky toy for a walk. Without him I seriously doubt I would walk at all! One of the reasons I adopted him & I've never regretted it. I do feel very bad when I'm velcroed to my recliner & he looks at me like "come on, get up,do something!" According to the vet he's still very much a puppy even though we have no idea of his real age.....

Thanks for bringing this thread back "up", we all need to learn more about dogs & just how important they can be for our health.
Buttons