Short Paws. Trinidad s Chihuahua/Terrier Furry Friends and Reading Buddies Experience

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1 Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services Short Paws The Official Newsletter of Furry Friends P.A.T.S. Vol 21 Issue 2 Fall 2013 Trinidad s Chihuahua/Terrier Furry Friends and Reading Buddies Experience Hello, I m Karen Davis-Garber and I would like to introduce and tell a few stories about my little girl and newest furry friend, Trinidad Davis-Garber. Recently, Trinidad has been visiting great Furry Friends sites in the San Jose, Gilroy, Scotts Valley, Los Altos and Santa Cruz areas. If you have already met Trini, you will not forget her. She is a 10 year old Chihuahua-Terrier mix who is white with a brown patches on her left eye and across her back and two brown ears. She has two huge ears that stand straight up. The reason you will remember her is because she enjoys wearing formal attire. Trini can usually be seen walking down the hallways or sitting quietly on my lap at a reading site wearing her favorite purple tutu and a pink pearl necklace. We have had the most rewarding experiences with Furry Friends with many lovely stories to share. Here are a few: A Senior Residential Home: One woman at the site told me she looks forward to seeing Trini every month. She said seeing Trini reminds her of better days when she had the ability to care for her beloved dogs, who are now cared for by her daughter who does not visit regularly. She is always grateful seeing Trini. Watch for upcoming postings of College Campus Stress Relief Visits As was the case this past school year Furry Friends expects to be requested by schools and universities for Stress Relief visits. This past school year was a big hit at places like Stanford, San Jose State and Santa Clara Law School. Hundreds of students, teachers, and administrators huddles around our Furry Friends. Great conversations and stress relief were had by all. We fully expect a busy season for this upcoming school year. Look for your Furry Friends to learn more about these upcoming visits! We are so grateful and honored to be a part of this woman s life, even if it is for a few minutes each week. The smiles Trini gets from the senior clients are a wonderful experience for both of us and warm our hearts. You can just see it Trini s face. A few times I have heard, I had a dress like that when I was.. years old. I feel that Trini triggers memories held close to the heart. At another site, there is a woman who is Japanese who does not speak English. She has taught me so much, yet we have never exchanged but a few words. She is a very lovely woman continued on page 3

2 2 Short Paws Fall 2013 Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services Our mission is to consistently facilitate delivery of the love and affection of our volunteers and their pets. We enhance the lives and touch the hearts of people with special needs. Board of Directors President Anne Tiry Vice President Patty Guthrie Secretary & Treasurer Randee McQueen Director Rhonda Hardy Steve Wincor Karen Davis Thank You for Observing the Boundaries on Your Visits Our insurance covers our members and their pets visiting as teams, during the regularly scheduled visits only. If you visit outside these dates and times, you may not wear your Furry Friends attire, nor present yourself as a Furry Friends member. Also remember that it is our furry friends who are doing the therapy. Thank you for observing the boundaries! Administrator Loree McQueen Pets that have earned their wings Do we have your correct Address? If in DOUBT. Send an to admin@furryfriends.org Send your name and your current address Mika Kasten Harold Eisenhauer Buddy Peterson Caesar Noel Snickers Louthian Julie Laskin Melvin Venneman

3 Short Paws Fall 2013 Trinidad s Chihuahua/Terrier Furry Friends and Reading Buddies Experience continued from page 1 who adores Trini. On a visit in March, she signalled to me, that something was wrong with Trini. She then called one of the employees that speaks Japenese and for the first time we were able to have a conversation through a translator. She told the employee to tell me that something was wrong with Trini. I told her, no, everything is fine with Trini. She said, no, Trini pain! I reassured her that I would follow up and take Trini to the vet. I watched Trini closely for the next two days, and about the third day later, Trini started limping. I was taken aback as I am the one that usually picks up on this. That afternoon I took Trini to the vet. And yes, indeed, Trini had an infection in her leg that was causing her pain. She had an MRI and biopsy and it was an infection. She took antibiotics and recovered without any problems. The next month when visiting the Japanese woman, I hugged and thanked her. The way we communicate is my signing and every once in a while we will use a word or two. She said, I love Trini. Something wrong with Trini. Pain in her leg. My response, Trini loves you. At the Reading Buddies sites: Here are some things children come up to say to Trini: Trini has children of all ages read to her. Whether it is a pre-school age showing her pictures or a school age child, Trini considers the reading buddies a privilege. Children have the cutest things to say about Trini in a tutu. Here are a few: -Wow, I never knew dogs could be ballerina s. -Is Trini a real ballerina? -Trini is a princess just like me. -I can t believe she has a dress like mine. -Why doesn t Trini bark? (Hmmm, they should see her at home if I don t feed her on time!) -She is a very good listener. How old was she when she learned to read? Recently we were at Edanvale Library in San Jose. In line to read to Trini was a young boy about 12 years old. He didn t make eye contact right away, and asked to read to Trini. I said, of course. He then said, I am scared to read out loud. I can t read if you listen. We agreed that repositioning myself with Trini on my lap was acceptable. I reached up and chose a book to read. The young boy started to read to Trini. He read for about 30 minutes. His voice was low and soft. He was a very good reader. Trini sat next to him,

4 4 Short Paws Fall 2013 as he would occasional reach out to place his hand on her head then move it down to her neck. After he finished reading he thanked Trini, and me. He reached in towards Trini s face, and she gave him at least five licks. The librarian later came up to me, and told me, when the young boy started the program, he was anxious and was not able to read out loud. She said the Furry Friends Reading Buddies has really made an impact in this young boy s life. I think it is an extraordinary experience for Trini and I to be a part of this young man s journey. Initially when the young boy came to read, I thought, what could Trini do for him? In fact, it was the young boy that touched our lives and inspired us to continue to face our challenges with a beautiful spirit. At one of our visits, to Seven Trees Library, we had a little girl in the first grade, Sophia, come up to Trini. Sophia: I love Trini s tutu. Can I read to Trini? Me: yes, please, Trini loves to listen to stories. I brought three books about piggies. Trini loves piggies. Would you like to read her books? Sophia very excited, says yes..turns the pages, appears nervous. Me: Trini is ready whenever you are... Sophia: um, I don t know how to read. Me: neither does Trini:). But she would love for you to tell her about the pictures. Describe the Pages to her. Sophia: (very excited) I can do that. At the end of each book Sophia would say, and they lived happily ever after, the end. My first language is Spanish. While sitting next to Sophia I realized when I started school I only knew Spanish. Me: Sophia, I speak Spanish too. I know how difficult it is to learn two languages. Keep reading. You are doing a great job. Sophia: I had fun reading today. I love Trini. I love the way she looks in her tutu. Sophia to mom: (in Spanish) I read in English today!! These have just been some of the wonderful experience Trinidad and I have had so far with Furry Friends. We are looking forward to many more. Furry Friends is on FACEBOOK! If you have a Facebook account, you can find Furry Friends as a group by searching for Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services. Furry Friends is also listed as a Cause Too! You will need the Causes app installed on your account. To find Furry Friends, open up the Causes app and search for Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services. Yes, we are in the digital age!

5 Short Paws Fall 2013 On Monday, September 30, Furry Friends held a volunteer appreciation dinner at Harry s Hofbrau. Attendance was great, at over 70 volunteers, and the folks at Harry s put together a great buffet for us. Volunteers enjoyed appetizers, salad, pasta salad, antipasto, fruit salad, bread, roasted seasonal vegetables, spinach lasagna, parmesan chicken, and cookies. After a delicious dinner and time to visit, the Board members introduced themselves, and our animal behaviorist Julie Bond discussed the differences between therapy animals and service animals (which most of ours are not!), and held an open Q&A session. It was a great event, and a good time was had by all who attended. Thanks to Randee McQueen for organizing it! Save the date for upcoming holiday events: Furry Friends will participate again this year in the Los Gatos Holiday Parade, on Saturday, December 7. The parade is held, rain or shine, and begins at 11am. Watch your for details! Holiday Gift Wrapping at Barnes & Noble, at Almaden Expressway and Highway 85, on Monday December 23 from 9am to 4pm. Watch your for details! Increase Your Donation $$Matching Gifts Does Your Employer Have a Gift Matching Program? Many employers in the Bay area have a gift matching program, where they will match charitable donations made by their employees, up to a certain dollar value. Does your employer have such a program? If so, keep that in mind when making your tax deductible donations to Furry Friends!

6 6 Short Paws Fall 2013 Critter Doctor Column JULIE C. BOND, M.S, ANIMAL BEHAVIORIST Q : I ve been with Furry Friends for almost 5 years now and just recently went through class again with my second dog. I know in class you talk about watching your pets to make sure they are well-behaved and making sure they feel well even before you attend a visit. On a recent visit, however, one of the dogs on my team arrived for the visit limping pretty badly. When I expressed concern, the owner brushed it off saying the dog had done a long hike over the weekend and was still a bit sore. Through the whole visit, all I could think about was what might happen if a child leaned on a sore area or fell on the dog. The team captain tried to talk the owner out of visiting with the dog as well since the dog hadn t been given a clearance by their vet, but she was brushed off too. What do you think should have been done? P. in San Jose A : This is an unfortunate situation indeed. This dog should not have attended this visit. The owner should have made that call before they even left the house. Secondly, when a team captain suggests you not continue with a visit because they have concerns, these concerns must not be dismissed. The team captain has the final say on the membership of their team, how the visit will run, etc. If a team captain feels a pet is unfit for a visit, then that pet must be excused without hurt feelings on the part of the pet owner. I m in agreement with you what if this dog s pain led him to make a poor behavioral choice? Pain mediated aggression is quite common and a real risk in this situation. Our visits can be stressful enough with slick floors, new smells, ill or infirmed people, and lots of human anxiety, without adding in physical pain. In addition, I m quite distressed to think that a member of our organization would not only dismiss the concerns of the team captain and teammates regarding their pet s health, but that they d let obvious pain like that go several days without at least consulting a veterinarian. Even if this was just a soreness issue, bottom line is this dog should not have attended this visit or any other visit until the obvious pain had subsided. Any animal who is not the best representation of themselves meaning clean, healthy, pain-free, etc, should not attend visits. When in doubt, err on the side of caution. Q : My husband and I were at Costco last weekend when I saw another Furry Friends member there with her dog. I don t know the woman personally, but I recognized our t-shirt and badge. Anyway, there she was walking through the store with her dog! I didn t think anyone except service dogs were allowed in places like Costco. When I asked my team captain about this, she said she d heard about another member who d learned they could fly their dog for free if they told the airline it was a service dog. This is quite confusing. Can you explain the difference again between service dogs and therapy dogs? Also, do you know where we can take our dogs in terms of restaurants etc.? Thanks a bunch! L. in Mountain View

7 Short Paws Fall 2013 A : I understand your confusion. The board for Furry Friends was recently made aware of this issue as well and we have been trying to talk about it in every etiquette class with every new member to our organization. We are an all volunteer organization. When our pets have completed the etiquette class, they are certified as pet assisted therapy animals. All this means is that these pets have been approved to attend specific Furry Friends visits. Our insurance covers our volunteers who have completed our training class to attend visits at approved Furry Friends sites. This means, you cannot attend a visit at a non-furry Friends site, or at an approved site on a non-approved visit day/time with your pet and state that it is OK to do so because you are a member of our organization. Nor can you mis-represent yourself as possessing a service animal, using your pet assisted therapy badge, to get into stores etc. where real service dogs are allowed. Service dogs go through a rigorous training regimen before they can be certified as true service animals. Individuals with service dogs are allowed to bring their animals into stores, restaurants, etc. under the Americans with Disabilities Act. They also cannot be asked as to the nature of their disability and I truly believe this is how a lot of non-service animals and their owners sneak by; restaurant workers etc. know they can t ask a lot of questions about why a person needs a service dog, so they probably see the badge and hear one of our volunteers stating that they have a service dog, and that s that. I m surprised about the airlines, however. I thought with all the new restrictions, dogs were being checked up on with more diligence, thus decreasing the chances of a non-service dog slipping by. While an animal that is used as a certified service animal may participate in Furry Friends, only a true service animal can be called such. Our animals are nothing more than pet-assisted therapy pets. Misusing the label service dog not only harms real service dogs and the people who need them, but our animals as well. Using the service dog designation, putting a pseudo-service animal vest on your pet, and/or trying to badge your way through stores, airports, etc. is a huge liability for our organization as a whole. Please don t taint therapy animals and our organization by misrepresenting yourselves as something you are not. As for restaurants and venues where you can take your dog in your off time, that really depends on where you live. Many restaurants with outdoor seating areas are happy to accommodate guests with wellmannered dogs in those designated areas. In addition, many stores and shops are happy to have wellbehaved animals shop in their stores with their owners. Catering to dog lovers is good for business as long as it doesn t put others at risk. Bringing a non-service animal into a restaurant, Costco, etc. is actually a health code violation. Q : My neighbor wants to join Furry Friends, but all the classes for the rest of the year are full. How can she join up if she can t enter a class date in the online application? T. in Los Gatos A : Isn t it great how popular our organization has become? We ve added an incredible number of new members this year already. Unfortunately, however, we are limited in the number of potential new members we can accommodate in each class due to the size of the training space area we use. For 2014, we will be adding extra etiquette classes to try to accommodate the influx of new members. We should have those 2014 dates up on the website very soon; we just have to wait for confirmation from the store manager for the space we need to use. Please have your neighbor be patient; those new class dates should be available very soon! In the meantime, any questions or concerns about class enrollment can be directed to Loree, admin@furryfriends.org.

8 8 Short Paws Fall 2013 I take my furry friend Jake to Sunshine Villa the first Saturday of the month and I wrote this poem based on our experiences. Four-Legged Consolation Wheelchairs, walkers and canes circle the lobby like a wagon train waiting for the cavalry to ride rescue over the hill Small, furry, four-legged soldiers arrive to offer caring consolation. My black poodle, Jake, fluffed clean for his monthly visit, places his chin on the lap of a thin, frail woman with white, stiffly coiffed curls. Her blue eyes focus and a pale, rice paper hand reaches down to rest on Jake s soft head. In a ripple of memory she tells of her daily walk across the field with her dog, Shay, of him waiting under the kitchen table for scraps, of how she cried when she dug his backyard grave. Then her vague, lost look returns, and she is silent. Grief burrows deep at the fear that I may one day be wheelchair bound, telling a stranger about a dog I once had. For now, I place a hand on her shoulder for solace. Jake makes a quiet sound, a signal for us to move on Susan Reddington 2013 Dates to Remember Etiquette Classes October 20th November 17th Reading Buddies Classes October 20th Off-Leash Classes November 17th Sites Needing Volunteers New sites are opening all the time. Please check new sites needing volunteers on the website at for additional sites that are currently looking for new volunteers! If you would like to join or would like more information, admin@furryfriends.org. Please note that some may have restrictions, or be looking for specific types of pets.

9 Short Paws Fall 2013 Furry Friends would like to recognize and thank those members that have been with the organization for a number of years. Without you, we would not have been able to help so many people for so many years 15 years 10 years Vicki O Malley Mary Collins Vicki Pierce Rina Larson Suzanne Cohen Wayne Nielsen Fall Furry Flurry 5 K dog walk to raise funds for rescue and Furry Friends. Furry Friends no longer does a large formal fundraising but we have always been invited to participate and raise funds at the Fall Furry Flurry Dog Walk. This year it will be on October 20th from 9 am to 1:30 pm at Los Gatos Creek Park. There are great games to do with your dogs after the walk. There will be a fantastic raffle and silent auction. There will also be Ask The Behavioralist for both dogs and cats. If your dog is not microchipped, you can purchase it at the event. Every walker gets a doggy/person treat bag and all have a GREAT time! How do you help? Have family and friends pledge to Furry Friends for you walking your dog around the beautiful park. It is tax deductible and will help Furry Friends continue to Lick Loneliness. Enter online:

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