Recently I wrote about my decision to step down as president of Wags for Hope. Well just yesterday I delivered my final orientation to about 30 new volunteers. The orientation is an introduction that explains all the steps on how to get involved in the various programs offered by the pet therapy organization. Since its inception in 2006, I have given them all. Besides talking about the programs we provide a multimedia presentation that offers a taste of what it is like to volunteer for Wags for Hope. Of course the pictures and video are full of Charlie, our Bernese Mountain dog who founded the group about 3½ years ago. It was indeed a sad moment for me, because I still hold passion for that organization. And it was also a proud moment as I watched the videos of Charlie I was glad to see his legacy would live on far beyond his years. At the same time it was a hopeful moment as we welcomed a whole new cluster of excited volunteers eager to get started in our program. One of the volunteers has a horse who is a bit arthritic and since she cannot ride her as much she wanted to come up with another activity for them both. If they figure out a way to test the temperament of the horse, then that will mark another new beginning for the organization.
So now more of my attention can be focused on Kids Are Heroes. And that couldn’t have come at a better time as Kids Are Heroes Day approaches in just three weeks. I can move on with confidence that Wags for Hope will thrive and grow beyond my imagination as I left it in hands far more capable than mine.
In early 2006 my dog Charlie did something really special. He founded a local pet therapy organization called Wags for Hope here in Frederick, MD. I will never forget the instant that this group was born. We had been visiting a local nursing home for about two years when our curiosity got the best of us. We wondered what it would be like to try another location. Charlie is a 120 lb. Bernese Mountain Dog who is a tad intimidating to some at first, so I wondered what kind of reception we would get. As we walked through the doors of the assisted living facility, the nurse announced us over the loudspeaker: “There’s a huge dog out here in the lobby!” All of a sudden I looked down both hallways and saw doors opening. Walkers and wheelchairs appeared from all over and slowly converged on him. Charlie sensed my nervousness and immediately sat down – he looked right at me as if to say “Don’t sweat it – I’ll take care of this one!”
He sat calmly and patiently let everyone dote over him. It was an amazing sight. “When are you coming back? When will we see Charlie again?” Wow! I have to get people to help me do this, I thought. That was the instant that Wags for Hope was born.
Three years have passed and I have been president of the organization ever since. Wags for Hope is a 501c3 non-profit organization boasting well over 100 members visiting people in nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities and elderly day care centers in four counties in Maryland and West Virginia. Volunteers are also taking their dogs to schools helping kids learn to read by allowing them to read to their dogs. They visit disabled children at another facility. WFH has even started a new program called “Wagging PALS” where they match shelter animals with seniors living alone. You won’t find a better bunch of people – anywhere – period. Everyone at that organization is a volunteer.
The bittersweet decision I recently made was to step down as president of Wags for Hope. I obviously have a lot invested emotionally in this organization, but I realized I was doing the group more of a disservice by remaining on. Our work with Kids Are Heroes has engulfed my existence in the last year and things were simply not getting done on the Wags for Hope side. Our board met this week to plan out a new path for the organization and adopted an interim president. Her name is Meg and I couldn’t have hand picked a better person to take this organization to the next level. I brought all the issues I saw to the table and the board members were very quick to suggest solutions. I feel very confident that not only will Charlie’s legacy be upheld, but that this group will benefit and thrive as a result of this change. Wags for Hope has an extremely bright future.
I plan to stay on to help bridge the transition as best as I can for as long as is needed. I will still take Charlie out to visit under their umbrella from time to time as well. I even plan to enter him in their pet fashion show at the FSK Mall in May of 2010. Haven’t selected his outfit yet…
If you have an animal and you would like to share him or her with others, I highly encourage you to seek out a local pet therapy group. In my experience, the volunteers gain as much if not more than the residents do. There are plenty of ways your dog can get involved and the feeling of having your animal put smiles on so many faces of others is priceless.
Every time we go to Norristown to visit my 98-year-old Aunt Mary I get the urge to write about it. During the course of my travels with Wags for Hope, I have met a lot of people that live in nursing homes and have watched many of them deteriorate over time. Some who have been Charlie’s biggest fans in the past shun our visits now due to their constant state of discomfort. I called Aunt Mary Saturday night to announce our planned trip to see her. She is hard of hearing so it took me a few times for her to recognize my voice and to understand what was going on. She didn’t seem to know who was calling her. She finally recognized my name and with her very slow speech asked me when we would be there. ”It’s happening.” I thought to myself. She is going fast. I prepared myself for the worst and thought sadly that this might be our last trip.
My wife had the forethought to bring MaryMargaret’s violin. Such a great idea. We packed up all our stuff and loaded Charlie in the back and off to Norristown we went. When we arrived, as we got off the elevator there she was waiting for us. She looked great. When we spoke to her I was so relieved because she really hadn’t lost much since the last time we saw her. Her speech is slow and she is hard of hearing, but she understood everything we talked about. We even got her laughing a few times. She is such a pleasant person to visit. And I was so happy we had the violin. MaryMargaret played a private “concert” for her and then she played again for all the folks in the day room. Aunt Mary was a star. “This is your family?” they asked her. When she nodded yes the woman said “Congratulations!” They were all taken with MaryMargaret and Charlie. Even though Aunt Mary had never seemed to pay that much attention to Charlie when we brought him in the past, you could tell she got a kick out of him licking my face and bringing joy to others. She asked us to send a picture of him for her bulletin board. You bet we will.
We took a video of MaryMargaret playing at the nursing home. You can clearly hear Charlie panting during the first piece as he was right next to me. I think he approved as well.
Ok, call me nuts but this post is about one of our dogs. His name is Charlie and he turns 5 years old today. As we speak my wife is out buying him a present or two. She’ll throw in some doggie ice cream for both he and Lily to celebrate with this evening. From what I gather many if not most people treat their dogs this way, as part of the family. We are no exception.
In February of 2004, my wife Michelle happened to take MaryMargaret to a local dog event. It was the Potomac Valley Bernese Mountain Dog show. She was so impressed with these animals she called me right away and insisted I come down. I arrived shortly thereafter to witness a sea of gorgeous dogs just relaxing and all getting along. This made quite an impression on us. Sadly and coincidentally our family dog Nikki passed away very shortly thereafter. Nikki had lived for 16 years with my wife and naturally she was devastated. However she really wanted another dog right away, so in May Charlie arrived.
I had known Nikki for about ten years and all I know is that dog hated me. She would ignore everything I said unless I had a “snausage” in my hand. The only other dog I had lived with was Heidi the St. Bernard when I was about ten years old. So Charlie in fact was the first dog I ever really felt connected to as an adult. I became deeply attached to him early on, so when he was just four months old I started taking him to a nursing home. I wanted to share him and show him off, so what better place to do it than a place that will always provide a captive audience? We continued this practice for about two years until the nursing home turned us away on several occasions. Sometimes when there is an airborne virus they have to close down all the wings. I was curious to see how he would do in a different place so I took him next door to the assisted living facility. They immediately fell in love with him. “When are you coming back?” they asked me. Charlie was such a natural at doing this. He just sat there in the middle of a collection of walkers and wheelchairs and looked up at me as if to say, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this!” It was that very second I realized there was a huge thirst for this activity in Frederick County.
That was the very day that Wags for Hope started. I don’t know how many non-profit organizations have been founded by dogs, but Wags is one of them. If it weren’t for Charlie, Wags for Hope would never have been formed. We now have over 120 teams in four counties visiting over 25 facilities. We also visit schools and libraries under the R.E.A.D.® program which uses therapy dogs to improve literacy skills in our children. We are about to make our first official visit to Frederick Memorial Hospital, which for the first time is allowing therapy dogs inside. This is all thanks to Charlie.
So the next time you see Charlie walking downtown Frederick, or out and about on a speaking engagement (as he is often asked to do) please tip your hat to him. He is one special dog. (Happy birthday, Charlie!)
My internet travels provide the best opportunities for me to discover new heroes for the Kids Are Heroes web site. The other day was no different. I came across a 13-year-old boy in Denver, CO named Mark who has a little brother with Type 1 diabetes. They have a service dog named Red that alerts when Jason’s blood sugar gets too high or too low. I had never heard of that but found it fascinating. Mark helps other families acquire, train and manage similar dogs for this same situation. He has helped quite a few families across the country and in Canada and is tasked to solve problems on his feet. There are two families in particular that Mark and his mom need extra help with. That is where I hope the Twitter family can step in. (FYI TV News article on Mark can be seen here: http://www.9news.com/life/community/whocare/kids/article.aspx?storyid=109166&catid=538 )
Five-year-old Ayla is from Oregon. She has Type 1 diabetes. She and her family are being evicted from their apartment because of their service dog. (See the TV News report here.) To add insult to injury, the puppy is suffering from cancer and I’m told she won’t make it. Now this will have been the second dog this little girl has lost in her short term. What Mark’s mother is asking for is that someone donate a golden retriever puppy to replace the other dog. She can ask pointed questions to determine if the animal would be susceptible to this type of service work. If you know of anyone who can help with this, please leave a comment here.
There is a separate situation that needs equal attention. There is a 13-year-old girl named Katie-Jane who lives in Denton, TX. She has a wonderful German Shepherd that is also a diabetic alert dog. This dog is a natural when it comes to this activity. Unfortunately, it has a severe case of hip displaysia and needs an operation desperately. I won’t go into the hardships of the family to explain why they cannot afford it, suffice it to say they have fallen on hard times. What they are looking for is someone to perform the operation for free. They claim that the dog be flown to wherever is necessary.
This is the third post of guest blogger Judy Gooding. She is one of our Wags for Hope volunteers who partnered with Eva, a sweet Doberman Pinscher, who sadly passed away in 2008.
Eva was one of the pioneers of the READ program in Frederick County.
Mrs. H was a dog lover who was always so happy to see Eva. One day she mentioned a dog that she used to have. She went on to describe it in detail and told me stories about it, and I could tell by the glow on her face that she had loved her pet very much. I asked when she had had this dog, assuming that it was some time shortly before she came to the retirement center. She said 1937 when she was 10 years old! How our beloved pets wrap themselves around our hearts forever and how we love to talk about them no matter how much time has passed!
Mrs. S was new to the nursing center, so I wanted to be sure Eva showed off all her tricks (pretty basic repertoire but perfectly executed!) to welcome her. Mrs. S was so impressed with Eva’s talent, she asked if Eva had been on TV! I said no, I didn’t think she was quite ready for that, but Mrs. S said, with complete sincerity, “Oh, I do! I think she’s ready!” I was pleased that she had been so entertained, but it was a sobering reminder of how little it takes to amuse and delight someone whose visitors are few and far between.
Mrs. R was a tiny, soft-spoken woman, confined to a wheelchair with severe arthritis. Her hands were frozen into tight fists with just the index finger free, but she had the sweetest smile and most pleasant face. She loved to pet Eva, sometimes poking unintentionally with that free finger around Eva’s eyes in her eagerness. Eva never flinched or pulled away…just blinked her eyes to keep the wandering digit from making an invasion and basked in the affection Mrs. R heaped upon her. One day Eva and I were visiting in the activities room with several of the residents. A long table was stretched across the center of the room and Mrs. R was on the side opposite the door. Eva and I spent quite a bit of time visiting the residents on the door side of the table until Mrs. R became impatient and said very slowly and clearly but with the sweet smile and pleasant expression still in place, “Bring her over here!”, using that free finger to emphasize the “here”! Eva and I did not linger a moment longer before responding to that gentle command!
Eva and I were approached one day in the hallway of the nursing section, as we were visiting from room to room, by a man who was approximately in his fifties. He asked if we had time to visit his father, a newcomer, who was quite ill but such a dog-lover that the son was sure he would enjoy seeing Eva. As we were talking, the man was petting Eva, and I could see that they were quickly making friends. When we walked into his father’s room, there were other family members gathered, and it was apparent that they were there to say their final good-byes. I went to the father’s bedside, urging Eva to move up close so she could be petted more easily, and she reluctantly left the son who took such pleasure in having his hands on her. I felt we should stay for only a short while, but the family thanked me profusely for taking the time to come by. It was one of those visits that stayed on my mind for a long time, and I came to realize that I shouldn’t have been so quick to call Eva away from the son. I think she sensed that he, himself, was in great need of comfort, and she was so happy to provide it for him.
Thanks, Judy for these heartfelt stories. This type of volunteering can sometimes be bittersweet for us, as we sometimes witness things that make us sad. But we all realize that the love we bestow on our animals as it is shared with the residents makes every visit worthwhile. We look forward to more stories from you as your new puppy Spencer becomes involved with Wags for Hope.
This is the second post of guest blogger Judy Gooding. She is one of our Wags for Hope volunteers who partnered with Eva, a sweet Doberman Pinscher, who sadly passed away in 2008.
Mrs. G especially loved her visits with Eva, so we made a point of dropping by her room during each trip to the nursing center. On one visit, she greeted us with her same beautiful smile, but her heart didn’t seem to be in it. She was sitting on the side of her bed, so I knelt on the floor beside her and Eva cozied up to her for her usual scratches and pets. Mrs. G and I had been chatting for a minute or two when she picked up a framed paper that looked quite old from her bed, handed it to me and asked if I could tell her what it was. She seemed sad and frustrated that she didn’t recognize it. As I looked the paper over, I told her it was a poem, a beautiful poem, about a person. She was still drawing a blank. I turned it over, and, on the back, there was a note from the poet, dated in the 1960’s, saying that the poem was written in honor of Mr. G. At the mention of her deceased husband’s name, Mrs. G hung her head and quietly began crying. Now, I had trained Eva to not lick people, and she was very good about following that rule, no matter what the temptation. But on this day, she knew that the right thing to do was to reach her face up to Mrs. G’s and gently lick the tears away. Mrs. G laughed softly as the tears flowed and hugged Eva, her spirits visibly lifted. She talked a few minutes more about the poem and her husband before Eva and I said our good-byes. When we were finally outside, I showered my sweet pup with my own hugs and tears.
Mr. B had spent 30 years training seeing-eye dogs and had been a judge for obedience trials. He enjoyed putting Eva and me through our obedience paces from his wheelchair in the hallway of the nursing section. One day I was laughing with him about Eva doing a lot better if he were her handler because I was such a novice. It turned to a more serious discussion of dogs and handlers, and he said something that day that was so profound that I found myself wishing I had had these words of wisdom for Eva’s entire training experience….. “It’s never the dog!”
This morning I have a guest blogger named Judy Gooding. She is a member of Wags for Hope under the name of “Team Eva”. Sadly, Eva passed away last year but her memory lives on in all those that met her, especially the residents of the nursing homes that were graced by her presence. She sent me several stories, so I will run a series of blogs written by her because the stories are very powerful. They are not only a tribute to Eva, but they are also an inspiration to others. Judy writes:
When Eva started visiting at the retirement center, she was about a year old, still very young for a large breed like a Doberman, and still very energetic and rambunctious. But, I had worked with her in obedience and had had her around my parents, who are in their eighties, so I was confident that she would do well. I wasn’t prepared, though, for the instinct that she had for this kind of therapy work. On one of her first visits, we were taken to the assisted living apartment of Mrs. D, a diminutive woman in her nineties whose weight was comparable to Eva’s. She was standing by the windows on the other side of the small living room when we came in. She didn’t have her walker with her but took a few careful steps without it to meet us in the middle of the room. Eva went to her, took a position standing in front of her as though she had been trained specifically for this very event, and, for the next several minutes, this lively pup was perfectly still and calm. Mrs. D used one hand on Eva’s back to steady herself and scratched and stroked her ears with the other while telling her what a beautiful girl she was. I was speechless with pride but could take no credit. I discovered that day that my dear Eva had a special gift that she was willing to share, joyously and wholeheartedly.
We first met Mrs. S when she was a resident in the assisted living section of the retirement center. She loved dogs and was always excited to see Eva when we came to visit. As the years progressed, Mrs. S’s health declined, and, when we came to her apartment and, eventually, her room in the nursing section, she was invariably lying down. I would knock and ask if she wanted a visitor, and she would wearily answer not today, I don’t feel well, until she realized that the visitor was Eva. What a transformation! She would slowly sit up with a huge smile on her face and make Eva very happy with hugs and words of endearment and praise. When we left, Mrs. S would tell us that we had made her day. What a small thing to do to make such a difference.
I have the privilege to meet a lot of dog lovers as president of Wags for Hope. Two weekends ago was no exception. We held our bimonthly orientation at the Holly Hills Country Club with over 50 people in attendance. This was by far our biggest turnout to date. It is always wonderful to see the expressions of anticipation on so many faces. Two people introduced themselves as friends of one of our best teams – Team Eva. Eva was a Doberman Pinscher. When I first heard about her I thought that this might not be the best dog suited to be a therapy dog, but I couldn’t have been more in the wrong about her. Her owner Judy had such a great relationship with her dog and Eva was as calm and as sweet as she could be. She was one of the pioneers of the R.E.A.D. program which brings our dogs out to schools and libraries. Sadly, Eva passed away in 2008. So I was eager to get Judy’s friends involved as they had an air about them – one similar to Judy’s. I just sensed that they would be a wonderful therapy team. They have a Golden Retriever named Crew. They told us all about Spencer, another Doberman who is Judy’s new team mate in training. We will gladly welcome them when Spencer turns one year old.
I received a phone call yesterday from the new couple who was scheduled to be evaluated this weekend. They told me that they were at the vet’s and that sadly the doctor had found a tumor pushing up against poor Crew’s heart. They were calling to cancel their evaluation for this weekend. I was speechless as I didn’t know what to say. I was wondering if I were on the same side of the fence if I could hold it together like she was. I was just imagining being in their shoes as I expect they were about to have to make a devastating decision. At the end of the conversation she told us we could keep the registration fee as a donation and I thanked her. That’s when I heard her break out in tears as she hung up the phone.
Sometimes we grieve over animals more than we do family members. If you have a dog or cat, then you understand that concept. I really cannot imagine what’s in store for us because I have never been closer to an animal like I am to Charlie. And not surprisingly Lily is right up there too. There can only be one message here – go find your pet(s) and give them a big hug.
Since both Wags for Hope and Kids Are Heroes presented to the Kiwanis of Suburban Frederick a couple of times this year, we have become good friends. Many of the Kiwanis people have been volunteering for well over thirty years. They meet every single week which is even more amazing. It is rare that you find as open and friendly a bunch of people. They asked me if Charlie would appear at a Keys game to help attract people to their table. He happily obliged and of course it worked – “like buddah”. They also asked if we would help with the gift wrapping season. Every year their major fundraiser is having volunteers wrap gifts at the mall for donations. They have to invest in a wrapping paper and other accessories, so it takes a while for them to simply break even. With the economy dipping this year, they were fearful of the results. So they thought that if there was a dog there from time to time then we might bring more people over to their stations. I put out the word to the Wags folks about this opportunity. They responded in droves. So far I see on the schedule that 46 pet teams have committed to at least 92 hours – and many stay over the allotted time because it is so much fun.
I had done this last week with Charlie. Yes we got plenty of visitors, and when people asked why we were there I explained that we were just trying to get more people to wrap their gifts. There was no way to quantify how much of an impact we were making. Yesterday I was scheduled to go back with Charlie. Team Emma Jean (English Bulldog) was there. Emma Jean is not happy unless she is dressed for the occasion. Donning her festive collar and flashing reindeer horns, she was ready for anything. Her owner Terry came up with the ingenious idea to charge $1.00 for “Kisses for Kiwanis”. When I got there she raised over $70.00! She stayed on during my shift and people started giving me money as well. One person handed me a ten dollar bill! Thanks to Terry I think we have a new plan for next year.
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Recently I wrote about my decision to step down as president of Wags for Hope. Well just yesterday I delivered my final orientation to about 30 new volunteers. The orientation is an introduction that explains all the steps on how to get involved in the various programs offered by the pet therapy organization. Since its inception in 2006, I have given them all. Besides talking about the programs we provide a multimedia presentation that offers a taste of what it is like to volunteer for Wags for Hope. Of course the pictures and video are full of Charlie, our Bernese Mountain dog who founded the group about 3½ years ago. It was indeed a sad moment for me, because I still hold passion for that organization. And it was also a proud moment as I watched the videos of Charlie I was glad to see his legacy would live on far beyond his years. At the same time it was a hopeful moment as we welcomed a whole new cluster of excited volunteers eager to get started in our program. One of the volunteers has a horse who is a bit arthritic and since she cannot ride her as much she wanted to come up with another activity for them both. If they figure out a way to test the temperament of the horse, then that will mark another new beginning for the organization.
In early 2006 my dog Charlie did something really special. He founded a local pet therapy organization called 
My internet travels provide the best opportunities for me to discover new heroes for the 
