HomeMy WebLinkAboutLucknow Sentinel, 2009-09-16, Page 11Therapeutic Paws delivers
For many of the
residents at
Pinecrest Manor
Nursing Home in
Lucknow, Saturday
mornings have
become a special
time.
By mid-morning,
they are eagerly
awaiting the arrival
of the newest vol-
unteer. While all
volunteers are wel-
comed and appre-
ciated and come
with their own
gifts, be it helping
with. bingo, playing
cards or providing
musical entertain-
ment, this volun-
teer brings a gift
that is unique - the
gift of `uncondi-
tional. love'. His
name is `Shady'.
and he is a 'certified
therapy dog with
Therapeutic Paws
of Canada (TPOC).
His owner/handier,
Diane Wall, of
Culross Townfhip,
is also new to ' the
program and has
been amazed from
the response the
residents have
shown to Shady.
Therapy dogs
and their handlers
have been volun-
teering at Pinecrest•
from• time to dine
in the past.' Donna
Crich, who is pro-
gram manager at
Pinecrest, sees first
hand just how ben-
eficial these visits
are to the residents.
She has . observed
agitated residents
being calmed by
the presence of a
therapy dog.
According to
Crich, just the
movement of the
dog ,and handier
through the halls
and rooms seems
to bring a relaxing
atmosphere to the
facility. Crich has
also noticed that
residents who
don't normally par-
ticipate in . the
activities will
always make them-
selves available,
when they know
tion. Most every-
one has had a dog
at some point in
their life; the resi-
dents love to share
their stories and
Shady loves to sit
by their side and
listen.
Shady was certi-
fied as a therapy
Submitted photo
For Many of the residents at Pinecrest
Manor Nursing Home in Lucknow,
Saturday . mornings have become a special
time because of the Therapeutic Paws
program. Phyllis Rasenburg of Pinecrest
has a pleasant conversation with Shady, a
certified therapy dog who has brought a
lot of happiness to the residents of
Pinecrest, Shadyys .handler Diane Wall
stands beside Shady as he spends tin!,
with Rasenburg.
Shady is 'coming to
visit.
"It's , amazing, to
see the smiles, the
hugs and to hear
the chatter • as
Shady sakes his
rounds," Crich
said. She also notes
that the dog's pres-
ence provides a
wonderful opportu-
nity to engage the
residents in con-
versation, be it on a
one-on-one basis
or in a group situa-
CIiNOW SENTINEL
irthday CV4V
Isaac E..lnyrcn
September 18, 1998 -11 years old
• ylctpdi Simick
14•BopMn1bN 19, 1908 - 11 years old
�' Ga David
Elliott
19, LVYY - 3 years oid
Hannah Wheeler
Umber 22, ae- r)wu old
dog in June and
this is his first
assignment. He is a
mixed breed (ger-
man shepherd and
collie) who enjoys
country life and
shares a special
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Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, Septeember 16, 2004 - Page 11
a friendly K-9 to Pinecrest residents
bond with his
owner.
Margaret
Burkhart, who has
worked with thera-
py dogs for many
years, has been
mentoring Wall
during her orienta-
tion period at
Pinecrest. While
Wall and Shady
were attending
obedience classes
in Wingham last
year, Burkhart rec-
ognized the poten-
tial that Shady had
and encouraged
Wall to tap into this
potential: His love
of people and his
gentle manner.
made him a logical
candidate for a
therapy dog. When
the opportunity for
evaluation/testing
presented itself
through TPOC this
spring, Wall was
keen to participate.
As a team, Wall
and her dog suc-
cessfully
complet-
ed the 12 category
TPOC evaluation.
This tested Shady 's
ability to meet
strangers; walk
mannerly on a
leash; move polite-
ly through a
milling crowd be
comfortable being
touched and petted;
be able to reaist
food on snack trays
and to be comfort-
able around med-
ical aids. This
included wheel-
chairs, walkers and
walking canes.
The evaluation
also looked at the
dog's reaction to
other dogs being
tested at that time.
Wall was also eval-
uated on her han-
dling skills and
whether or not she
could keep her dog
under control in all
situations.
Obedience training
is not required
prior to being eval-
uated but it is rec-
ommended and
certainly helpful.
Prior to being
accepted into the
program, TPOC
volunteers must
supply Three refer-
ences and agree to
a police records
check. It is impor-
tant to note that
each volunteer
team is covered by
TPOC's liability
insurance. After
being assigned to a
facility, the team is
mentored by • an
experienced thera-
py dog handler
during the initial
visits. After that
they are on their
own to bring joy
and comfort to the
residents.
Continued on page 14
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