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To Consider…
Brought to you by PAWS for People --- Pet–Assisted Visitation Volunteer Services, Inc. Caring visits full of smiles!
PAWSPRINTS
SPRING – 2012, Volume 29
Reaching Out - PAWS Outreach
Just fresh from our latest Advanced Training, I am excited to see so many teams seriously interested in learning more about how deep pet therapy can go, more about PAWS as an organization, and more about themselves and their pets as special ambassadors of comfort and joy and therapeutic visits. So why do we require more training for all our teams? Isn't orientation and basic training enough? AHA! Yes, it's enough to provide you with knowledge and practice of the basic skills you need to do a really good visit. But there is more to learn - so much more. Like new ways to reach the folks you visit – or “out of the box” ideas about how to engage your pet with people you meet. Our April conference offers several workshops that focus on the people you visit and what they NEED from us – and then how we fill that need with caring visits with Frisky and YOU. We also need to know how to answer questions like "What do you and Fritzy actually do?” What do you say when someone asks you what pet therapy is, or here's one of my all-time favorites - "What's that PAWS for People? Isn't that an animal rescue?" Advanced Training gives you ways to answer these questions - you have to help people SEE it - you have to make them FEEL it - like you do, like the people you visit do. Relaying an especially meaningful story is helpful. Telling them how YOU feel when you see something really special happen between you and your pet is good. Sharing the excitement you feel, the touching moments that mean so much, the firsts that happen when you visit – the first words, the first time a child finishes a book, the first smile in days, the first time someone opens up to you. That's pet therapy in action. That's what you do - every time you visit. And how do you explain what PAWS for People is? Here, try this "elevator" speech our staff has been perfecting. It might help you convey the depth and breadth of the organization you belong to: "PAWS for People is a volunteer non-profit pet therapy organization that recruits, trains, certifies, places, and oversees therapy teams in over 120 sites in DE, MD, PA, and NJ." BUT - The real heart of our organization is the therapy teams who share the love and companionship of their pets, providing a deep and healing connection for people in need." And we really mean all that - especially the part about your being "the real heart" of PAWS. Thank you for every visit, every time you reach out, every time you boast about PAWS. You are what makes and keeps PAWS strong.
Lynne Robinson, Executive Director
P.O. Box 9955, Newark, DE 19714-5055 ~~~ 302-351-5622 ~~~ PAWSforPeople.org
Pet Therapy from the “Inside Out” 3rd Annual Mid-Atlantic Pet Therapy Conference Keynote Address The Canine Human Relationship – How Far We’ve Come & Where We Can Go From Here Dr. Scott Siegel Director of Psychological Services Helen F. Graham Cancer Center
Date: Time: Register: Cost:
Saturday, April 28, 2012
9:00 – 2:30 www.PAWSforPeople.org $25.00 (Members) $30.00 (Non-members) $35.00 (at the door)
WORKSHOPS There’s More to Communication Than Words Can Say So What Do YOU Do with the Dog? Animal Communications from the Inside Out Between the Ears, From the Heart: Working with Dementia Sufferers PAWS for Reading Basic Training PAWS for Reading PLUS Training Lots of Vendors for Best Therapy Dog Practices for a Great Visit Massaging Your Pet Through the Stressors of Visiting shopping Witnessing the Difference in Psychiatric Patients Lunch & Snacks Nutrition and Pet Care: Caring for the Inside and Outside provided Communicating with Children Who Have Autism Special Conference Learning Ways to Use Your Therapy Animal in an Autism Setting take-aways The Joys and Challenges of Managing a Pet Visit Program in DC Better Understanding and Meeting of the Needs of the Cancer Patient
for everyone who loves dogs Hosted by: Delaware School for the Deaf
Register TODAY!
PAWS Volunteer Appreciation Celebration Awards Congratulations to ALL PAWS therapy teams for your outstanding therapy visits and consistent dependability. The following teams received special awards at the event.
Distinguished Service Awards Overall Commitment and Dedication Traditional Visiting Outstanding Service Karen Brubaker and Birch Certificates of Merit Julie Mlller and Lacey Paula Trout and Tilly
Outstanding Service Rick Altemus and Chip Sue Good and Mercy & Grace Gini Lemoine Certificates of Merit Jeff Stidham and Jasmine Bill Sudell and Skipper
PAWS for Reading Outstanding Service Sue DiMascio and Jake Certificates of Merit Deb Brown and Jasmine Joy Alex Williams and Tug
Autism Initiative Outstanding Service Liz Steichen and Paco Certificates of Merit Wendy Ewing and Billy Blue Frankie Mayo and Chloe
PAWS by Special Request Outstanding Service Lynn Porro and Princess Rainy
Community Outreach Outstanding Service Rebecca Ferguson and Keesha Certificates of Merit Karen Kohler Rich Phillips
PAWS of Fame Inductees Abby - Mary Perno Annabelle Grace - Deanna Pedicone Birch - Karen Brubaker Elvis - Luann D'Agostino Gracie - Sue & Tom Good Lexi - Sharon & John Bednar Mercy - Sue & Tom Good Petey - Billy Cycyk Sadie - Alan Burkhard Trinity Grace - Penny Taylor
Master's CertificationTeams Rick Altemus and Chip Sharon Bednar and Riese Alan Burkhard and Sadie Suzanne Fields and Jackson Karen Kedda and Sammy Julie Miller and Lacey Penny Taylor and Trinity
Instrumental in Initiating/Supporting programs Sharon & John Bednar - New Jersey Lyn Feldbaumer - MeadowWood Lorraine Martorana - Cecil College
Spring Community Events . Everyone is invited to come have fun with us! You don’t need a pet to participate, so come alone, Bringtrying a friend, bring your new therapy pet! We're something this year:
we're thewhenever events here in can. the Join us listing for theallfun you For all the details: check our website’s Events Calendar or look for details in our E-Newsletter.
April 4 – Sexual Assault Services Showcase 14 – Killen’s Pond Spring Fling 15 – Bark for Life 16 – YMCA Brandywine 17 – Rita’s Water ice fundraiser 19 – Rita’s Water ice fundraiser 21 – New Ark Chorale, benefit/PAWS 21 – 11th Annual Dog Fest & 5K 22 – Walk for Autism 28 – PAWS 3rd Annual Mid-Atlantic Conference 28 – University of Delaware’s AG Day
June 2 – Newark Night 9 – Separation Day 16 – Blue & Gold Media Event 23 – Blue & Gold Game Kickoff 29 – Wilmington Blue Rocks
SAVE THE DATE More details on the website and in coming emails. July 14 ~ Advanced Training Sept 29 ~ PAWS for Reading Conf. Oct 20 ~ Wag-n-Walk Fundraiser Dec 8 ~ Jingle Bell Brunch
May 6 – Point to Point Races - Winterthur 10 – Rita’s fundraiser - Hockessin 12 – Doggie Day at Carousel Park 12 – Purple Sage Reiki event benefits PAWS 14 – YMCA Brandywine 15 – Rita’s fundraiser - Newark 19 – Locke Ave. Fun Day - NJ 19 – Bellefonte Arts Festival 20 – U of DE Buddy Walk 20 – Doggerel Days 26 – Fair Hill Races
PAWS EVENTS Fun, educational & just a doggone good time! WOOF!!
Please register online www.PAWSforPeople.org
New Therapy Teams Welcome to our newest members! Patrice Allen & Cash, German Shepherd Teresa Avery & Abby, Dutch Shepherd Eileen Barr & Red, Duck Tolling Retriever Sharon Bednar & Buttons, DSH cat Christopher Chu & Jaeger, Shiba Inu Diana Conmy & Addy, Corgi/Shepherd Mix Kyle Conmy & Addy, Corgi/Shepherd Mix Caryn Deakyne & Bodie, Labrador Ginni Emanuel & Bailey, Germ. Shorthair Pointer Mary Grace Flowers & Irish, Yellow Lab Donna Foote & Molly, Goldendoodle Traci Frederick & Angus, Collie Felli Gaddi & Jaeger, Shiba Inu Loretta Hayward & Kodiak, Yellow Lab Jane Hruska & Kira, Black Lab Steve Hruska & Kira, Black Lab Charlotte Jamieson & Ernie, Labradoodle Stephanie Jock & Shae, Shetland Renee Johnson & Wrigley, Golden Retriever Darlene Kelley & Gus, Chocolate Lab Barbara Kirkland & Tommy, Mixed Lab Matthew Kirkland & Tommy, Mixed Lab Millie Lombardi & Bella, Lagotto Romangolla Kristen Mangillis & Cinder, Tortoiseshell Cat Ally Moriak & Lexi, Rottweiler/Doberman Mix Sarah Moriak & Buttons, Cat Ginny Murray & Pandora, Labradoodle Jennifer Paulachok & Marci, Shepherd/ Lab Mix Venessa Paulachok & Marci, Shep/ Lab Mix Cathy Pettee & Sadie, Black Lab Kathy Rathgeb & Callie, American Bulldog Jane Snyder & Annelie, Bouvier Aaron Spring & Samantha, Beagle Eric Spring & Samantha, Beagle Karen Spring & Samantha, Beagle Michele Weber & Duncan, West Highland Terrier Arlene Wilson & Ruttkay Ziggy, Keeshond Cassie Yatcilla & Brody, Golden Retriever Jody Yatcilla & Brody, Golden Retriever
So very glad you’ve joined PAWS!
In loving memory of... We are saddened to report the deaths of the following much loved and respected members:
Keesha Ferguson Born in 1998, Keesha found Rebecca and started a career in pet therapy with PAWS when she was 11. Extremely active in both PAWS for reading and the Autism Initiative, Keesha touched the hearts of children at 4 sites as well as hundreds of people during community outreach jaunts. A beautiful Keeshond, Keesha tested at Advanced Level STEX, achieved Master’s Certification, and was awarded the Outstanding Service Award for her work with children who have Autism.
Toby Gibson Previously a hospice visitor with owners Bob and Jay Gibson, Toby joined PAWS in April of 2007 at age 9. A sweet and loving chocolate lab, Toby met new friends everywhere she visited - nursing homes, children in the Kirkwood Library reading program, residents in senior facilities, and patients receiving chemotherapy at the Helen Graham Cancer Center.
Tucker Krammes Jeff Krammes introduced us to his laidback, sweet sweet golden retriever in April 2009 when they joined PAWS and began visiting Adult Day Services in Elkton. Tucker was a sweetheart and had the biggest paws we've ever seen. Loved by all and missed terribly by his family, Tucker, died in January at age 11.
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PAWS at Peace All of us who dearly love our pets, find it more than difficult to grieve their deaths. Please consider accepting PAWS’ offer of help. PAWS' bereavement program is available to those grieving a recent loss, a long ago loss that still tears at your heart, or preparing for an imminent death. Diane Mayer is available through consultation in person or via email/phone, and the PAWS staff is always here to listen and support you. Also, the next PAWS at Peace Gathering is coming up on June 23rd, 3-5:00. Come share your stories as you move through this journey.
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Team Time New Board Member KAREN BENGSTON We are thrilled to welcome to the PAWS Board of Directors, Karen Bengston, Public Relations Manager at Nemours Health and Prevention Services. Karen is an experienced public relations professional with a career devoted to the health care field and skills in the following areas: Communications program development and management for varied audiences Media relations management Community-based collaboration and program development/promotion Marketing research and strategic planning Conference/event planning, organization and promotion We’re looking forward to working with Karen and expanding our visibility through her expertise! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FASCINATING FACTS – 2011 Statistics # of volunteer hours in 2011 (increase of 4024 hours over 2010) # of reading sessions in 2011 (increase of 1668 sessions over 2010) # of community outreach hours (increase of 208 hours over 2010) # of teams right at this very moment # of sites we visit
28,202
PAWS has trained 39 new therapy teams in 2012 – hooray! We are happy to have all of these new volunteers and their therapy companions on board. We have also opened some new and exciting visiting locations: Rockford Psychiatric Center, located in Newark, DE, and Chesapeake Care Resources, a program with 2 locations in Maryland that serve people with disabilities. We are in the process of opening a few more sites within the coming months, so keep your ears and eyes peeled for details! We are currently looking for visiting stories to share in our e-newsletter – if you have any stories that are special to you, email cgonce@pawsforpeople.org. Thank you for visiting! ~ Cassie Gonce, Director of Team Development
Throughout my life, I've seen the difference volunteering can make in people's lives. I know the personal value of service as a local volunteer. Jimmy Carter
8,542 1,403 284 125
We’re moving forward and we’re moving strongly – thanks for being with us on this journey.
Don’t you think this is FASCINATING?!? 101 TRICKS DogScouts@hotmail.com suggests that we work with our pets every day to keep their minds active and remind them who is in control. Bet you find at least 5 tricks listed in this issue worth trying.
VISITS and HOURS – Logging In All PAWS teams are required to report their volunteer time – we keep track of that and use that impressive information in lots of ways. Presently you can log-in on line or call the office to report your hours weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Have you done this already for 1st Quarter ‘12? We’ll be introducing a more user-friendly way to log your hours in the next few weeks. In order to make the process easier, we are creating a member log-in name and password for each volunteer. Your name will be stored and you won’t have to type it in again. We hope this will be easier for you to track hours. We’ll give you a heads up before starting this new process. Then we’ll all learn how it works together. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAWS for Reading/PLUS
Power of a Pet Visit
Better and Better! That’s how we continue to grow in PAWS for Reading.
Hello PAWS,
2012 has already seen the continued trend toward a more personalized, unique visit. While we have expanded our regular programming at Richey Elementary, Swedesboro Library, The Tatnall School and the Bear-Glasgow YMCA, this quarter has also seen the opening of 3 new “Crossover PAWS” programs: Southern Elementary (New Castle), James Mason Tomlin School (Mantua, NJ) and Radnor Middle School (Radnor Township, PA). These ground-breaking programs are offering visits which combine the best of a PAWS for Reading visit (quiet one-on-one time with a child practicing oral fluency skills) with the more traditional visit where the child may just need some time, attention, love and companionship.
KUDOS to your organization, volunteers, and staff.
These programs are usually supported by only 1 or 2 teams per site, but really focus on a more intimate relationship between the team and the children with whom they are working. Please let us know if you’re interested in working at one of these sites. PAWS for Reading has also had some great media coverage recently! WDEL covered the PAWS for Reading program at Southern Elementary during our kick-off celebration and The News Journal plans to highlight our new partnership with the BearGlasgow Y. We will also be demonstrating PAWS for Reading visits at the Windows on Wilmington TV program. Be sure to check out all this great press on our website. If you’d like to be a part of PAWS reading, be sure to sign up for Reading training at the conference. We will also be offering PAWS for Reading PLUS training – hope to see you then! ~ Stephanie Barry, Director of PAWS for Reading
101 TRICKS Watch me Scent discrimination Rest head on something Shake (like when wet)
We had another lovely visit with Chip & Rick Altemus today. They brought smiles, cheers and laughter to our guests this morning. They are both a wonderful resource to the community and we’re grateful to have had them visit us while they’re in Naples.
Helen M. Waite Executive Director ARDENT MANOR, INC., Naples, FL
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden for someone else. Benjamin Franklin
Intake Calls = Hello??? Remember when someone from PAWS called you after you submitted your application? Remember how they listened all about your dog and your hopes about becoming a therapy team and answered your questions with great care and kindness? That person was an Intake Volunteer and without his/her phone call and caring approach, you might not have continued the path to PAWS. We’re looking for about 5 more people to make those intake calls – to contact prospective new members to give them the PAWS story, answer questions, and invite folks to join us for orientation. If you like to talk on the phone and enjoy talking about PAWS – please call Stephanie Barry at the PAWS office and sign up for Intake training – it’s fun and you get to talk to lots of really neat folks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VISIBILITY AWARDS PAWS is OUT THERE for all to see!
Pet TherapyCorner
And the winners are......... January – Koda Schmidt and Remi Bednar were pictured reading in their party hats in the Gloucester County Times article - Swedesboro Library. February - The Women of Gloucester Co. newsletter featured Sophie & Mary Chris Thompson for their Reading visits - Gloucester County Library. March – Taylor Minnich and Jake DiMascio were featured in a MediaPatch article for their excellent listening skills - Media Library Reading sessions. Cathy Kappel and Maggie along with Joanne Keane and Daisy were the stars of the CecilDaily.com article on their reading program - Cecil College. Please let us know if YOU have any ideas on how to raise more awareness of PAWS for People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Program Highlight MainStay, Delaware MainStay is a community-based residential program serving mentally challenged adults. Our PAWS by Special Request program currently serves a number of MainStay group homes in the Newark, Bear, and New Castle areas. These are low-key, enjoyable visits with a focus on socialization and stimulation for the residents. If you are interested in visiting MainStay, contact cgonce@pawsforpeople.org or call Cassie at (302) 351-5622 x103. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
WHAT? What Every Therapy Dog Needs to Learn WHAT? is a “6 week, Tuesdays at 6:30-7:45” class designed to help prospective PAWS members and present PAWS members focus on good visiting techniques and behaviors. If you know of someone sitting on the fence because they don't know if their dog will be a good therapy dog OR you’d like to improve your own skills with your pup, please join us for WHAT? (held at Brennen School)
Results? Outcomes? Measuring tools? Proof that pet therapy actually accomplishes something beneficial? That’s what PAWS is beginning to work on – documenting the miraculous and small, the deep healing and the little steps that people experience when visiting with our pets and our humans. This spring we will be gathering data during MeadowWood, ELC, and autism visits. As we perfect our measurement tools, we’ll expand that data collection to other types of visits. If you know about measuring outcomes and/or are interested in helping us gather helpful information – please contact Lynne: lrobinson@PAWSforPeople.org.
Make a donation to PAWS for People in memory of a special friend. P.O. Box 9955, Newark, DE 19714 302-351-5622 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
101 TRICKS Wipe your paws Drop on recall Carry object in mouth Bring dinner bowl for food
PET CARE CORNER
PAWS Notes by Erica
Trimming Dog’s Nails - When/Why
Over the past few months, the PAWS office has seen many new and friendly faces walking through our green door. Whether its interns, new members, or our faithful volunteers – the office is a great illustration of dedicated, caring individuals at work.
How often should you trim your dog’s nails? Generally every 4-6 weeks is sufficient; however, this depends on rate of nail growth and how often the dog walks on surfaces that would wear down the nails. Keeping your dog’s nails trimmed is important for the health of your dog, as long nails can cause 2 health issues: Nails can curl, growing into the footpad. This can be painful & lead to infection of the footpad. Long nails cause pressure on the foot, causing toes to spread or splay which is painful dog. The AKC recommends you trim your dog’s nails so they just clear the floor. In other words if you hear clickity-clack….it’s time to cut them back! Jennifer Celeste, Owner – www.CharmedPaws.com
A Huge Round of APPLAWS We have many people and groups to thank for helping us do what we do.
Thanks to Every last person that reads this newsletter – thank you for caring enough to learn more about PAWS. Donna Ciancaglione for assisting with the Easter Bone Hunt and Blue Hen Bed & Breakfast for hosting the event. The Lorelton for hosting our Volunteer Appreciation Celebration and providing the yummy food. And much thanks for the Volunteer Appreciation Committee for putting together a marvelous event. Your families who support the work you do & don’t give you a hard time about leaving them to do it.
PAWS therapy team demographics 46 men ---- 238 women Geographics for members DE = 194 PA = 41 MD = 25 NJ=24 Ages under 20 = 23 20-40 = 56 40-60 = 165 60+ = 40
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In addition to 4 new psychology interns working with us this semester, we have 4 student groups from UD exploring various aspects of our organization and the pet therapy field as a whole. From social media development, to marketing, PR, and management of our current systems – these groups have been exploring areas such as creating greater efficiency in the office, promoting new programs, and generating greater brand awareness. The PAWS research catalog has also been growing each day– thank you for sending us all of the articles and studies you find! Our hope is that through further research and understanding, we can continue to exceed customer satisfaction and stay true to our mission – providing individualized, therapeutic visits to those in need. ~ Erica Aguilar, Office Manager ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Website/Social Media Hi, all! I am the new Webmaster for PAWS, and it is my job to update and maintain the PAWS website and social media. We are currently becoming more active on both Facebook and Twitter – please like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for the latest updates! Our website is also updated on a regular basis with new events, pictures, and information. The goal is to make things easily accessible to you, our members. Hopefully you are now receiving our e-newsletter on a bi-weekly basis. If you have any suggestions for visibility on our social networking site, contact me at webmaster@pawsforpeople.org. ~ Cassie Gonce
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Aesop
The Power of a Pet Visit The visit went very well tonight. I recommend this special request be filled for as long the customer is willing to have us visit. The atmosphere was friendly and we were very comfortable. Staff is at the house at all times. During tonight's visit, I sat Cooper on my lap next to Mildred (94) on the couch. She reached out and they got to know each other. In a few minutes, I asked if Cooper could sit on the couch next to her; from there, they were best friends! I showed Mildred a few tricks Cooper could do and had Mildred give her a treat. Mildred was all smiles, and was a little verbal, which made her daughter and the caretaker really tear up. By the end of the visit, they both were very emotional, saying they had not seen her respond to anything over the last few weeks to that extent, and they were happy that Cooper made her smile and talk. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity of service! Kim Miller and Cooper
$$SALE$$ - order on line Remember - we have terrific PAWSWear items that make great gifts for family and friends. T-shirts - in several styles and colors Hoodies - PAWS green and collegiate black PAWSNotes - your own pet on the front Dog bandanas in S, M, L, XL Car magnets -- (not everything is green!)
ADVANCED TRAINING Have you been an active member of PAWS for at least 6 months? If the answer is YES, you and your therapy pet are required to attend our next Advanced Training: Saturday, July 14 ~ 9:00 - 1:00 Room 1100, Christiana Hospital main building --- no fee You'll receive an email reminder - register then. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Buck $tops Here... As promised, we are increasing the number of small fundraisers scheduled this year. The idea is two-fold: 1, to raise money (surprise!) and 2, to raise visibility. We have four Rita’s Water Ice events – April 19 and May 10 in Hockessin and April 17 and May 15 on Main Street, Newark. Stop by 6:00-8:00 for a sweet treat. We’re also planning a Barnes & Noble event, dog smooch booth included, to entice UD students – date TBD. SAS Cupcakes and PartyLite events perked up the winter and our sights are now turning to a summer event…I’ll keep you posted. Meetings with the business community, JP Morgan Chase, Barclays, M&T Bank and Morgan Stanley are expanding our volunteer recruitment options and, ultimately, our fundraising potential. Meetings with foundations, Welfare, Longwood, and Crystal Trust have guided us to where we will submit proposals for support this spring and where we have some work to do before making a fall request. In addition to cultivating support from individuals, businesses, and foundations, we are looking at new ways of garnering that support. Increasing our use of social media for fundraising purposes is a creative avenue to explore and, coupled with enhancement to our marketing and public relations, I am excited about its potential. ~ Janet Luke, Director of Development
PAWS has 501 (c) 3 status Make getting ready for your visit easy… wear PAWSWear and look great while you’re giving us good PR at the same time! Thanks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our tax ID # is 76-0780197 DE code is #11602 -- PA code is #48807 Donations happily accepted.
Community Spirit Happy Spring to all of you! The springtime is the best time of year to think about getting involved and attending community events! We encourage everyone to come out and share in the fun of the great outdoors, sharing your therapy companion with the community and also meeting other PAWS teams! We are working hard to attend new events in each state to better accommodate everyone, and with high hopes to recruit more teams in our visiting areas. Hope you can join in the fun.
Autism Initiative Our Autism Initiative teams met in January to discuss future coordination of the program and how to improve our classroom visits. As a result, the PAWS office will be offering two different seminars on Autism visits during our spring conference. We are also in the process of researching different methods of supporting our teams including the use of technology in visits (iPads) as well as providing each trained team with a personalized pack of “goodies” to use during their visits. Stay tuned for more information! (If you are interested in learning more about the PAWS Autism Initiative, please let us know.) ~ Stephanie Barry
Check page 4 for a listing of spring/summer events. ~ Blythe Anne Lundstrom, Com. Outreach Coordinator. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canine Breed Genetics If the human species had the same diversity as the canine, we would range in height from 2 to 31 feet. The Feb 2012 issue of National Geographic had an excellent article on dog breed genetics - “What Dogs Tell Us…The ABC’s of DNA” - Evan Ratliff. The story covers the on-going collaboration among UCLA, Cornell & NIH researchers who have collected & analyzed DNA samples from 900 dogs representing 80 breeds under project CanMap. Growing understanding of canine genetic disorders and gene site location continues to provide valuable insight into human genetic disorders and DNA regions for targeted study.
The Power of a Pet Visit Yesterday I had a pheresis appointment scheduled at the Blood Bank and I called to ask if Missy was allowed in the building. I got a positive answer. We got to the Blood Bank and made quite an entrance. Everyone made a fuss after giving us the once over and asking if she could be petted. Missy went along with everything in her usual stoic manner, from the initial interview in a very small room to the actual donation suite. Once I was in the chair and the tech brought a blanket for Missy to lie on, she settled in for the duration. Only one question about her presence was ever asked -- "Will she be ok during the 90 minute procedure?" I assured them she would be. Missy impressed everyone with her demeanor and earned ear scratches and belly rubs.
One surprising finding from CanMap was that the great diversity among all canine breeds comes from combinations of only 4 genetic groupings: Wolf-like – Herders -- Hunters -- Mastiff-like
When my session was finished, all I heard was "How soon are you and Missy coming back?"
A detailed bar-graph shows the 4 genetic components for all 80+ breeds. By digitizing the bar graph, it’s easy to measure the DNA components and calcu-late the genetic % mix of any of the listed breeds. Lack of space prevents going into more detail,
Beverly Parnell and Missy
but if anyone would like a copy of the chart or a specific breed composition, I would be happy to provide it.
Bill O’Brien (obrienwm@gmail.com)
It just goes to prove that an opportunity to spread the work of PAWS’ can come any time, any place.
101 TRICKS Back up Freeze in position Raise one paw at a time Gimme a kiss
PAWS for People P.O. Box 9955 Newark, DE 19714-5055 302-351-5622
PAWS for People Caring visits full of smiles
PAWS for People PO Box 9955, Newark, DE 19714-5055 302-351-5622 www.PAWSforPeople.org E-mail: PAWSinfo@pawsforpeople.org
Lynne Robinson, Executive Director PAWS for People is a nonprofit, volunteer organization serving Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Our mission: to lovingly provide elders, children, and folks with disabilities individualized, therapeutic visits with a gentle, affectionate pet.
PAWS Board of Directors Michelle Adams Cathy Amick Karen Bengston Luann D’Agostino Stan Diver Dianne Galleshaw
Mary Perno Lynne Robinson Bill Sudell Susan Trolio Le Dee Wakefield
Volunteers aren't paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless. Anonymous
Annual Conference info… new visiting opportunities… events to attend… There’s always something good happening with PAWS!
inside for what's NEW at PAWS!