Paws 4 Healing Members Improve Human Health

from Southwest Valley Sourcebook - 2023

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Three Paws 4 Healing therapy animal teams visit Hans Christensen Middle School in Menifee Oct. 10, 2022. From left, Mark Drake/Mimi, Carol Betzer/Skittles and Bari Boersma/Star. Paws 4 Healing member Mimi at a recent library Paws to Read event in Temecula. Mark Drake takes therapy dog Mimi for regular visits to Vineyard Ranch at Temecula Assisted Living.

Betti Cadmus photo

Courtesy photo

Paws 4 Healing Members Improve Human Health Through Bonding

by Diane A. Rhodes

Paws 4 Healing is a local chapter of Pet Partners whose therapy animal teams visit a variety of locations to help humans of all ages. From juvenile detention facilities to veterans’ organizations, nursing homes and schools, visits can help a variety of individuals in many ways. Pet Partners is a national organization dedicated to improving human health and well-being through the human-animal bond. Founded in 1977 as the Delta Society, its Therapy Animal Program screens and registers volunteer therapy animal teams to make visits to settings where people can benefit from the presence of an animal.

Carol Betzer serves as coordinator for the Temecula Valley Paws 4 Healing chapter and has been a member for more than 15 years. She adopted Skittles, a 10-year-old Golden Retriever, after the pooch was released from a service dog program.

“I thought she was too sweet to just sit around the house, so I decided to test to make her a therapy dog. We passed the test and became a member of Paws 4 Healing about five years ago and off we went visiting,” Betzer said.

There is a difference between service dog and therapy dog programs. Therapy animals are screened and registered to provide interactions with people other than their owner or handler in settings where their presence can have a beneficial effect. Service animals are specially trained to provide specific functions for the people they live with. Pet Partners registers therapy animal teams, not service animals.

Betzer and Skittles, who live in Aguanga, are working at reading programs at Anza and Idyllwild libraries and Skittles loves to visit the children at Southwest Juvenile Hall.

“She loves the attention the kids give to her,” Betzer said. “The boys make her do tricks and the girls lay with her and brush and braid her fur.”

Temecula’s Mark Drake and his dog, Mimi, started participating with Paws 4 Healing about eight years ago after his wife, Nancy, became registered with their other dog, Columbo. He loved what she did, so he followed in her footsteps with Mimi, a 10-year-old Labrador Retriever/ Golden Retriever mix.

Mark and Mimi have participated in the Paws to Read program at the Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library and the city of Menifee Summer Camps. They have visited seniors at Vineyard Ranch at Temecula Assisted Living and students at Hans Christensen Middle School in Menifee. Drake said the administrators consistently get feedback from Mimi’s clients, saying they enjoyed her visit so much and cannot wait until she returns.

“Mimi enjoys all her visits with children as well as seniors,” Drake said. “Mimi’s whole body wags when I put on her vest as this signals she will be going for her visits. She prances into the library, wiggling and wagging the whole way.”

Bari Boersma and Star, a blue merle Australian Shepherd with some black and red thrown in, joined the Pet Partners organization in 2015 and have been with Paws 4 Healing since 2017. The duo are also members of HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis

Response and Riverside County Fire Peer Support teams and have visited schools, hospitals, fire stations and other locations throughout the years.

Most recently they have been busy with deployments such as Operation Purple Camp for military families and a visit to the McKinney Fire site to support those affected as well as first responders.

“Star is also a voluntary member of Riverside County Fire K9 comfort team,” Boersma, of French Valley, said. “We have been very busy visiting the Dispatch/911 center and fire stations when needed. All of this is possible through my involvement with Pet Partners.”

Skittles is also a HOPE AACR dog. Betzer said she has been to local high schools for their “Every 15 Minutes” programs where Skittles is with the students that participate in the program providing them with unconditional love and comfort as this program is very stressful on the students that participate.

Boersma said Star is great with children so any visit with them is good for Star, who also visits local schools and recreation programs.

“I feel she is at her best in our crisis work because she is very empathetic and calm which helps others at times of stress,” Boersma said. “Doing my therapy and crisis work has been an honor to me. Each time Star and I go out is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to give back. I am very blessed to have Star and be her leash holder.”

She said feedback they get is always one of thanks and gratitude for bringing the dogs and sharing them with others.

“So often we are told the whole room lit up as soon as the dogs walked in,” she said. “I have had people tell me this is the best they have felt or the first time they have smiled in a long time! It is always an honor to be asked to visit others, whatever the need is.”

A Pet Partners therapy animal team consists of one human handler and one animal working together to provide animal-assisted intervention visits to people who can benefit. While the focus is on the animal, the handler guides the interactions to make sure the visit is safe for both the animal and the people. Pet Partner teams undergo a skills and aptitude screening and follow a number of health and safety criteria to make sure they can provide visits with minimal risk. For those interested in finding out if their dog has what it takes to be part of Paws 4 Healing, Drake said the dog needs to have a calm and confident demeanor, be well trained and friendly. Betzer agrees, adding they need to be socialized to handling unpredictable situations.

Boersma said, “My advice is to discuss with an experienced therapy team handler about what it takes in both the handler and the dog to do therapy work. If it seems like a good fit, the team should enroll in training classes to get the required Canine Good Citizen Certification to be eligible to evaluate for a therapy organization. Pet Partners has the highest standards to pass their evaluation, you need to put in the time and be ready.”

Therapy dog Star. Mimi Drake interacts with children at a recent city of Menifee Summer Camp event.