Who Rescued Whom?...............by Lisa of OBXPuparazzi

Stormy was a dog I rescued from a horrible living situation.  Her owner neglected her terribly and kept her tied outside, with an extension cord that was plugged in and was wrapped several times around a post, to keep her from escaping.  The owner fed it whenever he remembered to, which was apparently not often, and never groomed her.

When my favorite dog, Navajo, had to be put down, I was devastated at his loss.  Stormy's owner offered her to me, and I couldn't say no to her.  She was supposed to be a Golden Retriever and Collie mix, but she was muddy, matted and emaciated.

She patiently tolerated being bathed and clipped nearly bald to release her from a felted mass of fur that encased her like armor.  I nursed her through a very tough heartworm treatment that I wasn't sure she would survive.  Stormy slowly recovered from the treatment, and filled out from a scrawny 46 pounds to a healthy 75-pound dog with flowing golden fur.  You could see both the Golden Retriever and Collie in her then.  She learned how to play with dog toys and developed a sly sense of humor.

Nearly two years later, she returned the favor when I found out I had cancer.  It was found late, totally by accident, and the doctors were concerned that it might not be treatable.  Stormy stuck to me like Velcro while I cried my way through the first few days after the diagnosis.

After my surgery, which was successful, she stayed next to the recliner or laid next to me on the bed as I slowly recovered.  She grew to hate Wednesdays, which were my chemo days.  She would pace and huff when I was getting ready to go, and glare sternly at my husband.

When I returned home, with often barely enough energy to crawl off to bed and sleep until the next day, she would give my husband the most disgusted looks, as if to say, "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you to keep her safe!" and she would curl up next to me, giving Dave "The Look" every time he came to check on me.  If I was restless at night, she was up to follow me around the house.  She took to laying on top of my slippers, to make sure I didn't sneak off without her knowing.  Several times, when I woke up feeling very ill, she would wake my husband.  He and I both appreciated her attentiveness and her good nurse instincts.

Having Stormy's company made a tough time in my life a lot easier to bear, and I like to think she was paying me back for rescuing her from hell on earth.  Stormy had been 9 years old when she was rescued, and lived to the surprising age of 19.  I've always thought that the Lord gave her a whole other life to make up for the first part that was so awful.

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Written by Lisa of OBXPuparazzi on ArtFire where you will find many handmade dog bandanas sewn by Lisa (the crazy dog lady!) and delightful wooden toys made by Dave who is a self-taught woodworker whose intarsia pieces are sought out by galleries in their local area. Be sure to check out these items and more in Lisa's studio and contact her with any questions.

Spread the Love - Pet Therapy Program Benefits

I have several friends who live in residential adult care homes here in Tucson because they are too ill to live alone anymore but they do not require full-time care yet. So they have a nice room or share one with someone, and the environment is very much like a home. They are allowed to have dogs or cats but must be able to take care of them. For those who are not able to have their own pets anymore, I have learned they desperately want others to bring their pets in to visit.

My friends cannot care for a dog or cat anymore and they know I have a cat, so they ask me often if I can bring Chester in to see them. They always look so sad when they speak of the pets they used to be able to love and care for. Which means, I feel extra bad when I have to explain that Chester does not have the temperament to go visiting others since he is too shy and skittish and does not like to sit in laps or be held. I often wish I had another kitty who was more mellow and laid-back so that I could take my pet to visit my friends, but Chester is a one-person-cat and so for now things will remain as they are.

Anyway, I have learned over the years that many shelters have all-important pet therapy programs in place, but some do not. It’s becoming more popular as more awareness has developed over how important this particular form of therapy is for so many who are sick or disabled and cannot have their own pets anymore.

Many years ago, I took my cat, Chelsea, to see residents of a nursing home where my grandmother and her best friend lived, and they enjoyed it so much. She was not part of an official pet therapy program, but I was allowed to let Chelsea visit with others if they wanted to see her when I did take her in to see my loved ones. It brought such joy to those older ones. Their faces just lit up with delight at seeing a furry critter. It’s so obvious we humans were especially designed to interact with and relate to companion animals of all sorts. A real gift and privilege.

Another elderly friend was in a rehab unit of a local nursing home and there is a resident cat there who visits all the residents when they want her to. It was so fun to see this cat go to various rooms and jump up on the beds and let the different ones pet her, as well as just wander around and do her own kitty things. I saw the faces of many residents change so drastically, from sadness and despair to joy and happiness, when they had the chance to visit with the resident cat. Even if for only a few minutes, it seemed to make such a difference in their difficult lives.

I’ve learned lately that one of my local shelters has a pet-therapy program; the others do not. I am not able to participate at this point in time due to my own physical limitations, but I have urged some of my friends to sign up. And I urge others who are able to make room for this in their lives if at all possible. You will not be sorry!

So, if your local shelters have a pet therapy program in place, why not  consider joining in if you have a pet that would be suitable for such a thing. If your shelters do not have a program, think about at least volunteering to take your own well-behaved and gentle pet in once in a while to visit elderly ones who can no longer enjoy life on their own with their own pets, if the facilities near you allow this. 

I speak from experience that having to give up so many things one loves is very hard, whether it’s due to illness or injury, and many have told me giving up their pets was one of the worst things they went through as their health worsened. I am sure most of us can relate since we love our pets so much and are grateful for the important role they play in our lives.

Here are some online resources for finding more info about this valuable service. With a little digging, you will find a lot more info, I’m sure:

Love on a Leash http://www.loveonaleash.org/

American Humane Association, Pet Assisted Therapy http://www.activitytherapy.com/us.htm

Therapy Dogs International http://www.tdi-dog.org/

Submitted by:..............................................Debra Holder - Owner of a special needs cat who is quite grumpy but still very lovable, Chester, (see the avatar in her online studio at http://www.sleepycatdesigns.artfire.com/), Debra specializes in making safety collars for cats because of her love of sewing and cats that she is able to combine in one creative activity. She has always had pets of various kinds but especially enjoys small dogs and all kinds of kitties and is thankful for the unconditional love pets give to their human friends.