Ann Douglas Center at L.A. Mission

Barbara Sulier and her dog, Cody are the site leaders for the Ann Douglas Center at the LA Mission. In a recent Facebook post, Barbara wrote:

Cody was in heaven!

"Had a WONDERFUL, exhausting day at the Ann Douglas Center on Saturday. There were 30 kids and then there was Cody. He was in heaven. They petted him, they brushed him, they wiped him down with doggy clean cloths, they hugged him, they walked him, they kissed him, they asked questions about him, they drew pictures of him and gave them to us to take home. Cody wagged his tail so much I think he sprained it. He gave as many kisses as he got and he was smiling that BIG HANGING TONGUE smile he does so well. A full hour of bliss wore him out entirely - in a good way. What a GREAT day for everyone. This is what it is all about."

When I read this, I asked Barbara to describe the kind of visit one can expect when going to this site. "Describing this Lend A Paw site is a hard task for me. It has become dear to Cody and me and I'm not sure how to make the enthusiasm come through," states Sulier. But here is what she wrote:

If you like working with dogs and children, this is the site. There are children from infants to teenagers, to young adults, to adults acting like kids!

The Ann Douglas Center is an outreach branch of the Los Angeles Mission, providing services to women and children.  The “Mommy and Me” Saturday morning group, which LAP attends the third Saturday of every month, is not your normal Mommy and Me class.  On Saturday mornings, the Center opens around 7:30 am for Moms and their children (and a few dads too).  They are all fed breakfast.  By the time Lend A Paw teams arrive around 8:30 am, things are just starting.  Moms go “shopping” at the Center for clothing, diapers, baby food, formula, shoes, coats, tooth brushes,  hair clips, toilet paper, and the list goes on.  During that time, the children are in their own room doing crafts, reading books, playing games.  Volunteers from all over Los Angeles County and beyond come in to help sit with the children, play with them, read to them.  That’s where the dogs and handlers come in. 

We arrive as a group.  Sometimes there are 1-3 children, but lately it has been 30 children and their moms.  The dogs are as excited to see the children as the children are to see the dogs.  The regular volunteers and staff ALSO are excited to see the dogs. For the children who’ve been at the Mommy and Me before – they usually come rushing out to hug and greet the dogs.  They ask each dog if they remember them.  

A little girl at the Center gave Barbara and Cody this picture!

As with any other Lend A Paw location, we’re there to educate, entertain, comfort, provide conversation, or just sit and listen.  We teach the children how to interact with the dogs.  How to pet with the direction of the fur, how to groom with brushes, how to give some commands,  how to give a treat, and when I can, a little dog anatomy for the older kids.  They are fascinated to learn dogs have bones in their tails.  In the middle of all this, we are bombarded with questions as well – what does he eat, where does she sleep, is she your dog, where did you get him?

We take the dogs on “walks” – we walk the dogs in the lobby area – probably an 8 X12 foot area- with children holding on to every inch of leash they can get.  But most of the  time is spent just sitting on the floor petting the dogs and talking.  As we all know, there is something about petting a dog that gets people to open up and talk.  Children are great talkers.  Sometime, especially when there are LOTS of children and not enough volunteers, we read to the children, we sit with them while they color.   It is sort of playtime for us all, but in a confined setting. The time just flies by and too soon the hour is done. 

Gwen and Lilo had their first ever LAP visit at the Ann Douglas Center.

Many Lend A Paw teams have already visited the Ann Douglas Center and all had wonderful experiences. Gwen and her little dog, Lilo had their first ever Lend A Paw visit at the Center. Here is what they had to say about their visit:  “It was our very first visit and we had a lot of fun.  The kids were so eager to carry Lilo and loved her hair.  Lilo also did a very good job in close vicinity to Cody. Our participation in Lend A Paw has been 3 months in the making and we look forward to doing more great work!”

From talking to the children, Barbara has learned that most of them are fairly recently homeless and on the streets. They talk about what they have left behind and often of the pets they had to give up. But there are also children who have spent all their life on the street or are were too young to remember anything different. These are the children who are often afraid of the dogs because the dogs they’ve encountered are not kind, affectionate, well-groomed, safe pets.  Noah was one of those kids and Barbara tells us this story:

"One day when there were enough dogs to go around, I was asked to work specifically with Noah, a boy about 7-8 years old.  He was afraid of dogs and was at the far end of the craft room sitting in a chair.  I pulled up a chair next to him, keeping Cody on the outside of me.  I started by talking to Noah about Noah.  While we talked, I pet Cody’s head.  Cody put his head on my lap and I continued talking and petting.  Then Noah and I started talking about Cody.  Cody, pushed his head further across my lap almost over to the end of Noah’s chair.  As Noah became more comfortable, I gradually moved Cody between my chair and Noah’s, trying to call NO attention to it.  We continued talking, I continued petting.  Pretty soon, Noah was petting too.  Cody put his head on Noah’s lap and I think the friendship was formed at that moment.  Within about 20 minutes, Noah would “walk” Cody, groom Cody, hug Cody and get kisses from Cody.  Noah LOVED lying on Cody lying on the floor.  As I was leaving and saying all my goodbyes, Noah came over and asked ' I know Cody has a name, but does he have a middle name?' I said no.  Noah replied – 'He does now – it’s Noah.' "

So, if you think you would like to visit with us, sign up quickly because due to limited space, we can only bring 4 teams.  Then, pack up your brush, grooming tools, pet wipes, spare leash (for the children to hold) and be ready for a rewarding time! 


The next visit at the Ann Douglas Center is scheduled for Saturday, July 21st. 

Story and Photos by Barbara Sulier.