Welcome!

Welcome to the Lend A Paw Blog!
Where you can find up to date information about the program, current LAP teams and LAP therapy dogs candidates, scheduled visits, and much more.
Lend A Paw is committed to enhancing the lives of individuals experiencing physical, mental, emotional or life challenges by providing therapy dogs to offer warmth, compassion, unconditional love and a healing environment. The program is designed to rescue dogs from the shelter and train them to be therapy dogs. Individuals are also invited to join our LAP team with their own dogs provided the dogs have the required obedience and temperament for therapy work.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Scheduled Visits - Week of July 25th

There is one scheduled Lend A Paw visit for this week:

Wednesday, July 27th @ 10:30 AM:
Bubbe & Zayde's Place
3317 Oakhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA

This is a 5 resident nursing home in Culver City. The residents here always look forward to our visits. We need 1 or 2 Therapy Teams to attend.
*This site is still in need of a Lead Volunteer. Please contact Sharon if you can help!

Monday, July 18, 2011

A Birthday Celebration

     Last Wednesday, July 13th, the staff and students of New Horizons took part in a very special celebration. One of our Lend A Paw dogs, Ash, turned 2 years old, and everyone was invited to the party!
Lisa and the birthday boy, Ash!
      The celebration took place during one of the Lend A Paw monthly visits to the center. Lisa, Ash's owner and handler, went above and beyond the call of duty and made this visit a very special one. With the help of Audrey and Donna and Belle and Terry, as well as Ash's Grandma, AKA Lisa's boss, Sandra, she decorated the lunch area. There were over 120 party hats, goodie bags filled with silly toys, party horns, scarves, crazy silly glasses and candy, coloring books and of course, a big cake!
Over 120 hats and goodie bags were distributed!
      There was also a very large birthday card that participants could sign and decorate. According to Lisa, "the Birthday Card was a big hit! I just tried to count how many people signed it: it's like more than a hundred!" The Lend A Paw teams walked around handing out hats and goodie bags. Within half an hour, they were all gone. Which was perfect since it was time to sing "Happy Birthday!"Everyone gathered around to sing. Then Donna, Audrey's owner and handler, started cutting the cake (a white cake with strawberry mousse filling.) Yum! Everyone lined up to wait for the cake and pretty soon, 3 teachers came over to help cut and distribute slices of cake.
The "birthday card" was a big hit!
The cake: white cake with strawberry mousse filling. Yum!
      Terry, Belle's owner and handler, and Sandra, handed out a special coloring page of the Lend A Paw dogs who visit New Horizons (made by Isabella Koelman) for a coloring contest. The most artistic coloring will get a prize in August!
Belle and owner/handler Terry handed out a special coloring page.
The coloring page made by Isabella Koelman.
Audrey also helped with the hats and goodie bags!
     "I think everyone had a great time," says Lisa. "The kids were so excited; a birthday party for a dog! Who knew something so simple could make so many people smile?!"

Story by Nathalie Seguin and Lisa Erving, photos by Donna Beirne

Friday, July 15, 2011

Scheduled Visits - Week of July 18th

There are four scheduled Lend A Paw visits for this week:

Wednesday, July 20th @ 11:00 AM:
Culver City, CA

Wonderful site that LOVES LAP. Come to visit at-risk kids who are really benefitting from our work there.

Wednesday, July 20th @ 1:30 PM:
New Horizons - Classroom visit
North Hills, CA

This is our second visit of the month to this school and workplace for developmentally challenged adults. We stop a few minutes inside each classroom in order to give the hard working students a break. Because we are visiting smaller groups we only need up to 3 Therapy Teams to carry out this visit.
Please join us, Ash and Lisa 

Saturday, July 23rd @ 7:30AM:
LA Mission
Meet at K9s Only
Tarzana, CA

This is a visit to the Mommie and Me program that meets on Saturday morning.  We will meet at K9's Only, Tarzana and carpool to the downtown center. We will leave about 7:45 am and return by 10 to 10:30. UNLESS someone has a bigger car than mine, we can take 3 teams including me and Cody. If someone else has a larger car and can drive, we can take more. 
Saturday, July 23rd @ 10:00 AM: 
Reseda, CA

Please join Andy and Bailer for our second visit in July at the Jewish Home for the Aging / Eisenberg Village. We all meet at the parking lot benches 5 minutes prior to our start time. If anyone has any questions, please call Andy: (818) 458-3822. 
Andy & Bailer…..woof woof……

Monday, July 11, 2011

Scheduled Visits - Week of July 10th

There are two scheduled Lend A Paw visits this week:


Tuesday, July 12th @ 1:00 PM:
Jewish Home for the Aging / Grancell Village
Taper Building
7150 Tampa Ave., Reseda, CA

The resident of this skilled nursing facility always welcome the Lend A Paw teams! Please join Gayle and Wickett for this visit. We will meet a few minutes early at the large patio.


Wednesday, July 13th @ 12:00 PM:
New Horizons - Lunchtime Visit
15725 Parthenia Street
North Hills, CA

This is our first visit of the month to this school and workplace for developmentally challenged adults. With the wonder of children these loving individuals look forward to hugs and kisses from their furry friends. We need at least 4 Therapy Teams to carry out this visit. Please join us, Ash and Lisa.

We are going to try something a little different this time, a mini birthday party (it's Ash's Birthday!) We think it's going to be great fun, and we hope you all can come!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Scheduled Visits - Week of July 4th

There are two scheduled Lend A Paw visits for this week:

Saturday, July 9th @ 10:00 AM:
Jewish Home for the Aging
Eisenberg Village
18855 Victory Blvd.,
Reseda, CA

Please join Bailer and Andy for the first visit in July to the Jewish Home for the Aging / Eisenberg Village. All teams meet at the parking lot benches 5 minutes prior to the start time. If anyone has any questions, do not hesitate to call Andy at: (818) 458-3822.

Sunday, July 10th @ 10:30 AM:
Aegis Assisted Living
10801 Lindley Ave
Granada Hills, CA

This is a wonderful retirement community whose residents always look forward to our visits. We need 4 Therapy Teams to attend this visit.
*This site is still in need of a Lead Volunteer. Please contact Sharon if you can help.