A Therapy Dog In The Making

Sharon Newman became a Certified Lend A Paw Handler because she believes in the human/animal bond. She truly believes that animals, especially dogs, can affect the way people feel.

And she has enjoyed being a therapy dog handler so much, and felt so much fulfillment from each visit that she has decided to raise a puppy to become a Lend A Paw Certified Therapy Dog. 

So this past Summer, Sharon brought Roxy home; Roxy is an adorable Golden Retriever who already demonstrates all the qualities a dog should possess to be a good therapy dog: She loves people and wants to please them. 

As her puppy grows to maturity, Sharon has been blessed with the generosity of others by them "lending" their therapy dogs to her for the Lend A Paw visits. But a few weeks ago, Sharon had a wonderful experience with Roxy and she would like to share this story with everyone.

"Roxie and I were enjoying a morning walk in my neighborhood one Saturday morning, when we encountered a man sitting in a wheel chair in the shade outside a residential house. I know this house to be a residence for adults with severe head injuries as a result of some type of trauma. As we approached him, he smiled broadly and lowered his hand, as if asking to pet Roxie. We got close and Roxie was a perfect lady. She put her head in his lap and he petted her over and over. I told him her name and age. Through his labored speech I could make out that he said "Hi Roxie." We stayed a few minutes, all the while the smile never leaving his face. When we said goodbye, he mumbled "Bye, Roxie."
It was such a beautiful, impromptu moment. It made me even more happy and excited about bringing Roxie into the Lend A Paw program!"

Roxie will be eligible for testing for certification with Lend A Paw when she turns one year old. Stay tuned for updates on her progress to reach that goal!


Story and photos by Nathalie Seguin.

Halloween Spirit

October was a busy month for the Lend A Paw program and it was definitely a fun one. The LAP teams demonstrated that everyone can have Halloween Spirit and dress up... even the dogs! Some teams even brought candies to pass out. One of the most popular visit was at the Jewish Home For The Aging / Eisenberg Village, on Saturday, November 29th. This is an annual event and the residents and clients of this facility really enjoy seeing all the dogs in costumes! This year, 8 dog/handler teams were present: Andy and Bailer, Chris and Mason, Lisa and Ash, Lori and Buckwheat, Lydia and Cali, Marshall and Genny, Sarah and Bailey, and Judy and Chloe. From the smallest to the tallest, they all dressed up and paraded in front of a large audience. Even the staff of the Jewish Home wanted to witness this amazing show!

8 dog/handler teams participated in this visit.

Judy and her cute butterfly, Chloe, delighted the residents.

Bailey was supposed to be a vampire but with his friendly face, he didn't scare anyone!

"Which way to the trail?" says Camper Buckwheat.

What an adorable pumpkin Ash makes!

Miss Genny dressed as an Angel.

And the King (Bailer) was in the building!

Chris and Mason both dressed up and made lots of heads turn!

This was Cali's first visit and she performed like a pro!

Story and Photography by Nathalie Seguin.

Scheduled Visits - November 2011

Here is a calendar of all Lend A Paw scheduled visits for the month of November 2011. Click on an event to see details about the visit. Choose the event(s) you wish to participate in and contact the Leader of the site to RSVP.

LAP Teams Update

 The following dogs and handlers have recently achieved another milestone in the Lend A Paw program:

 Joanne Burnsides:
Joanne was certified on June 4, 2011 as a volunteer handler.  Joanne works as a therapist and caregiver at Home Instead Senior Care.  She has also volunteered for the past 5 years with the Hospice of Central California, so she brings a lot of experience with seniors to the program, which is important with our type of work.    Though she does not have her own dog, she partners with Gabi & Ziko to visit various sites, including the Anne Douglas Center, The Jewish Home for the Aging, the L.A. Mission and more.  Joanne recently completed her 6th visit and is now a Level II volunteer.  Gabi & Ziko are very thankful she’s in the program, so they can make more visits!  

Chris Nitz & Mason:
Chris and Mason were also certified on June 4, 2011.  Chris joined the program because she enjoys giving back to the community.  Mason is our first Great Dane in the program and his striking looks catch attention wherever he goes.  Despite his size, his gentle demeanor makes even the smallest children feel comfortable.  Chris and Mason have been making site visits to the L.A. Mission, KEEN Los Angeles, The Jewish Home for the Aging, and Aegis Assisted Living.  They recently completed their 6 visits and next month will be taking over as the lead volunteer team for Oakview Assisted Living in Thousand Oaks.  

Judy Kamins & Chloe:
Judy and Chloe first came to the program after completing training sessions at K9s Only.  Judy has worked professionally as a social worker and wanted to enrich her experience and spend quality time with Chloe as well.  Chloe started out as a very shy little puppy, but through her training and Judy’s gentle guidance, her confidence was raised and Chloe now enjoys every minute she spends visiting.  Due to Judy’s passion for social work, she is drawn towards the sites we visit with Autistic children.  Judy and Chloe recently completed their 6th visit and they are looking forward to doing a lot more.

Please congratulate all three of these volunteers for their hard work and dedication to Lend A Paw.

2nd Annual Lend A Paw Picnic

   On Sunday, October 16th we held our Second Annual LAP Appreciation Picnic at Serrania Park in Woodland Hills. Over 30 volunteer humans and dogs gathered for food, fun and conversation.

The annual picnic gives volunteers a chance to get to know each other, and the program leaders an opportunity to express our gratitude and appreciation for our valued volunteer Handlers and Therapy Dogs.
                     

Lisa and her dog, Ash, recently celebrated their one 

year anniversary with the program. They completed a whopping 60 visits in one year! Lisa hopes to get her younger dog, Cinder, certified soon so that she can continue to bring love and joy to all the individuals they visit.

                                                                  

Amanda and her dog, Newman, a rescue 

whom she rehabilitated, joined the program 

in September. They are looking forward to 

visiting the children's locations, in order to 

help educate children on humane treatment 

of animals.                                                                                                  

Sarah Jane and Bailey have been an LAP Team since 2008. They  were awarded for completing over 100 visits since becoming certified in 2008. Sarah Jane and Bailey have also brought Lend A Paw to KEEN Los Angeles, an organization which provides sports and activities to children with developmental challenges. The Therapy Dogs help to facilitate social interaction with developmentally challenged children at this location. Interaction with the dogs can also help to build confidence and interpersonal communication skills.

A BIG thank you to all of our Volunteer Handlers and Dogs. We also extend a special thanks to our "behind the scenes" volunteers such as Nathalie Seguin who our writes our blog, and Mel Whitney and Liz Kessler who have assisted with administrative duties this year. Our mission of rescuing animals and giving back to the community could not be fulfilled without all of your hard work and dedication. Here's to the upcoming year and all that we will accomplish!

Story by Sharon Vincuilla, Lend A Paw Director

Scheduled Visits - October 2011

Here is a calendar of all Lend A Paw scheduled visits for the month of October 2011. Click on an event to see details about the visit. Choose the event(s) you wish to participate in and contact the Leader of the site to RSVP.

Who's Who Part 2

Sarah Jane & Bailey:

Sarah Jane Chelin & Bailey were certified as a LAP team in December, 2008.   Since then, with a few rare exceptions, they have made one or more visits every month.  Working toward a goal of accomplishing 100 visits this year, she and Bailey have become one of our most experienced volunteer teams.  While they spread their joy across many sites, Sarah is now the Lead Volunteer for the KEEN visits; an organization providing sports and activities for developmentally challenged children.  Please join us in cheering her and Bailey on as they strive to hit their goal of 100 visits!  

Jane, Jessica & Caspy:

Jane Eckstein and her daughter, Jessica Masser, adopted Caspy from New Leash On Life in January 2009, and in February they were certified and began visiting with Lend A Paw.  Jane and Jessica had already been involved in community outreach programs, when they
adopted Caspy. They were teaching a self defense class at Kayne Eras; a school for developmentally challenged children, many of whom
are autistic.  They spoke with the Principal and Caspy and his friends

have been visiting regularly ever since.  Jane and Jessica have now expanded their sites to Fallon Cardiology Office and the Westside Regional Center, where Jessica works as a peer mentor.  The Westside Regional Center provides several programs and resources for developmentally challenged adults or children and their families.   If you haven’t worked with Jane and Jessica you are missing out on the vitality and compassion they bring to the LAP program.