Charles Polacek of Promise Land, the handler for Sheriff Andy Taylor, a 9½-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel and littermate with Barney, says Andy starts barking and dancing around him when he gets out his Paws of Love vest, because he knows he gets to visit old friends and meet new people.
Dogs must pass an annual health ex- am and are up-to-date on their vaccina- tions, and handlers must pass an annual written test. Paws of Love has four observer-test-
ers, which makes it easier for local dog owners who would like to become certi- fied in therapy work. The local observer- testers are C.J. Foster, L. Titus, Arlene Myslinski and Patti Sontag. Therapy dog handlers make it clear the dogs are the ones doing the work. The role of the handlers is to watch out for the safety of their dogs, Lynda says. Because of the intensity of the work, fa- cility visits are typically an hour or less. “It’s an emotional drain on the dogs,”
Lynda says. “Our visit starts the minute we step out of the car and ends when we get back in … when the dogs are done, they are exhausted.” After a visit, her dog Katie immedi-
ately drinks water and takes a long nap. But for the right dog, the work also is
enjoyable. Charles Polacek of Promise Land, the handler for Sheriff Andy Taylor, a 9 ½-year-old Cavalier King Charles span- iel and littermate with Barney, says An- dy starts barking and dancing around him when he gets out his Paws of Love vest, because he knows he gets to visit old friends and meet new people. They visit the Monroe House weekly, the hos-
pital twice a month, and substitute for other members as needed. “He’s a people dog,” Charles says.
“Everyone he meets has to become his friend.”
Dedicated dogs
Watching the dogs in action, it’s clear the dogs and their handlers are dedicat- ed to therapy work.
While the Alliance of Therapy Dogs does not require its members to be a part of a group, local handlers appreciate the availability of members to substitute for a visit if needed. “We love being part of a group for the
LIVING WELL JULY/AUGUST 2019 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
