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Therapy Dogs and Their People
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Join me in my Passion with Therapy Dog Work..visiting sick children..elder..school programs..even victims of domestic violence..and 1st responders in disasters..I promise it is rewarding is a huge understatement
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Magic's 1st Hospital Visit
This I wrote for my Therapy group many years ago..but I think it shows just what can happen if we as the humans in our dogs life pay attention..I had Magic for almost 10 years..and his loss was not just mine but all those who he touched..He is still missed..and even now a year and a half after him leaving I will run into people that he touched and didn't hear of him passing on..He changed my life for the better in more ways than I can count..I hope you enjoy his story.
"Sam and Magic'
by Tricia Larrabee
I dedicate this story to a brave young lady by the name of Samantha.
If not for the connection you made with Magic on that Christmas week Magic would not have found his calling.
Let me begin by saying in all my experience with dogs Magic has taught me more about the human/animal connection than I ever thought possible.
I,being a mere human grossly underestimated Magic and what his niche or calling in the Therapy Dog world would be.
I wanted to,even planned to visit hospitals,pediatrics especially.But I discovered when Magic was only 1 1/2 yrs. old and not even officially a Therapy Dog yet that he could "alert" on medical conditions.It wasn't until a relative visiting that had recently been diagnosed with diabetes that I had proof. When he alerted on her I asked her to ck her blood levels-- Magic was never wrong.--
In that discovery, while I was glad I had been correct in my observations of him,it also made me very sad.
I had to think of us as a team now and what was best for him. How could I take him to a hospital where with each room we visit,someone would have something wrong with them.
In my human limited way of thinking "it wouldn't be fair to him"
We were a team now, and his Love of "kids" was something that couldn't be denied. We did visit several elder day care centers and while they enjoyed his visits and he was a gentleman about it,his heart wasn't in it. We found our niche in Education programs,and presentations of safety and pet responsibility (that we continue today), as well as finding a teen boys correctional facility to visit once a month.
It wasn't until several phone calls occurred that I found out just how wrong I could be.
The 1st call was from a dear friend,Kathryn who Magic and I had helped prepare for Therapy Dog Testing and both Kathryn and Kayln succeeded,and found their calling at the VA Hospital,bringing joy and smiles to all they met.She had very sad news; Kayln had cancer and had passed on. For such a young promising Therapy Dog it was devastating news.
The 2nt call a few months later was again from Kathryn,and she had a request?It was Christmas week and a family she and Kayln had met, had a young 7yr.old daughter who was in the hospital preparing for a bone marrow transplant and was missing her dogs at home.Since Kathryn/Kayln were no longer available she wanted to know if I could take Magic to visit her?
It was Christmas week-- I thought "one visit" Magic could handle that. How could I refuse????
I contacted the appropriate people at the hospital and was given instructions not to visit with anyone before we saw Sam,due to her resistance being low.
I bathed and groomed Magic and when we arrived at the hospital I realized immediately how difficult it was going to be just to get to her room without people getting all over him. We politely explained we couldn't visit until later, and finally made it to Sam's room.
Sam was on her bed and the only patient in the room.She was very happy to see Magic and it was obvious Magic felt the same.
For someone so sick she was very energized by his visit and insisted he get on the bed with her,after getting Dad's permission,I let Magic get on the foot of her bed.-- we visited and talked about her pets at home, and she had lots of questions about Magic,we visited about an hour and then it was time to go.
On the way out of the hospital,going down in the elevator,I looked at Magic and realized he had never been on an elevator before today and he seemed very proud of himself,looking up at me with his big brown expressive eyes,I knew in that moment "this was his calling" That I,in my human limits had given up on for us as a team,couldn't have been more wrong.
I set about becoming an official volunteer at University Medical Center,and for the past 2 years Magic and I have faithfully visited every other week and Holidays.
There are times now when I am convinced that if he could push the correct elevator buttons,I could drop him off at the front door and he could do this all by himself.From the moment we pull into parking,he is set in his goals--"the kids come 1st'
To all the smiling faces of children and adults--both patients and families,and staff--
To all the miracles big and small--
To the sound when turning a corner in the hospital and hearing "Magic's Here"
It is to Sam and Magic that I give all the credit.
Without Sam and Magic meeting that Christmas week,a true calling would have been lost.
I am blessed to have Magic in my life, and I see every time we visit,the magical way he has in any given situation.
Magic has taught me many things, Living in the moment, was a big one.But I have to say on the top of the list is
"Never Underestimate Magic"
Our animal/human connection has gone beyond any limits I have previously known with dogs in my life.
THANK YOU SAM
"Sam and Magic'
by Tricia Larrabee
I dedicate this story to a brave young lady by the name of Samantha.
If not for the connection you made with Magic on that Christmas week Magic would not have found his calling.
Let me begin by saying in all my experience with dogs Magic has taught me more about the human/animal connection than I ever thought possible.
I,being a mere human grossly underestimated Magic and what his niche or calling in the Therapy Dog world would be.
I wanted to,even planned to visit hospitals,pediatrics especially.But I discovered when Magic was only 1 1/2 yrs. old and not even officially a Therapy Dog yet that he could "alert" on medical conditions.It wasn't until a relative visiting that had recently been diagnosed with diabetes that I had proof. When he alerted on her I asked her to ck her blood levels-- Magic was never wrong.--
In that discovery, while I was glad I had been correct in my observations of him,it also made me very sad.
I had to think of us as a team now and what was best for him. How could I take him to a hospital where with each room we visit,someone would have something wrong with them.
In my human limited way of thinking "it wouldn't be fair to him"
We were a team now, and his Love of "kids" was something that couldn't be denied. We did visit several elder day care centers and while they enjoyed his visits and he was a gentleman about it,his heart wasn't in it. We found our niche in Education programs,and presentations of safety and pet responsibility (that we continue today), as well as finding a teen boys correctional facility to visit once a month.
It wasn't until several phone calls occurred that I found out just how wrong I could be.
The 1st call was from a dear friend,Kathryn who Magic and I had helped prepare for Therapy Dog Testing and both Kathryn and Kayln succeeded,and found their calling at the VA Hospital,bringing joy and smiles to all they met.She had very sad news; Kayln had cancer and had passed on. For such a young promising Therapy Dog it was devastating news.
The 2nt call a few months later was again from Kathryn,and she had a request?It was Christmas week and a family she and Kayln had met, had a young 7yr.old daughter who was in the hospital preparing for a bone marrow transplant and was missing her dogs at home.Since Kathryn/Kayln were no longer available she wanted to know if I could take Magic to visit her?
It was Christmas week-- I thought "one visit" Magic could handle that. How could I refuse????
I contacted the appropriate people at the hospital and was given instructions not to visit with anyone before we saw Sam,due to her resistance being low.
I bathed and groomed Magic and when we arrived at the hospital I realized immediately how difficult it was going to be just to get to her room without people getting all over him. We politely explained we couldn't visit until later, and finally made it to Sam's room.
Sam was on her bed and the only patient in the room.She was very happy to see Magic and it was obvious Magic felt the same.
For someone so sick she was very energized by his visit and insisted he get on the bed with her,after getting Dad's permission,I let Magic get on the foot of her bed.-- we visited and talked about her pets at home, and she had lots of questions about Magic,we visited about an hour and then it was time to go.
On the way out of the hospital,going down in the elevator,I looked at Magic and realized he had never been on an elevator before today and he seemed very proud of himself,looking up at me with his big brown expressive eyes,I knew in that moment "this was his calling" That I,in my human limits had given up on for us as a team,couldn't have been more wrong.
I set about becoming an official volunteer at University Medical Center,and for the past 2 years Magic and I have faithfully visited every other week and Holidays.
There are times now when I am convinced that if he could push the correct elevator buttons,I could drop him off at the front door and he could do this all by himself.From the moment we pull into parking,he is set in his goals--"the kids come 1st'
To all the smiling faces of children and adults--both patients and families,and staff--
To all the miracles big and small--
To the sound when turning a corner in the hospital and hearing "Magic's Here"
It is to Sam and Magic that I give all the credit.
Without Sam and Magic meeting that Christmas week,a true calling would have been lost.
I am blessed to have Magic in my life, and I see every time we visit,the magical way he has in any given situation.
Magic has taught me many things, Living in the moment, was a big one.But I have to say on the top of the list is
"Never Underestimate Magic"
Our animal/human connection has gone beyond any limits I have previously known with dogs in my life.
THANK YOU SAM
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Comment by Tricia Larrabee on December 2, 2009 at 2:26am -
Hi all..And Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays..not sure where I want to put this maybe here as well as discussions..It is a Christmas story from when Magic and I were begining..in fact the year after we met Sam..We set a routine at the hospital..every other week and Holidays..and it worked very well for us..
So here is the Christmas story..
Today went as magical as Magic is.We did our usual rounds and then went to Peds ICU, they were unfortunately very full up and short-staffed so we were unable to visit in rooms but we did visit the staff a bit in the halls and in the waiting room area, it went very well and we were invited back.He ran the whole spectrum today, all the families were visiting today,and so not only did he have patients but all their brothers and sisters and relatives, from little babies to grandparents.It was busy to say the least. After rounds we went to ICU and stayed there for a little while and on the way out there was another wing off the side hall from ICU open I believe it was "surgical specialities" and the nurse at the station saw us so we went to say hi. The staff was thrilled to visit with Magic and when I asked if any patients would be interested they came back quickly with oh yes.The 1st was a lady missing her shelties at home and her room mate and we had a very pleasant visit when one of the nurses came in and said there was another woman who would like a visit and is getting in her wheelchair. So when she was ready we went in and visited her for a bit and that went very well too.As we were about to leave and I had told Magic we were going home I got another request (if he was awake), so the nurse took us to the room, he was an older man who was clearly disoriented and was not responding to his wife or the nurses and so we followed the nurses lead and she got his glasses on him and again tried to get him to respond,and asked that I have Magic come close and even put his feet up so that she could put his hand on Magic.Here I have to remind Magic that he isn't allowed on the beds, which he would happily join in on with the kids at any opportunity, and I now had to guide him only to put his feet up,he caught on quickly and once he had his hand on Magic he focused his eyes 1st on Magic then his wife and the nurses and he was talking a blue streak , no one could understand what he was saying, but he certainly continued on with whatever he was talking about. and then the nurse seemed pleased that they were getting responses from him even though we couldn't understand his slurred speech, he was trying. Once Magic got down and visited the others in the room I noticed that the man's hand had been covered with the sheet but that he was moving it(as if to pat the bed for Magic so I brought Magic back to him and guided his hand to Magic's head .And he was off again talking the best he could .We left shortly after saying Merry Christmas.Our total time was 2 hours and Magic seemed fine.Very happy and satisfied.Other than being in a bit of a hurry to get on to the next room, I saw no signs of stress,He was ready to leave when we headed down the elevator and once outside seemed proud of himself.I know that I was, he truly is a magical dog and never ceases to amaze me with his ability to adapt to whatever the situation calls for.Happy Holidays to EveryoneTricia/Magic
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Comment by San Dei English-Anderson on November 26, 2009 at 3:47pm
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Thank you for the invite. This is a wonderful service!
Blessings Always,
San Dei
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Comment by Regina Dickerson, Event Planner on November 23, 2009 at 8:27am - I'm sorry to hear about Howdy. Know he must of been very special to do what he could do. Thanks for sharing that with us. Also Thanks for your message on Magic. He is a true trooper. All Animals are special and especially those who help people.
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Comment by Tricia Larrabee on November 22, 2009 at 9:24pm
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Is Laughter the best Medicine???
Since I have written about Magic's 1st visit..I thought I would write about one of his last visits..
After almost 8 years of visiting our hospital Magic was a true pro at it..no matter how busy or quiet it was he always seemed to know just what was needed and filled that spot..
This day started as one of our usual visits ..not a holiday or anything special that I could point to...When we arrived we found the Peds unit full..and very busy..and we always always started with the kids..and then proceeded on to our other stops..
As it turned out by the time we hit the final floor..Adult ICU..coming off the elevator I could see that Magic was tired..and I told him one more stop and we would go home..we turned the corner..and half way down the hall is the ICU waiting area..
It was full..I have never seen it so full..standing room only...
Usually we will stop there after visiting the patients..just to say a quick hello and good bye..and it is usually very quiet..
Not today..I looked at Magic and said sorry two more stops..we went into ICU and visited with staff and a few patients..and then headed out..I looked at Magic and he was ready..and looked like we had just started and I looked at the time and we had been here for 3 1/2 hours..
We stopped at the waiting area and were instantly swamped by kids of all ages..sizes....
I had Magic do his routine for the crowd..and then something happened that to this day I don't know what..
Magic had done something that made everyone there break into LAUGHTER..I looked at him and he had that look in his eyes that told me he was proud of himself..and so was I..
We didn't stay long..and all the way down to the car I was very quiet and reflective of what had just happened..
If you have ever been to an ICU waiting area Laughter is not something that is usually heard..it is usually very quiet..and tense in some way..even kids that are present are subdued..
Today a MIRACLE happened..there were at least..40 maybe more people in that area today..all with a loved one in serious condition..and in their hour of need Laughter became the medicine of the day for everyone..
I looked at Magic resting in the back seat..and could see that while he was tired from the day..he was content...He had done his job
and to say the least..lived up to his name MAGIC
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Comment by Tricia Larrabee on November 12, 2009 at 1:16pm
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Important discussion about dealing with aggressive dog situtations..
Weather service dogs or us Therapy dogs..we all need to keep aware of the situtations around us..
The training of our dogs as well as ourselves never ends..
There are more situations that can ever be documented that could and do happen all the time..with people and dogs..
It is up to us to deal with all of them in a professional manor..protecting ourselves ..our compaions..and the people around us..
Tricia
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Comment by pistons58 on November 10, 2009 at 6:42pm -
Suz-See....
Thanks so much for the invite to join - I did so without hesitation. I have no therapy dogs of my own but have seen them in action. It warms my heart to see the love between man & animal during such sad times.
I do however (feel personally) I have my own brood of therapy cats (lol) Seriously, with all that's been going on lately - they are my rock, my stability, my sanity, my amazement.
Animals & people were definately meant to coinside.....no questions asked.
MAGIC - I LOVE YOU - you are amazing - I loved the stories they posted about your work.
Have a great week everyone - I promise to get back here more frequently.
Kathy
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Comment by PJ on November 10, 2009 at 7:55am -
Hello all, thank you for the invite and the welcome here.
At the ranch where I work on the weekends the barn manager was training a little miniature dwarf horse to be a service animal. He was so cute and lovable and very friendly.
He was learning very fast too. He could climb stairs and do a lot of things but since he was a dwarf he died at the age of three years do to complications from being a dwarf. He got to the point he could not walk very good so she decided it was not fair to him to make him suffer and she had the vet come out and put him down. It was one of the hardest things she had to do and it broke all of our hearts. I still miss him so much because he was like my very own little guy. I took care of him when she would go on vacation and on weekends. When she would leave to go on vacation she would tell me I was in charge of him and her stallion and no one else was to do anything with them. He made me feel so special to think she trusted me with her little ones.
Rest in Peace our little Howdy
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Comment by Regina Dickerson, Event Planner on November 4, 2009 at 10:25am
- William looks precious. Way to go Will!!!!
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Comment by Jennifer Surdam on November 2, 2009 at 7:35pm
- OMG--William's adorable!! Hugs!
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Comment by Vanessa Wolford on November 2, 2009 at 4:51pm - Today Philip got a call from WAVYTV 10 in Virginia. They have invited Lucas to be their guest of honor on Nov.19,2009. There is going to be a luncheon and the station will be awarding recognition awards to people who make a difference. Seeing how Lucas is not a "human", he was invited to attend this event as guest of honor. How thrilling can that be????
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