Callie and Lynx, along with their handlers Cindy and Jen, were recognized for their service by the CEO of Medical City Children’s Hospital on National Dog Day.
Way to go, Cindy / Callie and Jen / Lynx!!!
Marian Montelongo and her therapy dogs, Sawyer and Belle, were recognized for their service to Cedar Crest of Lewisville.
Way to go, Marian, Sawyer, and Belle!
Ron Fox and Kobie were named as "Volunteers of the Month" by Rays of Light, LLC for their dedication in August at the "Night Lights" Program. Night Lights gives the parents of special needs children a night off once a month. The children have a dedicated volunteer for the evening and are entertained with numerous activities such as movies, balloon artists, puppets, face painting, athletic games, playing computer games and interacting with therapy dogs from Heart of Texas Therapy Dogs. The dogs are favorites with the children, volunteers and the Night Lights staff.
Ron regularly attends the 3 Night Light visits per month. He alternates bringing his 2 therapy dogs, Bucky and Kobie.
Way to go, Ron and Kobie!!!
For the past few years, Lynx has been a regular at UTSW’s Simmons Cancer Center in Dallas. She can be found most Mondays visiting faculty, staff, caregivers, and patients throughout the building. This past Monday, Lynx met a new friend while waiting for the elevator. As this patient emerged from the elevator, she spotted Lynx and immediately asked to pet her. Phones emerged and the patient chatted with Lynx and snapped selfies. She hugged Lynx (a willing participant for snuggles) and declared this to be the best day.
Lynx completed her visits, and we returned home. Later, I happened to check social media and found that the patient posted her experience with Lynx. She said, “There is something to be said about therapy dogs. The sheer joy and peace these gentle, magnificent creatures bring to people around them is priceless! A routine trip to UTSW Cancer Center today turned into a very happy, positive experience for me. As I was leaving the building after my visit, I saw this beautiful darling girl, Lynx, who looked so lovingly at me. I just had to spend a few minutes hugging and cuddling with her – it made my day, heck – my week and my year! She gave me so much happiness and joy in those few moments…it’s indescribable!”
It might be easy to overlook the impact of these dogs on the people they encounter. It is moments like these that make us honored to be part of this shared experience.
Animal-assisted therapy is a complementary medicine intervention, typically utilizing dogs trained to be obedient, calm, and comforting Several studies have reported significant pain relief after participating in therapy dog visits. Objective reports of reduced pain and pain-related symptoms are supported by studies measuring decreased catecholamines and increased endorphins in humans receiving friendly dog visits. Mirror neuron activity and disease-perception through olfactory ability in dogs may also play important roles in helping dogs connect with humans during therapeutic encounters.
The department of Radiation Oncology here at UT Southwester began its complementary medicine initiative in November of 2021 by introducing Pet Therapy Dog, Callic. Callic is a beautiful, 7 year old Golden Retriever, born on December 10, 2015. Currently, she visits Radiation Oncology every Tuesday. as well as, the Simmons Cancer Center, and Hope Lodge. She is seen visiting with patients throughout the clinics and sometimes even asked to be in photos while putting smiles on all who encounter her. Callie has even assisted in helping to lower the blood pressure for a radiation oncology patient, enabling them to continue with their radiation treatment here in the clinic. Callic is also a member of the DFW Airport's K9 Crew where she helps to calm stressed passengers and flight crew. She clearly enjoys the attention she commands everywhere she goes by wearing adorable outfits. Aside from the attention, she also loves having puppachinos at various Starbucks throughout the DFW terminals.
Night Lights is a respite visit that provides special needs kids a night out once a month while giving their parents a well-needed night off.
This is a program provided by the non-profit organization, Rays of Light, Inc., on the first 3 Friday nights of the month. The children they serve cover the full spectrum of special needs up to age 18.
Each child has a dedicated volunteer for the evening. The kids are dropped off at 5:30 pm and are picked up around 9:30 to 10:00. The pet therapy visit is from 8:00 until about 9:15pm.
There are several activities to entertain the children including: movies, a full-sized gym with lots of activities, puppet shows, a computer room, crafts and games. There are often special events earlier in the evening such as a petting zoo, a balloon artist, a clown or face painting. Everyone loves the Therapy Dogs who come after these events finish... including the children, volunteers and staff.
According to Debbie Solomon, Program Manager at Night Lights: “We love having the therapy dog owners and dogs join us at our Friday night respite for kids with special needs. I get a lot of kids each Friday night asking when the dogs will be arriving. The kids love to sit on the floor and pet the dogs. The dogs bring such joy to all of us and we look forward to each and every visit! We have a boy in a wheelchair that lights up when he sees Dobie and feels his fur. It's not that often that he smiles but when he's around Dobie, he has the biggest smile on his face. We appreciate the visits from the owners and their dogs so much!!”
Night Lights can be a high energy visit, so it’s not for everyone. However, we’ve had many teams over the years that were regular volunteers at Night Lights (1-3 visits a month). People generally like visiting here because they: like being with the children, the location is convenient (Lovers Lane Methodist Church in Dallas), the timing (Friday nights from 8 to 9:15) works with their schedule and they enjoy the comradery with the other teams and staff. Having grown up with a special needs sister, I really appreciate the impact the program has on both the children and their parents.
During the Pandemic, several of our core teams retired, moved, lost their dog or they no longer visit. As a result, the number of our core teams is down and we’re hoping to add some additional teams. Marsha Maimbourg, one of the original handlers at Night Lights, is on a hiatus this year while she works towards certifying her new puppy, Jasper...he’s such a handsome boy! We hope to see them at Night Lights early next year. Greg Southerlin has visited at Night Lights for several years and currently visits with Elsie, a Standard Poodle. Lezlie Griffen and Fletcher are our newest team. They visited for the first time this spring and immediately fit right in! I’ve been visiting at Night Lights for about 12 years and now visit with Dobie.
Here are some links to provide more information about the Night Lights program:
https://www.raysoflightdallas.org/
https://www.raysoflightdallas.org/programs
Rays of Light Training
We hope you’ll consider adding the Night Lights visit to your regular list of visits. Please feel free to call or email Lynn Lawrence with any questions.
It’s important. This “thing” we do. Those moments of joy and comfort we create for others as they snuggle, pet and connect with our dogs. They are remarkable! And as the world slowly learns how to navigate COVID, more and more of us can return to doing what we love - sharing our time, dogs and love with others!
We are proud of our HOTTD teams and know they always strive to provide a safe, positive experience for those we visit, our dogs and our peers. But with this increase in activity, we are also seeing an increase in rules violations. So for both new therapy dog teams and those with a lifetime of experience, please take a moment to review these critical rules so we all continue to represent ATD with professionalism and pride!
Two-foot rule: Dogs must be kept at least two feet from other dogs and animals at all times while representing ATD on a visit or event to discourage play, to ensure that dogs have enough personal space for focusing on the person being visited, and to prevent any interaction between dogs that could possibly lead to an injury to a third party, the handlers or their dogs.
Only the certified handler may handle his/her dog: Handlers must never leave their dogs alone with staff, patients, or visitors. The leash must be held by the member’s hand and may not be hooked or attached to the member’s body, belt, any chair, wall, purse, or other person, etc.
Dogs off leash: If safe conditions exist, a dog may be taken off leash when performing tricks, demonstrations, and when assisting with therapy such as retrieving. Only one dog at a time may be off leash. (Dogs should only be off-leash during these demonstrations, not when arriving/leaving a facility).
Dog treats: Although treats are often used during visits, ATD advises against allowing patients or residents to give treats to your dog. ATD advises against the use of dog treats that contain peanuts due to the risk that these treats might pose to people with peanut allergies.
Photos: If photos are allowed at a facility or function, for the privacy of those whom we visit and to protect both ATD and our members from liability, members must have an ATD Photograph Authorization Release Form signed prior to taking any photo which identifies any individual (e.g. face, tattoo, birthmark, scar, etc.). If you have a signed ATD Photo Authorization form and are posting or publishing the picture on your own, you should keep the form on file for your own protection. The signed ATD Photo Authorization form must accompany any submission to an ATD-managed publication/social media platform. ATD keeps them on file and does not delete them. A facility/organization photo release may not be used instead of the ATD photo release.
To review the full ATD Handbook please go to the Member Resources section of the ATD Member Portal: https://portal.therapydogs.com/member-resources
Another great social gathering, this time in Oak Cliff! Attached are pictures from all of the fun. Thank you, again, to TC for helping all of our members have such a wonderful time AND for the new skills learned in how to train our dogs to do tricks!
Two weeks ago, Jen Allen received an email from the UTSW Simmons Cancer Center contact with an inquiry. Alex asked if it would be possible for a patient to take a photo with Lynx at the next visit. It was the patient's last day of infusion treatment, and she wanted to celebrate with Lynx. The HOTThD team agreed (of course), and Jen coordinated with the patient directly to get Lynx where she needed to be.
On 11 October, Pam, the patient, received her last infusion as she continued to battle breast cancer. Apparently, Pam rode down the elevator with Lynx on 9 August and "loved her." She was excited to see Lynx again and "could tell that she was special."
Lynx, dressed in her best purple ensemble, met with both Pam and her husband, Dan, to celebrate the last infusion. Photos were snapped, and Pam spent time giving Lynx hugs and snuggles. As Dan and Pam visited with Jen, they explained that Pam has been battling cancer for quite some time. They travel from the Midland/Odessa area to find the care they need at UTSW, and have been doing so for almost two years. Pam explained that she loved dogs and was so happy to see Lynx in August. After well wishes and promises to keep in touch, Dan and Pam were on their way to continue Pam's journey to beat cancer.
Lynx and Jen were honored to be part of Pam's special day. As many therapy teams know, the dogs make connections with people in the most interesting ways. Sometimes, the smallest interaction can result in the largest impact.
The AKC Tricks gathering was a great success. Handlers got training directions and used them to teach new tricks to their dogs. I was so pleased to see the joy everyone was having with their dogs. I’m looking forward to the next 2 - TC Capell
Lynx here! I am a working girl. Buzzkill said, "don't say that because that means different things to different people," but whatever, old woman. She calls it volunteering but that is not right. In volunteering, no one gets paid, and I am paid in so many kisses I am a rich doggo. I need to talk to my assistant (Mom) about my stock options and 401K later... Some people have asked to take me home (um, nope because El Jefe needs me) or offered to babysit me. No way! I am not a baby and no one should sit on their dog. Geez, people, get a clue! I am the greeter at UTSW Simmons Cancer Center on Mondays. There are so many people there to see me that another building is being built! Buzz said the people feel unwell and they get medicine to feel better (but sometimes the medicine makes them feel worse...that makes no sense to me, but whatever). This past Monday, one of my favorite new friends was there for their last infusion (I think it was an infusion of sweet tea, because this is Texas and that is what people drink here). I saw my friend and went over to give her a lean and a snuggle. Buzzkill was then so rude! She said, "we are so excited that we met you and we hope to never see you again in this building!" Seriously!?!? I was totes embarrassed. I will have to educate the old goat on proper manners. Mom said that people do not want to come to this building for help, but it is necessary so they can keep truckin. So, this is where the trucking shortage is... Anyway, I get my photo taken all the time. I am even on the UTSW Instagram page! Woot! People always ask if there are more Dobermans at home, and Mom tells them about Franklin. She said he is her therapy dog, and it would be like Godzilla destroying Tokyo if he were to come visit. When I am not at UTSW, I work other places, like hospitals where kids go to feel better. I get to see the staff, but not the kids (unless we walk by their room and they can wave at us). Because of the beer flu, we cannot visit patients yet. I heard something at the kid hospital once and it made my ears perk up and my head tilt. I started walking toward the sound because I knew something was wrong and they needed a helper - me. Buzzkill stopped me and said it was a baby crying and there were nurses in the room to help the tiny human. I had not seen or heard a tiny human before, so this was interesting. I told Mom I wanted a tiny human, and she cackled and told me that ship sunk waaaaaay before it sailed. So, I guess tiny humans are pirates that show up on ships. Good to know. Sometimes, I go to work with Buzzkill. She said it is because teachers and students are stressed about returning to campus and that there are lots of changes where she works (which are making people even more stressed). I think it is because the old bat is becoming more forgetful and I have to assist her. Needless to say, it is exhausting helping Mom, but I guess someone has to do it! Tee Hee!
Wow! It was absolutely wonderful getting to gather again with our family of therapy dog handlers! We met last night at the Lover’s Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX. There were approximately 70 people in attendance. We enjoyed a delicious meal provided by Preston Hollow Catering (thanks, Diane Gossett!). There was time to chat and catch up before getting down to business. Sheryll Barker, our current President, opened with a warm welcome letting everyone know how wonderful it was to see them again. We amended our By-laws, elected our new (and some returning) officers, and remembered the dogs and handlers we’ve lost over the past year. There was a beautiful table displaying memorial crystals for the therapy dogs and handlers lost. We lost 39 therapy dogs and 2 handlers. It was very sobering. We then moved to celebrations; we celebrated 7 members who have completed 15 years of volunteering with our organization! We then celebrated members with 10 and 5 years of volunteering with our organization! What an incredible showing of service, spreading smiles to so many through these dogs! It was a wonderful meeting. We are glad so many were able to attend. For those of you who missed, we sure hope you will be able to join us next time! Happy Trails!
Thank you all for the wonderful visit at SMU yesterday! It was obvious that the dogs were well-received. Heidi Coretz from the Chaplain’s Office mentioned to me how much she appreciated that both the dogs and the handlers interacted so well with the students.
Below is a thank you note from the SMU Chaplain. I’m also attaching the photos that I received from the event, taken by the several people with the Chaplain’s office.
Thank you again!
Angela
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Dear Heidi, Allie and Angela:
Thank you all for your work to make today’s Pet the Puppies event possible! It was a gorgeous day and the students, volunteers, and even visitors to campus clearly loved the puppies! The puppies seemed to be enjoying themselves as well!
It was nice to see each of you, meet some students and sees students connect with one another and the sweet dogs.
With gratitude,
Lisa Garvin | Chaplain & Minister to the University
Office of the Chaplain & Religious Life | Division of Student Affairs
Our therapy dogs hold a special place in the hearts of all of the people with whom they have served and shown compassion to. They also hold an extremely special place in the hearts of their owners / handlers. These handlers spend many, many hours preparing and training their dogs for therapy work. They spend countless hours working with their therapy dogs, side by side, providing love, comfort, and support to those served. As expected, this makes the loss of these beloved animals even more difficult. On top of everything else, these dogs were lost in the midst of a pandemic, when they were not able to serve.
We honor the special therapy dogs lost in 2020 and thank their owners / handlers for their service to our community.
Please click on the images above to scroll through all of the images.
Thank you so much for your giving your time for our Art Creation Day. The kids LOVED having the dogs there, it really was amazing! Our 22 patients spent the day creating beautiful works of art. Each piece will be on display at NorthPark starting April 1st - 29th. We hope you are able to go see the exhibit!
You helped CCF spread smiles and healing. We are incredibly grateful!
Please click on the pictures above to scroll through…
Thursday, December 17th. It was the perfect weather. It was the perfect timing. It was with the perfect dogs….Heart of Texas Therapy Dogs! No, they didn’t get to be touched or receive hugs, but they got to strut their stuff in front of seniors driving by to pick up their meals. They had their pictures taken (over and over again) and they walked in a parade down through the drive-thru lane. It was obvious the owners needed to get out a little, but it was the dogs who really showed the excitement! They hadn’t forgotten what it meant when their “special” collars came out of the drawers and their costumes came out of closets. They KNEW it meant they were heading out for therapy work! As you can see from the pictures, they did NOT disappoint! The Carrollton seniors LOVE the dogs! And, the dogs LOVED the seniors.