puppy love

Thanks to some very special pets and their owners, Hand-in-Paw makes a remarkable difference in children's lives.

Her long, brown ears almost scraping the ground, a sweet-faced basset strolls through the revolving front door like she owns the place. The minute she enters the Children's Hospital lobby, trailed by her owner Beth Fuller, Abby begins looking eagerly around, tugging lightly at her leash. She knows why she's here: It's time to be petted and loved; it's time to give love and to touch the hearts of others.

For the next hour Beth and Abby, joined by Mariela Piola and her cocker spaniel, Polo, are here to interact with patients undergoing treatment at the Birmingham facility. They sit on the floor as children and parents stop by to chat and stroke the willing dogs. One young girl, recovering from back surgery, gingerly kneels beside Abby. "I love dogs," she murmurs to Beth as she softly pets the basset and smiles serenely. For her, as for the others here, these minutes afford a precious break from the monotony of a hospital stay, lifting spirits and easing pain.

Beth and Mariela lend their time-and their dogs-as part of Alabama's Hand-in-Paw, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides teams of handlers and pets to serve as therapeutic tools in a variety of health care and social service settings. Some teams work with at-risk youth, trying to penetrate walls of anger; others assist in activities that help children achieve specific therapy goals; still others make regular hospital visits.

"Abby's got the perfect personality for this," says Beth as she rubs her dog's head. "It's hard to tell who gets more out of it-us or the patients we're here to help."

Building on a Dream

Hand-in-Paw's founder/executive director Beth Franklin echoes those sentiments. "Volunteers say that they get back so much more than they ever give," she says. Like most dog lovers, Beth understands the healing power of animals. She realized it first as a child, when her Air Force father frequently moved the family. "A dog was sometimes your only friend when you changed schools," she remembers.

Beth's time as a volunteer and then as executive director at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society reinforced that belief. She recognized many things that could be provided by an organization focused on animalassisted activity and therapy. Following her dream, she resigned from the Humane Society to start just such an organization. "I'm not a big risk taker," she confesses, "but I believed in it so passionately that I left without a job. I just jumped off a building and prayed for wings on the way down."

Hand-in-Paw launched in 1996, working first with the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. Currently, they have more than 80 Delta Society registered handler/animal teams that donate time at some 35 organizations. Each volunteer and animal is rigorously screened and trained in a process lasting four to six months.

"Pawsitive" Differences

The impact of these teams is nowhere more apparent than at the Bell Center for Early Intervention, a nonprofit institute that works with developmentally delayed children up to 3 years of age. Twice a week, volunteers bring their pets to work with children, assisted by staff members.

Any given Friday might find Jo Dee Bucki and her whippet, Maya, along with Melinda Davis and her Lab, Elmo, upstairs in the Bell Center. There, both teams pair with three children, participating in goal-directed activities for 20 minutes each. The sessions provide a fun but focused way for the youngsters to concentrate on specific objectives.

First up, Melinda helps a boy brush Elmo's sleek coat, a motion that will improve gross motor skills. Across the room, a girl reaches out, grasps the jacket draped over Maya's back, and laughs as she pulls it free. Such movements hone fine motor skills.

As the minutes pass, the next patients enter to take the place of those who finish. Observes judi Morris, teaching assistant at the center, "The Hand-in-Paw volunteers are so quick to figure out ways to do things that involve the kids with the dogs."

Watching from the door, judi nods toward Melinda and Elmo. Their last patient leans over and lays her head on the Lab's back as he lies still and calm. These moments are equal parts love and learning. "It's such a great addition to our program here," judi continues. "We're really blessed to have Hand-in-Paw in our community."

To learn more call (205) 322-5144, or go to www.handinpaw.org.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jun 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved