Other Blogs Worth Checking Out

Today's the last day of May, which means that it's the last day of the Blogathon that I've been participating in (and successfully completed, by posting every day this month)!

I will still post on my blog, but it will probably be more like once or twice a week instead of everyday.

If you're worried about going into withdrawals you are welcome (and encouraged) to visit old blog posts. But some of you have already read them all (several times and commented) thank you!

So I wanted to end this month with links to some blogs that I follow that write about similar topics.

Extraordinary Dogs and Extraordinary Horses are two blogs written by the same person. They are full of resources: research to back it up, grants in case you're interested in working with those animals, and charities if you're looking to sponsor someone else. The author of the blogs is a fabulous person that helped me get set up on linkedin and offered me practical advice for my blog.

Animal Friends is a great blog for cat and dog owners looking for more information about their pets. They've posted about such topics as wet food vs dry food, animal allergies, and understanding cat behavior. They also often post about animals that are up for adoption if you are looking for a new pet.

I stumbled across Coop and Cottage when I was doing research for my Respect for Chicken Day post. And I am so glad that I did! The author is a wonderful writer that shares her stories about her chickens, her children, and most recently some horses. You should definitely check her blog out!

If you want to know what it's like owning a service dog, Life With a Hearing Dog is a good blog to read. This is another blog that I discovered while looking for information for one of my posts (Hearing Ear Dog). I appreciate that she writes as herself and not her dog so you really get to know what it's like.

Assistance Dog for Autism is a fun blog by the mother of a young boy with Autism. She writes about her son and his dog's adventures. I think I also enjoy this one so much because they live in Ireland so I get to learn about what it's like there.

Dog Nerd 101 is written by a woman that trains her dogs so it's a good resource to learn about training behaviors beyond the normal "sit. stay. roll over." She also is a psychologist so she goes into some of that as well.

Do you have any cool animal blogs that you follow?

Real Dog Therapists of Dallas

Baylor Health Care System has a team of 90 dogs that help the health care professionals get patients on the road to recovery. Here are some fun videos about the Animal Assisted Therapy program from the dogs' point of view.

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

Episode 3:

I wish that they created more videos but I guess they are busy helping people get better, which I'd much rather they do.

Do you know of another other programs like this that found a cool way to promote themselves?

Hearing Ear Dog

I've heard that good things come in small packages. I think that Judy Springborn would probably agree, at least in the case of her hearing ear dog.

Apple Pie, a chihuahua mix, was living in an animal shelter, slated to be euthanized when someone noticed she had the great qualities like good social skills and confidence.

The little dog was teamed up with a "hearing ear dog" trainer and a few months later Ms. Springborn was matched up with her.

Photo from L.A. Times

The purpose of a hearing ear dog is to alert their owner when the doorbell or the phone rings, when an alarm is going off, when a timer rings; really the list is endless. The dogs are beneficial because as the owner tunes into their dog, they are becoming aware of their surroundings. They see when something draws the dog's attention and they can follow the dog's gaze to locate the source.

Dogs for the Deaf is one group that trains hearing dogs. There's a application form available on their webpage as well as a list of things to consider before getting a hearing dog. I appreciate how "real" they are with their points to consider. They remind you that the dogs will leave hair everywhere, poop in your yard and can be destructive if you don't give them attention. You will also have to continue to train the dog for at least a year.

If you want to know what it's like to have a hearing ear dog, here's a blog post written by an owner of one.

or

If you'd rather watch a movie about it, check out Sunny's Ears.

The bottom line is that a hearing ear dog provides the owner with greater independence and self confidence to go out and live a "normal" life.

Care Farming

My friend posted a really cool infographic about how much land you would need to be able to support your family.

If you choose, you can use that same amount of land to not only support your family but also help others heal along the way.

In the UK, they call this "care farming".

Basically it involves using your farm to "provide health, social, or educational care services" to people.

I love that the UK has a website devoted to it. Even more exciting is that Prince Charles held a recognition luncheon for National Care Farming Initiative's 5 year anniversary. Having that kind of support probably helps farmers find funding, which makes the choice to become a care farm a little easier.

Here's a video from one care farm called Highfields Happy Hens that works with kids involved in the court system.

I wish that we had some kind of directory of care farms here in the US.  The ones that I am aware of are:

Green Chimneys (I've posted about them before here)
http://greenchimneys.org/

Tranquility Farm
http://www.tranquilityfarmequestrian.com/

Forget Me Not Farm
http://forgetmenotfarm.org/index.html

McKenna Farms
http://www.mckennafarmstherapy.org/

Sanctuary One
http://www.sanctuaryone.org/about.html

Gentle Barn (I've posted about them before here)
http://www.gentlebarn.org/

Please feel free to add any that you know to the list. Maybe we can create our own care farming webpage for the US and then eventually around the world!

Abilities Through Agility

Earlier this year, TheBark wrote an article about a group of therapists, (physical, occupational, and speech-language) that partner their patients with dogs.

The patients' goals are met as they train the dogs to run an agility course.

Photo found at Paws & Effect's blog

What an awesome idea!

The kids use gross motor skills to set up the agility course, and the kids follow the dogs as they go through the course. The physical therapists can integrate things that they need to focus on during this time. Maybe having the kids make sure that as they  walk, their heels touch the ground, stretching out the calf muscles of "toe-walkers" in a fun way.

Occupational therapists focus on the fine motor skills, like taking off the leash and collar and brushing the dog. These movements require great finger dexterity, and can normally seem frustrating, but when you are doing it for your furry friend it becomes less of a chore.

As the dogs are learning to go through the course, the children need to direct the dogs. Speech language pathologists can have the cues involve certain word sounds that the child is working on.

Photo found at Paws & Effect's blog

I think this whole thing is brilliant and would love to get in contact with the physical therapists involved. Maybe I could do a clinical rotation with them.

You should definitely read the article to learn more about the Abilities Through Agility program. It's a pdf so it takes a little while to load, but it's worth the few extra second wait.

Seeing Eye... Horse?

Most people have heard of seeing eye dogs, but what about a seeing eye horse?

For some, having a dog is not an option because of a fear, allergies, or even because they are considered unclean. But that doesn't mean that they have to miss out on the independence and comfort that a service animal provides.

The ADA revised the provisions on service animals to include the use of miniature horses. This is a victory for people that can't use dogs for whatever reason.

Horses are good choice for a service animal for several reasons. The average working life for a service dog is 6-8 years. Since horses in general have a longer life span than dogs, the same is true of their working lives, 25-30 years.

The sound of the horse's hooves also do a better job alerting someone of the changing ground cover than a dog's paws. Hooves echo differently on tile, wood, and carpet.

Another plus to miniature horses is that they don't get fleas.

I'm not suggesting that miniature horses are overall superior to dogs as service animals.

The horses require enough space for outdoor living when they aren't working. (Otherwise they can get health problems from being inside all the time.)

They also don't look for companionship in the same way that dogs do normally. And they aren't as playful as dogs.

Dogs have been trained to be service animals for people who are blind, deaf, diabetic, prone to seizures and the list goes on. Currently miniature horses have only been trained as guide animals for people who are blind.

I was able to get a lot of information from The Guide Horse Foundation who actually supply guide horses free of charge after the person complete the training course. Unfortunately, they aren't taking any new applications right now because they are overwhelmed with requests.

But you can watch this video of Panda a miniature horse that was clicker trained as a guide horse and see how this works.

The Grim Reaper Meows?

With the recent deaths of Maurice Sendak (author), Carroll Shelby (auto icon), and Mitchell Guist (Swamp People), I was reminded of a story I heard a few years ago about a cat that predicts deaths.

Photo from Oscar's page.

Oscar (the cat) lives at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre in Providence, Rhode Island.  In 2007, an article addressed Oscar's uncanny ability to determine when a resident was nearing the end of his or her life. At that time, the employees noticed that Oscar would sit on the bed and refuse to move which was completely out of character for this normally reclusive cat. The person in the bed that Oscar chose would pass away within the next few hours.

Of course the staff was initially horrified in this "odd coincidence" and they tried to keep Oscar from going into the rooms. But then they realized that he was actually doing good. Oscar was able to accurately predict the next death, allowing time for family members to be gathered to say their good byes. And if there was no family to be called, at least the person wouldn't be alone.

The New England Journal of Medicine published "A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat" written by David Dosa M.D., M.P.H detailing an occasion where Oscar performed his ability. The nurse noted his presence and called the family.

"Within a half hour the family starts to arrive. Chairs are brought into the room, where the relatives begin their vigil. The priest is called to deliver last rites. And still, Oscar has not budged, instead purring and gently nuzzling Mrs. K. A young grandson asks his mother, “What is the cat doing here?” The mother, fighting back tears, tells him, “He is here to help Grandma get to heaven.” Thirty minutes later, Mrs. K. takes her last earthly breath. With this, Oscar sits up, looks around, then departs the room so quietly that the grieving family barely notices."

Oscar's story sounds unbelievable but, he has proven his talent at least 50 times. He's been right when the staff thought that it was another resident's time. So now they've learned to trust Oscar's instincts. Although no one is completely sure how he knows, the residents and their families are grateful for Oscar's gift.

So what do you think? Would you want Oscar at your nursing home or the nursing home of a loved one?

Diabetic Alert Dog Coming to Louisiana

Good news for a family in Louisiana!


They mentioned the possibility of Jeremiah going into a coma, but there are other unfortunate side effects of diabetes as well. Long term effects can damage eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels.

Teaming Jeremiah up with this dog will prevent some of this damage because he'll be able to keep from taxing his system. The other benefit is teaching Jeremiah how to work with a service dog. If his eyes fail him as a result of diabetes, he will know how to behave with a seeing eye dog, maybe he'll even be able to train the dog himself.

Thanks Veronica at The Eco Niche for sharing this story with me.

Good luck to Jeremiah and his family and Welcome to Louisiana, Warren Retriever!

Animals Give "Paws" to Grief

Today I have another guest blogger as a result of the 2012 WordCount Blogathon.


Kirsten writes a fabulously fun to read blog called Running for Autism about her life in Toronto, Canada raising two boys (6 and 8 years old). Her older son has autism which is why she runs to raise funds for the Geneva Centre for Autism. You can also catch her on twitter (@running4autism) and facebook (Running for Autism).


She shared the story of her father's death and how her mother coped with the help of their pets.


Enjoy!

My first dog was a mutt named Judge. He was what we called a “pavement special” – in other words, we had no idea what his lineage was or what breeds were represented in his genes. He became my dog not by virtue of someone giving him to me, but because he decided, when he came into our family, that he belonged with my two-year-old self.

It was a beautiful friendship between girl and dog. Apart from the times I was at school, Judge and I were rarely apart until he died at the age of twelve.

From the very early days of my life, my parents were “animal people”. There was no abandoned animal that went untended by them. The vast majority of our animals were rescue pets, from Sebastian the cat who was found in a parking lot with a list of injuries that went on for two pages, to Jessie and Bessie, the mother-and-daughter pair of dogs who didn’t have a home. On one occasion, my mom pulled over on the highway and darted into the traffic to rescue a budgie that was in the middle of the road.

My mom and dad treated the animals in much the same way they treated people. When cookies were distributed, the dogs got some too. Breakfast was not complete until all of the dogs and cats had received some milk and a sliver of toast topped with anchovy spread. The four-legged members of the family were not banned from any part of the house as long as they left the mud outside and didn’t scratch the furniture – much like us kids.

My brother and I grew up, we left home and eventually, the country. My dad retired, life events happened. Through everything, the animals remained a constant factor in my parents’ lives.

Seven years ago, the landscape of our lives – including the lives of the animals – was completely altered by the death of my dad. After the funeral and the cremation, after the ashes had been scattered, and after everyone who had gathered to say goodbye had gone back to their own lives, my mom found herself in her long-time home with only the animals for company.

The loss of my dad was devastating for my mom, who had been born in the generation of girls who left home to get married. In her youth, she had not gotten to experience any of the independent woman stuff that we have today. She had gone from the parental home straight into the married home. And therefore, when my dad died, my mom was living by herself for the first time in her life. She and my dad were two months shy of their fortieth wedding anniversary, and it had been a harmonious marriage.

My mom credits the animals for getting her through her initial stages of grief. They just seemed to know what my mom needed, possibly because they were grieving themselves.

They started following my mom wherever she went in the house. Dogs and cats alike were always with her, keeping her company. And yet, when she needed a good cry, they stayed a respectful distance away and gave her grief the space it needed. If the crying went on for an extended period of time, the big Belgian Sheppard would approach her and rest his head in her lap, as if to say, “That’s enough now. You have to get back to living for while.”

At night, the loneliest times of all, one of the cats would curl up with my mom, his body right up against hers. He would start to purr, and my mom just knew that he did it to soothe her, that he understood the calming effect that the purring had on her. She would fall asleep to the sound of the purring, and once satisfied that his human companion was all right, the cat would then fall asleep himself.

Having the animals to care for gave my mom purpose. It gave her a reason to get up in the morning. Some days, the idea of having to feed and care for four dogs and three cats seemed too overwhelming, but she did it anyway. If she hadn’t had the four dogs and three cats, she simply would have stayed in bed.

The fact that she was able to move on with her life in spite of her grief is a testament not only to my mom’s own strength of character, but to the role the animals played in her grieving process. Today, my mom is an independent woman with a rich, fulfilling life. She misses my dad every day, and occasionally, she still needs to have a good crying bout.

But the two dogs who are left over from my dad’s days (Jessie and Bessie, the mother and daughter pair who are miraculously still alive and ridiculously old) are there to help her through.

Jessie, Bessie, and Chelsea

I'd Catch a Grenade For You...Jump in Front of a Train For You

Lilly has that kind of dedication, a point that she proved literally by saving her owner from an oncoming train.

Christine Spain, had a history of depression, anxiety, and alcoholism. That's why her son (David Lanteigne) adopted Lilly, a pit bull, 3 years ago, so that she would have a companion. Lilly has proven much to be more than that.

Since acquiring Lilly, Ms. Spain has cut down on her drinking. She doted over Lilly and seemed to be in a much better state, until a few days ago, when she got some bad news and her old habit kicked in. As she was walking Lilly that evening she passed out.
On railroad tracks.
And a train was coming.

The train driver saw them and tried to slow down, but heard a thump and knew he hit them. When he went to check, he saw that the woman was miraculously untouched by the train.
Lilly had pulled her to safety!

In doing so, Lilly bore the brunt of the impact and was taken immediately to Angell Animal Medical Center where the doctors had to amputate a front leg and put steel plates in her shattered pelvis. She is doing well, despite all of that and even wagged her tail and tried to stand when David came to visit.

If you are interested in helping this amazing dog on her road to recovery, you can go here to offer your financial support.

I'm so glad that Lilly is a pit bull. They've been getting a lot of bad press in recent years and have become the breed to hate. Lilly proves that breed has nothing to do with it! Her love and devotion speaks volumes. When that train was coming at them, it went against every natural instinct she had to stay there. Lilly is definitely a guardian angel!

Bella, a shar-pei/pit bull mix, displays the angelic quality of dogs
(regardless of breed).
Thanks Kat Godfrey for letting me use a picture of your adorable dog!

If you're interested in reading about some other dog heroes check out these stories.

The Healing Species

Bullying, violence and crime are very real problems.

The Healing Species is dedicated to addressing these issues through their Compassion Education program.

They rescue dogs, that are themselves victims of neglect and abuse, and after the dogs become healthy some are chosen to go into classrooms. This 11 week program empowers students when dealing with bullies and it teaches a whole lot about empathy.

This program has been validated by research, for people that like numbers instead of anecdotal stories. In fact, they've been so successful that they have satellite programs in Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and even New Zealand!

I would love to see one here in New Orleans, "Murder Capital of the United States". There's a lot of bullying, violence and crime here. Also, it would give the kids a chance to see the positive side of dogs as opposed to the dog fighting and the use of dogs for intimidation that goes on.

The story behind Healing Species is another inspiring one for me because the woman that started this was actually a lawyer before she decided to quit her job and start this program. She saw a need, and took it upon herself to change things. Thanks Cheri Brown Thompson, for making the world a better place!

Who's going to be that someone in your neighborhood to "be the change"? It could be you!

***UPDATE*** I just got a lovely e-mail from Marie Milhouse at Healing Species:

Sarah,

Thank you so much for your wonderful blog about Healing Species!!!!  You are making New Orleans and this world a better place, inspiring others to be changers and aware of issues that affect people and animals. 

We would love to have Healing Species in New Orleans!  Please let us know if you or someone you know is interested. 

May God bless you.

Sincerely,

Marie Milhouse

So now the challenge/invitation is out there! Any takers?!

Cats in Prison

Last summer I wrote about Puppies Behind Bars, a program where prisoners raise future Explosion Detection Dogs, Service Dogs and companions for returning veterans. But I just found out there's a prison that houses cats that need a home.

Larch Correctional Facility in Yacolt,Washington started a pilot program pairing two "unadoptable" cats with prisoners. A local animal shelter supplied the cats, who have issues with people and other animals. The prisoners were chosen based on a pre-set time period of good behavior. Some admit that they signed up for the program because it got them out of the group living quarters and into a double.

It's only been a short while since Princess Natalie and Clementine joined the men there, but already they are showing improvements in their behavior. The men working with the cats are also seeing a change within themselves. It's no longer about only looking out for yourself, a living creature is relying on you.

I got this photo from the slideshow on SVG Tribune's website

The prison is planning on getting 4 more cats for their "Cuddly Catz" program. I think it's a great idea, not only does it teach about caring for others, but it's also a great lesson in patience and building trust. The change that the cats go through shows the men that it is possible to change your ways.


PS. I LOVE that they are walk the cats! I used to walk my cat when he was younger.

Stress Relief During Finals Week

This is finals week for me and countless other students. This is the week that our stress level is through the roof, and for some schools suicide rates increase. This is the week that we are low on sleep and high on caffeine.

None of this is good for our health or our grades, so schools have been coming up with ways to decrease the tension. My undergrad had a designated scream time where you could get out your frustration and despair vocally. But a recent trend spares the vocal chords.

If you feel overwhelmed, or just need a study break some colleges, universities, and even a couple of law schools are offering to give you a hand. Or a paw, really.

Starting today (May 7th), students at U.C. Berkeley can visit with animals outside Moffitt Library all week as a way to relieve stress. They aren't the only school to offer this escape, Yale Law School, Tufts University, Emory Law School, University of California-Irvine, University of Akron, George Mason University School of Law, University of Tennessee, Georgetown University and Sam Houston State University have all enlisted the help of animals.

The cool thing about these programs is that the animals benefit as well. Several of the schools use animals from shelters. This allows the animals to be seen by potential future owners (or people that know someone looking for a dog or cat). And it's a great way to socialize the animals (a key component in being seen as adoptable).

So it's win-win for everyone. I hope next semester more schools will be on the list. Maybe my school!

 For now, I've recruited my cat to act as my stress relief.

Good luck on finals everyone!

I Know it's Cinco de Mayo but...

There are so many options of places to volunteer or intern to do animal assisted therapy around the world, I didn't want to just limit this list to Mexico. (although one called Casi has a fabulous photo gallery you should check out)

I do want to put this disclaimer out there, I've not used any of these companies nor am I being paid by any of them. I just thought it would be something interesting to post about since summer is coming up. Maybe you haven't figured out what you want to do in your time off. Maybe you're due for a vacation. Here are some options that you can look into.

You can travel to Chile and practice Equine Facilitated Learning as you work with children with mental and emotional disorders. (Make sure you can speak Spanish well and have at least 4 weeks that you can commit to being there.)

If you want to focus more on the physical benefits of working with horses, Argentina has a good project in place for you. They focus on movement, posture, and muscle control of the rider, to aid physical recovery. Another plus about this one is that you don't have to commit to a full month.

Maybe your Spanish isn't so good. Then Aldeas de Paz in Venezuela might be more your speed. They also work with horses, this time with disadvantaged youth, and they allow volunteers with limited Spanish. You can also go through Frontier to set this placement up.

Working with horses might not be all that you want to do. In Ecuador, you work in an orphanage in the morning and then assist with "Horse Guided Empowerment" lessons in the afternoon. The cool thing about this one is that the money you pay ($500 per month) to volunteer there, actually finances clients who can't pay.

Costa Rica sounds more like a vacation destination for some people. You can volunteer there too! Eden Ranch teaches you all about horses, as well as gardening. On their website they mention "each year Eden Ranch provides riding lesson, day camps and adventure trail rides to children who are at risk, disabled or have special needs." You can stay for as short as 2 weeks.

Speaking of disabled, Cape Town offers equine therapy to physically disabled children. This program have been in place since 1983 so it is well established. If you're looking for something to do for the majority of the summer, this might be it. The time span can be anywhere from 8-26 weeks.


I know not everyone is interested in working with horses. The Institute for Cultural Ecology has an animal assisted therapy placement for you lovers of other animals. Some of the animal shelters that you can intern at have visiting pet programs, where they take the shelter animals to nursing homes and health care facilities. I'm not sure which locations offer this but the company has placements in Fiji, New Zealand, France, Thailand and Napal to name a few locations.

And of course, for some of you the US is "abroad". Here's a list of Animal Assisted Therapy volunteer, internship, and educational opportunities available in the United States.

***Update: I just got an e-mail back from CISabroad. They advertise that they can create internships to fit you so I had asked about animal assisted therapy and this was their response:
Hi Sarah. It's very likely, but we can't know for sure until we know your credentials and can begin the search process in our placement networks! We customize each internship based on your background, relevant skills and what's available in our host locations. That may be a new placement type for us, but nothing is impossible! In the case we can't find that specific type of placement, you don't lose anything. It might be easier to correspond via email/phone, so please visit the following link to start the process:http://www.cisabroad.com/contact-advisor
Thanks!

They too have placements all over the world, so check them out if you don't see what you want already listed.

The Gentle Barn

If you haven't heard of The Gentle Barn before, you will know all about it after watching this TV special.

I find the story incredibly inspiring. Ellie Laks found a way to accomplish her dream of working with animals as healers while they are receiving healing themselves. And she was able to do it with no business background or even a well thought out plan (at least initially). Not only has she been able to accomplish this, but she's been extremely successful. The Gentle Barn will be celebrating it's 12th birthday this summer.

I want to do something similar and I've felt that my dream is out of reach because I don't have any business or entrepreneurial experience. Ellie Laks gives me the motivation to keep on believing in my dream, and more importantly, to actually jump in and get it started.

Seizure Service Dogs

Dogs are known for both their sense of smell and their loyalty. Both of these qualities are come in handy when the dog's job is to care for their owner before, during and/or after a seizure.

There are different types of seizure service dogs; seizure alert, seizure response, and seizure assistance. The role of the seizure alert dog is to detect the impending seizure and signal the owner. Hopefully, this will give the person enough time to either take anti-seizure medication, or at least get to a place that minimizes potential dangers. This of course requires a strong relationship between the human and dog. They need to be able to read each others' body language. The dog has to detect the subtle changes their owner might display before a seizure, meanwhile the human needs to understand when their dog is trying to warn them. This partnership could take time to develop and it is thought that over time, some dogs have been able to detect seizures using their sense of smell.

 Here's one young girl's story about her relationship with her seizure alert dog.

A seizure response or seizure assistance dog is taught to react when the owner is experiencing a seizure. The dogs are usually trained to stand by, or over their owner throughout the seizure. This ensures that the person will be kept safe during the seizure and it allows them to see a familiar face once the seizure is over. The dogs can be taught to retrieve and/or use a pre-programmed phone to call for help if their owner needs it. Many of the stories I was reading about involved children with seizure assistance dogs, so the phone wouldn't necessarily be as important since most of the children would have an adult within earshot of warning barks. Also, seizure service dogs wear a harness with pockets where medication, a phone, and medical information can be stored so if an adult does have a seizure out in public, a passerby could convey that information to emergency medical services as needed.

An older girl shows how her alert dog is "on-duty" even as she's getting ready for bed.

Last January, a school barred a boy's seizure alert dog, but then the officials overturned their decision after his story got media attention. I don't know if the boy ended up going back to school or not, but it is a shame that he was put in the position to choose between his education and his safety. His seizure assistance dog actually had a magnet on her collar that she was trained to swipe over a nerve simulator in the boy's chest when he was having (or about to have) a seizure. This would lessen the effects of his seizure.

If you'd like to know more about seizure service dogs, the Delta Society has a great pdf document  that talks about different breeds, how the dogs help, and where to get one, among other things.

Let's Get Moving!

The first time my husband went horseback riding he was warned, "You're going to be so sore!"

Riding a horse works muscles you didn't even know you have. This makes it a perfect animal for strength training and some physical therapists are doing exactly that!

If you are intrigued by the idea that riding a horse helps build core muscles, balance, and stamina you can easily search for a place that uses hippotherapy near you. PATH International, formerly NAHRA, is a the accrediting body over all therapeutic horsemanship groups and they currently have about 800 centers around the world registered.

I checked out  websites from a few of the many accredited groups that listed "backriding/tandem hippotherapy" as an activity they offered. Here are a couple that stuck out to me:

Bit-By-Bit explains the usefulness of hippotherapy in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

Canyon Ranch Physical Therapy, Inc. is a physical therapy clinic that happens to be in a barn. They treat all of their patients using hippotherapy.

Haven Hills Therapeutic Riding Center introduced me to this wonderful poem by John Anthony Davies:

I saw a child who couldn't talk or walk

Sit on a horse, laugh and talk

Then ride through a field of daisies

and yet, he couldn't walk unaided.

I saw a child, no legs below,

sit on a horse and make it go

through woods of green

and places he had never been

to sit and stare, except from a chair.

I saw a child who couldn't crawl

mount a horse and sit up tall.

Put it through degrees of paces

and laugh at the wonder in our faces.

I saw a child born into strife,

Take up and hold the reins of life

and that same child, I heard him say

Thank God for showing me the way.

Little Bit, don't let the name fool you, all ages are welcome. This organization was started by a women with Multiple Sclerosis when she discovered that riding a horse was slowing down the progression of her disease.

TREAT is a program that is a part of Tarleton State University; something to think about if you're interested in going into hippotherapy when you finish college.

Windridge conducts research as they are providing hippotherapy which could lead to a wider acceptance of the practice, and maybe even the discovery of more uses for horse therapists.

This is his first time riding a horse. What a natural!

My husband ended up loving the experience and has been looking forward to going horseback riding again ever since.

Birds of a Feather

This summer I will be doing an 8 week rotation somewhere in New Orleans. I put the VA hospital as my first choice because I want to make sure that I have experience practicing physical therapy in many different settings. If I do get placed at the VA hospital, I plan on telling the people I work with about Serenity Park.

Serenity Park was started by a psychologist's love of veterans and parrots. Dr. Lorin Lindner was working at a VA hospital in California and she found that the veterans had a hard time opening up to her. On a whim, she took them to a parrot sanctuary that she had opened 10 years earlier. The vet's reactions to the birds were incredible.“The next thing I knew, they were down on the ground cuddling the birds and talking baby talk to them,” Dr, Lindner related in an interview.

Using her knowledge of birds and psychology, she convinced the VA hospital to open a parrot sanctuary on the property. Her plan included using the birds in animal assisted therapy for the veterans' psychological needs and the care of the birds as a reintroduction to the skills necessary for reentering the workforce.

The relationship has "taken flight". As a result of their programming, several of the veterans move on to working with animals in some capacity from dog grooming, to veterinary clinics. "One veteran now works for Los Angeles Animal Services and another opened his own animal-based construction company that builds boarding facilities and aviaries", Dr. Lindner reports. The birds have also benefited; having a place with ample space, food choices, and socialization increases the birds' quality of life. Often people will get a parrot without doing research and usually the bird pays for this mistake. Serenity Park is a sanctuary for those birds when their owners no longer want them or can take care of them.

Boomer, a Catalina Macaw that lives at the Audubon Zoo. *
Picture taken by Amy Martin

Most parrots are monogamous and therefore take time to bond with a person. Before reading about Serenity Park, I didn't think that parrots could be therapy animals for that reason. Now I see that working with a parrot is a great way to teach about relationship building with a focus on patience. Building relationships takes time, and so does healing. At the end of both, the rewards are great.



*Boomer was relinquished by her previous owners, as were all of the parrots in the education collection at the zoo.  A fellow blogger, and former keeper, explains the issues with this process in her post.

Thunder Dog

Over this winter break from school I was required to read a book about a person with a disability and then write a reflection paper about it. While looking through the long list of approved books, I noticed that not a single one included human-animal interactions. I was sure that such a book must exist and I was determined to read it. I did some research and found I was right; several people have written about how their animals have helped them with their disability. This gave me an idea for my blog; I will read one such book and write about it once a month.

This month's book is Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory.

Michael Hingson was born blind as a result of a medical procedure that was administered to premature babies at the time. He did not let that stop him from anything though, as a child he'd ride his bicycle unaccompanied throughout the neighborhood, in college he drove his car around the campus, and he even flew and landed a Cessna airplane from Boise to Hailey, Idaho (~100 miles).

He was first paired up with a Guide Dog when he was 14. I love how he explains that experience; you get excited along with him as he's waiting to meet his new teammate, Squire. Michael describes the training process he went through to learn the commands, as well as a brief history of Guide Dogs.

"Squire and I developed a partnership, and I learned how to read Squire's body language through the handle of the harness; I could almost tell what he was going to do before he did it. I think he learned to read me too. He was much more than just a pet. Squire was my best friend, and we became a team as he guided me safely through the halls of Palmdale High School for the next four years."

Most of the book is about his partnership with Roselle though. She is the one that was with him in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Roselle is described as having two personalities, one playful and mischievous, stealing socks and hiding them, and the other when she's in her harness calm and focused.

That calm and focus allowed Michael to remain calm and clearheaded about the situation as they walked down  1,463 stairs to escape Tower 1. When a woman started to panic, Roselle nudged her hand; a moment after rubbing Roselle, the woman was able to continue on.  As a team, they demonstrated that it was going to be ok, they would make it out alive.

Michael talks about how wise his Guide Dogs are and included this list in his book:

"What I learned from Roselle on 9/11

1. There's a time to work and a time to play. Know the difference. When the harness goes on, it's time to work. Work hard; others are depending on you.

2. Focus in and use all of your senses. Learn to tell the difference between a harmless thunderstorm and a true emergency. Don't let your sight get in the way of your vision.

3. Sometimes the way is hard, but if you work together, someone will pass along a water bottle just when you need it.

4. Always, but always, kiss firefighters.

5. Ignore distractions. There's more to life than playing fetch or chasing tennis balls.

6. Listen carefully to those who are wiser and more experienced than you. They'll help you find the way.

7. Don't stop until work is over. Sometimes being a hero is just doing your job.

8. The dust cloud won't last forever. Keep going and look for the way out. It will come.

9. Shake off the dust and move on. Remember the first guide dog command? "Forward"

10. When work is over, play hard with your friends. And don't forget to share your Booda Bone."

Sadly, Roselle passed away on June 26, 2011. You can learn more about her life and make a contribution at Roselle's Dream Foundation.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned that being blind is not necessarily a disability, it just means that you experience life differently, and we all experience life differently. At the end of the book there are some neat extras including a timeline of the events of September 11th, courtesy rules for blindness, a dissertation about blindness, resources for blindness, and a glossary of terms related to blindness.

Autism Service Dogs

Autism is something that's been making the news a lot recently and today's National Dog Day hero is Yori, an Autism Service Dog.  Watch his video:

Yori was trained through Canine Companions for Independence which gives dogs to people with disabilities at no cost.  I have to say, that really makes me think highly of this group!  The only problem with that is CCI potentially has to turn people away because they can only accept a limited number of applicants each year.

While I was doing research for today's group I came across another group that also trains Autism Service Dogs, 4 Paws for Ability.  They differ in that, they don't give the dogs "for free" because it really costs $22,000 to raise and train these service dogs.  Instead, 4 Paws for Ability asks the family to help raise $13,000, which allows the families to potentially get the dogs quicker than waiting years to be accepted into another program.  On their website they mention that the fundraising generally takes 3-9 months.  Below is a video from someone working on fundraising for an Autism Service Dog for their son.  The video helps explain how Whit would benefit from the dog.  

I learned a lot from the video about what a parent to an autistic child has to deal with.  Having an Autism Service Dog could definitely give the parents some peace of mind.