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KPETS - Keynotes Newsletter
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Keeping Pet Therapy Konnections Konnected!<=
/span>
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March=
2010
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=
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New Keynotes Format & Important info for Phone
Buddys
![](3D"http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs073/1102821898542/img/1.jpg") As many of you may recall, KPETS did a survey =
on
our newsletter. One of the requests that came up often was for the
newsletter not be a separate link. With our new email newsletter to=
ol,
we are giving this our first shot. Jenny has been using it for the
in-between updates and has gotten a lot of positive feedback. So, h=
ere
is our first attempt at it for the Keynotes.
Since we are using this new method for our
Keynotes - Phone-Buddys please be sure to stay in contact with
your non-email Buddys to pass along the pertinent informa=
tion
of KPETS Keynotes! We want everyone to be 'in-the-lo=
op'
on KPETS upcoming events and news. We are working on a phone-line f=
or
this info, but until we get it up and running, we appreciate your h=
elp!
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K=
PETS
is growing: Arizona, here we come!
Hi ALL, Sam and Zoey have settled in out her=
e in
Arizona. My youngest daughter drove them out, a five day ro=
ad
trip! Zoey has adapted very well and Sam is not quite sure
about the new location. Zoey, the imp that she is, decided =
to
taste the new plants here, Lantana is toxic to dogs, so we found =
a VET
quickly! Everything is OK. We'll have to watch her mo=
re
closely.
The dogs finally have a place to work! After several contac=
ts,
the Maricopa Unified School District put them to work! The first
place was the High School with the Life Skills room, about 12 old=
er kids
that have physical and emotional handicaps. After starting
there, I got a call asking if we would visit and an elementary
school, very close to where we live. We will be working with the
school therapist with kids that have problems while in school.&nb=
sp;
Additionally, we will be holding a R.E.A.D. (Reading Educational
Assistance Dog) hour at the school on a weekly basis. It did
not stop there! The last call we got was to work with an Au=
tism
class in another school with about 8 kids. As always I don'=
t know
when to say enough is enough! However, we had three more
requests that I had to turn down! Anybody want to relocate =
to
AZ and work here? Maybe we could start a AZ location for
KPETS??!!! They are calling the visits "Animal Interventions=
";
and here I thought that they were just visits! Additionally,
Jan and Sam will be conducting a R.E.A.D. event at the local libr=
ary
on a weekly basis.
Another venue presented itself! After going to the local
government building to see if the dogs needed AZ licenses, the
Director of Parks and Events talked me into giving dog obedience
classes in Maricopa. This will happen in April and this will be t=
he
first time that I get paid for doing something that I love.
A final note, my granddaughter was born on Feb. 25!!! She w=
eighted
in at 9lbs 13.5 ozs and was 21 inches long with a full head of bl=
onde
hair!! I saw her the same day and she was trying to hold her
head up. LIFE is GOOD!
Well that is all from A.Z.! Keep well and give a kiss to your dogs
for
me. &n=
bsp; =
;
- Bill Townsend
Bill is having the first KPETS Orientation - Arizona in the
first part of April! Way to go Bill!
I=
MPORTANT
INSURANCE UPDATE:
With KPETS' growth and expansion, it is even more
imperative that we all log hours online. Along with providing data
for grant applications, etc, our insurance states that our
volunteers are covered IF the are participating ON BEHALF OF KP=
ETS.
One way to document that is to log our volunteer hours online at =
www.kpets.org/volunteers. Please be faithful in logging all your volunteer
time. If you need help or forget how,
click here.<=
/p>
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Seize the Moment &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; -
Denise Gillen
Talk about using every opportunity to spread the
word...Recently a co-worker and Sertoma member found out he miss-=
scheduled
his speaker. With the meeting only two days away, he asked =
me
if I knew anyone who could fill in on such short notice. Af=
ter
trying a few people and striking out, I told him Riplee and I wou=
ld
be happy to do a 20 minute presentation on KPETS. After all=
, a
free lunch was involved!
February 25th we showed up for the luncheon meetin=
g at
Media Heights Country Club. It was fun to see the adults surprise=
d to
find a dog in an unexpected place. Riplee and I talked about
the human/animal bond and it's importance helping special ne=
eds
and physically challenged people. We talked about our perso=
nal
experience working with autistic children and the many other serv=
ices
KPETS provides.
I'm not a public speaker, but when talking about
something so meaningful to me, it was easy! Having a
four-legged helper made it even easier. Don't be afraid to =
use
those serendipitous moments to let people know about our group and
the useful and worthwhile services we provide. They had many
questions and couldn't resist petting Riplee. As usual, Rip=
lee
accommodated and made sure everyone got to touch him. =
It
was that easy!
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Contact Us
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630 Janet Avenue
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601
888-68kpets / 888-685-7387
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More Research on Our Furry Friends
Dogs help witnesses in
Court Settings
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Hearing
about using dogs in a court setting had been a goal of mine for
Podley. It was a vision I had for him in 2010 when I would be wor=
king
full time for KPETS pursuing new venues for our therapy teams. Wh=
at
an awesome difference having a confidant by your side during
possibly the most difficult thing you've ever done in your l=
ife.
I hope KPETS will be able to reach out in this area in the n=
ear
future.
See
the links below for incredible coverage of just such endeavors.
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=
<=
u>Dogs in the Court Room
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>Going t=
o the Dogs -
In a Good Way
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>Courtho=
use Dogs
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>Courtho=
use Dogs -
pdf
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>-Karen Gerth
<=
strong>D=
ogs
and Oxytocin
THE DOG MAY indeed be one of man's best friends. N=
ew
research suggests that people get the same hormonal reaction from
bonding with their dogs as with humans.
The hormone Oxytocin, which is secreted during
childbirth and breast feeding, has been shown to facilitate human
bonding. A study in Japan had dog owners sit in a chair and give
commands to their dogs. Some owners could look at their dogs, whi=
le
other owners couldn't. The owners who could look at their dogs,
especially owners who spent more time looking at their dogs and h=
ad a
closer relationship with them, were found to have significant
increases in oxytocin levels in their urine after interaction with
their dogs.
Nagasawa, M. et al., "Dog's Gaze at Its Owner
Increases Owner's Urinary Oxytocin During Social Interaction,&quo=
t;
Hormones and Behavior (forthcoming).
1/4/2009
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>
It's Tr=
ue, Your Dog
Relaxes You!
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>The Ris=
e of Dog
Identity in Politics
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>NY News and Features
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>Health =
Benefits of
Dogs
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#333333'>'Bondin=
g' Hormone
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<=
span
align=3Dleft>Bon Ton's Furry Friends
-&n=
bsp;Terri
Willner with Amanda Scudner and River
![](3D"http://www.kpets.org/ccpics/bonton.jpg")
"He's the same age as me! He's six and I'm six!" That=
's
what the little boy kept telling his brothers and sisters over =
and
over again, when he made that discovery. "I really liked
seeing the looks on the kids' faces when they saw the dogs,&quo=
t;
said Amanda, fourteen years, who brought six-year-old River.
A newly registered KPETS team, (Amanda and I both handle River)=
, we
had volunteered to sell Community Day coupon booklets at the Bon
Ton. These sell for $5 and contain a $10 off coupon plus a 30% =
off
early bird coupon and six 20% off coupons, all good on one spec=
ific
Saturday. I'm a fan of the sale and I was delighted to use my
coupons later to get a further discount on already-reduced boots
for my daughter. All of the money goes to the organization sell=
ing
the booklets (in our case- KPETS), so it's a good deal for both=
the
purchasers and the organizations. This is a popular
fundraiser with other community groups too, so there was some
competition for the sales. Of course, our dogs were the best
"sales people" at the Bon Ton.
Dogs are like people magnets; they draw them in and make them s=
top.
People love to tell you their own dog stories and sometimes even
their dog fears. They stop. They talk. They pet them, talk
sweetly and make the tails wag. Sometimes they stay a while and
discuss what breed their next dog will be; sometimes they stop =
back
again on their way out of the store. The kids especially c=
an't
resist a chance to stroke the soft heads
"What kind of dog is that?" was easily our most asked
question, as they eyed the black and white creature who was just
barely remaining seated as his tail wagged so hard he wiggled.
"Portuguese Water Dog" was the reply, followed a beat=
later
by, "the breed that the President's family has now."
Sometimes we explained that the Obama girls have allergies and =
this
breed was selected to minimize reactions because they don't she=
d.
Sometimes we shared that they were bred to help fisherman, used=
to
retrieve nets and that they have webbing between their toes that
helps make them strong swimmers. He may have been bred for wate=
r -
and he does enjoy swimming, but he lives to be petted by people=
and
is certain that everyone he encounters is there just to greet h=
im.
Carny, the Golden Retriever pictured, seemed to feel the same w=
ay
and they managed to convince many shoppers to reinforce this
belief.
We pre-empted the other popular question by asking "Would =
you
like to pet the dogs?" and mostly always received an
affirmative answer. Sharing information about KPETS activities =
led
into asking for financial support by purchasing a coupon bookle=
t or
feeding our donation jar. The teams at the outside entrance
sold more booklets than at the mall entrance - location is
everything! or maybe their owners are better at the ask. We were
also stocked with KPETS cards, info brochures and a KPETS doggy
coloring page to distribute to kids. The fundraising mission was
accomplished and so was publicizing KPETS mission, thanks to our
furry ambassadors.
We were with Linda and her Golden retriever Carnation (Carny). =
Amos
& Trish with their Lab Apollo, whose impressive resume incl=
udes
that he is a search & rescue dog; and Carol with her c=
ute
little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Bailey, manned or
"dogged' the opposite entrance. Thank you to
everyone who helped to make this a successful fundraiser f=
or
KPETS. Our team had fun at the mall and we'll return next Commu=
nity
Day for the deals and for the dogs.
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<=
span
align=3Dleft>Ronald McDonald House =
- C=
indy
Stewart
![3D"RMH](3D"http://www.kpets.org/ccpics/RMHwRM.jpg") &q=
uot;Can
Jack come back to see me one more time before I go home?"
These words are the ones Jack and I love to hear. The many chil=
dren
and their families who stay at Ronald McDonald House of Central
Pennsylvania, located in Hershey, are visited by therapy dogs a=
nd
cats most evenings of the week. Jack and I have been lucky enou=
gh
to be a part of the therapy pet program at the "House"
for the last 2 years. After exploring a number of venues, Jack
found his niche with the kids. On any given night he may be gen=
tly petted
and loved by a teenager working to overcome an eating disorder =
or
approached noisily by a Down's Syndrome child overwhelmed by the
chance to get near a dog. One of Jack's proudest moments was wh=
en
an autistic child added 3 words to his limited vocabulary-"=
;Good
dog, Jack."
Jack had a
travel bottle that many of us use- the plastic bottle with the
attached trough. One evening while going into RMH, I dropped the
bottle in the parking lot. The trough broke, but the bottle was
intact. Thus began, Jacks' bottle feeding routine. The youngest
patients and their siblings get a real kick out of feeding a big
brown dog out of a bottle.
Jack is a great "licker.&qu=
ot;
I have to warn the parents and children that Jack is an impendi=
ng
face wash for all who get near. With that mystical sense that o=
ur
animals have, Jack always seems to be able to discern the child
struggling with an illness. These are the little ones who recei=
ve
the most licks and lean-ins for petting. He is more than happy =
to
receive attention from anyone present, but his best is saved for
those who need him most.
Families are
often inspired by Jack's own little story. He was a rescue who =
came
to us as a puppy on death's door. His lungs were infected and j=
ust
taking a breath was a struggle for him for 2 months. Seeing big
goofy Jack, at the age of 3, and at a weight of 65 pounds is an
inspiration for some of the guests at RMH.
As all of us
who are a part of KPETS know, the unconditional love shown by a=
dog
is a lesson to us all. We are blessed to be a part of their
ministry.
B=
OW WOW
POW WOW - June 20!
You may recall the
KPETS Karnival in the past. This year the Karnival is =
;The
Bow Wow Pow Wow (BWPW) to be held Sunday, June 20 at Ephrata Gr=
ater
Park and Eicher Center. We have a whole half of the park and the
Eicher Center to set up.
We have so many fun things lined up for this event, we hope you
will invite your friends and family to join us.
This year we are having=
the
BWPW No Rain Today Dance. This is a great opportunity to r=
aise
pledges for KPETS. Similar to the usual walks other organizatio=
ns
run, KPETS will be having a unique 'dance'. Don't worry, no tal=
ent
needed. It's just a short fun 'dance' for those who participate.
Top three fund-raisers will receive great prizes, and good=
ie
bags will be given to those raising over $200. Click=
here for
your pledge sheet and start collecting now!=
But that is not all.
There's a Pet Talent Contest, Agility fun, Blessing of the
Animals and so much more! Be sure to visit www.k=
pets.org/bwpw.html for
more details - with more to come soon!
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K=
PETS
Educating Students - Cindy Stewa=
rt![](3D"http://imgcc.com/v8_your_image_100x100.gif")
On Monday, February 22, three KPETS teams
participated in both a presentation and a therapy visit at Lower
Dauphin High School. Laura Whitman and Reni, Patti Jo Hibshman =
and
Suzy Q, and Cindy Stewart and Jack, spoke with students from Lo=
wer
Dauphin and Hershey High School who participate in the Pennsylv=
ania
Youth Apprenticeship Program at the MS Hershey Medical Center.
These students, who are interested in pursuing medical careers,
were fascinated to meet the teams and learn how the human/animal
connection adds a dimension of healing to the lives of those who
are visited.
Laura shared the histor=
y of
KPETS as well as an overview of the training required to become=
a
team. In addition, she related some of her experiences at the
Palmyra Nursing Home. She also informed the students about the =
many
locations where KPETS serves.
Patti Jo spok=
e of
her work at the Behavioral Health Unit.
Cindy and Jack concluded
the presentation by relaying anecdotes from their visits at Ron=
ald
McDonald House in Hershey.
Questions were answered,
and time to visit with the dogs made for a worthwhile and
educational presentation.
While the educational presentation
was proceeding in one room, the teams took turns visiting with
twelve students from the Lower Dauphin/Hershey/Steelton Life Sk=
ills
class, which is housed at Lower Dauphin High School. Here the d=
ogs
got to "do their thing." The students loved the dogs,=
and
enjoyed the licks and tricks that Suzy Q, Reni, and Jack provid=
ed!
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D=
ogs'
Day in the Park &n=
bsp;
-&n=
bsp;Margie
Smith
Animal Rescue Inc.'s 5th Annual Dog's Day in the
Park at John Rudy Park in York, PA is around the corner - when
there is green grass and NO SNOW!! This year it will be held on=
May
16, 2010 from 10:00 am - 4:00 PM. Last year's Dog's Day
was their best yet and they are looking to make this =
year
even better! They had approximately 2500-3000 in attendance
last year and the goal for 2010 is 4000+. They're
looking to draw more people to the event to bring
awareness for Animal Rescue Inc. and to all of it's rescue
friend organizations, vendors and sponsors. The mission for
Dog's Day in the Park is to educate, raise funds and find
forever homes for our furry friends. We want to share the
love we have for rescuing those that have no voice but that giv=
e us
love beyond words. And to have lots of fun. Can't forget =
the
fun!
KPETS looks forward to having a booth at Dog's D=
ay
in the Park and we would appreciate your help in staffing it. T=
here
will be many booths to see what products are out there for your
canine friend as well as for some education and fun - remember,=
we
all have and have had fun! See you there!
Iron Hill Brewery's Give 20<=
/span> =
KPETS and Iron Hill Brewery of Lancaster will be
teaming up on Sunday, May 30th to raise money for KPETS! K=
eep
an eye on your e-mail, as we will be sending the Give=
20
Coupons out in the next 2 weeks. Simply print the coupon a=
nd
bring it with you to Iron Hill Brewery (across from F&=
M)
and 20% of your check will be donated to KPETS (alcohol not
included). See you there!
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<=
span
align=3Dleft>AAT Training Session !
KPETS first AAT - Animal Assisted Training
session was held Thursday, February 18 in the Blair Room
located down the hall from the KPETS office. There we=
re
34 people in attendance! From brand new volunteers to
those serving for years, along with Occupational, Physical,
Speech and Cognitive Therapists from several different faciliti=
es.
Karen Gerth presented a
Powerpoint presentation with some facts and research on AA=
T.
After each section of the presentation we had open discussion f=
or
anyone to share their experiences or ask questions. The
professional therapists participating
shared some do's and don't's for us while serving in the AAT
setting.
We hope to do this agai=
n,
possibly covering AAT in school settings using dogs for reading
support or with behavioral goals. Any ideas or suggestions are
welcome. Feel free to contact us at 1-888-68-KPETS (57387) or <=
/span>info@kpets.org.
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D=
ock
Dogs!
Palmyra's 250th Anniversary Spring Splash will be
held April 24/25, 2010 at Fireman's Park. The park is located on
the corner of Grant and Spruce streets in Palmyra.
Dock Dogs will be holding a two day competition. They are very
excited about this because the following weekend is a national =
meet
in Virginia, so the hope is there will be a large number of ent=
ries
to practice for the following weekend.
Saturday is to be vendor day, and KPETS
will be there. Hours will be from 11 am - 4 PM. Sunday will be =
the
rain date. If the weather is nice on Saturday, we are welcome to
come back on Sunday, at no extra charge! On Sunday there =
will
be K-9 police dog demos and a costume parade.
Dock Dogs will be handing out 30
prize bags, and there will also be prizes awarded for the costu=
me
contest. Mark your calendars now!
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<=
span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>Don't forget to download your pledge =
sheet for
the No Rain Today Dance for the Bow Wow Pow Wow event on June=
20!
Ask your friends, neighbors, relatives and co-workers to sponsor =
you!
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