KPETS - Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services
KPETS - Keynotes Newsletter September 2014 
Touching Lives * Warming Hearts
Since 2003
Upcoming Events 
Look for our teams at these events:












Important Links
Meet Our Sponsors for September
Rent Sponsor for the Year
Internet Sponsor for Four months:
 
Phone Sponsor:  
 Kim Showalter with Molly

Please consider filling any of the open spots on our Resource Page. Click here to go to our Resource Sponsor Page.

 



Do ALL your on-line shopping through 
 When you first sign in, be sure to choose KPETS and a portion of all your purchases will support KPETS. Thank you!
(You can still use the link on the Support Tab of our website too!)

 
Welcome to our New Registered Teams!
We had 12 teams register in August...
 
Nancy Diem & Kobi;
Crystal Wood & Dovey;
Nick Wood & Dovey;
Sue Grove & Callie & Gabriella;
Emery Grove & Callie & Gabriella;
Bryan Johnston & Lucky;
Wendy Segovia & Jethro;
Patricia Bowser & Freckles; Susan Perri & Blizzard;
Nicole Weaver & Roscoe; Lorraine Yost & JJ
Eli Martin & Colt. 

  Touching Lives * Warming Hearts!

Sheree Dietz's Solomon bringing smiles to one of his regular residents of Pleasant View Retirement Home!
We Need You!
SAMMY AND FRIENDS
 10 FOR 10 LEGACY RIDE or Walk

              Saturday, September 20, 2014

Come and enjoy the last day of summer 
while helping to support KPETS continue to grow and expand!

There are 3 ways to participate:  Click here for more info. 
                                             A Message from Karen Gerth


Hey check out Kylee! We've been practicing riding in her "stroller" for the Sammy and Friends 10 for 10 Legacy Ride/Walk on Saturday, September 20! Its part of Dream Ride Lancaster

We're going to be doing the walk and are looking for pledges and donations from friends and fans of KPETS! You can find out more by going here...http://www.kpets.org/sammy10for10/. You can join us, support us, donate in someone's memory or honor! Every donation helps KPETS' teams to continue Touching Lives * Warming  Hearts in our local communities! 
Sponsor Us!

Nancy Houston and Jill Vasi are two of the riders participating 
in the Dream Ride Lancaster Event for KPETS 
on Saturday, September 20 at 7:00 AM.  
You can sponsor them by clicking here.  
Nancy Houston

When KPETS volunteer Nancy Houston is not riding her bike, you can find her with MacGillycuddy, a Golden Retriever, visiting the Salunga House.  Gilly does therapy with a young lady that has Down's Syndrome using special dog toys to help improve the dexterity of her hands. Gilly also does therapy with patients at Lancaster Rehab Hospital.  

They also visit Hospice patients where Gilly gives a lot of love and kisses. College students, especially incoming freshman,  look forward to Gilly's visits at Millersville University where he helps relieve the stress of  arrival, midterm exams, or finals weeks.


 

Jill Vasi and Enzo


Jill Vasi with her Native American Indian dog, Enzo, is a new volunteer for KPETS. Together they brought many smiles this summer to residents of Oak Leaf Manor in Millersville  and Juniper Village in Mt. Joy when they participated for KPETS in their Pet Shows.  Kids at the York Academy School were thrilled to read to Enzo as part of a summer reading program.  Jill is currently in training for this event.  " I went out on a ten mile ride yesterday and it wasn't easy; I have more training to do! 30 miles is a lot!"


 Both Nancy and Jill are excited to participate in this event for KPETS!


 

In the Spotlight...    Emily Hendershot
Our Millersville University Intern


Emily Hendershot is a fall intern from Millersville University.  She is a senior majoring in Psychology.  In the future, Emily is interested in geriatric counseling and pet assisted therapy.  This fall semester, she is interning at KPETS to learn about pet therapy and its psychological benefits.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling (this past semester she lived in China).  Emily is currently conducting research on various aspects of pet assisted therapy, shadowing KPETS visits, and participating in workshops and events.  Welcome Emily!

Mary Gottried and Otto
Thank you Mary!


"After much thought and with much regret, I  have concluded that I must retire from KPETS due to continuing health issues. I've had a good run. I think Laura Whitman recruited me in 2004 when she met me and Murray at the Etown College Halloween parade. Murray and I visited Manor Care for several years twice monthly, set up the home visit program for 3  autistic brothers here in Etown, organized KPETS participation in the Etown Christmas Parade every year as well as participation in Etown College Pup-E-Pallooza for several years, and set up the "Dog Tales" reading program at the Elizabethtown Library which my basset Murray and I enjoyed for the last 2 years of his career as a therapy dog.

I've especially enjoyed participating as an on-site evaluator for KPETS and hope I helped more than a few new teams move on to become productive volunteers.

I've attached a photo of me with my new 10 week old basset puppy Otto- he is from the same kennel as Murray and distantly related."

Murray
Murray

Sincerely,

Mary Gottfried


 
Mary, We can't thank you enough for all you (and Murray) have done in the Elizabethtown area. Your efforts are already missed and will continue to be missed. We wish you the very best!

Announcing Our Retirees!

We would like to thank the following therapy dogs who recently retired from KPETS!  You will be missed by all the people you served!
 

 Holly - beloved campanion of  Nancy Campbell
Dizzy - beloved companion of Laurie Walters 
Kujo - beloved companion of Vicki Rice 
Thank You from Camp Cadet

"Thank you and your organization for volunteering your time and talents this past week at Camp Cadet, It was greatly appreciated!!"

Trooper Ryan L. Lawrence

Pennsylvania State Police


 

Six of our teams participated in a presentation for over a 120 campers and councilors in Southern Lancaster County at Camp Cadet.  Groups rotated between stations talking about responsible pet ownership, dog safety, dog sports, dogs with jobs, and learning about the requirements necessary in becoming a KPETS dog. 
A special thank you to:  Karen Gerth/ Kody; 
Nancy Bouder/Buckley; Ann Haines/Gracie; 
Mary Reinhart/Summer; Nancy Houston/Gilly

A Thank you to our teams in the Lemoyne, PA  area!

Anne Saunders +Ray
"Thank you for taking the time to support your local community at the
Heidi Thomas + Oliver
Bill Gladstone Group of NAI CIR event hosted with TrueNorth Wellness Services on August 5
th. There were about 80 people in attendance, which benefited children with special needs and their families. Thank you for volunteering your services with KPETS.  It was truly a fun treat to be had by the children! We appreciate your continued support and we look forward to another successful event next summer!"

Sincerely,

Leah Wentz

Marketing Coordinator   

      Wags and Whistles
Thank you to all who attended this fun event for KPETS and the Railroad Museum of PA.  KPETS would like to extend a special thank you to Deborah Reddig, Museum Advancement Director of the Railroad Museum for her guidance, vision and leadership in putting this event together and to Meredith Jorgensen from WGAL TV, who did a super job as emcee! 

Thank you to the following teams who participated:  Nancy Houston and MacGillycuddy, Patti Jo Hibshman and Suzy Q, Joni Soost and Lady Gillian, Suzy Keller and Zeke, Valerie Keiser and Chuckles, Sue Downing and Macy.  Also our sincere thanks to Jill Vasi from KPETS who modeled for Eddie Bauer, and Carol Carlson and Cathy McCracken who came early to set up the beautiful tables of refreshments!  

 

 

Thank you York Teams!
   What a great day at the Dentsply Safety Fair!!!!!  We had 13 KPETS teams attending at various times through out the event, and we needed every one of them. There were so many DENTSPLY employees and friends attending that you could hardly walk. I believe every employee stopped by the KPETS booth to visit with our fur kids. They didn't just pet one dog, but had to say "Hello" to all of the dogs. Many took brochures and/or business cards and asked how they could join KPETS.
After lunch of Bar BQ chicken, ice cream and soda/water provided to ALL for FREE, the DJ played "Who Let The Dogs Out" in honor of KPETS. So we paraded our wonderfully behaved fur kids up and down the grassy strip for all to view our very special four-legged kids.

The KPETS teams who made this event so successful were; 
first, the one who initiated the invitation, Crystal Wilcox & Chloe,  Jean & Freddie,  Nancy & Jill,  Leigh & Ivy Mae,  Wendi & Meeko,  Susan & Max,  Pam & Shiloh, Tom & Sadie,  Heidi & Oliver,  Fran & Okra,  Janelle & Buoy,  Chey & Jetty, and my boy, Corky.

A special thank you to Dentsply. The friendliness, helpfulness, and great hospitality shown to us was extraordinary!
 
Reading with Jean-Luc
By KPETS volunteer Cynthia Barnes
     Embarking on a read-to-the-dog program with our Standard Poodle, I was filled with major anxieties.  Jean-Luc, an only dog in a quiet household of two retirees, is overjoyed (read that "excessively excited") when meeting other people and dogs.  His enthusiastic entrances to the school library were dramatic; I often felt the unvoiced sympathy or perhaps disdain of the other dog handlers.  But he did always settle down after a few minutes and a whole new world opened for both of us.
    I'd not been around young children much for a very long time and had forgotten how innocent and sweet are second, third, and fourth-graders.  

 

Get Konnected/Stay Konnected   

  Come and Meet the KPETS' Teams in your area!

  

Harrisburg Round Table Gathering: September 18, 6:45pm @ K-9 Attitude Adjustments Dog Obedience School 
 

York Round Table Gathering: Old Country Buffet on Rt 30, York on Wednesday, October 15 at 6:30pm

Everyone is welcome. Come hungry!!

 

(More info in the Weekly Kommunications Email)

 Teams in Action Tuesdays

on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

 

Send your pictures to  TeamsinActionTuesdays@kpets.org

  

 Guidelines -

1. Be sure to let us know who, what, when, and where

2. A Photo Authorization Form of identifiable non-KPETS people must be sent to the KPETS' office.  

3. We can blur faces if no authorization is available.


   
Do you have...                                                       

* a story about a recent or memorable KPETS visit 

* a photo

* a fabulous treat or toy that your KPETS partner loves 

* a great pet related book you'd like to recommend 
* a memorial to a beloved KPETS partner who has recently passed 

 

If you have something you'd like to share with our Newsletter readers, please send details and any photos to us at info@kpets.org

  

                                    Visit Requests
There are so many open requests and we need our teams  to fill them. 
Here's where you can find them... 
 
1.  Weekly Request Update email every Wednesday
  • On kpets.org, scroll over "Konnect w/KPETS" menu
  • Click on the Konnecting Page and 
  • Type in your email address and click "FOLLOW"

Info for New Volunteers and VIP's (Volunteers in Process)
 
* Space may be limited. Registration Required / Dates subject to change!
 
Upcoming Orientations:  Click here to register.
                               
* York - Saturday, September 20 (3rd Sat of odd months) @ 9:00 am

* Lancaster - Saturday, October 18 @ 9:00 am

* Westminster, MD - TBD 2015

* Hanover - September 24 @ 7:00 pm

  

Workshops: Offered in two formats - to choose what's best for you. 

 

Click here to register for the one-time test option at the following locations

  

* Lancaster - 2nd Tuesday (4th Tuesday as needed) of every month @6:15 pm 

* York - 1st Monday of every month @ 6:00 pm 

* Hanover - Wednesday, October 1 @ 7 pm

* Westminster, MD - Monday, August 25 & 7 pm

 

* Therapy Dog Training Classes: (optional class offered for those who would like additional guidance) in York (Keystone Dog Training), Lancaster (Oscar's Pet Resort and Dog Sense) and Westminster, MD   Click here for more info

Thank you all for making KPETS what it is and taking us to where we are today!

Let's continue Touching Lives * Warming Hearts in our local communities! ! !

 

Karen Gerth
KPETS - Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services