Wordless Wednesday; Handmade Greeting Cards

Ma has had a difficult and heartbreaking week because Grandma passed away, so I'm taking over today's Wordless Wednesday for her. 


Phoebe takes over this week's Wordless Wednesday

Ma's Niece is getting married next month so Ma asked her good friend Paulette to make a special wedding card for her.  Paulette makes beautiful cards by hand.  She doesn't sell them, she just makes them for family and special friends as a hobby.  Aren't they lovely?

Paulette made the yellow card in the middle for Ma's birthday last month.  She wrote a really sweet message inside.

Paulette made the other two as wedding cards for Ma's niece.  Ma loved them so much she couldn't choose just one, she wanted both of them!  So she decided to use one as the Bridal Shower card and the other as the Wedding card. 

It was not easy to decide which one to use as the wedding card and which one for the bridal shower.  These may seem like unusual cards for a Bridal Shower and a Wedding but you see, Ma's Niece is a Marine Scientist - aren't these two cards just perfect for her, with these adorable little sea creatures on them?

Ma remembers when her niece was a little girl.  She loved sitting in front of Ma's salt water fish tank, staring at the seahorses, star fish, and other critters in the tank.  Ma's Niece became a certified Scuba diver by age 13 and well, the rest is history.  Ma is so proud of her beautiful Niece!

Which card would you choose for the  Bridal Shower, and which one for the wedding?  Leave us a comment and tell us your choice, we always love hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
Make a DIY Treat Jar for Pets, for the holidays or any occasion.
Simple DIY projects for your pet.
Adorable Disney's FROZEN themed Halloween for my dogs.

Celebrating National Pet Week

We've been celebrating NATIONAL PET WEEK!  National Pet Week® celebrates the bond we have with our pets, and all they give to us.  It encourages pet owners to be certain they provide their best friends with all they need for a happy, healthy life every week of the year!

NATIONAL PET WEEK was Created in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Auxiliary to the AVMA.  The first week of May is designated as National Pet Week, and is dedicated to celebrating America's more than 200 million pets. 

Bil-Jac^® pet food company is supporting National Pet Week by sharing 8 Ways You Can Be a Better Pet Parent with dedicated pet parents everywhere! Keep these important tips in mind all year long.

 

Our pets enrich our lives in so many ways, every day of the year. 

NATIONAL PET WEEK reminds us to celebrate our animal companions and encourages responsible pet care. 

ABOUT BIL-JAC
Bil-Jac is a family brand that has been in business for over 60 years.  In the early 1940's two brothers, Bill and Jack, were in the armed forces serving in World War II.  After returning home, they set out to fill a gap in pet food nutrition by creating what they felt was a much needed  "great improvement" in the pet food that was being offered to the consumer.  It's easy to see how they came up with the company name, they simply combined their first names, dropping the last letter off each name, and in 1947 the pet food company Bil-Jac was born!


NOTE: In exchange for sharing their 8 Ways To Be A Better Pet Parent with my readers, Bil-Jac  offered me a bag of delicious Bil-Jac treats. 

Weekend Fun With The Dogs

We started our weekend fun early with a nice long walk on Friday. 


I'm wearing my favorite hat, which isn't black & white....

I got my favorite pink hat when we met the stars of  the Animal Planet show TANKED, at a Pet Expo in Phoenix.

I'm jumping in on the weekly Black and White Sunday blog hop today as well - scroll down and join us on the hop!

The wonderful stars of TANKED, Brett Raymer and Wayde King, signed the hat for me and posed for photos with us.  Their Dad was with them and he signed it too!  Brett told me he once had a Husky name Ice, so of course he loved my Husky, Icy!  In an earlier blog post I wrote about meeting the TANKED stars at the Pet Expo and how their family run business creates exquisite fish tanks that stretch the imagination.  Brett and Wayde are so sweet, we love these guys!

What are you up to this weekend?  Leave us a comment & share!

POST A BLACK & WHITE PHOTO AND JOIN US ON THE BLACK AND WHITE SUNDAY BLOG HOP!!

National Therapy Animal Day

Today is NATIONAL THERAPY ANIMAL DAY! 

National Therapy Animal Day is a day to celebrate Therapy Animals that bring comfort, support, and joy to so many people in need.

Therapy Animals help children improve their reading skills, visit patients in hospitals, and seniors in nursing homes.  A Therapy Animal can help ease the pain and anxiety of those who are hurting, bringing comfort and smiles to people who need it most.  Sometimes a visit from a Therapy Animal can transform a dark day into a ray of sunshine and hope!

As my regular readers know, Icy and I are a Therapy Dog team.  We participate in several programs in our community such as Children's Reading Programs,

and Stress Buster events at local colleges.

We visit seniors in nursing homes, and talk with kids about responsible pet ownership, kindness to animals, and how Therapy Dogs help people in our community.

Read more about the work Icy and I do in our community in the THERAPY DOGS tab on my blog's Home page.

My good friend Paulette and her amazing Therapy Dog Teebo make visits to a drug and alcohol addiction recovery center.  They bring comfort, compassion and smiles to people who are fighting to beat their addiction.  Hats off to this very special Therapy Dog team!

Therapy Animals can be Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Horses, even Llamas! 

Many different kinds of animals can provide emotional support, love, & comfort to people in need. 

Learn more about Therapy Animals and becoming a Therapy Animal team with your pet on the Pet Partners or Therapy Dogs International (TDI) web sites.

As a proud supporter of Pet Partners VITABONE is helping spread awareness about the yummiest fundraiser of the year, Treats & Sweets Day. Throughout April, bakers across the country have shown their support by hosting bake sales and donation parties to raise money for Pet Partners, culminating on April 30, National Therapy Animal Day.  The sweetest part about it is that VITABONE has matched Treats & Sweets Day donations!  Click on this link to see why my dogs and I LOVE delicious Vitabone dog biscuits.

Is there a Therapy Animal that you'll be celebrating today?  Leave us a comment and tell us about it!

WE'RE JUMPING ON THE PET PARADE BLOG HOP, LYNC UP & JOIN US!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Pups On My Coffe Mug

Am I the only one who's ever had mugs made with their pet's mug on them?

I couldn't resist.  All my hot beverages taste better in the mug that has my dogs' mugs on it!

THIS IS THE BLOGPAWS WORDLESS WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP!!

A Therapy Dog In Drug & Alcohol Rehab

I've written several blog posts about the amazing work Therapy Dogs do to help people in need.  Most of my posts are about the work I do with my Siberian Husky, Icy.  But today I want to share with you the work my good friend and fellow Pet Partners Therapy Dog handler Paulette has done with her beautiful Keeshond dog, Teebo. 

Paulette and Teebo visit people struggling with substance abuse, offering love, support, and comfort as they fight to conquer addiction.


Teebo, Paulette's beautiful Keeshond is a great therapy dog!

Paulette and Teebo participate in the children's reading program along with Icy and I.  In addition to the children's program, twice a month Paulette and Teebo visit residents at a drug and alcohol recovery facility.  Paulette graciously agreed to be interviewed for my blog and talk about the therapy dog visits she and Teebo have with recovering substance abusers. 

Paulette and I met for our interview at a café.  Over cups of tea we talked for nearly two hours.  Before I get started on the interview, let me clarify something right off the bat: Teebo wasn't named after the football player, he's named after the Star Wars Ewok!  This is a common question Paulette gets about Teebo.  Now that we've cleared that up, let's get to the interview!



Paulette poses with Teebo (right) and my Siberian Husky, Icy at one of our library visits.

CATHY: Paulette, how did you get started in therapy dog work, and how did you know Teebo would make a great therapy dog?

PAULETTE:
During socialization and training, I noticed that Teebo loved everyone.  He didn't mind it when kids or other people crowded around him, he was so comfortable and so good with people.  When our PetSmart trainer Connie talked about doing a therapy dog class and asked if anyone was interested I thought "We can do that!" and signed up for the class.

CATHY: How did you find out about working with recovering substance abusers?

PAULETTE:
One of the other dog trainers was also a student, studying to be a social worker or counselor of some kind.  She had been doing an internship at a drug and alcohol recovery facility.  She thought therapy dogs would be great for the residents there and asked if Teebo and I might be interested.  I agreed to meet with her boss who managed the facility.  Initially, I met with him by myself, without Teebo. 

I didn't know what to expect, I had never been to a facility like that.  As I walked around with him, he explained what they do there and how residents go through the recovery process.  I didn't interact with any of the residents, who live at the facility during their recovery, we just toured the facility.  Afterwards he asked "Do you think you can do this?"  I said yes, I definitely could but I would have to see if Teebo would be ok with it.

They didn't have a therapy dog program at the facility, we would be the first therapy dog team to visit.  During our first visit, a Counselor was present to monitor the reactions of the patients and the team.  It went great and we've been visiting ever since!

CATHY: How is working as a therapy dog team with recovering substance abusers different than when you and Teebo work together in other programs, like the kids Reading program at the library?

PAULETTE:
It's a very different scenario.  When we arrive, we need to be let in and out of each locked area of the facility.  When residents first arrive they are in detox for several days before moving on to other stages of rehab. 

Teebo doesn't have to stay in one place and sit still like he does at the library.  We can proactively move through the facility visiting people.  Residents may be sleeping in their rooms, in common areas, or in small groups around the facility.  Teebo instinctively knows who to approach and who not to approach!

Another big difference is that there is a drug sniffing German Shepherd named Draco.  He shows up at random times during the day or night to ensure no drugs are present where they shouldn't be.  He's a working dog so no one is permitted to touch or interact with him.  The residents often ask if it's ok to touch Teebo.  We always know when Draco has been there because Teebo becomes fixated on following Draco's scent from room to room!



Handsome Teebo poses for the camera

CATHY: What is the most difficult part of working with recovering substance abusers?

PAULETTE:
One of the most difficult things is when they talk about their abuse, it can be pretty unsettling. 

Sometimes it's difficult because we often don't see the same people more than once or twice, it's new people all the time.  We only visit twice a month and the residents don't always complete their full recovery.  Although some residents will stay for a full 30 days, some will leave after their 5 day Detox period.  Some have to leave early because their insurance won't cover any more time at the facility. 

CATHY: Is there a particular visit or story that sticks out in your mind that you can share with us?

PAULETTE:
One of the residents asked me "Why are you doing this for us, we're addicts!?" as though she felt they were not deserving of it.   Some of them seem to be so lost, and say they don't feel valuable to society.

A couple of the residents have said "Thank you so much for coming, it means so much to us."  when all we did was walk around and say hello!  It's interesting to see some of them be so grateful that you care. It's very rewarding when you can make them smile and provide a positive interaction in their day.  It's always nice when they can have a conversation with you about something other than why they are at the facility.

I try to be encouraging by saying things like "Look what you're doing for yourself by being here!"  I've shared the FAIL acronym with a few of the residents.  I tell them "FAIL is merely your First Attempt In Learning".

CATHY: What advice would you give to other animal therapy handlers who want to help make a difference by working with recovering substance abusers?

PAULETTE:
Be flexible, it's different every time we visit and you can't have expectations of how you think it should be.  Most importantly, Don't Judge!  You haven't walked in their shoes.

Be in tune with your dog to see how he or she is handling it.  There was one day where we had to cut our visit short.  For some reason, Teebo just didn't want to interact with anyone that day.  I'm not sure why, but I had to take him home after only a brief visit.

When you meet a patient, let them start talking first.  Often they'll say they miss their own dog and start asking questions about Teebo like what kind of dog he is and what training we needed to do to become a therapy dog team.  When they talk about missing their own dogs I'll say "Don't worry, your dog will be waiting for you when you get home!"

CATHY:  Paulette, thanks so much for sharing about the visits you and Teebo make to the rehab facility.  I really admire how you two are helping people as they struggle to recover from drug and alcohol addiction by offering comfort, love, and support!  And maybe even a few sloppy kisses from Teebo!

I hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it.  A big THANK YOU to Paulette and Teebo for giving us a glimpse into their therapy dog visits to the rehab facility.

"They say I gotta go to Rehab, I say NO, NO, NO!!"  

-  From the song "Rehab", by British singer-song writer Amy Winehouse. Amy died tragically of alcohol intoxication in 2011 at age 27

The Opioid epidemic has reached crisis level in this country.  I am under no illusion that a therapy dog can help cure life threatening drug addiction. But when every minute of every day is a painful struggle, a visit from a loving therapy dog can be a much needed bright spot in an otherwise dismal day. It may help an addict get through their day, and perhaps motivate them to participate in that day's therapy session. Dogs ask no questions, make no judgements.  They are pure Love. 

I think it's a great idea for therapy dogs to visit recovering substance abusers in rehab. Unconditional love, comfort, support, and the Power Of The Paw just might help them get through the darkest moments of recovery.

💔 Sadly, Teebo passed away in late 2018.  His love and light will remain with us forever.  His therapy visits helped so many people; Children, Seniors, and those fighting Substance Abuse.  Run Free, sweet Tebow. 💔

If you enjoyed this interview, read about Paulette and my very first therapy dog encounter at a local mall.  Icy and Teebo were still in therapy dog training, but managed to give hope to a grieving young lady.

What do you think about therapy dogs visiting rehab facilities?  Please, leave us a comment and share your thoughts.  We always love reading your comments!

My Dog Is A Canine Good Citizen!

I'm so proud of my girl Phoebe, she graduated from her Advanced training class at PetSmart!  

Phoebe worked hard in class, she's such a little smarty-pants!  Oops, we had a bit of trouble getting her graduation hat to stay on straight, LOL!

The best part is that following the class, she also passed her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluation!  We've sent off the paperwork to the AKC (American Kennel Club) and her AKC CGC certificate should arrive in a few weeks.

Getting her CGC means a lot to me.  When we first adopted Phoebe, she had some serious fear issues.  She was utterly terrified of men!  I didn't find that out until I brought her home from the shelter. 

My husband and I worked with her for many months to help her get over those fears.  She's come such a long way since then. 

I always hoped Phoebe might be able to become a Pet Partners THERAPY DOG like her sister Icy.  Getting her CGC is the first step in preparing to be a therapy dog.  She's got some additional training to do before being evaluated for therapy dog work, but I think she can do it!

THIS IS THE SUNDAY BLACK AND WHITE BLOG HOP!!

Thanks to Dachshund Nola and Sugar the Golden Retriever for sponsoring the Sunday Black and White blog hop!