The buzz in the room was palpable when the tennis balls came through the door. The fact they were attached to the legs of a walker didn’t quell the initial excitement.
The therapy dogs joyfully milling about the room at the Home of Guiding Hands were there to do a job, which was to be lovable, sweet and gentle with the intellectual and developmentally disabled residents of Home of Guiding Hands El Cajon facility. And they were mostly perfectly behaved … until those tennis balls showed up. It was too much for Purdy, a Labrador with a reputation as a “good sitter,” to ignore. He went straight for the ball, sniffing and pawing at it, and a few of his canine comrades joined in to investigate.
But soon, Purdy and the others pulled themselves together and went back to the business of pet therapy, spreading their wares among the 150 long-term residential clients at Home of Guiding Hands Verbeck Headquarters. The “Pizza and Pets” event, featuring therapy dogs from Love on a Leash, was held in early March in recognition of National Disability Awareness Month.
“Here at HGH, we provide services from infancy to the end of life,” said Ashley Morey, development specialist. “This is just really a way for clients to come together and have a day when they are able to play with dogs and be themselves. It’s really great for them to pet and snuggle with the dogs.”
A Rare Opportunity
“Please Pet Me,” read the tag on Gigi’s harness. It was a key message because the clients have very few chances to interact with animals.
“When they are out in public, they are not allowed to interact with dogs due to liability reasons,” said Kaye Turpin, vice president of development and marketing at Home of Guiding Hands. “This day was special for our residents as they have limited to no interactions with dogs. Thanks to Love On A Leash, our residents had an important and meaningful experience.”
One particularly enthusiastic man in a wheelchair let out two, deep heartfelt, “Awwwwwws,” as Harley, a shepherd mix, licked his hands.
A man nearby was greeting Honey, a small terrier. “She’s a good girl,” he said with a smile as he stroked her chin.
A golden retriever, Champ, appeared to be playing dead as his back was stroked over and over, eyes shut, dog limbs akimbo.
And then there was the dog standing in the middle of everything, just looking around and wagging his tail at full tilt. Clearly, the dogs were enjoying the attention, too.
Gia the golden retriever did a big stretch down to the floor and was corrected by her handler to stand up for the blind woman who was approaching, who lingered to pat her head again and again.
One young woman had a hard time moving on from her favorite pup, another Lab. She hugged him, told him how she felt about him, and hugged him some more. “I love this dog,” she said.